You’ll Houston a vaccinate you, and you don’t want to spend all your free time shopping at The Galleria? In this Texan city there is much to do, as there is an important cultural offer, of outdoor sites and fun in general, not to mention one of its greatest attractions: the Houston Space Center.
Its gastronomic offer has expanded a lot and there are places that, in addition to being delicious, have a great atmosphere.
We cannot forget its traditional sites of BBQ and live music with a very Texan atmosphere, so, as you can see, it is not a bad idea to extend your weekend a little bit and include some of its wonders to discover, already open to the public, following all protection protocols, and so that your vaccine is a success.
Texas It is one of the states in the United States that does not require proof of residence. They are applied both in hospitals, pharmacies and other distribution centers. Do you want to know where vaccines are available? this site
Read also: New York will vaccinate foreign tourists for free
In addition, we leave you our recommendations to discover Houston if you already plan to travel to get vaccinated in Houston.
Houston’s Green Side
To get started, Houston it is a much ‘greener’ city than most people imagine. The Houston Parks and Recreation Department (yes, like the series) oversees 366 parks! and more than 200 green spaces in the city, in addition to more than 200 kilometers of trails for cycling and hiking.
Photo: Courtesy
According to the Public Land Trust, Houston is the city with the most green spaces in USA, considering its size and population density, and the fourth in the country for the amount of land allocated to parks.
If you like outdoor activities, visit Hermann Park, between the Museum District, Texas Medical Center and Rice University. Inside you’ll find the zoo, Natural History Museum, Lake McGovern, an open-air theater, a little train, an 18-hole golf course, and much more.
Another must see, if you want to do some exercise, is the Memorial Park, much larger than the Hermann. It offers a privileged location since it is practically in the center and very close to the area of The Galleria.
It has running and walking tracks, a golf course, a golf practice area, 18 tennis courts, a fitness center, a swimming pool, a picnic area and an ecological reserve.
The artistic side
The new Nancy and Rich Kinder Building is the newest building on the Susan and Fayez S. Sarofim Campus, Houston Museum of Fine Arts (Museum of Fine Arts Houston), which, in turn, is located in the very attractive Museum District from the city, where 19 enclosures are concentrated, in the middle of beautiful green areas.
Photo: Marisa Zannie
Kindergarten exhibits the museum’s collection of modern and contemporary art, from painting and sculpture to decorative objects, design, videos and immersive installations.
Its very friendly and attractive architecture was designed by Steven Holl Architects.
Make sure you allocate enough time, since in addition to its incredible immersive facilities, among which there are James Turrellby Carlos Cruz Diez and other world-renowned artists, you have three floors of galleries with photography, decorative arts, crafts and design, prints and drawings, 20th century European and American painting and sculpture, and works of Latin American modernism.
Read also: How much does it cost to travel to the United States to get vaccinated?
You will see pieces by Picasso, Matisse, Warhol, Lichtenstein, Georgia O’Keefe, Jackson Pollock, Giacometti, Calder and Roberto Matta, among others.
You can finish your tour in the beautiful sculpture garden, and at Cafe Leonelli, created by chef Jonathan Benno, who owns a Michelin star.
With the Houston City Pass, valid for 9 days, you can buy tickets to the incredible Space Center de Houston, the Downtown Aquarium, Houston Museum of Natural Science, the Zoo or the Museum of Fine Arts, the Kemah Boardwalk amusement park or the Children’s Museum of Houston; several of them in the same district.
The price for adults is $ 64 and $ 54 for children under 11 years old.
A great alternative is to visit The Cistern, in Buffalo Bayou Park. It is a huge drinking water tank that is no longer functional and today has become an artistic space.
Until December of this year you can visit the show installation “Time no longer” by the Albanian artist Anri Sala. It is a super interesting immersive experience.
You have to buy tickets in advance on their page.
For adults they have a cost of 12 dollars and 8 for children It is all worth it!
Houston Space Center
Houston is considered the “city of space.” Much of the theme of advertising related to this metropolis has to do with it. This revolves around the Houston Space Center, the number one activity in Houston for international visitors, where there are more than 400 activities to see and do, and even if you are not a fan of science and technology, believe me there is a lot to have fun and have a great day in there.
Photo: Marisa Zannie
In addition to its large collection of moon rocks – you can even touch one – and spacesuits, you can see the Falcon 9 from SpaceX, the space company of Elon Musk, and a replica of the Space Shuttles. You even have access to the minicab that the astronauts “lived” in and yes, you will also see the weird bathroom they used, and the strange things they have to eat.
If you are lucky, you will be able to participate in one of the live conversations with retired astronauts and ask them what comes to mind.
The area dedicated to exploration on Mars, where you will know how its colonization will be, is one of the newer areas of the center.
Experts recommend taking the tram tour, included in the admission ticket, which runs through the famous Mission Control, from where they headed to the space the Gemini and Apollo missions, and the first lunar landing. They also allow you to see the facilities where astronauts train, and Rocket Park, with one of the three Saturn rockets left in the world.
The Bad: Due to restrictions by Covid-19, you have to choose between Mission Control or Rocket Park.
Read also: How astronauts sleep, eat and live in space
Tickets cost $ 29.95 per adult and $ 26.95 for children under 11 years old. You can buy them here.
Houston for the senses
One of the more unknown pleasures of Houston is its gastronomy. In addition to the classic BBQ places, there are haute cuisine options of different specialties with a great atmosphere and exquisite dishes.
The Pit Room
This BBQ place with its impressive ovens is one of the places that you should include in the list of restaurants to visit, if you love meat. Here the famous brisket, pulled pork, beef and pork ribs are prepared, as well as different types of sausage –which is not the same as sausage-, smoked chicken and turkey.
Photo: Marisa Zannie
A special attraction of this place are its brisket, pulled pork and chicken tacos in huge tex-mex-style flour tortillas. Try their breakfast tacos like the brisket and egg or the jalapeño cheddar cheese sausage with egg.
A huge selection of beers, local and international, perfectly accompanies the delicacies of this restaurant. 1201 Richmond Ave, Houston. thepitroombbq.com
MAD Houston
Its name says it all: it is a place that mixes a bit of madness and a bit of Madrid. The owner is Spanish, from Barcelona, and that’s to be attributed his delicious selection of creative tapas and classic Spanish dishes with a twist. The drinks are exceptional, so save space and budget for a cocktail or two.
Foto: Facebook MAD Houston
The place has a great atmosphere to which, without a doubt, its fun architecture contributes: going to the bathroom here is an adventure.
If you want to have a great night, in addition to having a delicious dinner, put on “your sinner’s costume” as Radio Futura would say, and direct your steps to MAD. It is recommended to book in advance.
Regarding alcoholic beverages: in many vaccination centers they recommend avoiding alcohol consumption 15 days after applying the vaccine; in others they ask you to wait a minimum of 72 hours. There are doctors who claim that drinking alcohol reduces the effectiveness of the doses; Others say that, with a beer or a drink, absolutely nothing happens. Other doctors attribute the supposed decrease in the immune response to the amount of alcohol that is consumed. Our recommendation: consult the experts. Just in case, refrain from drinking alcohol during your stay at Houston, if you have decided to travel to this city to get vaccinated.
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