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We Love Houston sign
In Texas, life is lived just a little bit larger, a little bit grander, and with eyes fixed firmly on the future. The city of Houston embodies that sentiment. Though not the capital—that’s Austin—Houston is the state’s largest city. For visitor and resident alike, there is a lot going on that should not be missed.
Enjoy multiple daily nonstop flights directly to Houston, TX on United Airlines from Milwaukee’s Mitchell International Airport.
Like many great cities, history plays a role in setting the stage for the future. Just 16 miles east of downtown on the Houston Ship Canal stands the 600-foot San Jacinto Monument commemorating the 1836 battle in which Gen. Sam Houston’s Texas Army defeated General Antonio Lopez de Santa Ana’s Mexican forces in an 18-minute skirmish that helped establish the Republic of Texas. (Texas was a separate country until it joined the United States in 1845.) You might say the octagonal Art Deco spire—12 feet taller than the Washington Monument in D.C.—is the epicenter of Texas pride.
You can ascend the monument to its observation deck and tour the museum in its base but then be ready to fast-forward to more modern history. Visitors are welcome at Space Center Houston, a premier science and space exploration center that is Houston’s top visitor attraction and the official visitors’ center of the NASA Johnson Space Center. Spacecraft, space suits, and other exhibits can be examined up close and personal. Visitors also can enjoy The Moonwalkers: A Journey with Tom Hanks, an immersive multimedia show narrated by the award-winning actor.
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What else can you do in Houston? There is quite a bit, including:
- Multiple themed city tours, including several Trill on Wheels tours aimed at hip-hop and R&B fans. There also are multiple tours devoted to the supernatural, including the Haunted Houston Booze and Boos Ghost Walking Tour, where you can experience “spirits” of all types.
- The Houston Interactive Aquarium & Animal Preserve, which offers up-close encounters with wildlife from above and below the sea. There is also the Downtown Aquarium, a different attraction, which includes a variety of exhibits such as the Shark Voyage Train Ride and Tigers of the Maharajah’s Temple.
- Houston also has multiple museums of interest, including the Houston Museum of Natural Science, the Lone Star Flight Museum, the Houston Toy Museum, and even the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum.
- And there are restaurants aplenty, including at last count 15,832 eateries according to Foodylytics.com.
There is still a lot of cowboy left in the city, too, and you may be able to catch a rodeo depending on how you time your trip. But know that whatever your tastes, Houston’s got you covered, and you will enjoy your time deep in the heart of Texas.
