Wanderlust UK – September 2019

MissionControlRoom,the

headquartersfortheiconicJuly

1969 Apollo 11 moonlanding.Its

recentrestoration–including

perioddetailslikeaquamarine-

colouredinstrumentpanels

andtexturedwallpaper–oers

alookattheroomwherethe

words‘That’sonesmallstep

forman...’were‚irstheard.

SpaceCenterHouston

alsoprovidestramtoursof

otherhistoricbuildingsandan

out-of-this-worldmuseumthat

showcasesthespaceprogram’s

manymissionsandallthe

celestialstoriesithasseen.

Acrosstown,theMuseum

Districtfeatures 19 dierent

aspectsofHouston’scultural

legacy.Spanningseveral

kilometres,andwithlush

tree-linedcanopies,thedistrict

coversthespectrumfromthe dinosaursofthemassive

MuseumofNaturalScience

totheunassumingBualo

SoldiersMuseum,dedicatedto

African-Americanhistory.

ThenearbyMuseumofFine

ArtsHoustoncontainsartwork

fromallmajorcontinents,

representingerasfrom

antiquitytothepostmodern.

Meanwhile,thestainless-steel-

encasedContemporary

ArtsMuseumofHouston

containsprovocativeartwith

anavant-gardevibe.

TEXAS

wanderlust.co.uk September 2019 121

Digital-Mapping.co.uk; Four Corners; Alamy

DURATION: 3“5 days

ROUTE: Houston

WHY GO? To experience

Texas’ largest city, the history

of the moon landings and a

wealth of natural history and art.

TRAVEL CONSIDERATIONS:

Houston has two airports, but

George Bush Intercontinental

oers the best ‚light options and

trusty public transportation.

Be‚itting Texas’ largest city

(6 million people and growing),

Houston is known for its huge

skyscrapers, humidity, oil money

and, more importantly, its

culinary scene. Its also has world-

class travel attractions, and its

immense international populace

carries a cosmopolitan swagger

re‚lecting its status as the new

capital of ‘Southern cool’.

Houston’s museums set it

apart from other US cities, so

be sure to experience NASA’s

Houston’s unique museums

Best for: Texas culture, art museums & cosmopolitan cool

DID YOU KNOW?

2019 sees the 50th

anniversary of the historic

Apollo 11 moon landing

mission. It was orchestrated

from the NASA Mission

Control Room in Houston,

which has been restored to

its 1969 condition this year.

Out of this world

Houston’s downtown

skyline, as seen from

the strollable Eleanor

Tinsley Park;

(bottom) cosmic

sights at Houston’s

Space Center

AR

LA

OK

NM

TEXAS

MEXICO

KS