What to Do in 48 Hours in Houston for a Brilliant Trip
Nestled in that sweet spot between Austin and New Orleans I decided to check out Houston for 48 hours – mainly so I could go to the Space Centre, sit in a spaceship and declare ‘Houston, we have a problem’. And then get out and get a coffee, rather than roll about in unknown galaxies.
Top tip for 48 hours in Houston
After two days in Houston my number one tip would be that you need a car for this city, or an Uber account. Just gonna say now, that VisitHouston gave me access to their account, which was awesome, so I didn’t have a problem. There are so many Ubers here I never waited more than five minutes but it’d just be simpler with a car.
2nd big tip for 2 days in Houston
My number two tip would be to check the opening hours of wherever it is you’re trying to go.
I was there Easter weekend, which obviously made things difficult, and unfortunately for me the Menil Collection, above, was closed, as was the Beer Can Museum, but I’ve included them anyway as they come highly recommended. Like many places some of the museums are closed on Mondays – just to bear in mind.
I’d definitely recommend 48 hours in Houston – there are some cool museums, nice parks, and of course, it’s Beyonce’s birthtown (and Patrick Swayze, and Wes Anderson, just so you know).
Houston day one – City Centre Plaza
I arrived by Megabus at around 1pm from Austin and Ubered it straight to the Hotel Sorella, my home for the two nights (review further down). As you’d expect the City Centre area is full of shops – H&M, Anthropologie, Free People – and restaurants.
I was told Grub Burger was a good one for a quick and filling lunch, and it was just opposite the hotel. Lucky for me I was treated to a burger and milkshake tasting. I wouldn’t recommend the place if you’re on any sort of diet as everything was blummin delicious. Salmon burger, guac beef burger – both yum. And I’d also vote for the bourbon milkshake, the salted caramel one, and especially the Kitchen Sink (pictured), featuring crisps, pretzels and toffee sauce – honestly delish.
Once you’ve stocked up on energy in City Centre it’s time to explore and make the most of your 48 hours in Houston.
Art Car Museum in Houston
The Art Car Museum, also known as the ‘Garage Mahal’ is a cool little museum featuring pimped up cars that look like they’ve been art attacked. It’s free to enter and when I was there there were five cars and a whole photography exhibition going on, which was pretty cool.
Houston Water Wall
The coolest sight I saw in Houston, which was actually by total fluke, was the Gerald D Hines Water Wall. It was by the Galleria shopping centre. The wall expands three acres and reaches 64 feet.
Designed by architects Philip Johnson and John Burgee, every three hours and two minutes 78,500 gallons of recycled water pour down the walls. You could stand inside and it was as if you were right at the heart of a waterfall.
Houston Galleria
I didn’t really know what to do with myself at 5pm on Easter Sunday so I went to The Galleria to check out its 400-shops, from H&M (yep) to Louis Vuitton (nope). I decided to buy a case for my phone seeing as mine had broken and my phone is cracking on the corner (3 months old – FFS). To cut a long story short, the guy in there ended up giving me a free case and a free ‘privacy cover’ for my phone. And fitting it.
On a day that I felt particularly negative about myself (from trying clothes on after a month of pure USA-style indulgence) it was quite the boost as he was after my phone number, wanted to take me out for dinner, and wondered if we could hang out next week. All that good stuff. And I got a cool phone case too :).
Peska Seafood Restaurant
Peska was one of the best restaurants I’ve ever