Houston

A city with a Texas-sized skyline - Houston is unique for its lack of zoning restrictions, a situation which has permitted major skyscrapers to be built all over the city. In fact, Houston claims the tallest building - by far - in the United States outside a major downtown, the 901 ft. Williams Tower in the Galleria District. To the east of Houston is the tallest monument in the U.S., the San Jacinto Monument in La Porte- a column topped by a Lone Star, the symbol of Texas.

While the busiest parts of the city are inland, Houston is built on a major port and is not far from the historic seaside town of Galveston. One of the city's claims to fame is NASA's Johnson Space Center, which commanded the moon missions.