Travel + Stay
GENERAL GUIDANCE FOR VISITORS
Houston is a wonderful, highly nuanced city with a lot to offer. That being said, it is a car-forward city. We highly recommend renting a car for the duration of your stay so that you can explore the many distinct neighborhoods, visit top attractions, go everywhere, and eat everything.
A word of caution: Houstonians are known for driving fast, so stay alert on the roads. And please, don’t drink and drive—rideshare services are widely available and a great option for getting around safely.
DOWNTOWN (walking distance)
Should you want to stay downtown near our wedding festivities by the courthouse (2 min drive / 11 min walk) and ballpark (4 min drive / 16 min walk), we recommend staying at the historic Lancaster Hotel, Houston’s oldest boutique hotel, located in the Theater District downtown. (we recommend Booking your room far in advance since we regrettably cannot provide a room block.)
The Lancaster Hotel
701 Texas Avenue
Houston, Texas 77002
Both the ceremony and reception will be held downtown, so we recommend staying nearby or inside the 610 Loop for convenience. That said, we support responsible tourism and recommend that you patronize local businesses. We have included a list of locally-owned hotels both inside and outside the loop below.
THE HEIGHTS
(~9 min drive)
The Heights is known for its quaint bungalow-style houses, historic architecture, tree-lined streets, and a vibrant blend of eclectic shops, farm-to-table restaurants and lively bars that showcase the neighborhood's charm.
Sara's Inn
941 Heights Boulevard Houston, TX 77008
MONTROSE
(~10 min drive)
Montrose is one of the best areas to stay in, as it’s close to many attractions, including the Museum District, Hermann Park, the Houston Zoo, and a variety of unique restaurants, art galleries, and boutiques.
La Colombe d'Or
3410 Montrose Boulevard
Houston, TX 77006
POST OAK
(~13 min drive)
If you enjoy shopping, the Uptown area of Houston is home to the Galleria and is minutes away from the River Oaks District, an open-air shopping center with designer boutiques and high-end restaurants.
The Post Oak Hotel
1600 West Loop South
Houston, TX 77027
MEMORIAL
(~14 min drive)
the Memorial area offers convenient access to Memorial Park, featuring a golf course, running trails, and an arboretum, along with upscale shopping, dining, and entertainment at nearby CityCentre.
The Houstonian
111 North Post Oak Lane Houston, TX 77024
Airports
HOU
William P. Hobby Airport
smoother travel experience. Keep in mind: Southwest Airlines is the primary carrier here and they exclusively only fly into this airport.
That being said, Hobby does not offer traditional lounges (although there is a gameway for Priority pass members near Gate 1.)
Safe travels!
7800 Airport Blvd
Houston, TX 77061
IAH
George Bush Intercontinental Airport
IAH is a major United Airlines Hub. If you're flying out of Bush, be sure to allow yourself plenty of time, especially if you're not familiar with the layout. This airport is large with multiple terminals connected by trams, making navigation challenging and confusing for first-timers. Plan accordingly to avoid unnecessary stress.
Good Luck!
2800 N Terminal Rd,
Houston, TX 77032
H-Town
Things To Do
PARKS & Outdoors
Houston has over 52,000 acres of parkland, making it one of the most park-rich cities in the U.S. in terms of total acreage. Houston also has a world-class zoo, one of the most visited zoos in the U.S. It supports over 40 wildlife conservation projects in 27 countries worldwide.
Fun Fact: At 1,500 acres, Memorial Park is nearly twice the size of New York’s Central Park, making it one of the largest urban parks in the nation.
Hermann Park
Houston Zoo*
Japanese Garden
McGovern Centennial Gardens
Memorial PARK*
DISCOVERY GREEN
Buffalo Bayou Park*
Houston Arboretum
Terry Hershey Park
*Our top Recommendations
Museums
Houston is a widely respected art city with much to offer visitors and locals alike. Check out the 19 museums within the Museum District that are all located within a 1.5 mile radius. Our favorite, however, is the Menil Collection. This museum is home to one of the most significant private art collections in the world, including works from artists like Henri Matisse, René Magritte, Max Ernest and Marcel Duchamp. Entry is always free, and the building itself is a masterpiece of modern architecture
Fun Fact: the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston is one of the largest art museums in the U.S.
Museum of Fine Arts, Houston*
Menil Collection*
Buffalo Bayou Park Cistern*
Contemporary Arts Museum
Silver Street STUDIOS
Asia Society Texas Center
Museum of Natural Science
Holocaust Museum Houston*
Rothko Chapel***
Johnson Space Center (NASA)
Meow wolf Houston
*Our top Recommendations
**We Were Engaged at the Rothko Chapel. It’s truly a special place to us and we are saddened to hear about its temporary closure due to Damage from Hurricane Beryl. If you are able to, Please donate to the Restoration Fund Here.
Music, Sports, Theater & Entertainment
Houston’s Theater District is the second largest in the U.S., behind only New York City. It spans 17 blocks and contains nine major performing arts venues, offering year-round performances. Of all of the venues on this list, our favorite is Miller Outdoor Theatre. It’s one of the few theaters in the U.S. that offers free admission to all its performances.
We have also included several music venues on this list, from casual and divey spots like Avant Garden and Big Top Lounge to larger concert halls like 713 Music Hall.
Fun Fact: Founded in 1947, the Alley Theatre is one of the country’s oldest resident theaters.
Alley Theater*
Houston Symphony - Jones Hall*
Hobby Center
Houston Grand Opera
Miller Outdoor Theatre*
White Oak Music HALL
713 Music Hall*
Bayou Music Center
Heights Theater
Dan Electro’s*
Warehouse Live
Continental Club (Houston)
Shoeshine Charley's Big Top Lounge*
Last Concert Cafe*
Avant Garden
Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion*
McGonigel’s Mucky Duck
Toyota Center (Rockets)
Minute Maid Park (Astros)*
Shell Energy Stadium (Dynamo & Dash)
NRG Stadium (Texans)
*Our top Recommendations
Shopping
Whether you like to shop at big department stores or small vintage shops, Houston’s got a lot to offer. The River Oaks District is the “Rodeo Drive of Houston” and features high-end brands like Cartier, Dior, and Hermès, along with fine dining and entertainment. For a more casual experience, consider visiting the vintage stores in the Montrose area such as Leopard Lounge and Pavement.
Fun Fact: Houston’s Galleria is the largest shopping mall in Texas and the 7th largest in the U.S., covering 2.4 million square feet.
Rice Village*
The Galleria
Uptown Park
River Oaks District*
Highland Village
Montrose Vintage Shops
CityCentre*
Autry Park*
M-K-T Heights
*Our top Recommendations
Breweries, Bars & Cocktail Lounges
Fun Fact: Established in 1994, Saint Arnold Brewing Co. is not only Houston’s first craft brewery but also the oldest craft brewery in the state of Texas. They’re known for their art-car IPA and for hosting large beer-centric events. It’s named after St. Arnold of Metz, the patron saint of brewers, who reportedly believed that drinking beer was healthier than water, which was often contaminated at the time.
Saint Arnold Brewing
8th Wonder*
Karbach Brewing
Johnny’s Gold Brick*
Axelrad Beer Garden*
Captain Foxheart's Bad News Bar
Bald Kitty*
Kirby Ice House
Heights Bier Garten
Cottonwood
EZ’s Liquor Lounge*
Padre’s Wine Shop + Bar*
Light Years Natural Wine Shop + Bar*
Julep
Sunday Social
Poison Girl*
Jethro’s*
The Ready Room*
*Our top Recommendations
Beyond City Limits
Fun Fact: Honestly, the only “fun” fact we could find about Galveston was that it is the site of the deadliest natural disaster in U.S. history, the 1900 hurricane, which killed an estimated 6,000-8,000 people. Not so fun.
Moody Gardens*
Kemah Boardwalk
Galveston Beach
*Our top Recommendation
Restaurant
Recommendations
Houston’s food scene is vibrant and diverse. It’s one of the top food cities in America, if not the very best. This list is in no way comprehensive. We still have a lot of ground to cover. We recommend exploring these places and others for yourself. Again, we highly recommend shopping and eating local while you are here.
Please patronize local and small businesses in Houston.
And remember: Eat everything.
Our Favorite Places:
Aiko — Sushi — Try the $45 Lunch Omakase and sit with Jesús at the Sushi Bar — $$
Suya Hut — Nigerian Street food — Nat’s Childhood favorite — $
Don Cafe — Banh Mi — Another childhood favorite / Cash Only! — $
Squable — Euro-American — simple dishes done well — $$$
Nancy’s Hustle — vibey New American — $$$
Gatlin’s Fins & Feathers — Soul Food — New York Times acclaimed neighborhood spot — $$
The Original Ninfa’s on Navigation — they claim to have invented the Fajita (And we believe them) — $$
Les Ba’get — Vietnamese — Nat’s Mom loves this spot so you know it’s good — $$
Crown Seafood — Dim Sum — A favorite of Chris Shepherd’s — $
Pho Dien — Vietnamese — Best Pho on Bellaire — $
La Lucha — Upscale Southern Food — Best Chicken & Waffles I’ve ever had (but they have so much more!) — $$$
Flying Saucer Pie Co. — Historic Pie Shop — There’s always a line out the door around Thanksgiving! — $$
The Original Shipley’s Donuts on Ella Blvd — the FIRST location (and the best) — $
Tenfold Coffee — Our favorite local Coffee Shop — $
Caracol — Upscale seafood — by James Beard winner Hugo Ortega — $$$
Trill Burgers — Smash Burgers — Owned by Houston Legendary rapper Bun B of UGK — $
Vinoteca Poscol — best Italian in Houston and it’s not even close — $$
Montrose Cheese & Wine — modern cheese & wine shop with curated selections $$
Padre’s Wine Bar + Shop — Chill wine bar with light bites & a nice patio $$
Hughie’s — Vietnamese — reliably excellent — $$
Magnol — Organic French Bakery — Get there early to get the bread — $
Loro — Asian Fusion Smokehouse & Bar — better than the original in Austin — $$
Coastline Artisan Pizzeria — Great Pizza & sandwiches — $$
The Gypsy Poet — Musician-run pizza shop with live music some nights — $$
Other Spots we recommend:
Bar-B-Que Inn — Historic Southern Food — Next to our house, great fried chicken — $
Post Houston — Food Court — great for tourists — Varies in $
El Tiempo — Tex Mex — the fajitas are better than at Ninfa’s, but no shuttle to the astros games
Breakfast Klub — iconic Fried Chicken — Prepare for a wait — $
Boil House — Crawfish — seasonal — $$
Common Bond — Pastries — Local and way better than Starbucks — $
Luce Coffee Roasters — coffee shop — $
Norigami — Sushi — $$$
Xochi — Upscale Oaxacan Cuisine — a Hugo Ortega Restaurant — $$
El Bolillo — Historic Mexican Bakery — $
Theodore Rex — Relaxed Fine Dining — $$$