British lad looking to experience the best Texas has to offer (Houston: home, wedding)

[BritishLad]

Hello there,

I am a 27 yr old Brit from the United Kingdom and I am taking a few months off next year to visit Texas...and I am not sure where to start.

I'd like to travel around Texas and see as much as I can..from the bit city's to the home towns and experience as much of Texas and what its like to live in Texas.

Any advice would be really appreciated,

Thanks in advance,

Chris

[doctorjef]

If you've got the time, I'd suggest trying to visit the various regions of the state. In East Texas, you might think of visiting Kilgore, Palestine, Marshall (just naming some principal towns that may be interesting). In Southeast Texas, Beaumont, Port Arthur, Orange could be a bit interesting (but probably the area of the state to jettison if you don't have time). In South Texas, by all means San Antonio, Corpus Christi, maybe Harlingen ("the Valley") and a trip out to South Padre Island for incredibly warm water swimming in the Gulf. In Central Texas, Austin, Lockhart, Fredericksburg, drive Hwy 71 west of Austin. In North Texas, Dallas and Fort Worth (they are two completely different, separate cities -- please get your head round this!). In West Texas, San Angelo, Lubbock, maybe Amarillo. Near Lubbock, the old ranch town turned art colony of Post would be a nice place to visit. In the Trans-Pecos, go to Alpine, TX -- in the Davis Mtns, isloated but cool (in both senses) and incredibly scenic. In years past I also would have recommended El Paso, but there is now a danger of the Mexico drug gang wars spilling over into El Paso and I don't know if it is worth visiting. You might try to get down to the Big Bend Natl Park, however, when you are in the Trans-Pecos.

[brendiej]

Where will you begin your trip in Texas?
How are you moving around--car, plane, bus?
How long do you have?
Are you most interested in big cities or the parks/ recreational aspects of Texas?
Texas is so big that you will want to map out a plan for your priorities.
El Paso is relatively safe and worth visiting; the gangs are not really a problem on the US side, but caution is advised and I would not venture to the Juarez side right now....

[Cupcake77]

Originally Posted by brendiej

Where will you begin your trip in Texas?
How are you moving around--car, plane, bus?
How long do you have?
Are you most interested in big cities or the parks/ recreational aspects of Texas?
Texas is so big that you will want to map out a plan for your priorities.
El Paso is relatively safe and worth visiting; the gangs are not really a problem on the US side, but caution is advised and I would not venture to the Juarez side right now....

I used to go to Juarez all the time and went to a wedding there. I guess it's gotten really bad since I been there but I used to go with my realtives all the time but they were from there. But I never felt it was unsafe. We did major shopping down there. Used to come home with the coolest stuff.

[joejitsu]

I know several British people in Austin, and they all love it. So definitely check it out.

[High_Plains_Retired]

Originally Posted by BritishLad

Hello there,

I am a 27 yr old Brit from the United Kingdom and I am taking a few months off next year to visit Texas...and I am not sure where to start.

I'd like to travel around Texas and see as much as I can..from the bit city's to the home towns and experience as much of Texas and what its like to live in Texas.

Any advice would be really appreciated,

Thanks in advance,

Chris

I once had a college friend whose Japanese dad visited the U.S. for three days. The dad wanted to see Disneyland, New York City and Tampa, Florida. Only Superman could have seen what he wanted to see in such a short time.

What I would recommend to any European visiting Texas is to first realize that there are 872 miles (1403 km) between Dalhart and Brownsville, Texas and 811 miles (1305 km) between El Paso and Texarkana.

That being said, one very small Texas High Plains town that no one knows about is Petersburg, Texas which is at least an hour's drive to "Flyover America." If you do find yourself in Petersburg, check out the very well-preserved, but non-functioning, 1950's soda fountain counter and booths at the local drug store. The counter and booths are simply for display anymore but it can sure take an old fella like me back to a simpler time in southern America.

Just pace yourself but welcome to Texas. Have fun!

[doctorjef]

I tried to go back and add to my earlier post but the edit window had closed. Briefly, I was naming various towns in Texas that I think are worthwile, but rather than getting into that at the moment, I want to echo the questions: how do you plan to travel around the state and how long do you have? It would be a lot easier to offer sensible, feasible suggestions if we know that. There are so many towns in Central and South-Central Texas especially that I would recommend, as well as a particularly awe-inspiring and ranchy route to take between Fort Worth and Lubbock (or more generally between the I-35 corridor and the Panhandle).

Austin comes in for a lot of criticism on this forum and on the Austin sub-forum, for various reasons, but it is the capital of Texas and, I think, a must-do for a real visit to the state. It's still small enough that it isn't as challenging to navigate as Dallas or Houston, and it's got some great venues and beautiful scenery just outside the city.

San Antonio has a wonderful downtown that is very pedestrian friendly, it is the home of the Alamo, and there is the wonderful Mission Trail that comprises six or seven 18th Century Spanish missions (most still functioning churches). The downtown is also an amazing treasure trove of unique art deco buildings in various styles, including Moorish and Spanish Colonial forms of art deco interpretation -- there are probably 30 notable art deco edifices in all.

Although I could never live there again, it is West Texas that I think stirs the imagination the most. Some of it has a rugged, desolate beauty, while parts really aren't lovely by anyone's reckoning I don't think. However, the place is vast and in its way quintessentially American and Texan. I'm particularly fond of the Panhandle from Lubbock (on the "South Plains") on up to Amarillo and beyond (the High Plains).

Given my current location, I always feel compelled in a post like this to clarify that I've lived the majority of my life in Texas, including most regions of the state.

[WillysB]

Visit the Texas Travel Guide website. You can download the guide, research thing and places Texas and make a plan.

Enjoy your trip.

[getmeoutofhere]

The Lodge.

The Men's Club.

[doctorjef]

Pardon?