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Welcome to Houston, Texas, the second biggest state in the United States (only Alaska is bigger). Here the average temperature is 68, the average age is 31, and the state motto is, that's right, Friendship. To help you enjoy your stay here, we've provided some information on hotels, restaurants, entertainment, the arts, and shopping. We'll give you the local tour and help you decide where to take yourself, your client, or your family to dinner. Enjoy. Fun FactsThe lightning whelk is the official state shell of Texas
The King Ranch in Texas covers an area larger than the state of Rhode Island
Houston’s George R. Brown Convention Center offers more than a million square feet of rentable space. | Your Itinerary
If You Have Two Hours
The dog days of summer arrive a bit
early this year. From June 26-28, DockDogs
will be back in Houston. Last year's event attracted more than 140 canine competitors
in three events — extreme vertical, speed retrieve, and big air. Labradors
have excelled, but all breeds are welcome. The competition, which is free and
open to the public, takes place in the downtown area on Discovery Green, where
fearless fetchers will run from a 20-foot dock and leap into a 40-foot pool of
water. Some dogs last year jumped as far as 24 feet. discoverygreen.com
If You Have Two Days
More than 2,000 years ago, when
Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of China, was 13 years old, he commissioned the
construction of a terra cotta army to protect him in the afterlife. It's estimated
that more than 7,000 life-sized pieces were made, from charioteers with their
horses to generals and infantryman to servants and musicians. Each warrior weighs
between 300 to 400 pounds. Now, at the Houston Museum of Natural Science, the
largest collection of these figures to ever tour the United States is on display
through October 18. Terra Cotta Warriors: Guardians of
China's First Emperor displays more than 130 items from the emperor's
tomb, including 14 figures as well as artifacts like ceremonial jewelry. hmns.org
If You Have a Long Weekend
Those looking to sail through
the day would do well to check out Sail Galveston Bay
Charters. The company offers different packages on fully crewed, 45-foot
luxury yachts, including full moon cruises (there's a full moon on June 7), a
sunset voyage, and new overnight packages to Redfish Island, Double Bayou, Offats
Bayou, and Galveston Island. Prices start at $375 for two, and cruises can be
customized to include romantic dinners featuring entrées like sesame chicken,
shrimp scampi, and bacon-wrapped rib-eye steak. sailgalvestonbay.com
| Convention & Visitor's BureauGreater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau
901 Bagby, Suite 100
Houston, Texas 77002
800.4.HOUSTON
visithoustontexas.com |
Local Flavor
In addition to an eclectic selection of live music, Sambuca
also has a wide range of flavors for your palate. Try the deconstructed sushi
appetizer of seared tuna with Asian plum sauce. 909 Texas Ave., 713.224.5299,
sambucarestaurant.com After
spending some time at Au Petit Paris you might
be confused when you see a 10-gallon hat once you step back outside. The restaurant
charmingly recreates what it means to dine in Paris. Their cuisses de grenouilles
en persillade (zesty frog legs sautéed in persillade) will have you
croaking in delight. 2048 Colquitt St., 713.524.7070, aupetitparisrestaurant.com Located
in a renovated 1920s church, Mark's American Cuisine
is one of Houston's most romantic restaurants, and was rated the city's No. 1
restaurant by Zagat in 2009. The seafood dishes are stunning. 1658 Westheimer
Road, 713.523.3800, marks1658.com 
Photographs: Courtesy of HMNS
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