The most populous of the cities in the State of Texas and the fourth most in the whole of United States, is the city of Houston or also known as the Bayou City. A total population of 2.303 million as of 2016, the city is also called the Energy capital of the world. The name is given due to the fact that more than 3700 energy-related businesses are found there. Being the largest in the state of Texas and the fourth largest one in the US, the city caters a very versatile culture and a large number of hotels, shopping sites and a busy nightlife. The city caters a large number of tourists annually, for which they have two international standard airports.
The city downtown is completely regenerated and houses a truckload of clubs, musical entertainments and the sports facilities that have revived the city’s VIBGYOR like nightlife. The nightlife never seems to end. A staggering 17.3 million travellers visited the city in 2016 and brought along a whole lot of revenues with them. This increasing number of tourists and the revenues that they bring have increased the number of accommodations and hoteling venues and provides some of the best in the world dining opportunities. A short dive into what, where and how in the city of Houston is given below:
When travelling for a leisurely and fun-filled trip the accessibility options are quite wide in Houston. Two international standard airports are ready to welcome the tourists. The largest is the Bush Intercontinental Airport stands with departures exceeding 700 a day and an approximate 43 million domestic passengers as of the year 2015. The Bush Intercontinental is located at a distance of 20 miles from Houston Downtown, providing a number of transportation options ranging from taxis to rental cars, super-shuttle, courtesy vans, Uber and etc. in addition the airport works services non-stop to 116 destinations over the world with flight operators including Emirates, Qatar Airways, US Airways and Lufthansa.
William P. Hobby Airport is the second largest airport in the Houston and serves a whole lot of airlines including the Southwest Airlines, JetBlue Airways and the American Airlines and etc. flying to about 50 destinations. Transportation towards the Downtown includes taxis, public metro bus, courtesy vans and etc.
The city of Houston is worth visiting in all the seasons, yet there’s this one season where the best of the city’s beauty and life can be experienced. The late winters and early springtime that falls somewhere between the months February and April and sometime in the early late autumns that falls in the months October and November. This is the time when the country faces not very good weather, but the weather is at perfection in Houston. The portion that comes between February offers more than just weather, it has the world’s largest rodeo show set up in Houston.
Are you a floral beauty lover? If yes then this is the best time when rows upon rows of wild bluebonnets can be found growing along the highways and areas. Houston, during these days, is just beauty and life!
There’s always a truckload of something that you can do in the Bayou City. It never lets you feel bored of its offerings! Friends or family, Houston offers something for everyone. A classy dining, a vibrant nightlife, versatile shopping and a whole bucket list of things that you can experience. The number of things that this marvel of a city offers you never lets you get tired of its beauty and charm.
The Festivals
Houston has a lot of festivity in its air. The atmosphere remains festive almost the whole year with each month having some festival being celebrated. Parades, carnivals and food festivals, people here know exactly how to celebrate everything! You reach Houston in January and a staggering 300,000 people would be marching down the streets on the Martin Luther King Jr. Grande Parade or you might witness the grand Chevron Houston Marathon, with about 20,000 participants and some 200,000 spectators. Later in the year you can suffice your taste buds in the Houston Barbeque Festival or the Bayou City Art Festival Downtown where you witness the artistic touch of Houston pounce out on the streets. The city lights are switched into the colours of festivity with multiple themed scenes and an outdoor ice rink in the Festival of lights. The Christmas festive mood remains until the year-end.
The Food
The scrumptious dishes will keep you licking your fingers! Houston offers its visitors the best food they have eaten. The unique cuisine and dining experience in Houston is second to none. The typical Texas barbecues, unearthly cocktails and the food festivals make Bayou a paradise for foodies.
The international food chains are an icing on the top of the delicious local eateries. You take a stroll down the Houston streets and find yourself attracted to the aroma of the Pansoti, you fill yourself and walk ahead and the ribs lying on the grill start rumble in your stomach! This Bayou favourite won’t let you go without eating!
From the local tacos to the prestigious food chains including Burger King, Pizza Hut and others are not going to let you go hungry. The city is in love with foods and will make you love them too, once you try them.
The Sports
It’s not just food and party, Houston is quite strong when it comes to sports. The city has a particular liking for baseball and has some particularly large stadiums for it. The BBVA Compass, the Toyota Centre and the Minute Maid Park are some of the arenas for the home teams.
Other than baseball, you can find the people of Houston enjoying sports like basketball, soccer, and rugby and in-line hockey. So it’s up to you which stadium you want to sit for the match!
Museums and Exhibitions
Apart from the eateries and the playing around, if you are a person with a taste for history and technology? Houston won’t let your thirst go unquenched! The Museum District is a paradise for such people, a stroll in the lanes will lead you to the Hermann Park where you can choose from a number of galleries and museum including The Museum of Fine Arts which has the Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens. Move ahead and you have the Health Museum, housing Houston’s only 4D theatre. Other sites include the Holocaust Museum, Houston Center for Photography and the Lawndale Art Center.
That not all people! The Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center brings space on earth, the 1620 acres facility caters a fully loaded with simulation zone where you can experience zero gravity and a virtually realistic rocket launch.
The Zoo
Kids or adults, each is awestruck in this zoo, which is the most visited of the nation. The Houston Zoo houses over 4500 animals and a massive 900 species. From a stroll in the spectacular grounds to a guided first-hand giraffe feeding is more than just a dream come true for the animal lovers who wish to visit Houston.
The Downtown Aquarium
The life underwater is a fascination for many! If you’re one of them you are well cared for at the Downtown Aquarium. The 150,000-gallon tank houses more than 4000 marine species including pet stingrays and a train ride through sharks diving around you is just a glimpse of the wonders that it holds! End your marine adventure with a stomachful of delicious seafood.
The Discovery Green
A taste of mother-nature in the midst of a man-made paradise, isn’t that what Houston is? The Discovery Green is a 12-acre piece of green land with the all the botanical beauty in it. It holds regular events which you can be a part of, yet a simple leisurely stroll to just get addicted to its beauty is not quite a hectic task.
In Houston, you are quite cared for! You need not worry about getting around, a large fleet of buses, taxis, shuttles and a B-cycle sharing program is there for your convenience. Your conveyance is well cared for with Uber and rental cars available to aid you if you don’t like the public transport hassle. The well-planned city and its beautiful network of roads are quite easy to navigate through.
The massively populated city might seem a hassle to roam around, yet the wonders that the city has in store for you are spell-bounding. Houston is a sheer delight to visit, from the dining’s to the suppers, from the zoos to the aquariums, and form the galleries to museums you must be ready to get awestruck.
One place where you find food, entertainment, history, and culture and modernization altogether is surely none other than Houston! A bit of garnishing with ease of access and navigation and your perfect trip material is Houston.