Growing up in Katy, Texas, a suburb of Houston was definitely not the most thrilling experience of my life. Granted, I love my house and love where I live. Needless to say, it is B-O-R-I-N-G.
I guess because of that, I associate the whole city of Houston as being boring and therefore was appalled when I found an article by Nicole Frehsee from Budget Travel Magazine naming Houston as one of the Top Budget Travel Destinations for 2011.
How can it be?! I mean, my brother lives downtown and I know he enjoys the life there, but still, I have never considered Houston a tourist hot-spot.
Courtesy of Google Images.
Also on this list were some great places including Dublin, Ireland; Lisbon, Portugal; Tallinn, Estonia; Colombia; Shanghai, China; Sri Lanka; Jamaica; and Banff in Alberta, Canada. These all sound pretty amazing to me, so how did Houston manage to sneak on to the list?!
Well, according to Frehsee, Houston is a highly budget friendly city.
"Houston is home to Texas's biggest shopping mall at 2.2 million square feet; 56,000 acres of green space; and the third most Fortune 500 companies in the country, but when it comes to prices, the U.S.'s fourth-largest city is all about scaling down," she said.
According to a Hotwire.com report, hotel rates in Houston have dropped 5% since 2009 and it is possible to find a four-star hotel room for only $96 a night in the city. I guess that's pretty commendable. You go H-town!
The city also has over 8,000 restaurants in conjunction with an average meal price more than $2.50 lower than the national average. I guess that is why I am so well-fed at home! One of my personal favorites? Check out Catalan Food and Wine for some delicious and gourmet Spanish-inspired food. I went there in December for my mom's birthday, and it was one of the best meals I have ever had. I guess I am just proving to myself how awesome Houston actually is. Oh, and the best part of the meal? For my mom's birthday they brought out two giant martini glasses of COTTON CANDY!
Children's Museum of Houston. Photo Courtesy of Google Images.
CityPASS offers passes for a multitude of cities, and Houston's pass is by far the cheapest. Rock on Houston!
So bloggers,if you are going to come stop by the city that raised me, my best advice would be DO NOT GO IN THE SUMMER! It is hot and humid and gross. I would definitely suggest springtime, particularly March because you can get a true taste of Texas by going to the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.
The best part about coming to Houston is that 33 cities in the United States have non-stop flight to Houston on Southwest. How cool is that?!
So I guess I stand corrected. Houston seems to me to be a great city to visit on a budget. Just make sure you don't go over your budget with all of that shopping around!
Hmmm...maybe my next staycation will be in Houston this summer. Do you have any plans of coming to Houston? I would love to play tour guide!
According to the illustrious and always "credible" Urban Dictionary, a staycation is "A vacation that is spent at one's home enjoying all that home and one's home environs have to offer." I thought I would take a little staycation within the next few weeks so I wanted to research some cool things to do in Austin.
This post is especially meant for all those students out there who have to live life on a rather tight budget. So, why bother traveling around the world and spending piles of money when most of us have not even explored our own hometown city? Since I live in Austin, I will center my staycation around Austin of course. But do some research of your own and figure out great things to do in your own city!
Let's think of the perfect weekend staycation in Austin...
Friday Night: Why not start the weekend off right? Grab some dinner and see a fun show! There are so many options for dinner downtown that my best recommendation would be to walk around and just see what looks good. However, for some guidance, I really enjoy Imperia or Moonshine. Imperia is a more upscale sushi restaurant while Moonshine offers an array of innovative down-home American cooking in a great environment. Whatever you choose, you are sure to have a great meal downtown.
Now, here's the scoop on my favorite entertainment spot: Esther's Follies has been around Austin since two of my best friend's parents went to school. Both sets of parents have memories of going on dates there, and it is still around today. Amazing!
I even took my mom there when she came to visit this year and it was absolutely hilarious. But don't just take my word. Watch this video and see for yourself:
So what did you think? The review website Yelp gives it four and a half stars which is almost near perfection. The reviews, like the one below, all rave about the show and how funny it is, and I agree.
"FUN! Something to do whether you're a Texan or out-of-state visitor. It's a combination of a musical, magic show, Saturday Night Live-like skits and variety stage show. Definitely recommend it if you're looking for something different to do while on 6th. Some skits are just so much funnier because of the window into the street. There's audience participation for those who like to play along or watch others suffer. Worth the cost of admission. There's also a bar for drinks and outside, near the entrance, there's a small food stand where they have great sweet potato fries."--Alex G.
Esther's Follies is also conveniently located downtown, so after the show you can go out and experience a true Austin hot-spot, 6th Street.
6th Street at Night. Courtesy of Google Images.
What a great and fun Friday night!
Saturday: My ideal staycation Saturday starts off with a nice walk around Zilker Park. If the mood strikes, you could see Town Lake or take a nice dip in natural, spring-fed Barton Creek Swimming Pool. Austin is a highly active city, and part of exploring Austin includes seeing all of its natural beauty.
After a morning like that, you will most definitely get hungry. Here is the tough part. There are literally so many incredibly great restaurants in Austin that I don't even know how to begin recommending them to you. But I will do my best, and if none of these appeal to you, have a quick jump over to my friend Rachel's blog to see her favorite spots of Austin.
Well, here it goes. Let's start with some simple suggestions.
My favorite, most laid-back, lunch spot is actually a grocery store! Can you believe it? I don't think you would be able to unless you have been to the Whole Foods headquarters in downtown Austin. There are 80,000 square feet of space in this one location! That is a lot of food! Basically you can pick anything you could ever think of in this store. There is a deli counter, a sushi bar, barbecue, a taqueria, and the list just keeps going. Even if this is not where you spend your lunch time, it should be a must-see on your things to do here. Most of my weekend, whether on a staycation or not, involve at least one trip to Whole Foods.
Whole Food Market on Lamar. Courtesy of www.wholefoods.com
Another great place I would go is Walton's Fancy and Staple on Sixth Street. Although I have never been there, I have heard from friends that it is a great option for sandwiches and salads. Oh, and have I mentioned that Sandra Bullock is the owner? How cool is that?!
Finish out your staycation day by hitting up the South Congress area. This is essentially Austin in a nut-shell. It is quirky, vibrant, and has so many creative stores that you could literally spend all day here. If you like vintage shopping, this is the place to go. Oh, an if those other two restaurants did not strike your fancy, have I mentioned that South Congress is home to many of the food trailers that make Austin famous?
Take a stop at Mighty Cone or any of the other food trailers along the street and you will not be disappointed. Is sitting down in a restaurant more your style? Ok, then head over to Home Slice for one of the best slice's of pizza you can find in Austin. All of these options sound mouth-wateringly delicious to me, but this is my staycation. You can tailor yours to go anywhere you want. That's the best part of a staycation!
So now your daytime activities are over and you are simply exhausted. Well, in my staycation dreams, I would go home to sleep and rest for the next day, but here is another relaxing option. Ever heard of Mozart's?
Mozart's is a cafe on Lake Austin with incredible views of the lake and great outdoor seating. Their coffees are strong and delicious and their pastries and cakes are decadent and rich. Sounds great, right?
It is. Even if you are full from all the food you enjoyed today, bring out a book or your Ipod or a friend to read, listen to music or have a long chat with while overlooking the lake. Or just listen to the live music that almost always happens at Mozart's at night. Nothing could be more serene.
Photo courtesy of www.mozartscoffee.com
Saturday just ended on a great note.
Sunday: I would not plan much for Sunday, being that it is usually my day to catch up on work. My only constant on Sundays is Maria's Taco Xpress.
Maria's Taco Xpress on Lamar. Courtesy of tacoxpress.com.
This place is totally what is keeping Austin weird. It has been around for 14 years and has become an institution in South Austin. Their breakfast tacos are to die for and their queso is just incredible. I came here with my Uncle and some friends for brunch one Sunday and kept coming back.
Sunday for most of us is the day to catch up on school work and prepare for the next week, and this is the perfect way to get your day going. They also bring in live music and have a Gospel Brunch every Sunday from noon to 2 p.m. What a great atmosphere to immerse yourself in!
Well, I guess Monday is coming up and the staycation is over, but it sounds like a pretty perfect weekend to me, don't you think? I realize most of the weekend revolved around food. I guess you know my secret now: I LOVE food. I love checking out new places to eat and hitting up old favorites for some great meals.
As I said before, this is just my idea of a great staycation. What are some of yours?
Trying to think of more fun things to do in Austin for your own staycation? Check out one of my other favorite blogs, 365 Things to Do in Austin, Tx.
