 |
Continental Airlines Flights from Dallas (DFW) to Houston (IAH)
Orbitz is pleased to offer airline tickets on Continental Airlines, which operates 4 regularly scheduled daily non-stop flights from Dallas (DFW) to Houston (IAH), departing between 6:30am and 6:20pm, and 11 additional non-stop flights, departing between 5:50am and 7:05pm on select days of the week. The average travel time from Dallas, TX to Houston, TX is 1 hour and 8 minutes.
During your Houston vacation, don't miss these great establishments and attractions:
Kemah Boardwalk
Many visitors to Space Center Houston (see review below) will afterward go out for seafood at nearby Kemah, which is as touristy as the Houston area gets. It used to be a rustic shrimping port on Galveston Bay where you could buy some shrimp and a beer and sit by the dock on an afternoon to watch the shrimp boats come in. Most of the pier was washed away in 1984 by a hurricane, and in the 1990s it was bought by a developer who built the boardwalk, several restaurants, a hotel, and some touristy stores and attractions. The restaurants overlook the water; if you stroll down the boardwalk you'll pass every one. Pick the one that most appeals to you. Among the attractions is a 50,000-gallon, floor-to-ceiling aquarium housing more than 100 species of tropical fish in the Aquarium Restaurant.
Children's Museum of Houston
The goal behind the Children's Museum was to create a place where children can engage the world around them on their own terms, a place that will spark their imaginations, and a place where they will learn the joy of discovery. It is for children up to 12 years old, but even if you're without kids in tow, you might like to take a glance at the museum's fun exterior designed by Robert Venturi in association with Jackson & Ryan Architects of Houston. It's a playful send-up of the classical museum facade and is apt clothing for this institution that blurs the distinction between museum and playhouse.The museum's staff seems to be very much in touch with the inner child. They have developed such fun interactive exhibits as Bubble Lab and Kid-TV, which gives kids the opportunity to imitate what they see on the tube while giving them a behind-the-scenes understanding of television production. Another exhibit re-creates the Mexican Indian village of Yalalag; another, called Tot Spot, focuses on the 6-month to 3-year-old crowd, helping build motor skills through ingenious forms of play. The museum managers bring in many visitors and special shows; inquire about what they might be planning to do during your visit. The best time to go is in the afternoons when there is less probability of school trip crowds.
Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (MFAH)
This is by far the best and biggest public art museum in Texas. It's a wonderful testament to what a lot of oil money can do, and the manner in which it evolved tells something about the development of the city's sense of aesthetics. The original museum, built in the 1920s, was pure neoclassical -- the attitude was that if Houston was to have a museum, it was to look like a museum. In the '50s, the MFAH directors hired Mies van der Rohe, the grand architect of the International Style to build an addition. In the '70s that addition received an addition, also designed by Mies. Both of these were bold statements of modern architecture -- lots of glass and steel forming a light and airy space -- but, unfortunately, not the kind of space that lends itself well for much of the museum's collection.In the '90s, the museum's directors hired Spanish architect Rafael Moneo to design a building that would be a return to traditional galleries. It, the Audrey Jones Beck Building, is across South Main Street from the main building. (A tunnel connects the two; make a point of visiting it.) The new building aims at reconciling the boldness of modernism with the staid character of traditional design. Constructed with rich materials and designed on grand proportions, the building feels monumental. All the galleries on the second floor take advantage of interesting "roof lanterns," which allow Houston's plentiful natural light to enter in regulated amounts. The Beck building doubles MFAH's gallery space and allows the directors to attract first-rate traveling exhibitions. The museum's collection of more than 40,000 pieces is varied, but it is perhaps strongest in the area of Impressionist and post-Impressionist works, baroque and Renaissance art, and 19th- and 20th-century American art. There is also a fine collection of African tribal art, as well as ancient artwork from several civilizations.Aside from the two gallery buildings, there is a large sculpture garden designed by Isamu Noguchi located across Bissonnet from the main building, and the Glassell School of Art, which can be seen just to the north of the sculpture garden. Look for a building made of a strangely reflective glass brick (another architectural pun). The museum also owns two collections of the decorative arts that are displayed in two mansions in the River Oaks area; see Bayou Bend and Rienzi.
Make your reservations for discount hotel rooms in the
Houston area, including:
La Colombe d'Or
If you enjoy the smallness of scale of a B&B and the fact that the rooms don't look like hotel rooms, but you want more space, in-room dining, and more privacy, this is the hotel for you. The five suites are extremely large, with hardwood floors, area rugs, antiques, king-size beds, and large bathrooms. Some suites come with separate dining rooms, and the in-room service, from either the bar or the restaurant, is one of the things this hotel is known for. The penthouse is more than twice as large as any of the suites and offers a lot of open space, a bar, a study, and a parlor. The mansion that the hotel occupies was built in the 1920s for oilman Walter Fondren. The interior has some beautiful architectural features, and its location puts you close to museums, restaurants, and the downtown area.
InterContinental Houston
Walking into the busy lobby of this new hotel, I was astonished at how quickly people were being attended to. I was most impressed by the number of staff on duty, their efficiency, the concierge's abilities, and with the attention I received before anyone knew my business there. The rooms also impress, and space-age insulated windows make them remarkably quiet. Room design inserts high-tech amenities into warm, comforting surroundings that steer clear of trendiness. Rooms are informal but make use of expensive materials, including marble, granite, and leather. Highlights include an oversize safe with outlets for recharging cellphones or computers, comfortable pillow-top beds, and well-thought-out desks with lots of workspace and multiple connection options.Facilities: Restaurant; bar; heated outdoor pool; 24-hr. state-of-the-art health club; spa treatments; outdoor Jacuzzi; children's program; concierge; courtesy car; business center with 24-hr. secretarial services; 24-hr. room service; in-room massage; same-day laundry service/dry cleaning; club level.
La Quinta Inn & Suites Galleria
You can tell at first glance that this inn, constructed in 1998, is a new breed of La Quinta, with a gurgling fountain in the lobby, a fitness room, and a fairly large outdoor heated pool with separate hot tub. Proximity to the shopping along Post Oak and in the Galleria seals the deal. Standard rooms are medium to large and come with two double beds; the "King Plus" room comes with king-size bed and a recliner.
|
|
|
