once i get back from my trip, i'll post some pics on my yahoo album! but if you guys want to check out some pics on my recent euro trip, here's my link:

http://photos.yahoo.com/blinkygurl22

thanks for all the responses. it's really nice to see/read how travelers can help each other out by sharing their experiences, suggestions, etc..

I am going to do my homework of searching for a restaurant for Saturday night. my boyfriend's co-worker suggest this restaurant that spins at the top.. i think it's called spindletop? i kind of want to try it because he and i have not done a dinner on top of a tower. but i will still research. artlover, i'll try to find an info on ruggle's grill online.

i love sushi.. unfortunately, my bf is allergic to seafood... if Osaka has teriyaki or any meat entrée stuff, we will try to go there.

now, i'm very interested to see "moody gardens", can anyone tell me if it's worth going there?

i really want to go to a beach in Galveston... how's the water? i want to swim, too! i'm a beach bum....

have a good week to all!

in case you're wondering who blinkygurl is on my album, it's the one who's named is Clara!!! lol

Spindletop is on top of the Hyatt Regency in downtown Houston.

http://houstonregency.hyatt.com

It has good views, but also keep in mind that it's not the tallest building in Houston, so what you see is mostly the other highrises.

Moody Garden is pretty nice. Its main attractions are an aquarium and a rain forest. Plus an IMAX theater. You get the idea.

The beaches in Galveston are okay, but the water is never the clear blue/green you see in other parts of the Gulf Coast. Many people find it kind of disappointing.

Blinkygurl,

I live in Houston and I have to say DO NOT go to the spindletop. It's neat that the restaruant spins but that is all there is. The food is terrible, not to mention overpriced. If you want to check that out, then go for a drink then head out to dinner. That way you get to see most of Houston.

I have a question. Can you do one night in the hotel in Webster and another in Houston proper? There are many hotels in downtown houston that would be economical (compared to other big cities). The thing is, Friday would be good for the Space center and the evenign at Kemah but besides that, there's not much. You're young and the hip crowd goes to an area in Houston that is almost at downtown so if you get a hotel in downtown, you can park your car and walk. Midtown is the place to be (gray and baby area) have alot of cool bars and restaurants withing walking distance. You can also take the metro rail to go back and forth, depending where you are staying. For the newest "cool" and great restaurant, try gravitas ( http://www.gravitasrestaurant.com/hours.htm ) or one of my favorites tafias, one of Monica Pope's restaurants. I second Mark's also but that is mostly an older crowd but the food is excellent. All these three are pretty pricey but worth it for food. My honey took me to Mark's last year for my birthday so I do love that place. What price range where you looking for? I may be able to recommend a better place for your birthday.

I would really look at doing your second night hotel in downtown houston if I were you.

A few words about Galveston: It'll do since that's the closest beach to us - there are beach pockets you can go to and pay $8 to park for the day on the west side of the island (when you hit the seawall, take a right and go all the way until you are drving inland and you will see the beach pocket parks on the left hand side). I wouldn't go left (or east) to stewart beach or anything like that. The water is brown, and uninviting and when you do go in, be prepared to feel sticky until you shower. Very different from southern california (which I love). Gaidos is good food but is always packed but their sister restaurant next door casey's is less packed and cheaper but serves mostly the same quality food.

Hope that was of some help.

oh Maria, you're right! i think my bf and i should book our 2nd night in downtown Houston or surrounding areas.

Best Western is our favorite. I'll try to see if Downtown Houston has Best Western. i love taking Metro subs! i enjoyed it a lot on my trip to Europe. So it will be really nice to do it in Houston, too.

Gravitas looks like an artsy restaurant.. which I like (from what i've seen on the website)!!! do you know any more artsy restaurants? our price range will be $20-$30 each, max $40.

thanks about the spindletop comment!

Ooooops. I meant to say Gray and Bagby, not baby. Here'sa link to the midtown area with virtual tours. That Ibiza restaurant in one of the virtual tours is also a good restaurant and great food. (http://www.houstonmidtown.com/midtown.cfm?a=cms,c,15,4 )

You mentioned doing something different for your birthday. There's a small restaurant in the midtown area called Charivari and it's mainly european bistro food but the neat thing is, they have belly dancers on certain nights. Call them to find out a bit more about it. It's been some time since I've gone but it's pretty neat. ( http://www.charivarirest.com/ ).


Here's a link to Tafia. It's a neat restaurant beause it serves organic products and that the items used to make the dishes are mostly made in texas. She's an excellent chef and the restaurant it just wonderful.

You can't go wrong in the midtown area. You will find mostly early 20's to mid and late 30's that hang out in these spots. It'll be good for you to have your birthday dinner in any of these restaurants then maybe catch a show? In downtown, there is also a movie theater there (Angelika theater) or if you time it, you can watch a musical and have dinner or dinner and a musical and drinks in midtown. Just a few suggestions.

I like Kemah and go visit it as often as I can however, most of the restaurants there are sea food restaurtants but I'm sure you can order steaks and such and I believe there is a mexican restaurant there.

I don't mean to offend those who like the galveston area but this is just my opinion. Moody gardens is nice for a couple of hours then I'm hard pressed to find anything else fun to do but that is just me.

Anyway, whatever you decide, enjoy your time here and let us know how it turned out!

Sorry, I missed your response! First, here's that link to tafia's ( http://www.tafia.com/ ). Tafia's and Gravitas are doable with your budget if you don't do appetisers. My honey and I are not huge meal eaters so sometimes, we share the appetizer and a couple of entres. It allows us to try more of the menu. I think $40 each is doable on any of these restaurants (minus Mark's) with no wine or with wine and one entre each, no appetizers and depending on which entre. Budget $30 more to the total and you should be set. We usually get away with a nice meal at $120 but that is with wine and an appetizer to share.

Regarding Charivari, I think it is on Saturdays that they have the belly dancers.

For lesser prices: Julia's bistro is right on the metro rail line and is more reasonably priced. I've taken 3 of my team leads there for lunc (with no alcohol) for a grand total of $136 and that is with appetizers and entre each (4 people total). Also right at the heart of midtown is farragos - which is mostly known for their popular sunday brunch with bottomless mimosas where you can find the "it" crowd of Houston on a Suncay mid morning. Link for Julia's is ( www.juliasbistro.com/) and for farragos is ( http://www.farrago.tv/ )

Let me know what address you find the best western in downtown is and I'll let you know if that's a good spot. Another option is to book at hyatt downtown, doubletree, or hilton. The last one may be the more expensive of the bunch but doubletree should have good deals.

blinkygurl,

for best western, looks like the west dallas one in downtown is the closest to the midtown area and is technically in the area but it's sort of in the bad part of midtown. It's walking distance to the cool places but you won't find me walking around there at night. The one at the medical center on main is also a good one since it's conveniently located on the rail track (it runs on main street) and it's a safe area to walk in but be prepared to share the hotel with patients or relatives of patients. However, just checked the doubletree in downtown (dalls st) and for July 22, it has it for $89/night. I'm assuming that's the weekend you guys are coming? It's a much better hotel, safer, and several blocks (I think 6 or 7) from the midtown area. Just some thoughts.

Ooops, I meant 81.25 not 89. Best western was more than that for those 2 locations for the same date.

Use Priceline 4* for Houston downtown. You can easily get the Hyatt or the Hilton America for ~<$50 + tax, especially on the weekends.

good point rkkwan...

Maria- I wanted to say thanks for all the Houston information you posted. I live in Kingwood and the majority of what you posted is new to me. I'm looking forward to trying some new places! :D

No problem, moldyhotelsaregross. That's what it's there for. Goes to show you that others besides the poster can benefit from recommendations too! Glad you bumped into this thread.

thanks maria!

my bf is out of the country and i haven't told him about staying saturday night in houston... i'll remind myself to ask when i talk to him tonight!

yyyaaaaaayyy i'm excited to go on another trip! hehe sorry.. i just get really ecstatic whenever i'm close to my traventures!

Can anyone suggest good nightclubs (dance) in houston area? if it would help, we like to dance to 70s,80s,90s, latin genres (not so much to hiphop)

Maria, you mentioned "midtown" area..do you have recommendations of night clubs there?

grazie

anyone familiar with "Opus" night club in downtown Houston?

I dislike downtown proper nightclubs - it's very cheesy and I dont' really go clubbing anymore. Just not my cup of tea. However, friends go to Escobar in midtown (http://www.escobarhouston.com/space.htm ) . They do a mix. It will be packed though with a line but the crowd is "cool(er)" and less cheesy. Also, stop by the Red Door (no entrance fee) and have a drink up at the terrace where you can see a beautiful evening skyline of Houston. They make nice strong drinks and if I do go out on the town, I still make sure to stop by here. No dancing area but it's a nice crowd - not to mention it's about a block away from where we live so it's a no brainer for us. http://www.reddoorhouston.com/flash.asp

I haven't been out clubbing in a while but I can ask my good friends that still do and will post back. It will be midtown area though. It's just my taste but I think that the downtown crowd has become really cheesy - well actually, clubbing will always have a cheese factor to it but at least the crowd is alot better at midtown area than downtown.

Oh, and there was one other place we noticed last weekend coming home from mountain biking in Smithville (we were dropping off our Swedish friend that lives across the street from this place, also in midtown, that was really "hopping" and looked like fun. It's called the Tipsy Clover (2416 Brazos Street). Don't think there is dancing (place looked too tiny for there to be room) but it looked like fun and we did say we would go check it out one of these weekends. It's close to the largest Spec's liquor store in Houston and sort of across from the thirsty cactus (mexican restaurant).

these are the places that we plan to go for food:

Ruggles Grill
Morning Kolaches or Kolache Factory
Angelo's Pizza & Pasta


i love food..

any good thai places in webster and clearlake area?

any nit noi place is good thai food. i odn't know if they have any in clearlake/webster.