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Southwest Jet Suffers Tire Fire at Houston-Hobby

May 13, 2009 at 8:38 AM | 4 Comments

Last night was a beautiful evening, that is unless you happened to be channel surfing as we were, and come across Anderson Cooper talking between shots of a Southwest Airlines plane on fire and evacuating passengers via emergency slide.

Of course it wouldn't have been a pleasant end to the day for the passengers aboard Flight 519 from New Orleans to Houston either, as sitting aboard a flaming plane wasn't in the plans.

Upon landing at Houston-Hobby airport, the Southwest jet's tire caught fire and burned steadily through until emergency personnel arrived to the crippled plane on the runway. At that point, the rear left emergency slide deployed to get all 47 passengers and 5 crew out safely.

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How An Oil Company's Ex-Employees Can Spend Their 'Vacation' Days

April 23, 2009 at 12:13 PM | 0 Comments

Times must be tough if even oil companies are cutting down their workforce. Houston multinational Apache is "only" laying off 200 employees in response to dropping oil and gas prices, but that's a deep cut for an industry widely considered to be recession-proof.

Of course, the best revenge on the oil company which showed you the door would be to staycate and let their demand fall even further, but that's not as fun as our post-employment suggestions:

Cool It -- It's not even that warm in Texas yet, but you know it's coming, so spend a chill weekend sampling microbrews and watching the Rockies play in Denver; we found a LastMinute.com package for next weekend for $259/person, hotel included.

Craic -- This Gaelic word meaning "fun or light-hearted mischief, often in the context of drinking" is what you'll be having with a $516 round-trip ticket to Dublin on Air Canada this summer.

Crash -- Want to stay close to home but still get away? The NYLO Plano Hotel is offering a buy-one-get-one-half-off weekend special for a getaway you can drive to.

Related Stories:
· Oil independent Apache Corp. is laying off 200 [Houston Chronicle]
· Wall Street Meltdown Good for Airlines [Jaunted]
· Laid-Off Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: guccibear2005]

Three Great Deals For Brunch In Houston

February 9, 2009 at 3:01 PM | 0 Comments

Weekending in Houston lends itself well to brunch: Breezy mornings are often the best time to experience the city before the humidity really kicks in. Chow down at one of these and you're guaranteed to get the most for your money.

The Classic: West Gray Cafe (415 West Gray St.) A local in the know said he'd never had trouble getting a table at this River Oaks stalwart, also popular with the post-bar crowd for 2AM breakfasts. Platters include plate-sized pancakes, crunchy bacon and jokey, friendly service.

The Local: La Guadalupana (2109 Dunlavy St.) An unassuming family-owned joint tucked next to a convenience store and a laundromat, this Montrose bakery is best known for its tres leches cake, but if you want to eat how the city's Mexican-American population does, chow down on migas (scrambled eggs with tortilla strips and sausage) washed down with bottomless, cinnamon-scented coffee.

The International: The Black Labrador (4100 Montrose Blvd.) Combine a visit to the Museum of Fine Arts Houston with pub fare at this scenic little stone cottage. The menu plays fast and loose with traditional conceptions of British food (quesadillas are not from southern London, no matter what the entree says!) but purists can order bangers and mash, the adventuresome type a chicken-filled crepe.

Related Stories:
· Post-Ike Travel: Houston's New Cruise Terminal Will Actually Get Some Use [Jaunted]
· Tribeca Grand Brunch Just on Summer Hiatus; Recession Not to Blame [HC]
· Brunch Travel: Totally Trendy in Seoul [Jaunted]

[Photo: groovehouse]

Houston Museum Putting on a 'History Camp' For Genteel Adults

February 6, 2009 at 2:36 PM | 0 Comments

Don't just grumble about the troublemakin' kids on your lawn -- leave them behind entirely: A Houston-based history museum plans to make a kinder, gentler age come alive with history camp for adults.

Bayou Bend was once the home of an oil millionairess named, we are so not joking, Ima Hogg. Now Hogg's house, antiques and gardens are open to the public thanks to the efforts of the Houston Museum of Fine Arts -- another good place to while away the hottest hours of the day -- which is helping to put on these lessons in 18th-century gentility.

The presentations run every Wednesday in February from 6 to 9PM; for $50, you can enjoy a proper dinner while learning about candlemaking (Feb. 11) or the proper way to host a tea party (Feb. 18). If you can't make it to camp, Bayou Bend is open Tuesday through Saturday with tours every 15 minutes; admission is $10. We'll be working on our pinky-curling in anticipation.

Related Stories:
· Learn 18th Century Etiquette and More at Bayou Bend [Houstonist]
· All the Educational Programs at Bayou Bend [MFAH.org]
· What To Do In Houston Other Than Sweat Profusely [Jaunted]

[Photo: zephrene]

Continental Splits From SkyTeam For United, Star Alliance

January 30, 2009 at 11:10 AM | 0 Comments

Like your drunk friend who thinks everyone should know about her personal drama from her first, Continental Airlines e-mailed all its OnePass members last night to announce it is finally pulling away from the SkyTeam airline alliance and joining the Star Alliance. The official split date is October 24, after which Delta, Air France and KLM will be gathering at Korean Air's house to burn all of Continental's stuff.

The break-up has been a while in the making as Continental announced last year it would partner with United Airlines to fight high fuel costs after flirting with both American and British Airways. Continental had even explored buying the Star Alliance partner but walked away after United revealed greater than expected losses.

Should you cash in your Continental miles now while the gettin's still good, or wait to see what the new partnership can get you? We say redeem 'em now, if you can: The airline announced yesterday it will be cutting service overall by 7 percent after reporting a $266 million fourth-quarter loss.

Related Stories:
· 2008: Continental, United join in code-sharing, frequent-flier pact [USA Today]
· Continental's Switch from SkyTeam to Star [Houston Chronicle Departures blog]
· Continental, US Air Bring Group Loss to $1.35 Billion [Bloomberg News]

[Photo: caribb]

Miley Cyrus Will Do Your Christmas Party

November 25, 2008 at 9:15 AM | 0 Comments

This week's refreshing reminder that the recession doesn't affect everyone: One lucky Houston law firm is spoiling its workers instead of canceling its annual Christmas party, making the whole family happy with a performance by Miley Cyrus.

It must've been a good year for Lanier Law Firm, best known for winning damages from the creators of the painkiller Vioxx. The party, "Christmas Cheers and Charity," is a benefit for a Guatemalan nonprofit working to provide free health care and education. No buying tickets for this show, though: You have to be invited by host Mark Lanier, at least till the coveted cards start showing up on eBay.

This must be the way pop stars handle the downturn--do relatively intimate shows (an estimated 8,000 will come to the Lanier bash, versus an 80,000-seat arena show) and snag big paychecks for them. At least she can practice in the new recording studio Cyrus got for her 16th birthday on Sunday. It's good to be Miley.

Related Stories:
· Houston Attorney Hires Miley Cyrus as Christmas Gift [Houston Chronicle]
· Miley Cyrus Does Office Parties Now [The Superficial]
· Celeb Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: EvilBeetGossip.com]

Post-Ike Travel: Houston's New Cruise Terminal Will Actually Get Some Use

September 17, 2008 at 11:05 AM | 0 Comments


Turns out the $81 million Bayport Cruise Terminal in Houston will actually get some use--and all it took was a Category 2 hurricane steamrolling Galveston! In the wake of Hurricane Ike, Carnival Cruise Lines decided to bypass the island, instead operating its ships Conquest and Ecstasy out of the brand new-but-unused passenger terminal closer to downtown.

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Sports Travel: Houston Opens New Skate Park

June 2, 2008 at 3:00 PM | 0 Comments

Calling all boardheads! Houston is the latest city to open up a public park specifically for skateboarding. Crowds braved the scorching heat this weekend to inaugurate the Lee & Joe Jamail Skatepark in downtown's Tinsley Park, which will be open seven days a week all summer long.

The venue came to life thanks to Public Use Skateparks for Houston (PUSH), a local organization which lobbied hard for the city to follow others like Nashville, Philadelphia and Black River Falls, Wisconsin.

Houston's new skate center is named for a local Lebanese-American lawyer and his wife who made a major donation to the park, so maybe that's why--despite what you see in this photo--helmets are mandatory. The park closes at 10 pm, but check out those awesome views of the skyline!

Related Stories:
· Lee & Joe Jamail Skatepark [Official Site]
· The Opening of the Lee & Joe Jamail Skatepark [Houstonist]
· Skateboarder to Jump at Hard Rock [HC]
· Get on Ya Board, Dave [Jaunted]

[Photo: cpm1]

My Houston, We Don't Have a Problem

April 2, 2008 at 4:30 PM | 0 Comments

Houston is the latest city to adopt the generic and unoriginal "My (Fill in the blank of your city)" tourism campaign.

The New York Times reports that the Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau has put together the "My Houston" television and print campaign where local celebrities talk about what they love about Houston:

Clay Walker, the country singer, promoted the zoo and Texas's biggest rodeo; Hilary Duff, the actress and singer, Mexican food; Oscar de la Rosa, lead vocalist of the Latino group La Mafia, cultural diversity; and the Bushes, the city's big heart and neighborliness.

Also Yao Ming, the Houston Rockets gigantic center says he likes Yao Restaurant and Bar because, well, he knows the owner. Cue monumental eye roll.

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Missed Connections: The Sentimental-Slash-Twee in Houston

October 19, 2007 at 4:10 PM | 0 Comments

It's always sunny in Houston -- except in the winter, when it's occasionally flash flooded. But locals prefer its steamy environs, and you might, too, if you met one of them in these sweet spots:

House of Pies -- What's better than a piecentric restaurant? A 24-hour piecentric restaurant! If you're not a fan of baked goodies, you can also get food here -- but you won't able to resist pulling a Kyle-McLachlan-in-"Twin Peaks" and ordering a slice of rhubarb, cherry or apple with some damn fine coffee. It's the cute cop's answer to Dunkin' Donuts. 6142 Westheimer Rd.

The Lobby Lounge at the Four Seasons Hotel -- Bring your "executive friends" to this couch-stuffed corner featuring "around the world tapas." (Mmm, tapas.) While the World Series is still going on, you can even use the pretext of "watching the ballgame" to watch the watchers. 1300 Lamar St.

Pub Fiction -- Despite its pun-tastic name, we would totally take our male friends there for $6 pitchers till 8 pm and perhaps a friendly game of pool. 2303 Smith St.

Related Stories:
· House of Pies [Official Site]
· The Lobby Lounge [Official Site]
· Pub Fiction [Official Site]
· Missed Connections coverage [Jaunted]
· Houston Hotels [HotelChatter]

[Photo: thegeoff]

Get Lost In the Rothko Chapel

March 1, 2007 at 11:05 AM | 0 Comments


Sure, European cathedrals are pretty, but around the 18th one we started making insane speculations about "Da Vinci Code"-style treasures buried underneath them. Houston's Rothko Chapel contains no gargoyles, no relics and no one buried underneath your feet, but once you walk into the quiet building in the Museum District, you'll never want to leave.

Super-minimalist Mark Rothko did 14 paintings for the inside of this interfaith chapel in black-laced blues and greens and reds. Sitting inside the chapel, it isn't uncommon to see or hear at least three different prayer sessions taking place. Car horns and construction noises disappear into its thick walls; Anne Lamott described it as "preternaturally quiet, like being inside the mind of someone whose eyes are closed while he or she is praying." The shock of finding such a sacred space -- sacred in its conception, not necessarily in practice -- in the middle of one of America's largest cities will stay with you long after you walk out into the sunshine.

Open daily 10 a.m.-6 p.m.

[Photo: joshbousel]

Related Stories:
· Rothko Chapel [Official Site]

Most Missed: Houston

February 23, 2007 at 10:58 AM | 1 Comment


In a car-crazed city like H-town, it's no wonder most missed connections listings have phrases like "You were at the light" or "We got pulled over together." Step out of the vehicle, put your hands behind your head and find your cough syrup-swilling other half at these places instead:

Barnaby's
604 Fairview St. -- This local chain with four locations around Houston has a place for all your comfort-food needs, but 604 Fairview in the heart of the artsy, gay-friendly Montrose neighborhood is the original -- the perfect place to tuck into some meatloaf or some smoked chicken tostadas. And anyone looks good next to those cartoon steaks (above)!

Catbirds Lounge
1336 Westheimer Rd. -- Any bar with its own MySpace account is definitely ready to mingle. If you don't have plans for Sunday's Academy Awards yet, why not drop by for some $2 Miller Lite pints? We're sure Oscar nominee Helen Mirren would want you to drink in her honor.

Houston Galleria
5085 Westheimer Rd., Ste. 4850 -- We know what you're thinking: the last time you met someone at the mall, you were still listening to Milli Vanilli. But the massive Galleria is a great place to see a lot of people, quickly -- like a busy bar without that haze of alcohol. Catch her eye in line to go ice skating, or offer to buy him some Jelly Bellys at Dylan's Candy Bar.

[Photo: Barnaby's]