Places Welcoming You
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Rayford Crossing RV Resort The Woodlands, Texas |
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Oak Forest RV Resort Austin, Texas |
No matter how hard you try, there’s simply no pigeonholing the Lone Star State. It’s big, it’s geographically diverse and it’s got something for just about everyone.
Dallas and Houston dish up renowned fashion and arts scenes, in addition to the standard big city fare of world-class shopping areas and restaurants. San Antonio wraps a relaxed vibe around the big city experience, at least until the sun goes down—then its Riverwalk goes full fiesta. Over in Austin, live music runs the show. In Fort Worth, a good ole fashioned cattle drive is always in the offing.
Outside of the big cities, you’ll find destinations aplenty. From the wandering Rio Grande to the red-rocked Panhandle region to the flower-filled fields of Texas Hill Country to the balmy Gulf Coast, Texas has just about every type of biome or landscape you can imagine.
Must-visit attractions around the state include the Texas School Book Depository building in Dallas (with a JFK museum on the sixth floor), the Alamo in San Antonio (where the likes of Davy Crockett and Jim Bowie made their infamous last stand against the Mexican Army) and Space Center Houston (home to more than 400 NASA artifacts).
At more than 267,000 square miles in size, Texas is larger than a fair share of countries, including France. It means more time driving between destinations, but the silver lining is that the Lone Star State offers a dazzling array of open spaces.
In West Texas, the Big Bend region is among the state’s most popular destinations. Home to both Big Bend National Park and Big Bend State Park, the area is packed with opportunities for outdoor adventure. The national park is home to an entire mountain range (the Chisos), has the mighty Rio Grande as its southern border and encompasses a large swath of the Chihuahuan Desert. The state park, meanwhile, is defined by impressive volcanic landscapes and is home to the scenic Camino Del Rio Road, which chases the Rio Grande across arroyos and through canyons for more than 30 miles.
Over on the state’s Gulf Coast, just a few minutes south of Corpus Christi, is Padre Island National Seashore. This gorgeous 70-mile stretch of waterfront offers white sandy beaches, shifting sand dunes and clear water. It’s a popular destination for swimming, boating and fishing.
The yearly events calendar in Texas is packed with top-tier festivals and festivities. No matter where (or when) you find yourself setting up camp in the Lone Star State, fun festivals won’t be far away.
March brings South by Southwest, one of the largest events in the country, to Austin. Also known as SXSW, the festival serves up the latest and greatest from all walks of popular entertainment and culture—from music to movies to TV.
Other popular events around the state include BorderFest in Hidalgo, Texas Sandfest in Port Aransas, the Art Car Parade in Houston and the annual State Fair of Texas in Dallas.
If you’re a history buff on the sightseeing prowl in Texas, you’ll find yourself flocking straight to San Antonio, and for good reason. Founded in 1718 by Spanish missionaries, this is one of the oldest cities in the country. It’s packed with historic sites and old architecture, including a quintet of 18th-century missions. Two of the most popular are Mission San Jose (built in 1720) and the legendary Alamo (site of the Battle of the Alamo in 1836). For a glimpse into Texas’s frontier past, you can head to the Fort Worth Stockyards National Historic District. This 98-acre district was once a booming livestock market in the 1860s. Today, it’s home to original brick walkways, wooden corrals, a working rodeo and an old opry.