Texas is a huge state with lots of interesting cities to visit. I’ve traveled to Houston, Texas a handful of times. As a kid, it was a usual stopping place for family vacations to the beach or to the cruise port in Galveston. As an adult, I visited Houston for work trips, a bachelorette party, and as a stopping place through town. I was excited to truly explore what Houston had to offer. Hopefully this Houston Travel Guide will help you plan your next trip!

WHY VISIT HOUSTON?
I would recommend Houston because it is BIG. There is no shortage of activities here, for all audiences. From sports teams, culinary adventures, to nightlife, it can satisfy most travel needs. It’s a burgeoning city for art, and I loved the little bit that we experienced. If you live in Texas, don’t count Houston out as a road trip option. A trip here will surprise you and leave you wanting more.

QUICK TIPS

• A few events you might travel to Houston for: Houston Rodeo in March, Free Press Summer Fest (music festival) at the beginning of summer and Houston International Jazz Festival.
• The official tourism organization is Visit Houston and you’ll find an abundance of information on their website.

WEATHER
Balmy. Humid. That’s what happens when you’re about 30 minutes away from the coast. As with a lot of Texas, it gets cool in October or November to February or March. Summers are blazing hot.

Painted Shipping Container at 8th Wonder Brewery

GETTING THERE
Houston is about a three-hour drive from Austin and three and a half hour drive from Dallas. George Bush International Airport is where you’ll fly in, and it’s approximately 20 minutes from downtown.

GETTING AROUND
Since Houston is so spread out, getting around depends on where you want to visit. Ride-sharing, including Uber and Lyft are available in Houston. We visited locations mostly in the downtown area, so no drive was more than 20 minutes.

WHERE TO STAY
If you’d like to stay in an Airbnb, average rates are around $100 to $140. You’ll have your pick of the usual chain hotels in Houston, and mid-range hotel rates are $100 to $200. If you’d like to stay at an independent hotel, check out: Hotel Sorella, The Houstonian, Magnolia Hotel, and the one I reviewed below.

The Lancaster Hotel
I loved The Lancaster Hotel! I enjoyed it so much that I would say it’s the best hotel I’ve stayed at in Texas. The service was 5-star, the hotel and room were luxurious, and the location can’t be beat for downtown accessibility. One of my favorite things was thoughtful décor with a color scheme of white, gray, marble, and gold. (See room photos here.) Thick doors and walls and a soft, luxurious bed made for ideal relaxation. I loved the oak fragrance bath products. Complimentary buffet breakfast had plenty of satisfying options, including bagel and lox. If you’re a Texas resident and staying on a Sunday night, ask for the special $90 rate, which is also listed on the website. Overnight valet will be $20.

WHERE TO EAT/DRINK
Hop on over to my best restaurants in Houston list to check out some good finds. Spoiler alert: it includes a lot of dessert options. My list includes this delish caramel, chocolate, pretzel cupcake:

WHERE TO PLAY
Houston has an abundance of art, museums, and murals. You’ll also find history and science sights. There are many activity options in Houston! Check out my things to do in Houston post for all the details.

INSTAGRAM
To find more inspiration on the web, check hashtags #houston360eats, #myhouston, #visithouston, #houstoneats, #ighouston, #houstongram, and #houstontx.

Have tips about visiting Houston? Post a comment below!

Keep up with me elsewhere! You can find me on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Bloglovin’, or Snapchat (@wanderlustanita). You can also subscribe to the exclusive email list.

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Houston is full of good food! I’ve included all the best restaurants I enjoyed in Houston in this post. When you travel like a foodie as I do, you love thorough research about what restaurants you will enjoy. Houston was no different! It was impossible to visit all of the restaurants on my list and I’m still adding restaurants to this list, so check out my to-try list at the end of this post. Here are some recommendations of the best restaurants I experienced in Houston. Happy travel eating!

Oxheart
*EDIT* Oxheart closed in 2017 and Chef Justin Yu opened Theodore Rex.
The one reservation I made beforehand was at Oxheart. Chef Justin Yu won the James Beard Award for Best Chef: Southwest this year and was nominated in the previous years. Oxheart is lauded as one of the best restaurants in Houston. This unassuming restaurant on the corner of a quiet, empty street felt like a hidden gem. There was no sign on the door, and the interior holds 30 seats, including 11 counter seats, arguably the best seats in the restaurant. A record player (Leon Bridges, Lauryn Hill, and Marvin Gaye were some records we listened to) provides the entertainment if watching the chefs carefully construct the dishes isn’t entertainment enough. You’ll have two choices of 5-course tasting menus: Summer (or whatever seasonal it is), and Garden, the vegetarian version of the seasonal menu. Options for 3-drink and 5-drink pairings are available.

As the servers flow and present dishes with ease, every dish seems to be an interesting and somewhat unexpected combination of flavors and ingredients. We enjoyed the summer menu and my favorite dishes included: the mung bean crepe, the tilefish in basil broth, the chicken stuffed with rice and collard greens, and the creme fraiche cremeux with strawberries glazed in mushroom and sorghum.

Overall, a good meal and fun experience. This was one of my favorite meals enjoyed in Houston!

Offering: New American cuisine; prix-fixe menu; dinner; offering lunch soon
Hours: Thurs – Mon: 5:30 – 10pm; reservations required
Address: 1302 Nance St, Houston, TX 77002

Hugo’s
I was excited to try Hugo’s because they seemed to be THE spot for brunch. They’re an upscale Mexican restaurant with a buffet brunch on the weekends. Their selection was wide and it was really enjoyable. In fact, when I returned with my dessert plate, Boyfriend exclaimed, “wow, you’re not holding back there.” His plate looked the same when he returned a minute afterward. Ha! With all the good-looking options, it was hard not to fill up your plate to try a little bit of everything.

Offering: Mexican cuisine; lunch and dinner; happy hour; Saturday brunch; Sunday buffet brunch
Hours: Mon – Thurs 11am-10pm; Fri – Sat11am-11pm; Sun 10am-9pm
Address: 1600 Westheimer Rd, Houston, TX 77006

8th Wonder Brewery
Loved this brewery! They have a lot of Houston pride, so the brewery and branding are decked out in Houston references, including the names of the beers. The brewery is very spacious with a huge outdoor area. There are plenty of picnic tables and they host a food trailer on site. They had about eight beers on tap. My favorite was the Astroturf, a dry-hopped cream ale. Their tasting options are $8 for a tasting flight of four; $10 for three pints; and $15 for three pints plus a souvenir glass.

Offering: craft beer on tap
Be sure to try: Astroturf – a dry-hopped cream ale
Hours: Mon – Sat 11am-10pm; Sun 11am – 6pm
Address: 2202 Dallas St, Houston, TX 77003

Fluff Bake Bar
I’ve enjoyed Fluff Bake Bar’s treats at Austin culinary events, so I was excited to visit their store! Of course, I had to try one of their cupcakes – the Veruca Salt. It was devil’s food cake with salted caramel buttercream, pretzel crunch, and milk chocolate crunch pears. Highly recommend! They also have cookies, bars, tarts, pies and more.

Offering: dessert
Be sure to try: Veruca Salt cake
Hours: Tue – Thu 10am – 10pm; Fri – Sat 10am – 12am; Sun 12pm – 10pm
Address: 314 Gray St, Houston, TX 77002

Pho Saigon
We spontaneously chose this restaurant because it was close. We arrived to find a packed restaurant, and we enjoyed pho and spring rolls. I found out later that this restaurant is part of a chain that has a location I’ve enjoyed in Austin. While I noticed their servers running around slightly unorganized, I thought their food was good!

Offering: Vietnamese cuisine; lunch and dinner
Hours: Every day, 8am – 9pm (time may vary by location, call to check)
Address: 4 locations in Houston area: 2808 Milam St, Suite D, Houston, TX 77006; 15754 FM 529 #300, Houston, TX 77095; 13610 W Airport Blvd #100, Sugar Land, Texas 77478; 890 South Mason Rd, Katy, TX 77450

Crave Cupcakes
Cupcakes, of course! They’ve got three locations in Houston to get your sugar fix.

Offering: dessert
Hours: Mon – Fri 8am – 8pm; Sat 9am – 8pm; Sun 10am – 7pm
Address: 3 locations: 1151-06 Uptown Park Blvd. Houston, TX 77056; 5600 Kirby Drive, Houston, TX 77005; 2501 Research Forest Drive, The Woodlands, TX 77381

Sinh Sinh
Every time my family passed through Houston, we made it a point to eat at Sinh Sinh. Their Chinese food is good!

Offering: Chinese cuisine; lunch and dinner
Hours: Every day, 10am – 2am
Address: 9788 Bellaire Blvd, Houston, TX 77036

Petite Sweets
Cupcakes, cake balls, cookies, macarons – they have a bit of everything!

Offering: dessert
Hours: Sun 12:30pm-10pm; Mon-Thurs 10am-10pm; Fri-Sat 10am-11pm
Address: 2700 W. Alabama, Houston, TX 77098

There are SO many restaurants on my Houston list that I want to try, especially because they have an abundance of unique restaurants. Here are some that I researched or were recommended:

BREAKFAST AND COFFEE

• Common Bond Café (baked good heaven)
• Morningstar (fancy donuts and breakfast biscuits)

DRINKS

• Captain Foxheart’s Bad News Bar (upstairs patio)

LUNCH/DINNER

• Fat Bao (Asian fusion cuisine, meat-filled buns)
• Foreign Correspondents (Thai cuisine)
• Coltivare (Wood-fired pizza, Italian cuisine)
• Caracol (Mexican coastal cuisine)
• Helen Greek Food and Wine (Greek cuisine)
• Ninfa’s (Casual Mexican cuisine)
• Tiger Den (Ramen)
• Pondicheri (Indian cuisine)
• Down House (New American cuisine)

SWEETS

• Sweet Bakery (macarons)

BREWERIES

• Karbach Brewing
• Saint Arnold Brewery

What are your favorite restaurants in Houston? Please leave your recommendations in the comments below! I’d love to know for my next trip!

Want to read more about Houston? Check out my Houston Travel Guide and Best Things to Do in Houston.

Keep up with me elsewhere! You can find me on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Bloglovin’, or Snapchat (@wanderlustanita). You can also subscribe to the exclusive email list.

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After my previous quick trips to Houston, Texas and my latest Labor Day weekend visit, I feel like I’ve only scratched the surface of what Houston has to offer. I’ll admit, growing up in Dallas and now in my 10th year in Austin, I didn’t think of Houston very highly. I didn’t know the city very well. My feelings changed by the end of the trip and as we were leaving, I couldn’t stop saying, “I really like Houston. I want to come back here.”

Houston is a fun city to visit! Our Houston trip revolved around art, food, and friends. The Kusama exhibit at the Museum of Fine Arts was the main reason for traveling to Houston, but we saw a bunch of historic sights too. We met up with friends who lived in/near Houston and watched football and went dancing. We packed as much as we could in two and a half days, and there are definitely more spots for our another trip!

Here are some suggestions for things to do in Houston.

Buffalo Bayou Partnership Cistern

This 30-minute tour underground to see the cistern was interesting and eerie. We learned all about the cistern’s history and admired its reflective darkness. If you want to visit, check their website for reservations. They only allow a certain number of people on each tour and you need to arrive on time.

NASA Johnson Space Center

This place is for all the space enthusiasts! See artifacts, visiting exhibits, and more. Learn all about space history.

Beer Can House

File this under weird but cool. Began in 1968, the Beer Can House transformed over 18 years with new additions of beer cans in all forms. There are an estimated 50,000 cans attached to this house!

Waterwall Park

Take a quick stop at the Gerald D. Hines Waterwall Park for a look-see and photo-op. The 64-foot fountain circulates 11,000 gallons of water each minute!

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Museum of Fine Arts, Houston

We made it to Houston right before the visiting “Kusama: At the End of the Universe” exhibit would leave. I didn’t know much about Kusama before the exhibit, only that she was a Japanese artist. From the quotes posted around the exhibits and her art, I learned her inspiration in love and her thoughts on the afterlife. It was a captivating and magical exhibit and I want to see her other exhibits in Los Angeles and Tokyo!

Aftermath of Obliteration of Eternity

Love is Calling by Kusama

We also toured the other exhibits in the museum. James Turrell’s The Light Inside Tunnel was one of my favorite experiences, as well as the visiting ‘Statements: African American Art from the Museum’s Collection’ and ‘The Age of Kusama: Pop Art and Minimalism’ exhibits.

The Menil Collection

This always-free art museum has permanent and special exhibits. Their mission to make art accessible brings varying and interesting exhibits to the museum.

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Contemporary Art Museum Houston

This contemporary art museum showcases two galleries and eight to ten different exhibits per year.

James Turrell’s “Twilight Epiphany” Skyspace

We also visited James Turrell’s “Twilight Epiphany” Skyspace on the Rice University campus. The Skyspace is a 40-minute sequence and is best seen at sunrise or sunset. The structure is massive and the lights at sunset were dreamy. There are two levels inside the structure where you can sit and admire the lights. The middle of the roof has a square cut out of it, so you can see the colors blend into the sky. We made free reservations on the website for sunset, and reservations are required for sunset only.

Rothko Chapel

We stopped by the chapel but the obelisk structure had been removed for restoration. The inside of the chapel is for meditation if you prefer to partake.

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Murals

You can find murals around Austin. Many of the ones we saw were in the Montrose neighborhood. Here’s a handy Houston mural guide by Where + Wear + Well.

Biscuit Paint Wall

This colorful mural has been a popular stop for visitors and locals alike.

Nightlife

We weren’t too familiar with the nightlife and couldn’t find solid information, so we decided to go dancing at Barbarella, a place we like in Austin with a location in Houston. It was a fun time but very loud!

Sports

Houston is the home of many major league sports teams. See the:

• Houston Rockets (NBA) at Toyota Center
• Houston Astros (MLB) at Minute Maid Park
• Houston Texans (NFL) at NRG Stadium
• Houston Dynamo (MLS) and Houston Dash (NWSL) at BBVA Compass

Want to read more about Houston? Check out my Houston Travel Guide and Best Restaurants in Houston.

Have you been to Houston? What activities and sights would you recommend?

Keep up with my travel posts and adventures. You can find me on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Bloglovin’. You can also subscribe to the exclusive email list.

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There’s just something about seeing and hearing live music performed that connects you much deeper to the lyrics, the chords and the people behind it all. In my case, sometimes the emotional, spiritual experience launches me into an obsession with an artist or band that I wasn’t so familiar with before and sears an amazing memory into my life story.

It first happened when Shayna Zaid and The Catch performed ‘Big Apple Love‘ on Stubb’s inside stage, complete with the haunting violin accompaniment, during SXSW in 2010. It happened when I heard Grace Potter belting out ‘Apologies’ while wearing a gorgeous gold sequin minidress at ACL in 2011. It happened when I danced through Yeasayer’s entire set when they played at Stubb’s in 2012. Most recently, the band and experience found me unexpectedly, sweaty and a little heartbroken, at the Free Press Summer Festival (FPSF) a few weekends ago.

I didn’t go to FPSF for Passion Pit. While I occasionally hear their music on the radio and I gave their new album Gossamer a hear-through when it came out, the band’s impact didn’t strike until I was dancing along during their show. It ended up being my favorite act of the festival. I guess something about lead singer Michael Angelakos singing out a confessional “it’s not right, it’s not right” (‘It’s Not My Fault, I’m Happy’) and then professing “I’ll be alright” (‘I’ll Be Alright’) was a little like music therapy. And in a Downtown Houston park with my body swaying, sweat trickling, hands raised and heart cracked more open that I really wanted, happiness found me through simple lyrics and notes strung together carefully by a band I wasn’t expecting to jump for that weekend. It reminded me that life is beautiful.

As for the rest of FPSF, HOLY CRAP HOUSTON IS HOT IN JUNE AND WHO CAME UP WITH THE BRIGHT IDEA FOR A FESTIVAL THEN? Past how hot and humid it was, especially with very crowded festival grounds, I was excited to see Of Monsters and Men (which I realized I don’t really know most of the lyrics to their songs and after looking them up later, they don’t make much sense), Calvin Harris (awesome!) The Postal Service, and Macklemore & Ryan Lewis (‘Same Love’ gave me chills). Fun experience overall!

What’s your most memorable live music moment/memory?

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