Houston in January- Suggestions ?

[240glt]

Hi all.. We're heading off to the west coast of Costa Rica this coming January, and to break up a long flight and experience a new city we're planning on spending two nights in Houston on our way to Liberia. The way the flights line up we'll have two full days to putz around and see the sights, Looking for some recommendations as to where to stay, Eating & drinking establishments worth trying, local attractions worth checking out.. I'm a planner so trying to get everything all booked up and organized well in advance. Any suggestions are much appreciated!

Thanks in advance,

Chris, AKA 240GLT

[texanuh]

I dont know if this is too late or not but I would suggest staying in the historic JW Marriott in downtown. You are going to be very close to midtown Houston which has many great bars and restaurants along with the bars and restaurants in downtown it's self. Discovery green is in downtown and with Houston's climate it can be very nice in January. Another one of my favorite areas is the Herman park/museum district with the eclectic Hotel Zaza. The Houston zoo is very close along with twenty world class museums. Both of these locations are not too far from the Galleria and the various shopping centers around it, with some of the nicest shopping in the country.

Things to do- galleria during the day, along with fine dinning at night in the same area. Museums(Especially the fine arts) during the day and midtown or rice village at night for bars and or restaurants. Montrose and the Heights are great places to explore as well, lots of cool shops and restaurants.

-James

[electricron]

The only tourist locales I recommend visiting in the Houston area are
(1) Space Center and (2) the San Jacinto Memorial and battleship Texas.
In either case, to enjoy them you must like history.

[Wattleigh]

texanuh pretty much nailed it. You could probably spend a couple of days in the Hermann Park / Museum District area alone. Heck, just walking the park that time of year is a great experience.

That said, what area will be your base while in town? Do you have any certain interests? Do you have any favorite types of cuisine?

I can personally tell you that January is a great time to be in town. It's when I come back to visit my family. Humidity is nearly zilch, skies are generally crystal clear and the temperatures range from 50s & 60s for highs to 30s & 40s for lows with just a bit of wiggle room.

[urbanactivist]

If you like Museums, you'll have a great time in Houston!! The Houston Museum of Natural Science has a brand new paleontology wing that is not to be missed, and the Museum of Fine Arts always has some fun exhibits... my personal favorite being the Cullen Sculpture Garden. They're both right by Hermann Park as well. A short cab, Lyft or bus ride away from those gets you to the famed Menil collection.

Downtown Houston has some fun attractions too. I'd start with Sam Houston Park, where you can learn about Houston's history and see some of the first buildings in the city. Then you can walk around in downtown at street level, or take the tunnels which is always fun. The Wells Fargo building and the Chase Tower both have observation decks, which is a great way to see the city from above.

Space Center Houston is a blast, especially getting to see the nation's original Mission Control. But if you decide to go down there, be sure to also stop by the Orange Show on the way there and back. It's just a few miles Southeast of Downtown. The Orange Show has influenced Houston contemporary art in a lot of ways, and explains what makes Houston's art scene so strong and so unique. In my opinion, the Orange Show is not to be missed either.