I adhere to the "Make Me Move," or "Make Me Vacation" philosophy. My mini and lengthier vacations lean closer to being induced, rather than actually chosen. One morning last week, while eating at the lethargically ruined and now corporately Jeff Bezos owned Whole Amazon Foods, I got an enticing notification from my email. For your Information, the general atmosphere nowadays in the Whole Foods organic grocery store, post corporate sellout is vacuous, soul-sucking and lame. There are also fewer people shopping in there too! Why? Customers don't want to put their money towards corporate greed. Back to the story, this specific email notification was from Airbnb. It was an offer to earn Half of a $Grand or $510.22 exactly to vacate and vacation rental my Clarksville 400 square foot Author's studio for 4 nights. Why was my rustic deficiency so wanted? This vacation Airbnb renter, we'll refer to as Luke, desired a place to crash in Austin for a MOTO GP, Racing event. This Moto-GP event was to occur outside the ATX city limits at the Circuit of the Americas. C.O.T.A is technically in Elroy, Texas. Marketing and Branding Companies love to slap the word Austin on there, even if it isn't.
Thus, that peaceful morning I accepted Luke's 4-night request for half of a grand in easy income. As a result, I then needed a place to stay for four nights. I then called my girlfriend and threw out some excursions ideas and sample locations. She stated that her job had asked her to travel to Houston Texas for work, so we mutually agreed, a weekend in Houston Texas was the answer.
The self-driven car ride from Austin to Houston Texas is not too strenuous. It is around 2 and a half hours. Upon Arrival to Houston, Texas which I believe is still America's 4th biggest city, it tends to remind me of a concrete haven, where car lovers and drivers go to blissfully maneuver. Houston's urban grid is tactfully organized and made for car driving enthusiasts. During my slice of Houston vacation, I did not notice many walkers, bicyclists or scooter users. As y'all are aware, I personally am NOT a car driving enthusiast. Houston's aura and massive elongated geographical size feels like Los Angeles, California without the palm trees, cool factor, female models and celebrity power. Houston is diverse, cultural and is littered with strip retail and commercial shopping malls. Due to Houston's zero to limited zoning laws, it is a real estate developers and salesman's joyous canvas!
So, the first night my girlfriend booked us a night, at what appeared to be a historic Bed and Breakfast in the "Heights" neighborhood, called Sara's Inn. Sara's Inn was a 10-12 room, classy, old, updated and refined B&B. Our room was located on the top level and had a spiral staircase with access to an exposed rooftop deck. Definitely better than a cheapo Purple Knights Inn. Because my girlfriend had to stay in and get sleep for the following workday, we did not get to go out and enjoy the Height's various pubs, restaurants, and nightlife. Oh well, it'll give me something to do for next time.
The next day, I was handed the lodging baton for our couple-dom. During my previous visits to Houston and with hints from my dad and friends, I pre-booked a quaint, yet classic garage apartment in the Montrose Neighborhood. The Montrose neighborhood in Houston is a core area, close to downtown, with plenty of food, restaurants, happenings, and nightlife. Montrose is also a very gay-friendly area with ample gay bars and multi-colored flags waving proudly. Our garage apartment was across the street from a Modern 2800 sq. ft Home on a postage stamp sized lot for sale. Houston doesn't follow Austin's McMansion Residential Lot Size Development and Impervious coverages rules. I looked up the adjacent Modern Home on Realtor.com and it was showing on the active market, priced around $819,000. Interestingly enough, I noticed during our stay, the yard signage changed to Pending. Why do I notice business stuff like this? It's because I work as a realtor in Austin, and am a licensed real estate salesperson in Texas. It's how my working brain is now trained to view the earth's surroundings. Like an RTF (Radio Television Film) university major who can never watch TV as a normal person again.
Moving forward, while my girlfriend was at work on Friday, I went to explore and enjoy the walkable attractions near our place. First up, was a stop at the Houston Fine Arts Museum to witness a touring 50 Art Exhibit display featuring the infamous VAN GOGH. Van Gogh was an eclectic, and troubled soul. From reading the exbibit literary excerpts, I learned Van Gogh cut off 1 of his ears himself after an argument when he was 27 years old. Van Gogh only began painting at the age 27, after failing at other trades and crafts. Van Gogh also self-checked himself into a mental hospital. It was at the Mental Hospital where his artistic explorations began. Van Gogh's early art works were primitive, brown and honestly, unimpressive. Yet, as the Fine Arts exhibit gainfully displayed, with his older brother Theo's unwavering love and financial support, Van Gogh improved his artwork immensly. In my opinion, Van Gogh's most impressive artworks were those created at the tail end of his life and career, boasting a wide range of spring-like color, emotions, depth, and happiness. Van Gogh died at 37 from a self-inflicted injury. I'm 37 now, and glad to still be alive. Thanks be, to the lord.
After the HOFA escapade, (Houston Museum of Fine Arts) I was hungry, feet weary and thirsty. I possessed an inkling for a cold hearty beer or two. Nearby was the acclaimed Hotel ZaZa patio and reincarnated Hotel Warwick. Although pricey, the ZaZa patio atmosphere, beautiful day, excellent sandwich and cold frosty tall beers made for an ideal afternoon pit stop and refill.
My next destination post Art Musuem and filling, buzz happy meal was now the "Yale of the South" known as the Rice University Campus. Visiting and touring University Campuses during an actual school day is the best method to soak up a university's scholastic and social atmosphere. Upon stepping onto the Rice Campus, I instantly called my Uncle Sears McGee. Why? Uncle Professor Sears McGee actually went to Rice University and graduated. My uncle Sears is a tenured long-time History professor at the University of California Santa Barbara and is a life long academic. Sears pleasantly via a crisp cell phone connection informed me of the beginning history for Rice University. William Marsh Rice's death will and monetary donations provided the initial funds, for the land to create Rice University. I also learned that my actual deceased grandfather, William Sears McGee (the multiple terms Texas State Supreme Court Judge) met my also deceased grandmother Mary Beth on the Rice Campus during the 1930s. Thus my walking the Rice Campus, gave me a sense of McGee Family History and smartness lore. Hook Em Horns! The Rice University grounds are quite expansive, well manicured and impressive. In my humble opinion, Rice's admissions department should up the student, faculty and graduate count big time. Again, in my opinion, Rice's sprawling campus could support 10,0000 to 20,000 students. Oh well. I guess that's why its selective admissions process makes it a prestigous university. In today's collegiate and national political climate, kids and students just want college to be paid for and free. College debt is the enemy of young adulthood. Few students are devoted, sheerly by a university's prestige factor.
Next up I returned home to the Montrose garage apartment. My girlfriend checked in after work, and then we went out to dinner. We went to Operto, a Portugeuse Restaurant in Midtown that was top tier! She's a foodie and researched the place on Yelp. It was exquisite fine dining for sure! The food, tapas style dishes, service, and ambiance was first rate! After dinner, my girlfriend and I went on a Montrose, Westhemier Pub Crawl. We bounced from a wine bar called Boheme, to the Leaving Las Vegas themed Present Bar, to the Anvil Bar and Refuge, to the La Grange Bar, and lastly to her favorite location, the Goodnight Charlies Venue. Goodnight Charlie's was a modern, newer and youthfully inhabited urban live music country bar. The worthy Country Cover band played songs ranging the spectrum from George Jones, to Merle Haggard and more. A shade before the clock struck midnight, my girlfriend and I finally uber-ed home and went to sleep.
The next day's adventure was epically fun too! My Houston friend and new Dad buddy recently had a baby boy with his wife. He invited me to the Men's Clay Court Tennis Championship Tournement at the River Oaks Country Club. His Dad used to work at the River Oaks Country Club, and my friend has memories and friends there today. For example, some of the groundcrews workers recognized him from his childhood. Elite and cool stuff eh? My own entry-level ticket cost was around 100 bucks. Next up, my friend and I were free to cruise and meander the grounds of the River Oaks Country Club. There were food and beer stands inside. I got to watch Sam Querry struggle and lose to a 22-year-old Chilean Tennis player, Christian Garin, the eventual tourney winner. In between Clay Court Tennis Matches, there was a large TV screen showcasing the Masters Major Golf Broadcast, in which Tiger Woods was in the hunt. Tiger would eventually and stoically win the Masters event. What a golf legend, eh? Unexpectedly, my same human creating dad friend was able to grant me a super VIP access wristband into the Men's Clay Court Championship section. This east of Center Court VIP access area was a party! There were multiple open bars serving unlimited rum punch and beers to your delight, along with covered air conditioning, and tables of exquisite food. I ate cooked shrimp, soft tuna, lamb chops, and more shrimp. So yummy and fantastic! During my VIP visit, the Doubles Twins and American Legends, the Bryan Brothers got to playing. As a fan, you could tell both Bryan Brothers gave valiant effort. Eventually, my friend and I got partied out and I had to help return him back home to family and fatherhood. Adults can only escape responsibility so long before the sands of time fall down. Overall the River Oaks Men's Pro Tennis Tournement Experience was small, yet well attended and social.
Soo...as you can see, and read, there is plenty of LIFE, happenings, and action going on in Houston, Texas. Luckily, my visit was during the non-humid and sweat free April Spring season. My uber drivers ranked Houston's top 3 major working industries as: 1. Oil and Energy 2. Medical, Doctors, Hospitals. 3. Lawyering and Large Law Firms. My same new dad friend's supportive wife and baby milk producing mother told me stories of which Houston areas were devastated by Hurrican Harvey floods and which neighborhoods were lucky and dry. She also spoke of the "redneck army" volunteers of Hurricane Harvey. These were self-inspired, action-oriented volunteers, and helpful minded Texans who drove their own trucks and vehicles into the flood zones, in efforts to save drowning and flood-plagued Houstonians.
On my last H-town night, I was able to watch the NBA's Houston Rockets win game 1 of their playoff series against the Utah Jazz by 30 points, via my internet connection and iphone screen. Go Rockets, "the Beard," Analytics, G.M. Daryl Morey and the Long ball 3's.
There's your slice of Houston, folks.
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