Houston, the largest city of Texas, is known for its space center. But the city has an artistic heart beneath the threshold of apparent technological and scientific advancement. If you are an artist or aspiring to test your creative gene by learning something, Houston has a lot of things to offer.

Houston has a marvelous Theater district that hosts nine major performing arts organizations and six halls. The Museum District has numerous cultural organizations and exhibitions, which is visited by 7 million people per year. Among the facilities The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston Museum of Natural Science, Holocaust Museum and Contemporary Art Museum are most famous. Bayou Bend, a private museum situated in River Oaks has one of the finest collection of decorative art, paintings and furniture in USA.

Besides just attending exhibitions, you have scopes to hone your creative skills in Houston. Texas Art Supply is an awesome shop that offers everything that you can think of and artists are purchasing from this famous shop for last 51 years.

If you have the necessary skills and enthusiasm, you can even take art classes. Glassell School of Houston allows you to tutor aspiring artists. The Junior School, a museum facility is committed to provide art lessons for kids. Adults are also admitted, though the admission is a kind of expensive.

If you are a photography enthusiast, you can choose one that suits your needs and skills from number of different courses offered by The Houston Centre for Photography. The course fee is very much within the reach and discounts are commonly offered for members.

Lastly, if you have a knack for writing, you can consider taking a writers workshop that will be started on January 2010. Inprint, a Houston based organization offers a number of writing courses covering anything from journalism to poetry. They even have free course offers for teachers.

If you plan to drive to Houston to visit relatives this Christmas, save the wear and tear on your own personal vehicle and get a great deal on a rental car. If you consider the wear on your tires, cost for oil changes, tune up and other maintenance – renting a car for the drive makes perfect sense. Getting a great deal on a rental car is not very difficult. These days, car rental companies are extremely competitive and offer online discount codes and coupons in order to gain your business.

If you plan to visit for a week or more or you have other family riding along with you, why not ride in comfort in an SUV or minivan? Don’t try to stuff everything into your Honda Accord – ride in style in the vehicle of your choice and still have legroom. Most rental vehicles offer options like GPS navigation and portable DVD players which can enhance the pleasure of your trip. Before you book your car rental, be sure to check your auto insurance policy to see if you’re covered for rented vehicles. If you are, do not purchase the optional insurance from the rental car company or you might as well throw money out the window. However, if you are not covered on your own policy it may be wise to purchase the optional insurance. Holiday driving can sometimes be hectic and accidents can happen. Rather than stressing about the out-of-pocket costs should you have an accident, purchase the insurance for peace of mind.

Houston is a city of immense proportions offering plenty to do and see for visitors from around the world. Being the fourth largest US state Houston is best viewed by car. By having your own hire car you have the freedom and flexibility to view this amazing city at your own pace.

Houston is a very diverse city and has plenty of culture and history. Visit one of the many art galleries or museums from fine art to war memorabilia Houston has it all. A lively Arts scene is also present, where many plays theatres and concerts can be enjoyed.

The architecture of Houston can be described as awe inspiring andit has actually been voted the most impressive in the whole of the United States. It certainly has to be seen to be believed! Many skyscrapers are dotted around the city all linked by tunnels and walkways, which allow workers to get from building to building in all weather.

Houston’s sports scene is also varied and they have teams for almost every sport under the sun from baseball to soccer and rugby. It also hosts some major league games in several of it’s large stadiums.

The freeway system is immense with of 1000km of freeways so it is worth getting a satellite navigation system with your car rental to help you find your way about.