Calling all Texans!!

[C.Ann]

Just wanted to give you a heads up.. I'm a few steps closer to making my dream of visiting Texas come true..

I heard from my friend in Austin the other day.. She liked my plan of flying out of Orlando (so I could get a direct flight) while I'm down in Florida.. January and February works best for her (she said she wants to take a full week of vacation from work because there's "too much she wants to show me to do it in a lesser amount of time")..

I'm also toying with the idea of making a road trip out of it and driving from Orlando to Austin.. Of course that will depend on how I feel after driving from NY to Florida.. (Did I enjoy it? Hate it? Wish I had flown?)

So what do you think? Will I enjoy it at that time of year? And if I decide to drive from Orlando to Texas, will I run into any "weather" related problems? Any suggestions for the best scenic route?

Thanks!

 

[DVC Jen]

Jan and Feb are prime months for ice storms in my neck of the woods (dallas) but i am not sure about further south.

we do the drive from our home to orlando nearly every year and it really isn't bad at all. So if you don't need to worry about any wintery precip (although you are much more used to that than we are) you shouldn't have a problem at all.

 

[trappednabox]

It can be a little cold that time of year, but it's really not that bad. I think you'll have a great time!

 

[Boston Tea Party]

It can get icy in the Austin area. There can also be a lot of rain. March would be really nice, though.

Oh, and that's a heck of a drive. I would think about 19 hours. If you come through Houston, I'd love to meet up!

 

[bettyann29]

Welcome!! I think March would be better due to weather... Texas has so much to offer.. I never really thought about it much as we love to go everywhere else, but me and my boyfriend were talking about all the different things we could do here in Texas for weekends and there really is alot.. Hope you have a great time..

 

[C.Ann]

It can get icy in the Austin area. There can also be a lot of rain. March would be really nice, though.

Oh, and that's a heck of a drive. I would think about 19 hours. If you come through Houston, I'd love to meet up!

-----------
Unfortunately March is when all of her mandatory overtime starts.. Maybe the last week of February would be better?

And I'll keep you in mind if I decide to drive.. Much as I love flying (because it's quick) it KILLS me to think of all the neat stuff I miss with a "fly-by"..

 

[Boston Tea Party]

-----------
Unfortunately March is when all of her mandatory overtime starts.. Maybe the last week of February would be better?

And I'll keep you in mind if I decide to drive.. Much as I love flying (because it's quick) it KILLS me to think of all the neat stuff I miss with a "fly-by"..

How about flying into Houston and renting a car here? The drive from here to Austin is beautiful! In late February, depending, you just may see some wildflowers.

The flight from Orlando to Houston is 2:20 give or take.

 

[C.Ann]

How about flying into Houston and renting a car here? The drive from here to Austin is beautiful! In late February, depending, you just may see some wildflowers.

The flight from Orlando to Houston is 2:20 give or take.

---------------

That's a thought too.. I was just thinking about the states I'll "miss" between Florida and Texas though.. I don't think any of them are a place I would choose for a vacation destination in the future so I thought maybe I could just get a "peek" along the way.. Time won't be a factor, so I wouldn't really have to rush..

 

[drakethib]

Southwest fares are too cheap for me to do a 13 - 14 hour drive.

But I am one of those "are we there yet?" people.

 

[Pop Daddy]

you people in Texas watch out, where ever she goes people end up "dissappearing"

 

[C.Ann]

you people in Texas watch out, where ever she goes people end up "dissappearing"

---------------

Careful, Jason.. I know where you live............

 

[ckmommy]

We make the drive from Houston to Orlando every other year. It is 15 hours straight through. I think Hwy 98 through Mississippi is the scenic route. We took that way last year. You drive along the ocean, through Biloxi--lots of casinos (if you are into that). It is a slow route, but if you are not in a hurry, I would go that way. You also could go through Destin, Fl. We have not been this way yet, but will be going in September. New Orleans will be in full Party swing in Feb. You may not want to miss that either.

I agree with others--Jan. and Feb. are the coldest months for Texas. Although, the highs are usually in at least the 50's and may be in the 70's (who knows, those can be real roller coaster months for the temps).

Have fun planning your visit!!

 

[Planogirl]

Come as late as you can. I imagine that you'll want to spend time in San Antonio and the Riverwalk is miserable when it's cold and windy. With any luck we'll have an early spring and you can even see some of the wildflowers.

If you drive, you could consider checking out Bellingrath Gardens in Mobile if the weather is nice. The beaches in Florida and Mississippi are great and of course, there's New Orleans. St Francisville, just to the north of Baton Rouge, is nice for a quick visit too.

You sound like me. I like to meander and explore during road trips if I have the time.

 

[cajunmommy]

Mardi Gras is Feb 28, 2006. The couple of weeks before then will be prime party time in New Orleans. Just be sure to keep that in mind. I don't want to dissuade you from visiting the city, just want you to be prepared as traffic, schedules, etc. are affected. Despite the PR, the whole area is not a drunken orgy.

 

[C.Ann]

Mardi Gras is Feb 28, 2006. The couple of weeks before then will be prime party time in New Orleans. Just be sure to keep that in mind. I don't want to dissuade you from visiting the city, just want you to be prepared as traffic, schedules, etc. are affected. Despite the PR, the whole area is not a drunken orgy.

----------------

Oh - thanks for that info! Maybe I might want to avoid NE on my way over to Texas, but hit it on the way back?

 

[pamlet]

Hi C Ann..

While Jan/Feb are the "coldest" months in South Texas.. (it isn't FLORIDA).. it's still MUCH warmer than up north!

If you've never been through "the deep south" driving might be fun! Especially if you took more than few days up and back and took different routes coming/going.

Up toward Austin the wildflowers don't really start coming out until March or so - but depending on the year and the weather you may see the start of them in late February... Austin itself is fun - and then there's the "Hill Country" to the west of it... When I found the Hill Country it was exactly how I pictured TEXAS!!

Couple places to go.. and could be accomplished on one day trip (preferably a Saturday or Sunday) out of Austin.

Take 290 through Dripping Springs toward Johnson City... go through Johnson City - you can see Lyndon Johnson's boyhood home. Continue west on 290.. you'll come to Johnson's Ranch - you can take a little tour of the ranch property and they also have an old fashion "living history" museum of a farm from "way back when".. also they have longhorn cattle and bison..

As you leave there continue west.. you'll find http://www.wildseedfarms.com/
on the right. It's really pretty cool anytime of year..

Past that when you see the KOA Campground.. turn left and go down to Luchenbach, TX. Yep the one in the song. It's a fun little place.. and this is why I said to go on a Saturday or Sunday. On the weekends there are people who just show up, drink beer and play music sitting out under the trees. They have a little "bar" that serves soda and beer. It's a blast to hear these folks playing and singing!! There's usually a game of "washers" going to.. (this is sort of like horseshoe's but they toss these big washers..)

Then go back up to 290 .. turn west and go to Fredricksburg. This is a little town with a German heritage... ton's of nifty restaurants and shops. Also the Admiral Nimitz Museum if you're into WWII history.

I do this trip with folks who come to visit us... we have a BLAST!

No matter what you do in Texas you'll have fun! It's such a neat place - we MOVED here..

 

[C.Ann]

We make the drive from Houston to Orlando every other year. It is 15 hours straight through. I think Hwy 98 through Mississippi is the scenic route. We took that way last year. You drive along the ocean, through Biloxi--lots of casinos (if you are into that). It is a slow route, but if you are not in a hurry, I would go that way. You also could go through Destin, Fl. We have not been this way yet, but will be going in September. New Orleans will be in full Party swing in Feb. You may not want to miss that either.

I agree with others--Jan. and Feb. are the coldest months for Texas. Although, the highs are usually in at least the 50's and may be in the 70's (who knows, those can be real roller coaster months for the temps).

Have fun planning your visit!!

--------------

Only 15 hours to Houston? That gives me LOTS of time to meander along the way.. Now how much longer to Austin from Houston?

Cold weather doesn't bother me.. I don't handle heat and humidity well at all..
It's too bad her mandatory overtime starts in March because it sounds like that would be the "perfect" time - weatherwise..

 

[WDWHound]

I live in Round Rock, just north of Austin. January here is usually very nice here in austin. In fact, my wife and I held our wedding reception oputside in January. Expect temperatures in the 50's most of the time. I have seen Temperatureas as high as 78 and as low as 15, but these extremes are rare.

As for Ice stroms, don't worry about it. We may get one of these every 2 or 3 years, and they can happen any time from December - March. The odds of an ice storm hitting during the year you are here, much less the week you are here, are very low. March is actually a risker month weather wise than January around here. We tend to get a lot of rain in March.

You will miss a few things if you come before the end of April. Our bat community is gone during the winter, so you will miss the rather spectactular flying or the bats from the Congress avenue bridge that takes place every night. It draws big crowds and is a lot of fun to watch. You will also miss out on the wildflowers, which never appear before April. Other than than that, there not much here in the spring that isn't here in the winter.

BTW: its 3 hours from Houston to Austin via highway 290.

 

[C.Ann]

Thanks so much for all of this info!! I don't know what the "draw" is to Texas, but I have ALWAYS wanted to go there..

I wish I had time to go to Dallas, but I'm thinking that might really be stretching it.. I would give my EYE TEETH to go to Dealy Plaza (sp?) - as well as seeing "Southfork" (or is that just a rumor?)..

Now I'm beginning to think that if I'm gong to drive all the way to Texas, maybe I ought to just "stay" awhile! LOL

 

[Planogirl]

There is really a Southfork Ranch but the house is actually a lot smaller than you might expect. http://www.southforkranch.com/