‘Big, bigger, biggest’. If that slogan applies to anything, it is to the southern state of Texas, the second largest state in the United States after Alaska. But Texas is not only big, it is also very versatile. According to growtheology, vast prairies with beautiful ranches, impressive deserts and the wonderful beaches on the sunny Gulf Coast. A holiday in Texas is very versatile and will overwhelm you! Or book a special ( motorhome ) tour in Texas. In addition to a tour in Texas, there are also special Fly drives through the cities. Check out Fly drive Dallas , Fly drive Houston and Fly drive Austin .
12. Sightseeing Vacation Texas
Combined with vibrant cities such as Dallas, Houston, San Antonio and Austin, Texas really offers everything for a great vacation! Vast oil fields, large ranches and cowboys. That’s the image many people have of Texas. Not least because of many films and television series in which this state has starred. And while a visit to a traditional rodeo is definitely a must-do, Texas offers so much more. In addition to overwhelming nature, there are also many other attractions on your Texas Vacation!
1. Rafting the Rio Grande
One of the most impressive places to visit on your Texas vacation is Big Bend National Park. This park is quite remote in the extreme southwest of Texas along the border with Mexico. The nights in the park are breathtaking because you can experience how dark the nights in the desert can be. And on the famous Rio Grande that flows through this park, you can take a spectacular canoe or rafting trip.
2. Roadtrip door Texas
Discovering Texas is best done by car. Not only because you have to travel considerable distances between cities and nature parks, but also because you can decide for yourself where you drive to. This state has so many faces that you prefer to have as much freedom of movement as possible.
The considerable travel distances you make in Texas are not a problem, because the most beautiful and varied landscapes reveal themselves along the way. From the large farms with huge fields for the cows to, for example, Guadalupe Peak, which, at 2,667 meters, is the highest mountain in the state. Discover Texas with the Texas, Big, Bigger, Biggest car tour or the Texas, The Great Escape car tour .
3. Guadalupe Mountains National Park Texas
This place is part of Guadalupe Mountains National Park. This national park is located in western Texas, close to New Mexico. The park includes part of the Guadalupe Mountains in the Chihuahuan Desert.
Further northeast, you’ll find Palo Duro Canyon near Amarillo. A beautiful canyon in which greenery and bare rocks alternate. The Palo Duro is nothing short of spectacular. Zip Line Adventure Park, where you hurtle down above your canyon on a cable. A guaranteed thrill of a lifetime.
Amarillo itself is a beautiful town on the iconic Route 66 that you will pass on your Texas Vacation. Imagine yourself as a real cowboy in this landscape and take a ‘horseback ride in Cowboy Country’.
4. Diverse hilly landscape
Hill Country, a beautiful hilly landscape in central and southern Texas and forms the southeastern part of the Edwards Plateau. Because of its location, climate, terrain, and vegetation, the Hill Country is considered the border between the American Southeast and Southwest. Here too you can enjoy beautiful views and the area certainly invites you to walk around for a few hours.
5. Capital of Texas
Are you more of a city person and are you looking for bustle, culture and beautiful architecture? Even then a holiday in Texas is your dream holiday. For example, the capital city of Austin is also known as the ‘live music capitol of the world’. Fans of a relaxed atmosphere and fun music venues will get their money’s worth in this university city. Are you a fan of this relaxed music atmosphere? Then a fly drive Austin might be something for you. Every spring, Austin plays host to the South by Southwest cultural festival, which features more than 2,000 performers. Austin has a liberal and creative culture and the city wants to keep it that way. That’s why you often see ‘Keep Austin Weird’ on T-shirts and bumper stickers.
6. Vacation Dallas, Texas
In Dallas you will find a mix of modern skyscrapers and old beautifully restored buildings, such as the former Texas School Book Depository. From there, Lee Harvey Oswald shot and killed President John F. Kennedy. The Sixth Floor Museum During is now located in that building. During your Dallas, Texas vacation, visit this museum and gain insight into the life of John F. Kennedy. What you can do is book a fly drive Dallas . Here you will visit Dallas for the first few days and then pick up the car to discover the rest of Texas.
But also worth a visit is the Bishop Arts District. A hip neighborhood just outside downtown Dallas. In addition to art galleries, you will find beautiful boutique shops and no fewer than 60 restaurants here. So also in the culinary field you can fully enjoy the many and rich flavors of the Deep South in this city .
7. Central centerpiece
The beautiful town of Midland is located in the center of Texas. Whether you travel from Amarillo in the north to Big Bend National Park or from El Paso in the west to Fort Worth near Dallas: you cross Midland. A great place to spend the night during your Texas vacation and to look around for a day. For example, in the birthplace of former president George W. Bush. You can also brush up on the rich oil history in the city and the surrounding area in one of the museums dedicated to this industry.
8. Largest city in Texas
Things not to miss when visiting San Antonio are the River Walk and The Alamo. If you are traveling with children, be sure to visit SeaWorld. With an average of 300 sunny days a year, hot summers and mild winters, San Antonio almost always has the weather gods on its side! Thus, the climate in Texas is very sunny. Enjoy the sun, enjoy San Antonio!
9. Fort Worth Texas
Everything in the Fort Worth Stockyards Historic District breathes Texan cowboy history. Saloons, restaurants, rodeos, ranches and shops where you can be transformed into a real cowboy. A must-see is the cowboys driving the signature Texas Longhorns down Exchange Avenue! Experience the real wild west in Fort Worth during your Texas vacation!
Fort Worth is located 50 kilometers west of Dallas and was founded in 1849 as an army post. It was supposed to protect the settlers from Indian attacks. Not much later it became a stopping point for the cattle that were brought to the markets. That is why the city was nicknamed ‘Cowtown’. Prosperity rose and gambling palaces, saloons and dance halls soon appeared in the city. With the arrival of the railways, peace was definitely over. A large transshipment point was built near the city for the cattle to be traded. Oil was later discovered, another boost to the local economy.
10. Houston, we have a problem
Houston is a little more to the east. Best known for NASA Mission Control, which has been the nerve center of all American manned space missions since the mid-1960s. A must see when visiting this city. But what applies to Texas also applies to this city. Houston, Texas has much more to offer than just space travel. So book a fly drive Houston and discover all the ins and outs of Houston before you get to know the rest of Texas by car.
Such as the Museum District, which consists of no less than 19 museums and cultural centers. The Houston Museum of Natural Sciences, for example, with a focus on diamonds and minerals, animals from Texas, dinosaurs and ancient Egypt. The museum is part of Hermann Park, which is also home to the Houston Zoo.
Are you an art lover? During your Texas vacation, visit the Museum of Fine Arts, with a very varied collection of art. You will also find the Holocaust Museum, Contemporary Arts Museum and the Menil Collection in the Museum District.
11. Gulf of Mexico
Galveston is a beautiful city on a peninsula on the Gulf of Mexico near Houston. A truly southern city with many interesting colonial villas and sun-drenched beaches. Scattered throughout the city you will find various ‘tree sculptures’, wooden works of art that often have the shape of a man or a pet.
But there’s more to do in Galveston during your Texas vacation. Visit Ashton Villa, one of Texas’ oldest brick buildings. The villa played an important role in the American Civil War. On the balcony of this building, the emancipation of the slaves in Texas was proclaimed in June 1865, an event that is still celebrated in many states.
The Moody Mansion is also worth a visit during your Texas vacation. It is the largest villa on the island and dates from 1895. You can take a tour of the twenty furnished rooms. Or are you going for a few days at the beach and relaxing on this beautiful peninsula? Then Galveston is the place to be!
12. Spicy Tex-Mex
It will come as no surprise that the cuisine in this part of America is not only ruled by burgers and steaks. Thanks to the Mexican or South American origin of many inhabitants, Tex-Mex cuisine also has a prominent position in restaurants and street food stalls. You can tell by the spicy dishes from burritos to a hot chili con carne. Enjoy your meal!
With a population of about one and a half million, San Antonio is the second largest city in Texas. A modern city with an eventful history and quite old by American standards. The Spanish origins are still present and San Antonio is truly a melting pot of American and Mexican culture that will surprise you during your Texas vacation.
