10 Things We Love About Houston

When much of the country goes under sheets of ice in the winter, Houston has long summers and short winters; it only snows here about once every decade. The city remains balmy throughout the year. The coolest month is January, with an average daily high of only 65°F (18°C).

The humid, subtropical summers that Houston has can be hot (particularly between June and August), but everyone manages to beat the heat and get through it just fine. Exploring Houston’s beautiful outdoors is pleasant with its ample tree shade and lush parks.

Houston’s food scene is both exciting and diverse, with Tex-Mex and BBQ galore. The food scene is made up of a variety of different cuisines, owing largely to the heritage of Mexican, Vietnamese and Chinese immigrants. Tex-Mex thrives in the city and you can find excellent spots serving tacos and fajitas downtown.

Houston is known to have one of the largest Vietnamese populations outside Asia, so you won’t find any shortage of great pho spots around. The Bayou City is also big on smoked meats. Great BBQ joints easily satisfy your cravings for juicy spare ribs and briskets.

Houston is the 'Space City', an excellent place to experience an important part of space exploration history. The city is home to the mission control of the United States’ crewed space flight programmes. Space Center Houston is the special visitor hub of NASA’s Johnson Space Center, where you can learn about the lunar missions, see space exhibits and even listen to real astronauts sharing their stories.

A must-see is the life-size replica of the space shuttle Independence in Independence Plaza. Take a selfie against the monumental spacecraft piggybacking on a historical carrier jet.

Lasso-tossing and riding broncos may be some of the strongest Texan stereotypes, but Houstonians proudly live up to it, with their highly anticipated, signature Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. Also known as Rodeo Houston, it’s considered one of the largest livestock exhibitions and rodeos in the world.

Rodeo season in Houston is usually between February and March, and the festival regularly takes place at NRG Stadium. Besides the rodeos, you can enjoy great live concerts, following a tradition that harks back to the days of Elvis Presley.

Houston is home to the world’s largest Art Car Parade, earning it the quirky nickname, 'The World’s Art Car Capital'. Every April, this 4-day event brings to life an eclectic mix of creatively modified vehicles, showcasing the vibrant and imaginative spirit of the city's residents.

Art cars, whether painted, welded, smashed or crashed, come in all shapes and sizes. The only criteria is that they must roll. You can see here just about anything on wheels, from cars and bicycles to lawnmowers and go-carts, attracting over 250 unique vehicles. 

Houston is one of Hollywood’s favourite locations, and it has featured in several notable movies. Some of the memorable flicks that were shot in Houston include Robocop 2 (1990), where the city interestingly stood in as a dystopian Detroit, Michigan. Apollo 13 (1995) simply can’t tell the story of the 7th crewed space mission without depicting the Space City’s greatest landmark: Johnson Space Center.

The centre is featured again in Space Cowboys (2000), after showing up in the fictitious account of reluctant astronauts, who travelled out into space to blow up an asteroid before it hits Earth, in Armageddon (1998).

Hermann Park is a vast recreational park in Downtown Houston, featuring a zoo, a science museum, beautiful picnic parks and gardens filled with family attractions. It’s an ideal spot for a day of exploration and relaxation.

The bright-red Hermann Park Railroad train is great for family fun. It takes a steady 18-minute journey around the park, passing by the flowering gardens and scenic lakes. Even though it looks like an amusement park ride for kids, it can make up most of your Houston memories.

Oyster season is a big deal in Houston, with the bivalves mostly harvested in the Galveston Bay area. You can find the bivalves served at many seafood restaurants year-round. However, the best time for enjoying the molluscs is during the colder months, roughly between September and April. Some say they’re the sweetest in January and February.

Others say different parts of the bay grow differently tasting oysters, ranging from sweet, briny to salty. That certainly sounds like a culinary adventure.

Food trucks have long coloured Houston’s culinary scene with a vibrant mix of experimental and upscale options that have come and gone over the years. Some food trucks serve burgers and fries, while others present a fusion between Asian and Mexican delicacies.

One type of food truck that remains resilient, however, are the taco trucks. They sell fajita tacos, featuring tortillas that are generously stuffed with marinated beef and salsa, alongside a choice of delicious side dishes. The enduring popularity of taco trucks highlights their integral role in Houston’s ever-evolving food culture.

Back in the days in Houston, long before the invention of the refrigerator, there were ice houses. These stores by the dock would keep and resell ice that were shipped into the Gulf of Mexico. They eventually sold food and other necessities, much like a grocery store. However, after realising that the most popular item was beer, the open-air beer house was born.

These low-key, friendly drinking spots around town offer a timeless saloon-style ambiance. Some larger ones serve food with live music, great for a unique Texan dining experience.