We could have easily spent all 6 months in Texas and still not managed to see it all so we have come up with a plan which will hopefully allow us to see 4 of the biggest cities, visit the small towns in Hill Country and spend time in the two National Parks.
Emma did a road trip around Texas a couple of years ago with her husband Paul and was kind enough to review our trip and provide us with some hints and tips. Emma's recommendations included making a trip to the 6th Floor Museum in Dallas, seeing the Stockyards in Fort Worth and visiting The White Elephant, Bill Bobs and the Flying Saucer, taking a relaxing walk around Barton Lake in Austin and seeing the Capitol Building. Emma has some great hints and tips for Hill Country and Big Bend too.
My favourite tip from Emma was to stay in Marfa to view the lights. The Marfa Lights are glowing basketball sized multi coloured orbs that appear in the desert outside Marfa. Some people believe these lights are aliens or ghosts, others are boring enough to believe them to be car headlights but no one really knows for sure!
| State: | Texas |
| Towns of Interest: (FB) = Firebreak | Dallas Forth Worth Austin San Antonio |
| National Parks: | Big Bend National Park Guadalupe Mountains National Park |
| State Parks of Interest: | Enchanted Rock State Park (Hill Country) |
| Places of Interest: (N) = Night Stay | Dallas (N) The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza (The presumed murderer of President John F. Kennedy, Lee Harvey Oswald, is believed to have fired the fatal shots from the sixth floor of the Texas School Book Depository at the intersection of Houston and Elm Streets) Reunion Tower (he most distinguished and most recognizable tower in Dallas. GeO-Deck observation level, home to an informative interactive display providing details about the building and notable landmarks) Klyde Warren Park (This unique park is easily accessible as it sits right in the middle of uptown Dallas, with food trucks and restaurants along its perimeter) Pioneer Plaza (City’s largest public park area, and a very popular tourist site) Dallas Cattle Drive Sculptures (These amazing life size sculptures are dotted around Pioneer Plaza) The Katy Trail (follows the path of the old Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad (known simply as MKT) and is a popular walking, jogging, bicycling and even inline skating trail) Dallas Heritage Village at Old City Park John F. Kennedy Memorial Plaza Fort Worth (Nx2) Fort Worth Stockyards (Fort Worth's biggest tourist attractions and takes visitors back to the days of the great cattle round-ups with all kinds of entertainment and fun things to see and do, from rodeos to live music shows, museums, and western-themed shopping) The White Elephant (good live music) Bill Bob’s (rodeo arena in a bar) Cattle Drives (are held daily at 11:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. along Exchange Avenue in the Stockyards National Historic District, meet the drovers at 3pm) Sundance Square (Consisting of a mix of residential, commercial, retail, and entertainment buildings and named after the infamous outlaw, the Sundance Kid, the area is safe and fun to explore on foot thanks to its many pedestrian zones. In addition to restaurants, cafés, and hotels, Sundance Square contains many excellent shopping opportunities, from high-end boutiques and interesting art galleries to large department stores) Flying Saucer near Sundance Square (nice atmosphere and live music all evening) National Cowgirl Museum and the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame (a tribute to the women of the American West who distinguished themselves and exemplified the pioneer spirit, including cowgirls and ranch women, writers, artists, teachers, and entertainers) Water Gardens (beautiful and refreshing oasis adjacent to the Fort Worth Convention Center) Justin Boots Outlet Store (cheapest authentic boots - 717 W. Vickery, Fort Worth, TX 76104-1142, Region: Near Southside) Austin (Nx2) See the bats fly out from under the Congress Ave Bridge Baylor Street Art Wall (the concert foundation has become a canvas for local graffiti artists. It is constantly changing, just like the city. While there be sure to climb to the top to get a great view of the city. 11th & Baylor Street) Lady Bird Lake Hike & Bike Trail (One of the best ways to check out Downtown Austin is from the water - good for Paddle boarding) Rainey Street (The most well known party-street in Austin is still 6th Street, but in recent years Rainey Street has given it a run for its money) Barton Springs Pool (situated at the grounds of Zilker Park. It is a must-go-to place in the summer to cool off) Krause Springs (Natural springs fill a concrete swimming pool on the upper part of the property and the runoff flows via waterfall into the lagoon-like swimming hole down below) Hike Mount Bonnell (Mount Bonnell is considered the highest point in Austin at 775 feet. It is a popular tourist destination to view the city of Austin, Lake Austin and surrounding hills) Barton Lake (relaxed afternoon walking, biking or driving it) Capitol building (free tour) Hamilton Pool (The closest thing to an oasis you’ll likely ever see. This swimming hole sits in a natural grotto carved out of limestone, and is complete with a small beach area and a 50-foot waterfall! Admittance is around $15 per vehicle, and the park usually reaches occupancy by 10am on hot summer days, so arrive early. It’s also a good idea to call before you head out as the preserve is often closed for swimming due to high bacteria levels (most commonly in the days following a rainstorm) - 23 miles west of Austin). Check if reservations are needed - https://parks.traviscountytx.gov/find-a-park/hamilton-pool New Braunfels (Tube down the Comal or Guadalupe Rivers. Continuously running shuttles to the river. To Float time is about 2 -3 hours) Natural Bridge Caverns (30 minutes outside San Antonio. Awesome natural underground caves) San Antonio (Nx2) San Antonio River Walk (2.5-mile-long network of walkways, along the banks of the San Antonio River, is lined with an eclectic mix of shops, bars and restaurants) Historic Market Square (Also known as El Mercado, this historic shopping district in downtown San Antonio is home to the largest Mexican shopping center in the city, along with plenty of festivals and exhibits) The Alamo (stood its ground for 13 days in March 1836 -- the deaths of a small band of Texans here has since come to symbolize will and fortitude in the pursuit of Texas’ independence) La Villita Historic Arts Village (Established in 1939, La Villita Historic Arts Village is home to nearly 30 galleries and shops, all contained within 1 square block, featuring oil paintings, sculptures, watercolors and more by local and regional artists) Tower of the Americas (The 750-foot-tall Tower of the Americas offers great views of downtown San Antonio. Built for the 1968 World’s Fair, the structure was the tallest observation tower in America until 1996) Open top bus recommended Texas Hill Country Bandera (Cowboy Capital of the World) Kerrville (Pretty town) Fredericksburg (German town - shuttle every day up and down a route that covers something like 20 wineries) Enchanted Rock State Park (Pink granite with a magical feel) Junction (Somewhere to stay on route to Big Bend) (N) Big Bend National Park (Nx2) Panther Junction Visitor Center (Collect maps, information on hiking and safety tips - behind the visitor center lie the Chisos Mountains) Pather Path (A 50 yard nature trail near the visitor center) Basin Junction (3 miles after the visitor center, turn left down Basin Junction. Ahead on the right looms Pulliam Bluff. If you look closely, you might see the face of a man reclining) Lost Mine Peak (at 2.5 miles, the jagged sumit to your left is Lost Mine Peak) Casa Grande (Big House - will be straight ahead, a landmark for much of the park) Green Gulch (As the road climbs higher into the mountains, you go through a canyon called Green Culch) Panther Pass (In about 5 miles, the road hits the highest point at Panther Pass, names for the mountain lions that still roam these hills) Lost Mine Trail (Park at the nearby trailhead for the Lost Mine Trail, there is a strenuous 4.8 mile road trip or if you are short on time, hike the 2 mile round trip to Junier Canyon Overlook, for good vistas of wooded Juniper Canyon) The Basin (After Panther Pass, the road decends in hairpin curves to the basin, a 3 mile depression in the mountains. There are many hikes from here including an easy 0.3 mile round trip to Window View Trail) Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive (Rte 118 - 31 mile tour, some of the parks most striking scenery) Sam Nail Ranch (Park at Old Sam Nail Ranch and stroll a short path to the remains of windmills and a ranch house) Blue Creek Ranch Overlook Sotol Vista (a spur road, the parking lot at the end of it provides vista's of the surrounding mountains and a plaque identifies what is what) Volcanism (an exhib on the left in about 6.5 miles describes how volcanism shaping the landscape) Mule Ears (the next spur road on the left has excellent views of the peaks known as Mule Ears) Tuff Canyon (after 4.5 miles, stop for to see Tuffs Canyon, stroll the short trail to the right to biew the canyon, its a 0.75 mile round trip) Castolon (Turn left onto Castolon to stroll around the old Army post, it is a trading post, visitor center and bookstore) Santa Elena Canyon Overlook (about 8 miles from Castolon) Terrlingua Creek (at the end of the road, if the water is low, put on some old shoes and wade across Terlingua Creek. You can continue on here down the Santa Elena Canyon Trail which is a 1.7 mile round trip and ends in striking views) Terlingua (Formerly a mining center, now a tourist destination) El Camino del Rio ("The River Road" - Old Spanish Trail then a smuggler route, one of the best drives in Texas) Marfa (N) Fort Davis (Famous Fort from the Civil War) Guadalupe Mountains National Park Devil's Hall Trail (3.8 miles) hike Smith Spring Loop (2.3 miles) hike |
| Routes of Interest: | Hill Country Basin Drive (Big Bend) Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive (Rte 118 - Big Bend) El Camino del Rio (Big Bend) |
| Useful Links: | https://www.tourtexas.com/ https://www.traveltexas.com http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/road-trips/hill-country-texas-road-trip/ https://www.fortworth.com/ |
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