Things to do in Texas
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Fiesta Texas
This popular theme park has plenty of rides that you must be ‘this tall’ to ride, for grown-ups to lose their lunch over. There are more than 25 kids’ rides for the vertically challenged, as well as swimming pools and water rides over in the White Water Bay area (open May to September). The setting – against a limestone quarry that looks similar to the Arizona desert – is dramatic, and there’s plenty of music and shows. Parking is $15.
reviewed
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Collector's Firearms
Look Ma! No waiting period! Hey, this is Texas. Collector’s Firearms is a great place to live out your Charlton Heston (but probably not your Michael Moore) fantasies: a full-service shop that’s definitely not for the gun-shy. With enough cash and a clean background check, you can walk out with anything from a Civil War–era shotgun to a Gatling. Whatever your gun politics, the professional staff are happy to educate you.
reviewed
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San Antonio Grand Sightseeing Tour
8 hours (Departs San Antonio, Texas)
by Viator
Discover the origins of San Antonio on a sightseeing tour featuring sights including the Alamo, Mission San Jose and the Japanese Sunken Gardens.You'll visit…Not LP reviewed
from USD$56.79 -
Big Bend Ranch State Park
Big Bend Ranch State Park is much less explored than its big brother, but the easily accessed turnouts for hiking or picnicking along the river road shouldn't be ignored. Make the easy 0.7-mile trek into narrow Closed Canyon, where the cliffs rise above you, blocking out the sun. Camping is off Casa Piedra Rd, but you have to register at the Fort Leaton State Historic Site, which is past the park.
reviewed
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Franklin Mountains State Park
At 23,863 acres, this is the largest urban park in the US. The park has 118 miles of mountain-bike, hiking and equestrian trails, as well as 17 rock-climbing routes; the visitor center can point you in the right direction.
reviewed
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Balmorhea State Park
- Texas, USA
- Activities › Other
Swimming, scuba diving and snorkeling are the attractions at the 46-acre Balmorhea State Park, a true oasis in the west Texas desert. The swimming pool covers 1.75 acres, making it the largest spring-fed swimming facility in the US, 25ft deep and about 75°F year-round. The park is at Toyahvale, 5 miles south of the town of Balmorhea (pronounced bal-mo-ray), which itself is just off I-10 and midway between Pecos and Fort Davis on Hwy 17.
reviewed
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Wildseed Farms
You know spring has arrived in Texas when you see cars pulling up roadside and families climbing out to take the requisite picture of their kids surrounded by bluebonnets – the state flower. From March to April in Hill Country, orange Indian paintbrushes, deep-purple winecups and white-to-blue bluebonnets are at their peak. To see vast cultivated fields of color, there’s Wildseed Farms, which is 7 miles east of Fredericksburg on US 290.
reviewed
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Martini's
For a taste of Las Vegas in the heart of San Antonio, head to what can only be described as a kitsch lounge bar. Wayne, the owner–singer–guitarist–trumpeter–saxophonist, fronts a three-piece band. He can impersonate anyone by request, from Neil Diamond to Willie Nelson, to perfection. Located in a strip mall next to the Avon shop, the only indication of the bar's existence is a small brass plaque reading 'Martini's' screwed to the wall next to the entrance.
reviewed
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Hueco Tanks State Historical Park
About 32 miles east of El Paso is Hueco Tanks State Historical Park. The 860-acre park contains three small granite mountains that are pocked with depressions (hueco is Spanish for ‘hollow’) that hold rainwater, creating an oasis in the barren desert. The area has attracted humans for as many as 10,000 years, as evidenced by pictographs. Park staff estimate there are more than 2000 pictographs at the site, some dating back 5000 years.
reviewed
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Hall of Heroes
Fair Park is full of superb 1930s art-deco architecture, none of it quite as inspired as this tribute to all things Texan. The Hall of Heroes pays homage to such luminaries as Stephen F Austin and Samuel Houston; the Great Hall of Texas features huge murals of Texas history from the 16th century on. As you leave the Hall of State, stop by the reflecting pool outside of the entrance: the golden Greek-inspired statues will thrill art-deco buffs.
reviewed
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Texas Ranger
10 days (Houston)
by Intrepid
Unwind in the Texas Riviera, Stroll San Antonio’s wooded downtown area, Shop up a storm in Houston , Look out to sea in Corpus Christi, Ponder the storied…Not LP reviewed
from USD$2,699 -
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Fort Sam Houston
Known 'round here as 'Fort Sam,' and dating from the late 1800s, Fort Sam Houston is ready to enlist you for a little military history. Just northeast of downtown, it's home to several historic buildings with designated museums that are open to the public. Fort Sam does have a couple of claims to fame: the Apache Chief Geronimo was held here for 40 days, and it was also the site from which the first military flight in US history took off in 1910.
The oldest building at Fort Sam (and Geronimo's short-term residence) is the Quadrangle, built in 1876. Today, the Quadrangle is open as a museum of the history of the fort, and it leads through to a sort of petting zoo – deer…
reviewed
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Wyler Aerial Tramway
Sure, you'd feel a sense of accomplishment if you hiked to the top of the Franklin Mountains. We're not suggesting you take the easy way out (or are we?) but it only takes about four minutes to take a gondola to the top.
reviewed
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Reunion Tower
What’s 50 stories high, with a three-level spherical dome flashing with 260 lights? No, it’s not a spaceship, it’s Reunion Tower, the unofficial symbol of Dallas. Get a workout by taking the steps up to the observation deck, or enjoy the sky-high panoramic view from the stunning celebrity-chef restaurant and lounge Five Sixty by Wolfgang Puck. An underground pedestrian tunnel connects Reunion Tower with Union Station.
reviewed
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Onion Creek Cafe
A great neighborhood hangout in the Heights with a big patio; open from early-morning coffee to late-night cocktails.
reviewed
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Holocaust Museum Houston
This superbly curated museum strikes the delicate balance of providing a sobering yet poignant homage to the casualties of the 20th century's greatest tragedy. The permanent exhibit offers an in-depth education on the context, history and aftermaths of not only the Holocaust itself but of Nazi Germany's terrifying rise to power. Other exhibits trace the lives of European Jews from before WWII through the post-Nazi era, as survivors tried to rebuild their lives.
reviewed
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USS Lexington Museum
The second sight you are likely to notice in Corpus (after the bay) is this 900ft-long aircraft carrier moored just north of the ship channel. The ship served in the Pacific during WWII and was finally retired in 1991. A number of high-tech exhibits give visitors a chance to relive some of the wartime experiences, without actually dying in a kamikaze attack. During the evening, the ship is eerily lit with blue lights that recall its WWII nickname, ‘the Blue Ghost.’
reviewed
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US Army Medical Department Museum
In the northeast section of the grounds at Fort Sam, the US Army Medical Department Museum has a display of army medical gear from the US and several other countries, including Germany, the former Soviet Union, Vietnam and China, and a cool collection of restored ambulances, helicopters and a hospital rail car. But what makes the AMEDD museum really worth the trip is the collection of Civil War surgical gear, notably the disturbing saws and portable amputation kits.
reviewed
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Highland Park Village
For an eye-rolling, gasp-inducing and credit card–maxing experience, head to Spanish Mission–style Highland Park Village in upper-crust Highland Park, which claims to be the oldest suburban shopping center in the world. If Jimmy Choo and Harry Winston are among your intimate acquaintances, you’ll feel at home. If they’re not, it’s still worth a look around to see Dallas money in action (or just to see who wins when an Escalade and a Jaguar face off for a prime parking spot).
reviewed
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Buddy Holly Center
A huge version of Holly's trademark horn-rims mark the Buddy Holly Center. The center is home to the Buddy Holly Gallery; a room devoted to the Man with those glasses and pristine teeth. The gallery includes some of his schoolbooks, shoes, records and other such items, but best of all are Buddy's Fender Stratocaster and hallmark glasses. It delves into his life and gives a good idea of all the rock musicians he inspired, including Bob Dylan, the Beatles and the Rolling Stones.
The center also houses a fine arts gallery, the Texas Musicians Hall of Fame, which features ever-changing exhibitions on the music and musicians of Texas, and a gift shop.
reviewed
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Mexic-Arte Museum
This wonderful, eclectic downtown museum features works from Mexican and Mexican American artists in exhibitions that rotate every two months. The museum’s holdings include carved wooden masks, modern Latin American paintings, historic photographs and contemporary art. Don’t miss the back gallery where new and experimental talent is shown. The museum’s gift shop is another draw, with killer Mexican stuff that’s pricey if you’re heading south of the border but reasonable if you’re not.
reviewed
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San Antonio Art League Museum
This tiny museum houses art from regional 20th- century American artists. In the 1920s, the San Antonio Art League was famous for annual exhibitions of paintings of Texas wildflowers. The museum's early patron was Marion McNay, who also founded the excellent McNay Art Museum. Here, the permanent collections include textiles, paintings, sculpture, furniture and photography. If you're in the neighborhood, it's worth a short visit, especially since you'll likely have the place all to yourself.
reviewed
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City Market
But judging from our unscientific but extensive tasting, it's nearby Luling's City Market that wins all-round best BBQ in the state. Years of smoke blacken the pit room, the brisket is always succulent, the sausage is made on-site and a tart-and-tangy sauce adds a lot. Besides, everybody knows everybody here - it's a real slice of small-town life. Don't ask for utensils or plates: there haven't been any since it opened in the 1930s. Why fix what ain't broke? Your hands and butcher paper will do just fine.
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Thanks-giving Square
For all its din, drive and shopping malls, Dallas has a surprisingly quiet side where even credit cards are rendered powerless – a triangular piece of prime downtown real estate set aside for spiritual renewal and reflection. Thanks-Giving Square was established by the Thanks-Giving Foundation as a 'place where people can use gratitude as a basis for dialogue, mutual understanding and healing.'
Designed by Philip Johnson, the tranquil center includes a meditation garden, a Wall of Praise, an interdenominational Chapel of Thanksgiving and a museum of gratitude.
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Institute of Texan Cultures
Thirty cultures, including Native American and Mexican, have made Texas what it is; explore them at the museum of the Institute of Texan Cultures. The Latin-American influence is fairly prominent in San Antonio, so this museum can be an eye-opener to visitors learning about Texas' diverse background. The main exhibit, spread out over an enormous single-floor space, has sections devoted to more than two dozen ethnic and national groups of settlers in Texas, including Anglo-Americans, Germans, European Jews, Irish and African Americans.
Be sure to catch one of the daily shows in the Bluebonnet Puppet Theater or the 360- degree Dome Theater. The Back 40 Area, behind the main…
reviewed