Southern Hospitality

A large family is a blessing, but when it's spread out across the mainland states, visits become a rare treat. Unfortunately, because of this, I can go for years without seeing them. So, to round out this rather travel-filled summer, I jumped at a chance to fly down to Houston. The last time I was there was, metaphorically, a lifetime ago, and realistically over half of my lifetime ago. It had been a few brief days in January, around age ten.
I was supposed to leave Friday in the early evening, but that day turned out to be rather problematic for US air travel with 1400 flights canceled and over 6000 flights delayed per the Associated Press. Thankfully, I'm inseparable from my laptop, so I was able to use the time well, getting work done and booking future flights. I arrived about an hour and a half later than expected,  but hey, I made it and really can't complain. And, as usual,  United's service was quite nice.
There are a lot of things I've read about and dreamed of doing at some point, but somehow just never gotten around to. One of these, and rather high up on the list, was going to a Cars and Coffee event. In Houston, these are on the first Saturday of the month, with one this having a Japanese focus. And by golly, there were some amazing vehicles there.
Blue Carbon Exposed McLaren Sennas:

Ferrari F40, Mclaren Senna, and Lamborghini Huracan STO:

These vehicles come from famously expensive brands, but these specific ones are especially valuable. The McLaren is one of just 5 that were built in this configuration. And a similarly red F40 had sold for $2.4 million on Bring a Trailer the day before.
Up next? Tacos. Corn tortillas, Spanish text on the posters on the walls… Feels authentic? Don’t know. I do know that they tasted great. Had two breakfast ones: egg, mushroom, and black bean, while the other was an egg and veggie mix. Juicy and delicious, but probably not something that should be had all too often. In the evening, when the temperature dropped from very hot to just hot, we visited a nice outdoor shopping and eating area. Although I tend to not visit the boutiques and jewelry stores, I really like the relaxed atmosphere that comes with the shoppers lounging in the green, the children running around, and the live music playing. They also usually have some pretty tasty food.

Sunday Funday was relaxing. A slow start to the morning, a walk with the dog, video games… Having fun with family. And my first visit to Olive Garden. How did I make it all this time without going there? I really liked it, especially their flexibility to modify menu items. I think everyone made at least one change in their order. Even big changes, like my request to replace the pasta with broccoli, were accepted without hesitation.
Being in Houston without visiting NASA seems like heresy. I'd visited last time and proudly informed the guides that I would be an astronaut. Doubt that's happening, so sorry young me. It's a shame that I don't have any notes about my impressions of the facility from then. It would be interesting to compare the perspective from then with this visit, now that I'm [a little] more mature and know a lot more about space travel. Mercury and Gemini capsules probably seemed pretty roomy to my sub-four and a half foot stature. Independence Plaza was probably my favorite part. There, a modified Boeing 747 which was the main shuttle transport stood with a model shuttle used for testing perched atop. The doors to both were open, letting visitors walk up the stairs to go inside. The plane had been stripped for weight savings, so the frames and stringers are visible in a number of places. Furthermore, the extra strengthening bulkheads that were inserted to better support the shuttle’s weight were completely uncovered.

The other occupant of the plaza, a twice flown Falcon 9 first stage, couldn’t have been there during my last visit. So yeah, I definitely saw something new. Now if only I can time a visit to Kennedy during a launch…

I was impressed by the Museum of Natural Science on Tuesday. Although the third floor housing Egyptian history and oil digging history was closed for renovations, the permanent exhibits on the first and second floor were open. I visited the temporary Body Worlds, a fascinating and simultaneously disturbing exhibit.
The dinosaur one was really thorough, mapping the development of life from trilobites to humans. Huge selection of fossils and a wealth of information boards. Only minor quibble is the layout- there are passages between the eras (probably added for fire escapes)  which confused me, such as the Jurassic to Human connection.

Also, shout out to the Diplodocus whose neck was so long that the heart couldn't pump blood to their brains. It's one of the rare cases where a diminutive brain helps- imagine if we could function for up to ten minutes without fresh blood reaching the brain.
Overall, the museum district is attractive, with parks and statues breaking up the building and street monotony. And I even managed to find one of the few Dunkin locations.
Prior to this trip I hadn't heard of any Texas beers. Both the Lone Star and Houston-based Saint Arnold's that I tried were pretty enjoyable light IPAs. Not my poison of choice in most cases, but great for the local heat.