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Staycation Destination: Downtown Houston

Pizza, Parks, City Views

By Sonia Sanchez January 11, 2017

If your family is looking to vacation at home like a foreign tourist, there are tons of interesting places and things to do in Houston! Here are some places to go and consider staying at for a stay-at-home vacation while still having a great time!

 

 

Where to Stay:

The museum district has a lot to offer tourists visiting the Houston area, and is perfect for Houstonians to experience their own city in a new light. For a luxury stay in a hotel that is nearby I suggest staying at Hotel Zaza. It is a unique hotel with attentive staff and it is a  child-friendly place to stay. Booking a hotel room for a balcony double suite is $317 a night. They have a package deal available that will include a picnic with Hotel Zaza. Click here for more information or hotelzaza.com for more booking information and other packaged deals.


Where To Eat:

Frank's Pizza

 

Hop on the metro rail down to a unique little pizza restaurant called Frank’s Pizza on Travis Street in downtown Houston. Outside of hotel Zaza just find the museum district station and make sure it is heading up north. Head over one block from Fannin street to San Jacinto Street and you will find the Museum district station northbound. You can hop off at Preston station and head over one block to Travis street to find Frank’s Pizza. Their menu has pizza, lasagna, salad, wings, and burgers. It’s a delicious treat downtown that you won’t find anywhere else!

 

Where to Go Downtown:

 

JP Morgan Chase Building {Update: The Public Observation Deck Is Now Closed To The Public}

Go 60 stories up the JP Morgan Chase Building to visit the highest public observation deck in downtown for free! The building is just a few blocks further down Travis Street walking past Prairie street and Texas Avenue. The building is 75 stories tall and the tallest in houston. During the week on Mondays through Fridays the observation deck is open to the public from 8am-5pm. When you get to the building find the reception desk and there will be a guard on duty to show you where the express elevators are. The elevators travel at 1,000 feet per minute which makes the trip to the sky lobby just one minute! Once you make it to the 60th floor there is  a long glass with views of downtown, the NRG Park, the Texas Medical Center, the Galleria, and Minute Maid Park. Everyone will enjoy the view, the air conditioning, and that it’s free!

 


Market Square Park

Visit the historic Market Square Park where you can take the kids to hang out for a while and rent some bikes from the Houston B cycle. Bikes can be brought back to any bike station such as the one at the park or at the Downtown Transit Center, which is a metro rail station on the way back to the hotel. All rail tickets are one way until the ticket time expires. Ride around the park and visit Lauren’s Garden. It is a memorial that honors Lauren Catuzzi, a passenger on United Flight 93 that was victim to a terrorist attack on September 11, 2001.  When you approach the garden from congress avenue, there is a fountain centered on the garden so that it is viewed with the JP Morgan Chase tower in the background, which reminds us of our vulnerability and our strength. Visit the Lauren Catuzzi Grandcolas Foundation for more information about her.

 

Miller Outdoor Theater

On the ride back down to the hotel you should stop at the Miller Outdoor Theater, because the kids will jump at the chance to roll down the hill! There are often times events happening with free seating out on the hill, so make sure to pack for your picnic there. The Houston Zoo, Museum of Natural Science, and the Museum of Fine Arts are all in close proximity to the hotel and should be experienced through out your stay. See the new Centennial Park that Hotel Zaza can offer to provide two meals for your picnic. Make sure to see their rose garden as well.


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