We will be traveling to Tx in May and I would love some suggestions on things to see and do while there. Any help would be most appreciated!! Thank you
Texas Gardeners...can you help?
There are tons of great things to see and do in TX. But we are a big state, so if you let us know where you are heading, it will help us help you. In my area there are monuments, big nurseries, Blue Bell creamery, wineries, artisan breweries, museums, parks, and more.
Also not just where in Tx are you heading, but what major interests catch your attention? SO many different zones and plants name Tx home. Many events are seasonal as well
We will probably be flying into Phoeniz AZ and seeing the Grand Canyon and a few other things and then making our way to TX. This is my daughters Senior trip and she gets to plan it. So far, she wants to repell down the canyon, hang glide, and ride in a hot air balloon. We thought we may fly OUT of San Antonio. We really have no set plans, thats why I was asking for advice, maybe that will give us a little more direction. Oh and she wants to ride horses also., like we don't have three here that never gets rode. Geez!
San Antonio, the river walk, Alamo, there are some caverns that are pretty cool. Sea World, Fiesta Texas. Not far away is New Braunfels with tubing on the Comal River and Schlitterbahn. Those are just a few off the top of my head. Driving in from the west, there is Carlsbad Caverns (think that is the name) which has great tours of the caverns and if you are there at dusk you get to watch millions of free tail bats fly out of the caves. Awesome.
That is off the top of my head, and the main tourist attractions. I will think of a few more if I stop and think about it for a while. Seems like there is also a drive through wild animal park that is usually a big hit for all ages.
She sounds like the adventurous type, so, I'd definitely recommend tubing on the Comal River and the Schlitterbahn in New Braunfels (weather permitting)
How long is this trip? It takes awhile to get places in Texas.
Thanks for all the suggestions. We will be out there about 10 days. No set plans, that why I wanted the locals opinion to help narrow down a few things, like that we wouldn't be driving around all the time. If there's something we really want to see or do then we could go straight there. Thanks for all your help.
You must visit the Dallas Arboretum.
The "Dallas in Bloom festival" is already open and it is rated between the top 10 flower show in the country. Also the Arboretum has the biggest azalea collection in the USA.
Plan to spend the entire day.
http://www.dallasarboretum.org/visit/seasonal-festivals-events/dallas-blooms
Now in its 30th year, the annual Dallas Blooms festival offers one of the most spectacular floral displays in the world featuring over 500,000 blooming spring bulbs. Visitors are invited to view outstanding collection of tulips, daffodils, pansies, violas, poppies and thousands of other annuals and perennials. Highlights of the festival include the blooming of over 100 Cherry Blossom trees and the mass flowering of 6,000 azaleas that bloom into April.
Also the Fort Worth Botanic Gardens are very beautiful as well as the Botanical Research institute of Texas which features a green roof mimicking the prairie, plus natural landscaping on the grounds.
These two are side by side.
In Dallas, the Ross Perot museum of Natural Science and History is an amazing place to see.
All that sounds wonderful for me and I know I could definately spend all day looking at flowers, BUT don't know about my daughter. This is her trip but she did say I could go to one botanical garden...LOL!Thanks for all your help
Check out the Texas Highways website. It lists activities and events throughout the state.
http://www.texashighways.com/
Thank you...I'll do it.
Everyone has given you some excellent suggestions. Here's a whole 'nother different kinda list.
If you're in the way way way west part of Texas, check out Big Bend National Park and surrounding area. Your daughter might find some fun things to do and if you're interested in cacti and strange plants, then you'll have something to do.
http://visitbigbend.com/
Day (or hour) trips from Big Bend, in no particular order:
Nearby town of Marfa is where the movie 'Giant' was filmed. The movie is a must see and stars included Rock Hudson, Elizabeth Taylor and James Dean. Probably of more interest to your daughter are Marfa’s “Mystery Ghost Lights”
http://www.marfacc.com/about/history.php
Also nearby is Terlingua, TX. A ghost town.
http://ghosttowntexas.com/terlingua.html
Someone turned the town of Lajitas into a large resort. But when I was last there, maybe in the early '90s, the town had a goat that was the mayor. A beer drinking goat. Somewhere I have a picture of me sharing a brew with the mayor.
http://lajitas.com/mayor.html
Tired by now? Take a peak at Marathon, the town where there's nothing 'to do'.
http://www.marathontexas.com/
One last thing to see in that 'neighborhood' if you happen to like stars. The McDonald Observatory. Home to one of the world's largest optical telescopes. If you drive like a West Texan, then Marfa's about a half hour drive away.
http://mcdonaldobservatory.org/about
Whatever y'all do, I'm sure it will be a fun adventure.
Thank you so much...great suggestions!!
Paula, the suggestions are all fabulous, but for a college girl, I can guarantee a night spent in Austin on South Congress in downtown walking 6th Street would be right up her alley. Austin is a hipster town and the youngsters love it (think live music EVERY night in EVERY bar) plus Willie Nelson's favorite honky-tonk The Broken Spoke. Plus BBQ! I can pass on all sorts of things about Austin if you'd like to know more (Mexican free-tail bats, sports, etc.). Schlitterbahn is AWESOME but may or may not be open. I think they open on Memorial Weekend.
On your way through New Mexico, stop in Tuscon for a day and go to the observatory at Kitt Peak. You may need to make a reservation for a time to view. The night sky is gorgeous out there.
The link for Kitt Peak is http://www.noao.edu/outreach/kpvc/
Keep in mind Texas is a BIG place. You can drive for 8 hours nonstop at highway speeds and still be in Texas. If you're thinking of visiting something, map it out and check the distance before hand. San Antonio is a good 4-5 hours from Dallas and the Arboretum. While the Dallas Arboretum is fantastic and I would normally recommend it, I don't know that you'll find it worth the ~4 hours in the car. Austin will only be about an hour away from you, so I'd say that Austin is more in "striking distance". It sounds like your daughter doesn't share your passion for plants.
San Antonio is a pretty big city in its own right. While you're there, check out the Magnolia Pancake House, Mission San Jose, and Institute of Texan Cultures. For shopping hit the Mexican Market or go down to Market Square for the flea market. If you feel like being a mall rat, you can do that La Cantera. If you want whimsy, go visit the Largest Boots in Texas. Natural Bridge Caverns is there too.
And for the garden part of you, visit the Japanese Tea Gardens. San Antonio has it's own Botanical Garden as well as the Friedrich Wilderness Park and Mitchell Lake Audubon Park. The McNay Art Museum and SA Museum of Art are pretty nifty but I'm more fond of the Buckhorn Saloon and the Texas Ranger (as in guys with badges not baseball bats) Museum. And go ride the Brackenridge miniature train. And if you're bored, there's always Monster Mini-golf. If you want night life, hit The White Rabbit or The Landing for local bands but the Menger Bar is a SA fixture. Teddy recruited his Rough Riders there and it's largely unchanged.
If you do decide to strike out for Austin, stop at the Franklin Barbecue after you hit the indoor skydiving or indoor go karts. And for nightlife, I'd put 6th St in Austin up against anyone's. Austin City Limits Live is a fixture in the music scene in Texas. And you can even go on a trail ride or visit the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
TX_Flower_Child gave lots of good information for Big Bend and the surrounding area. There are a couple of stables in the Big Bend area that offer all-day trail rides out into the desert, and I highly recommend that. It's a great way to learn the area and to see sights you wouldn't see from the road.
Be aware, though, that Big Bend is hundreds of miles from anywhere. It will take you a good chunk of the day to get from BB to San Antonio. It's a 10-hour drive from BB to Dallas. Well worth it, imho, but just so you're aware. It's a 6-hour drive from SA to Dallas. Texas is indeed a very big state. You and your daughter are in for a real treat.
Carla
Big Bend is amazing but I drove there from Dallas and it took more than 10 straight hours. It isn't a place to plan a day for...its a vacation in itself.
Oh, I didn''t mean to imply that Big Bend would be a nice day trip. Someone had mentioned Carlsbad Caverns and since I didn't bother to look at a map, I just thought to myself, 'Oh. Carlsbad Caverns. That's in New Mexico. And NM borders TX on the west side. Maybe that would be an interesting place b/c I know they have horses (which as a hiker I dislike for obvious reasons) and maybe that new resort in Lajitas has horses and hot air balloons.' And then I got carried away.
It could have been worse. I could have talked about bats in Austin.
The Commerce Streets bats coming out at nightfall is an experience not to be missed!!
Carla
Thank you all for your input and suggestions. This is the first time I have checked back in a couple of weeks or so...sorry about that, but I do appreciate your suggestions. Thanks so much! Gives us lots to go on.
I don't know how you daughter feels about camping,hiking, and the like, but there are many gorgeous state parks here in TX. Out san Antonio and Austin way there is some gorgeous hill country and lakes for water sports, kayaking and such.
We would love to hear where you went after all :)