I'm in no way defending houstonsemipro, as I like to take people downtown as often as possible - but at the same time, not all burbs were created equal. Sugarland Town Center, Woodlands Town Square, and Kemah Boardwalk are 3 suburbian destinations that pack more than chain restuarants (Chili's, TGIF, Applebees, or Black Eyed Pea) and lower end motels. These areas offer unique dining, 3 star accomdations and are sometimes actually more convientent for the out of towner. Another area is Westchase. I know I harp on it as the "next Uptown", but it really has a lot going. Just for kicks, go hang out in the Hilton or Marriot's bar & lounge area of Briarpark - they're both usually packed with conventioneers, out of towners, business people, and family visitors. You always see large groups walking from the hotels to the sadly under-developed Carillion center. Once West 8 gets off the ground, Westchase will be able to further cement itself. I'm not saying for one second that these areas are better than the sights seen downtown, but rather that they may be more convienent and just as satisfactory for certain travelers from out of town. I say this, because even as a Houstonian, I still find going downtown to be an awkward experience when dealing with things like limited dining (locations and hours), event ticket pre-purchasing, PARKING (for a downtown with endless lots - they are always conveinently full, closed, or merely 10+ dollars just to park), and limited venue flexibility (dates & hours). The sad truth is that our downtown isn't even Houstonian friendly - so its no guess as to why visitors are far and few in between.