Help me with Texas Travel plans

[New England Eeyore]

I'm starting to plan a trip for my DH and I for the first week in April to Texas. We want to be able to see as many cities as possible and we love to drive, so the road trip aspect is part of the fun. Let me preface this by saying I know there's no way to really see all that each city has to offer, but we want to get a sampling of them to see where we might like to return one day.

My first tentative plan was Houston, Dallas and San Antonio, but on researching airfare, Austin was the cheapest for us by a lot. I also planned to fly into one city and fly out of another but with the increases in airfare and oneway rental car fees, it would be much cheaper to start and finish in Austin.

This is a really rough plan:
Saturday fly into Austin early, have the afternoon and all day Sunday. Monday AM drive to San Antonio, have afternoon and all day Tuesday. Wednesday AM drive to Houston. Have afternoon and all day Thursday. Friday AM drive to Dallas, have afternoon and all day Saturday. Sunday drive back to Austin and fly out in PM.

That's one and a half days in each city. Would we be better off skipping one city? And if so, which one? Here's what I *know* we'd like to do:
San Antonio: The Alamo, Riverwalk; Austin: LBJ library; Dallas: 6th floor museum; Houston: NASA. As I research, I know I'll find other things, but that's a start.

So what do you think? Would you try to cram in all 4 cities or drop one? We like history and great food. Everything else is negotiable.

Thanks for your help.

 

[Rafiki Rafiki Rafiki]

Well, for starters I would cut that Austin time down and head on down to San Antonio. There is so much more to do there. Austin is only an hour away from SA, and you may want to stop into San Marcos to the outlet mall while you're there.

From there, I would go on to Houston, then Dallas, and finish up at Austin...

 

[TheOtherVillainess]

Wait a minute wait a minute wait a MINUTE!

You mean you put shopping at some tacky outlet mall over the fun and most definately funkified shopping on South Congress,Rafiki?

Although, I do have to say this,if you're coming that time of year you DEFINATELY want to drive through the Hill Country to see the bluebonnets. They are specatacular!

IFIWY (but I'm not,so take this with a grain of salt) I would only try to do like 3 cities..Dallas,Austin and San Antonio. San Antonio is about as chockfull of Texas history as you can get. Austin has the capital building and South Congress,where all the free spirits seem to congregate which makes for some very interesting shopping options. Just don't forget to buy your 'Keep Austin Weird" shirt. It's a great souveneir,because Austin is a very odd town indeed which makes it all the more special.
Dallas has the 6th Floor museum,dedicated to the assassination of President Kennedy. We also have the DMA (Dallas Museum of Art)which always has spectacular exhibits going on. I would avoid the West End though,unless you like getting mugged.

Any more questions, you can PM me. I'm a native Texan who's lived in the Dallas/Ft.Worth area all my life,but I've traveled up and down and sideways all over this great state.

TOV

 

[Texan Mouseketeer]

I guess living around Dallas my whole life, I don't see the appeal of coming here. The sixth floor thing would be nice, but not worth leaving the Austin/San Antonio/Hill Country area. In addition to what was mentioned already, there are some wineries down there you could tour in the hill country. There are museums in San Antonio that you could do if you were interested in the DMA. Just a thought and of course take it with a grain of salt, but you'd be saving on drive time by cutting out Dallas and giving yourself more time to do things in that other area...have fun! Sounds like a neat trip.

 

[ahutton]

I'm quite partial to Austin, but I live here so of course I think it is cool. The LBJ library is cool. Most times of year the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center is very cool (extra special in March/April when blooming season is going). Lots of great places to eat, Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum is also incredible. For a really cool, special hotel check out the Driskill on 6th Street (the famous music street!). Radisson has a property that is next to the water and Congress Avenue Bridge (where the famous bats live).

When we head to San Antonio to see the Alamo and Riverwalk we go to Hotwire.com and look for hotels on the river. You can then wander around on foot and catch much more scenery than any other way around town. There is a river cruise (during the day it is a tour, in the evening it is a dinner cruise). We never make "big" plans down there, we just wander and stumble into something wonderful each and every time.

We haven't done much visiting of other cities, but in the fall head to Houston for the Renaissance Festival. There is a Space Center there that we look forward to visiting some day.

 

[brerrabbit]

It's doable but you will miss some things. In Austin if you like Mexican Food try the original Chueys. Also the capital building in Austin and the surrounding grounds have a lot of museum type areas to see. When in Houston if you enjoy history I might suggest a trip to the San Jacinto Monument and Battle Ground. April 21 is San Jacinto Day and Texas Independence day. April 2006 will be the 172 anniversery of the Battle and Texas' independence from Mexico. This way you will see the beginning (the Alamo) and the end (San Jacinto) of the Texas Independence fight. NASA has Space Center Houston which is right next to NASA and is sort of an interactive amusement area with an educational focus, you can easily spend the better part of the day there. If you are at NASA I would suggest traveling to Kemah as you will be very close. There is a Boardwalk there with numerous resturants and some rides and shops. Its pretty neat. If you are interested there is also a hotel on the Boardwalk but it has very few rooms so you might want to look into that early. If B&B is more your speed just across the channel from Kemah is Seabrook and they have a B&B on the water there you can stay in. Dallas is really soread out and the museum you want to see is downtown. Plenty of great resturants there and over in Fort Worth is Billie Bobs which is the worlds biggest honky tonk. Outside of Austin is Fredricksburg and they have the Nimitz museum there. They also have a lot of antique shops and places toi stroll around. Depending on your route from Austin to Houston you might take 290 and if you do I would recommend a stop in Brenham and a tour of the Blue Bell Ice Cream plant. Free Samples.

Tons to see and do but if you have any specific questions I could help you.

For referance: Travel Times
Houston to Dallas 4.5 to 5 hours
San Antonio to Austin 1 to 1.5 hours (construction can make this longer)
Austin or San Antonio to Houston 3 to 3.5 hours.

 

[New England Eeyore]

Awesome, thanks for all the advice!

Because San Antonio and Dallas are definites for us, if we were going to skip one city, it would have to be Houston. It'd be great to do the Space Center and San Jacinto, but maybe we could incorporate a side trip there when we go to New Orleans someday. Most of you are echoing what I originally suspected which was to concentrate our time in the 3 other cities.

We love country music and that's not exactly easy to find up here in Boston so that honky-tonk sounds like something we'd definitely check out. What else should we try for? I read Austin is a great place for live music.

As I read more books and figure things out I'll definitely have more questions.

Thank you!!!

 

[Chris2597]

I live in San Antonio....and April is the perfect time to visit. The Riverwalk is a must.....You may even be here for NIOSA (Night in Old San Antonio)....It is a huge festival on and around the Riverwalk, parades...a really big deal....I am not sure of the exact date, but I am sure it is posted on San Antonio travel websites....If you are going to be here that week....book a room now especially if you are intending on staying on the Riverwalk....There are 2 Marriotts on the river, a Hyatt, Hilton and a Holiday Inn Select....all very nice.
I agree a drive through the Hill Country is in order to see the beautiful flowers. They are spectacular. LBJ's ranch and boyhood home are N of SA and worth the trip.
While downtown you can tour the Institute of Texans Cultures....very interesting and worth the time, El Mercado (market square), The Alamo....of course....you cant visit SA without at least a quick trip through.
Fiesta Texas and SeaWorld should be open on weekends by then.
Good restaurants
Jim's coffee shop (for breakfast,usually really good biscuits, good burgers)
Tomatillo's Mexican Cantina
Taco Cabana (good fast food Mexican)
Las Palapas (fast food, decent)
The Barn Door Steak House
Alamo Cafe
Babino Huey's, but I think they just changed the name to Boccone's (be sure to try a Babino Huey for dessert)
Magnolia Pancake House (breakfast and lunch, only)
Breakfast at the Pioneer flour mill (great breakfast in a historic mill in the middle of downtown)... try the cinnamon rolls.
I really expanded on restaurants as I know how hard it is when traveling to know the good places.
There are numerous restaurants on the Riverwalk, some good, some terrible, but all typically pricey. There is an Olive Garden, if you like that sort of food. There is a Hard Rock Cafe, Hooter's and several steak places, and Mexican food. Rivercenter Mall has a food court with a wide selection of places. If you like to dance...there is Polyester's....a three tiered dance club....there are all ages having a good time and music for everyone. Really a lot of fun.
If you have any questions please ask....I will be happy to tip you off to hotels, and areas to see and to stay away from. Chris
PS....We went to the Space Center in Houston a couple of years ago and were really disappointed...It seemed geared to Elementary age children....my kids 16-13 were bored with most of it. I have heard good things about Kemah Park....in the NASA area.

 

[Chris2597]

I thought of one more thing....While in Austin go to 6th st. Lots of clubs, restaurants....lots of good barbecue places in the Austin area.

 

[Boston Tea Party]

Wait a minute. How old are y'all? Do you enjoy drinking and partying or sightseeing and cultural things? Do you like the finer things or folk art type places? Tell us what you like and we'll tell you where to go.

 

[denisenh]

I love San Antonio! The riverwalk is very nice. I don't know as much as the above posters do, but when we visited a few years ago we went to the Alamo, the riverwalk, some wax museum too....oh it was Ripley's and we went to Sea World.
I really wanted to go to the Zoo there but time wouldn't allow.
We also visited Corpus Christi and had a great time there on the gulf coast for a week or so. (I lived in both cities when I was much younger.)
Lucky you! Have a great time!!

 

[New England Eeyore]

Wait a minute. How old are y'all? Do you enjoy drinking and partying or sightseeing and cultural things? Do you like the finer things or folk art type places? Tell us what you like and we'll tell you where to go.

We're 27 and 34. We don't like drinking and partying but we do like to go out at night and hear good music or comedy or something like that. We do like sightseeing and some cultural things. We're definitely not into the 'finer things' - we're just plain folks all the way. We're not really into art in general, but I do like to get the local color of an area.

We'll miss that NIOSA - we'll be going at the beginning of the month and that's at the end.

Chris - thanks so much for the restaurant recommendations. You're exactly right that it's hard to know what's good, especially just reading a guidebook.

I'm going to book airfare soon and then start looking into hotels.

Since several of you have mentioned a drive through Hill Country is there one particular road to follow or one particular town to visit?

You guys (or should I say y'all?) are awesome. This is exactly why I love the DIS.

 

[mom2grace]

It wouldn't be a trip to Austin without dinner at the Salt Lick BBQ. Absolutely the BEST! Their website is saltlickbbq.com. MMMMMMMM!

And, this could incorporate a drive through the Hill Country, but others would have to help with that.

 

[RUDisney]

If you haven't done so, order a Texas tour book from the state's website. It was undoubtedly the best state tourist book I've ever used. If it's still the same, it is sectioned out very well.

My best friend did her residency in Temple while her DH was stationed at Ft. Hood. We used her house as a stopping ground each night but did day trips when she and her DH were at work.

There are just so many nice places to stop... weird places that you'd never think to see if you weren't on the main interstate.

We spent a day in Dallas, went to the Book Depository. Definitely rent the tape tour. Get you picture taken behind the fence at the grassy knoll. Nieman Marcus' flagship store is in Dallas. That was important to my DH since we've been to Saks, Bloomies, and Macy's in NYC and Marshall Fields in Chicago. He's the shopper... not me.

In Waco, there is the Dr. Pepper Museum. Did you know that is where it was invented? Also, right on the interstate is the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame. Bonnie and Clyde's guns are there. And Baylor's library windows are beautiful.

While in the Hill Country, go to Lake Travis. Right near there is Slaughter Leftwich Winery. We stopped there thinking, "how good could wine from Texas be?" It was actually very good and we wound up making some purchases.

Austin's capital building offers tours, and the LBJ library is a nice place to spend some time. Austin also has a very nice botanical garden.

We stopped in Saledo and bought some nice pottery and heading south toward San Antonio, you can stop at Schlitterbaun, the water park that is rated #1 by the Travel Channel each year.

Don't miss the Alamo in San Antonio. There is also a Sea World there and we loved spending time on the Riverswalk.

So, without ever venturing to Houston, there is plenty to do with your time if you only stay between San Antonio and Dallas.

Save Houston for another time and you can break up the week by going to the Gulf Coast.

 

[New England Eeyore]

In Waco, there is the Dr. Pepper Museum. Did you know that is where it was invented?

Yes, I just read that today. And it was invented by a pharmacist (which is what I am too) so between that and my DH's fondness for the drink, we'll definitely have to check that out.

 

[gradtchr]

A great restaurant to stop at is Stagecoach Inn in Salado. It's on I-35 on the way to Waco from SA and Austin. Historical restaurant with good food.

 

[Rafiki Rafiki Rafiki]

Uh, yeah, and don't forget about the Branch Davidian compound....

 

[Planogirl]

I wouldn't bother with Dallas if it were me. I'd go to Fort Worth instead. FW has much better art museums and the stockyards can be a hoot. I'd make it a point to visit Billy Bob's if something's going on there.

But definitely try to drive through the Hill Country. You can go to Fredericksburg and climb Enchanted Rock. You can go to New Braunfels and visit the best waterpark in the country, the original Schlitterbahn (if they're open when you go) and also visit the community of Gruene for browsing and a visit to an old dance hall. There's slews of wonderful little German, Czech and goodness knows what else towns in the Hill Country and the flowers are spectacular in the Spring.

Do consider spending most of your time in and around San Antonio. The still working missions are more interesting to me than the Alamo (even if it is our shrine) with Mission Concepcion being my personal favorite. Definitely look into a travel guide for San Antone because there's so much to see and do there!

 

[Chris2597]

There are several different options for taking a drive to view the flowers. I would say either I10 W out towards Boerne, which by the way is a nice town (getting bigger by the year), with an old fashion downtown, cute shops and restaurants or N on 281, take 46 R or L willl take you to Boerne....I think there is a website that will give you the best areas for flowers.....the above areas are where we have gone, but there are so many. Last year was a bumper crop of flowers....they were outstanding and lasted longer than usual.
You would probably also enjoy Gruene Tx....It is near New Braunfels, about 20 min. from SA.
I am not a "drinker and/or party animal but the Riverwalk is not only a beautiful place but it is a fun place at night....and yes, there are loads of museums and cultural events/attractions in the city and surrounding areas.

 

[Missamoncus]

We live in the village of Wimberley , about forty miles SW of Austin. I highly reccomend a Hill Country Drive. Fredericksburg, Wimberley , New Braunfels, Johnson City. All great places. The willow City Loop outside Fredericksburg is a great drive to see the wildflowers. That would also put you in the vicinity
of the famed Luckenback , Texas . Made famous by the classic country song.
There are great live music events that go on there, or you may just see an old lady in a bonnet taking care of her goats . The goats, btw , used to wonder in and out of the music hall. Thats the charm of Luchenbach, you never know. Willie Nelson or goat lady. I think Gruene is a great suggestion.
Ray Wylie Hubbard ( Up Against The Wall Redneck Mother ) plays the gruene Hall often . So do other Great Texas Song Writers like Jerry Jeff Walker.
I have always wanted to stay in a Sunday House in Fredericksburg. These are little houses built in the 1800's and early 1900's in town by ranchers who would come to town on Saturday from ranches miles away and spend the night to go to church on Sunday. Many of them have been turned into B&B's. You can find them on the internet. Just don't get fooled by the Sunday House Best Western. Its just a motel!

Melissa