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Houston
Houston is a huge metropolis, which sprawls across the Gulf Coast plains of eastern Texas and is almost twice the size of Rhode Island. Even with this heavy urban concentration, though, Houston is green and lush, sited at the end of a belt of forest coming down from the north, and characterised by marshlands and bayous lined with cypress trees in the southern reaches.
Named after the former Texan president Sam Houston, the city is a humid and hot region of Texas. To make life more bearable in the close-packed downtown area much activity has gone underground. The city centre sports an air-conditioned seven-mile (11km) pedestrian tunnel system full of restaurants and shops. Unlike most cities, downtown in Houston is the hub of residential development, so it remains busy and bustling long after dark.
As the biggest city in Texas, Houston is not a traditional tourist destination, as it is more focussed on business than pleasure. Computer manufacture, gas and oil, and a huge concentration of medical institutions account for most of the economic activity, but all those hard-working citizens have to play sometimes, and there are some good attractions like excellent museums, the amazing Astrodome sports pavilion, some wonderful theatres and, thanks to the cosmopolitan mix of its residents, some ethnically diverse cuisine on offer in its many restaurants and neighbourhoods. For visitors the absolute “must-see” in Houston is the famed Space Center, mission control for the US space programme.
Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center
Attached to the 'Mission Control' for Nasa is the visitors Space Center in Houston. The Space Center, Houston's most popular tourist attraction, is located at Clear Lake, 20 miles (32km) southeast of downtown, off the Gulf freeway I-45. There are numerous wonders to behold at this facility, which both entertains and educates, from a mock-up of a space shuttle to an Imax theatre and hundreds of hands-on exhibits. Tram tours run every half hour taking in the highlights, including Rocket Park where retired spacecraft come to rest, Mission Control and even astronauts in training.
Address: 1601 NASA Road 1; Telephone: (281) 244 2100; Website: www.spacecenter.org; Opening time: Monday to Friday 10am to 7pm (June), 9am to 7pm (July), 10am to 5pm (August); weekends 10am to 7pm. Winter hours are 10am to 5pm, closing at 6pm on weekends; Admission: $17.95 (adults), $13.95 (children)
Galveston
Situated fifty miles southeast of Houston the barrier island of Galveston in the Gulf of Mexico is connected to the mainland by a bridge. The island city is Texas' most popular seaside resort, drawing holidaymakers all year round for its historic attractions, beaches and resort hotels. Prior to 1900 Galveston was a strategic and busy port city, but a hurricane that virtually destroyed the city and killed thousands of islanders put paid to its commercial prospects. Since then the emphasis has been placed on tourism and the island is now safe, having been protected with a strong seawall. The island offers 32 miles (51km) of beach and all the modern recreation and leisure facilities to make it a sought after resort.
Telephone: (888) 425 4753 (Galveston Island Visitor Information Hotline); Website: www.galvestoncvb.com
