Get ready to blast off as we take our 2008 Allegra Network Convention to the streets of Houston, Texas. For those of you coming in before convention begins or plan on staying for a couple days after the event is over, Houston has something to suit everyone’s traveling needs. Worried about not being able to see everything you want to? Don’t be! METRORail offers convenient, accessible service within the heart of the city between downtown Houston and Reliant Park, including the Museum District and Texas Medical Center. In addition, the city of Houston has more than 2,200 taxis in its fleet and has authorized a flat taxi fare of $6 for all trips in the downtown area. This $6 fare will apply anywhere within the Central Business District, bounded by Interstate 45, Interstate 10 and U.S. 59. The fare, in addition to increased downtown taxi stands, provides an easy alternative to driving to lunch, business meetings and activities throughout the downtown area.
 

DOWNTOWN AQUARIUM
Calling all under-the-sea creature lovers! You’ve never quite seen an aquarium like this. Houston's first public aquarium, the Downtown Aquarium was designed to entertain the masses. The world-class complex, perched on the redeveloped 400 block of Bagby, boasts 500,000 gallons of visible underwater tanks with more than 200 species of marine life and that's just skimming the surface. This complex also includes a Ferris wheel, an aquatic carousel, Shark Voyage, a white tiger exhibit and a restaurant.

For more information, visit http://www.downtownaquarium.com.
 

KEMAH BOARDWALK
Overlooking the Galveston Bay and located just 20 miles from downtown Houston, the Kemah Boardwalk features themed restaurants, retail shops and amusements for the whole family to enjoy. You can dine at some of the most recognized names in the restaurant industry such as Joe’s Crab Shack and Landry’s Seafood House; enjoy shopping at one of the specialty shops such as Christmas at Kemah, which offers year-round Christmas décor; or you can cruise around this 35-acre carnival atmosphere and ride the 36-foot carousel, 65-foot Ferris wheel, the Aviator, the Inverter and the Boardwalk Tower. And don’t forget about the arcade and Midway games too! With all of that being said, the Kemah Boardwalk is the perfect coastal getaway.

For more information, visit http://www.kemahboardwalk.com.
 

HOUSTON ZOO
Lions, tigers and bears…oh my! With well over 4,500 exotic animals representing more than 800 species, you’ll be seeing a lot more than that. Founded in 1922, the Houston Zoo is one of the top 10 zoos in the county based on visits. It is widely respected for its conservation and educational programs and is an exciting live adventure that provides visitors with a unique experience. Houston Zoo habitats include Natural Encounters, the Tropical Bird House, the John P. McGovern’s Children’s Zoo, Kipp Aquarium, Retile House and many more! And don’t forget to check out what kind of special events the zoo has in store during convention time!

For more information, visit http://www.houstonzoo.org.
 

SPACE CENTER HOUSTON
Shoot for the moon and reach for the stars when you visit the Space Center Houston, the only place on earth where guests can embark on an out-of-this world journey through human adventures in space. Space Center Houston features a multitude of permanent exhibits, attractions and theatres. It’s the only place in the world where visitors can see astronauts train for missions, touch a real moon rock, land a shuttle and take a behind-the-scenes tour of NASA. In addition, the venue presents an array of traveling exhibits and events created exclusively for Space Center Houston’s creative exhibit team.

Get ready to understand the past, experience the present and be a part of the future of the space program.

For more information, visit http://www.spacecenter.org.
 

SOAK UP THE SUN!
Are you in the mood to go for a swim, maybe do some hiking or just admire the outdoor scenery? If you don’t feel like spending the day out on the town, you can always kick back and relax within the beautiful state parks of Houston.

Lake Livingston State Park contains 635.5 acres along Lake Livingston, an 84,800-acre reservoir. It's located near the ghost town of Swartwout, a steamboat landing on the Trinity River in the 1830s and 1850s, and the meeting place of Polk County's first commissioner’s court before voters selected Livingston as county seat. Here, you can take your pick from mountain biking, hiking and fishing to boating or picnicking.

Galveston Island State Park features 2,000 acres of surf, beach, dunes, coastal prairie, fresh-water ponds, wetlands and bay shoreline just down Galveston Island from the city of Galveston, inviting quiet contemplation and recreation. If you want to take it easy by just laying out on the beach or prefer to do something a littler more physical such as canoeing or kayaking, there’s something fun that the whole family can enjoy.
 

SHOP TIL YOU DROP!
With so many choices, the hardest part is deciding which shops to save for another day. Houston is a shopper’s paradise. Just three blocks from the convention center are the shops of Houston, offering more than 70 clothing, gift and specialty shops. Looking for more? You can’t go wrong with the Galleria Mall, an international shopping center that hosts over 24 million visitors annually and offers world-class shopping with over 375 retailers. The Galleria is home to some of the best-known designers in the world such as Louis Vuitton, Cartier, Ralph Lauren and many more. Besides the plethora of stores, you’ll also find over 30 restaurants, two hotels and an ice rink, which was made famous by Olympic figure skater, Tara Lipinski. No matter what’s on the list, you are sure to find it at the perfect shopping destination. Still can’t control the shopaholic inside of you? You can also hit Highland Village and Uptown Park, both minutes away from the Galleria, with even more great shops to stroll. Whether you’re seeking charming specialty shops or wonderfully large malls, there are opportunities galore for collecting all sorts of treasures.

For more information on the Galleria Mall, visit http://www.simon.com.

BRING OUT YOUR “A” GAME
For all of you golf enthusiasts out there, kick off your convention experience by participating in the annual pre-convention golf outing at the Wildcat Golf Club, just ten minutes from downtown Houston. Wildcat Golf Club rises from the flat Texas terrain to create a golf experience like no other in the area. Here, you’ll find over 500 acres of dramatic elevation changes, rising as high as 100 feet, tumbling fairways amidst wetlands and natural grass fields, acres of breathtaking lakes and wonderful images of the Houston skyline. Wildcat Golf Club does boast two world-class golf courses: Highland Course, which contains a touch of Scottish flair and the more traditional, Lakes Course. Whichever course you decide to play, you’ll find it to be an exciting and challenging experience, regardless of your skill level

For more information on Wildcat Golf Club, visit http://www.wildcatgolfclub.com.

THE ARTS OF HOUSTON
Calling all lovers of the arts! Houston has what you’re looking for. With nearly 21,000 concerts, plays, exhibitions and other arts programs presented in Houston annually, residents and visitors have access to a wide variety of cultural programs. Within the past 18 years, Houston has added or expanded on 10 art museums, four major theaters and 15 science and history museums. In fact, the Houston Museum District is one of the largest in the country, containing 18 world-class institutions within walking distance of one another.

Houston is one of the few cities that offers world-class, year-round resident companies in all major performing arts such as symphony, opera, drama and ballet. In fact, the 14-block district features more theater seats anywhere outside Broadway! Prime venues include Hobby Center for the Performing Arts, Wortham Center, Alley Theatre and Jones Hall.

For more information on Houston’s theater district, visit http://www.houstontheaterdistrict.org.

The San Jacinto Battlegrounds Museum and Park is where Sam Houston defeated Santa Anna’s army, thereby seizing independence for the Republic of Texas and ultimately gaining TX, OK, KS, CO, WY, AZ, NV, CA, OR  and WA.  It was a tremendous victory that stopped the fledgling Mexican government from gaining control over the rebellious Texicans, after the French lost control during the Mexican Revolution.  The Mexican government never recovered sufficiently from this.

Close by this monument and museum, is the Battleship Texas.  You can go onboard the ship as well.  It is one of the Pearl Harbor survivors.

Also, Galveston Island, itself, is a huge dining and historical place to visit.  You can see the Grand Theater House, built in 1894, which survived the Great Hurricane of 1900 and 1915.  My Great-Grandmother and told me of a visit to Galveston shortly after the second storm.  She described her first-hand recollections of the destruction.  During the first storm, more than 6000 were killed.  The entire city (only 3-4’ above sea level) was destroyed, save for a handful of buildings, the Grand Theater being one.

They started building the sea wall (17’ high) in 1902 and dredged harbor sand was brought in to raise the island to 17’ above sea level.  Rebuilt, she faced another similar storm in 1915 which she survived with relatively few casualties and property losses.  In 1900 there were so many dead, they didn’t have enough people to bury them, (no bridges, ferries to bring heavy equipment, etc.) so they put them on barges and took them far out into the Gulf and dropped them.  Much to the horror of the residents left on GI, their friends and loved ones who had died, decided to return.  And they did en masse.  For the next several months they were washing up all along Galveston and other nearby beaches.  Where, they had to build funeral pyres and burn the bodies to prevent the spread of disease and bury the remains in mass graves.  The fires burned nonstop for 6-8 months.  It was such grim work that the men were given rations of free whiskey throughout the day to keep them working.

Galveston recovered and is one of the most beautiful resort towns in the US.  In my opinion only rivaled by Catalina Island, off of California’s coast, due to its isolation and difficult access from the mainland.

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