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    Booked Up

    Tourist trapped? Here's the official alt list for accommodations on Final Fourweekend

    Steven Devadanam
    Apr 2, 2011 | 8:30 am
    • Why not give the CultureMap deck a whirl? It's swimming distance on the bayou tothe Toyota Center.
      Photo by Sarah Rufca
    • Wait out the impending hangover at the MFAH Cullen Sculpture Garden.
    • The Reading Garden at the Julia Ideson Library will provide a bit of respite.
      Photo by Joel Draut
    • Bush Intercontinental has got you covered.
    • Start your morning with some yoga beneath the Sabine Street Bridge.
    • There are beds galore at Planned Parenthood.
      Photo by Steven Thomson
    • The soothing walls at Wonder Bar will lull you into a peaceful sleep.
      Photo by Marcy de Luna
    • Take 30 minute increment naps aboard the Red Line.

    Has the hotel rush for the NCAA Final Four championship got your jock strap all tied up in knots? Fear not — we've compiled a comprehensive list of tried and true places to crash between three pointers and Washington Avenue 'bro brouhaha. You won't find these under-the-radar finds on Orbitz or Priceline. What you will find, though, is a wealth of authentic local flavor.

    CultureMap office deck: We're opening up our gates for the tired, huddled bball fans. Actually, our gates are locked, but our lovely deck overlooking Buffalo Bayou is fully accessible from the public downtown promenade. Just take a tube down the bayou to the games! Alternatively, the patio is walking distance from the UH-Downtown METRO Rail station.

    METRO Rail: Speaking of trains, why not park it on one of the sleek German-engineered rail cars? This is your chance to fulfill all of your unrequited Boxcar Children dreams.

    Cullen Sculpture Garden: Get off at the Museum District station and make way toward the tony enclave of world-class sculptures held by the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. Squatting has never been this refined.

    Julia Ideson Reading Garden: The majestic alcove attached to the historic Spanish Neo-Renaissance Julia Ideson Library will cradle you to sleep after one-too-many at Professional Bull Riders.

    Bush Intercontinental Airport: After blowing your savings at the Swatch boutique, take it easy on the miles of armrests. We recommend Terminal E for the ultimate in comfort.

    Sabine Street Promenade (underground): As dusk approaches, follow the ducks to their resting quarters, where they will undoubtedly present you with a down comforter. There's nothing like a few reps of yoga in the early spring sunlight as you wake up cuddling your new feathered friends beneath the Sabine Street Promenade.

    Roche Bobois: Pull a circa-Where the Heart Is Natalie Portman and crash at this decadent design atelier. If the management poses a problem, hide under issues of PaperCity Magazine.

    Planned Parenthood: Nobody's using those operating tables after dark (we think), so they're essentially up for grabs. While you're in the area, take in some culture at the nearby Orange Show.

    Wonder Bar: Who among us has not passed out upon one of those cadmium-hued lipped urinals? Make it an 8-hour experience, and wake up refreshed and ready to take on the NCAA crowds.

    Houston Museum of Natural Science Greenhouse: We have a little "in" there . . . just tell them Lois sent you.

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    news/travel

    where to travel right now

    Hill Country wineries beckon + 9 more Texas travel ideas for June

    Amber Heckler
    Jun 2, 2026 | 3:00 pm
    Texas Hill Country Wineries tastings
    Photo courtesy of Texas Hill Country Wineries
    The Barrels & Bites pass offers Hill Country wine lovers upscale tasting experiences or curated food and wine pairings.

    School's out, summer has arrived, and with it comes a bounty of weekend getaway inspiration for Houston travelers.

    Travelers on the hunt for the ultimate summer adventure outside of H-Town can head down Austin for a Father's Day barbecue showdown, leap to the coast for a restaurant takeover at a Galveston hotel, or say hello to Maisie the Highland cow at a new farm retreat in Jewett, Texas.

    Here are CultureMap's top picks for a June vacation around Texas.

    Around Texas

    As summer arrives and gas prices remain high, fuel-conscious Texas travelers can book their next road trip with transportation startup Shutto, which recently launched new routes connecting major cities like Dallas, Austin, Houston Galleria, and The Woodlands. Each route includes a pit stop at Buc-ee's — a quintessential road trip moment — and travelers can also book private, customizable trips beyond the scheduled routes. Fares start at $87 per person to Austin and $97 per person to Houston, and trips can be booked online.

    Central Texas and the Hill Country

    The historic Faust Hotel in New Braunfels has finally completed its thoughtful restoration and reopened its doors for Hill Country travelers. All 45 guest rooms and 15 deluxe suites have been updated with king beds, custom vanities, 55-inch streaming televisions, retro Frigidaire mini-fridges, and much more. The hotel's new signature restaurant, Wilhelm & Werner, mixes Texas and European culinary influences with dishes like an "apple strudel" of foie gras and pork, saffron tagliatelle with Gulf shrimp, and poulet rôti with a savory bread pudding. Nightly rates at the Faust Hotel begin at $215 in June.

    Faust Hotel New Braunfels The revamped Faust Hotel blends the property's historic bones with new furnishings. Photo by Jason Risner

    A Gonzales County wellness retreat is celebrating its one-year anniversary with a roster of new services, events, workshops, and more to come later this year. Ottine Mineral Springs is now offering private Watsu experiences, a massage performed in the mineral pools by licensed therapists before the general public arrives. The oasis will soon offer poolside cabana rentals, and open a climate-controlled indoor lounge and soaking space. Guests can book day passes (starting at $65), events, and spa services online. Reservations are required.

    Limestone Fields, a new farm retreat on Lake Limestone in Jewett, is now accepting reservations for stays on its 16-acre property that sits along Lake Limestone. Guests are welcome to explore the expansive area, which also includes a working farm with chickens, ducks, and two Scottish Highland cows. Limestone Fields hosts 10 furnished cabins with front decks that overlook a pond and back decks that open to the lake. Stays start at $200 a night and usually have a two-night minimum. Prices vary with seasonality.

    Maisie the Scottish Highland cow at Limestone Fields Maisie is a miniature Highland cow that lives on the farm.Photo by Ashley Estave

    Texas trade organization Texas Hill Country Wineries is offering a new way to experience its participating wineries' vintages with a new Barrels & Bites weekend event pass running from June 12-14. During the weekend, passholders can visit up to four wineries each day for winemaker-led experiences including elevated tastings or curated food and wine pairings. New this year is the Grand Tasting event at Ron Yates in Johnson City on Friday night from 5-7 pm, where passholders and single-ticket holders can try samples from 21 different wineries. Individual passes are $175, couples passes are $300, and single tickets for the Grand Tasting are $35 per person.

    Austin

    Adventurers can take their barbecue-loving dads for a smoke-filled weekend at Omni Barton Creek Resort & Spa in Austin for Father's Day weekend from June 19-20. The resort will host its second annual barbecue festival, Smoke: A Celebration of Fire and Flavor, bringing together the most prolific pitmasters and acclaimed restaurants for two days of live-fire cooking and live entertainment. The weekend kicks off with a VIP dinner experience on Friday featuring a multicourse meal of elevated barbecue dishes from chefs, and the barbecue showdown will commence Saturday with an open-air tasting event, live music, and a fireworks finale. Weekend bundle passes are $479 per person, with single admission tickets available for each day of the festival.

    San Antonio

    Magik Theatre, a beloved San Antonio children's performing arts center, is getting ready to for its grand reopening after months of renovations with a celebration party and a performance of The Very Hungry Caterpillar starting Saturday, June 13. The reopening party will feature a ribbon-cutting at Hemisfair Park, plus children's activities, a live DJ, and more. The Party in the Park is free to the public. Tickets for The Very Hungry Caterpillar, which will run until August 2, range from $26.50-$33.50 per person.

    On the Gulf Coast

    Galveston's seaside refuge Hotel Lucine is hosting the third annual Bludorn by The Sea dining series from June 12-13. Acclaimed Houston chef Aaron Bludorn will stage a two-night takeover of the hotel's on-site restaurant, The Fancy, with a raw bar pop-up from 4-7 pm, and elaborate four-course dinners planned each night. A Courtyard Party will precede Saturday's dinner from 12-3 pm with a yakitori-style grill-out and live music. Dinner reservations for Friday and Saturday ($95 per person) can be booked via OpenTable, and visitors are encouraged to book a stay at the hotel for the weekend.

    Dallas-Fort Worth

    June brings the arrival of World Cup season, and one Dallas-Fort Worth hotel is making its debut just in time to welcome FIFA fans from all over the world. The retro Caravan Court Hotel in Arlington will open at 205 N. Collins St. on June 1, less than a mile away from AT&T Stadium. The hotel offers 143 luxuriously appointed guest rooms, an in-house restaurant, martini bar, and a rooftop lounge. Room rates begin at $109 per night in June.

    Texas Hill Country Wineries tastings

    Photo courtesy of Texas Hill Country Wineries

    The Barrels & Bites pass offers Hill Country wine lovers upscale tasting experiences or curated food and wine pairings.

    Hotel Vin in Grapevine has launched a new "Route 66 Pit Stop" package in celebration of the iconic roadway's 100th anniversary. The package includes an Americana snack basket, Texas wine flight, disposable camera for capturing the journey, and grab-and-go breakfast for the road. Guests can also visit “The Vin Pit Stop" Lounge at WineYard Grille + Bar, the hotel's al fresco dining concept, for light bites, road trip-inspired specialty cocktail flights and Texas wine. Nightly rates for the "Route 66 Pit Stop" package start at $419.

    traveltexasvacationgalvestongrapevinehotelsresortshill countrycentral texasfestivals
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