Houston Travel Recs / Things to Do
I told my wife that it was a shame we couldn't go to the national championship since I have some work travel next week; she responded with, "Well, I'll go with (our son) then--there's no way we're missing this one!" (Well then!) Now I definitely can't miss out on that memory, so I rescheduled some other travel so we can go as a family. We arrive Saturday evening and leave Tuesday morning.
A few questions:
1) Any recommendations on things to do in/around Houston? We have a full day free on Sunday so I was thinking we may check out some sights for part of the day. Ideally family friendly.
2) Any places we should eat? Kid can fit in at both casual and fancier places.
3) How early do you recommend arriving at the stadium? For home games, we usually get to our seats a few minutes before kickoff. But I imagine the environment will be electric and we'll want the full experience...I just don't know if that means 1 hour early, 3 hours early, etc. What was it like for the Rose Bowl?
4) Anything we should know about the stadium? E.g., "do this; don't do this; don't park at X; etc."
Most importantly, GO BLUE!
January 2nd, 2024 at 12:15 PM ^
1) Houston Zoo is pretty family friendly, that would be my first reco if you have kids
2) Literally depends on what you want to eat. You can go any direction and hit good food. El Tiempo for Mexican, Steak 48 or Taste of Texas for Steak, for BBQ it's Killans but that's an hour south of Houston in Pearland.
January 2nd, 2024 at 12:22 PM ^
The Zoo is great, but if you want to go there, DO NOT PLAN TO PARK THERE. There is next to no parking there and only two single-lane roads in and out. Uber to Hermann Park and walk the rest of the way.
January 2nd, 2024 at 12:28 PM ^
Ooh, I appreciate that tip since we have a rental car.
January 2nd, 2024 at 12:25 PM ^
Does anyone have a good National Championship package reccomendation for hotel and 2 tickets?
January 2nd, 2024 at 1:23 PM ^
Houston central area weather forecast for Saturday through Tuesday. Basically, Ann Arbor temps in May. Rain forecasted for most of the day Monday.
January 2nd, 2024 at 12:16 PM ^
The Johnson Space Center might be worth a visit - if it's something you / family would be interested in. It's open on weekends from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm. I'm not sure what the availability of tickets is for this weekend.
Regarding the stadium - entry will probably "open" two hours before kickoff.
Go Blue!
January 2nd, 2024 at 1:21 PM ^
A second to the Johnson Space Center.
Take a short drive over to Pasadena TX, there's Gilly's (roadhouse. I think ZZ Top used to preform there once upon a time). This city is just east of Houston.
There are top notch Mexican and TX steak houses, so take your pick there.
BTW: Houston metro is the 5th largest city in the USA so there is always lots of traffic.
Have fun and GO BLUE!
January 2nd, 2024 at 1:44 PM ^
The Alumni Association booked Space Center Houston for an alumni, friends, family, and fans event for 6-9 pm Saturday night.
https://alumni.umich.edu/athletics/national-championship-kickoff-bash/
January 2nd, 2024 at 12:18 PM ^
Heading to Houston with my two boys. Thus far we are planning to do the following:
- Rockets game sat night
- Check out some bbq places, vietnamese (including viet cajun), and crawfish boils (not sure if season started). Would love some recommendations from locals.
- Alumni events (pep rally, tailgate before the game).
January 2nd, 2024 at 12:24 PM ^
Some personal favorites in Houston:
- Truth BBQ
- Killens BBQ
- Pinkerton's BBQ
- Crawfish & Noodles
Other food places would be TexMex like El Tiempo (fajitas are fantastic here) or the Original Ninfa's. Or Mala Sichaun is great for family style Chinese food.
Might be a bit early for crawfish season.
January 2nd, 2024 at 12:51 PM ^
Co-sign Ninfa's
January 2nd, 2024 at 12:18 PM ^
Not sure where you are coming from, so some of these things may be already in your city.
Check out this one -> https://www.houston2024.com/
1. NASA (about 50 miles away); Houston Zoo (they got a new Penguin exhibit), some good museums nearby;
2. Eating choices are endless, from Tex-Mex, Steakhouses, European, and various shades of Asian, African, and Latin American. Check this link -> https://houstonrestaurantweeks.com/
3. Uber/Lyft from your hotel. Driving into the NRG stadium is a nightmare
4. Be very particular about clear bags and short camera lenses.
Go Blue!
January 2nd, 2024 at 12:20 PM ^
Good tips; thanks! We're coming in from Detroit.
January 2nd, 2024 at 12:34 PM ^
Then NASA / Johnson Space Center is a strong recommendation.
San Jacinto Monument is close enough. If you would like to see alligators in the wild, Brazos Bend State Park would be a good option.
Please note that most of the things/places are 20 - 50 miles out from the NRG Stadium/ Rice University area.
Check the Houston Restaurant Week recommendations. They will have some good suggestions. Hole-in-the-wall places are always great.
January 2nd, 2024 at 12:18 PM ^
How old is your son?
NASA is number one for all ages.
January 2nd, 2024 at 12:21 PM ^
He's 7. Much appreciated for the recommendation!
January 2nd, 2024 at 2:35 PM ^
Houston is a sprawling city. Everything in Houston is an hour away from anything in Houston. Having that rental vehicle is going to come in handy. Don’t be put off by drive times.
Number 1 is NASA. Do the extras like getting the tram to the Mission Control Center.
Like shows and music? The Tina Turner Musical is in town that week.
Is this the only time you’re going to visit Texas with your son? Embrace the driving. Go to The Alamo. It’s 3 hours from here. Leave mid-morning. Visit the mission. Enjoy an early dinner on the Riverwalk. Drive back. You’ll be in bed by 9.30 and ready for a good night of sleep before the big game.
There are lots of good ideas posted by others.
Most of all, enjoy the game! GO BLUE!
January 2nd, 2024 at 12:23 PM ^
Houston is not a great tourist city TBH. There's the Museum district but it's nothing special for a city that size.
Food: I'd recommend upscale Mexican like Xochi. It's the best thing they have there.
January 2nd, 2024 at 12:31 PM ^
I travel a lot but have only been to Houston twice (for business). No two cities are created the same, but each has its own charm...even if you have to look a little more closely. We're looking forward to it.
Appreciate the food rec!
January 2nd, 2024 at 12:32 PM ^
Agree that if you're staying downtown, Xochi is probably the best choice for a nice meal.
January 2nd, 2024 at 12:31 PM ^
The big Houston bbq debate is Truth vs Pinkertons. I'm a Pinkertons guy myself, it's the most central-Texas-like of the options I think, and Houston really doesn't compare to Austin-area for bbq. Houston is an incredible food city, though, and you'll do well at just about any place Eater recommends.
I don't recommend planning on spending a lot of time downtown. There's just not much down there to do as it's all a hub for lawyers/accountants/other service professionals who don't live in the area and don't spend the weekends in the area.
Stadium is pretty isolated in the city. Not a ton to do around the area, so I wouldn't plan on getting there super early unless you plan on tailgating. Traffic is always, always awful in Houston so I'd give yourself an extra hour than what you feel you need if your kids can handle it. Better to get there early and hang out at a few tailgaes than to get there late. Also, the game starts at/during rush hour on a Monday and as a rule I avoid highways 4-7pm every workday. I've lived all over the world and Houston drivers are a special kind of idiot.
I very much enjoy living in Houston (except in July and August) but we're not the best city for travelers. You aren't missing much of anything if you just decide to take your kids to the movies to kill a few hours. If the weather is nice, the zoo (DON'T TRY TO PARK THERE) or any of the parks in town are fine. There are some walkable area in the Heights where you and your kids can meander around getting ice cream and such. Have a great time - just don't expect it to be a vacation destination.
January 2nd, 2024 at 12:37 PM ^
The Rice Village area or the Water Wall by Galleria are nice places. Agree, not much else to do.
January 2nd, 2024 at 12:32 PM ^
It must be nice to be rich.
January 2nd, 2024 at 12:40 PM ^
Yeah, it's expensive but I was lucky to get 3 tickets at face value and I cashed in a bunch of airline miles for plane tickets and car rental points. We're staying at a cheap hotel.
My wife and I graduated almost 20 years ago and have been waiting for a game like this to travel for. I hope one day you can make it to one, too. Beers on me if we ever bump into each other. Go blue!
January 2nd, 2024 at 12:42 PM ^
I know I shouldn't waste my time responding to this comment, but I don't understand why there is such a disdain among some people for those of us who have money.
We are all here on a blog that's dedicated to one of the most elite universities in the world.
It stands to reason that some (many?) of us have attained professional and financial success.
Why does it bother you if some (many?) of us choose to spend our hard-earned (or maybe even not so hard-earned) money to travel to places to indulge our passion for Michigan football?
January 2nd, 2024 at 2:15 PM ^
Why does it bother you if some (many?) of us choose to spend our hard-earned (or maybe even not so hard-earned) money to travel to places to indulge our passion for Michigan football?
jealousy
January 2nd, 2024 at 12:34 PM ^
Houston has an amazing food scene. There is plenty of good bbq, Vietnamese, soul food, etc.
For traditional Mexican you should go to one of Hugo Ortega's restaurants. Hugo's or Xochi if you want more upscale; Urbe for casual.
I highly recommend Pondicheri or Da Gama for amazing Indian fusion.
Breakfast Klub for breakfast/brunch. The line will probably be really long but it is worth it.
January 2nd, 2024 at 12:36 PM ^
We loved https://ninfas.com/. The food was amazing.
January 2nd, 2024 at 12:37 PM ^
Taste of Texas (steaks) is legendary and Rudy's Country Store and BBQ. Both great for families. Galveston has lots to see and do if you're up for a quick sidetrip.
January 2nd, 2024 at 12:37 PM ^
I love Houston. Biggest downside is that like EVERYTHING is a 20 minute drive away - even like a convenience store to get some ginger ale for a hangover. But every dang strip mall has great food. The more boring the strip mall looks, the better the food is. Vietnamese, Mediterranean, Indian, Chinese - and of course, Texas BBQ. Anything you want, just find the most nondescript storefront.
They also have like a city wide network of bike trails, which could be fun for kids, and is actually useful as a way to get away from traffic. NASA is cool but is actually NOT 20 mins away, it's like an hour and a half away if I remember right. But great for kids. Can't speak on the stadium too much. I was at the Rodeo once back when it was hosted in the Astrodome - so the area around the stadium is the typical sea of parking made for tailgating. I'm sure they'll have some kid-friendly events set up but can't speak on it firsthand. (the Astros play downtown, FWIW, but that's...about 20 minutes away)
January 2nd, 2024 at 1:01 PM ^
Excellent point on the strip malls. Granted it's going on 40 years since I lived there briefly but the utter lack of zoning leads to some seriously weird and wonderful stuff. Since OP is only in town for 36 hours, it's a little brief to just wander into a little taqueria and roll the dice, but you just might find yourself one hell of a good meal.
January 2nd, 2024 at 12:45 PM ^
Wow your wife is definitely smarter than you
January 2nd, 2024 at 12:52 PM ^
True, confirmed every day during our 15 years of marriage. Also, she got her degree in math from UM, so way smarter in general :)
January 2nd, 2024 at 12:48 PM ^
I am sure you'll have a nice time, as it's a big city with a lot to do (I'll let the locals give recs), and you're going to a freaking national championship game, but I will just give my impression the first time I visited Houston:
- "Houston: the traffic of Los Angeles with the humidity of New Orleans"
January 2nd, 2024 at 12:49 PM ^
Created an account because I moved away from Houston a few years ago and miss my years living there despite the weather. Just want to show my old home some love and hope y'all have a great time supporting the Wolverines.
1) Things to do:
- NASA Johnson Space Center - could also combine with Kemah Boardwalk
- Hermann Park / Museum District (Houston Zoo & Natural Science Museum are two options here, plus Hermann Park has tons of space to run around)
- Discovery Green usually has fun events going on this time of year
2) Places to Eat
- Breakfast Tacos - Tacos a Go Go, Brothers Taco House
- BBQ - Truth, Pinkerton's, Killens
- TexMex - El Tiempo or the Original Ninfa's on Navigation
- VietCajun - Crawfish & Noodles
- Chinese - Mala Sichaun
- American - Nancy's Hustle, Squabble, Nobie's
- Fancy - Xochi (Mexican), Georgia James (Steak), Bludorn (American)
- Deli - Kenny & Ziggy's
- Beer Garden - Saint Arnold's
- Takeout - Rice Box
I always like to go to Better Luck Tomorrow and Craft Pita when I'm back in Houston to support friends.
There's plenty of other options in Houston too; just wanted to highlight some of my favorites.
3) Stadium
NRG has some good tailgating lots; traffic can be pretty abysmal in Houston though so plan plenty of time to get to the stadium whether you drive or Uber.
Another (cheaper) option is to catch the train from downtown to the stadium. I used to do this for any events at NRG from Texans game to the Rodeo. This option works best if your hotel is near the train line or if you have an easy Uber to downtown. It's been a few years so not sure what the parking situation is like in downtown anymore.
January 2nd, 2024 at 12:54 PM ^
Love it. Much appreciated for the recs and all the effort (of signing up AND composing). Looks like we're going to eat well, have fun, and scream our lungs out for Michigan. Go blue!
January 2nd, 2024 at 1:23 PM ^
I second the train idea, provided you don't mind waiting around a bit after the game as a few thousand others do the same.
I was visiting family down there the year that UNC and Villanova played in the basketball National Championship game and we decided to get tickets last minute (best game I've ever been to with no allegiance either way). We took the train from downtown to avoid all the stadium traffic and large parking prices. Was much smoother, but took about an hour to get on the train back to downtown afterwards.
January 2nd, 2024 at 1:35 PM ^
We lived in Houston 2015-2020 and absolutely loved it. I'll co-sign on everything above, but since OP might want to explore, I'll give some general area recs:
- Avoid downtown - nothing tourist-friendly there unless there is some sort of festival (there aren't really any notable annual downtown festivals though)
- The Heights is a great neighborhood with all kinds of great restaurants, mostly a young family / young professional scene, lots of patio bars (kid friendly in almost all cases)
- Montrose is a little "edgier" but packed with great restaurants, some hidden in the neighborhood (as in, could literally be next door to someone's house). Blacksmith Coffee was our favorite coffee shop in town, and the Menil is a free art museum with a big lawn for a picnic (can BYOB), playing a game of catch, etc.
- West University is probably the most family-friendly and walkable restaurant area, some shopping as well, and it's right next to Rice University, close to the Zoo and Hermann Park.
- The museums are great. The MFAH (Art Museum) is world-class and enormous. Next door is the children's science museum which has a lot of hands on exhibits, including dinosaurs, Egyptian mummies (I think its permanent), and of course how oil and gas are formed and produced.
- NASA is probably the coolest thing to do, but it is about an hour outside the city. You could also check out Galveston (a little further past NASA), but it's not really beach season.
I hope you enjoy the city and Go Blue!
January 2nd, 2024 at 2:04 PM ^
If you go to Nasa (on the fence if i'd recommend it) please check out "Hyde Park" Best mixology and wood burning pizza in the Nasa area.
January 2nd, 2024 at 6:04 PM ^
The Children's Museum is a good option if you don't want to drive out to NASA. Combining that with the Museum of Natural Science would be a full day with minimal driving/parking. Both are near light rail stops, too.
January 2nd, 2024 at 3:50 PM ^
Lived in the area briefly and will second the rec for St. Arnold. Back then at least, it was a great atmosphere - large, European style beer hall where people would hang out, order food in, play games, etc. the Lawnmower Kolsch is a fantastic beer, even for people that say they don’t like craft beer.
January 2nd, 2024 at 12:49 PM ^
If you're into beer, Equal Parts Brewing is pretty awesome
January 2nd, 2024 at 12:49 PM ^
If you're into beer, Equal Parts Brewing is pretty awesome
January 2nd, 2024 at 2:10 PM ^
would add St Arnolds and Eureka Heights - but there are a lot of small independents. Do research
January 2nd, 2024 at 1:01 PM ^
Houston has lots of good food. With all respect to readers of this blog, I'd suggest "doing your own research." Decide what you want to eat and get statistical with online reviews. Recommendations here will be all over the place.
January 2nd, 2024 at 1:14 PM ^
I arrived about an hour before kickoff for the Rose Bowl. The way they set up the lines to enter the stadium was miserable so it took ~45 minutes just to get in. I missed basically all of the pregame. Hopefully NRG will be better, but I'll probably aim for 90 minutes just to save myself some stress.
January 2nd, 2024 at 1:31 PM ^
Does anyone know what the team hotel is in Houston? Because the packages are all booked the alumni website doesn’t show it anymore.
January 2nd, 2024 at 1:56 PM ^
Hilton Americas
January 2nd, 2024 at 2:02 PM ^
Pinkertons BBQ (out of the way but worth it. Bring your wallet)
edit: This is the type of BBQ place that wins at Memphis in May, etc. Anyone that recommends Goode Company, Papas BBQ, etc. is being nice but doesn't know what they are talking about and assumes you are a tourist.
If you don't want to drive north of down town, try Truths (a very very close second to Pinkertons)
January 2nd, 2024 at 2:07 PM ^
As a former resident of Harris County I was always looking for ways to get out of Houston. San Antonio is a 3 hour drive. Galveston Island Is a one hour drive. If you are traveling with school aged children the visitor center at NASA’s astronaut training and flight control complex should be in your itinerary. For adult crowds Houston has country western dance halls that are unlike anything I've seen anywhere else. Before you go to the club check out a Western boot store like Cavender's Boot City. But be forewarned, no matter how much money you drop in that store you will still look like a tourist.