Texas is epic in so many ways, but for me, it’s the small moments that leave their mark. It’s dangling my feet in the Medina River, watching the lateafternoon sun turn the water into glitter. It’s lounging underneath a centuryold live oak tree in a park. It’s biking across the Congress Avenue Bridge after dark, the warm summer air whipping through my hair. It’s the ocotillo in bloom in the desert, the smell of mesquite in the Hill Country, the bruisecolored sky right before a thunderstorm. It’s every perfect taco, every swim at Barton Springs Pool, every sunrise at Padre Island National Seashore, every night that ends with two-stepping at the White Horse Saloon, every float on the Frio River. Together, these small moments make up a rich tapestry that I carry with me everywhere I go.
Justine is a writer covering travel, hospitality and culture, based in Austin, Texas.
My favourite experience is road-tripping through West Texas. Nothing makes my soul ache – in a good way – like driving the River Road from Terlingua along the Rio Grande.
WHO GOES WHERE
Our writers and experts choose the places which, for them, define Texas.
The Greater Houston area is the very soul of Texas. Oil money and cowboy stereotypes define outsiders’ view of the state, but there’s a culinary and cultural diversity that locals know and love. Houston is a microcosm of what makes the Lone Star shine.
In the Fort Worth Stockyards, there’s more than a twinge of the Old West, with old-school restaurants, rustic country bars with packed dance floors and authentic western wear stores that have been around for decades.
Regis St Louis
JOHN
The author of over 100 travel guides, Regis spends time dreaming up wilderness adventures in West Texas.
Downtown Austin during festival season is when the city truly comes alive. Whether it’s spring for SXSW or fall for ACL, every corner echoes with music and you meet all kinds of weird and wonderful souls.
James Wong @boxojames
James is a travel writer who moved to Austin via London, Tokyo and New York City.
BARBECUE, TEX-MEX & MORE
Most people picture smoked meat and homemade tortillas when they envision traditional Texan cuisine. It’s true that barbecue, TexMex and Mexican food reign supreme in the Lone Star State, but the vast geography of Texas invites even more culinary diversity. The state has six distinctive major metropolises, and in places like Houston, Dallas and Austin, you ’ re just as likely to encounter Mediterranean fusion, high-end soul food and contemporary Vietnamese as you are tacos and pit-blackened beef.
Texas’ Unofficial Barbecue Capital Lockhart has some of the state’s best barbecue joints. Kreuz Market has been turning out top-notch smoked meat since 1900
Beloved Tex-Mex dishes include cheese enchiladas, nachos, queso, breakfast tacos, barbacoa (a tender, seasoned meat dish typically served shredded) and chili con carne.
Sample the melt-in-your-mouth smoked meats from La Barbecue, 1 some of the best in the state, in Austin.
Follow the crowd to the small dining room at Taqueria Ultimo Taco 2 in Brownsville for top-notch tacos, flautas, tostadas and beans.
Go full fusion in Houston at Crawfish & Noodles, 3 which pairs Vietnamese seafood with Cajun flavors
Eat Tex-Mex for every meal of the day at AllGood Cafe 4 in Dallas, with breakfast, lunch specials and live music.
Make your way through the 10-course tasting menu at Mixtli 5 in San Antonio, a bucket-list Mexican restaurant
THE ULTIMATE ROAD TRIP
STATE
Texas is big – and we mean big – and the only way to appreciate its size is to hit the road and discover what’s in those wide-open spaces The cities have tons to offer, but Texas’ small towns have friendly locals, historic buildings, quirky claims to fame and an easygoing way of life.
On the Road
The largest state in the Lower 48, Texas has the most roads of anywhere in the US, with nearly 700,000 lane miles.
For a true Texas road trip experience, fuel up on kolaches and jerky from the iconic convenience store chain Buc-ee’s.
BEST ROAD TRIP EXPERIENCES
Wind along the Rio Grande on the River Road (FM-170) 1 through rugged mountains and canyons in Big Bend country.
Stop at Dinosaur Valley State Park 2 south of Dallas to see dinosaur footprints, caves and canyons.
Hit Houston’s highlights and drive into the past 3 through Nacogdoches (Texas’ oldest town) and Jefferson.
Cruise the Gulf Coast 4 to spot whooping cranes, party on the beach and live Texas history.
Dance halls, pristine rivers and homespun art await you on a Hill Country 5 road trip.
TEXAS HISTORY
The diverse lands that now form the Lone Star State have long been a political hotbed Six sovereign flags have flown over Texas, and it was an independent country before joining the US. These legends loom large and mix fact with fiction, perhaps not surprising in a state where the history is as iconic as it is actual.
Texas State Capitol
The rotunda, which has a 60ft diameter, features portraits of every person who has served as president of the Republic of Texas or governor.
Texas
Independence Trail
This route stretches more than 200 miles from San Antonio to Galveston and goes by historic sites that played a role in the birth of the republic
Since early European exploration of the region, six governments have claimed control of Texas: Spain, France, Mexico, the Republic of Texas, the Confederate States and the United States.
BEST TEXAS HISTORY EXPERIENCES
Head to the Alamo, 1 a Texas rite of passage, but check out San Antonio’s other colonial missions too.
Visit the San Jacinto Battleground State Historic Site, 2 the site of the final skirmish of the Texas Revolution.
See where the Texas Declaration of Independence was signed in Washington-on-the-Brazos. 3
Witness history at Palo Alto Battlefield, 4 the site of the first fight in the Mexican–American War in 1846.
Stop by West Columbia 5 to learn about Charlie Brown, the formerly enslaved person who became the largest landowner in Brazoria County.
THE BORDERLANDS
Texas and Mexico are forever intertwined. Texas was once part of Mexico, and they now share 1254 miles of common border and are joined by 28 international bridges and border crossings. Their relationship extends far beyond geography and puts on display the beautiful mix of culture, cooking and music. From ranching to breakfast tacos and Tejano music, many of the Lone Star State’s most cherished traditions are rooted in Hispanic heritage
For more than 1000 winding miles, the Rio Grande serves as the international boundary between Mexico and the United States.
At least seven indigenous tribes and their homelands were divided by the establishment of the US–Mexico international border, including the Yaqui, Apache and Kickapoo.
