When I’m in the mood to annoy people it usually doesn’t take much prompting to get me to admit that I’ve been to about 45 different countries and even 47 of the US states, but as you might expect, those numbers can be more than a little misleading. It’s true that I’ve criss-crossed the USA by car about 6 or 7 times, and actually stopped off in every state except North Dakota, Alaska, and Hawaii, but there are still loads of places I’ve missed, and soon my trip to Houston will take care of one of those major holes.
I’ve had a cousin and her husband living in Houston for about 20 years now, and they’ve always said I’m welcome to stay with them, but I for one am never too comfortable staying with relatives that I don’t see too often. And besides, staying with relatives usually means staying out in some suburban area that doesn’t help you get to know the actual city much anyway.
So I’m actually going
Since actually flying to Asia or Europe is so expensive with all the baggage fees and whatnot, I decided to figure out which American cities I’ve neglected for far too long, and Houston was at the top of that list. From my home in Portland, Oregon I noticed that flights to Houston are cheaper than I would have guessed, and the better news is that nonstop flights between these cities leave several times per day, thanks to Continental Airlines.
I’m going to stay with my relatives for a few days, but even they understand that it wouldn’t be a good idea for the whole stay. I’m also thrilled to discover that hotels in Houston, Texas are great bargains as well. Checking for the second week in January, 2010, I see that there are dozens of choices for under $50 per night. These are 2 and 3-star chain hotels too, not some dump where they rent rooms by the hour on weekends.
And a side trip
I know it’ll be off-season in January, but I’m also going to check out Galveston. There’s something about islands that I find strangely appealing, and thanks to it being the cold season it means that cheap hotels in Galveston are easy to find. Again, there are dozens of choices starting under $50 per night, and I’d guess that most of them will be so empty that I’ll be able to get an upgraded or deluxe room for the same price once I check in.
Galveston is only about 50 miles from the center of Houston, so I could easily stay in Houston and just drive down there a couple times, but it’s precisely because it’ll be empty and kind of eery feeling that I’ll want to actually stay on the island. I don’t think the weather there is terrible, even in January, so hopefully I’ll be able to walk around and see the place even if it’s a bit chilly.
Needless to say, I’ll report back here on this blog when I return.
