We jumped off the highway and drove past the Johnson Space Center. We decided not to do a tour, but it was interesting to see "Houston" (as in, "we have a problem") facilities.
NASA T-38 chase planes
Howard Hughes is also buried in Houston, following his death aboard a private jet enroute from Mexico to Houston in 1976. We located the cemetery, however, it was closed and locked by the time we arrived. It is a very nondescript plot anyway, simply with his parents and aunt; file photo below showing it's simplicity:
The next day we visited the San Jacinto Monument and USS Texas along the Houston Ship Channel.
The not-so-well-known-outside-Texas San Jacinto Monument actually stands 12 feet taller than the Washington Monument, and is a tribute to the location and battle in which Texas won its independence from Mexico in 1836, a few weeks after "the Alamo." It is a very interesting engineering marvel and only in Texas would they have a memorial that outdoes the Washington Monument. It is topped with a 220-ton 3-D Texas star with has the appropriate 5 sides from any viewing angle.
NASA T-38 chase planes
Then we drove by George W. Bush's apartment from his Texas Air National Guard hell-raising days, c. 1972-3. Bush Jr. lived in a then-swanky apartment complex on the west side of town called Chateaux Dijon; below is one of the apartment buildings. Interestingly, Laura Welch lived there at the same time, but they never met until introduced by friends years later.
You know, this guy:
Next we drove by reclusive billionaire and aviator Howard Hughes' teenage home. His parents built this home in 1916 I believe, and he lived here with his parents until both had passed on by the mid 1920's and he was left with his initial +/-$900k fortune. The home is now part of the University of St. Thomas in Houston.
Both the Bush apartment and Hughes home won't be listed on places to see in Houston, you have to do a bit of research to find these interesting and off-the-beaten-path historical locations. The only clue that the home below may have any historical significance is that the college now calls the structure "Hughes House," appropriately enough.
Both the Bush apartment and Hughes home won't be listed on places to see in Houston, you have to do a bit of research to find these interesting and off-the-beaten-path historical locations. The only clue that the home below may have any historical significance is that the college now calls the structure "Hughes House," appropriately enough.
Howard Hughes is also buried in Houston, following his death aboard a private jet enroute from Mexico to Houston in 1976. We located the cemetery, however, it was closed and locked by the time we arrived. It is a very nondescript plot anyway, simply with his parents and aunt; file photo below showing it's simplicity:
The next day we visited the San Jacinto Monument and USS Texas along the Houston Ship Channel.
The not-so-well-known-outside-Texas San Jacinto Monument actually stands 12 feet taller than the Washington Monument, and is a tribute to the location and battle in which Texas won its independence from Mexico in 1836, a few weeks after "the Alamo." It is a very interesting engineering marvel and only in Texas would they have a memorial that outdoes the Washington Monument. It is topped with a 220-ton 3-D Texas star with has the appropriate 5 sides from any viewing angle.
We went up the elevator to the Observation Floor, and from there the views of the Houston metro area and ship channel were great.
The USS Texas is a dreadnought battleship, similar to USS Arizona laying at the bottom of Pearl Harbor, and served in the US Navy from 1914 until 1948.
From there we headed to the National Museum of Funeral History, located in Houston. While this visit may seem strange or macabre, it is generally agreed that if you are visiting Houston, you should not miss this exhibit. It really is very interesting, and they have some amazing and priceless historical artifacts that you wonder how they ever came to obtain.
Presidential hearse for both Reagan and Ford.
Exact replica of Lincoln in his Casket, along with strands of his hair and other interesting Lincoln artifacts.
Hand carved Buick hearse
The Money Casket
A glass casket
"Where we're going, we don't need roads."
1982 Range Rover Popemobile - how often does one get to see a real live Popemobile? The museum had a separate section devoted solely to the Pope and his traditions, again displaying all sorts of interesting artifacts that one wonders how this little museum in Houston, TX came to possess.
A Japanese Hearse built on a 1972 Toyota Station Wagon Chassis.
Mercedes Benz hearse that transported Princess Grace of Monaco following her death in a car accident in 1982.
On our departure from Houston towards the San Antonio area, we decided to use back roads and "US Routes" instead of the Interstate for most of the trip. Along the way, we saw this interesting wrecked airplane display half-buried into the side of a hill. For those aviation enthusiasts, it's either a Beech Skipper or a Piper Tomahawk, but I couldn't tell exactly without a closer look.
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