Texas - Tips & Advice?

Northtim · 2 Jan 20, 03:55 PM

Hi,

Not the first time I have started a Texas thread but this year I think will be the one we go there! Flight prices looking reasonable, well flights anywhere look good compared with MAN-Florida prices at the moment!

This is my draft itinerary - any comments would be appreciated. I know it will be super hot when we go (Mid Aug-Early Sept), but we managed Death Valley & Vegas last year so its just a bit more humidity than that

Fly in to Houston and get hotel close to airport
Drive to Dallas for 3 nights - Do Kennedy Sights in Dallas, Fort Worth Stockyards and another day for Dallas or Grapevine
Lake Travis for 2 nights - chilling by Lake
Austin for 2 nights - Bats & Bars etc
New Braunfels for 2 nights - Tubing and Waterpark
San Antonio for 2 nights - 6 Flags park/Riverwalk etc
Corpus Christie/Port Aransas for 2 nights - see if Texas beaches are any good!
Galveston/Houston for final two nights - Galveston, NASA & Houston explore

Will aim to get into Hill Country for a day when in Austin/Lake Travis, and get to a sporting arena somewhere along the way.

The itinerary looks fairly busy but last year we did a tour LA - Death Valley - Vegas - Grand Canyon - Monument Valley - Zion - Vegas - Newport Beach which looked similarly hectic but in reality we found we had plenty of downtime and this will be less driving so should work out similar I hope. We never unpacked anywhere so lived out of suitcases no bother.

I have looked at CrispyA's trip report and will have a good read of that for tips, can't really manage to go further afield and include Big Bend unfortunately.

I have cut the beach time down from original plans as unsure on how we will find Texas Beaches having done Florida Gulf Coast before - I hear they may not be so good and there does seem plenty to do inland.

Bit worried about whether Lake Travis will have dried up, but I do like boating so hoped to rent something there.

Need to visit a ranch and ride horses somewhere - not sure about a dude ranch though so any advise to do a horse ride for total amateurs without staying over somewhere would be good!

Cheers

Tim

toffeeman0 · 2 Jan 20, 07:52 PM

Originally Posted by Northtim

Hi,

Not the first time I have started a Texas thread but this year I think will be the one we go there! Flight prices looking reasonable, well flights anywhere look good compared with MAN-Florida prices at the moment!

This is my draft itinerary - any comments would be appreciated. I know it will be super hot when we go (Mid Aug-Early Sept), but we managed Death Valley & Vegas last year so its just a bit more humidity than that

Fly in to Houston and get hotel close to airport
Drive to Dallas for 3 nights - Do Kennedy Sights in Dallas, Fort Worth Stockyards and another day for Dallas or Grapevine
Lake Travis for 2 nights - chilling by Lake
Austin for 2 nights - Bats & Bars etc
New Braunfels for 2 nights - Tubing and Waterpark
San Antonio for 2 nights - 6 Flags park/Riverwalk etc
Corpus Christie/Port Aransas for 2 nights - see if Texas beaches are any good!
Galveston/Houston for final two nights - Galveston, NASA & Houston explore

Will aim to get into Hill Country for a day when in Austin/Lake Travis, and get to a sporting arena somewhere along the way.

The itinerary looks fairly busy but last year we did a tour LA - Death Valley - Vegas - Grand Canyon - Monument Valley - Zion - Vegas - Newport Beach which looked similarly hectic but in reality we found we had plenty of downtime and this will be less driving so should work out similar I hope. We never unpacked anywhere so lived out of suitcases no bother.

I have looked at CrispyA's trip report and will have a good read of that for tips, can't really manage to go further afield and include Big Bend unfortunately.

I have cut the beach time down from original plans as unsure on how we will find Texas Beaches having done Florida Gulf Coast before - I hear they may not be so good and there does seem plenty to do inland.

Bit worried about whether Lake Travis will have dried up, but I do like boating so hoped to rent something there.

Need to visit a ranch and ride horses somewhere - not sure about a dude ranch though so any advise to do a horse ride for total amateurs without staying over somewhere would be good!

Cheers

Tim

Hi,
Did a similar trip to Texas last year and we are going back this year, Its Fantastic
Felt we needed more time in Austin particularly.
Only stayed in Houston because of flights but managed to squeeze in NASA.
City traffic is a nightmare.
Did a day in Dallas and also went to Southfork.
If you go to Fort Worth stockyards try to fit Billybobs in on a Friday or Saturday as they have major artists on and also the free rodeo nights are then. Also if you are a sports fan The Texas Rangers will have just moved into there new stadium and may have a home game when you are there. Also the cowboys stadium tour is something too see.
Waco is also a very nice town
Austin is a wonderful area for nightlife (doing a week this year)
as is New Braunfells.
We did the tubing on the comal river with landau. The best 2 or 3 hours ever.But don't go on the weekend its rammed.
San Antonio was the most humid place ever but good for 3 days tops IMO.
Must sees are:
Bucees
Whataburger
At least one BBQ (remember you pay by the weight).
We didn't bother with the coast as not really heard and good reports so haven't bothered with them.
Hope you have a great time.
Im now a massive lover of Texas
You will be too
Hope my tips help.
If you need anymore let me know

Northtim · 3 Jan 20, 10:31 AM

Originally Posted by toffeeman0

Hi,
Did a similar trip to Texas last year and we are going back this year, Its Fantastic
If you go to Fort Worth stockyards try to fit Billybobs in on a Friday or Saturday as they have major artists on and also the free rodeo nights are then.
We did the tubing on the comal river with landau. The best 2 or 3 hours ever.But don't go on the weekend its rammed.
Must sees are:
Bucees

Thanks - really useful.
Going to make a decision this evening and book flights I hope.
Then need to try and change the schedule as we would be at BillyBobs on a Monday and Tubing on a Sunday!
Think we can swap around Dallas and Fort Worth so we do BillyBobs on a Saturday.
New Braunfels and Austin seem close together so a quick swap and small amount of doubling back on ourselves should mean two weekend nights in Austin and Tubing on a weekday.

Do you recommend Comal for tubing over the Guadeloupe? Was looking at Guadeloupe although it is a bit out of town

**anji** · 3 Jan 20, 01:40 PM

We did a similar trip to go to a wedding at Rockport, near Corpus Christi.

We flew to Dallas (then DD and her friend flew on to Corpus as they were bridesmaids). Drove to Fort Worth where we had a couple of days - Stockyards, train trip, museum etc.

Then we drove to Austin and had a few days there. If you're going to Lake Travis you MUST go to the Oasis restaurant as the views are just amazing.

Play shuffleboard at Bar Billiards bar (I think this was the name) on 6th Street - a such a laugh. Watch the bats fly from under Congress Bridge. Go to Jaun in a Million for breakfast - this was on Man v Food and was amazing!

Then we drove to San Antonio - HOT! The river trip was good and we enjoyed the Alamo (which is free!) and went up the tower.

Then we drove to the coast the wedding. Beaches were ok but not a patch on Florida to my mind!

After the wedding we drove back up with the girls, staying in Austin for a night and then Dallas for 2 nights. Did the JFK museum, which was brilliant, but didn't really like Dallas at all.

If you want more info, where to stay etc. just ask.

CrispyA · 3 Jan 20, 01:56 PM

Have a fantastic time - as you�ll know from our report, we loved Texas! Can you fly into Dallas and out of Houston to save on some driving? Also, make sure to watch Friday Night Lights before you go!

Northtim · 3 Jan 20, 02:11 PM

Originally Posted by anji

Beaches were ok but not a patch on Florida to my mind!

If you want more info, where to stay etc. just ask.

Thanks - really helpful. Stumbled across Lake Travis on google maps but it does look lovely - just need to find some cheaper accomodation there. AirBnB seems a good option and the view from Oasis looks great, will definately check that out.

Have really cut back on beach/coast from initial plans. May look at switching things around and start with Galveston/NASA rather than have two coast stops at the end if it is not so great.

Originally Posted by CrispyA

Have a fantastic time - as you�ll know from our report, we loved Texas! Can you fly into Dallas and out of Houston to save on some driving? Also, make sure to watch Friday Night Lights before you go!

Read your trip report last night - really useful and shame we can't get across to Big Bend but it is just too far for this trip.

Flights have to be Houston as it is a direct and good value option from Manchester.

toffeeman0 · 3 Jan 20, 04:32 PM

Originally Posted by Northtim

Thanks - really useful.
Going to make a decision this evening and book flights I hope.
Then need to try and change the schedule as we would be at BillyBobs on a Monday and Tubing on a Sunday!
Think we can swap around Dallas and Fort Worth so we do BillyBobs on a Saturday.
New Braunfels and Austin seem close together so a quick swap and small amount of doubling back on ourselves should mean two weekend nights in Austin and Tubing on a weekday.

Do you recommend Comal for tubing over the Guadeloupe? Was looking at Guadeloupe although it is a bit out of town

We haven't done the Guadeloupe but speaking to locals they suggested the Comal river as it was a good 2-3 hour tube and not as crowded. When in Austin make sure you visit Rainey street for an evening out it is so laid back with lots and lots of live music and endless variety's of beer and food trucks. Its not as hectic as 6th street which is more geared to the younger crowd. When in New Braunfels visit the small town of Gruene

archibald · 3 Jan 20, 04:44 PM

I'll update this post later when I have time

Sorry about that, but didn't want to lose the thread. We first visited Texas as part of a road trip about 20 years ago, but only got back there a couple of years ago. We flew into Dallas, spent a couple of days there for JFK and a couple of museums, then down to San Antonio for Six Flags (kids! ) and the Alamo - which to be honest I still don't fully understand why it's such a thing. We didn't do the riverwalk, but did go to a huge taxidermy museum thing - Buckthorn I think, which was amazing. While there we tubed the Comal at New Braunfels on Good Friday. There was a nice amount of people, a great time had by all, the river is quite 'urban' in places and felt very safe.

We then drove down to Corpus Christie for a few beach days and the US warship. The drive around the bay and the car ferry is fun. DS was got by jellies again - twice in Florida and once in Texas, he's a jellyfish magnet!

We'd enjoyed tubing so much that we detoured back through New Braunfels to tube again. The company we'd used (Rockin River Rides) was only open for the Guadaloupe as it was midweek. This was a little more adventurous and a LOT quieter. We were shown various photographs of trees and islands an told to go right or left of them

- yes really - all advice was forgotten as DH got tipped out of his tube in the first 200yds - as were the only other people that we saw on the river, and they stopped right there.

We bobbed along for a couple of hours seeing nobody else at all on the river, but lots of terrapins, vultures etc, and I was attacked by a duck

. I chickened out of the drop at the end and walked around. We were a bit worried about finding the pick up point and actually being picked up, but all was fine. The rivers are very different, Comal 'safer' but would've been a different experience on the Guadaloupe with company.

We spent the last few days at Fort Worth for the Stockyards and a water park which was closed.

The cities and roads are far busier than they were 20 years ago and building on the outer edges of towns in happening at a crazy rate. We had icecream somewhere and they told us that (I think it was the North of Fort Worth) was growing at a mile each year. A lovely lady in a museum somewhere was telling us about growing up on a farm between Dallas and Fort Worth, but it had all gone now.

Still love Texas though. Tips would be to not bother with the 'historic' areas such as Grapevine or the Riverwalk at San Antonio. In the UK most of our town centres would be classed as this - walking from shop to shop/bar to bar is not unusual for a Brit. Go to as many of the small museums that are everywhere as you can. We stopped at Dr Pepper, and various other small town type attractions. Often only for an hour or two - lovely people to chat to, and great recommendations for food.

ETA - we went to a baseball game too - Texas Rangers? - not really my thing, and they only scored after 5 hours just when we'd given up and gone to the car

- but it was a great experience. Take supplies - the game basically carries on until somebody scores, sometimes into the early hours. Everyone was so keen to tell us about it all, the marshalls were particularly entertaining.

I'm starting to wish we were going back now, rather than returning to Florida!

And as a pp said, be sure to get fuel from Buccee's - 120 pumps and a huge store, and a Whattaburger is a Texas must do.

Northtim · 4 Jan 20, 07:02 PM

WE ARE BOOKED!

Feels like a bargain reading the moans about Florida flight prices this year that our flights from Man-Hous direct 21/8 to 6/9 have come in at �400 per person inc luggaage on Singapore Airlines.

Some other effects on the cost:

1. Eldest son who was definately not coming on holiday with us this year decided he likes the plans for Texas so that cost us an extra ticked. Will also affect Hotels as it was going to be me & Mrs & two daughters (17 & 16) so we would have been sharing double/double hotel rooms much of the trip. Adding son will hit that cost quite hard but we will have to go for more budget options or Air BnB's.

2. Car Hire - not sure how this is going to pan out. With son coming we decided we better have a minivan rather than Std SUV. I then keeled over when the cost was coming in at �1700 rather than �600! Apart from renting through BA where Budget had the Minivan at �362 - must be a misprice but I have grabbed it, trouble is will they honour it?

janey2000 · 4 Jan 20, 07:40 PM

I saw this flight... tempted to drive up from London to take it! Great price, would have to book seat though as my daughter wouldn't get on if i told her she wasn't sitting with us 🙄😂

3 Jan 20, 01:56 PM	#5
	3 Jan 20, 01:56 PM CrispyA Imagineer
CrispyA Imagineer Join Date: Oct 11	Have a fantastic time - as you�ll know from our report, we loved Texas! Can you fly into Dallas and out of Houston to save on some driving? Also, make sure to watch Friday Night Lights before you go! __________________ West Coast July - August 2014, Howdy Texas! August 2015, Rocking in the Rockies July - August 2016, Bier, Bratwurst und Bahnsteige: Berlin 2017, Touring Tennessee 2017, Expedition East Coast 2018, Hola! Madrid 2019, Great Lakes Grooving 2019, It's Czech, Mate, Prague 2022, Veni, Vidi, Edi, Bibi Italy 2022

3 Jan 20, 04:44 PM	#8
	3 Jan 20, 04:44 PM archibald Imagineer
archibald Imagineer Join Date: Mar 12	I'll update this post later when I have time Sorry about that, but didn't want to lose the thread. We first visited Texas as part of a road trip about 20 years ago, but only got back there a couple of years ago. We flew into Dallas, spent a couple of days there for JFK and a couple of museums, then down to San Antonio for Six Flags (kids! ) and the Alamo - which to be honest I still don't fully understand why it's such a thing. We didn't do the riverwalk, but did go to a huge taxidermy museum thing - Buckthorn I think, which was amazing. While there we tubed the Comal at New Braunfels on Good Friday. There was a nice amount of people, a great time had by all, the river is quite 'urban' in places and felt very safe. We then drove down to Corpus Christie for a few beach days and the US warship. The drive around the bay and the car ferry is fun. DS was got by jellies again - twice in Florida and once in Texas, he's a jellyfish magnet! We'd enjoyed tubing so much that we detoured back through New Braunfels to tube again. The company we'd used (Rockin River Rides) was only open for the Guadaloupe as it was midweek. This was a little more adventurous and a LOT quieter. We were shown various photographs of trees and islands an told to go right or left of them - yes really - all advice was forgotten as DH got tipped out of his tube in the first 200yds - as were the only other people that we saw on the river, and they stopped right there. We bobbed along for a couple of hours seeing nobody else at all on the river, but lots of terrapins, vultures etc, and I was attacked by a duck . I chickened out of the drop at the end and walked around. We were a bit worried about finding the pick up point and actually being picked up, but all was fine. The rivers are very different, Comal 'safer' but would've been a different experience on the Guadaloupe with company. We spent the last few days at Fort Worth for the Stockyards and a water park which was closed. The cities and roads are far busier than they were 20 years ago and building on the outer edges of towns in happening at a crazy rate. We had icecream somewhere and they told us that (I think it was the North of Fort Worth) was growing at a mile each year. A lovely lady in a museum somewhere was telling us about growing up on a farm between Dallas and Fort Worth, but it had all gone now. Still love Texas though. Tips would be to not bother with the 'historic' areas such as Grapevine or the Riverwalk at San Antonio. In the UK most of our town centres would be classed as this - walking from shop to shop/bar to bar is not unusual for a Brit. Go to as many of the small museums that are everywhere as you can. We stopped at Dr Pepper, and various other small town type attractions. Often only for an hour or two - lovely people to chat to, and great recommendations for food. ETA - we went to a baseball game too - Texas Rangers? - not really my thing, and they only scored after 5 hours just when we'd given up and gone to the car - but it was a great experience. Take supplies - the game basically carries on until somebody scores, sometimes into the early hours. Everyone was so keen to tell us about it all, the marshalls were particularly entertaining. I'm starting to wish we were going back now, rather than returning to Florida! And as a pp said, be sure to get fuel from Buccee's - 120 pumps and a huge store, and a Whattaburger is a Texas must do. Edited at 01:55 AM.