Houston: The Space City
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Although located 50 miles inland from the Gulf
of Mexico, Houston is one of the major seaports
in the United States. The conversion of winding,
marshy Buffalo Bayou into the Houston Ship Channel
precipitated rapid industrial growth. With petroleum,
Houston became a boomtown, ever growing, ever changing.
In 1940 it ranked as the country’s 27th most
populous city; 20 years later, it had soared to
4th. Because there are no zoning ordinances, Houston
has experienced unrestricted development. This
has resulted in the city having more than one skyline
and being a proving ground for innovative architecture.
FEATURED ATTRACTIONS
Astrodome is a prototype
domed stadium. Trussed beams, braced in a diamond
pattern, arch toward the center of a steel frame
supporting nearly 5,000 plastic skylights. The dome
over the field has a span of 642 feet and a maximum
height of 218 feet. Seating 55,000 to 76,000, the
stadium is the home of the Houston Astros and the
University of Houston Cougars.
Houston Zoological Gardens
and Kipp Aquarium is home to about 3,000
animals. Exhibits in the 50 acre zoo include
a rain forest aviary; gorilla, giraffe and Asian
elephant habitats; a large cat facility; rare
albino reptiles; and vampire bats. Visitors may
also visit Henry and Henrietta, the zoo’s
Pygmy hippos.
Port of Houston Turning
Basin The basin heads the 50 mile Houston
Ship Channel. There are views of the docks and
busy basin from an observation platform atop
Wharf 9.
Six Flags Astroworld is
a 75 acre amusement park with more than 100 rides,
attractions, shops, and shows. Roller coasters
include Ultra Twister, a rare loop-to-loop ride;
the Texas Cyclone; and a stand-up roller coaster
with a Batman theme. Thematic areas are Americana
Square, Nottingham Village, European Village, Oriental
Village, Mexicana, Western Junction and USA.
Space Center Houston This
official visitor’s center for Johnson Space
Center, home of Mission Control, offers a hands-on
experience of space exploration. Exhibits include
an IMAX theater showing films daily, a full size
space shuttle, live demonstrations, computer simulators,
and tram tours that guide visitors behind the scenes.
GALVESTON FEATURED ATTRACTIONS
Gaslights, stately
Victorian buildings and the clip-clop of carriages
along the Strand have revived Galveston’s
late 19th century urbanity. Beaches are the city’s
major recreational refuge. One popular area is
Stewart Beach Park, on the city’s eastern
edge at Seawall and Broadway Boulevards. A scenic
drive along the seawall and a ride on the harbor
ferry are popular diversions. The Galveston Flyer,
an unusual handcrafted trolley, runs between the
seawall, the Strand, downtown, the Port of Galveston
and the East End. Passengers can get on and off
at various stops or take the entire 1-hour narrated
tour.
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