Amy's Trip to Texas - The Lonestar State
In late October 2023, Amy Hession went on a educational trip with our tour operator partners, Jetset, to the great state of Texas, USA. She certainly packed in the activities and sights! Read all about the journey below:
Day 1: Flight to Houston
Howdy Partners!
We arrived after a direct flight from Manchester to Houston with Singapore Airlines. Honestly, there's no wonder they have been voted the best airline in the world! The food quality would match restaurant standards. The cabin crew were attentive throughout the full flight service. In-flight entertainment had something for everyone - 9.5 hours went really quickly.
The Whitehall Hotel Houston Downtown was home for the next few days, and we were welcomed with a BIG Texan "Hello" from our tour guide from Visit Houston, Daniel. After a quick change, we went out in Houston's theatre district for dinner at Post Houston. It's a superb venue that has been repurposed from an old post office to an international food hall (so much choice from Tacos to Thai) with a 5 acre roof-top park - called the Skylawn - and a state of the art concert venue. The city skyline from this viewing point is.....WOW!!
We were also fortunate to visit at this time of year, as they had decorated for Halloween. It's the U.S's second most popular holiday after Christmas, so the decorations and attention to detail was phenomenal.
Lunch was hosted at J-Bar-M Barbecue in the EaDo district of the city then on to The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.
Dinner at East River 9's Riverhouse was accompanied by live music by the Bayou and followed by mini golf at Puttshack. Was a perfect end to the day!
Lunch stop was at Lucille's. This is a nationally acclaimed restaurant in the museum district of the city, honouring southern cuisine and hospitality and the legacy of Lucille B. Smith - an educator, culinary innovator and entrepreneur. This little place is a real unique experience... like being in an a cosy 1950's living room... the fried green tomatoes, shrimps and sausage were something else! Reservations are advised.
Quickly on to the Buffalo Bayou Partnership Pontoon Boat Tour and seeing Houston from a different angle... capturing the cityscape from the water is an amazing experience.
Next stop Ninfa's On Navigation to experience a rich legacy of Tex-Mex cuisine (they sure do like to feed us!) - this iconic Houston restaurant is the place where fajitas were born, and a reservation here is a must!
Last stop of the day was an evening of discovery - Haunted Halloween Classics at The Bell Tower on 34th, by Candlelight Concerts by Fever. An unforgettable classical music experience performed by a string quartet - there were so many recognisable pieces played, from Thriller to Psycho! It was a very awe inspiring few hours. These events are offered in 180 cities worldwide.
The temperature dropped drastically today to 7°C... Luckily I'd packed my big coat!
We checked in at Holiday Inn Riverwalk and were met by Francisco from Visit San Antonio. He was ready to show us the sights of this historical city, with the first stop being The Alamo. It's actually recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We had a guided tour here that I would highly recommend, so you can get a real understanding of the 300-year history of Texas' Independence, and its rich and diverse culture.
We then visited The Buckhorn Saloon & Museum. This is a great follow-on experience after visiting the Alamo. It features one-of-a-kind animal exhibits, and is the place rumoured to have been the place where the Mexican Revolution was planned. Some of the original furnishings are still featured in the saloon; including the back-bar, handcrafted with marble and cherry wood. We sampled a Lone Star beer at this fabulously authentic bar.
The afternoon featured a visit to an area called "The Pearl". It's a vibrant community in an exclusive part of the city, offering a trendy food hall, al-fresco seating, boutique shopping and dining experiences. It's also home to one of the most incredible hotels I've ever seen - Hotel Emma. Honestly... this is place is pure luxury! I would have loved the opportunity to see more of this hidden gem, that was once a 19th Century Brewhouse.
Dinner was at Best Quality Daughter - a creative Asian Fusion restaurant - with it's funky dining room inside a restored circa-1900 house. The menu was, quite honestly, astonishing, and really did give those tastebuds an explosive delight!
Today's attractions saw us firstly at Mission San Jose Church, another UNESCO World Heritage Site. Francisco explained that the goal of the Spanish missionaries at Mission San José was to convert local Native American groups to Christianity and to integrate them into Spanish society.
Moving on to Natural Bridge Caverns the largest show caves in Texas. A 60 minutes guided tour to the 'Hidden Passages' explores two large underground areas adorned with soda straws, cave ribbon and other natural phenomena. A high-tech lighting network uses both light and darkness to intensify views—this was definitely worth the 200 steps down and a free-hand ride on the B.A.T back to ground level.
Lunch was at The Box Street Social, with a modern, contemporary, fresh vibe and music fitting for the venue - perfect for brunch, lunch or, in fact, any occasion. There's some really unique food choices on the menu - I had chicken and waffles with fried ice cream - unbelievably tasty!
A few spare hours and we were getting ready to Halloween in San Antonio. But first, we experienced the waterways of the city with Go Rio San Antonio River Cruises (which can only be compared to a modern, vibrant, Venice) giving you a unique perspective compared to the street level. This was lit up beautifully in the evening, so colourfully and pretty, with various bars and restaurants to choose from, or just enjoy a gentle stroll.
Food time again! Just steps away from the disembarktion point for the waterway tour., we were welcomed at the Iron Cactus. The service, food quality and hospitality here was remarkable - even a demonstration of how to prepare the best guacamole!
Finally on to the Saga of San Fernando Cathedral to watch the video art projection depicting the historical discovery, settlement and development of San Antonio, the Lone Star State and the United States history. This was narrated whilst lights and colour images were projected onto the façade of the oldest cathedral in the U.S.
We went for breakfast at the Guenther House. This restaurant uses the original kitchen, tea room, dining room and the outdoor arbor areas of the original Guenther House.
Our final tour was at the San Antonio Botanical Garden. Recognised nationally for its commitment to outstanding displays, botanical diversity, education, environmental stewardship, and experiences that connect people to the natural world. The Garden is a top San Antonio attraction that serves as a museum of plants, a tranquil escape, a living classroom, a research and conservation facility, and entertainment venue where art, architecture, music and theatre experiences come to life.
Sadly, it was then time to depart for Houston International Airport, and time to say our final goodbye to Texas. What an incredible time we've all had, experiencing two amazing, but very different, cities. Our time was most definitely enhanced by our passionate tour guides, whose enthusiasm for their home cities was palpable. I can’t wait to help our clients plan something, that's maybe a little different to the “typical” U.S city break. And let's not forget... with the direct route between Manchester and Houston, it really is easy to travel to The Lone Star State.
The Whitehall Hotel Houston Downtown was home for the next few days, and we were welcomed with a BIG Texan "Hello" from our tour guide from Visit Houston, Daniel. After a quick change, we went out in Houston's theatre district for dinner at Post Houston. It's a superb venue that has been repurposed from an old post office to an international food hall (so much choice from Tacos to Thai) with a 5 acre roof-top park - called the Skylawn - and a state of the art concert venue. The city skyline from this viewing point is.....WOW!!
We were also fortunate to visit at this time of year, as they had decorated for Halloween. It's the U.S's second most popular holiday after Christmas, so the decorations and attention to detail was phenomenal.
Day 2: Houston
We are in 'Space City' so no visit to Houston would be complete without taking a trip to Space Center Houston to explore and find out more about the original Mission Control and future missions on the horizon.... maybe to Mars! There's so many interactive experiences for the whole family here; such as meeting gigantic robots, seeing one of only three Saturn V rockets in the world, and you can even meet a NASA astronaut. It's an out of this world experience!Lunch was hosted at J-Bar-M Barbecue in the EaDo district of the city then on to The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.
Dinner at East River 9's Riverhouse was accompanied by live music by the Bayou and followed by mini golf at Puttshack. Was a perfect end to the day!
Day 3: Houston
Houston Zoo is the second most visited zoo in the U.S boasting a diverse collection of over 6000 animals from 900 species. The new exhibit there is the Galapagos Islands and what an incredible addition to an already amazing attraction it is! There were a lot of families there too, all celebrating Halloween and dressed in fabulous spooky costumes... believe it or not, the temperature today was 29°C!Lunch stop was at Lucille's. This is a nationally acclaimed restaurant in the museum district of the city, honouring southern cuisine and hospitality and the legacy of Lucille B. Smith - an educator, culinary innovator and entrepreneur. This little place is a real unique experience... like being in an a cosy 1950's living room... the fried green tomatoes, shrimps and sausage were something else! Reservations are advised.
Quickly on to the Buffalo Bayou Partnership Pontoon Boat Tour and seeing Houston from a different angle... capturing the cityscape from the water is an amazing experience.
Next stop Ninfa's On Navigation to experience a rich legacy of Tex-Mex cuisine (they sure do like to feed us!) - this iconic Houston restaurant is the place where fajitas were born, and a reservation here is a must!
Last stop of the day was an evening of discovery - Haunted Halloween Classics at The Bell Tower on 34th, by Candlelight Concerts by Fever. An unforgettable classical music experience performed by a string quartet - there were so many recognisable pieces played, from Thriller to Psycho! It was a very awe inspiring few hours. These events are offered in 180 cities worldwide.
Day 4: San Antonio
We left Houston to continue our 3+ hour trip over to San Antonio, Texas with an Uber driver called Sam Rodriguez, a 5th generation Texan, with a strong Mexican heritage. He explained that Texas once belonged to Mexico and that there were over 150 languages spoken in this state.The temperature dropped drastically today to 7°C... Luckily I'd packed my big coat!
We checked in at Holiday Inn Riverwalk and were met by Francisco from Visit San Antonio. He was ready to show us the sights of this historical city, with the first stop being The Alamo. It's actually recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We had a guided tour here that I would highly recommend, so you can get a real understanding of the 300-year history of Texas' Independence, and its rich and diverse culture.
We then visited The Buckhorn Saloon & Museum. This is a great follow-on experience after visiting the Alamo. It features one-of-a-kind animal exhibits, and is the place rumoured to have been the place where the Mexican Revolution was planned. Some of the original furnishings are still featured in the saloon; including the back-bar, handcrafted with marble and cherry wood. We sampled a Lone Star beer at this fabulously authentic bar.
The afternoon featured a visit to an area called "The Pearl". It's a vibrant community in an exclusive part of the city, offering a trendy food hall, al-fresco seating, boutique shopping and dining experiences. It's also home to one of the most incredible hotels I've ever seen - Hotel Emma. Honestly... this is place is pure luxury! I would have loved the opportunity to see more of this hidden gem, that was once a 19th Century Brewhouse.
Dinner was at Best Quality Daughter - a creative Asian Fusion restaurant - with it's funky dining room inside a restored circa-1900 house. The menu was, quite honestly, astonishing, and really did give those tastebuds an explosive delight!
Day 5: San Antonio
Breakfast this morning was at the very unique Mi Tierra Cafe & Bakery. This family owned restaurant opened in 1941 with just 3 tables and is still operating a thriving business today, at Historic Market Square.Today's attractions saw us firstly at Mission San Jose Church, another UNESCO World Heritage Site. Francisco explained that the goal of the Spanish missionaries at Mission San José was to convert local Native American groups to Christianity and to integrate them into Spanish society.
Moving on to Natural Bridge Caverns the largest show caves in Texas. A 60 minutes guided tour to the 'Hidden Passages' explores two large underground areas adorned with soda straws, cave ribbon and other natural phenomena. A high-tech lighting network uses both light and darkness to intensify views—this was definitely worth the 200 steps down and a free-hand ride on the B.A.T back to ground level.
Lunch was at The Box Street Social, with a modern, contemporary, fresh vibe and music fitting for the venue - perfect for brunch, lunch or, in fact, any occasion. There's some really unique food choices on the menu - I had chicken and waffles with fried ice cream - unbelievably tasty!
A few spare hours and we were getting ready to Halloween in San Antonio. But first, we experienced the waterways of the city with Go Rio San Antonio River Cruises (which can only be compared to a modern, vibrant, Venice) giving you a unique perspective compared to the street level. This was lit up beautifully in the evening, so colourfully and pretty, with various bars and restaurants to choose from, or just enjoy a gentle stroll.
Food time again! Just steps away from the disembarktion point for the waterway tour., we were welcomed at the Iron Cactus. The service, food quality and hospitality here was remarkable - even a demonstration of how to prepare the best guacamole!
Finally on to the Saga of San Fernando Cathedral to watch the video art projection depicting the historical discovery, settlement and development of San Antonio, the Lone Star State and the United States history. This was narrated whilst lights and colour images were projected onto the façade of the oldest cathedral in the U.S.
Day 6: Homeward Bound
It's our last day, but we're still packing in the sights (and food!).We went for breakfast at the Guenther House. This restaurant uses the original kitchen, tea room, dining room and the outdoor arbor areas of the original Guenther House.
Our final tour was at the San Antonio Botanical Garden. Recognised nationally for its commitment to outstanding displays, botanical diversity, education, environmental stewardship, and experiences that connect people to the natural world. The Garden is a top San Antonio attraction that serves as a museum of plants, a tranquil escape, a living classroom, a research and conservation facility, and entertainment venue where art, architecture, music and theatre experiences come to life.
Sadly, it was then time to depart for Houston International Airport, and time to say our final goodbye to Texas. What an incredible time we've all had, experiencing two amazing, but very different, cities. Our time was most definitely enhanced by our passionate tour guides, whose enthusiasm for their home cities was palpable. I can’t wait to help our clients plan something, that's maybe a little different to the “typical” U.S city break. And let's not forget... with the direct route between Manchester and Houston, it really is easy to travel to The Lone Star State.
Call me on 01253 40 11 33, or pop in to see me and my colleagues at Highfield Road, Blackpool.
