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Best of Texas: Austin, San Antonio, Hill Country, Big Bend, Houston, Dallas and a Deep Lone Star Heritage Tour

TL;DR

Texas is the kind of place that breaks the mental map I had of the United States the first time I crossed its border. I came in expecting cowboy hats and oil rigs, and within a week I was standing under a Spanish mission wall built in 1718, eating brisket in a tin-roofed BBQ shack in Lockhart, and watching the Milky Way arc over the Chisos Mountains in a designated dark-sky reserve. This is a state with roughly 28 million people, the second-largest population in the country, the second-largest area after Alaska, and a standalone economy that would rank twelfth in the world if Texas were an independent country. It is also a state that holds its own UNESCO World Heritage Site (the San Antonio Missions, inscribed in 2015), a 3,242 km² national park along the Mexican border, and the city that took humanity to the moon. I have built this guide around five Tier 1 destinations that anyone planning a first Texas trip should anchor their itinerary on, then layered in five secondary stops that round out the state. I budgeted my own visits at roughly USD 180 to USD 320 per day for mid-range travel with a rental car, and I am writing every word from a notebook full of receipts, ticket stubs and gas-station coffee cups. You will find specifics on the Alamo (free entry, defended by 189 Texans on 6 March 1836), Franklin BBQ in Austin (USD 30 brisket plates, 2 to 3 hour wait), Charmed Rock (USD 8 entry, 130 m granite dome), Big Bend's USD 30 seven-day pass, the Sixth Floor Museum in Dallas (USD 18, marking 22 November 1963), and Space Center Houston (USD 30, Apollo mission control). I have included Tex-Mex food notes, "Howdy" and "Y'all" phrasebook entries, the difference between Central, East, South and West Texas BBQ styles, and three structured trip plans. Plan a 10-12 day Texas trip.

Why Texas Matters

Texas occupies an unusual cultural position. It is Southern, Western, Mexican, German, Czech, African American and Vietnamese all at once, and the food, the music and the architecture all show the layering. The San Antonio Missions, inscribed by UNESCO in 2015, are five Spanish Catholic frontier missions built between 1718 and 1731 (including the Alamo) and they are the only UNESCO site in Texas. Big Bend National Park covers 3,242 km² of Chihuahuan Desert along the Rio Grande border with Mexico, and it was designated an International Dark Sky Park in 2012, with Bortle Class 1 skies that I have only otherwise seen in the Atacama. Texas BBQ is not one tradition but four: East Texas (sweet sauce, pork ribs), Central Texas (salt-and-pepper rub, post-oak smoke, brisket), South Texas (barbacoa) and West Texas (cowboy-style direct heat over mesquite). Lockhart is the legally designated "Barbecue Capital of Texas" and Snow's BBQ in nearby Lexington has been ranked #1 by Texas Monthly multiple times, with brisket and sausage plates around USD 30 if you survive the line. Austin is the self-declared "Live Music Capital of the World" with more than 250 active venues, and it hosts SXSW every March and the Austin City Limits Festival every October. Houston is home to Space Center Houston and the original Apollo mission control room, and Buc-ee's, the absurd Texas-born gas station chain, runs locations exceeding 100,000 ft² of floor area. With 28 million residents, second-largest area in the US after Alaska, and an economy that would be 12th globally if independent, Texas is functionally a country masquerading as a state.

Background

The story of Texas begins, for the European chapter at least, with the Spanish missionaries who arrived in the 1690s and started establishing missions in what is now East Texas and along the San Antonio River. The Spanish Crown's plan was a chain of self-sufficient mission communities to convert and protect the indigenous Coahuiltecan population while anchoring the frontier against French expansion from Louisiana. The five missions still standing today (Alamo, Concepción, San José, San Juan, Espada) form the UNESCO site I keep coming back to, and walking the Mission Trail in San Antonio is the cleanest way to read the early colonial layer of the state.

Texas was Mexican between 1821 and 1836, then declared independence and existed as the sovereign Republic of Texas from 1836 to 1845. The decisive year was 1836: the Alamo fell on 6 March, the Goliad massacre followed on 27 March, and Sam Houston's army won the Battle of San Jacinto on 21 April in just 18 minutes, capturing Santa Anna and securing independence. Texas joined the United States as the 28th state on 29 December 1845, briefly seceded during the Civil War, suffered through Reconstruction, then pivoted hard on 10 January 1901 when the Spindletop oil gusher in Beaumont kicked off the Texas oil boom.

The 20th century brought NASA, with the Manned Spacecraft Center (now Johnson Space Center) opening in Houston in 1963, and the 21st century brought a tech boom in Austin that has made it one of the fastest-growing US metros since the 2010s, with companies like Tesla and Oracle moving headquarters here.

• Spanish missions established along the San Antonio River from the 1690s onward
• Mexican rule 1821-1836, then Republic of Texas 1836-1845
• Battle of the Alamo, 6 March 1836, 189 Texan defenders against about 1,800 of Santa Anna's troops
• Battle of San Jacinto, 21 April 1836, an 18-minute fight that ended Mexican rule
• Statehood as the 28th state, 29 December 1845
• Spindletop oil discovery in Beaumont, 10 January 1901
• Manned Spacecraft Center opens in Houston, 1963

Tier 1 Destinations

1. San Antonio Missions, the Alamo and the River Walk

San Antonio is the 7th-largest city in the United States with about 1.5 million residents, and it is the only place in Texas I would tell a first-time visitor they cannot skip. The Alamo sits in the middle of downtown, ringed by hotels and a Ripley's Believe It or Not museum that feels jarring against the original 1718 mission walls. The site was founded as Mission San Antonio de Valero in 1718, secularized in 1793, and turned into a Mexican military post before its famous 13-day siege ended on 6 March 1836. About 189 Texan defenders, including James Bowie, William Travis and Davy Crockett, were killed by Santa Anna's roughly 1,800-strong force. Entry to the Alamo is free, and the audio tour costs around USD 8. Phil Collins, a lifelong Alamo obsessive, donated his enormous personal collection of Alamo artifacts to the site in 2014, and a new visitor center is being built to house it.

The four other UNESCO missions sit along the San Antonio River south of downtown: Mission Concepción (consecrated 1755, the oldest unrestored stone church in the US), Mission San José (the largest, with a famous rose window), Mission San Juan and Mission Espada. All are free to enter, all are still active parishes, and the 10 km hiking and biking Mission Trail connects them along the river. I rented a bike for USD 20 and rode the whole trail south to north over six hours with stops.

The San Antonio River Walk runs 24 km along the river through downtown, lined with about 30 restaurants and bars, and it is free to walk. A 35-minute river barge tour costs USD 14.50. I stayed at the Hotel Contessa for USD 220 per night with a balcony directly over the water. Eat at Mi Tierra in Market Square for old-school Tex-Mex (open 24 hours, plates around USD 18) and grab a $5 puffy taco at Ray's Drive Inn, which claims to have invented them in 1956. Two full days here is the realistic minimum.

2. Austin, Live Music, SXSW and the State Capitol

Austin has roughly 1 million residents and serves as the Texas state capital. The city brands itself the Live Music Capital of the World, with more than 250 active live music venues including the legendary Continental Club, Antone's and the Saxon Pub. SXSW runs every March and pulls about 2,000 musicians plus around 70,000 conference attendees from film, tech and music industries. The Austin City Limits Festival takes over Zilker Park across two October weekends with daily crowds near 75,000. 6th Street is the historic nightlife strip, and Rainey Street is its newer, slightly more polished cousin. I have spent three SXSWs here and the unofficial day shows are usually better than the badge-only ones.

The Texas State Capitol, completed in 1888, is built from Texas pink granite and stands 91 m tall, which is 1 m taller than the US Capitol in Washington DC, a fact every guide in the building will tell you within 30 seconds. Free guided tours run every 30-45 minutes. Lady Bird Lake (the dammed section of the Colorado River) is the heart of outdoor Austin, with a 16 km hike-and-bike trail. Barton Springs Pool, opened in 1929 and fed by natural springs, holds a constant 22°C (68°F) year-round. Entry is USD 9 for non-residents.

Food-wise, Franklin BBQ on East 11th Street is still the city's most famous brisket joint, with plates running around USD 30 per pound and waits of 2 to 3 hours starting before they open at 11:00. La Barbecue (also brisket, less queue) and Terry Black's are credible alternatives. For tacos, Veracruz All Natural and Suerte are both reliable. Hotels run USD 200 to USD 500 per night downtown during normal weeks and double during SXSW or ACL. Budget at least three nights for Austin.

3. Texas Hill Country, Fredericksburg and the LBJ Ranch

The Texas Hill Country starts just west of Austin and rolls south to around San Antonio, covering a triangle of limestone hills, rivers, vineyards and old German settlements. Fredericksburg, founded by German immigrants in 1846, is the cultural center. The Main Street still has German bakeries, biergartens and the National Museum of the Pacific War (USD 19, an oddly excellent collection because Admiral Chester Nimitz was born here). More than 100 wineries operate within an hour of Fredericksburg, making it the second most-visited wine region in the US after Napa. Tasting flights run USD 15 to USD 25 at most wineries. I particularly liked Becker Vineyards and William Chris Vineyards.

The LBJ Ranch sits 25 km east of Fredericksburg near Stonewall. This is where Lyndon B. Johnson was born, lived, governed (the "Texas White House") and was buried in 1973. The LBJ National Historical Park entry is free, and the adjacent LBJ Presidential Library back in Austin is USD 5 (free under 18). A self-drive tour of the working ranch lets you see Hereford cattle, the Johnson family cemetery, and the reconstructed birthplace.

Charmed Rock State Natural Area, 30 km north of Fredericksburg, is a 130 m tall and roughly 1.6 km wide pink granite batholith dome. It is the second-largest granite batholith in the US after Stone Mountain in Georgia. The summit hike is steep but only 1 km one-way, and the view across the Hill Country at sunset is worth the climb. Entry is USD 8 per adult, day-use only without reservations, and the park caps daily entries in spring weekends so book online ahead.

Time your visit to early to mid-April if at all possible. The Texas Bluebonnet, the state flower, blankets the Hill Country roadsides for roughly three weeks around then, peaking in the second week of April most years. Add two nights minimum.

4. Big Bend National Park and the Chihuahuan Desert

Big Bend National Park sits in the far southwest corner of Texas, where the Rio Grande makes a sharp 90-degree bend that forms 190 km of the US-Mexico border within the park. The park covers 3,242 km² of Chihuahuan Desert, the largest hot desert in North America. The Chisos Mountains rise to 2,388 m at Emory Peak in the center of the park, creating a sky island ecosystem with bears, mountain lions and a unique pine-oak forest that feels nothing like the desert floor below. Santa Elena Canyon, on the western edge, has Rio Grande river-cut limestone walls 460 m tall. The Boquillas border crossing on the eastern side is one of the strangest legal US-Mexico crossings: a USD 5 rowboat ride across the Rio Grande, then a short donkey or walk into the Mexican village of Boquillas del Carmen for tacos and cold beer. Bring your passport. The crossing operates daylight hours, generally 09:00-18:00, closed Mondays and Tuesdays.

Big Bend was designated an International Dark Sky Park in 2012 and it has Bortle Class 1 skies, the darkest possible classification. I spent a moonless April night at the Chisos Basin campground and the Milky Way cast actual shadows. The park entry fee is USD 30 per vehicle for seven days. The best windows to visit are May to early June and September to October, avoiding the brutal summer when desert floor temperatures regularly exceed 40°C, and the late winter when the high country runs 4°C overnight to 25°C daytime swings. Reserve Chisos Mountains Lodge rooms (USD 160 per night) at least six months ahead. The nearest airports are Midland-Odessa (MAF, 5 hour drive) and El Paso (ELP, 5.5 hour drive). Three to four nights is the right length.

5. Houston Space Center, Dallas and the JFK Story

Houston is the 4th-largest city in the US with about 2.3 million residents and an extraordinary 145 languages spoken across the metro, making it the most ethnically diverse large city in the country. Space Center Houston, the official visitor center for NASA Johnson Space Center, costs USD 29.95 and includes the Level 9 tour option that takes you into the historic Apollo mission control room used for Apollo 11 in 1969 and the Apollo 13 emergency in 1970. I spent six hours here and it was not enough. Outside the space track, the Museum District holds 19 museums within a 2.5 km walking radius, with the Menil Collection (free) and the Museum of Fine Arts Houston (USD 25) the standouts. Buffalo Bayou Park has 200 ha of trails along the bayou downtown, and the Houston food scene, particularly Vietnamese, Nigerian and Mexican, is the most underrated in the state.

Dallas, 380 km north, has about 1.3 million residents in the city and 8 million across the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza sits in the former Texas School Book Depository, on the exact floor from which Lee Harvey Oswald shot President John F. Kennedy on 22 November 1963. Entry is USD 18, audio guide included, and the museum is one of the most carefully curated historical sites I have visited in the US. AT&T Stadium in Arlington, home of the Dallas Cowboys, seats 80,000 and stadium tours run USD 22 to USD 38. The George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum on the SMU campus is USD 26 and worth a half-day. Together, Houston and Dallas justify three to four nights split between them.

Tier 2 Destinations

• El Paso and the Mission Trail: Far west Texas on the Mexican border across from Ciudad Juárez, with Hueco Tanks State Park (legendary bouldering, USD 7) and the El Paso Mission Trail covering three 17th-century missions (Ysleta, Socorro, San Elizario), the oldest continuously operating mission in Texas (Ysleta, 1682).
• Galveston: Gulf Coast island 80 km southeast of Houston, Strand National Historic Landmark district, Moody Gardens (USD 30 day pass for the three pyramids), site of the 1900 hurricane that killed 6,000-12,000 people, still the deadliest natural disaster in US history.
• Padre Island National Seashore: 113 km of undeveloped barrier island along the Gulf, the longest stretch of undeveloped barrier island in the world. Kemp's ridley sea turtle nesting site, USD 10 weekly entry, accessible by 4WD beyond mile marker 5.
• Marfa: A 1,700-person high desert town that became a contemporary art destination after Donald Judd moved here in 1971 and installed his large-scale minimalist works at the Chinati Foundation (USD 25 tours). The mysterious Marfa Lights viewing area sits 14 km east of town and is free.
• Caddo Lake: 105 km² bald cypress swamp on the Louisiana border in deep East Texas, the only natural lake in Texas of significant size, paddleboat and kayak rentals around USD 35.

Cost Comparison Table

Region	Avg hotel/night USD	Daily food USD	Park/site fees USD	Daily total mid-range USD
San Antonio downtown	180-260	50-80	0-25	230-365
Austin downtown	220-450	60-100	5-20	285-570
Hill Country	150-280	45-75	8-25	200-380
Big Bend (Chisos Lodge)	160	40-60	30/7 days	200-265
Houston	140-220	45-80	0-30	185-330
Dallas	150-240	50-90	18-26	215-355
Marfa	200-320	50-80	0-25	250-425
Galveston	130-220	40-70	0-30	170-320

How to Plan It

Airports. Texas has six useful airports depending on your route. Austin-Bergstrom International (AUS) is the easiest entry for an Austin-Hill Country-San Antonio focused trip. Houston George Bush Intercontinental (IAH) is the main long-haul hub, with Houston Hobby (HOU) as the cheaper domestic option. Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) is American Airlines' largest hub and a strong option for the northern half. San Antonio International (SAT) is small but convenient if you are starting at the Missions. El Paso (ELP) is the right airport if you want to do Big Bend, Marfa and far west Texas without doubling back. Open-jaw tickets (fly into AUS, out of IAH or DFW) save a full driving day.

Getting around. A rental car is essentially mandatory outside the Austin downtown core. Texas is huge and intercity rail is functionally nonexistent. Rentals run USD 40 to USD 80 per day for an economy car, more for a SUV which you will want for Big Bend backroads. Gas runs about USD 3.20 per gallon. Distances are larger than they look: Austin to Big Bend is 750 km, an 8-hour drive.

When to go. Spring (March to May) and fall (September to November) are the comfortable windows. Summer (June to August) regularly tops 40°C across most of the state, and Big Bend in summer is genuinely dangerous on the desert floor. Winter is mild on the coast and in South Texas but can drop below freezing in the Panhandle and even Austin during cold snaps.

Language. English is universal, but more than 30% of the population speaks Spanish at home, and signage in San Antonio, El Paso, the Rio Grande Valley and parts of Houston is bilingual. Tex-Mex cuisine and culture is the everyday fusion result.

Money. Everything is priced in US dollars (USD). Credit and debit cards are accepted nearly everywhere, including BBQ joints and gas stations. Carry around USD 50 in cash for state park entry fees, tips, and small-town diners.

Entry, driving and tipping. US citizens can drive on a domestic license. International visitors from ESTA-eligible countries (most of Europe, UK, Australia, Japan, South Korea, Singapore) need an ESTA, currently USD 21, applied for online at least 72 hours before travel. Otherwise a B1/B2 visa is required. Drive on the right, speed limits up to 80 mph (130 km/h) on rural interstates. Tipping is 18-20% at sit-down restaurants and bars. BBQ joints with counter service do not require tipping but a tip jar is standard, and a couple of dollars on a USD 30 brisket plate is normal.

FAQ

Is Texas safe to travel in?
Yes, for tourists, with normal urban precautions in Houston and Dallas after dark. The border with Mexico has the reputation, but the US side of the border in places like El Paso has consistently ranked among the safest large US cities, with violent crime rates well below the national average. Big Bend has more deaths from heat exposure and dehydration than from any crime, so carry 4 L of water per person per day on any desert hike, tell the rangers your plan, and turn back if the temperature climbs above 35°C on the trail.

How many days do I need to see Texas properly?
Ten to twelve days is the working minimum to hit Austin, San Antonio, the Hill Country, Big Bend and either Houston or Dallas. Fourteen days lets you add the other major city, plus Marfa or Galveston. If you only have a week, focus on Austin, San Antonio and the Hill Country as a tight triangle, and save Big Bend for a second trip because the driving distances eat half the time otherwise.

Do I need to rent a 4WD for Big Bend?
A standard car is fine for the paved park roads, including the drive to Chisos Basin, the Santa Elena Canyon overlook and the Rio Grande Village. A high-clearance vehicle is required for the unpaved River Road and the gravel road to Old Ore Road. If your Big Bend plan is mostly the main paved loops and the front-country trails, a normal sedan handles everything. Rent the SUV if you plan to camp at backcountry sites.

What is the best Texas BBQ joint, really?
Snow's BBQ in Lexington has been ranked #1 by Texas Monthly multiple times since 2008, and the brisket has earned that ranking honestly. The catch is that Snow's is open only on Saturdays from 08:00 until the meat runs out, typically by 11:00. If you cannot make Saturday morning in Lexington, Franklin BBQ in Austin, Black's in Lockhart (since 1932), and Louie Mueller in Taylor are all top-tier alternatives, each with a slightly different rub-and-smoke philosophy.

Are the San Antonio Missions worth a full day?
Yes. The Alamo is the famous one, but the four southern missions are quieter, more architecturally complete, and surprisingly moving. Mission San José in particular, with its restored compound and the rose window, gives a more honest picture of what 1700s mission life looked like than the Alamo's commercial surroundings allow. Allow four to six hours for the full Mission Trail by bike or car.

How does SXSW differ from ACL Festival?
SXSW is a 10-day industry conference and festival in March with film, tech and music tracks, badge prices from USD 1,295 upward, plus thousands of free unofficial day shows that anyone can attend. ACL is a straightforward two-weekend music festival across the first two weekends of October in Zilker Park, with three-day passes around USD 365. SXSW is for discovery and networking, ACL is for big headliners and a structured festival weekend.

Can I cross into Mexico at Big Bend?
Yes, at the Boquillas Crossing, daylight hours only and generally closed Mondays and Tuesdays. You need your passport, and US citizens also need their global entry card if they have one. The crossing is a USD 5 rowboat across the Rio Grande, then a short walk or donkey ride into Boquillas del Carmen. Lunch and a beer at one of the village restaurants runs about USD 15. Allow two to three hours total and bring small US dollars in cash.

Is Austin really still weird?
Less than it was in 2005, more than the locals will admit. The tech boom and population growth have smoothed some edges, but you can still find the original spirit at the Cathedral of Junk in South Austin, the bat colony emerging from the Congress Avenue Bridge at dusk (the largest urban bat colony in North America, about 1.5 million Mexican free-tailed bats), the Continental Club, and the older food trucks on South Congress. The motto "Keep Austin Weird" still appears, but increasingly on T-shirts sold to tourists rather than as actual policy.

Useful Phrases and Cultural Notes

• "Howdy" - the standard Texas greeting, used unironically across the state.
• "Y'all" - the second-person plural pronoun, used by everyone regardless of accent.
• "All y'all" - a stronger, larger-group version, fully serious.
• "Fixin' to" - about to do something, as in "I'm fixin' to head to Lockhart."
• "Hook 'em Horns!" - the University of Texas at Austin Longhorns salute, with index finger and pinky raised. Use it freely in Austin.
• "Gig 'em" - the Texas A&M Aggies equivalent, thumbs up. Do not mix these up.
• "Bless your heart" - depending on context, either genuine sympathy or a very polite insult.
• "Cheers!" - standard at bars.
• Spanish: "¿Cómo está?" (formal hello), "Gracias" (thanks), "Cuánto cuesta?" (how much), "La cuenta, por favor" (the check, please).

Texas BBQ has four regional styles, but the renowned Central Texas style (the brisket, ribs, sausage and chicken trinity, salt-and-pepper rub, post-oak smoke, served on butcher paper with white bread, pickles and raw onion) is what most people mean when they say "Texas BBQ." Tex-Mex is a distinct cuisine, not Mexican food, originating with the Tejano (Texas-Mexican) population, and you will eat fajitas, breakfast tacos, queso, chile con carne and enchiladas everywhere. Whataburger is the regional fast-food chain to try; the patty melt and the honey butter chicken biscuit at breakfast are the orders. Buc-ee's, the gas station chain, is a Texas institution: a single location sells house-roasted jerky, kolaches (Czech-Texan filled pastries from Central Texas's Czech community), beaver nuggets and full barbecue. Friday Night Lights is real; high school football stadiums in places like Allen, Texas seat over 18,000 people.

Pre-Trip Prep

• Visa: ESTA online application, USD 21, for citizens of about 40 ESTA-eligible countries (UK, EU, Japan, South Korea, Australia, etc.), submit at least 72 hours before travel and ideally one week ahead. Otherwise apply for a B1/B2 visa at a US embassy.
• Power: 120 V, 60 Hz, plug types A and B (flat parallel pins, optional round ground pin). Most modern phone and laptop chargers handle this automatically.
• Mobile data: AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile are the three nationwide carriers. T-Mobile prepaid tourist plans run USD 50 for 30 days unlimited data. Coverage drops significantly in Big Bend and parts of the Hill Country, so download offline maps before driving.
• Currency: USD only. Pre-trip currency exchange at home is usually cheaper than at the airport. ATMs are everywhere and typically charge USD 3-5 per withdrawal.
• Heat preparation: In summer pack moisture-wicking long sleeves, a wide-brim hat, electrolyte tablets, and a 3 L hydration pack if you intend to hike. Sunburn at the Big Bend elevation happens fast and matters more than the heat itself. Carry a paper map in case GPS fails in remote stretches.

Three Recommended Itineraries

10-day Texas Essentials. Day 1-3 Austin (downtown, 6th Street, Capitol, Franklin BBQ, Barton Springs). Day 4 drive to San Antonio (1.5h), River Walk evening. Day 5 Mission Trail and the Alamo, dinner at Mi Tierra. Day 6 drive to Houston (3h), Space Center Houston afternoon. Day 7 Houston Museum District and dinner in Montrose. Day 8 fly to Midland (MAF) or drive 8h to Big Bend, sunset at the Window in Chisos Basin. Day 9 Santa Elena Canyon and Boquillas Crossing day trip. Day 10 fly home from El Paso or Midland.

12-day Grand Texas. Add the Hill Country and Dallas. Day 1-3 Dallas (Sixth Floor Museum, Fort Worth Stockyards, AT&T Stadium). Day 4-5 drive south to Austin. Day 6-7 Hill Country base in Fredericksburg (Charmed Rock, wineries, LBJ Ranch). Day 8 San Antonio. Day 9-11 fly or drive to Big Bend. Day 12 fly home.

14-day Full Texas with Far West. Add Marfa and El Paso. Day 1-2 Houston. Day 3-4 Galveston and Padre Island detour. Day 5-7 San Antonio and the Hill Country. Day 8-9 Austin. Day 10-12 Big Bend. Day 13 Marfa (Chinati Foundation, Marfa Lights). Day 14 El Paso, Mission Trail and fly home from ELP.

Related Guides

• Best of California: San Francisco, Yosemite, Los Angeles and the Pacific Coast Highway
• Florida Deep Dive: Miami, Keys, Everglades and Kennedy Space Center
• Pacific Northwest Loop: Seattle, Olympic, Portland and the Oregon Coast
• New York City and the Hudson Valley: Five Days in the Empire State
• Arizona and New Mexico: Grand Canyon, Sedona, Santa Fe and Bandelier
• Louisiana and the Gulf South: New Orleans, Cajun Country and the Mississippi Delta

External References

1. UNESCO World Heritage Centre, "San Antonio Missions" inscription document, 2015 - https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1466
2. National Park Service, Big Bend National Park official site - https://www.nps.gov/bibe
3. Texas Monthly, "The Top 50 BBQ Joints in Texas" - https://www.texasmonthly.com/bbq/
4. NASA Johnson Space Center / Space Center Houston official site - https://spacecenter.org
5. Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza official site - https://www.jfk.org

Last updated 2026-05-11

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