Driving from Dallas to San Antonio.. Places to stop and see? (Austin: 2013, amusement park)

[Aloha324]

Going to drive from Dallas to San Antonio next month!

What are some must see attractions doing this drive? Any specific routes or alternate routes going to San Antonio to avoid traffic? Or even a more scenic route?

We have seen the caverns closer to San Antonio which was amazing!

But what are some must see and must eat at places? Any tips would be appreciated!

We love nature stuff and good BBQ and Mexican food!

Thanks in advance!

[Cowboybootnut]

Road Trip


Kolache Stop in West Texas. Texas Rangers Museum, Elite Cafe in Waco, off of I-35. Salado's neat shops right off of I-35. Schoepf's BBQ in Belton TX, west of I-35. Interstate Caverns in Georgetown, plenty of good restaurants in Georgetown - right off of I-35.

Take the toll road to avoid Austin, unless you can spare the time & frustration.

In San Antonio, you have to do the Riverwalk, great restaurants, and all the other tourist attractions.

As an alternate route, you could take HWY 190 west in Temple/Belton to Lampassas, then 281 South to San Antone. It would take longer, but there are some nice Hill Country towns.

[ChristieP]

Inner Space Cavern just north of Georgetown is pretty cool. the loop around Austin does save a lot of time/headaches, but it goes WAY out in the middle of nowhere, so if you want to see the Capitol or you need a potty break, you will be out of luck.

Outlet malls in San Marcos have good deals.

Elite Cafe in Waco is good. So is Monument Cafe in Georgetown.

[texasdiver]

Nothing to see between Dallas and Waco but suburban sprawl and fields.

Waco has some interesting attractions. Cameron Park Zoo is the best small zoo in Texas. The Mayborn Museum (Baylor's natural history and children's museum) is good. And there are a number of local BBQ places. Urban Spoon has all the reviews.

After Waco the next interesting stop is Salado. It's a small artsy town. You can exit I-35, drive down Main Street in Salado to see all the shops and galleries, and be right back on I-35. It is a popular stopping point to see art galleries and Texan stuff.

Georgetown has an interesting town square with lots of quaint shops and restaurants. The Monument Cafe is the most famous but there are lots others.

Between Georgetown and Round Rock is a massive outlet mall next to an IKEA and lots of other big box shops.

Within Austin there are dozens of interesting attractions. The Bob Bullock Museum next to the state capitol building is basically the state's history museum and is decent for an overview of the state. They also have an IMAX. Austin will have the most dining options by far. Urban Spoon or Yelp to find the most popular and best reviewed.

Just south of Austin in Buda is a massive Cabella's Sporting Goods store that is a popular stopover. Then there is another giant outlet mall further south in San Marcos.

For nature, the two caves have already been mentioned. Inner Space Caverns is just north of Austin and Natural Bridges Caverns is just North of San Antonio. Both are expensive private operations.

Probably the best short "nature" stopover on this drive (which mostly lacks in nature) would be Aquarena Springs in San Marcos. Aquarena Center : Aquarena Center : Texas State University Used to be an amusement park but now is a State Park. They have glass bottom boats that tour the springs. It's an old-time popular attraction.

The alternative "scenic" route would be to drive over to Fort Worth and take 377 through Granbury (scenic lake resort town) to Stephenville and then 281 south to San Antonio. The route will add 1-2 hours of driving time over the non-stop I-35 route because you go through some small towns but you will see a LOT more scenery and pass through some interesting hill country towns. If you are hitting the Austin area a rush hour then this route might not really add that much time. There are pockets of construction all along I-35 and frequent wrecks and summer construction always seem to block parts of it up even during the weekends. If you are looking to see the real Texas and don't care about missing Austin then this would be the more interesting route.

[TXNGL]

I agree with 281, but I've always done 67 to 281. It's just south of Dallas. 281 is a much prettier drive. I don't think it's ever added much time to my trip, since you aren't dealing with I-35 traffic jams. Stop in Hico at the Koffee Kup for pie!

[ChristieP]

Oh yes! Koffee Kup pie is delicious! And so is the pie at the Bluebonnet Cafe in Marble Falls. Why not do both?

[TXNGL]

Originally Posted by ChristieP

Oh yes! Koffee Kup pie is delicious! And so is the pie at the Bluebonnet Cafe in Marble Falls. Why not do both?

I have never had the pie at Bluebonnet, but friends RAVE about it! Also, the chicken fried steak, I think? How about a pie tasting road trip!

[love roses]

Pie road trip sounds fun. I think central Texas has quite a few cafes known for their pie

[TXNGL]

Originally Posted by love roses

Pie road trip sounds fun. I think central Texas has quite a few cafes known for their pie

There ya go! OP, this is your mission. We expect a full report on your return!

[DitsyD]

If you bicycle, Cameron Park in Waco features one of the most recognized natural trail systems in Texas with more than 20 miles of trails.
Cameron Park Trails - Parks & Recreation - City of Waco, Texas

Waco is also home to The Official Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum in Waco, Texas | Ranked one of the Best Texas Museums | Western History Museum
Texas Sports Hall of Fame tshof.org: Home
Dr Pepper Museum - Home
Official Waco Mammoth Site - Waco, Texas
The Elite in Waco was a stop for Elvis when he was stationed at Fort Hood. Home Page

In Austin, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center - The University of Texas at Austin is always a pleasant visit. I shot this dragonfly with my phone in May.