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Texas
Bigger than a whole heap of countries, Texas is vast, diverse and welcoming: from big-city lights to small-town simplicity, white-sand beaches to high-country hikes.
From the beautiful beaches of the Texas Gulf Coast to the rugged mountains of Big Bend, Texas is full of fascinating destinations, breathtaking landscapes, and a unique culture all its own. Whether you’re savoring Texas wine in the Hill Country, exploring historic Spanish missions, or watching the cattle drive at the Fort Worth Stockyards, you’ll find there’s no shortage of amazing adventures here in the Lone Star State.
Discover all the places to see, things to do, events, and more with your free copy of the Texas State Travel Guide.
Road trip
There’s absolutely no better way to explore the Lone Star State than on an epic Texas road trip, and we’ve created this road trip guide to show you some of the best ones around!
From Texas’ largest cities to its open plains, from its laid-back beach towns to its wine country, there is no shortage of variety when it comes to what you can experience in Texas.
Austin to San Antonio Loop
For first-time visitors to Texas and Lone Star State lovers alike, it’s hard to imagine a better short Texas road trip than the route between Austin and San Antonio–especially because it is so customizable!
While Austin and San Antonio are less than 2 hours apart (allegedly–traffic often has other plans), here are just a few things to you can potentially do on the way: float the river in New Braunfels, swim in Hamilton Pool in Dripping Springs, shop in San Marcos, and eat some of Texas’ best barbecue in Lockhart.
Small Hill Country Towns + Outdoor Adventures
This Texas road trip also focuses on the general region between and around Austin and San Antonio–also known as the Texas Hill Country–but instead of focusing the trip on the area’s two large cities with a few stops along the way, this one is focused entirely on the countryside.
Starting from either Austin or San Antonio, head out into the Hill Country to explore the official Texas Wine Trail, stop by whimsical Wimberely to experience Jacob’s Well and its colorful downtown, scarf down German food in Fredericksburg, sample barbecue in Lockhart, swim in Dripping Springs, head to the LBJ Ranch, and stop by the positively tiny town of Luckenbach.
Route 66
Texas’ portion of Route 66 is fairly short–you can drive it straight across the panhandle in about 3 hours without stopping–but it definitely makes for a classic Texas road trip!
Along Route 66, by far the biggest city you’ll pass is Amarillo, where you should definitely stop to check out the Historic Route 66 District, the American Quarter Horse Museum, and–for the very, very hungry–the 72 oz. steak challenge at the Big Texan Steak Ranch (don’t worry, they have more human-sized portions on offer too).
You’ll definitely want to swing by Cadillac Ranch as well, located just west of Amarillo, for a sight that you just don’t see everyday: 10 Cadillacs with their frontends buried in a field, spray-painted within an inch of their lives.
The Great Big Outdoors
We know you’ve heard, but Texas is big…really BIG. More than 261,000 sq miles, in fact: that’s larger than Germany, England, Scotland, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Belgium and the Netherlands combined. And it ain’t all just tumblin’ tumbleweeds. Barrier islands with windswept dunes and public beaches stretch down 367 miles of coastline. In the west, three mountain ranges top more than 7000ft, and Big Bend National Park is the state’s premier trekking and primary rafting destination. And to the northeast, soaring pine forests and sinuous, cypress-lined bayous are perfect for hiking and kayaking.
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You could easily spend a lifetime in the US and still feel like you’ve just scratched the surface.
It’s epic on every scale. After all, this is a place where you can watch the thunderous spectacle of Niagara Falls, trek through the soaring Black Hills of South Dakota and cruise along California’s glorious Pacific Coast; where you can ski at Lake Tahoe, go cattle ranching in the Midwest and imbibe live jazz in New Orleans.
The options, it seems, are endless.
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