By Are you going on a vacation in the U.S for the first time? Are you visiting Texas, the second largest state in the U.S? Then this article might come in handy for you. In this article we have talked about Texas and the best places to visit in Texas.
Best Places To Visit In Texas While On A Vacation
We have listed some of the best places to visit in Texas, the second largest state in the U.S. Especially for first time U.S. visitors these listed places are very popular places you can visit in Texas.
Dallas
Dallas is the most populous area in Texas but 4th most populous metro area in the United States. This sprawling metro city promises a full itinerary for first time vacationers in Dallas. You visit the Perot Museum of Nature and Science, Dallas Art Museum, Crow Museum of Asian Art, Deep Ellum and historical sites like Dealey Plaza. Then visit the Dallas World Aquarium, Dallas Zoo and the parks the city has to offer.
If you are in a romantic gateway, then enjoy a relaxing day in one of the luxury hotels in the city. You can enjoy a great dinner from one of the top-notch restaurants in Dallas like The Ritz-Carlton, Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek, HALL Arts Hotel Dallas, and Curio Collection by Hilton.
Head to AT&T Stadium to watch a Dallas home game. Then head to the Dallas’ Reunion Tower Deck to get a view of the metropolitan city.
Big Bend National Park
Bind Bend National Park is in the U.S.- Mexico Border with scenic beauty as you drive past more than 150 miles of dirt roads and hiking trails. More than 500,000 visitors come to this national park every year.
While visiting Big Bend National Park do visit the Chisos Mountains, explore the Chihuahuan Desert and the Rio Grande. If you are an avid nature and animal lover keep your eyes on the 450 different birds’ species in this national park. From sparrows to woodpeckers, you will find several species of birds living here.
For the best experience of this national park, stay a night at it by camping under the open moonlight sky and enjoy the night-sky view.
San Antonio
San Antonio is the most populated city in Texas. San Antonio is well known for the Alamo which is a shrine that was formerly a Spanish mission church. American revolutionaries died defending this Spanish mission church against Mexican troops and hence transformed into a shrine.
Take a tour of the Alamo, then explore the San Antonio Botanical Garden that offers several kinds of floras you can see. Then visit the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park missions and the San Fernando Cathedral symbolic to the religious past of the city.
If you love theme parks, visit the city’s theme parks and the famous River Walk. You can also see the professional sports team game while visiting the city.
San Antonio offers a wide range of culinary destinations where you can enjoy the signature Tex-Mex style selections. You can also try barbecue from new establishments in the city or upscale eateries based on your budget.
To explore the city’s culture, food and history opt for a guide so that you get the whole experience.
Fredericksburg
Fredericksburg is a great place to visit if you want to shop. One of the best places to visit in Texas for shopping is Fredericksburg. Fredericksburg is known by locals to have the best shops for shopping including German shops with rich heritage to wine shops. This town has a history that connects to Germany, and you can learn all about the city’s history from the Pioneer Museum.
When you are done exploring the shops, the city and the Pioneer Museum head to sample the Fredericksburg vino. Fredericksburg has 50+ wineries that you can visit and sample some of the delectable wines there. A great city overall for couples looking for a quite vacation avoiding the main cities or beach towns.
Port Aransas
Port Aransas is a small town located on Mustang Island off the coast of Corpus Christi. If you are a beach lover, then this place is a must visit for you. You can sunbath, go splashing in the water, go parasailing or try your fishing skill in this town which is also known as the “Fishing Capital of Texas.”
You can sign up for the dolphin-watching cruise and enjoy the view of the open ocean and dolphins. In this cruise lookout for the whooping crane which is an endangered species form in this region and various birds over the horizon. All in all, on this cruise you can see many different species from dolphins to birds.
If you visit Port Aransas when they are having their annual festivals full of food, music and everything, visit them.
South Padre Island
One of the best places to visit in Texas is South Padre Island. Texas has some of the best Gulf Coast shorelines, one of them being South Padre Island. This island offers 34 miles of beach to relax on while in South Padre Island. The water is warm so enjoy a dip in the Gulf of Mexico waters.
This island is also known for having some of the best beach parties and a prime party spot. The island is affordable throughout the season so attracts a lot of families and college goers during breaks or holidays. There are several kid-friendly attractions in the area too.
You can visit the Sea Turtle, Inc. To learn more about how seas turtle is rehabilitated to the ocean once they get stuck on the beach or rescued from someplace. Then go visit the Beach Park Waterpark to cool down from the heat, your kids are going to love it.
Go on a stroll post-breakfast at the Laguna Madre Nature trail. The Laguna Madre Nature trail runs from the Convention center of South Padre Island to Laguna Madre Wetlands. Next to it, visit the Island’s Bird and Nature Centre which is one of the best spots for birdwatching.
Isla Blanca Park has some of the best beaches and fishing spots in the region. Spend time in the Museum of Port Isabel and learn more about South Padre Island. Visit the Dolphin Research and Sealife Nature Centre and see some of the marine animal’s face to face.
If you love adventure go kiteboarding or take lessons on how to do it while on the vacation.
Guadalupe Mountains National Park
Do you love hiking and prefer doing some activity during vacation? If so, then this place is a must visit for you while you are vacationing in Texas. The Guadalupe Mountains National Park located at the Southern part of Texas and New Mexico border consists of eight highest peaks of the state, Texas.
Guadalupe Mountains National Park has the Iconic El Capitan. This nature park offers a 80-plus miles Hiking paths like the Devil’s Hall or the Guadalupe Peak trail which are all traveller-approved hiking trails.
Guadalupe Mountains National Park is a scenic place with several kinds of trees. All season this national park offers majestic views but during the fall this place offers a magical scenic view of nature. As the leaves on the trees change colors from green to yellow, orange and red shades, the scenery changes too.
Austin
One of the best places to visit in Texas for tourists is the state capital, Austin. Austin is a colorful city with culture, natural scenery and cuisine that you can try. Visit the Zilker Metropolitan Park and see the natural Barton Springs pool. Then go learn about the city’s history and culture from its various museums.
Visit the State Capitol, which is Texas’ legislative center, located at the heart of Austin. The State Capitol opened in 1888 and made up of Texas red sunset granite. The State Capitol stands at 14 feet tall than the United States Capitol in Washington D.C.
Go for a hike at the Ann and Roy Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail which runs 10 miles in the city center of Austin. Locals love this outdoor space in the city and calls it the Lady Brid Lake Trail. Visit the Tex-Mex joints and try culinary creations originating from the Tejano people.
To enjoy the full energy of Austin, visit Sixth Street. Sixth Street is a bar-cum-restaurant hub with live music venues where you can enjoy some good live music. This music hub has helped Austin gain its title as the “Live Music Capital of the World.”
If you are a music lover, then Austin the best place to be as it’s known as the “Live Music Capital of the World.” Austin offers more live music venues than any other city in the U.S. Several famous musicians like The Chicks, Janis Joplin and Stevie Ray Vaughan have started their careers from Austin as musicians.
Visit the shops in the city, especially SoCo and get souvenirs for your loved ones and yourself. Grab a pair of cowboy boots which are authentic and not faux.
Houston
Do you love food, especially barbeque? If so, then add Houston to your itinerary as its now to have some of the best barbeque places in the U.S. Houston is also known as cultural hub offering several museums, from Art Car Museum to NASA’s Johnson Space Center, kids love the tram tour here.
NASA’s Johnson Space Center is the very space center that Apollo 13 crew contacted when the spacecraft had an explosion on its way to the moon. The very phase that “Houston, we’ve had a problem,” became an infamous phase.
Visit the Houston Museum of Natural Science, The Menil Collection or The Museum of Fine Arts as these 3 museums out of the 19 museums the city hosts are very popular spots.
Houston has some of the Instagram worthy restaurants and shops. You can spend your afternoons shopping at the Galleria and then try the different foods Houston has to offer. Visit the Houston Zoo with world class design or the children’s museum and the Buffalo Bayou Park.
Visit Hermann Park just 2.2 miles away from city center and look around the 445-acre park. This place has a Japanese garden, a golf course, an edible vegetable garden, the Friendship Pavilion, a miniature train, lakes, fountains, a sculpture walk, pedal boats, trails and a fruit-herb garden.
More About Texas
Before you start your journey towards Texas know some of the major information about this U.S. state. Texas state is located at the South-central region of the U.S. and is the most populous in this region but second in the U.S. after California.
Texas is also the second largest (area) state in the U.S. Texas borders Oklahoma in the north, Mexico in the south and southwest, Louisiana in the east, Arkansas in the northeast and New Mexico in the west. Austin is the capital city of Texas while Dallas-Fort Worth is the largest metro area in Texas with 7.5 million people (about twice the population of Oklahoma).
The Greater Houston areas is the fifth most populated urban area in the U.S. Historically Texas economy was based on four major industries post World War 2. These four industries are cotton, timber, oil and cattle-bison. Prior Civil War and after it, Texas was known for their cattle industry that led to the traditional ‘cowboy image’ of Texas men.
Post discovery of petroleum deposits in Spindletop oil field located at Beaumont, Texas. This led to the economic boom of Texas in the 20th century. In the mid-20th century Texas diversified its economy with high tech industry. At present it has the most Fortune 500 companies in the state accounting for 53 companies.
Texas has expanded its economy with several industries like tourism, agriculture, electronics, aerospace, petrochemicals, biomedical sciences, energy, and computers. This led to generating the second-highest gross product from a state in the U.S.
Conclusion
Now that you have some knowledge about which are the best places to visit in Texas and what you can do there. Tell us which place you would start your vacation from in Texas and why. Let us know if you would like us to write more about Texas and other states of the U.S.
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