Houston, We Have A Secret: A TX Vacation With A WDW Surprise ...aaand Done! Page 43

[Jules425]

So this finally drew me out of lurker mode. My hometown, live in the Midwest now, and a Disney trip has to equal awesome. Can't wait for updates!! Loved seeing the Williams water wall. Haven't been there since it was called Transco.

 

[FreezinRafiki]

Im rarely a poster more of a lurker... But I'm in to hear about this trip as well!

Welcome! Feel free to lurk, or join in on making fun of me. The more the merrier!

Great First(really second) update.
I have always wanted to visit Texas. It looks like their is a lot of great things to do there. My dad hitch hiked to California in his late teens, so mid seventies and said he loved Texas. He said the landscape was beautiful and unlike anything he had seen, much different then Florida!! Go Figure!

Welcome!
We really didn't get to see too much "natural" Texas - we spent most of our time right in Houston.

Fun TR!! What a beautiful family you have - can't wait to read about the big WDW surprise!

Thank you and Welcome! I've got a few days worth of Houston to get through, but the big Disney Reveal is coming up soon!

Hi Barry,
Subbing in!

Glad to have you here! Welcome!

Well, I went & did it: First entry to my first trip report is done!

Nice! I've already subscribed!

 

[FreezinRafiki]

I'm so glad that you guys were able to visit the Childrens Museum. My kids really enjoy going there. It's so funny to look at the pictures of the Williams Tower. I drive by it everyday on my to work, but never take the time to really appreciate it's beauty. It was really nice to see it through someone else's eyes. Can't wait to hear more about your visit to Houston.

Bet you never expected to read a TR about your hometown, huh? There was so much to see & do in Houston, but we only had 5 days.
Bambi mentioned that it must really suck to work in the Williams tower and look out at that beautiful sight all day - just teasing you that you're stuck at work!

So this finally drew me out of lurker mode. My hometown, live in the Midwest now, and a Disney trip has to equal awesome. Can't wait for updates!! Loved seeing the Williams water wall. Haven't been there since it was called Transco.

A first post on my Trip Report! Wow, that's quite a compliment. I'll try to make it worth your while! Welcome to my TR and Welcome to the Boards!

 

[that's nice]

Barry, you got a Liesa greeting! (you'll have to ask her what that is. )

MY nemesis gets this greeting??? I've known Liesa longer and I never got this greeting!

Liesa - what did I just get?

You two are really awful at this nemesis thing. Given how you left me to fend for myself against a large mob we should be nemesisisisis...

You were handling it just fine!!!! Plus I did text your husband telling him that you didn't look happy but were single-handily holding back a mob of chanting Brazilians!

Watch out, Tim. Looks like Bambi just threw down the gauntlet.

I hear there has been a lot of that going on recently!

Well, yes, I would consider that a very unique greeting. Thanks.

Pics or it didn't happen!!!!!

 

[that's nice]

"Book with Park Ride Fly USA, and you can park at Midway Park Ride & Fly for $7.25 (outdoor) or $11.25 (indoor) plus $2.00 fuel surcharge per parking stay, $1.00 tax per day, $2.00 transfer fee per day, and a $3.00 convenience fee per parking stay. Guarantee this low parking rate by paying for your entire stay when you book online"​

Ever park at LaGuardia? I have... it is about $30 a day outside and no shuttle. You get to carry/drag all your bags across the parking lot.

So cool! What a view!

We pulled into the hotel around 7 and Madison and I went to get checked in. And what did we get for our troubles? Warm chocolate chip cookies. Oh, I'll be staying here again.

So that is all it takes to have you throwing your money at this hotel again? I think this is like the 'free' cookies and hot chocolate at MVMCP!

So into the Impala it was and we were driving around Houston in no time.

The Impala has a HUGE trunk!

Wow! That is impressive!

There is even a clinic there that specializes in treating only dancer and musician injuries. Yeah, you read that right.

The food was really good, and gave us plenty of energy for our last stop - the Houston Children's Museum.

Great pics from the children's museum... I wanna go play there!!!!

 

[rdkeim]

Loving the start to your trip report! Can't wait to hear how the surprise went!

 

[dvc4life]

Love hearing about your Houston adventures. Looks like a fun time.

 

[petals]

The Houston pics are fab. The pic of the kiddos blocking their ears with the water is to funny! Kids museum looks cool! I wanna go there

 

[princess aleya]

You're exactly right, I never would have thought I would be reading a TR on the DIS about Houston . Bambi's right, I bet the people who do work in the Williams Tower hate being at work while others are out enjoying the sights.

 

[PolkaDotLuggage]

Even though I visit Houston all the time, I've never been to the Houston Children's Museum! Thanks to your pics, we are now going in 3 weeks!

ps subbing

 

[orangecats2]

Hi! Just read your last trip report and really liked all your puns so I'm signing up for this report. Have just read the first TR and will now start the second. I'm a lurker so probably won't talk much. I wanted to say that you have a beautiful family! And I am jealous of your DVC points - that is my dream! So pun as much as you want and keep writing!

 

[All7OfUs]

MY nemesis gets this greeting??? I've known Liesa longer and I never got this greeting!



Pics or it didn't happen!!!!!

Well, if I'd known he was your nemesis, I might have thought twice. And for the mere price of a trip to Florida (Park hoppers, DxDDP, and the Poly, please) I'll see what I can arrange.

Do you think they'd allow those on the PP disk?

 

[FreezinRafiki]

MY nemesis gets this greeting??? I've known Liesa longer and I never got this greeting!

Yes, and it was spectacular.

Pics or it didn't happen!!!!!

You know that scene in Saving Private Ryan, where Matt Damon and Tom Hanks are talking about their memories from home, and Matt asks Tom to tell him about his wife. Tom says "No, no that one I save just for me"?

Ever park at LaGuardia? I have... it is about $30 a day outside and no shuttle. You get to carry/drag all your bags across the parking lot.

So cool! What a view!

I had the kids convinced that they need to pick their feet up anytime a semi truck drove under, just in case it was a bit too tall we didn't want it to hit their feet!

So that is all it takes to have you throwing your money at this hotel again? I think this is like the 'free' cookies and hot chocolate at MVMCP!

Well, if the hotel across the street offers free brownies, I'll probably stay there. Then someone will offer cake, then pie, then finally someone will pull out the big gun (bacon!). Every man has his price, Tim, and I can be bought for food.

The Impala has a HUGE trunk!

I was surprise all of our stuff fit with room to spare! (Well, room enough to slide 2 or 3 pieces of paper, but still room to spare!)

Great pics from the children's museum... I wanna go play there!!!!

I assume you'll bring Juliana, right? Right?

Loving the start to your trip report! Can't wait to hear how the surprise went!

Thanks! It's coming up in a little while!

Love hearing about your Houston adventures. Looks like a fun time.

We had a lot of fun. We want to expose the kids to as many different areas of the country as we can - Houston was a natural choice with having family there.

The Houston pics are fab. The pic of the kiddos blocking their ears with the water is to funny! Kids museum looks cool! I wanna go there

Thank you. I was surprised at how loud it was in there! When you stand back up in there, you're surrounded by falling water on 3 sides, then that arch echos some of it back at you from the front!

 

[FreezinRafiki]

You're exactly right, I never would have thought I would be reading a TR on the DIS about Houston . Bambi's right, I bet the people who do work in the Williams Tower hate being at work while others are out enjoying the sights.

You never know what you're going to get with me!
But the people that work at Williams tower do have one thing going for them - as we walked around the tower and headed back to the car, we saw a cup cake truck parked on the side of the street. I assumed it was a delivery truck, but as we got closer - we noticed it was a mobile cupcake vendor with a window in the side of the truck and everything!

Even though I visit Houston all the time, I've never been to the Houston Children's Museum! Thanks to your pics, we are now going in 3 weeks!

ps subbing

Welcome! You'll have a great time there! That outside water area can really cool you off! You'll have to post back here when you return and let me know what you thought of it!

Hi! Just read your last trip report and really liked all your puns so I'm signing up for this report. Have just read the first TR and will now start the second. I'm a lurker so probably won't talk much. I wanted to say that you have a beautiful family! And I am jealous of your DVC points - that is my dream! So pun as much as you want and keep writing!

Welcome! (Don't tell anyone, but you're the front runner for my new "Favorite Follower" contest)

Well, if I'd known he was your nemesis, I might have thought twice. And for the mere price of a trip to Florida (Park hoppers, DxDDP, and the Poly, please) I'll see what I can arrange.

Do you think they'd allow those on the PP disk?

Tim - the same offer is on the table for me. Send me to Florida, and you'll get a Barry-ified version of a Liesa Greeting!

 

[FreezinRafiki]

Houston Day 2: Saturday, April 23

The day started like many others days. With Evan, inches from my peacefully sleeping face. "Daddy, I want some breakfast."

I will rejoice the day he is old enough to pour his own cereal. But even if today was that day, we were in a strange house. And by "strange", I mean he didn't know where the cereal or bowls were.

After the 4 of us were up, fed, and dressed, we set off on the 4 block walk to a local neighborhood park while my aunt and uncle slept in a bit.


The little kids played on the swings...

...OK, all of the kids played on the swings.

Slide Race!

Evan even met another kid there who was probably about 9 or 10 named, oddly enough, Evan. They were playing together, and all of a sudden the other Evan just runs off. I asked my Evan what happened, and he said that the other Evan was going to go home and get his Lego guys. (Our Evan has just started getting into Legos and was constantly playing with the few that he brought on the trip. It's not a surprise at all that Lego came up in their conversation.)

Evan lived across the street from the park, so was soon back with a pretty cool Knight - even though it was a fairly warm morning. (Wow, 3rd entry and I'm back to the puns. Honestly, I'm just as surprised as you are that I lasted this long, too)

We soon said goodbye to Evan and walked back to Aunt Jo's house where we all freshened up a bit then started the drive to Downtown Houston.

Along the way, we passed a steel yard that had done....interesting...things with their scrap.

The last time we were in Houston (1994ish) we went to the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. At the time, it was held in the Astrodome and I remember being in awe of just how massive that building was. So it was even more of a shock to see the new(ish) Reliant Stadium right next to it - and dwarfing it! The sight is even more dramatic as you get closer and around that side of town, but we didn't have the camera out then.

Now, I don't have that much of a sample base to pull from (basically Milwaukee and Chicago), but Houston's buildings have some of the funkiest architecture. Many - like the one below - with random holes right in the middle of the building.

(That really, really large, windowless building on the right? Yeah, that's a light pole)

And I can't even describe what's going on with the building on the right here. But looks neat.

Our first destination was Discovery Green. From the reading we had done before we left home, it was sort of an artist's park right in the middle of downtown Houston. What we didn't know was that an Earth Day festival/event was going on. There was a band playing, dozens of booths set up selling everything from vegan organic baked goods to organic soap to Chevrolet Volt electric cars.

The little sailboats you see are remote controlled and you can rent them - similar to the boats near the Jungle Cruise in WDW. Unfortunately, due to all the people down there, the lines were just too long.

In the background of the photo is Houston's Convention Center, which Bambi pointed out looked exactly like a cruise ship with the big vents on top, the round "port hole" windows, and the defined decks. She pointed that out to my Aunt Jo (who plans conventions for a living) who stopped in her tracks, looked at it, and said "I must have been here a thousand times and never noticed that!"

We had lunch at their Lakehouse cafe. I had a Texas BBQ burger. Mmmm....

Discovery Green also has a pretty large fountain/splash pad that was quite popular on a hot Texas day. (The water, however, smelled a bit...ripe.)

After letting the kids cool off a bit, we went around to their playground. Evan was just a bit short to reach the zip line slider, but big sister was more than willing to lend a hand.

Like I said, Discovery Green has several artistic elements. And this basketball hoop.

It also has what appears to be the world's largest game of Tetris

Discovery Green was really cool, but it was also pretty packed with the Earth Day events that were going on. So we decided to head to park #3 for the day - Hermann park. Uncle Jack's knees were starting to bother him (which, during our 5 day visit, Aunt Jo mentioned that he refuses to get fixed at least 27 times) so he left Jo with us and headed home.

For those non-Houstonians, Hermann park reminds me a lot of New York's Central Park. And by "reminds" me, I mean "I've never been to New York, but I've seen it a lot on TV and in Movies." Hermann park is 445 acres, and is home to the Houston Zoo, the 18 hole Hermann park golf course, a very large outdoor theater, the Houston Museum of Natural Science and lots of other really neat park stuff.

In our research, we found the had a mini train ride around the park, so the kids were very excited to do it. The line to buy tickets was huge, but the kids wanted to ride, so I jumped in at the back. After about 5 minutes (and taking exactly 2 steps forward) Bambi walked out of the gift shop and said that you can buy tickets in there as well - and it's air conditioned and has no line. It didn't take much to convince me. I came out about 4 minutes later with train tickets, boat tickets for later, a Diet Coke and some Powerades for the kids. The family I was behind in line hadn't moved.

I paid it forward though. The man at the end of the line was looking really beat and his kids were getting antsy to ride. I quietly told him about buying tickets inside.

As long as the ticket line was - the actual line for the train was almost nonexistent. We waited for the train to come back from it's run, and we jumped right on.

And who do we see jump on the train just before it pulled out? The guy from the end of the line.

The ride was pretty long - probably 15 or 20 minutes around a good chunk of the park. When the ride was done, we made our way over to the lake to use the paddle boat rental tickets I bought with the train tickets.

Another funky Houston building:

The lake area for the pedal boats is pretty big, with a large fountain in the middle. Evan insisted on sitting up front with me. This is nice in a "hanging out with my little guy" type of way, but kind of unfortunate in the "his legs are too short to reach the pedals so dad will have to do all of the work" sort of way.

We were pedaling along, coming up behind and around the big fountain and everything was going fine. Until the wind shifted. And those pedal boats don't exactly turn or accelerate in any type of record setting fashion. Bambi and Madison, sitting in back, got ... well, drenched. Madison was pretty upset. She must have thought I did it on purpose. I can assure you, I did not shift the wind direction on purpose.

After a little more pedaling, I got to relax a bit.

Why? Because Evan insisted on pedaling.

We brought the boat back in and Madison was still a bit upset. And how do you calm down an upset child? Sit them down and have them talk to you in a calm and quiet manor, discussing their feelings about why they are upset and what we can do in the future to avoid getting upset? NO! You buy them Ice Cream!

We were hoping for a nice little ice cream parlor or something, but my aunt couldn't think of any nearby. We settled for the freezer in the gift shop with standard frozen confections - but on a hot day, they sure did hit the spot.

It was only mid-afternoon, but it was getting pretty warm, so we headed back to Aunt Jo's house. Not long after, my cousin and her husband made it down from Austin. We all went out to eat at Mimi's Cafe (evidently a chain, but this was the first time I'd heard of them.) The food was good.

We then headed back and had a relaxed evening at my Aunt's house catching up with family.

Up Next: Easter in Houston - Fishies, Bunnies and Horsies!

 

[dvczerfs]

there goes the furnature, im in!!!!! ive not been keeping up and getting behind. great tr and pics as always barry! (you can tell me, do you get peed on, on this trip?)

 

[chloe770]

Houston Day 2: Friday, April 22

The day started like many others days. With Evan, inches from my peacefully sleeping face. "Daddy, I want some breakfast."

I will rejoice the day he is old enough to pour his own cereal. But even if today was that day, we were in a strange house. And by "strange", I mean he didn't know where the cereal or bowls were.
Good luck with that. My son's going to be 8 and still won't get his own breakfast.


Evan lived across the street from the park, so was soon back with a pretty cool Knight - even though it was a fairly warm morning. (Wow, 3rd entry and I'm back to the puns. Honestly, I'm just as surprised as you are that I lasted this long, too)




Along the way, we passed a steel yard that had done....interesting...things with their scrap.

I remember those cows. Don't they have them everywhere in Texas?


We brought the boat back in and Madison was still a bit upset. And how do you calm down an upset child? Sit them down and have them talk to you in a calm and quiet manor, discussing their feelings about why they are upset and what we can do in the future to avoid getting upset? NO! You buy them Ice Cream!
When your on vacation, ice cream is always a good solultion.

responses in purple
Looking forward to hearing more.

 

[KatMark]

Houston Day 2: Friday, April 22

The day started like many others days. With Evan, inches from my peacefully sleeping face. "Daddy, I want some breakfast."

I remember those days.


The little kids played on the swings...

...OK, all of the kids played on the swings.

How did I know you'd be on the swing.




Now, I don't have that much of a sample base to pull from (basically Milwaukee and Chicago), but Houston's buildings have some of the funkiest architecture. Many - like the one below - with random holes right in the middle of the building.

(That really, really large, windowless building on the right? Yeah, that's a light pole)

And I can't even describe what's going on with the building on the right here. But looks neat.

I remember from our brief two night, one day stay in Houston many years ago that the architecture was quite interesting and different.

Our first destination was Discovery Green. From the reading we had done before we left home, it was sort of an artist's park right in the middle of downtown Houston. What we didn't know was that an Earth Day festival/event was going on. There was a band playing, dozens of booths set up selling everything from vegan organic baked goods to organic soap to Chevrolet Volt electric cars.

It also has what appears to be the world's largest game of Tetris

COOL!


I paid it forward though. The man at the end of the line was looking really beat and his kids were getting antsy to ride. I quietly told him about buying tickets inside.

What a nice guy you are.

The lake area for the pedal boats is pretty big, with a large fountain in the middle. Evan insisted on sitting up front with me. This is nice in a "hanging out with my little guy" type of way, but kind of unfortunate in the "his legs are too short to reach the pedals so dad will have to do all of the work" sort of way.

Poor Dad.

We were pedaling along, coming up behind and around the big fountain and everything was going fine. Until the wind shifted. And those pedal boats don't exactly turn or accelerate in any type of record setting fashion. Bambi and Madison, sitting in back, got ... well, drenched. Madison was pretty upset. She must have thought I did it on purpose. I can assure you, I did not shift the wind direction on purpose.

You big meanie...picking on Madison like that.

We brought the boat back in and Madison was still a bit upset. And how do you calm down an upset child? Sit them down and have them talk to you in a calm and quiet manor, discussing their feelings about why they are upset and what we can do in the future to avoid getting upset? NO! You buy them Ice Cream!

Way to go dad!!!!

.

Comments in red abovve. Nice update, Barry. Sounds like a fun-filled day.

 

[All7OfUs]

The day started like many others days. With Evan, inches from my peacefully sleeping face. "Daddy, I want some breakfast."

It's not their sweet little faces that wake me up, but their reeking morning breath.

...OK, all of the kids played on the swings.

Priceless!

Along the way, we passed a steel yard that had done....interesting...things with their scrap.

The first time I read that, I thought it said crap.

yeah, I thought you put the "S" on there accidentally. I was right.

Now, I don't have that much of a sample base to pull from (basically Milwaukee and Chicago), but Houston's buildings have some of the funkiest architecture. Many - like the one below - with random holes right in the middle of the building.

cool dat.

(That really, really large, windowless building on the right? Yeah, that's a light pole)

But a really unique one.

vegan organic baked goods

Oooh, I'll bet the line for these were REALLY long...

The little sailboats you see are remote controlled and you can rent them - similar to the boats near the Jungle Cruise in WDW. Unfortunately, due to all the people down there, the lines were just too long.

Funny. They're never very long at WDW.

(The water, however, smelled a bit...ripe.)

How do you think they piped it all the way from the POP??

It also has what appears to be the world's largest game of Tetris

Aunt Jo mentioned that he refuses to get fixed at least 27 times)

You don't think she wants him to get it fixed, do you?

Bambi walked out of the gift shop and said that you can buy tickets in there as well - and it's air conditioned and has no line. It didn't take much to convince me.

Pushover.

I paid it forward though. The man at the end of the line was looking really beat and his kids were getting antsy to ride. I quietly told him about buying tickets inside.

Good man!

And who do we see jump on the train....

Did he slip you 5 bones as he boarded?

We were pedaling along, coming up behind and around the big fountain and everything was going fine. Until the wind shifted. And those pedal boats don't exactly turn or accelerate in any type of record setting fashion. Bambi and Madison, sitting in back, got ... well, drenched. Madison was pretty upset. She must have thought I did it on purpose. I can assure you, I did not shift the wind direction on purpose.

Sure ya didn't. (I would have.)

NO! You buy them Ice Cream!

I'll bet it was REALLY hard to not let the secret slip right about here.

 

[Turkey Lurkey]

[
Evan lived across the street from the park, so was soon back with a pretty cool Knight - even though it was a fairly warm morning. (Wow, 3rd entry and I'm back to the puns. Honestly, I'm just as surprised as you are that I lasted this long, too)

You know, I have been known to appreciate a fine Pun (and even a not so fine pun) now and again, I was, after all, the go to guy for puns in my old improv group (a PUNch hitter, if you will). But that? That was just plain awful.


TL