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The Astrodome built in 1962. I was 14.
It was the first of the big cookie cutter stadiums. |
In 1962 - they built the Houston Astrodome - at the time called the 8th Wonder of the World. It was truly amazing to be able to play Major League Baseball and NFL football on real grass indoors. Even the NBA Houston Rockets played here. It was very close to downtown. The roof was completely covered by windows - that had to be later covered with frosted plastic because of too much glare. Players kept missing fly balls. This covering caused the grass to die. They eventually replaced that with Astroturf - a fancy name for plastic carpet. I never saw a game in there in person - but it always amazed me.
Now the NRG Stadium sits next to it with a roof on rails that opens and closes. NRG - is the local electric company. The locals call it "Not Real Good." There is also an arena and convention center next to it. We took the trolley to the Astrodome after visiting the Natural Science Center and the Butterfly Pavilion.
Friday - weather was 70s and sun - Saturday was 50s cloudy with bad wind - Sunday was 60s and sun. We expect the same thing today for our trip to the Johnson Space Center.
I like the Bus and Trolley system here. It is $3 a person all day. The cars and buses are clean and new. We have not run into a busy one yet. People are friendly and helpful.
We eat one nice meal out a day - and have breakfast in our apartment. We bought a nice load of groceries at HEB Super Store on our bus route - 85.
The science center is world class. It is right across the street from Rice University. The Texas Medical Center is the biggest in the world. There are hospitals from all over - with specialties. University of Texas - Baylor - Texas A&M - you name it - they have a medical school here.
Houston has 2.3 million people and 600 square miles. That makes it the population of 6 Miami's - and larger than Los Angeles. It does not seem busy on weekends.
The Science Center had a large exhibit - about Rameses II of Egypt - called Rameses the Great. He was the third king of the 18th dynasty. Figure that one out. He lived to be 90 years old - in the 1200's BC. This would have been 700 years before the Greek Democracy in Athens. He was also a great self promoter - building things all over Egypt to remember him.
I am typing this before we take an Uber to the space center. Lots of good pictures will be there.
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| The Butterfly Center in Hermann Park. |
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Lots of pretty butterflies in a
controlled environment. |
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We saw South Pacific at the Hobby Theater
in the Theater District. It is a local company. |
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| I could be a bus or trolley driver. |
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| You could sit and butterflies would swarm you. |
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A drawing of Rice University
in our lunch restaurant. |
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| Ramses II in granite. |
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| A cat mummy. |
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| A cat daddy. |
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| Keep your head straight. |
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| When you are 74 you like this. |
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| a rose quartz star |
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| NRG Stadium |
