Texas Longhorns
by XenoHumph
Texas has a type of cow that you find nowhere else in the world, the longhorns. As the name indicates, these cows are famous for their impressive huge horns! They descend from cows brought by spanish conquerors in the XVI-XVII th centuries that went wild for a while (the cows, not the spanish, although that could be debated...) and were domesticated again. They almost went extinct by the end of the XIX th century. They were saved in extremis by a few ranchers seeing in them a symbol of Texas but also their potential for breeding with other types of cows. Longhorns are indeed very tough animals that survive well in the hard and dry western Texas. They are now ubiquitous in all of Texas.
There are other pictures of longhorns in my "Maas nursery" off-the-beaten-path tip and on my "Hurricane Humor" travelogue.
Mercury Room
by kd_baby about Mercury Room
This club offers two stories and two dance floors. The top floor is hip-hop music, and the bottom floor features a live band. The last night I went the band was playing old 70s and 80s music, and handful of new pop songs. There were quite a few pretty girls that'll show up at this club.
The drinks are expensive and the glasses are small and trendy. They don't make the drinks in any special way to warrant the higher price. Therefore, although I recommend this place, I would say go drinking somewhere else first. Other than dress to impress, I'm not really sure what the dress code was.
Cucina Italiana
by twentysix.two about Crapitto's Cucina Italiana
This Italian restaurant has a cozy, neighborhood feel near the heart of the Galleria area. When the weather cools down look forward to dining on the outside patio underneath huge 160-year old oak trees.
For more casual dining, eat in the bar area where most of the locals hang out with the friendly bartenders. Instead of an entree, I opt for appetizers. My usual order consists of the Crab Cakes and Tomatoes Caprese (with the buffalo milk mozzarella). Sometimes I will also get a cup of the Seafood Bisque.
General tip on Houston restaurants
by XenoHumph about Where to look for restaurants
There are lots of excellent restaurants in Houston. Area where there is a lot of choice are:
Rice Village (West of Rice University campus)
Montrose and Westheimer streets area
Westheimer and PostOak Blvd area (expensive restaurants there, Western Houston, Galleria area)
The website www.b4-u-eat.com gives reviews on all possible restaurants in the Houston area! If you haven't found all you wanted on VT, try that!
Battleship TEXAS
by msbrandysue
From the website:
The TEXAS is the last of the battleships, patterned after HMS Dreadnought, that participated in World War (WW) I and II. She was launched on May 18, 1912 from Newport News, Virginia. When the USS TEXAS was commissioned on March 12,1914, she was the most powerful weapon in the world, the most complex product of an industrial nation just beginning to become a force in global events.
In 1916, TEXAS became the first U.S. battleship to mount antiaircraft guns and the first to control gunfire with directors and range-keepers, analog forerunners of today's computers. In 1919, TEXAS became the first U.S. battleship to launch an aircraft.
In 1925, the TEXAS underwent major modifications. She was converted to oil-fired boilers, tripod masts and a single stack were added to the main deck, and the 5" guns that bristled from her sides were reduced in number and moved to the main deck to minimize problems with heavy weather and high seas. Blisters were also added as protection against torpedo attack.
The TEXAS received the first commercial radar in the US Navy in 1939. New antiaircraft batteries, fire control and communication equipment allowed the ship to remain an aging but powerful unit in the US naval fleet. In 1940, Texas was designated flagship of US Atlantic Fleet. The First Marine Division was founded aboard the TEXAS early in 1941. April 21, 1948 the Texas was decommissioned.
The TEXAS holds the distinguished designation of a National Historic Landmark and a National Mechanical Engineering Landmark.
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While pulling into the left side of the San Jacinto State Park you will see different monuments and a small cemetary. The roads lead to the battleship that you can't possibly miss. It is HUGE. My friend and I decided not to get on the ship although for about $10 you can do so. If you have children I would HIGHLY recommend it as it's like a huge playground. There are different levels and stairs to climb. I believe you can go down below but the stairs are very steep if I remember well from my childhood visit.
Remember that Texas summers are HOT and so will the ship be. So, be careful when touring the area.
*They have a good gift shop!!
Here you can see more of the markers, monument, museum, and the Battleship.
Jax Grill
Battleship Texas
An Astros Game
Cadillac Bar
