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Alaska Airlines Flights from Seattle (SEA) to Houston (IAH)
Orbitz is pleased to offer airline tickets on Alaska Airlines, which operates 4 regularly scheduled daily non-stop flights from Seattle (SEA) to Houston (IAH), departing between 6:20am and 11:45pm, and one additional non-stop flight regularly scheduled to depart at 1:05pm and arrive at 7:12pm, everyday except Tuesday and Wednesday. The average travel time from Seattle, WA to Houston, TX is 4 hours and 4 minutes.*
* Some flights must connect with additional service on this airline.
During your Houston vacation, don't miss these great establishments and attractions:
Downtown tunnel system
There are 6 miles of tunnels below Houston's downtown; most of the system is private property. Along those corridors are restaurants, shops, and businesses of all varieties. You can get a map of the tunnels from the city's visitor center or you can take a guided tour if you schedule it in advance.
George Ranch Historical Park
Experience the life of four generations of a Texas family on this 400-acre outdoor museum, a working cattle ranch. Wander through a restored 1820s pioneer farm, an 1880s Victorian mansion, an 1890s cowboy encampment, and a 1930s ranch house. Savor Victorian-style tea on the porch of an 1890s mansion, or sit around the campfire with cowboys during a roundup and watch crafts demonstrations such as rope twisting. Picnic areas are provided. Plan to spend a half-day here.
Museum of Health & Medical Science
We have all heard about what an amazing thing the human body is, but just how much do most of us know about its workings? This family museum will surprise most visitors with its extensive use of audio, video, holograms, and medical technology to provide a graphic view of human physiology.Because of the Texas Medical Center, Houston has a large medical community, which has been the driving force behind the creation of this museum. With additional contributions from corporations and individual doctors, it has constructed an eye-catching interactive exhibition called the Amazing Body Pavilion. The exhibit is itself a metaphor for the body. Visitors enter through the mouth and proceed down the digestive tract learning about all the organs that process our food. (Children seem to think this is pretty cool.) The exhibit covers all the major organs in ways that provide lots of interaction for children, and explanatory text and monologues by little holographic figures are well written and manage to provide info that most adults will find interesting. Of course, with so many doctors involved, you can be sure that there will be some preaching about the need for a good diet and to avoid smoking, and don't expect the museum's snack bar to offer any junk food. But do check out the gift shop; it has an assortment of curious and intriguing items that you won't easily find elsewhere.Seeing the exhibit takes a little more than an hour. One other note: You might want to ask at the front desk about the next scheduled organ dissection. When I was there, the organ of the month was the sheep brain; I opted to forego the performance.
Make your reservations for discount hotel rooms in the
Houston area, including:
Sheraton Suites Houston near the Galleria
The rooms at this all-suite hotel are attractive, with more character than most hotel rooms in the Galleria area. The headboards and accents are postmodern, and the granite countertops are snazzy. These suites aren't as big as those at the Doubletree Guest Suites, but they are in many ways more comfortable and attractive. An easy-to-use retractable door makes the living room and bedroom usable as one large space or as two separate rooms with the ample bathroom accessible from either. The best rooms face westward away from Loop 610. There are 18 business suites that include features such as fax machines and copiers. The service here is attentive. This hotel is 2 blocks from the Galleria.
Hilton Houston Plaza
In terms of amenities, service, and location, this is the best of the hotels around the Medical Center. Consequently, it enjoys a high occupancy rate, especially with people attending medical conferences. As the occupancy rate increases so do the prices (well above those quoted here). Try to book early and, if you have any flexibility, get rates for different dates. Making matters worse for travelers on a budget is the small number of standard rooms, only 40 out of 181.The hotel's facilities set this hotel apart from neighboring hotels. The large rooms are comfortable and well furnished. The building is 19 stories tall, with views toward either the Medical Center or Rice University; it's a toss-up as to which is prettier. The hotel's location on the rim of the Medical Center is actually an advantage over its principal Medical Center rivals (a Marriott and a Crowne Plaza) because it makes getting to and from the hotel easier, avoiding the Medical Center traffic jams and the tight parking garages.
Holiday Inn Hotel and Suites Houston Medical Center
This hotel has an excellent location across from the Medical Center, at the intersection with Holcombe Boulevard. Prices can at times be a real bargain. Rooms are comfortable but furnished with little effort to hide their institutional feel. Some suites have full kitchens. What's not to like is the shortage of staff at the front desk and guest services that make getting attended an exercise in patience. The same is true for the hotel restaurant.
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