Last days in Texas

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  Houston, Texas
Friday, February 26, 2010

This is our last day in Texas before moving on again. Texas is the land of big cars, big hats, big steaks and very big churches! Spring is just beginning here and the trees are just coming into leaf ,but it is very cold. We have spoken to a number of very disgruntled Texans who have all said that this has been the coldest winter they can remember.

We moved on reluctantly from San Antonio and hit the bright lights of Houston.

We were fortunate to be able to stay at The Houstonian hotel not far from Downtown. It is a beautiful, gracious hotel with wonderful service and constant bustle. A little touch of luxury!

We had breakfast amongst the great and good of Houston before setting off to play golf at the club also known as The Houstonian. We were very well looked after by one of the young pros who hails from Peterhead  and did some of his PGA training with Sandy Smith. It was a cool morning so we were happy to be given the chance to walk rather than to drive in a cart – good to keep the blood flow and the conscience clear (it was a good breakfast). The pace was slow as they had a lot of visitors playing as a thank you to those who had been course marshals at the Ladies Tour Event which was held there in the autumn. We then drove back into the city and had a walk round the Galleria – a shopping mall with over 800 shops and restaurants – the 4th. biggest in the US. Quite a place but we managed to keep the credit cards in the wallet and just had a meal there.

The next morning dawned and was very chilly and damp. We had breakfast in the hotel Health Club and Spa. It was teeming with people taking fitness classes (first morning class 5.45), some swimming in the lap pool  and others playing racquet ball. They then changed into Versace and Armani and set off to turn the wheels of industry. Great people watching! We had a walk round the city centre – the only people out walking anywhere in the area. It was freezing but we could still admire the very modern buildings and the Memorial Park.

Houston is a world leader in medical treatment – especially cancer, and much of the city centre area is given over to hospitals and clinics – the Medical Centre Area is the size of a small town.

Texas is the home of the great BBQ, and Ray one of the hotel managers, had recommended Goode and Company as one of the best. We found it housed in an old barn type building in the middle of the city. The menu was extensive – brisket, ribs, ham, chicken, sausage, turkey – all carved to order and served with salads, rice or beans as well as the most divine cheese and jalapeno pepper bread. A great way to pass a cold afternoon.

We needed to move to the other side of the city to enable us to see some of the sight on the outskirts of Houston. We spent a day at the Johnston Space Centre – a good way to learn all about the history of space travel and the spin off inventions which we all use every day. We enjoyed watching the films which gave some idea of what life is like on a space station and then were able to look at some of the equipment which has been used by astronauts. We touched some moon rock and had a taste of what it feels like to be in a rocket when it blasts off – very loud!!

We then had a tour of parts of the NASA Space Centre – which is still the home of Mission Control during space flights. We saw the group of people who are currently controlling the International Space Station which is in orbit. We saw the Mission Control room where Apollo 13 famously reported "Houston, we have a problem".

It was all very interesting and a little controversial as President Obama has proposed cutting federal funding to NASA which would mean and end to its current programme. This is not going down well in Houston.

We then went down to see the Gulf of Mexico and had planned to stroll along the boardwalk at Kemah after dinner. We did see the Gulf through a window, but the only creatures braving the cold were the pelicans so we were happy to leave them to it.

Sunshine returned today and we headed to Redstone Country Club to golf. We had a good game with Chris our caddie who ran ahead on each hole to find our balls and give distances. Redstone is the home of the Shell Open which takes place at the beginning of April so needless to say the course was in superb condition. The course was surrounded by lovely woodland and I watched a deer slowly come out from the trees and begin to eat the new grass, I quietly pointed it out. "Yep", said Chris,"wish I had my gun!" Well we are in Texas!!

A long drive ahead tomorrow – leaving Texas behind and heading into Louisiana for New Orleans.

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Garden statue at The Houstonian

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