Glennalicious

As far as museums go, the SF Museum of Modern Arts was the only place I remember while visitin SF three years ago.

http://www.google.com/maps?hl=en&hs=RmS&lr=&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official_s&q=museums&near=San+Francisco,+CA&sa=X&oi=local&ct=title

Go ahead 'n' give yourself a culture shock by goin' to those museums. Good luck 'n' have a fun, safe, 'n' drunk trip.

Sam Houston park is a nice nature park with lots of hiking trails. It is between Houston and Louisiana. Watch out for rattlesnakes.

The Johnson Space Center in Galveston is a lot of fun, especially for science geeks.

North of SF is Point Reyes--great hiking, and sometimes you can see Gray Whales on their migration. South of SF is Monterey--go to the Aquarium and walk around Point Lobos....

All of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area is fantastic. (http://www.nps.gov/goga/). I particularly love Muir Woods and Bonita Point. Also, travel north up the Monterrey coast, swing by Guerneville because it's Lazy Bear Weekend (http://www.castrobear.com/LazyBearWeekend/). Wineries..eh. Not so crazy about them. Take the twisty 101 down to Half Moon Bay, south of SF. As for the East Bay, there's no there there.

Check out the Palace of Fine Arts, Alcatraz (do the self-guided tour), walk around the Presidio, make a daytrip to Sausalito and have dinner over there, DEFINITELY hike up around the Marin Headlands (across the Golden Gate), and have a night at End Up (hella fun club).

You could always torture yourself and pick up your MacBook Pro in person in Cupertino. I'm sure Steve would be happy to see you.

You gonna make it to Austin?
I'll take y'all to the gay nude "beach"!

It's a bit of a schlepp, but if you can get down to Monterey and Carmel, that area is just beautiful. Also, the aquarium in Monterey is a must-see. And, last time I was there, Thursday is "amateur wrestling night" at The Powerhouse. Scary, but fascinating.

Muir Woods in SF is amazing.
The redwoods are magical and awe inspiring.

I agree with Stephen, go to the End Up.
Sunday mornings are the best.
I believe David Harness DJs that still.
One of my favorite DJs.
Soulful, funky, sexy, down right fingerlicking good.

Pick up some ghirardelli chocolate in ghirardelli square.

Grab some chowder in a sour dough bowl in Fisherman's Warf.

Get a cookie @ Hot Cookie in the Castro. The snickerdoodles are nummy.
(I think I remember watching a porn shot in there. That was nummy too.)

God, I want to go back to SF badly.

I'll second what Andy said about Monterey and Carmel and add that the drive along the coast through Big Sur is gorgeous. If you head that way, watch for entrances to little beaches down below the highway. There are some really beautiful spots to be found!

DERRICK HAS NEVER BEEN TO THE SOUTH??!!!

The purdy belle buried deep inside me is mortified. Just mortified.

Fortunately, New York bitch-slapped her into submission many years ago. So now she just cowers in the shadows and keeps her opinions to herself.

"DID YA HEAR THAT BITCH? KEEP 'EM TO YOURSELF. ..... I thought so."

Gad! I'll NEVER see you!

Have a great trip, though!

How about the Goode Company in Houston for BBQ?

For Houston, please stop by 100% Taquito (www.100taquito.com). You won't believe how amazingly good and fresh everything is. My suggestion is to try four or five different dishes. Also try Goode Co. BBQ, as the Prof recommended. For a fantastic biscuits-and-gravy breakfast, swing by Buffalo Grille. It's splendiferous. Best biscuits ever. You'll also want to inhale a few dozen kolaches; try the Kolache Factory, and be sure to grab a couple of the whole-wheat potato, egg, and cheese (and eat them while they're warm!). If you can get to County Line BBQ, don't miss it. It's a little bit out of the way, but worth the trip. Umm...let's see, what else? Well, there's a decent chance I'll be down there at the same time (visiting the dear, sweet BF who introduced me to all these wonderful places...), so give me a call if you have some free time. I'd love to see you two!

Oh, wait, I forgot the SF ideas. Tops on my list is Point Reyes; it's incredible, and the drive up will wipe NYC woes from your mind! If you head south on Rt. 1, take a detour through the artichoke fields to the tiny town of Pescadero and stop by Arcangeli Grocery Co. and Duarte's Tavern, where you must must must buy fresh-baked artichoke-garlic bread and ollalieberry pie, respectively. Damn, I miss the Bay Area.

Other Houston suggestions. TexMex - Ninfa's (the original one on Navigation on the east side of downtown . . . all the rest are lousy) or Chuy's on Westheimer west of Kirby (college hangout with good TexMex). Other food - Otto's BBQ on Memorial Drive, Lankford Cafe (best f'ing burgers in Houston) in the Montrose area. Museums - Museum of Fine Arts, the Menil Collection, Museum of Natural History.

There's not a more romantic thing than a picnic lunch at the Palace of Fine Arts. I agree with the Point Reyes advice--and keep going along the PCH. Don't bother with Napa; if you want wine country go to Sonoma.
Don't forget the East Bay, too, if you have the time. Tilden Park is tame but nice. Fourth Street has great shopping--go the The Gardner.
Jackson Square for antiques.
Has anyone mentioned San Gregorio? a fantastic gay beach south of Half Moon Bay. Remarkable for its beauty.

Oh, Houston. Have only been a couple of times.
The De Menil collection, including the Rothko Chapel, are not to be missed. Especially the Rothko chapel.

Best thing for wineries is to avoid Napa altogether - too expensive, to crowded, too touristy. Head north towards Mendicino and do the Anderson Valley vineyards. Most of them don't charge to taste and they have the best stuff around, esp. chardonays. Keep going and spend the night in Mendicino if your wallet can take it. Cheapest inn on the Mendo coast is "Fools Rush Inn." Zero charm, but cheap and clean.

Confessions on a Pub Floor - Galicious Tour 2006.

State of California!
State of Texas!
State of Inebriation?
State of Undress???

Staggering near you this summer.

Tickets on sale July 30th at Tickets'Were'Us locations country-wide.

(Can you tell I'm jealous thanks to the #^@^**&#@$, due-by-Sept-or-else, save-this-account-even-if-they-are-morons project?)

Monterey Bay Auquarium is the best. San Fran is great anywhere you go. Check out lots of funky places and great people watching in Haight Ashbury. Alcatraz is an absolute MUST! Ferry across to the island is a great trip and it is so cool. Do all the cheesey touristy stuff. You have got to do it once. Ride the trolleys. When you are done take the BART to the Barrio and experience some really crazy dive bars. Be careful there. Dim Sum - go to a Dim Sum place where the bring it around on the little carts. Go beyond China Town. If you keep going deeper you will be the only white person that speaks English. You will walk past shop after shop selling live fish, frogs, chicken. It is like another world. Last time I did that I ate in a couple of places where they didn't speak English so I just pointed to random food I wasn't familiar with to order. Didn't know what I was eating. Threw up later. Look - dont eat.
I was in Houston a couple of weeks ago. As my Dad and all of his family is there I am an expert. Houston is an awful place but the absolute best is to drive down to Galveston and go to Moody Gardens. It is so great. They have an incredible aquarium and next door they have an indoor rainforest that is fantastic. They have 3-d IMAX. (I love those)! The Strand in Galveston is a great historic district with seafood right out of the Gulf. You can take a cruise around the port. The public beaches aren't the best but are ok. NASA is on the way to Galveston but except for the tours it is mostly for the kids. I don't see you loving it. At the Houston Museum of Science they have the freakiest exhibit you have ever seen right now. They have taken real human bodies and plasticized them. Check out the website. For example they have a real body with all the skin stripped off "The Skin Man" and he is holding his skin. There is a man riding a horse - real- no skin- comparing brain sizes. It is disturbing and fascinating at the same time.
We also had a fantastic time seeing the Astros play at their big new stadium.
There is a lot of good architecture downtown but other than the things mentioned it is a big dirty Phoenix with slightly different architecture and whatever measly vegetation.

Have fun.

Houston has a great visual arts scene now, plus good contemporary art in the museums. Don't miss the Contempary Art Museum, or the de Menil.

I have a good friend living there now who works in the arts. E-mail me if you want me to put you in touch with her.

If you haven't been, I think the Body Worlds 3 exhibit will still be at the Museum of Fine Arts through the end of September. :)