It's been about ten years since I last passed through Houston. The stink of the refineries and chemical plants around Baytown had certainly gotten worse. The soup that passes for air in the Houston area has definitely gotten thicker over the years.
I remember the farms near Aldine, where I spent some of my youth, and how relatively fresh the air was. Some of my most cherished childhood memories reside there.
I remember how huge the Galleria mall was to my eyes and looking down on the ice skating rink from the upper floors was a wonder. My oldest sister took the rest of us kids to the cinema there to see "Jaws" when it premiered. I was scared out of my mind when my brother then took us all to Galveston Island the next weekend!
nikimcbee, I live in the Spokane, Washington area now. I moved up here so the wife could be close to her family but I ended up liking it here despite that. :p