visiting Houston

I am from the Netherlands, so if my English is not so good, please be patient!

We (my mother 84 years and myself, female 51 years) will visit the international quilt show in Houston in November. We have booked a room in the Courtyard downtown hotel, as far as I know about 7 blocks from the convention centre. I wonder if we can walk from the hotel to the convention centre? Or, if not, how do we get there the easiest way? And is it safe to walk downtown?

We will stay for about 9 days, so we would like to visit some other places in Houston. Any suggestions? And how to get there? I do not want to hire a car!

All tips are welcome!

Thank you, Henny

visiting Houston

Drentje:

During the day it should be ok to walk, although I wouldn%26#39;t do so in the evening. There is a monorail system that runs between part of Downtown Houston and goes to the Medical Center/Museum District. You also have the Metro bus system. You can go to www.ridemetro.org. From there you can go to transportation services and then maps. Other than that you have option of taxi%26#39;s. (Could get expensive). The museum district is nice. The Galleria is a little further away for shopping. You also have Nasa Space Center in Clear Lake, Kemah, which offers food and shops by the water. (You can pull each up on internet. Although Galleria, Space Center and Kemah will all require further travel from where you are, approximately 15-30 minutes depending on where you go). There is a website you can also go to www.houstontx.gov and go to Visitors. From there go to calendar of events. This will give you events in Houston on the days you will be here. For instance, I went to Nov. 12 and clicked on that day on the calendar and the Nutcracker market will be held at Reliant Park. This is an event you may not want to miss. You could take a bus to the park I%26#39;m sure. For any events that interest you, do a search on the internet to give you additional information (which sometimes includes transportation info).... hope this helps. I hope you and your mom enjoy your stay here in Houston.

visiting Houston

Walking is fine during the daytime but not at night. It is a bit deserted around the Courtyard Marriot at night. 7 blocks may be a bit long of a walk for an 84-yr-old - our sidewalks aren%26#39;t always in the greatest shape. By the way - your English is excellent. The Hilton Americas hotel might be closer to the convention center where the Quilt show is at, but probably more expensive. Some of the downtown hotels will have a shuttle service to and from the convention center.

Here is Henny again!

Thanks for your answers. They are very helpful. In the meantime I have visited some websites. So much to read and see, it is overwhelming!

Another question: what kind of clothes should I take with me? I tried to find out the weather forecast, but it is so different from the Dutch weather. High temperatures and a lot of rain?

And is there anybody who can tell me about the Courtyard Marriott? Is it a good choice?

regards, Henny

Weather in Houston in November is a bit unpredictable as it can be cold (5C-8C, which for us is simply freezing!) and rainy, or it can be a pleasant 18C. Earlier this week it was 30C and humid, but today it%26#39;s a nice and breezy 19C. Whatever the weather during your trip, it is almost guaranteed to be warmer than the weather in the Netherlands in November.

To be safe, bring something for the rain. And bring clothes for layering. That way if it%26#39;s warm you can dress comfortably and leave your sweaters in the hotel. If it%26#39;s colder then you can pile on more clothing. One thing to be aware of is that Houstonian like their indoor comforts, so the convention center will be nice and comfy (warm) even if it%26#39;s cold outside. And likewise, if it%26#39;s warm outside the convention center will be nicely airconditioned. So dressing in layers is your best bet.

The Courtyard Mariott is not a bad choice. It is within walking distance from the convention center. It is a bit older. I read the reviews and there was also comment about no lunch on weekends??? There is another hotel, The Best Western Inn at 915 West Dallas, Houston, TX 77019. The reviews were good and the hotel is actually cheaper. The only thing is that it is not within walking distance but not far (about a 5 minute drive). There are not a large number of places to eat that are within walking distance from that area. There are more in central Downtown. There is a great Asian restaurant called Kim Son (just down from convention center on other side of the freeway). The orange chicken is wonderful. Also, go to www.houstontours.com. There are day tours available with pick up at your hotel.

The Hilton Americas is right next to the Convention Center and even has it won cross walk. The hotel is very nice but it is pricey. There is another holel next the Convention Center which is call the Inn at the Ball Park. I have heard that it is a nice hotel and the prices should be a little better.

Also you might want to check with any hotel you chose as many of them have free shuttles to a limited area downtown.

Houston is a very large city and everything is spread out. You can take the bus but it makes a long time and will be time consuming You might want to rent a car as taxis can be quite expensive because as I mentioned everything is spread a part.

The weather in Houston is ever changing. I would recommend layering as it can be hot and then cool the next day. If you are from the Netherlands then I am sure you will fine as our coldest weather is probably like your fall weather.

Courtyard Marriot is nice but there isn%26#39;t anything around it at night in terms of places to eat, etc. If you aren%26#39;t planning on walking out at night it would be fine for your needs. You might want to contact them and find out if they have food service available at the hotel. Otherwise you might want to stay at the Hilton or the Inn at the Ballbark. Or find out which hotels that are more centrally located would have shuttles to take you back and forth to the convention center.

The Best Western, while fairly new, on W. Dallas has nothing at all around it and is in an area that is considered ';in transition'; meaning moving from bad to good but not quite there yet.

reptiles