This is the houston east texas chapter from lonely planet's texas guide book. More down home than dallas, more buttoned up than austin, houston has money and cul ture, but wears them like a good ol' country boy come to town. Within day trip distance you can visit nasa and the place where texas won its independence. Kick back on a shady patio, drink at hand, in an atmospheric houston bar like porch swing pub maps explore newly gussied up buffalo bayou park, which is surprisingly naturalistic, in the very heart of houston transport ponder what was, what might have been and what still could be at space center houston, the heart of nasa's us space program restaurants accommodation coverage includes houston, clear lake around, kemah, la porte, seabrook, huntsville, washington county, brenham, burton, round top, la grange, chappell hill, washington on the brazos, bryan college station, northeast texas, nacogdoches, tyler, canton, kilgore, jefferson, caddo lake, carthage, edom ben wheeler.