What should I do while I'm in XX City???

I really loved the zoo. There are some cool botanical gardens, too. Don't go to the beach down south... It's meh.

 

Ha ha! Wait until the ice storms. I think I'd rather have snow

 

How old are the children? I know that you have a young baby who probably isn't at the age of being aware of her (IIRC) surroundings.

My wife & I don't get out like we used to, & my knowledge of the Norhtside is very limited. But here goes:

Most of the following are in The Museum District, hence the name. You might consider a purchasing a family membership if the following appeals to you.

Herman Park. Miller Outdoor Theatre. Hosts quite a few free concerts, plays, etc. This' the wrong time of year for them. If you attend, keep your eyes open for potentially dangerous situations. I don't mean that as severely as it sounds, just use caution. And I'm basing my comments on the limited police presence from many years ago.

Museum of Natural Science. Also has an Imax theatre. It's located at Hermann Park, which is where one of the gardens is located.

The Childrens Museum. Not so much for babies. Also very near Hermann Park.

Museum of Fine Arts. Includes several museums in addition to the main one. Even if you're not into art per se, some of the travelling exhibitions might interest you. Also near Hermann Park. In fact, if you plan a trip to MFA, give me a shout, it's been a long time since I was there. I'll bring my wife--some advance notice required since she's a teacher--if that makes you more comfortable (understandable).

The Holocaust Museum. Certainly not family fun, but worth visiting IMO.

Your currently near Splash Town (or what ever the new name is), but the season is wrong.

Olde Town Spring is worth a walkaround. Too touristry for my taste, but I'm weird.

Woodlands Mall. A bit north of spring. Huge, with many shops in the area around it. If shopping is your thing. If not, it's a good way to kill some time, get some walking exercise. MANY restaurants in the area.

Kemah is worth a look. The Boardwalk area has entertainment for kids, but again not so much for babies. Beware that many of the games are carnival games (you lose lots of money, & might/maybe/possibly "win" a crappy prize). The Aqaurium Restaurant is cool, and they don't mind if you just stop in to check out the aquarium (it's impressive). It's been over six years since I ate there, but the food was really good, and reasonably priced compared to some of the other restaurants in Kemah.

Battleship Texas. Might be more of a "guy thing." Pretty cool, though.

The San Jacinto Monument (same area as above). Not bad, obviously very Texas focused. Can provide a pretty concise history of Texas' War of Independence with Mexico.

Galveston. Yes, the beaches are meh. I enjoy strolling along the seawall, but I'm biased as a native Houstonian. They might've corrected it by now, but at one time you HAD to pay for Seawall parking with a Smart phone. Many folks didn't have Smart phones, and those who did were concerned about making financial transfers in area where ID thieves know that Smart phones have to be used. The Srand is touristry, but interesting enough. Note--Try to park in a parking garage, the Powers That Be in Galveston have put meters just about every place where they can.

I'll shut up now.

Uh.....ice storms in Houston are very rare, maybe every four years or so. Because Houston is so spread out, it depends on where you live. The north side gets frosts & freezes that don't reach us on the south side. The worst part is how people who live here aren't used to driving on icy roads.

 

You're quite welcome. I'd hate to see you posting that there's nothing to do in Houston.

In that case, definately try the Children's Museum. I apologize, I didn't realize that your daughter (at least I got that part right) was that old. CM is very hands-on.

As you're about to read, I have a gift for pointing out the obvious.

I didn't even mention the Theatre Disrict (symphony, opera, plays, etc.). Houston has plenty of high culture, but it takes $$ to be a "patron of the arts."

I don't how you and/or your hubby are with crowds, but be prepared. With the kiddos being out on Chritmas break, and parents taking time off from work, just about anywhere you go is going to be crowded. It isn't that bad, really. I'm mildly claustrophic, and firmly believe in personal space.

This' the "wrong" time of year for many of the organized activities that I listed. The good news is our mild weather won't limit you to staying indoors. Woodville, TX, is worth a visit, once some of the places re-open after the winter break.

I didn't give many details, but "Google is your friend."

 

Heading to San Juan in a couple of days. Anything special I need to see or do??

 

@genuinemommy, my wife is a teacher, and used to be the Activity Coordinator for a private school. If you want, I'll get her write up a list.

 

If you like outdoorsy kinds of things, El Yunque rainforest is spectacular. It's hot and wet (duh, it's a rainforest); but absolutely spectacular.

 

The problem with Anchorage is it varies wildly between summer and winter.
That and the things to do tend to be mostly outdoors based.
Yes, we have museums, libraries, art galleries, plays, stuff for kids, and especially when the temperature drops down below zero folks do take advantage of them.
But during the summer and most of the winter it's all about getting out.
You want to go fishing, sled dogging, check out a glacier, climb a mountain, go skiing, snowshoeing, biking, snowmobiling, skating, etc.
You can do all of that in the city limits.

 

@genuinemommy, you need to check our the Super H Mart in North Houston if you enjoy Asian foods. Huge amount of fresh vegetables, seaweed salads, noodles and rice, healthy snacks and bizarre food items. I saw durian last time. I miss that place. I drove 2.5 hours each way to go there and Whole Foods every 6 weeks or so.

 

I'll be out of town Jan 8-11, so if food/drink/merriment is gonna happen, will have to be earlier in the week.

 

NEW PLACE!

I'm going to Japan in April. DaddySquirrel is from there, so he will be my tour guide for the most part. A great deal of time will be spent with family, but he has asked me what I wanted to do.

Cat Cafe.

That's all I could think of, but Portland has one now so it doesn't seem as cool anymore. I'm just excited to be going there.

We'll be in Osaka for the most part, but we will have one night in Tokyo. I'm asking you world travelers where I should go. We will have BabySquirrel with us so family friendly suggestions only.

 

I would like to visit Japan one day. But, that is my issue with it as well. I don't know what to do once I get there.

High speed trains, Mt. Fiji, Cherry Blossoms (if Springtime), sing some karaoke, and seeing a Japanese game show being taped would be fun.

 

We scheduled our trip in the spring specifically to see the Cherry Blossoms.

I'd like to see Mt. Fiji, but it's kind of far away from where we're staying. It's possible we might be able to see it when we land in Tokyo.

I had seen on a tv show once about Japan about how the cabs have karaoke machines in them. DaddySquirrel said he had no idea what I was talking about. It might be a Tokyo thing and not an Osaka thing.