Texas Travel Guides

Everyone knows that when March rolls around, thousands of college students from across the nation will flock to the coasts for a week of the three b’s: beaches, bikinis, and beer.  But while college students have a week off from their studies, so do the kiddos, and families begin an attempt to plan a fun vacation without the chaos of college kids.  Here at TourTexas.com, we are happy to help you plan a memorable Texas vacation that won’t land your family in the middle of a keg stand contest.  Here are some great family-friendly spring break ideas in Texas!

1. Dixie Dude Ranch.  Located in the hill country of Bandera, Texas (an hour to the northwest of San Antonio), the ranch is a perfect venue for families looking for a one-of-a-kind experience in the Old West.  With horseback riding through the hill country, an outdoor pool, eclectic cottages and cabins, and real cowboys, Dixie Dude Ranch provides an authentic outdoor adventure for the whole family.   By the end of the week when all the fun has taken its toll, masseuses are available on site to relax and restore you before your return to the real world.

2. Great Wolf Lodge.  If your family hasn’t experienced the entertainment and thrill in store at Great Wolf Lodge, spring break 2013 is the time to take advantage of all the resort has to offer.  Located in Grapevine, Texas (nestled between Dallas and Fort Worth), the resort has more options for family fun in one spot than any other resort you can find.  With a full indoor waterpark, hot springs, MagiQuest® enchanted kingdom adventure, Northern Lights™ Arcade, Howly Wood XD Theater, a full kids-spa for manicures with mom, and an adult spa when mom needs a massage break from the kids, the possibilities for regalement or relaxation are endless.  Also check out the Cub Club® learning adventure to keep the kiddos’ minds sharp even while they’re away from school!

3. SeaWorld San Antonio.  Even if you’re not looking to hit up the beach, your family can still enjoy the excitement of the ocean all in one spot: SeaWorld! Experience the classic One Ocean show featuring Shamu, make a splash on the Journey to Atlantis water coaster ride, and feed the Atlantic bottlenose dolphins and California sea lions.  If you’re attending with young kids, be sure to check out the Sesame Street® Bay of Play®, a water park oasis designed just for the little ones.  After you’ve successfully explored all that SeaWorld has to offer, check out other San Antonio attractions, such as the historic Alamo or the river walk.

4. Natural Bridge Caverns.  Another attraction near San Antonio, Natural Bridge Caverns are the largest commercial caverns in the state of Texas.  The Discovery Tour, the caverns’ most popular expedition, takes your family 180 feet below ground on a guided tour full of stalactites, stalagmites, flowstones, chandeliers and soda straws.  For those of you with older kids, check out the Canopy Challenge – a 60-foot, four-tiered adventure course testing agility, balance, and strength facing 47 different obstacles, and ending with a 1,400 foot zip line through the Texas hill country.  After you’ve explored the caves and tackled the canopy challenge, get your safari hat on and your binoculars ready and head next door to The Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch – 400 acres of rolling hills riddled with over 500 animals from 40 exotic, native, and endangered animal species worldwide.

5. Schlitterbahn Galveston.  With numerous indoor water slides, pools, lazy rivers and other water adventures, Schlitterbahn in Galveston offers a full array of water fun.  Check the schedule before you go, however, as Schlitterbahn is mostly only open on the weekends in March.  Throughout the week, however, you can check out numerous other family-oriented venues that Galveston has to offer, including Moody Gardens, Texas Seaport Museum, and the Port Bolivar Ferry. 

Have you ever wanted to explore a new city but didn’t know where to start? Well (aside from visiting Tourtexas.com to obtain all the best travel suggestions) if you are visiting Houston, they have a new and innovative way of exploring all the sites and history of downtown without taking a step!  How is this possible, you ask?  One word: Segways!  

Okay, I know what you’re thinking: Aren’t Segways for mall cops?  Oh contraire, my friend!  These two-wheeled, self-balancing phenomena are now available to you as well at Segway Tours of Houston, and are a segue to a really cool experience. 

The tour we went on was called the “Buffalo Bayou Tour,” and started in downtown Houston at the Wortham Center.  Tip #1: Be sure you know where your tour starts! When I looked up the address for the tours, I followed the address given for where the Segways are housed, not where our tour would start.  It took a few minutes to reroute to the actual launch location.

Tip #2: Trust your Segway, and your tourguide.  I know it sounds simple, but despite my warnings about the initial “Segway shake” if I didn’t trust the Segway to balance upon stepping on, I soon became “that girl” with the shaking Segway.  But “come on!” I say, all logic, reason, and schooling tells me that two-wheeled objects should not be able to stand up on their own!  This is what makes Segways one of the most interesting developments of the 21st century.  Built with sophisticated tilt sensors, the Segway works similarly to the way your inner ear does in regards to balance.  When you start leaning forward too far and could potentially lose control, the Segway pushes back to slow you down.  It is modern technology at its finest.

The Buffalo Bayou Tour was a perfect taste of all that downtown Houston has to offer.  With the tour guide’s knowledge and leading, you will uncover historical sites, landmarks, statues, trails, popular venues, and a rich amount of history about the city.  Tip #3: Ask questions.  Your tour guide holds a wealth of knowledge right at your fingertips, if you’ll only ask.  If you are curious about one of the landmarks or statues, ask more about it! If you want to know the best Italian restaurants in town, inquire!  The best way to tailor the tour to you is to engage with your tour guide.   

While Segways can be a little intimidating at first, the only real danger occurs when your history nostalgia blinds you from seeing that the Segway in front of you has come to a halt.  Oh yeah, that happened to me a few times, too.  Tip #4: Avoid Segway collisions as well as pedestrians.  As rich and awesome as the history tour is, it’s important (just as in driving) to pay attention.  

With these tips in mind, and a love for undertaking new adventures, you will be set for the best possible Segway tour experience.  Whether you are new to the city or have lived in Houston for years, the Segway Tours of Houston have something for everyone.

Some people think of this season as Fall but to me, there's winter, spring, summer and football season.  If there's one thing I love to do besides travel, it's watch a good game. Here in Texas we have two of the best stadiums to do that.  If you're traveling near Houston or Dallas and you can fit a live game into your itinerary, I highly recommend doing so.  But if your travels don't coincide with a home game, do the next best thing and take a stadium tour!

Fans of the powerhouse Texans head out to Reliant Field in Houston to show their support. This place is immense! It sits on 350 acres and consists of Reliant Stadium, Reliant Center, Reliant Astrodome, and Reliant Arena. It was pretty cool getting a behind-the-scenes look into the workings of the stadium and where the team works out and gets ready for a game.  One of the interesting things I learned on the tour is that they remove the field (which is real grass) after every game and store it in another facility. I also enjoyed seeing the differences between the Texans' and the visiting team's locker rooms…talk about home field advantage! Other stops include the Press box, weight room, cafeteria, gift shops and the premium seating areas (which, for a lot of us is the only way we’ll ever get to see them up close!)  Our tour guide also showed us how the stadium’s roof retracts. This way you can enjoy the nice weather outside, or if there’s too much of that famous Houston heat and humidity, the nice weather inside! 

Cowboys’ fans flock to Cowboys Stadium in Arlington.  This relatively new football mecca (opened in 2009) is the largest domed stadium in the world and can accommodate 80,000 fans. Again, I’d highly recommend you take a tour if you want to really experience this amazing stadium.  If you can, take the VIP tour as opposed to the self-guided tour. It's $10 more, but really worth it! I had a great guide. He explained in detail everything about the building. A really cool stop was the VIP suite where Jerry Jones, owner of the Cowboys, watches the games. I loved seeing the locker rooms - I could imagine myself as a Dallas Cowboy, getting suited up and ready to take on all challengers! And to add to my fantasy, we even got to walk out onto the field exactly as the Cowboys do, under a long hallway underneath a huge, lit-up Cowboys star on the ceiling!

Another thing I have to mention is the amazing high definition video screen. It’s like nothing I’ve ever seen in any other arena. The picture is clearer than my HD-TV at home!  It’s so huge, so you get a spectacular view no matter where you’re sitting.

I highly recommend making a stadium tour part of your trip to the Dallas or Houston area.
 

For more information:

Reliant Stadium tours:  http://reliantpark.com/public-tours

Cowboys Stadium tours: http://stadium.dallascowboys.com/tours/tourInfo.cfm

As I am on the road, traveling through Texas fairly often, I am lucky to see so much of the natural beauty our great state is blessed with. But as much as I see, Texas still manages to surprise me. I recently visited the Natural Bridge Caverns, about 30 minutes north of San Antonio and was awe-struck at the alien world that exists below the Texas soil.  

180 feet underground, you enter a surreal, prehistoric landscape of magnificent limestone formations, six million years in the making.  All your senses are on edge: the air feels wet and smells of earthy minerals.  It takes your eyes a few minutes to get used to the dark.  Every sound echoes in the acoustical chambers formed by the stone.

• You are not allowed to touch anything in the cave and they are strict about it.   Before you decide to bring small kids on a tour, be sure they understand "no touching"!
• The cave is wet and the path is slippery at times. There is a handrail to keep you upright, but wear appropriate footwear, preferably with non-slip soles
• It can get hot and humid in the cavern.  Really hot. Dress accordingly. Bring some cold water.
• You don't have to be an athlete to take a cave tour, but there is a lot of walking and some climbing and, as previously mentioned, it gets hot. It's not extremely strenuous, but just know your own physical limits before going.
• Stay near the front of the pack so you can hear your tour guide.  While seeing the formations alone is amazing, learning about the geology and ecology makes the trip that much more enjoyable.

In addition to a variety of cave tours, Natural Bridge Caverns offers several above-ground fun and educational activities for kids of all ages, including rope adventures, zip lining, and prospecting for minerals in a mining sluice.  There is so much here to explore.

As the 16th largest city in the United States and part of the No. 1 tourist destination in Texas, Fort Worth has come out from under the shadow of its "big sister" city, Dallas.  Fort Worth is an eclectic blend of cowboy-meets-culture: whether you prefer to spend your time in a museum or watching the world's only twice-daily cattle drive, this city offers plenty of things to do. And, if you need to give your wallet a little rest, here are 10 fantastic things to do in this city, completely free:

1. Amon Carter Museum of American Art  >> website

It's hard to believe that admission to this American treasure is free.  Housed in a beautiful, contemporary building, this museum offers a diverse array of exhibitions, publications, and programs that connect visitors to masterworks of American art in many genres, including painting, sculpture, illustration, photography and more. Don't miss your opportunity to view nearly 400 works by Frederic Remington and Charles M. Russell, the two greatest artists of the American West.

 

 

2. See U.S. Currency Being Printed...Legally!

The Bureau of Engraving and Printing’s Fort Worth Currency facility is one of only two locations in the U.S. that print money (Washington, D.C. being the other). Come on a weekday and take a free 45-minute guided tour. The tour features the various steps of currency production, beginning with large, blank sheets of paper, and ending with wallet-ready bills! You'll see millions of dollars being printed.

 

 

3. Tap your toe to a Cowtown Opry Show

Dedicated to the preservation of country music as a part of Texas heritage, the Cowtown Opry is a group of performers who specialize in bringing back authentic western music shows. Concerts include vintage and contemporary western music, songs from the singing cowboy movies, old time cowboy ballads, and western swing (THE official music of Texas!). Weekly concerts are free, on the steps of the Livestock Exchange Building. Visit the Cowtown Opry website for an up-to-date schedule.

 

 

 

 

4. Take a Tour of Fire Station No. 1

A historic fire station near Fort Worth's Sundance Square District, Fire Station No. 1 is part of the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History. The exhibit features interactive models (including a bucking bronco) that commemorate Fort Worth’s first 150 years, from its early years as a frontier outpost, through its raucous cattle-town years, and into the modern big-city era.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Relive the romance and mystique of Old West cowboys and cattle drives! Watch the world’s only twice-daily cattle drive where teams of real cowhands drive longhorn cows through the Stockyards on Exchange Avenue. 11:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. daily in the Stockyards.  And look for the Drovers before and after each cattle drive for photo opportunities and to learn more about life on the trail!  >>more info and schedule

Home to more than 2,500 species of plants in its 23 specialty gardens, the Botanic Gardens are absolutely beautiful and a great place to learn about nature. The general gardens are free; there is a nominal fee for the Conservatory and the Japanese Garden, where the koi-filled pools, sculptured hillsides, crafted stonework and dramatic waterfalls provide a view of exotic conservation.

The 4.3 acre urban oasis is located next to the Fort Worth Convention Center featuring three pools of water and over 500 species of plants and trees. The quiet meditation pool, the aerating pool and the active pool all have water cascading down terraces and collecting in pools below.  1502 Commerce St.

Meteorites are the oldest materials known — older than any rock formed on Earth! The Monnig Meteorite Museum is one of the largest university-based collections with over 1,700 specimens. Explore the mysteries of meteorites, create your own terrestrial impact crater and even touch a piece of Mars at this “out of this world” gallery devoted to our visitors from space. Located on the grounds of the Texas Christian University campus. >> more info

9. Trinity Trails

Trinity Trails are the biking/cycling, running/walking and horseback trails of Fort Worth. The trails are named for the Trinity River, along which many of the trails are located.  There are over 40 miles of trails along the Trinity and its tributaries, connecting with 21 parks, the Fort Worth Botanic Garden and Japanese Garden, Log Cabin Village, Fort Worth Zoo, the historic Stockyards and downtown Fort Worth. >> more info

10. Kimbell Art Museum

The Kimbell's permanent collection contains works ranging from the third millennium B.C. to the mid-20th century, and includes major pieces by Fra Angelico, Velazquez, Bernini, Rembrandt, Goya, Monet, Cezanne, Picasso, Mondrian and Matisse. It is also home to Michelangelo's first known painting. The collection comprises Asian and non-Western as well as European art. The museum features special and traveling exhibits on display throughout the year.  >> more info

Oh, and one more thing in Fort Worth that's free:
"Molly the Trolley" is a vintage-style vehicle that offers a quick and convenient way to travel throughout the downtown area for free, from the Fort Worth Convention Center to Sundance Square.  Molly stops near every downtown hotel property, landmark, dining, shopping and entertainment venue.  Be sure to hop aboard for a free ride while exploring Fort Worth's free treasures.  >> more info

I've got nothing against a good art museum or a sobering historical exhibit.  In fact, I think a great museum is one of the high points of a trip to a new place.  But, as Americans, I think most of us also love to explore the weird, the silly, the strange and the morbid.  With that in mind, I present to you ten of Texas' weirdest, coolest and most unique museums. 

Cockroach Hall of Fame

2231-B West 15th St., Plano  ∙  972-519-0355

I stumbled upon this place a few years back and I tell everyone who's going to be near Plano to pay it a visit, if only to get a laugh.  Located inside a pest control supply store and "curated" by owner Michael Bohdan, the hall of fame features plenty of information about roaches and mounted samples.  In addition to the "dead" cockroaches, Michael also displays live Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches which are three to four inches long and nearly an inch thick. My favorite part, though, are the displays of roaches in costumes, each in a diorama depicting a scene.  For example, there's "Liberoachie", sitting at a piano in a sparkling Liberace costume.  And there's also Marilyn Monroach - a dead bug wearing the signature white dress.  You'll leave with a smile on your face and a greater appreciation for the lowly roach.

Texas Prison Museum 

Huntsville  ∙  www.txprisonmuseum.org/

At the Texas Prison Museum, even the tour guide is a genuine artifact: retired warden Jim Willet, who oversaw 89 executions during his career,  walked us around and told stories about the exhibits detailing the history of the Texas prison system.  Highlights include the Contraband Exhibit, the Famous Prisoners exhibit and "Old Sparky", an electric chair that fried 361 prisoners between 1924 and 1964.   You can have your picture taken in a real 9' x 6' jail cell at the Museum for a great souvenir.  This very interesting museum is a bargain at only $4 for admission.

 

The Dog Museum

Ripley's Believe it or Not! Odditorium

Toilet Seat Museum

National Museum of Funeral History

The Art Car Museum

Miss Hattie's Bordello Museum

Devil's Rope Barbed Wire Museum 

You don't kayak the Medina River for a wild, whitewater, exhilarating day on the water. You kayak the Medina because you want a relaxing excursion, surrounded by pristine, natural beauty and wildlife, shaded by the arching cypress trees where you can just let the river do most of the work.

It was early May, the sun was shining, the sky was blue and the weather was a perfect  84°.  We started our trip on a wide open stretch of the river, but it wasn't long before we were paddling through a tunnel of bald cypress trees that lined both banks and created a leafy, ethereal canopy.  The Medina cuts through limestone bluffs and outcroppings with free-flowing springs that feed the river and the wildlife that live here. The sounds of birds, jumping fish and other hidden creatures could be heard echoing around us.

Would y'all be surprised to learn that Texas is the number ONE horse state in the U.S.?  We’ve got over 1 million horses within our borders, and the primary breeding and ranching areas are in Denton County, north of Fort Worth almost to the Oklahoma border. The area is a national equine breeding and training area with over 300 large farms and ranches.  Best known for the Quarter Horse, the area also turns out superior Thoroughbreds, Paints, Arabians, Appaloosas and more.  Many disciplines are practiced here, including cutting, halter, roping, western pleasure, dressage and reining. 

Until recently, this gem of Texas landscape was unknown to most people, but growing awareness of the area’s beauty, educational value and pure Western American heritage is making a visit to North Texas Horse Country a must-do for many travelers.  And now that springtime is here, you’re bound to see a few newborn foals.

There are two great ways to experience Horse Country.

Self-Guided Driving Tour –  I’m a guy who likes to get behind the wheel and hit the road, so my first time through Horse Country, I opted for the driving tour.  I like the idea of deciding my own agenda, visiting the ranches that interested me and making spontaneous stops at my own whim. Maps are available (contact the Denton Convention & Visitor’s Bureau) showing the ranches along the way. Ranch owners try to accommodate visitors and ask for a “heads up” phone call if you’re planning on stopping by. However, these are real, working ranches and sometimes the owners are unable to take time to entertain guests. For example, one ranch I stopped at was experiencing a medical emergency with one of their prized stallions. The owners, ranch hands and several veterinarians were understandably more concerned with the horse than with showing me around. They apologized and invited me back another time. Other facilities did have some spare time for me and I enjoyed watching the ranchers and horses at work.

Guided Tours -  The following year, I opted for the guided tour.  We met in Denton and settled onto a comfortable bus. A really knowledgeable guide made the trip both educational and entertaining as we visited 3 different ranches, all of which were expecting us and had made time to show us their horses, demonstrate the work they do and divulged the inner workings of the ranch. Midway through, a nice “cowboy lunch” was served and I got to chat with folks from all over the U.S. All this for $40!  It was definitely worth it. Reserve your spot through the Denton Convention & Visitor's Bureau.

If you’re traveling in and around the Denton area and want to experience the history and heritage of the American West, be sure to include North Texas Horse Country on your agenda. 

You won't find it in most travel guides and the locals are glad about that.  They would prefer that not too many people find out about the Texas Junk Company.

I decided to pick up some boots for myself and I figured I'd walk out with one of the $30 pairs.  Then I saw this pair of alligator boots for a little over $200, which I couldn't resist.  A friend who is a boot aficionado told me I got a steal.  I think I saw a gleam of envy in his eye.

About 30 minutes south of Houston, right off I-45, is the small, coastal town of Kemah, part of the grouping of towns called Bay Area Houston.  Kemah is known for its bustling boardwalk, nestled along Clear Creek Channel which opens up into Galveston Bay.  The area is a charming Gulf Coast destination that gets millions of visitors each year.

Back in earlier days, Kemah used to be a rustic shrimping port on Galveston Bay where you could buy some fresh shrimp and a beer and sit by the dock on an afternoon to watch the boats come in.  During the 90s, a developer built the boardwalk and brought in amusement rides, restaurants, shops and carnival games and turned it into a tourist attraction.  I do have to admit, it is somewhat "touristy", but to me, that's not a bad thing.  On a recent sunny day in early February, I was one of those tourists enjoying a stroll along the Kemah Boardwalk.

The Kemah boardwalk is essentially an amusement park featuring some great rides, such as The Boardwalk Bullet, a 96' wooden roller coaster.  It reaches speeds of 51 mph and gets so close to the water's edge, it feels like it will fling you into the bay! You'll also find midway games, theme shops and souvenir stores.  There are plenty of restaurants along the boardwalk, and most have seats overlooking the water.  All of the restaurants are good and of course, they all offer plenty of seafood dishes.  You won't get a fresher catch anywhere else.  In addition to the rides and midway games, there are often events or festivals going on at the Boardwalk.  Check the Kemah Boardwalk website for up-to-date information.

I started my afternoon in Kemah with lunch at the Aquarium Restaurant.  This restaurant offers many attractions beyond its good food - they feature a 50,000-gallon, floor-to-ceiling aquarium housing more than 100 species of tropical fish and sharks, and Stingray Reef, where you can touch and feed live stingrays. They've also added a Rainforest themed exhibit with piranhas, snakes, scorpions, tarantulas.  Under the blue glow of the huge aquarium, I enjoyed a New Orleans Po-Boy with shrimp which was really fresh and tasty.   If you don't feel like a sit-down lunch, another great option is to check out the food vendors along the boardwalk.  You'll find the expected carnival type fare along with some unique items worth trying.  Just "graze" your way through and sample a few items from different carts.

After lunch, I thought about going on the Bullet, but decided that wasn't best done right after a big meal, so instead, I meandered along the boardwalk, enjoying the relaxing sight of boats floating slowly by.  I checked out some of the shops, which are what you'd typically expect to find in a touristy area - souvenirs, Kemah T-shirts, beach wear.

There's no entry fee for the boardwalk, but the rides cost $4-5 each.  If you think you will be going on several rides, your best bet is to get an all-day pass.  The cost is $20, but with a little pre-planning, you can sometimes get discount coupons.  In fact, right now in February, there's a Wintertime Blues promotion on the Kemah Boardwalk website which offers an all-day pass at $5 when you buy one at regular price. During other times of the year, check the Houston Chronicle for discounts coupons or search online.

Still in the neighborhood at dinner time?  You can certainly try one of the other many restaurants along the boardwalk, but what I'd recommend is walking a few blocks over to Highway 146 and eating at T-Bone Tom's, a down-home, family style restaurant where the food is really good and really plentiful.  You can get seafood here, but when a place has "T-Bone" in the title, your best bet is usually the meat and that's for sure true here.  I started with an appetizer of "Armadillo Eggs", which aren’t eggs and they're not from armadillos, either. These are large jalapeños, stuffed with brisket and deep fried.  Served with a creamy dipping sauce, they are really fantastic.  I could have made a whole dinner of these, but I also had to try their ribeye steak.  This was 14 ounces of choice, tender beef, bathed in some sort of magic marinade with a pineapple tang to it.  It was truly a memorable dinner. (we covered T-Bone Tom's a few years back during our quest for the best chicken-fried steak.  Read about it here.)

Overall, Kemah is the perfect family getaway. It's a paradise for children and a romantic date for couples.  There’s lots to do during the cooler months and it’s a great destination during the warm months when the water activities and refreshing Gulf breezes keep you cool.  Make a day of it!

>> more travel information about Kemah 

Valentine’s Day is right around the corner and this time of year, there’s a lot of pressure on guys like me  to be “romantic”.  Romance doesn't come naturally to me, but my lady is worth my best effort so, every February, I make sure to remember the flowers, the chocolates and the fancy restaurant reservation.  A bit predictable, I know, but she always appreciates it. Last year, though, I kicked it up a notch.  I surprised my wife with a weekend in Texas Wine Country.  She is a real wine-lover and it had been many years since we had done a winery trip so it seemed like the perfect Valentine's getaway.

There is a reason why wineries are often chosen for proposals, weddings and honeymoons: the romance quotient is over the top!  The grounds are always beautiful, overlooking acres of grapes, with secluded spots along the walkways and secret gardens.  The air smells earthy and fruity.  Each winery has its own look - rustic, modern, European – its own mood and its own story.   Many of them have B&Bs on the premises, adding another layer to the romantic atmosphere.  My wife and I have great memories of strolling hand in hand among  the vines, dancing to the music of a guitar duo and clinking our wine glasses together making a secret toast to each other. 

There are two ways to experience a winery tour: a self-guided driving trip or a professional tour company.   We were staying in Fredricksburg so, on our first day, we got a map (like this one) and decided to just drive east along Rt. 290.  We started out at Chisolm Trail Winery and had a great lunch, followed by a tasting of their wonderful reds and whites (tastings are usually priced at about $5 for 5 samples).  If you decide to drive in your own car, you need to have a plan.  Either select a designated driver or do what I did: spit!   First, you inhale the scent of the wine from the glass, then take a sip and swish it around your palette. Then, you *ahem* spit it out.  The first time, I admit I felt a bit self-conscious and wondered how this was fitting into my romance plan. But soon, you realize everyone else is doing it and you don't think twice about politely spitting out your sip of wine into the buckets provided.  We sipped and spat our way through about three more wineries that afternoon and really enjoyed exploring at our own pace, being spontaneous and taking as long as we liked at each location.

On the second day, we decided to try a tour company that specialized in the area's wineries. Heart of Texas Wine Country offers a choice of three routes leaving out of Marble Falls (about an hour northeast of Fredricksburg).  This is a full day trip and you will spend time at around 5 different wineries. Our tour guide, Dale, was friendly and really knowledgeable about the area, the grapes that are growing there and the history of each of the wineries we visited.  We enjoyed all the stops on our tour, but our favorites were Stone House Vineyard, which overlooks Lake Travis and provides breathtaking scenery and Bella Vista Ranch, a Tuscan-style farmstead which not only produces grapes and wine but also grows olives and produces their own olive oil. Although we enjoyed the previous day’s driving tour, it was nice leaving the keys to someone else and feeling free to taste – and swallow – the wine without worrying about unsafe driving.

Guys, if you want to surprise your Valentine with more than just a heart-shaped box and roses -- or ladies, if you are in charge of the romance in your relationship -- there’s a “wine country” in most regions of Texas.  For starters, check this map to see if there’s a trail near where you live or plan to vacation.   There are all sorts of Valentine's Day events going on, from gourmet winery dinners, B&B "romance packages", to wine and chocolate pairings, even a special, limited edition wine called "Valentine" from Bernhardt Winery.

All the wines we tasted were fantastic.  We brought home many bottles of reds and whites, at least one from every vineyard we visited and, although I’m usually a beer guy, I have to say I have enjoyed opening each of those bottles throughout the year and revisiting the tastes, the memories and, yes, the romance of that Valentine’s Day vacation.

I just read that Trip Advisor published a list of 15 travel destinations on the rise. Can you guess which Texas city was in the #2 spot? It’s the great state capitol of Texas, good ol’ Austin.

It’s a new year, a leap year. A whole new 366 days to explore the adventure to be found on Texas back roads, on Main Street, and in the heart of Texans who make this the greatest state in the Union.

On my calendar for this year are blogging and photo trips to new craft breweries such as the Karbach Brewing Company in Houston, and established wineries from Bernhardt in Plantersville to the Fairhaven Vineyards in Hawkins.

Minor League baseball will be played for the first time in Sugar Land when the Skeeters take to the diamond at Constellation Field this spring. I plan to be there to cover the action. 

I’ll be heading over to Grand Saline to check out the reptilian action at the East Texas Gators & Wildlife Park, paying my respects at painted churches, and continuing the search for the best catfish kitchen in the state. So much to see, so much report . . .

In 2011 Texas highways led me to some mighty fine food, new friends, little known historical spots, and quirky attractions. Quality time spent with retired railroad man Bobby Jack Middleton in Hearne and Frank the hobo in Tomball was unexpected. The thick chocolate malt that I found at The Diner in Corsicana brought back childhood memories, while hearing first person accounts of the ghosts of Galveston, San Antonio and on The Lex in Corpus Christi was chilling.    

Coming face-to-face with “Old Sparky”, the infamous electric chair at Huntsville’s Texas Prison Museum, was thoughtful provoking, and visiting the graves of men who fought for the Texas military during the American Civil War was humbling.

I loved touring the Tee Pee Motel in Wharton with its rows of cone-shaped lodges, a throwback to the day when the family summer vacation was made in a station wagon and Route 66 was more than just a tune on the AM radio.

Sampling Dr Pepper made from the original sugar laced recipe in Dublin was sweet . . . pun intended. The Sterling McCall Cadillac Museum in Warrenton was a nice surprise and exploring the historic Fulton Mansion near Rockport was really cool for a fan of architectural design.

Then there were the churches, big and small. The stained glass at the Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Round Top was “heavenly”, and the tiny Saint Martin’s Catholic Church on Highway 237 was so . . . small.

The mom-and-pop restaurants that I visited in 2011 were no less than awesome. The T-bone steak at San Antonio’s Josephine Street Café easily went head-to-head with the fried shrimp at the Laguna Reef in Flour Bluff. Barbecue at Holders in Dobbin was just as good as the original “pig sandwich” at the Pig Stand on Broadway in the Alamo City. And, the burger at the Chicken Oil Company in Bryan is still at the top of my list . . . well, at least for now.

My Texas getaways were seriously good in 2011. Maybe this year you’ll hit the road to create your own Lone Star adventures and meet a character or two.  I certainly plan to keep on pick-up truckin’ across the state on my own as a Texas trekker. It’s just too much fun not to!

Listen . . . the open road is calling. Can you hear it?  

As a kid growing up in the days of Howdy Doody, the Beach Boys and Hank Aaron, traveling long distances over two lane highways was how we did it. There were no super freeways sided by feeder roads lined with cookie cutter restaurants, chain hotels and shopping centers. We always took the “scenic” route through one small town to the next, and we loved it. After all, we had no choice.

One of the highlights of traveling in those days was always stopping for gas and treats at Stuckey’s with its shelves full of pecan logs, sweet-sweet divinity, jellied fruit slices and sugar and spice pecan halves that actually took the skin off the top of your mouth if you ate too many. Oh my . . . those were good times.

Today there is a Texas equivalent to the old Deep South tradition made famous by Mr. Stuckey right down to the never ending array of quirky roadside billboards counting the miles until your final destination. It’s called Buc-ee’s and it’s become a real Texas attraction for all ages.

Based purely on my childhood memories, Buc-ee’s is Stuckey’s on steroids. Though smaller Buc-ee’s locations are found throughout Texas, the mega stores in Madisonville, Wharton and Lulling are my favorites by far.

From the addictive Beaver Nuggets to traditional chicken salad sandwiches and wraps, Tex-Mex and southern favorites are there to be had in the market style display cases and on shelves, in self serve coolers and hanging on pegged racks as far as the eye can see. Bags of old style candy and jars of pickled tomatoes and candied jalapenos are set near aisles of Buc-ee beavered souvenirs and mementos from the great State of Texas.

Buc-ee’s in Madisonville was wall-to-wall shoppers on the day I stopped by. The mass of travelers were filling bags, baskets and arms with goodies for the upcoming holiday. They were lined up at the registers    and the soda fountain walls. Order numbers for meals were being announced non-stop from the overhead speakers as good old Country music filled the air. It was organized chaos and everyone seemed to relish in it. We were at Buc-ee’s and lovin’ it.

A steady stream of folks came and went in one of Buc-ee’s most widely promoted attributes . . . the cleanest restrooms in Texas. Signs along the road for miles had announced that the biggest reasons for visiting Buc-ee’s were #1 and #2, and that even your Mom would approve of the facilities. No lie . . . she would have.

For me a visit to Buc-ee’s is a flashback to a slower time when dad did the driving, special treasures and treats were found at a stop along the road, and traveling was simpler. It’s a great getaway and as one of the billboards reads, “You can hold it!”.

“How jerky is that?” That’s what some of my friends might say when they open their Christmas gift from me in a couple of days.

I was driving home to Houston from north Texas recently and listening to non-stop holiday music thanks to my wife.  Between Thanksgiving and Christmas she has the incredible ability to sniff out every radio station in Texas that plays songs of the season 24-7. Needless to say I had Christmas on my mind.

As we drove along I-45 I thought about my own Christmases past, what I might be getting from Santa this year, and what I was going to get for my hard-to-shop-for friends. That’s when it came to me like a tide of Yule . . . so to speak. We were just minutes from Woody’s Smokehouse – “The Jerky Capital of the World”, and I was now a Santa on a holiday mission.

Woody’s Smokehouse has been a roadside destination for travelers passing through Centerville for a long time. One side of the shop is a traditional convenience store with grocery items, chilled coolers filled with soft drinks and adult beverages, and off-the-wall things from Christmas tree shaped auto air fresheners to jumbo sized cigarette lighters. But, it’s the other side of the store that beckons today . . . the side filled with jerky and jars of tasty southern memories to share on December 25^th.

Through the glass of the market style display cases I could see all sorts of meaty gift ideas, dried and bagged for purchase. For the unadventurous there was traditional beef jerky and turkey jerky. Good choices under normal circumstances, but lacking as spicy stocking stuffers at Christmas.

Then I saw them and the holiday shopping frenzy began. There was hickory smoked peppered beef jerky next to spiced venison jerky. Hot elk and smoked elk jerky shared space with thick smoked buffalo jerky. There was sweet and spicy beef jerky and Teriyaki beef jerky, along with dried pork jerky. On top of the cases were what looked to be old round cheese hoops filled with more jerky . . . bags of jalapeno beef jerky, smoked turkey tenders, meat “sticks” of all description and more.   This was like a grown up version of a kid in a candy store.

The gift gathering continued as I turned to find Mason-like jars loaded with horseradish jelly and watermelon rind pickles. Shelves were packed with southern style pickled ocra, green tomato pickles, “Peachy Peach” halves, and cherry cobbler. “I didn’t know that my Mema worked in the kitchen Woody’s Smokehouse,” I thought with a grin as a grabbed a jar of sweet pickles.

This was nice. I was going to share some good eats and Texas-style memories with my friends this Christmas compliments of the old smokehouse in Centerville.

Oh, by the way . . . Santa is good to go. There was no reindeer jerky to be found. I asked!

It’s Christmastime in Texas . . .

Traditions range from cowboy boot tree ornaments and long horns with Christmas balls dangling left and right, to snowmen decked out in western wear and Poncho Claus delivering toys to kids from his lowrider in the barrio.

 Whether you’re a fan or not, one Texas holiday tradition has been around since before the turn of the last century - the Christmas fruitcake from the Collin Street Bakery in Corsicana.

Loaded with fists full of pecans, cherries, pineapple, raisins, papaya, sugar and all sorts of other stuff, the DeLuxe Texas Fruitcake is a Lone Star legend. On a recent visit to the 105-year old bakery on West 7^th Avenue in downtown Corsicana, I watched as hundreds of folks sampled and searched for the perfect holiday treat to share with their family and friends.

Just imagine . . . this is the fruitcake given to the Crown Heads of Europe by circus great John Ringling. It was enjoyed by American cowboy and humorist Will Rogers, and world famous Italian tenor Enrico Caruso.  There I was surrounded by fruitcake lovers and those, like myself, willing to give the much maligned holiday dessert a second chance based on reputation.

There were all sorts of tasty-looking options displayed behind the glass. There was an apricot pecan cake, a pineapple pecan cake, and an apple cinnamon pecan cake. Then there was the Texas Blonde pecan cake and mini pecan cakes in tiny tins. Deluxe Petites and chocolate Petites and apricot Petites and pineapple pecan Petites . . . it was overwhelming. But wait… there was more.

I had come to taste the legend and maybe take one home, but no . . . I was now confronted with the Collin Street Bakery’s New York cheese cake, a key lime cheese cake, a praline pecan cheese cake, berry cheese cakes of all sorts and something called a Pumpkin Extravaganza. Then there were the traditional cakes, pies and cookies, not to mention the candies and nuts. Why were they making it so difficult? Why?

I worked and weaved my way to the counter only to find that the covered sample tray had been picked clean by fruit cake scavengers ahead of me. It was a Christmas conspiracy . . . the anticipation, the waiting, and now this.

I broke from the counter, and based on pure faith and a century old reputation, I picked up a tin of fruit-laden Texas tradition and walked slowly to the check-out. 

Today as I wait patiently for the family Christmas dinner in a few short days I wonder, will this fruitcake from Collin Street Bakery become a tradition in my home? Maybe so, but if not I sure have a lot of other choices at the old bakery to work with and I have no problem giving each of them a try.

You’ve got to love Christmastime in small town Texas. From Orange to El Paso and Brownsville to Amarillo, lights are strung throughout downtown with care, in hopes that the tourist soon would be there. 

Not too far north of Dallas is the town of McKinney. For 31-years the community has staged one “Dickens of a Christmas” and this year I was there to join in the celebration. Though not as large or flamboyant as the famed Dickens on the Strand in Galveston, McKinney still throws a great holiday party on the Square every Thanksgiving weekend.

The gray sky, crisp temps and steady breeze added to the Victorian era theme of the decorated downtown.  As we strolled the 12-block historic district we noticed that “A Christmas Carol” was being performed at McKinney Performing Arts Center inside the old courthouse. Nearby, Santa was listening closely to a young boy as the child confirmed that he had been good all year long and that an X-Box would be the perfect gift to find under the tree this Christmas.

At the corner of Tennessee Street and Virginia two women dressed in their Victorian best posed for a photo. “Make it quick”, one said as the cold wind whipped beneath her dress. They were heading inside for hot tea and cookies.

All around us families walked together, talked together, and experienced quality time together as if traveling with the Ghost of Christmas Past to time long ago. There was caroling on one street corner and hand bells on another. The Victorian magic show befuddled a group of kids as their parents stood back with their cups of hot coffee and tea.

Out front of the historic Grand Hotel McKinney was a garland wrapped karaoke stage where youngsters took turns singing loud and out-of-tune renditions of Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer and Jingle Bells. But, no one cared that they weren’t pitch perfect. It was Christmastime in McKinney and everyone was having fun.

The restaurants and shops around the Square were in full holiday mode. There were festive decorations both inside and out. The original Panty Restaurant was filled with festival goers at lunchtime looking for a ho-ho-home-cooked meal. I had the Blue Plate Special . . . a large portion of meat loaf with hot mashed potatoes and a bowl of beans. It was mighty fine on this blustery day in north Texas.

This is what Christmas in small town Texas is - happy faces, greeting everyone with a wave or a friendly nod, spending time with the family and joining in a tune or two celebrating the real reason for the season.  

Don’t even consider being a Scrooge if you’re coming to McKinney at Christmas. Bah humbugs are not allowed.  

Be sure to visit TourTexas.com for a complete list of Christmas festivals and celebrations throughout Texas.








  Michael Baxter is the Texas Travelin' Man


Always visit TourTexas.com for the latest Texas Travel information, travel guides and Texas brochures.

It was a random conversation in College Station that tipped me off to the Franconia Brewing Company. Just a casual word that I was on my way to a wedding in McKinney, and he mentioned a great craft beer tour just minutes from where I would be staying. What were the odds?

Franconia is a regional brew available primarily in the DFW area, and only in kegs. No bottles or cans to be had.

From the outside the warehouse-style building appeared to be nothing special; a simple brick building with no distinguishing sign or logo among several others in an industrial complex on the McKinney Parkway. But inside there was stuff happening from one end to the other that would make most craft brewers envious. An old-style German beer was being brewed with several generations of experience to make it right.

Owner and Brew Master, Dennis Wehrmann comes from a long line of German brewers. His great grandfather was a brewer back in the 1800s where all kegs where made of wood and beer was delivered by horse carriage. Most of his uncles are brewers and even his mom has a degree as a brewery lab technician. I guess you might say that Dennis has beer in his blood . . . literally and figuratively.

I have been on several brewery tours, but this one was the best ever. Dennis was one part Brew Master and one part standup comic. His well rehearsed routine was peppered with comedic one-liners skewering the big guys. One minute he was explaining how four simple ingredients combine to make beer, then the next he was debunking the claims of a major beer company that by “triple hopping” their brew it makes it superior. According to Wehrmann triple hopping has been a standard process for brewers since the beginning of time.

Perched on a commercial step ladder high above more than 125 visitors, Wehrmann told beer lovers, home brewers, and curious looky-loos about the three temperatures necessary to brew his three signature beverages. He then proceeded to offer to wave the usual $5.00 Franconia tour fee for anyone who would go to Houston’s St. Arnold Brewing Company and come back with their closely guarded temperature ranges.

He mocked the Rocky Mountain claim that “frost brewing” makes beer taste better by asking the crowd when was the last time any of us saw “frosty steam” rising from a heated beer kettle. “After a workout, why spend money on expensive protein shakes when there is just as much protein in the foamy head of a great tasting beer?” he asked. No one in the crowd with a pint of lager in-hand could dispute that statement.

Wehrmann went out of his way to explain a complicated process in a manner that everyone could understand. From start to finish he made it sound so easy, though we all knew that this was a skilled master of his craft. Unlike many brewery tours, this was more than a two-hour drinking party. It was a learning experience for anyone who appreciates the process of brewing a tasty tall one. From a traditional German lager, to the Wheat and the dark Durkel, Wehrmann has gotten it right.

As we were leaving his lecture Wehrmann asked us to stop and listen closely to his final words. He said that Americans have three major misconceptions about Germans that he wanted to set straight. “First, Germans don’t wear lederhosen all the time.” There was a laugh. “Second, Germans did NOT invent the Chicken Dance . . . in fact, we don’t even do the Chicken Dance.” This time there was a bigger laugh. “And three . . . Germans don’t drink warm beer.” Cheers filled the room.

These were words to live by. . . words that I won’t soon forget.