As we were entering metropolitan Houston, we ran into a helacious Thunderstorm. It poured and poured, There was also plenty of traffic. I though it was because of the rain, but it was just regular Houston traffic on the I-10 I wanted to pull of the road as visibility was limited, I saw my favorite retail establish and need an oil change, but I had not information on the area that I was in. I was worried it might be flood prone, so I decided to keep moving.
The rain eventually let up after washing 5 days of kamikaze bug casualties from the grill and windshield of my car. We first headed to the Johnson/Houston Space Center aka 'Houston' we have a problem. I took the two tram tours: Red (Mission Control Center) and Blue (Astronaught Training). There were several other exhibits and demonstrations, including an opportunity to touch an actual moon rock. Anyone ever read the comic book, Spiderman, remember Venom, didn't that come from a sample of space rock. No, thank you. Like crack, I passed on the rock. Went to dinner at a great steak restaurant (Texas Land & Cattle) a recommendation from a friend from Houston. I had the Trio (Steak, Chicken, Shirmp). Lesson learned, stick to the specialy, The steak was superior to everything else, by far.
After diner, we went to check out our room, matched absolutely no part fo the discription on Expedia. Somebody is getty an agry call tomorrow. Bitches. Went to the actually downtown, where my hotel was supposed to be, to find some touristy life in this city on a Tuesday night. Went to the bar at the Hyatt. Received some information from the Conceirge, who directed us to a Jazz club a few blocks away. It was very nice, the ambience was great, but the music was more Blues (slow) than Jazz (upbeat + extemporaneous). Decided to head home or at least to the hotel. In a city like Houston, which is a commerce center, not a tourism capital, it takes a little effort to find the touristy area.
Visiting a place without an obvious tourist area, I miss home a bit. At home you know where everything is. The further away from home, the more unsure the trip, because the less familiar I am with the area. Luckily, the half way point is my old stomping grounds (NY/NJ), which should be like being home again. Hopefully.