72 Hours in Houston, Texas (College Edition)

My family arrived in Houston around 2 p.m. on a Friday, right in time to meet up with my oldest child, who had just finished his last class for the week at Rice University. We headed to our hotel, the Hilton Houston Plaza/Medical Center, to check in. This hotel is convenient to Rice University, the Museum District, Rice Village and most of the city. They offer two-room suites with one-and-a-half bathrooms, which is the room we had. It's great for families with teens.

After freshening up in our room, we got in the car and drove to Irma's Southwest for dinner. We chose Irma's based on its proximity to Minute Maid Park. It's literally around the corner from the stadium! We all had some of their homemade lemonade (well, the parents had it mixed with Irma's famous margaritas) and everyone enjoyed the food. Once finished, we made the one-block walk to watch the Houston Astros play the New York Yankees in game two of opening weekend. The atmosphere was electric, and even though the 'Stros didn't win, we had a blast.

Saturday morning, my college kid was eager to show us one of his favorite coffee shops, Agora, so we grabbed him and drove to the Montrose neighborhood. As soon as we stepped inside the cozy, two-story space, we understood why he loves it. I ordered an iced strawberry matcha latte and it was unlike anything I've had before or since. SO good! Montrose is an eclectic neighborhood home to vintage shops, cool cafes, and art museums. Pavement is one of his favorite vintage stores in the city and of course we had to check it out while we were in Montrose. Leopard Lounge and Thrifted Threads are other vintage stores that he likes to visit in the city.

Later that day, we were craving tacos so we hit the taco truck that is his favorite in all of Houston- Tacos Tierra Caliente. We took our food across the street to the West Alabama Ice House, a super casual neighborhood bar that's family-friendly before sundown. You can eat your tacos at one of their picnic tables while sipping on your beverage of choice from the bar.

After eating we took a short drive to The Menil Collection and walked around the main building. Admission is free and the grounds around the building are lovely.

If you can sneak away in the evening like my husband and I did, I highly recommend visiting the Lei Low Tiki Bar. From the outside it doesn't look like much but when you walk in you are immediately transported to the South Seas. There's a host who points you to a table so you can peruse the extensive cocktail menu. Our drinks were fun and delicious. My husband said his mai tai was one of the best he's ever had.

Easter Sunday we had brunch reservations at Lucille's, which is one of our favorite places to eat in the city. We sipped mimosas while listening to live music and devouring the incredible food. Sufficiently stuffed, we made our way to The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, specifically the Nancy and Rich Kinder Building to see the modern and contemporary art. The interactive lighting installation was our family's favorite.

That evening we kept things low-key and ordered carryout from Instanbul Grill and Deli in Rice Village. We ate outside on the lovely terrace at the hotel and enjoyed relaxing together.

Monday morning- Rice University tour day! My husband, my 17 year old, and I arrived at Rice to check in for his tour. My college student and my youngest hung out at one of the coffee shops on campus while we were in the info session. After the presentation, our oldest took us on his own tour of Rice.

It is worth visiting Rice even if you don't have a student there. The campus is beautiful, especially in the spring when the azaleas are in bloom. Live oak trees line the sidewalks and drives and you feel like you're in the country. They are called the Rice Owls for a reason, as you can hear owls hooting throughout campus.

After almost 72 hours in Houston, it was time to say goodbye (for now) to our college kid. It's always hard leaving him, but reassuring to know he's thriving in this diverse and lively city.