TAKE-AWAYS FROM HOUSTON AND NEW ORLEANS August 7, 2026

Carolyn and I traveled to Houston and New Orleans for our son Seth’s 50th birthday celebration. It was a total family affair, and we brought back many wonderful memories and a few souvenirs—one of which we could do without.

Yes, Covid. Of note: each for the first time.

We’re fine. My symptoms were so light that I didn’t take Paxlovid. Carolyn felt much worse, but she completed Paxlovid this morning and feels just about normal.

What occasioned the trip was Seth’s desire to mark a major milestone by going to a Major League baseball game. He lives in Pensacola, Florida, and has become a Houston Astros fan. We stayed in a four-bedroom Airbnb in the northern suburb of Conroe.

Seth, Carolyn and I attended an Astros-Miami Marlins game at Daikin Field on the edge of Houston’s downtown. The ballpark is covered and air-conditioned, as all MLB parks in the Sun Belt need to be. Houston’s weather was in the hazardous range: upper 90s with humidity that seemed to wrap us in a steaming wool blanket. Seth likes that weather. As San Franciscans, Carolyn and I get warm when the temperature hits 70.

We mainly stayed inside. Yes, we strolled around Daikin park before going in when they first opened. (Mildly foolish?) Then we walked—in comfort—around the inside of the park before settling into our special club seats. The cherry on the sundae: the Astros thrilled us with a 5-2 win over the Fish thanks to an eighth-inning go-ahead homerun by all-star Yordan Alvarez.

The next day we went to Space Center Houston, an incredible museum. Ever seen Mission Control for the Apollo moon landings? (We saw the first landing on TV.) Been inside a space shuttle? Walked the length of an immense Saturn 5 rocket? You can. We did. Each was a thrill.

Our other kids joined us for the weekend. They flew in on Friday, so we picked up barbecue—this is Texas—then picked them up at the airport and had dinner at the house. Lots of space and privacy. And great barbecue. I repeat, this is Texas.

Saturday, we all went to the Houston Museum of Natural Science. Impressive! Great dinosaur exhibit and a fabulous butterfly enclosure.

The other kids flew home Sunday. On Monday, Seth, Carolyn and I drove to New Orleans on his route home. The weather? Even worse!

But, we enjoyed the Virgin Hotel in the Warehouse District. I hadn’t tested for Covid, so we visited the nearby World War Two Museum. It’s a great attraction. But I wonder why it’s needed. Check that. I’m 82. I’ve read lots of books and articles, seen lots of films about the war, even served with men who fought in it. How many younger Americans have any idea?

The next day, I stayed in while Seth and Carolyn went to Café Du Monde for coffee and beignets then the Aquarium. Before leaving, we visited the Museum of the Southern Jewish Experience. Mazel tov, y’all.

At home, Carolyn suggested Covid tests. Note: The kids are fine.

What else did I take back from the trip? Houston seems endless, linked by ginormous freeways. New Orleans is best experienced from October through May.

And going to a baseball game can still make me feel like a kid.

Enjoy a great read about America’s 20th-century flirtation with authoritarianism in my novel RIDE THE TYGER. Order from Amazon, barnesandnoble.com, iuniverse.com, or your favorite bookstore.