The Top 4 Days Out in Houston

Looking for that something special to do when you take a trip to Houston – well here we are going to preview four of the top rated attractions for a family day out which will help you plan your trip and show you what is on offer.

Houston Space Center

The Houston Space Center is repeatedly ranked as the top tourist and visitor attraction in Houston.  The Center allows visitors to get to grips with what it is really like to become an astronaut and where else are you likely to get firsthand knowledge and advice from a real live astronaut?

The exhibits are usually interactive and hands-on and will appeal to all ages but children in particular are going to be engaged all day in what is a very interesting and highly educational learning experience.  You can learn about the very early origins of rocket development, the NASA Space Program which first put men into space and then on the Moon and is now a key component of the International Space Station.  You can also see what tomorrow has in store with the preparations and training for manned missions to Mars.

The Battle of San Jacinto Battleground and Museum

Texas was not always a part of the United States, it actually belonged to Mexico who sought to reassert their rights against settlers in what had become known as the Runaway Scrape territory in what is now modern Texas.  Santa Anna invaded the territory and sought to remove settlers and impose Mexican direct rule on the territory but a revolutionary army of Texans was formed under General Sam Houston who eventually defeated the Mexican army decisively at the Battle of San Jacinto resulting in the capture of Santa Anna and the annexation of Texas by the United States and paving the way for westward expansion of the US to the Pacific shores.

The battlefield site also includes the Battleship Texas floating museum which is formed by the last of the dreadnoughts, The Texas and is also the very first floating museum made from a decommissioned US military warship.

The Houston Museum District

Houston is a vibrant and very fast growing metropolis and has been since it was first formed as a planned city in 1837.  With the abundant wealth that has been produced and the multi-cultural population that has been attracted to this great city has come a huge interest in the arts, history and appreciation of culture generally with the patrons to support the activities.  Houston is one of the world’s global cities precisely because of its standing in cultural terms and has an international reputation for art and natural sciences and not just oil and cowboys.

There are 18 museums comprising the district and more than 11 are completely free the entire year.

American Cowboy Museum

The American Cowboy Museum is based on a ranch at Alameda on the outskirts of Houston and here you can spend a day or longer learning the ropes as a cowboy.  There are plenty of activities to get involved with and all of the family can enjoy a thoroughly enjoyable (and tiring) day out in the open countryside exploring the rich heritage and traditions of Texan cowboys.

Sam Houston: Texas Hero and Houston’s Patriarch

The City of Houston is named for General Sam Houston, one of Texas’ heroes and without whom the state would never have won its independence from Mexico and Generalissimo Santa Anna in 1836.  Though Houston is itself one of the largest cities in the United States, the legend of Sam Houston is still greater and here we shall take a look at this true American hero.

Sam Houston was a Virginian by birth, being born on March 2, 1793 in Timber Ridge in the Shenandoah Valley.  His early life was spent in Virginia and Tennessee and he also spent time with the Cherokee Nation by whom he was adopted by and later married into the tribe.  He also spent time in the military and saw service in the War of 1812 and subsequently played an important role in the development of Tennessee as a state.  In fact, Sam Houston is the only man in US history to have been elected as governor of two separate states, Tennessee and Texas.

When the Civil War started, Houston refused to swear allegiance to the Confederacy though he was a slave owner and an anti-abolitionist.  Texas seceded from the Union but he refused to take up arms against his adopted home state and instead retired to Huntsville, Texas where he died a heart broken man before the end of the Civil War.

During his life, Houston was a crucial figure in the development of Texas both in gaining independence from the Mexicans and in becoming a state of the Union.  He served as President of the Republic of Texas and then as Senator when it joined the Union and finally as Governor, retiring only when the Civil War brought his tenure to a premature end.  Houston actually immigrated to Texas because of a highly publicized fight with a Congressman for which he was tried in an equally public court battle.  Texas at that time was part of Mexico and outside the United States but he very soon became a leader within the Texas Revolutionary movement and decisively defeated Santa Anna at the Battle of San Jacinto in 1836 close to the site of modern day Houston, the city which bears his name.

At the Battle of San Jacinto, Houston and his 700 men took on several thousand Mexicans resulting in a decisive battle when Santa Anna became detached from his main force; with the defeat of the Mexicans and the capture of their leader, the rest of the Mexican army was compelled to withdraw leaving the way clear for the declaration of Texan independence and becoming a part of the United States.  During this battle, Houston was wounded but he survived as did most of his men; in fact only 9 were killed during the battle which cost over 600 Mexican dead and 700 taken prisoner (including Santa Anna).

Houston was also decisive in Texas joining the Union rather than proceeding as an independent state and his leadership saw the opening up of the West to the United States which continued its expansion across the continent.

Sam Houston’s legacy survived his death and he has received widespread acclamation and commemoration including a memorial museum, a US Army base, a national forest, a historical park, a university and of all American’s, his is the largest free standing statue of any other, perhaps in keeping with Texans preferring everything to be larger than anything else!

March, 1836, The Battle of San Jacinto

The Texan War of Independence was started as a result of Mexico reasserting control over the Texan frontier in what had become known as the Runaway Scrape.  Mexico sent in the army and thousands of settlers joined General Sam Houston in declaring independence and fighting for their freedom.

In March 1836, the war was not going well for the Texans and many were sick and poorly trained while they were facing superior Mexican numbers who were better equipped, better trained and numerically superior.  General Houston was actually in the throes of retreat in the face of General Lopez de Santa Anna who was also the President of Mexico at the time.  The Alamo had fallen and there had also been the Goliad massacre which was causing an enormous amount of unrest amongst the revolutionary Texans who thirsted for revenge.  Houston knew only too well that at that time, his Texans had little chance of overcoming the odds stacked against them by Santa Anna and his forces.

Come April 18^th, Houston and his army arrived at Buffalo Bayou only to find Santa Anna had attacked and sacked the town of Harrisburg; using a captured Mexican courier, Houston also learned that Santa Anna and a smaller force had isolated themselves from the bulk of the Mexican army.  The odds were now substantially evened out with Santa Anna having just over 750 men to Houston’s 820.  On April 19^th, Houston and his army crossed the Buffalo Bayou to the south bank and established a camp at Lynch’s Ferry the following day.  They fed well on captured supplies from the Mexicans after a supply boat was taken at the ferry and just as well, as many of the Texans were starving.

Santa Anna subsequently tried to tempt the Texans into open battle at nearby San Jacinto and skirmishes and light fighting continued throughout the day until late afternoon when Santa Anna closed within a mile of Houston and his Texans.  A brief fight ensued at sunset which almost cost the Texans their scant force of cavalry and created a great deal of unease within General Houston himself but night made sure there would be no further fighting that day.

Santa Anna on the other hand, realized he was facing a larger force than his own and kept his men up all night building fortifications as he feared the Texans would attack at first light.  Santa Anna was also praying that reinforcements would shortly arrive to re-establish his superiority but on the morning of April 21^st, there was no sign of an attack by Houston and his men and around 9.00am, approximately 500 hundred Mexican reinforcements arrived much to Houston’s ire.

Houston sent a detachment to destroy Vince’s Bridge and delay further reinforcements and at noon a plan was conceived and put into effect mid-afternoon.  Houston’s main force advanced silently in a frontal assault looking to take advantage of surprise while tow other smaller forces circled left and right of the Mexican positions and quickly found that the enemy was relaxing and sleeping.

The Texans got to within two hundred yards before the alarm was sounded and battle commenced with the Texans charging the Mexican positions crying, “Remember Goliad! Remember the Alamo!” A fierce hand-to-hand battle ensued and the Mexicans were defeated upon the two flanking groups launching their attacks on the besieged Mexicans with the whole fight lasting some 20 minutes though Houston himself was wounded. In total nine Texans and 630 Mexicans lay dead or dying while the remaining 700 or so became prisoners and this represented a significant defeat for the Mexicans.  Worse was to follow with the capture of Santa Anna himself, disguised as a private soldier and subsequently, he ordered his men to withdraw and Texas was saved to become a member of the United States of America while the city of Houston sprang up on the Buffalo Bayou.

The Best Six Days Out in Houston

Houston is one of the largest cities in the United States and you are not going to be able to take everything in one trip which is why so many people probably keep coming back again and again.

Here we give you our top ten pick of the best attractions Houston has to offer for visitors so you can shortlist which you want to see while you are enjoying your vacation.

The Houston Space Center

Explore the beginnings of space exploration from the first successful rocket launches by Robert Goddard through to the preparations for sending manned missions to Mars.  Here you can talk to a real live astronaut, experience weightlessness and try your hand at landing the Space Shuttle after a mission to the International Space Station and you can also get to touch a real moon rock brought back to earth by one of the Apollo missions.

Open throughout the year with extended hours during the summer and some holidays but you should contact the Center to determine when an astronaut will be visiting and available.

Lake Houston Park

5,000 acres of urban wilderness is located about 30 miles to the north of downtown Houston.  Overnight camping is permitted and there are numerous cabins and campsites available for hire with a whole host of outdoor activities available including hiking, horse riding, kayaking and canoeing and biking.  This is a wilderness so expect to find some of Texas’ native species including snakes.

San Jacinto Memorial and Museum

In March 1836, Texas was under Mexican rule until General Sam Houston and his revolutionaries threw off Mexican rule and decided the issue at the Battle of San Jacinto. The museum is a testament to the memory of those original Texans who established the frontier with Mexico in a bloody war that opened the West to the United States as well as leading to creation of the Lone Star State.

The Houston Zoo

The Houston Zoo has a huge array of animal exhibits with over 4,500 animals and many endangered species kept as part of a global conservation effort.  With so many animals to feed the Houston Zoo comprises a small town of staff who are involved in looking after animals, research and breeding programs and providing a key contribution to the preservation and reintroduction into the wild of many species that would be extinct but the global efforts to save them.  One day is not enough for this venue so arrive early to get the most out of your visit.

The Battleship Texas

The battleship Texas became the first battleship museum in the United States in 1948 and is anchored in Buffalo Bayou within the Houston Ship Channel.  The Texas is the last dreadnought and is ideally located within the San Jacinto Battleground State Historic Site minutes from downtown Houston and the beaches of Galveston for a perfect day out.

Traders Village

The largest flea and outdoor market in Texas has something for everyone with children’s’ entertainers and rides, bargains galore, great food and lots of things to do no matter what age you are.  Enjoy Texas size burgers along with turkey legs and walk it all off with over 100 acres of shopping opportunities from 5,000 traders.  The market is open every weekend throughout the year.

A Video Review of Houston

When most people think of Houston, Texas they think of oil, banking and big business and while this is true, Houston is also a very hip, fun, cool town with lots of entertainment day and night.To top it off, people are very friendly. A special thanks to the Greater Houston Convention and Visitor’s Bureau. Check this and other great vacation features on the internet’s first travel network: www.hooligantv.com

Search for jobs in Houston at SnagAJob.com.

A Brief History of Houston

Houston is the fourth largest city in the United States and the largest city in Texas and is also credited as a global city.  It is a vibrant metropolis with a broad based economy and an enormous range of cultural activities and recreational opportunities.

Two brothers who had made their fortune in real estate in New York founded Houston in 1836 on the banks of the Buffalo Bayou; Augustus Chapman Allen and John Kirby Allen purchased approximately 6,500 acres with the intention of creating their own city and named the new settlement after General Sam Houston who had fought and won the decisive battle of San Jacinto close the site.

In 1837, Houston was incorporated and the infrastructure of a city started to form with the creation of a Chamber of Commerce and election of a mayor.  Shipping was the first business to be promoted however, by 1860 Houston had also become a railroad hub which transformed the city into a commercial center for the export of cotton to Europe.  After the Civil War, efforts were undertaken to expand the seaborne activities and especially by works to create a deep water port in sync with the nearby port of Galveston.

Galveston was hit by a terrible hurricane in 1900 which sped the works to create a deep water port out of Houston and growth was further stimulated by the discovery of oil in 1901 at the Spindletop oil field.  1902 saw President Roosevelt approving $1 million allocation for the Houston Ship Channel and this combination of private and government backed initiatives turned Houston into a major growth center with the population doubling between 1900 and 1910 to 78,800.

Finally in 1914, President Wilson opened Port of Houston as a deepwater port and by 1930, Houston was the most heavily populated city in America.

World War 2 saw a decline in the shipping sector as the ports on the East coast dominated trans-Atlantic shipping however, enormous growth in the petrochemical sector more than made up for this.  Enormous new military bases were also constructed including Ellington Field which was reconstructed in order to train bombardiers and navigators while medical facilities were also greatly expanded and research took off.  The end of the ware saw a reversion to deep water port activity as the bases were wound down and moth-balled and the physical area was doubled by the addition of surrounding land and the metropolis started its sprawling growth.

Post-war saw the establishment of the NASA Manned Spacecraft Center (now known as the Lyndon B Johnson Space Center) and with this the aerospace industry came to town.  The city is also home to the Astrodome which was the world’s first indoor domed sporting arena.  In the seventies, population again boomed as the oil industry boomed but by the 1980′s the boom abruptly ended with the aerospace industry also suffered as a consequence of the Challenger space shuttle disaster in 1986.

Today, Houston has fully recovered and now has one of the broadest economies of any city in the United States.  Only New York is home to more Fortune 500 companies while the city is now the largest international port of the United States.  The wealth created has led to Houston also becoming home to a wide range of cultural institutions which now has over 7 million visitors each year while Houston is one of a very few cities offering year round resident companies for all the major performing arts.