Northwest Airlines Flights from Toluca, Mexico (TLC) to Houston (IAH)
As part of booking roundtrip flights which depart from US airports,
Orbitz is pleased to offer airline tickets on Northwest Airlines, which operates a daily non-stop flight from Toluca, Mexico (TLC) to Houston (IAH) regularly scheduled to depart at 1:20pm and arrive at 3:32pm. Usually an Embraer RJ is flown for this route. The average travel time from Toluca, Mexico to Houston, TX is 2 hours and 12 minutes.*
* Some flights must connect with additional service on this airline.
During your Houston vacation, don't miss these great establishments and attractions:
The Orange Show
This may not be the "greatest show on earth" but it must be the quirkiest. In truth it's not a show at all, at least not as we commonly understand the word. Rather, it's the life work of one man, former postman Jeff McKissack, who spent his last 25 years assembling a collection of found objects and building materials into an architectural collage that students of folk art call a "folk art environment." It stands in a quiet working-class neighborhood just off the Gulf Freeway, where it dares to be different. With the many flagpoles, spindles, wagon wheels, and wrought-iron birds rising up from behind its walls, it seems like an outpost for spontaneity in a wilderness of cookie-cutter ranch-style houses.Inside, the viewer is presented with all kinds of curiosities: two small arenas, observation decks, a small museum, and lots of cheerful wrought-iron decoration and tile work. Inscriptions adorn the walls; many of these honor that best of all fruits, "The orange: a great gift to mankind." Seeing the whole thing takes less than an hour. Upon the death of Mr. McKissack, The Orange Show fell into decay until it was rescued by the Orange Show Foundation, located in the house across the street and a center for Houston's folk art world. It is the organizer of the Art Car Parade and the Art Car Ball. It is also the organizer of Eyeopener Tours. If you like folk art, consider purchasing their driving tour audiocassette of Houston's other folk art treasures. (The tape comes with a map.)
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.
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.
Hotel Derek
The creators of this hotel have gone to great lengths to separate it from the pack. They've even given it a persona -- its namesake, Derek, a fictitious aging rock star/hotel owner. Given the premise, it would have been easy to lapse into cliché, but not so. Yes, there are some nods to the 1960s, but these are cleverly mixed with unexpected touches and the playful use of materials new and old to express a light-hearted vision of the counterculture. With the guest rooms, the designers have succeeded in creating a space that is functional for the business traveler while having the feel of a "pad" with all the accompanying informality. The decor is modern: The desk, side tables, and bathroom counter are thick glass with metal supports; the mattresses are mostly king-size. The sitting area is a wonderful mohair velvet built-in stretching the width of the room. Details throughout show thoughtfulness: Instead of drawers, there are baskets (which make a lot more sense in a hotel room) and safes that are big enough to accommodate a briefcase. Service is excellent, and the hotel is opening a new bistro that looks to be a great place to grab a bite.
Lovett Inn
Located a block off Westheimer and 3 blocks from Montrose Boulevard, the Lovett Inn is on a quiet street right in the middle of the busy restaurant and club district of the Montrose area. The house dates from the early 1900s and was built by one of Houston's mayors. Most rooms are large (well above the usual size for B&Bs). The four rooms in the main house and two in the carriage house are attractive and well furnished with period pieces, wood floors, and area rugs, yet eschew the cutesiness that so many B&Bs feel obliged to deliver. Almost all have private balconies. There are also four town house units around the corner (two per house), which have separate entrances and greater privacy. These are comfortable but modern. One town house has a full kitchen for the use of guests if they rent both rooms.
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.
