The Ultimate Guide to a Texas Road Trip

I will admit that I am more than a little biased since I live in Texas. With the fact that I have been to 43 of the 50 states, I would say that Texas is in the top 5 for my favorite states. There is so much diversity. Not only are its major cities some of the most demographically diverse places in the union but it can offer something for everyone. This is my ultimate guide to an EPIC Texas road trip.

Austin

Austin is hands down my favorite Texas city. With a city motto like “keep Austin weird,” you know that you are about to see something special. Both Austin and Texas are very special. This is one of the few cities where I will give specifics on things that I personally find enjoyable.

Austin is the capital of Texas so there are several government buildings that you are able to. I suggest that you go to homerun pizza. Their pizza is as close to New York pizza as I have found outside of New York. It is drool worthy delicious.

You have to go to 6th street. There are so many funky and cool shops and that you can stop and shop to your hearts desire. Austin is also the home of Torchy’s tacos. If you have never had “little nookies” then your life is no complete. You can also try to rent a kayak and hit the Colorado River.

Houston

Houston is one of the most diverse places in the country. When it comes to diversity, Houston has a huge population of Indian, Asian (mostly Vietnamese), and Black people. I would consider Houston to be the most demographically diverse city in the state.

Houston is also one of the largest cities in the country. Space wise, Houston is huge and has several outlying neighborhoods that make the city itself even larger. The weather in the summer is absolute trash but Houston is still worth seeing. You can stop by the space center, try some of the best food the country, and even catch a professional sports game.

Dallas

Dallas is often looped in with Fort worth. Even though the two cities are in the same general area they are actually 30-40 minutes apart depending on the traffic. One of the adventure that you can go on is to see the forth worth Zoo. There are over 7,000 animals in the Forth Worth Zoo and it is definitely worth stopping by.

I have always known Dallas as a place for business. There are so many conferences that go through Dallas. You may be able to slide through one if you are in town.

San Antonio

The first stop should always be the San Antonio River walk. From the river walk you can actually kayak to San Antonio Missions National Historical Park. Close to Six Flags in Fiesta Texas. What I love about San Antonio is that it can be great for shopping. It is also very easy to drive around. there are also a lot of restaurants that are great for vegans and vegetarians. There is also a restaurant with

El Paso

I have only been to El Paso once but what I found that it is a beautiful town. El Paso is a town that is only about 20 miles from the New Mexico and about that same amount of miles from the Mexico boarder. Not only can you enjoy the mountain views but you can also see the the intermingling of Mexican and Native American cultures. If you aren’t planning on taking any day trips then you can see most of El Paso in a day, maybe two at most.

Galveston

I got the chance to spend a full 5 days in Galveston while I was doing a house sit. I was able to snag a whole house to myself and it was within walking distance from the beach. Now, Galveston is not the most beautiful beach that I have ever been to but the real treasures to me were the restaurants.

I spent my five days on a poboy and gumbo tour. My first suggestion would be for you to see the Strand Historic District for different famous bars and restaurants. If you are a fan of adventure then you can go to Schlitterbah water park. Galveston is the type of place where you need to just hit the road and explore. Most of the gems that I found were just stumbled upon.

Corpus Cristy

If you are into history then you can check out the USS lexington. It is an old WWII aircraft carrier. After being on several naval ships I am always amazed at how large the ships actually are. Corpus Cristy is also the home of Whataburger. If you don’t know what Whataburger is then you need to educate yourself. Beside that you should go to the beach and enjoy the coast.

Big bend national park:

There are so many different things that you can do in Big Bend National Park. If you are looking for a good hike then you can hit Guadalupe Peak which is almost 9,000 ft tall. You can also go to the world’s largest spring-fed pool in Balmorhea State Park. Within the same county as big bend national park you can also find some of the countries oldest Native American rock art.

Padre Island:

Did you know that Texas has the longest barrier island in the entire world? The barrier island happens to be Padre Island. Padre Island separates the Gulf of Mexico from Laguna Madre. It is a great place to go if you are looking for a little beach adventure or a place to go deep sea fishing. Not ever beach in Texas has white sandy beaches but Padre Island is one place that you should be able to find such a sight.

Notable mentions: Amarillo, Odessa, Lubbock. Lubbock has the Buddy Holly Museum and Amarillo has a 72 oz steak challenge. There are lavender field in Blanco Texas. There is also Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo.

Tips and Tricks for a Texas Road Trip:

After living in Texas for over 2 years there are several things that I have learned and I want to make sure that I share them with you. I have road tripped through Texas 4 different times and now I am passing what I learned off to you.

1. The sun will wear you out in the summer. There is so much sun during the summer. It is large and bright and even with the air conditioning on you will feel it burning through your windows.
2. Drink a lot of water, especially in the summer. There are parts of Texas that have dry heat and it won’t feel as hot as it actually is. It will be very easy to get dehydrated.
3. There are parts of Texas that are barely populated. You may end up on a hight way that has practically no services. Make sure that you are keeping at least half a tank of gas in your car. You don’t want to be caught without any gas and no where to get it from. Also, gas that is in these super dry areas can end up being way more expensive than it is in the city.
4. The summer heat will kill your tires. I can’t tell you how many times I have seen tires all over the highway because they have blown off. It’s important to make sure the car you are driving is in top shape or come in the winter.
5. For any Texas road trip you should know that the state is huge and distances between places can be longer than you think. To get from Houston to El Paso it is an easy 13 hours if not more. Keep this in mind when you are planning things out.