As a huge state, there are so many amazing cities and towns to visit in Texas that your choices can feel borderline intimidating. Here we present our pick of cities to tick off your list, with recomendations for great restaurants, tourists attractions, shopping malls, and much more.
Austin
Austin is home to live music, tasty restaurants, and a unique culture. Brush up on your Texas history at the Capitol Visitors Center during for capital history, and visit the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum to learn the “Story of Texas.” The 2nd Street District has chic retail stores, boutiques, coffee shops and wine bars. At night, hit Sixth Street, and head to venues such Midnight Cowboy, The Brixton and The Aquarium Bar.
Dallas
The Dallas Museum of Art has a stunning collection with more than 22,000 piece, and there are great lounges and posh bars in Uptown. To experience the live music scene, go to Deep Ellum, and while you’re there, enjoy great restaurants like Twisted Root Burger, Pecan Lodge and Cane Rosso. Fair Park has museums, exhibits, and park areas, so catch a game while you’re there from any one of Dallas’ five professional teams — the Dallas Cowboys, Mavericks, Stars, Texas Rangers and FC Dallas.
Houston
The Mercer Arboretum and Botanic Gardens is a beautiful must see, and the American Cowboys Museum preserves the Western Heritage of Native Americans, African Americans, Hispanics and women. Uptown Park has the best boutiques, restaurants, spas and wine and sports bars, but don’t forget to visit the Galleria for more shopping. For live music, the Boondocks is a respected premiere music venue with diverse people and music. For the best soul food around, go to Mikki’s Soul Food Cafe, Houston’s This Is It, and Esther’s Cajun Cafe and Soul Food.
San Antonio
Resort, Hotel
The Alamo is full of history, heritage and delicate artifacts. Shop and eat on the banks of the San Antonio Riverwalk — try spots like Boudro’s for delicious seafood or Bella On the River for great Mediterranean. There are several waterparks and theme parks like Seaworld, Six Flags Fiesta, and Schlitterbahn Waterpark and Resort. You’ll have plenty of places to stay downtown, as the Alamo, Riverwalk and Emily Morgan hotel are right next to each other, and Ripley’s Believe It or Not is near all of these as well.
Fort Worth
Restaurant
The Texas Ballet Theater and Stockyards National Historic District are amazing spots to learn about Texas’ art and history, and be sure catch a show at the Bass Performance Hall. The Fort Worth Zoo is a fun activity, and the Museum of Living Art has some of the most exotic and endangered species. The Downtown Sundance Square has restaurants, shops, and galleries, and some of the best restaurants in the city are the Capital Grille, Reata Restaurant, and Del Frisco’s.
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Galveston
Bar, Restaurant
The Lonestar Flight Museum has the an amazing collection of restored aircrafts and aviation exhibits. Experience a romantic night at the Rooftop Bar with its view of downtown, or try Waterman’s Restaurant and Bar for delicious seafood, which overlooks Galveston Bay and has outdoor seating. Go to SunTime Watersports for an adrenaline filled jet boat ride. Galveston has several beaches, and some of the best are East Beach, Stewart Beach Park and Texas Galveston Beach.
Denton
Fry Street bars have good food and even better music, and Denton’s Downtown Square is full of art galleries, boutiques, shops, small restaurants and a few bars. Explore the history of Denton at the Courthouse on the Square Museum, and stop at the Downtown Mini Mall for vintage collectibles and trinkets. Cartwright’s Ranch House and The Abbey Inn Restaurant and Pub are good places to eat on the Square, and be sure to visit the University of North Texas and Texas Women’s University to see the beautiful campuses.
The Cherokee Trace Drive-Through Safari Park has so many endangered and exotic species, and you can also visit the Caldwell Zoo. Take a tour at the Adrenaline Rush Zip Line, and for music and art, visit the East Texas Symphony Orchestra and the Tyler Museum of Art. Tyler has four vineyards, and the best is Kiepersol Estates Winery. The Tiger Creek Wildlife Refugehas lions, tigers and more in their natural habitats, and Stanley’s Famous Pit Bar-B-Q is a lively bar with live music.
Corpus Christi
Doc’s Seafood and Steaks and Harrison’s Landing has great food and beautiful views. Take bike rides and hang out by bonfires on one of the nine beaches, or visit the U.S.S. Lexington and the attached museum. Catch a live performance at the Concrete Street Amphitheater, and be sure to check out the Art Museum of South Texas, which showcases fine regional art and photography. Andy’s Kitchen and Snoopy’s Pier are a few of the top rated restaurants.
Lubbock
Bar
The Science Spectrum and Omni Theater is educational and fun, and has are many science and technology exhibits along with an aquarium. Back 40 Grill and Bar PM are cool bars with live music, and Lubbock is known for their wine grapes, so there are a lot of wineries in the area, like D’Vine Wine of Lubbock and McPherson Cellars Winery. Visit Texas Tech University campus and enjoy a game, or watch a musical at the Lubbock Moonlight Musicals. The Cactus Theater was a historic movie theater, but now it’s a music theater. By Amber Joseph
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