Houston, we have a (minor) problem

Oil? Cowboys? Religion? The associations with Texas are manifold, the perception of this southern US state in Europe is charged with tension and fluctuates between admiration, romanticization and political horror. Reason enough to form our own opinion. So let's head west.

Who actually came up with the idea of taking off at 7 a.m. on a Saturday morning? Not Swiss, at any rate. Because we are still on the ground in Zurich an hour after the scheduled take-off. This means we have to sprint across Frankfurt Airport. A successful sprint, by the way, because a large Lufthansa plane is actually waiting for us there, making its way to Texas quite quickly. On board: an almost exuberantly cheerful crew, at least by Lufthansa standards, who spend the next eleven hours with us. We almost don't recognize the major German airline because of the lack of problems, but then, having just landed in Houston, we receive a text message and an e-mail from Lufthansa: just because we have successfully sprinted through Frankfurt doesn't mean that our baggage has. Take a deep breath, patiently go through all the checks and get the rental car first.

Our first impression of Houston: it's sweltering on this November afternoon, the traffic is heavy and suddenly the silhouette of downtown appears very close to us, right next to the ten-lane highway. Yes, we made it to the USA, for sure. On our agenda: Check in at the hotel (a somewhat anonymous process), shop for emergency clothes and bathroom items, quick dinner, sleep.

 

And then things really start. At La vie en route, we are geeks and proud of it. Because we didn't just deal with the big questions when we visited Geneva - the universe also occupies us in Texas. Our first stop is therefore the legendary Houston Space Center, also known as "Houston" from the Apollo movie, where a problem is reported. With NASA on our minds, we forget about our own Houston Lufthansish problem for a few hours and immerse into the world of moon landings, space shuttles, space stations and astronauts. Our highlight: the control room (also known as "Houston") from which the first moon landing was controlled. It's only a short walk back to the parking lot, because the day at NASA flies by quickly.

The Eagle has landed - NASA's Historic Mission Control Center has been preserved as a museum.

 

Our jet lag is also kicking in, so a short break in the hotel turns into a long nap until Lufthansa sends us a series of loud messages. This time with good news: At 1 a.m., a courier delivers the suitcase - so the luggage can continue on its journey with us.

Just as well, because the next morning we fire up our rented Nissan SUV and say goodbye to Houston for the time being. We leisurely swim along in the traffic (quite literally) and get our first glimpse of rural Texas, where the religious billboards are even bigger than the numerous US and state flags.

A few hours and coffee breaks later, we roll through Fort Worth, settle into our hotel and start to explore the western atmosphere of the city in the historic Stockyards district. Cowboy culture is omnipresent and has its roots in the city's location on the Chisholm Trail, a historic cattle trading route. Today it is more about tourist folklore, but the daily parade of Texas Longhorn cattle attracts hundreds of spectators even on a cool fall day, and we are also amazed by these impressive animals. And we are also a little amazed by the barbecue culture.

Western romanticism in Fort Worth.

 

We still have some time and visit downtown Fort Worth. On Thanksgiving weekend, there is not much business to be seen in the central business district. What proves to be worth seeing is the Fort Wort Water Gardens, a park in the city center that recreates water landscapes - and, what we believe is quite un-American, also allows relatively unsecured access. A pleasant contrast to the otherwise less exciting city center of Fort Worth. But there is another stop worth making: next to what is now the Hilton Hotel is a memorial to John F. Kennedy, who spent his last night in Fort Worth before making his way to Dallas in November 1963, exactly 60 years before our visit.

Fort Worth downtown: rather quiet.

 

The day ends for us and we prepare to continue our journey - after all, there is still a lot to discover in Texas. More on this blog soon!

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Good to know

At the time of our trip, there were no direct flights from Zurich to Texas; standard connections require a change in Frankfurt, Munich, Amsterdam, London or within the USA. Under the very optimistic assumption that the selected connection via Frankfurt would offer enough connecting time, we chose Lufthansa - and were unlucky. At least the flight to Houston was pleasant and the compensation on site worked without any problems.

 

At our first stop in Houston, we chose accommodation in a quieter area of the city, at the Intercontinental Houston near the Museum District and the Texas Medical Center. We did not find the hotel to be overly charming, but it was clean and the infrastructure worked. It's a good hour's drive to Space Center Houston, but this is true of most hotels in the city center.

 

In Fort Worth, we stayed in the Stockyard neighborhood. The Springhill Suites is a good choice within walking distance of the historic sights. The city center is around ten minutes away by car. Worth mentioning is the H3 Ranch, a restaurant with a Western look. Despite the touristy façade, the quality is just as good as the price - a real recommendation and a positive surprise for barbecue fans.