Image provided by: Texas A&M University
About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (March 11, 1983)
5 At Ease, The Battalion Friday, March 11, 1983 Houston The nightlife of the big city is just 2 hours away I I I I I I I I I by Carol Smith Battalion Staff If you're tired of life in the little city, why don't you go where the action is for spring break. Only two short hours away from College Station you can visit that metropolis of excitement, heartbreak and cheap thrills — Hous ton. Why, you could spend your whole week there and not even see every play, go to every basketball game, visit every museum or drink at every club. To start, you'd have to find a place to stay. As one of the fastest growing cities in the nation, Houston has more than it's share of hotels and motels ranging in price for a single room from $22 at the Alamo Plaza Motel to $180 at the Remington of Post Oak Park. Take your pick. If you want to get the big stuff out of the way first, you can head to Astroworld, a huge entertainment center that covers more than 60 acres. One price buys admis sion to more than 100 rides and other attractions, includ ing the Texas Cyclone, one of the nation's most exciting roller coasters. Spend the day riding the rides, eating the cotton candy, and drink ing lots of lemonade You can head further south and visit the Johnson Space Center. The history of America's space exploration is depicted in the collection of spacecraft and flight items displayed at the center, lo cated on N.A.S.A. Rd. 1 off 1-45 South. You can take a self-guided tour which in cludes the Mission Simula tion and Training Facility and the Space Shuttle Orbi- tor Mockup and Integration Laboratory. For a guided tour of Mission Control, call ahead. The Houston Symphony will perform on March 11, 12,19 and 20 at Rice Univer sity's Hamman Hall. If you like country and western, Gilley's Club features two shows a night by John Con- lee on March 12 and Hoyt Axton on March 18. If you haven't gotten enough culture, the Houston Grand Opera will present ''The Merry Widow" on March 17 and March 21. The operetta is sung in English and set in turn-of-the- century Paris. Showtime is 8 p.m. The Museum of Fine Arts has four free exhibits during the month of March. The museum is open from Tues day to Sunday and is located at 1001 Bissonet. One of the main attrac tions in Houston during March is the Houston Festiv al. The festival focuses on the arts community with indoor and outdoor events in music, art, theatre, dance, crafts and ethnic foods. Over 3,000 artists, dancers, singers and musicians perform outdoors in eight different stages situ ated in downtown parks and plazas. Treat yourself to the festival's Annual Juried Crafts and Arts Exhibition, which features the work of artists and crafts people from throughout the United States. All outdoor events held in the downtown Hous ton area are free and open to the public. If you're a sports buff, the Houston Rockets are playing at the Summit on March 12 and March 15 at 7:30. Or, the NCAA Midwest Basketball Regional playoffs will be played at the Summit on March 17 and 19. For times and information, call 961- 9003. One of the largest of its kind in the country, the Museum of Natural Science offers numerous displays in cluding the Hall of Space Sci ence, the Hall of Petroleum Science and the dinosaur ex hibit. If you like history, the San Jacinto Battleground and the Battleship Texas is not too far. The San Jacinto Monu ment is the tallest masonry structure in the world. It overlooks the battleground where Sam Houston's army defeated Santa . Anna's troops to gain independence for Texas. Then climb aboard the battleship, veteran of two world wars and a monu ment in its own right. The Hermann Park Zoo offers 42 acres with thousands of animals in both natural outdoor settings and indoor cages, including a special 3-acre children's zoo. When you get hungry, Houston has many re staurants offering a variety of international cuisines. Be sides numerous steak and seafood restaurants you can find Chinese, Japanese, In dian, French, German, Au strian, Greek and Mexican food to suit your taste. A visit downtown is never a wasted trip. Houston of the 19th Century and the 21st Century stand side by side today. There are six major historical buildings in Sam Houston Park, skyscrapers that form a tribute to modern architecture and an under ground tunnel that's 3.1 miles of restaurants, florists, bookstores and other shops. If this isn't enough, the Greater Houston Conven tion and Visitors Council, lo cated at 3300 Main Street, Houston 77002, can provide you with maps and sche dules to help you along. The phone number is 1-800-231- 7799.