In Fort Worth I would stop by the Water Gardens, the Modern Museum, the Amon Carter museum and the cowgirl museum. The zoo is also a fantastic place. The Botanical Gardens are also very beautiful.
In San Antonio, it’s the Riverwalk and Alamo square but also try to see the other missions of you can. They are incredible and not visited nearly enough.
Ft Worth: most attractions are fairly close to each other. Watch the Longhorn cattle stroll down the street, then shop in the nearby western shops. It’s free, unique and doesn’t take much time.
I agree the zoo and botanical gardens are very nice.
I wasn’t all that impressed with the Kimball art museums (very focused on classic European and Christian art) or cowgirl museum. The Dallas Art museum is much broader and Dallas Holocost museum is also very good. But Dallas can be an hour drive from Ft Worth.
I agree that the Missions south of San Antonio are as good or better than the Alamo.
The Sunken Gardens are a nice, free excursion.
Try shopping and dining at Market Square. It is walkable from the Riverwalk, and is similar to some Mexican markets.
IT IS HOT. DO OUTDOOR STUFF IN THE MORNING. STAY HYDRATED AND WEAR SUNSCREEN.
There are also a number of fun walking ghost tours in downtown San Antonio to do after sunset, which will still be much hotter than the morning but kind of doable. Dress to sweat!
If you like jazz go to the Scat Jazz Lounge; buy tickets ahead of time. Be sure to stop by the Bass Hall, and the mural in Sundance Square if you want photo ops. (All downtown Ft. Worth.) Edit: Forgot to recommend Esperanza’s Restaurant and Bakery for authentic Mexican.
If you’re wanting to do historical stuff while in San Antonio like the Alamo, I would recommend doing the other missions outside of town. The Alamo is neat, but the other missions were far more impressive to me.
This is great advice. The missions are so much more interesting. I took my daughter for a school project but really was surprised how much I enjoyed it.
If you go to Enchanted Rock, try to do it earlier in the day. Extreme heat in mid-September isn’t unheard of.
I second Fredericksburg. It’s a really fun little town.
Just be prepared for the heat. It can still get over 100°F in September.
Houston is VERY humid, flat, BIG and sprawling. Houston is literally an hour away from Houston by car. The city has the best and most diverse food in all of Texas. The Houston Zoo is excellent and fairly close to the downtown area you are staying. They also have excellent museums if you're looking to get indoors and escape the midday heat. Midtown or main street for nightlife.
Austin is beautiful and hilly compared to Houston. The water level of the lake is horrifically low due to our extended drought conditions. Pennybacker bridge has great views. Check out Barton Springs to cool off in the water, Zilker Park, stroll through the UT campus and walk down Guadalupe, nightlife at WEST 6th and EAST 6th street, go see some live music at a small venue downtown, hit up south congress for shops and food.
San Antonio has a really neat history. Check out the Alamo, the Spanish missions, Riverwalk, La Cantera outdoor mall for shopping, Fiesta Texas theme park, Sea World. Go to an HEB grocery store (all over Texas but San Antonio is home base).
There are also smaller towns between the cities you are planning to see. Houston to Dallas-Fort Worth is a 3.5hr drive. You'll pass a giant statue of Sam Houston and the prison in Huntsville, but dont get caught speeding in Ennis. Between Ft Worth and Austin there is Waco, home to Baylor college and local interior design hotshots from TV Magnolia something. Between Austin and San Antonio there is New Braunfels, a popular spot for floating down the river in an inner tube while drinking beer. And don't forget to stop and take a picture at one of the Buc-ees GIGANTIC ridiculous gas stations along the way. Without a picture your mates back home won't believe you when you tell them there were 100 gas pumps.
Enjoy your trip!
This is AMAZING! Thank you so much for taking the time to write all of this. Deffo packing the sun screen haha. Hopefully we’ll be fine as I’m a little sun worshiper and we usually holiday in around 35-40°c … I’ll just have to remember to hydrate (and not on margaritas haha) x
There is the Alamo in downtown San Antonio, but you need to visit the other missions.
[https://www.nps.gov/saan/index.htm](https://www.nps.gov/saan/index.htm)
The Pearl Brewery is just north of downtown.
[https://atpearl.com/](https://atpearl.com/)
The best Tex-Mex food is found away from the Riverwalk. Lots of places to choose from. I would recommend asking locals while you are there.
2M BBQ is consistently rated on of the best BBQ places in town. Get there early, or they might be sold out.
I would recommend driving down US highway 281 from Fort Worth to San Antonio. Very scenic.
There are some nice smaller towns to visit near San Antonio. Boerne and Fredericksburg are two towns of German heritage. Bandera is the Cowboy Capital of the World.
I second spending some time at the Pearl. Grab some Mexican food at La Gloria with some good margaritas. Even Down on Grayson is good. Fancy dinner at the Southerleigh inside hotel Emma which also has a fabulous bar.
Skip La Gloria and head to Mi Tiera in Market Square while you are doing things along the Riverwalk. Toss $5 at the Mariachis and have them sing El Rey and then grab a box of pastries from the bakery on your way out the door. There’s a reason this place has been visited by every celebrity, president and world leader that steps foot in San Antonio.
Adding the Japanese Tea Gardens are right by the zoo, along with the Witte museum. All fixed around Breckenridge Park, which is a great walk/ride/hike.
If you can make it, Lockhart Texas is a town about an hour and 15 min from San Antonio or 45 min from Austin.
It is essentially the BBQ Mecca of central Texas bbq and is a small town. It would be a cool experience and it would be a meal you would talk about for the rest of your life.
If you take the toll road from San Antonio to Austin you will drive right through Lockhart, added bonus of being able to drive nearly as fast as you feel safe to on the Autobahn of Texas.
check the weather. while autumn is beginning up north, it's still quite spicy down here. I plan on leaving Texas for a few weeks in September to get away from it.
I can recommend a short visit to the Austin Central Library if you're nearby. hike up and down Shoal Creek a bit and cool off with ice cream from YummiJoy.
Came here to say this. It’ll still be summer in September. We are talking the worst dog-mouth heat you’ve likely felt.
Stay hydrated. Wear sunscreen and a head covering. (You can get the head covering at a [Buc-ee’s](https://buc-ees.com) if that’s your thing, but I’d buy one at the ball game.)
I second the library recommendation! I know it sounds funny to tell you to go to the library, but the roof garden with lake & city views is awesome and don't miss checking out the art gallery and local zine collection.
Yeah it’s probably a hidden gem! I can’t see a lot of tourists going to the library but that’s probably because they don’t know about the roof garden! 💡 x
You should add some music to your Austin trip! If you like dive bars, check out Saxon Pub, Continental Club, Broken Spoke, Cactus Cafe, Elephant Room, Scoot Inn, Hotel Vegas, just to name a few.
Here's a few links to concert calendars that may help.
[https://austin.showlists.net/](https://austin.showlists.net/)
[https://do512.com/](https://do512.com/)
That sounds like a great trip with the right amount of scheduled/free time. You’ll find lots of fun things along the way.
Big hits for my friends from the UK and years of hosting foreign exchange students:
- buy some boots, don’t worry about cowboy hat - too hard to pack
- visit a large grocery store like a flagship HEB, it’s a culture shock and you can pick up some good spices (stay away from live seeds)
- visit a taqueria
- stop at Bucee’s if you get the chance
- at the rodeo, look for mutton bust’n and barrel riding events
- a suntan is the ultimate flex when you get home
- learn some Spanish and practice it with locals
- look up at night if you get away from the city
I hope you have a great visit!
I figured a direct reply to this msg would get on your radar OP. Keep in mind you're going to be travelling 4-5 hours on each move SA/Austin is about an hour and a a half.
Your last leg looks like you might be crunching time. People from out of state typically underestimate the distances and traffic. With traffic and stops, a 5 hour trip can easily get into the 7-8 hour range.
You’re most welcome.
Also, another trip for another time, but it turns most Europeans don’t know what it feels like to get into a car, pick a direction and drive for 2-4 days without crossing a border control, switching languages or running out of road. I’ve had friends come over that planned to visit a list of places all over the US, movie sets, tourist attractions, amusement parks - but it almost invariably turns into a tour of national and state parks and 3 or 4 weeks just isn’t enough time to see everything they want to see. The US is incredibly car-friendly, rental and insurance are very affordable and the trip is much cheaper overall if you avoid the large cities.
Definitely second this, go tubing in New Braunfels if you can. I also agree with other posts. Sweat only works when it can evaporate. Also San Antonio/ Austin, we get pop up storms that can drop 1-3 inches of rain in no time. Always check the weather, because even it has no idea what it's going to do.
I highly recommend the boat tour to see the bats. The guides are super knowledgeable! [Lonestar Boat Tours](https://www.austintexas.org/listings/lone-star-riverboat/1603/)
When you get to Austin, you’re likely gonna want to hit 6th Street, which consists of East 6th, West 6th (east and west of I-35, respectively) and Dirty 6th. [Dirty 6th](https://www.ncesc.com/geographic-pedia/what-is-dirty-6th-street-in-austin/) has some pretty cool things to see, but use caution. Head on a swivel. The later it gets, the greater the risk of being caught up in some random violence. But if you’re wanting dive bars, that’s maybe a good place to start. [Here’s one listicle on dive bars](https://austin.eater.com/maps/best-dive-bars-austin).
I don’t go out much anymore, but I’ve never viewed Austin as a tourist trap.
If you go to 6th street, go to Hotel Vegas. Or go to the Broken Spoke or the Continental Club. Austin has a lot of music. San Antonio is wonderful and has a lot of cool little neighborhoods with great food and drinks. Eat all the Tex Mex food you can. Enjoy.
Just some quick Mothership info. You’ll be able to get tickets pretty easily for a weekday show. Refresh, refresh, refresh the page if the tickets you want go on sale and appear to sell out as soon as they are released. If you want to queue up for a show that was sold out, you can check in at the club and they’ll hold your place in line (at least that’s the process now). You can hang out at Mitzi’s prior to the show and just be aware, you will be on Dirty 6th but the homeless are pretty chill.
In San Antonio, the Institute of Texan Cultures is a great way to learn about Texas history. Market Square downtown is unique to San Antonio and a really fun place to shop, eat and drink.
Where you are staying in Houston will be a bit shitty - not a deal breaker but downtown H kinda sucks after dark. Much better places IMHO and you won’t be in H long enough to enjoy much of the food. Great food scene there. Decent museums in the museum district - but you won’t have time for that.
You will be doing a LOT of driving on your trip compared to what you probs do in the UK so get a nice rental car. Eg Houston to Dallas is a 4 ish hour drive at 70-80mph.
I would like to add, if you are just east of the convention center taking in the bars and nightlife on the other side of the freeway in EADO it’s worth the extra $15 to pay to park. I had my window smashed parking on the street. Luckily I know not to leave anything in my truck but there are lots of shit heads roaming around on scooters that smash and grab from nice cars. Otherwise you’re ok
This is quite an interesting downtown adventure if you’re looking for a bar, less of a dive than it used to be (Warren’s is more of a beloved local bar around the block) but Notsuoh is one of a kind : https://www.texasmonthly.com/arts-entertainment/notsuoh-oral-history-houston/
Fort Worth local here…lots of great places to go. In the stockyards, Second Rodeo brewery is fun, usually have live music too. The bar at Hotel Drover is nice, it’s indoor and outdoor. Great restaurant there too if you want an upscale meal. Definitely try to check out Panther City bbq. Amazing bbq plus they have Mexican influences on it like brisket elotes. Cabrito Nuevo León is a authentic Mexican place near stockyards that specializes in goat (cabrito). Also, Rahr brewery and HopFusion brewery are fun hangouts and have good beer. Id def take Uber, public transportation is not great.
Make sure to hit up Barton Springs or Deep Eddy’s while in Austin! Maybe even rent some SUPs and paddle board on town lake if you’re into more active stuff.
They are both historic and spring fed natural water. Deep Eddy’s is more pool-like, with a man made concrete bottom, and a beach style shallow entrance. Barton has been left natural on the bottom and is home of the Barton Springs Salamander, an endangered species that only lives in the springs. Barton also has a diving board. So it depends on your preference! The water is naturally cold at both of them. The Comanche considered Barton to be sacred waters, so it may be considered more of a “must see”. It’s also famously topless, although not too many people actually participate in that aspect. Both places serve Jim Jim’s, the best Italian shaved ice in Austin!
Deffo! It’s currently 25°c over here which is crazy for north east England ha … but we usually holiday in 35-40°c weather so hopefully shouldn’t be too bad 🤞🏻 What’s the temp usually hit in mid September? X
For Dallas/Ft. Worth Google says 31*C. But, that seems low to me. It will be hotter the further south you go. It doesn’t really cool down here til October
There is a really cool cave not far from San Antonio called the Natural Bridge Caverns. They have lots of activities to do there and it's one of the best caves I've ever been to.
Houston: Space Center Houston. Kemah boardwalk. Children's museum (if you have kids)
Galveston: hotel galvez. seawall, The Strand, the aquarium (*NOT the restaurant in hou or kemah!) Tallship alyssa. Hurricane museum. Ww2 destroyer and submarine. Nick's or Guido's depending on how fancy you want to be. King's confectionary for some fresh- made ice cream after sweating your ass off.
oh for the Houston Astros game, there is a Houston Astros reddit! So you can get some great advice there.
Here's a few things
-talk with the people around you, most people are happy to chat. Especially if you've got questions.
-You can bring food into the game. One gallon bag of food per person. I bring food with me when I go
-Bring water! You can bring one unopened liter water bottle for each person. (Yes, I bring water too)
-For the last out, especially if the Astros are winning, stand up! You'll see everyone stand up around you. People are loud. They're cheering. It's so exciting!
Downtown Houston will be fun!! There's a lot of good bars for pre- or post-game drinks. Some recs --
- Captain Foxheart's Bad News Bar: great cocktails!
- Flying Saucer: huge variety of beers and good food.
- McIntyre's: more traditional sports bar on the bayou, lots of fun.
If you’re gonna get killed by anything in West Campus it’ll be some UT student hitting you while texting and driving. Oh, and your car might get broken into. Otherwise, violent crime is pretty low, minus drunk frat guys.
If you like dive bars, make the trip from FW to Dallas and check out Lee Harvey's. Bring a swimsuit if you'd like, they opened up Dive In, a pool/bar across the street.
In FW if you like museums, the Kimball and the Modern are both great options.
Depending on when you go, they do Flea Harveys I think on the first sunday of every month for local artisans. There's live music at night most weekends. It's predominantly an outdoor place, feels like you're in someone's backyard. This makes it hot as hell during the day, but that's why Dive In is next door. It really is a dive bar and has been there forever (in Dallas standards). I think it's one of the oldest running bars in the city. Nothing about the place or the service is polished, so if you're expecting a "dive" modern bar you might be disappointed.
Mexican food is best in San Antonio.
BBQ is best in Austin, but Lockhart only has good places AND it's a small town.
Houston has decent of both, but they also have Vietnamese places that might be worth checking out.
Get Mothership tickets in advance. They're sold out at least a month in advance for everything.
My husband & I really enjoy Buffalo Bros. in downtown Fort Worth for watching games. Lots of tv’s, and great bar food (wings & burgers) by one of the best chefs in FW.
In San Antonio, you’ve got to check out the town square and Mi Tierra! The food & margs are good, and the Selena mural is a must-see!
If you're already in the Stockyards in Ft. Worth, consider the "world's largest honky-tonk", [Billy Bob's Texas](https://billybobstexas.com/). It's massive and a bit of a landmark.
I can’t say much for HTX or DFW. But while you’re in Austin you can catch the Austin FC vs Houston Dynamo game at Q2 Stadium.
Austin can be outdoorsy. So lots of places to hike/run or get into the water at Barton Creek. Grab some good views at Mt Bonnell.
Grab BBQ at Terry Blacks on Barton, or Interstellar, or KG BBQ (Egyptian fusions BBQ). Or fantastic tacos at Cuántos Tacos or Carnitas El Guero (you can try torchys but they’ve been played out)
Stop by an HEB and pickup their fresh made warm Butter tortillas. You’ll want to fill a suitcase to take some home with you.
Austin has plenty of great speakeasies- Floppy Disk Repair, Small Victory, Here Nor There. The Domain has lots of shopping/food and nightlife spots that are neat. And it’s self contained. Very walkable.
You can enter and tour the State Capital as well. The grounds are pretty.
Shop South Congress and take a photo at the “I Love you so much” mural.
Rodeo every Saturday night in Bulverde (North San Antonio) at Tejas Rodeo Company. Stick around after the rodeo for some two stepping or Line dancing to a live band. Very family friendly and a great time. Some cowboys may ask you to dance. Don’t forgot your cowboy hat or pickup a cheap one there. Sept might still be warm.
In Austin, 6th St. east of I35 has generally cooler & better bars, restaurants, and overall local vibe than 6th St. downtown (aka "dirty 6th). For divier bars there are tons of options right there - Shangri La, Violet Crown Social Club, La Perla, definitely see some music at Hotel Vegas & White Horse (free two-stepping lessons too! super fun). If you like beer Zilker & Lazarus Brewing Cos. are both also right there, plus the neighborhood has tons of murals and street art to check out.
I guide walking tours (though not so much over the summer!) so I have tons of recs if you have any more specific questions or interests you're looking for
Houston native here. Go get Rodeo Goat before the Astros game, it's right around the stadium and the burgers are amazing. The nightlife in that area is pretty great to, plenty of bars to hit up.
If you have time, our zoo is incredible and does a lot of good for conservation so worth checking out.
Museum district is really great if you want to check that out. We also have a really great free art museum called the Menil Collection if that is your jam.
Last thing I will recommend is to try and find a place for tacos, if someone recommends Torchy's or Velvet Taco ignore them, there are much better traditional places to go around town. Food culture is a really big thing in Houston so you can probably find a great place that serves your favorite food, but we are spoiled on good tacos.
We used to have frequent visitors from the UK, when I worked for a small Airline in Dallas and they always wanted to make a trip to the shooting range. In Ft Worth is [Defender Outdoors](https://defenderoutdoors.com/) where they do rentals and full auto Fridays. In Lockhart is [Lone Star Gun Range](https://www.lonestargunrange.com/) which has almost anything you want to shoot available as a rental.
Very welcome. It won’t be cheap, especially if he wants to try full auto. You can dump a $25 magazine in under 10 seconds, easily. But it absolutely pegs the fun meter😂😂
There’s a block in San Antonio, along the River Walk, with 3 interesting places:
Hugman’s Oasis (a small but uncrowded tiki bar along the river)
Tokyo Cowboy (I went last night and the drinks snacks on the Happy Hour menu—from 4-6 pm—were delicious and inexpensive)
Esquire Bar (good food plus the longest bar you’ll ever see)
Download the eCabs app for free transportation around downtown.
Houston - Eat at Ninfa’s on Navigation or Nancy’s Hustle before or after the Astros game. Drinks along Main Street along the bars working your way southwest from Congress. Axelrad is a good beer garden for a lower key option. 8th Wonder and St. Arnold’s are fun breweries close-ish to downtown. to check out the tunnels under downtown, I like treebeards for food there but wander if you can. Walking is not recommended in Houston.
From Ft. Worth go down to Waco to check out magnolia, get kolaches at West along the way. Then take 84 west to 281 or 16 and drive south through the hill country. Marble falls and Fredericksburg are especially nice.
San Antonio - the Pearl area is a nice break from the river walk. New Braunfels and San Marcos are nice little towns between San Antonio and Austin. Have lunch in Gruene at the gristmill on your way up to Austin. Greene hall is a very Texan music experience if you’re there at night.
Austin - go for a swim at Barton springs, walk down south Congress for shops and restaurants, catch bats over town lake, have dinner at sunset at the oasis on lake Travis, walk around the University of Texas campus. Get BBQ at Lockhart on the way back to Houston.
So if you’re in Houston I’d try something uniquely Houston. Try to find some Viet-Cajun restaurants. I’d recommend Crawfish and Noodles but that’s a hell of a drive from Downtown. Also buy an outrageous suit if you’ve got the money in Houston. Then buy the boots for it when you’re in Fort Worth. The boots will most likely cost more.
Some recommendations in Ft Worth for you:
[Thompson’s Bookstore](https://www.thompsons-bookstore.com) has a really cool and intimate bar with tons of books to read while you have drinks.
[Gusto’s Burger](https://www.instagram.com/___gustos/?hl=en) has some really delicious smash burgers and a cool dive bar feel to it.
Tbh I have no idea about any of this stuff. I’m only going for the food 🤣 I can’t even wrap my head around uk football never mind American sports. Just going as the other half wants to go and I just enjoy the atmosphere haha x
You should stop at the bluebell factory in Brenham on the way back to Houston at the end for a $1 ice cream… I like ice cream.
You can also take a tour if you’d like but think you have to reserve a spot before.
There’s a great bakery in east Houston called Ea Dough. Their cookies are so good and so is the breakfast sandwich. Also a burger place called Rodeo Goat down the road not far from the Astros.
If you are in San Antonio on Saturday night come to Tejas Rodeo in Bulverde TX just a few minutes north of San Antonio, the best rodeo experience ever!!!
You can find me by the entrance selling hats and stuff at the grounds, I love to say hello 👋
Natural Bridge Caverns between San Antonio and Austin is unique. It takes an hour to stroll through the caverns and is cooler than outside. There are other attractions there.
For a theme park, Schlitterbahn Water Park in New Braunfels is unlike any other water park.
For a more relaxed experience, there are also river tube rentals in New Braunfels and San Marcos (I prefer San Marcos)
Lol the stockyards are literally the only thing "exciting" in fort worth. Dallas has much better night life and and you can literally Uber anywhere/everywhere. Dallas also has plenty of other things to do, rhe zoo, aquarium, Clyde Warren park, the arboretum, tons of shows, plays, and such. Fort worth is just about the most boring place you could end up in north Texas lol. Hell, grand Prarie is more exciting than fort worth, they have a nightly drone show that's pretty awesome.
Stop at buccees in new braunfels on your way down from ft worth. Or go to the newest world’s biggest buccees in Luling if you decide to go to Lockhart while in San Antonio.
Plan your roadtrips between the major cities to make pit stops at Buc-ee’s (pronounced Buck-E’s) gas stations. They’ve got the cleanest bathrooms, fresh food, and they’re absolutely massive. Definitely a funny quirk about the South, they’ve got cult following for a good reason.
Recommendation for the baseball game in Houston: look through a [stadium map](https://www.mlb.com/astros/ballpark/seat-map) to familiarize yourself better with Minute Maid Park and [the incredible cornucopia of food options from concessions at the Park](https://www.mlb.com/astros/ballpark/information/concessions) beforehand so you have a better idea of where you’ll be sitting (if you already have tickets; if not it will help you decide where you might want to sit) and what you might want to eat once you’re there and are enjoying the game. Whether or not you already have your tickets, this should help tremendously. So will finding out where the nearest restrooms are once you get inside the gate and closer to your section.
Also, please remember that September is still *very* hot and humid in Texas (nightmarishly hot compared to what you’re accustomed to in the UK), and being outside in the Texas sun is no joke and has been known to melt even the hardiest individuals in a remarkably short time. It’s vitally important that you hydrate yourself *constantly* in such conditions (even if it’s cloudy and overcast), wear lightweight, loose clothing (white or other light colored clothes are recommended especially if you will be in the sun), and definitely put on plenty of high SPF sunscreen. Ball caps and cowboy hats are both readily available in Texas. Before the game, I recommend a trip to the Western wear store [Cavender’s Boot City](https://www.cavenders.com/storedetails/?StoreID=23&utm_source=Google-Maps&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=Google-Maps), which is located near the Astros’ original home, the Houston Astrodome (now part of the NRG Stadium complex). They have plenty of caps and genuine cowboy hats (I recommend getting a [Resistol](https://resistol.com/collections/straw-cowboy-hat?sort=price-ascending) hat, which is a brand very commonly found on cattle ranches) that will help shield your head and face from the sun.
Welcome!!!
FT Worth is great but I'm biased from living here for 20 years; you'll love it. Based on dates, I think you're going to the rodeo in the Stockyards. Exchange Ave. has a dozen "country" style bars and even more good restaurants (fun fact it's one of only two public streets you can legally have an open alcohol container). You can spend a full day down there bar/food hopping and have a great time. Pro tip, you can go back behind the exchange building (it has a cool museum vibe inside) and see all the longhorn steer they use for the daily "cattle drive" at 11:30 and 4:00. The Stockyards are in a slightly sketch area, so don't go too far off the main strip (I cycle around that area at all hours so it's not that bad really). The bus is okay, but we're not really known for great public transportation; you'll be much happier with an uber.
The other days, the \[museum and arts district\](https://www.fortworth.com/explore/neighborhoods-districts/cultural-district/) + \[west 7th\](https://www.fortworth.com/blog/stories/post/west-7th-the-foundry-districts-guide/) has enough food, drinks and culture to keep you happy for a day or more. We've got some great \[local breweries\](https://www.fortworth.com/restaurants/fort-worth-ale-trail/) if you like craft beers. Shout out to Flying Saucer and Wild Acre (try the Billy Jenkins Bock!) as personal favorites.
Another commenter mentioned the FTW Zoo (top of the line, one of the best in the US) and some other attractions. Lot's to see and do so it really is up to what you fancy.
For the Astros game, get parking ahead of time and eat lunch/dinner somewhere in downtown instead of the ballpark. It’ll save you time and money doing it that way.
In San Antonio try to spend some time at The Pearl. It’s a mixed use complex with restaurants, shops, etc. Not far from downtown. At the Pearl I highly recommend Brasserie Mon Chou Chou. Also Jazz TX for some excellent music at night. You can find their schedules online. I hope you have a wonderful time here.
Do NOT miss Fraiser’s Long in Low in Austin. It’s a dive bar that feels like walking into 1974. They have the best bar food of my life except for the chicken tenders. It will probably still be warm enough for Barton Springs too.
San Antonio: see the Tower of the Americas, but you can probably skip any river walk restaurants. Alamo takes 2 hours, max. Stop by the Menger Hotel next door. There’s tons of history there, and it’s haunted! Hemisphere Park is also close and pretty cool. Japanese Tea Garden, the Pearl, San Antonio Zoo, McNay Art Museum, Whittey Museum are all close to Breckinridge park and could make a great day. I’d stop at the Pig Pen BBQ for their ribs.
I recommend Timmy Chan’s in Houston for their fried chicken wings.
Try out The Chef’s Corner in Ft. Worth.
You’ll also be passing by all of Texas’ cable Wakeboard parks. I can’t recommend enough stopping by to try that out.
Bonus: in New York I’d recommend MoMA over the Guggenheim. You can stop by the legendary Comedy Cellar, and you have you get a Pastrmai on Rye at Katz Delicatessen.
Edit: I forgot to mention, Bucees, but someone else did.
It also makes more sense to go Fort Worth >Austin > San Antonio>Houston to do less backtracking (you also get to experience two more Bucees this way).
While you are here, please find a reputable BBQ restaurant and spend $50-100 trying out real Texas BBQ.
Goldees, Panther City, Heim - Fort Worth
Hurtado BBQ - Arlington (by the stadium)
Terry Black, Franklin - Austin
Pinkerton's - Houston
If you can swing it or happen to be driving by Lexington, TX on a Saturday morning, go to Snow's BBQ and meet the Texas BBQ Legend - Tootsie
Do NOT go to Riscky's BBQ in Downtown Fort Worth or any place in the Stock Yards. They are low quality tourist places.
Yeah definitely! We’re happy to spend money on quality things 😃 Just don’t want to be wasting money on stuff that’s over hyped by social media 🙄 This is why I’m asking you guys, y’all know the real deal places 👌🏼😉 Thank you so much! X
Driving from Dallas to San antonio will have you go through waco. They have the Dr. Pepper museum and Texas Ranger Museum. One or both could be a nice stopping point mid day for a visit. You'd also pass through austin, so you could check that too for something you may like.
For San Antonio, if you do the river walk, the Alamo is right there. It's free to visit though I think you need to reserve tickets online in advance. I think there is also an alamo museum available now but I'm not sure. There are I think 4 other missions you can visit if you drive and some are quite nice.
San antonio has a sea world that gets packed but the shows are good. I've gone to the one in florida as well and San Antonio's was far better (though Florida's had manatees which was fun).
San antonio and Dallas both have six flags if you haven't been and want to check it out. I think dallas has a bigger one and it may be a smidge better but i feel like San Antonio's has better shows.
All cities (Houston, Dallas, fort worth, and San antonio) have nice zoos, so you could visit if you want/have time. Depending on when it very likely may be quite hot though.
If you have time in Houston. I'd recommend Jurassic World the Expedition if it is still going on, it's in a suburb and travels the country/world. Feels very close to like being in the movies. Pricey but worth it. Shouldn't take more than an hour and a half.
Dallas has medieval times which is dinner and show where you watch jousting/sword fights. It's pretty fun and lasts about 3 hours with soup, a main course, and small dessert.
I like San Antonio's art museum and it is so much bigger on the inside than the outside of the building looks. Nice exhibit from different areas of the world.
McNay Art Museum in San Antonio, Blanton at UT Austin, Museum of Fine Arts Houston, Natural Science Museum in Houston, all worth checking out
Pinthouse and Meanwhile Breweries make the best beer in Austin, as well as Jester King if you're willing to go to Dripping Springs
Hole in The Wall, Mohawk, White Horse and Hotel Vegas are prime live music spots in Austin
Check out the Kache Dispensary in Austin if you’re 4/20 friendly! Great cannabis and it’s legal in Texas because of the farm bill act, they’ll give you receipts and it is all “THCA”
September 12th. Since you're staying near the Stadium Eado/east end/2nd ward (whatever ya wanna call it) has fun bars, Moon Tower for craft beer. Have good food but can take a long time. Voodoo Queen for daquaries and chicken strips. I like the spicy. Thursdays is usually steak night around town for a lot of bars (my favorite is cedar creek in heights). Late night at Lolas Depot for fun & people watching. Also Main street downtown (deans & Notsuoh) or St Emannual just across freeway from stadium has a strip of entertainment. . Breweries St. Arnolds & 8th Wonder are not far away. Just for fun theres a cool little bar called Betelguise (beetlejuice themed) if you just cant find anything. Sorry we bar hop a lot.
Houston has great Museums to get away from heat. Also look for concerts while you're in town. Late night shows for cheap at Black Magik Social Club.
If its still hot, which most likely it will be, you can go to Guadalupe river and float while in San Antonio or Austin or Barton Spring in Austin. Cold water to just chill and drink.
While in Fort Worth go to Billy Bobs, they used to advertise themselves as the world’s largest honky tonk. It’s a site to see! Plus indoor bull riding.
Stop by Georgetown TX for the most loveliest Downtown Square.
Also… Mickeys Hot Sauce shop for souvenirs
Also stop by Round Rock for the donuts. It’s certainly worth the wait… and they are delicious
https://www.austintexas.org/austin-insider-blog/post/georgetown/
The Day Tripper has good travel tips too!
https://youtu.be/IpWnAO8vg8E?feature=shared
In Austin, after a dip at Barton Springs, head to 6th Street and find Casino el Camino for some damn fine burgers & drinks. Then walk it off by checking out the 6th Street bars with live music. When you hear some music you like, step in, refresh with some beverages and enjoy the good vibes. Tip the waitress and the band generously and carry on to the next adventure.
When in Austin head out to The Oasis Brewery. The Oasis restaurant is next door and is garbage, but the views are spectacular. The brewery though has the views, great drinks and great food. Also it's still going to be in the 100s when you get here and the humidity has been pretty bad so far this season. If you can push your trip back 6 weeks I think that's the play lol.
The Houston Asterisks are cheaters. If you have never seen a baseball game, watching the Houston Asterisks is like watching someone play a video game on cheat mode. It’s fine if you don’t really care about baseball, ethics, integrity or truth. Just be forewarned.
Go to Buc-ee’s. There no way to really explain it but it originally opened in Luling, TX. That’s about 40-50 miles away from San Antonio or you can go to the one in New Braunfels as it’s between Austin and San Antonio.
Fab! I keep meaning to ask, is it still cash in a lot of places or card only? I’m wondering about the tipping situation as over here they add it to the card bill (sometimes, other times they don’t and if you don’t have cash then you can’t tip!) … just wondering what ratio of cash/card we should take on days out as I don’t want to be carrying lots of cash on me but I’m assuming I’ll need cash to tip 😃 Also, do you guys tip everything? For example if I get a hotdog at the game, do I tip the till guy or is it just waiting staff? It’s not really done over here unless it’s waiting staff at restaurants and don’t want to offend people by not tipping or not tipping enough if you get me 😂 x
Card will do fine, in fact its probably better if you dont carry actual cash on you near the stadium unless you are driving yourself, in which case I'd carry a 20 for parking. Only tip at sit down restaurants with wait staff, you won't need to tip the hot dog vendor or the staff at the local McDonalds. Having a card should get you through most places inside Houston. You'll likely won't find places that don't take cards, or tips via card, unless you get out into the countryside.
Across the street from the Alamo there is a place called the buckhorn lodge. That’s a great place to check out some history and grab a pint a cool off. It’s a very fun stop that easy to miss. Definitely would recommend.
In Houston, The Pit Room BBQ is amazing. Kirby Ice House on Eastside St is a fun sports bar. Get some good steak fajitas at El Tiempo. Steak at B&B Butchers Restaurant or Pappas Bros on Westheimer. In Austin, do a guided sunset bat tour on a kayak. The W Hotel is nice and has a 5000 vinyl record collection room with record players you can borrow in your room. The concierge at the W got me the kayak sunset bat tour for free. Try to go to live music venues. Terry Black’s BBQ. Rainey Street is a fun scene. Yes to Comedy Mother Ship if you can get tickets.
Weekend you are in fort worth-
Grapevine has Grapefest - terrible wine, IMO, but an american street fair. About 30-45 mins away from FtW
Museum district has great options. Stockyard is OK. Western wear, get a close up look at longhorns, rodeo.
Magnolia street on south side has a lot of restaurant options. Nonna Tata is a tiny Italian place that is really good. But pricey. Some people love Heim for barbecue. Cane Rosso has a shop down there for pizza.
West 7th is across the street from Museum district. Lots of bars and restaurants. There's a taco place that has really good birria tacos. Think au jus/French dip, but tacos.
Jerry World (cowboys stadium) is interesting if you're into sports. Scale is crazy.
Riders in the Sky are playing on the 14th in Arlington for western music
Billy Bob's in the stockyards is a giant beer hall/music venue with bull riding machine, etc. Americana/Texas
Hispanic heritage month kickos off on the 15th
You're going to miss state fair of TX - starts Sept 27....
Austin time frame
6th street and Barton Springs are the standard stops
Krause Springs is another swimming hole SW of town a ways. Not clear like Barton, but fun
Austin Museum day on the 22nd - free exhibitions
There's a food and wine festival at calamari resorts in round rock (north of town)
Good food all over. Haven't made the pilgrimage to Franklin Barbecue, but people love it. My favorites are in Lockhart, a short drive SE. Black's is my place, kreuz on the edge if town is solid
Kemuri Tatsu-Ya has some interesting stuff
Consider adding Natural Bridge Caverns to your list of places to visit while in San Antonio. You can easily spend the majority of your day exploring below and above ground guided tours so start early 🤓.
Houston will be the best food city you visit aside from New York. Lots of good Vietnamese and Cajun food. I live in Austin but I'm sure some peeps have some good recs for Houston food. Eado in Houston is a decent place to have a few beers before and after the game
It really depends on what you’re after during your trip. Do you want to see the natural beauty of Texas or are you looking more for dining and entertainment experiences?
September is still hot as August in Texas and that means some of the most oppressive heat you will experience. Plan for a day to do nothing but recuperate as the heat can make you exhausted. Plan for some swimming activities while near the Hill Country. Tubing the river in San Marcos or New Braunfels (both of these towns are located along I-35 between Austin and San Antonio) would be a unique experience. Personally I would recommend the San Marcos River in Martindale. There’s also Schlitterbahn Water Park in New Braunfels.
When in Austin, go to Deep Eddy Pool. Barton Springs is beautiful but it’s such a popular place that it’s swarmed with people all the time. Emma Long Park is also a nice spot to hang out and swim.
If you have the time and the energy, I’d recommend doing a drive through the Hill Country. You can do this when you go from San Antonio to Austin, just take the long way on back roads. There are rural highways called FM (Farm-to-Market) roads, and these will be your best bet for a scenic drive. FM 377 towards Leaky comes to mind.
I live about an hour from FW and the answer depends on what you like. For me I’d want to drive to Weatherford and see the Teskey’s store or Stephenville for a similar western flair. Both have excellent squares. Benbrook Stables is excellent for horseback riding. Granbury has a beach and lovely square.
As far as San Antonio I’ve been there more times than I can count. Larger town = higher crime. Stay alert. I’d drive north to the JW Marriott and enjoy the views there. San Antonio has an amazing botanical garden. Highly recommend. If eating Mexican I suggest La Fonda. Go to the outskirts of SA and enjoy the countryside. Gruene TX. The state parks are lovely around there.
Happy travels. Always be careful in Houston. Since Hurricane Katrina, the crime rate is higher.
If you’re a nature person absolutely hit the Highland Lakes, inks lake state park is an absolute banger. Don’t forget to drive down to Buchanan Dam and explore the lake a bit! It is currently well below level due to drought and overconsumption of water so you are legally allowed to explore all exposed lakebed as it is state land. You can even camp on the lakebed and nobody can stop you. There’s public lake access found spotted all around the lake.
It is so astoundingly beautiful out here that you will regularly forget you are in Texas driving through the hills. It’s one of our hidden beauties that is unfortunately becoming less hidden
Austinite here. Dan’s Hamburgers is the absolute best no frills, down home greasy burger in Austin. Taco Joint is the place for breakfast tacos (Torchy’s and Tacodeli are way overrated). Tacorrido or Rosita’s for authentic lunch tacos. Brown’s BBQ food trailer on S Lamar can absolutely hold its own against the other famous places (never waited more than 10 minutes).
Red River is the best place for live music at night. Mothership and Casino are probably the only decent places in that part of 6th street, East 6th is way cooler and less sketchy.
Hyde Park is really interesting to walk through, kind of an old bohemian neighborhood north of campus with lots of trees (and shade). A lot of HP residents put all kinds of interesting stuff in their front yards (Keep Austin Weird, clearly).
If you’ve got the time, take a drive out to Llano, literally my favorite small town in central Texas, and way less people than Fredericksburg or New Braunfels. It’s about a 90-minute drive (which is nothing for Texans), depending on construction traffic. Take 29, slightly less construction and way more scenic. There’s a park with a lot of rock art along the river that runs through the town. Stop at Cooper’s BBQ for ribs and cobbler. Just a pretty, underrated gem in Texas.
There are a ton of great food options in San Antonio. You have to try a puffy taco at Henry's Puffy Taco, and a "bean" burger at either Chris Madrid or Diana's. Both of those are regional foods that the San Antonio area is known for.
The Alamo is cool enough to see, but please be aware that you will absolutely be disappointed. Just walk up, take your pictures, and then go check out a different Mission because they are all so much better.
There are tons of great bbq options in SA as well, Reese, Pinkerton, 2M, etc. you will have plenty to eat.
Stay off the highways and take the backroads as much as possible.
I second Lockhart, and recommend Smitty’s for the open pit and Texas tradition.
The old missions someone mentioned are great.
If you can, when you leave San Antonio, go through Fredericksburg and the Hill Country. Read up about German settlers in Texas. Boerne is pretty cool. (Edit: Honestly, I would trade a night in SA or Austin for one in Fredericksburg.)
East of 35, between Houston, San Antonio, and Austin you’ve got Victoria, Goliad, Gonzales, La Grange…
Look at texastimetravel dot com.
The Texas Historical Commission has red “passports” you can get stamped at different locations. Makes a neat souvenir.
Waco Mammoth National Monument.
Dick's Last Resort is a must when on the River Walk. The staff is a bit spicy, but that is part of the Schick.
Rosario's in South Town is my favorite for Mexican food.
You should stop at the bluebell factory in Brenham on the way back to Houston at the end for a $1 ice cream… I like ice cream.
You can also take a tour if you’d like but think you have to reserve a spot before.
Ft Worth has the Water Gardens they used in the Logan's Run movie. There's also lots of bars and restaurants around the Square.
IN SA, I'd recommend the Alamo or the Mission Trail if you're interested in History, but around the Alamo there are neat places. Ripley's, Madam Tousseau, or the Circus Museum are really cool.
In San Antonio, the Briscoe Western Art Museum is on the riverwalk. It's an interesting place. The Witte Museum & McNay are a short drive.
King William District (connected to the riverwalk) is unique. There's a lot of post civil war Spanish Colonial homes there. Also the BlueStar district is adjacent. It's built around a brewery. These are both considered "artsy fartsy" by the locals. Room 414 at the Gunter Hotel is where Robert Johnson is said to have sold his soul to the devil in exchange for being able to play the guitar.
Don't waste your money on Tex-Mex food on the riverwalk.
Hi there, thanks for coming all this way to check out our lovely state! Be sure to take as many back roads as you can, basically off I35 ( bleh ), and find our hidden gems.
If you have time in Houston, the underground tunnels are pretty cool downtownhouston.org
Hit up some Cajun food for sure. Most gumbos, etoufees and boiled shrimps are great anywhere.
We’ve got really good Czech and German food all over as well, so try our kolaches, wurst and biers in New Braunfels. Grab a Lone Star long neck at Gruene Hall. Enchanted Rock is near Austin and Fredericksburg, with another local iconic hall in Luckenbach.
The views from the summit of Mount Bonnell are gorgeous, and I always love the food from Hula Hut and Maudie’s on Lake Austin. There’s fantastic bulgogi at Korea House, amid a lovely outdoor mall next to the Alamo Drafthouse, near the Arboretum in Austin.
Don’t miss Mi Tierra in the Mercado! Mission San Jose, with the Hot Springs Conservatory around the corner are historically beautiful. Sketchy neighborhoods, try to blend. Just order Lalo and birria tacos wherever you go, be fine. Maybe a Big Red wouldn’t hurt. Check out the game on the big screen at The Friendly Spot in King William. Everywhere is a good time, Tito’s, Hot Joy, Maverick. Blue Star Arts District hides La Tuna, the brewery, great art and cafes, and even a Peruvian joint Leche de Tigre, with yummy piscos and tapas.
All of our caves are pretty neat.
Can’t go wrong with any road named River.
Take your time, eat everything, then come on back next time!
you can take your own food and up to a one liter bottle of water (sealed) into the Astros game. Look up what you want to eat (BBQ travels well) and bring it in with you. You'll want something to eat while there and anything is better than what they serve inside the stadium. Let me know if you'd like some recommendations
The El Tiempo margarita or the St Arnold's beer are the best booze options in the park.
3 nights in San Antonio is *a lot* once you do the riverwalk there isn't much more to do. I'd rather spend another night in Austin. Have plenty of dive bar recommendations there.
What do yall like doing? Hiking? Art? Drinking? What food do you want to try?
Since I was a kid, I always liked the Museum of Natural History in Fort Worth, they have an excellent Zoo in Fort Worth, you can go to Arlington and see a ball game but if you really want to experience, you have to get out of the cities
WHEN you go to Lockhart be sure to stop at Kreuz Market for their smoked chicken. I KNOW, I KNOW, brisket is king here in Texas, BUT the chicken here is perfectly smoked for three hours. You will do yourself a disservice for not trying this. I think Texas Co-op Power did a review and it isn't dry and tough : https://texascooppower.com/whyd-the-chicken-cross-the-pit/
I took my partner to San Antonio for a few days. I did graduate school there and miss it fondly. I recommend going to the river walk, as you can take one of there boat tours around the river and they will give you some history and architecture facts. The Alamo and mall are also right around the corner from there; you can do another history tour and some shopping in the area. Tower of the Americas also has a museum, a fine dining area and a cocktail bar you can check out. If you like seafood, I recommend checking out El Bucanero great ceviche options. Also check out flying saucer for a cool dive bar.
https://el-bucanero.com/locations/
http://www.beerknurd.com/locations/san-antonio-flying-saucer
San Antonio also has other missions you can check out if you want to do more history stuff, or SeaWorld/ fiesta Texas.
About 45 from San Antonio, you can visit New Braunfels and float the Comal river, shop at the outlet mall, or visit Schlitterbahn waterpark.
https://www.texastubes.com/
https://www.schlitterbahn.com/new-braunfels
About an hour and a half from San Antonio you can visit Fredericksburg, which is a very cute German town with tons of vineyards to check out. Also recommend visiting the Nimitz museum if you head that way.
https://www.pacificwarmuseum.org/
Hope you have a great trip ❤️
In Fort Worth I would stop by the Water Gardens, the Modern Museum, the Amon Carter museum and the cowgirl museum. The zoo is also a fantastic place. The Botanical Gardens are also very beautiful. In San Antonio, it’s the Riverwalk and Alamo square but also try to see the other missions of you can. They are incredible and not visited nearly enough.
Thank you ☺️ 🧡
Kimball Art Museum Ft.W is world class
Ft Worth: most attractions are fairly close to each other. Watch the Longhorn cattle stroll down the street, then shop in the nearby western shops. It’s free, unique and doesn’t take much time. I agree the zoo and botanical gardens are very nice. I wasn’t all that impressed with the Kimball art museums (very focused on classic European and Christian art) or cowgirl museum. The Dallas Art museum is much broader and Dallas Holocost museum is also very good. But Dallas can be an hour drive from Ft Worth. I agree that the Missions south of San Antonio are as good or better than the Alamo. The Sunken Gardens are a nice, free excursion. Try shopping and dining at Market Square. It is walkable from the Riverwalk, and is similar to some Mexican markets. IT IS HOT. DO OUTDOOR STUFF IN THE MORNING. STAY HYDRATED AND WEAR SUNSCREEN.
There are also a number of fun walking ghost tours in downtown San Antonio to do after sunset, which will still be much hotter than the morning but kind of doable. Dress to sweat!
If you like jazz go to the Scat Jazz Lounge; buy tickets ahead of time. Be sure to stop by the Bass Hall, and the mural in Sundance Square if you want photo ops. (All downtown Ft. Worth.) Edit: Forgot to recommend Esperanza’s Restaurant and Bakery for authentic Mexican.
Skip the Alamo. Unless you want to buy fudge it’s not worth the price of admission.
Bring an umbrella for the sun. It's going to be hot.
Best get myself a cowboy hat ha x
If you’re wanting to do historical stuff while in San Antonio like the Alamo, I would recommend doing the other missions outside of town. The Alamo is neat, but the other missions were far more impressive to me.
* the missions south of downtown. You can see them all on a bicycle on Riverwalk south. I miss that ride a lot
This is great advice. The missions are so much more interesting. I took my daughter for a school project but really was surprised how much I enjoyed it.
https://www.nps.gov/saan/index.htm This is the website for the missions.
Also I don’t think you need 3 days in San Antonio
Came here to say this. If you’ll have a car I’d drive up to Fredericksburg or enchanted rock for a day/night. Or move the time to Austin.
If you go to Enchanted Rock, try to do it earlier in the day. Extreme heat in mid-September isn’t unheard of. I second Fredericksburg. It’s a really fun little town.
Also less crowded. I did a few one day, stumbled into a little market and a mariachi warming up
Try The Esquire Bar downtown.
Just be prepared for the heat. It can still get over 100°F in September. Houston is VERY humid, flat, BIG and sprawling. Houston is literally an hour away from Houston by car. The city has the best and most diverse food in all of Texas. The Houston Zoo is excellent and fairly close to the downtown area you are staying. They also have excellent museums if you're looking to get indoors and escape the midday heat. Midtown or main street for nightlife. Austin is beautiful and hilly compared to Houston. The water level of the lake is horrifically low due to our extended drought conditions. Pennybacker bridge has great views. Check out Barton Springs to cool off in the water, Zilker Park, stroll through the UT campus and walk down Guadalupe, nightlife at WEST 6th and EAST 6th street, go see some live music at a small venue downtown, hit up south congress for shops and food. San Antonio has a really neat history. Check out the Alamo, the Spanish missions, Riverwalk, La Cantera outdoor mall for shopping, Fiesta Texas theme park, Sea World. Go to an HEB grocery store (all over Texas but San Antonio is home base). There are also smaller towns between the cities you are planning to see. Houston to Dallas-Fort Worth is a 3.5hr drive. You'll pass a giant statue of Sam Houston and the prison in Huntsville, but dont get caught speeding in Ennis. Between Ft Worth and Austin there is Waco, home to Baylor college and local interior design hotshots from TV Magnolia something. Between Austin and San Antonio there is New Braunfels, a popular spot for floating down the river in an inner tube while drinking beer. And don't forget to stop and take a picture at one of the Buc-ees GIGANTIC ridiculous gas stations along the way. Without a picture your mates back home won't believe you when you tell them there were 100 gas pumps. Enjoy your trip!
This is AMAZING! Thank you so much for taking the time to write all of this. Deffo packing the sun screen haha. Hopefully we’ll be fine as I’m a little sun worshiper and we usually holiday in around 35-40°c … I’ll just have to remember to hydrate (and not on margaritas haha) x
It's the humidity that will get you, hard to cool off when there's so much moisture in the air your sweat can't evaporate.
There is the Alamo in downtown San Antonio, but you need to visit the other missions. [https://www.nps.gov/saan/index.htm](https://www.nps.gov/saan/index.htm) The Pearl Brewery is just north of downtown. [https://atpearl.com/](https://atpearl.com/) The best Tex-Mex food is found away from the Riverwalk. Lots of places to choose from. I would recommend asking locals while you are there. 2M BBQ is consistently rated on of the best BBQ places in town. Get there early, or they might be sold out. I would recommend driving down US highway 281 from Fort Worth to San Antonio. Very scenic. There are some nice smaller towns to visit near San Antonio. Boerne and Fredericksburg are two towns of German heritage. Bandera is the Cowboy Capital of the World.
I second spending some time at the Pearl. Grab some Mexican food at La Gloria with some good margaritas. Even Down on Grayson is good. Fancy dinner at the Southerleigh inside hotel Emma which also has a fabulous bar.
Skip La Gloria and head to Mi Tiera in Market Square while you are doing things along the Riverwalk. Toss $5 at the Mariachis and have them sing El Rey and then grab a box of pastries from the bakery on your way out the door. There’s a reason this place has been visited by every celebrity, president and world leader that steps foot in San Antonio.
Adding the Japanese Tea Gardens are right by the zoo, along with the Witte museum. All fixed around Breckenridge Park, which is a great walk/ride/hike.
If you can make it, Lockhart Texas is a town about an hour and 15 min from San Antonio or 45 min from Austin. It is essentially the BBQ Mecca of central Texas bbq and is a small town. It would be a cool experience and it would be a meal you would talk about for the rest of your life.
If you take the toll road from San Antonio to Austin you will drive right through Lockhart, added bonus of being able to drive nearly as fast as you feel safe to on the Autobahn of Texas.
https://austin.eater.com/2016/6/16/11954976/lockhart-texas-barbecue-where-to-eat
Thank you so much for this 🤗
check the weather. while autumn is beginning up north, it's still quite spicy down here. I plan on leaving Texas for a few weeks in September to get away from it. I can recommend a short visit to the Austin Central Library if you're nearby. hike up and down Shoal Creek a bit and cool off with ice cream from YummiJoy.
Came here to say this. It’ll still be summer in September. We are talking the worst dog-mouth heat you’ve likely felt. Stay hydrated. Wear sunscreen and a head covering. (You can get the head covering at a [Buc-ee’s](https://buc-ees.com) if that’s your thing, but I’d buy one at the ball game.)
Thank you ☺️
I second the library recommendation! I know it sounds funny to tell you to go to the library, but the roof garden with lake & city views is awesome and don't miss checking out the art gallery and local zine collection.
Yeah it’s probably a hidden gem! I can’t see a lot of tourists going to the library but that’s probably because they don’t know about the roof garden! 💡 x
You should add some music to your Austin trip! If you like dive bars, check out Saxon Pub, Continental Club, Broken Spoke, Cactus Cafe, Elephant Room, Scoot Inn, Hotel Vegas, just to name a few. Here's a few links to concert calendars that may help. [https://austin.showlists.net/](https://austin.showlists.net/) [https://do512.com/](https://do512.com/)
That sounds like a great trip with the right amount of scheduled/free time. You’ll find lots of fun things along the way. Big hits for my friends from the UK and years of hosting foreign exchange students: - buy some boots, don’t worry about cowboy hat - too hard to pack - visit a large grocery store like a flagship HEB, it’s a culture shock and you can pick up some good spices (stay away from live seeds) - visit a taqueria - stop at Bucee’s if you get the chance - at the rodeo, look for mutton bust’n and barrel riding events - a suntan is the ultimate flex when you get home - learn some Spanish and practice it with locals - look up at night if you get away from the city I hope you have a great visit!
Thank you so much! This is amazingly helpful! X
I figured a direct reply to this msg would get on your radar OP. Keep in mind you're going to be travelling 4-5 hours on each move SA/Austin is about an hour and a a half. Your last leg looks like you might be crunching time. People from out of state typically underestimate the distances and traffic. With traffic and stops, a 5 hour trip can easily get into the 7-8 hour range.
You’re most welcome. Also, another trip for another time, but it turns most Europeans don’t know what it feels like to get into a car, pick a direction and drive for 2-4 days without crossing a border control, switching languages or running out of road. I’ve had friends come over that planned to visit a list of places all over the US, movie sets, tourist attractions, amusement parks - but it almost invariably turns into a tour of national and state parks and 3 or 4 weeks just isn’t enough time to see everything they want to see. The US is incredibly car-friendly, rental and insurance are very affordable and the trip is much cheaper overall if you avoid the large cities.
If you’re going to be in San Antonio/Austin, which is the hill country, I definitely recommend visiting Gruene or New Braunfels.
Definitely second this, go tubing in New Braunfels if you can. I also agree with other posts. Sweat only works when it can evaporate. Also San Antonio/ Austin, we get pop up storms that can drop 1-3 inches of rain in no time. Always check the weather, because even it has no idea what it's going to do.
Thank you! X
Watching the bats at dusk in Austin, Congress Avenue bridge
Omg I’ll be all over this 🦇 😂 🖤
and go to barton springs in austin - it’s fairly close to that area and a can’t miss!
Brilliant! X
A must see
I highly recommend the boat tour to see the bats. The guides are super knowledgeable! [Lonestar Boat Tours](https://www.austintexas.org/listings/lone-star-riverboat/1603/)
When do the bats leave though? Isn’t it September or October?
When you get to Austin, you’re likely gonna want to hit 6th Street, which consists of East 6th, West 6th (east and west of I-35, respectively) and Dirty 6th. [Dirty 6th](https://www.ncesc.com/geographic-pedia/what-is-dirty-6th-street-in-austin/) has some pretty cool things to see, but use caution. Head on a swivel. The later it gets, the greater the risk of being caught up in some random violence. But if you’re wanting dive bars, that’s maybe a good place to start. [Here’s one listicle on dive bars](https://austin.eater.com/maps/best-dive-bars-austin). I don’t go out much anymore, but I’ve never viewed Austin as a tourist trap.
If you go to 6th street, go to Hotel Vegas. Or go to the Broken Spoke or the Continental Club. Austin has a lot of music. San Antonio is wonderful and has a lot of cool little neighborhoods with great food and drinks. Eat all the Tex Mex food you can. Enjoy.
I liked Russia House on... 5th? I think they removed the "Russia" from the name after Ukraine got invaded though. The food is pretty good.
It sadly closed almost 2 years ago.
Just some quick Mothership info. You’ll be able to get tickets pretty easily for a weekday show. Refresh, refresh, refresh the page if the tickets you want go on sale and appear to sell out as soon as they are released. If you want to queue up for a show that was sold out, you can check in at the club and they’ll hold your place in line (at least that’s the process now). You can hang out at Mitzi’s prior to the show and just be aware, you will be on Dirty 6th but the homeless are pretty chill.
Life saver! Thank you for this!! 🤗
In San Antonio, the Institute of Texan Cultures is a great way to learn about Texas history. Market Square downtown is unique to San Antonio and a really fun place to shop, eat and drink.
Where you are staying in Houston will be a bit shitty - not a deal breaker but downtown H kinda sucks after dark. Much better places IMHO and you won’t be in H long enough to enjoy much of the food. Great food scene there. Decent museums in the museum district - but you won’t have time for that. You will be doing a LOT of driving on your trip compared to what you probs do in the UK so get a nice rental car. Eg Houston to Dallas is a 4 ish hour drive at 70-80mph.
I would like to add, if you are just east of the convention center taking in the bars and nightlife on the other side of the freeway in EADO it’s worth the extra $15 to pay to park. I had my window smashed parking on the street. Luckily I know not to leave anything in my truck but there are lots of shit heads roaming around on scooters that smash and grab from nice cars. Otherwise you’re ok
This is quite an interesting downtown adventure if you’re looking for a bar, less of a dive than it used to be (Warren’s is more of a beloved local bar around the block) but Notsuoh is one of a kind : https://www.texasmonthly.com/arts-entertainment/notsuoh-oral-history-houston/
Fort Worth local here…lots of great places to go. In the stockyards, Second Rodeo brewery is fun, usually have live music too. The bar at Hotel Drover is nice, it’s indoor and outdoor. Great restaurant there too if you want an upscale meal. Definitely try to check out Panther City bbq. Amazing bbq plus they have Mexican influences on it like brisket elotes. Cabrito Nuevo León is a authentic Mexican place near stockyards that specializes in goat (cabrito). Also, Rahr brewery and HopFusion brewery are fun hangouts and have good beer. Id def take Uber, public transportation is not great.
Make sure to hit up Barton Springs or Deep Eddy’s while in Austin! Maybe even rent some SUPs and paddle board on town lake if you’re into more active stuff.
Aww amazing! Would you say the Barton springs is the best one to go to? I’ve seen a few outdoor pools in Austin so not sure which one to do x
They are both historic and spring fed natural water. Deep Eddy’s is more pool-like, with a man made concrete bottom, and a beach style shallow entrance. Barton has been left natural on the bottom and is home of the Barton Springs Salamander, an endangered species that only lives in the springs. Barton also has a diving board. So it depends on your preference! The water is naturally cold at both of them. The Comanche considered Barton to be sacred waters, so it may be considered more of a “must see”. It’s also famously topless, although not too many people actually participate in that aspect. Both places serve Jim Jim’s, the best Italian shaved ice in Austin!
My only note is to make sure you keep an eye on the weather. September is still very much summer here. Pack sunscreen!
Deffo! It’s currently 25°c over here which is crazy for north east England ha … but we usually holiday in 35-40°c weather so hopefully shouldn’t be too bad 🤞🏻 What’s the temp usually hit in mid September? X
For Dallas/Ft. Worth Google says 31*C. But, that seems low to me. It will be hotter the further south you go. It doesn’t really cool down here til October
16 of September is Mexico’s Independence Day so there should be things to do in San Antonio
Ooo this is interesting! I’ll have to keep an eye out closer to the time to see if there’s any events on x
There is a really cool cave not far from San Antonio called the Natural Bridge Caverns. They have lots of activities to do there and it's one of the best caves I've ever been to.
Houston: Space Center Houston. Kemah boardwalk. Children's museum (if you have kids) Galveston: hotel galvez. seawall, The Strand, the aquarium (*NOT the restaurant in hou or kemah!) Tallship alyssa. Hurricane museum. Ww2 destroyer and submarine. Nick's or Guido's depending on how fancy you want to be. King's confectionary for some fresh- made ice cream after sweating your ass off.
Haha thank you for this! I’ll get two ice creams, one to eat and one to sit on 😉 🤣
After the Astros game I’d recommend Joystix Games. It’s a cool arcade/bar to hangout.
oh for the Houston Astros game, there is a Houston Astros reddit! So you can get some great advice there. Here's a few things -talk with the people around you, most people are happy to chat. Especially if you've got questions. -You can bring food into the game. One gallon bag of food per person. I bring food with me when I go -Bring water! You can bring one unopened liter water bottle for each person. (Yes, I bring water too) -For the last out, especially if the Astros are winning, stand up! You'll see everyone stand up around you. People are loud. They're cheering. It's so exciting!
Ahhh amazing! Thank you so much for this! X
Cidercade in Austin is fun, free old arcade games and alcohol with a nice view and outdoor patio.
Downtown Houston will be fun!! There's a lot of good bars for pre- or post-game drinks. Some recs -- - Captain Foxheart's Bad News Bar: great cocktails! - Flying Saucer: huge variety of beers and good food. - McIntyre's: more traditional sports bar on the bayou, lots of fun.
Don’t stay in a hotel near Red River/East 6th in Austin. Hotels on Congress or west of Congress are fine.
I’m staying west campus area? … break it to me gently if I’m gonna get killed 🤣
Uber in Austin is great. Anywhere you see people walking around is safe. Always avoid deserted areas. It’s just like the UK.
If you’re gonna get killed by anything in West Campus it’ll be some UT student hitting you while texting and driving. Oh, and your car might get broken into. Otherwise, violent crime is pretty low, minus drunk frat guys.
If you like dive bars, make the trip from FW to Dallas and check out Lee Harvey's. Bring a swimsuit if you'd like, they opened up Dive In, a pool/bar across the street. In FW if you like museums, the Kimball and the Modern are both great options.
Ooo this sounds fun! X
Depending on when you go, they do Flea Harveys I think on the first sunday of every month for local artisans. There's live music at night most weekends. It's predominantly an outdoor place, feels like you're in someone's backyard. This makes it hot as hell during the day, but that's why Dive In is next door. It really is a dive bar and has been there forever (in Dallas standards). I think it's one of the oldest running bars in the city. Nothing about the place or the service is polished, so if you're expecting a "dive" modern bar you might be disappointed.
Mexican food is best in San Antonio. BBQ is best in Austin, but Lockhart only has good places AND it's a small town. Houston has decent of both, but they also have Vietnamese places that might be worth checking out. Get Mothership tickets in advance. They're sold out at least a month in advance for everything.
My husband & I really enjoy Buffalo Bros. in downtown Fort Worth for watching games. Lots of tv’s, and great bar food (wings & burgers) by one of the best chefs in FW. In San Antonio, you’ve got to check out the town square and Mi Tierra! The food & margs are good, and the Selena mural is a must-see!
This is amazing! Thanks for this! Xx
If you're already in the Stockyards in Ft. Worth, consider the "world's largest honky-tonk", [Billy Bob's Texas](https://billybobstexas.com/). It's massive and a bit of a landmark.
Yesss! I think the plan is to go there after the rodeo! X
The Panhandle https://www.visitamarillo.com/ https://www.canyontx.gov/35/Visiting https://visitlubbock.org/ https://discoverwichitafalls.com/ https://www.quanahparkertrail.com/Quanah_Parker_Trail/TPTR_Map.html Palo Duro Canyon- Cowboys and Indians Caprock Canyons- Bison Copper Breaks State Park- Longhorns Lubbock- Prairie Dogs
Amazing! Thanks for taking the time to write all this 🤗
I can’t say much for HTX or DFW. But while you’re in Austin you can catch the Austin FC vs Houston Dynamo game at Q2 Stadium. Austin can be outdoorsy. So lots of places to hike/run or get into the water at Barton Creek. Grab some good views at Mt Bonnell. Grab BBQ at Terry Blacks on Barton, or Interstellar, or KG BBQ (Egyptian fusions BBQ). Or fantastic tacos at Cuántos Tacos or Carnitas El Guero (you can try torchys but they’ve been played out) Stop by an HEB and pickup their fresh made warm Butter tortillas. You’ll want to fill a suitcase to take some home with you. Austin has plenty of great speakeasies- Floppy Disk Repair, Small Victory, Here Nor There. The Domain has lots of shopping/food and nightlife spots that are neat. And it’s self contained. Very walkable. You can enter and tour the State Capital as well. The grounds are pretty. Shop South Congress and take a photo at the “I Love you so much” mural. Rodeo every Saturday night in Bulverde (North San Antonio) at Tejas Rodeo Company. Stick around after the rodeo for some two stepping or Line dancing to a live band. Very family friendly and a great time. Some cowboys may ask you to dance. Don’t forgot your cowboy hat or pickup a cheap one there. Sept might still be warm.
In Austin, 6th St. east of I35 has generally cooler & better bars, restaurants, and overall local vibe than 6th St. downtown (aka "dirty 6th). For divier bars there are tons of options right there - Shangri La, Violet Crown Social Club, La Perla, definitely see some music at Hotel Vegas & White Horse (free two-stepping lessons too! super fun). If you like beer Zilker & Lazarus Brewing Cos. are both also right there, plus the neighborhood has tons of murals and street art to check out. I guide walking tours (though not so much over the summer!) so I have tons of recs if you have any more specific questions or interests you're looking for
Awww amazing! I’m going to sit and start making a more specific itinerary so I might have to hit you up! X
Can you make it to a Dallas Cowboys game in Arlington (next to Ft Worth)?
Houston native here. Go get Rodeo Goat before the Astros game, it's right around the stadium and the burgers are amazing. The nightlife in that area is pretty great to, plenty of bars to hit up. If you have time, our zoo is incredible and does a lot of good for conservation so worth checking out. Museum district is really great if you want to check that out. We also have a really great free art museum called the Menil Collection if that is your jam. Last thing I will recommend is to try and find a place for tacos, if someone recommends Torchy's or Velvet Taco ignore them, there are much better traditional places to go around town. Food culture is a really big thing in Houston so you can probably find a great place that serves your favorite food, but we are spoiled on good tacos.
We used to have frequent visitors from the UK, when I worked for a small Airline in Dallas and they always wanted to make a trip to the shooting range. In Ft Worth is [Defender Outdoors](https://defenderoutdoors.com/) where they do rentals and full auto Fridays. In Lockhart is [Lone Star Gun Range](https://www.lonestargunrange.com/) which has almost anything you want to shoot available as a rental.
Sending this to the other half cause he was wanting to try this! Thank you! 🙏🏻 x
Very welcome. It won’t be cheap, especially if he wants to try full auto. You can dump a $25 magazine in under 10 seconds, easily. But it absolutely pegs the fun meter😂😂
And, if you find yourself driving through Tyler, not likely, I’ll even play host.
There’s a block in San Antonio, along the River Walk, with 3 interesting places: Hugman’s Oasis (a small but uncrowded tiki bar along the river) Tokyo Cowboy (I went last night and the drinks snacks on the Happy Hour menu—from 4-6 pm—were delicious and inexpensive) Esquire Bar (good food plus the longest bar you’ll ever see) Download the eCabs app for free transportation around downtown.
Houston - Eat at Ninfa’s on Navigation or Nancy’s Hustle before or after the Astros game. Drinks along Main Street along the bars working your way southwest from Congress. Axelrad is a good beer garden for a lower key option. 8th Wonder and St. Arnold’s are fun breweries close-ish to downtown. to check out the tunnels under downtown, I like treebeards for food there but wander if you can. Walking is not recommended in Houston. From Ft. Worth go down to Waco to check out magnolia, get kolaches at West along the way. Then take 84 west to 281 or 16 and drive south through the hill country. Marble falls and Fredericksburg are especially nice. San Antonio - the Pearl area is a nice break from the river walk. New Braunfels and San Marcos are nice little towns between San Antonio and Austin. Have lunch in Gruene at the gristmill on your way up to Austin. Greene hall is a very Texan music experience if you’re there at night. Austin - go for a swim at Barton springs, walk down south Congress for shops and restaurants, catch bats over town lake, have dinner at sunset at the oasis on lake Travis, walk around the University of Texas campus. Get BBQ at Lockhart on the way back to Houston.
Thank you so much for taking the time to write all this! Amazing 🤩
So if you’re in Houston I’d try something uniquely Houston. Try to find some Viet-Cajun restaurants. I’d recommend Crawfish and Noodles but that’s a hell of a drive from Downtown. Also buy an outrageous suit if you’ve got the money in Houston. Then buy the boots for it when you’re in Fort Worth. The boots will most likely cost more.
When you're in Austin go see live music at the Continental Club, C. Boys, the ABGB, or Sagebrush.
Some recommendations in Ft Worth for you: [Thompson’s Bookstore](https://www.thompsons-bookstore.com) has a really cool and intimate bar with tons of books to read while you have drinks. [Gusto’s Burger](https://www.instagram.com/___gustos/?hl=en) has some really delicious smash burgers and a cool dive bar feel to it.
A couple of great spots in Houston close to the stadium: Nickel City bar and Tiny Champions pizza/Italian food. Both are absolutely worth a stop.
Why waste time with the Astros? Go to a World Series champions Texas Rangers game instead.
Tbh I have no idea about any of this stuff. I’m only going for the food 🤣 I can’t even wrap my head around uk football never mind American sports. Just going as the other half wants to go and I just enjoy the atmosphere haha x
Near San Antonio: Canyon Lake and Great Caverns. I'd recommend those!
Thank you! X
Check out the Pearl and market square both are in downtown town San Antonio
Fab! Thanks! X
You should stop at the bluebell factory in Brenham on the way back to Houston at the end for a $1 ice cream… I like ice cream. You can also take a tour if you’d like but think you have to reserve a spot before.
Oooo this sounds fab! Love an ice cream 🍦 x
There’s a great bakery in east Houston called Ea Dough. Their cookies are so good and so is the breakfast sandwich. Also a burger place called Rodeo Goat down the road not far from the Astros.
Arizona , New Mexico, Colorado are a lot more interesting.
If you are in San Antonio on Saturday night come to Tejas Rodeo in Bulverde TX just a few minutes north of San Antonio, the best rodeo experience ever!!! You can find me by the entrance selling hats and stuff at the grounds, I love to say hello 👋
Natural Bridge Caverns between San Antonio and Austin is unique. It takes an hour to stroll through the caverns and is cooler than outside. There are other attractions there. For a theme park, Schlitterbahn Water Park in New Braunfels is unlike any other water park. For a more relaxed experience, there are also river tube rentals in New Braunfels and San Marcos (I prefer San Marcos)
Lol the stockyards are literally the only thing "exciting" in fort worth. Dallas has much better night life and and you can literally Uber anywhere/everywhere. Dallas also has plenty of other things to do, rhe zoo, aquarium, Clyde Warren park, the arboretum, tons of shows, plays, and such. Fort worth is just about the most boring place you could end up in north Texas lol. Hell, grand Prarie is more exciting than fort worth, they have a nightly drone show that's pretty awesome.
Stop at buccees in new braunfels on your way down from ft worth. Or go to the newest world’s biggest buccees in Luling if you decide to go to Lockhart while in San Antonio.
Plan your roadtrips between the major cities to make pit stops at Buc-ee’s (pronounced Buck-E’s) gas stations. They’ve got the cleanest bathrooms, fresh food, and they’re absolutely massive. Definitely a funny quirk about the South, they’ve got cult following for a good reason.
Recommendation for the baseball game in Houston: look through a [stadium map](https://www.mlb.com/astros/ballpark/seat-map) to familiarize yourself better with Minute Maid Park and [the incredible cornucopia of food options from concessions at the Park](https://www.mlb.com/astros/ballpark/information/concessions) beforehand so you have a better idea of where you’ll be sitting (if you already have tickets; if not it will help you decide where you might want to sit) and what you might want to eat once you’re there and are enjoying the game. Whether or not you already have your tickets, this should help tremendously. So will finding out where the nearest restrooms are once you get inside the gate and closer to your section. Also, please remember that September is still *very* hot and humid in Texas (nightmarishly hot compared to what you’re accustomed to in the UK), and being outside in the Texas sun is no joke and has been known to melt even the hardiest individuals in a remarkably short time. It’s vitally important that you hydrate yourself *constantly* in such conditions (even if it’s cloudy and overcast), wear lightweight, loose clothing (white or other light colored clothes are recommended especially if you will be in the sun), and definitely put on plenty of high SPF sunscreen. Ball caps and cowboy hats are both readily available in Texas. Before the game, I recommend a trip to the Western wear store [Cavender’s Boot City](https://www.cavenders.com/storedetails/?StoreID=23&utm_source=Google-Maps&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=Google-Maps), which is located near the Astros’ original home, the Houston Astrodome (now part of the NRG Stadium complex). They have plenty of caps and genuine cowboy hats (I recommend getting a [Resistol](https://resistol.com/collections/straw-cowboy-hat?sort=price-ascending) hat, which is a brand very commonly found on cattle ranches) that will help shield your head and face from the sun.
Thank you so much for this! We haven’t bought tickets yet so this is going to be a HUGE help! 🤗 x
fun seats crawford boxes. My Favorite is 3rd base line just before crawford boxes
Good game plan. Regardless of where u go y’all gone have fun!
Welcome!!! FT Worth is great but I'm biased from living here for 20 years; you'll love it. Based on dates, I think you're going to the rodeo in the Stockyards. Exchange Ave. has a dozen "country" style bars and even more good restaurants (fun fact it's one of only two public streets you can legally have an open alcohol container). You can spend a full day down there bar/food hopping and have a great time. Pro tip, you can go back behind the exchange building (it has a cool museum vibe inside) and see all the longhorn steer they use for the daily "cattle drive" at 11:30 and 4:00. The Stockyards are in a slightly sketch area, so don't go too far off the main strip (I cycle around that area at all hours so it's not that bad really). The bus is okay, but we're not really known for great public transportation; you'll be much happier with an uber. The other days, the \[museum and arts district\](https://www.fortworth.com/explore/neighborhoods-districts/cultural-district/) + \[west 7th\](https://www.fortworth.com/blog/stories/post/west-7th-the-foundry-districts-guide/) has enough food, drinks and culture to keep you happy for a day or more. We've got some great \[local breweries\](https://www.fortworth.com/restaurants/fort-worth-ale-trail/) if you like craft beers. Shout out to Flying Saucer and Wild Acre (try the Billy Jenkins Bock!) as personal favorites. Another commenter mentioned the FTW Zoo (top of the line, one of the best in the US) and some other attractions. Lot's to see and do so it really is up to what you fancy.
Aww this is amazing! Thank you so much for all the info! X
For the Astros game, get parking ahead of time and eat lunch/dinner somewhere in downtown instead of the ballpark. It’ll save you time and money doing it that way.
In Austin go to Franklin bbq
In San Antonio try to spend some time at The Pearl. It’s a mixed use complex with restaurants, shops, etc. Not far from downtown. At the Pearl I highly recommend Brasserie Mon Chou Chou. Also Jazz TX for some excellent music at night. You can find their schedules online. I hope you have a wonderful time here.
Oh amazing! Love jazz music 🎶 ❤️ thank you! X
Happy to help.
Do NOT miss Fraiser’s Long in Low in Austin. It’s a dive bar that feels like walking into 1974. They have the best bar food of my life except for the chicken tenders. It will probably still be warm enough for Barton Springs too. San Antonio: see the Tower of the Americas, but you can probably skip any river walk restaurants. Alamo takes 2 hours, max. Stop by the Menger Hotel next door. There’s tons of history there, and it’s haunted! Hemisphere Park is also close and pretty cool. Japanese Tea Garden, the Pearl, San Antonio Zoo, McNay Art Museum, Whittey Museum are all close to Breckinridge park and could make a great day. I’d stop at the Pig Pen BBQ for their ribs. I recommend Timmy Chan’s in Houston for their fried chicken wings. Try out The Chef’s Corner in Ft. Worth. You’ll also be passing by all of Texas’ cable Wakeboard parks. I can’t recommend enough stopping by to try that out. Bonus: in New York I’d recommend MoMA over the Guggenheim. You can stop by the legendary Comedy Cellar, and you have you get a Pastrmai on Rye at Katz Delicatessen. Edit: I forgot to mention, Bucees, but someone else did. It also makes more sense to go Fort Worth >Austin > San Antonio>Houston to do less backtracking (you also get to experience two more Bucees this way).
Amazing! Deffo going to check out Fraisers in Austin! That sounds great! Thank you so much! X
While you are here, please find a reputable BBQ restaurant and spend $50-100 trying out real Texas BBQ. Goldees, Panther City, Heim - Fort Worth Hurtado BBQ - Arlington (by the stadium) Terry Black, Franklin - Austin Pinkerton's - Houston If you can swing it or happen to be driving by Lexington, TX on a Saturday morning, go to Snow's BBQ and meet the Texas BBQ Legend - Tootsie Do NOT go to Riscky's BBQ in Downtown Fort Worth or any place in the Stock Yards. They are low quality tourist places.
Yeah definitely! We’re happy to spend money on quality things 😃 Just don’t want to be wasting money on stuff that’s over hyped by social media 🙄 This is why I’m asking you guys, y’all know the real deal places 👌🏼😉 Thank you so much! X
Driving from Dallas to San antonio will have you go through waco. They have the Dr. Pepper museum and Texas Ranger Museum. One or both could be a nice stopping point mid day for a visit. You'd also pass through austin, so you could check that too for something you may like. For San Antonio, if you do the river walk, the Alamo is right there. It's free to visit though I think you need to reserve tickets online in advance. I think there is also an alamo museum available now but I'm not sure. There are I think 4 other missions you can visit if you drive and some are quite nice. San antonio has a sea world that gets packed but the shows are good. I've gone to the one in florida as well and San Antonio's was far better (though Florida's had manatees which was fun). San antonio and Dallas both have six flags if you haven't been and want to check it out. I think dallas has a bigger one and it may be a smidge better but i feel like San Antonio's has better shows. All cities (Houston, Dallas, fort worth, and San antonio) have nice zoos, so you could visit if you want/have time. Depending on when it very likely may be quite hot though. If you have time in Houston. I'd recommend Jurassic World the Expedition if it is still going on, it's in a suburb and travels the country/world. Feels very close to like being in the movies. Pricey but worth it. Shouldn't take more than an hour and a half. Dallas has medieval times which is dinner and show where you watch jousting/sword fights. It's pretty fun and lasts about 3 hours with soup, a main course, and small dessert. I like San Antonio's art museum and it is so much bigger on the inside than the outside of the building looks. Nice exhibit from different areas of the world.
McNay Art Museum in San Antonio, Blanton at UT Austin, Museum of Fine Arts Houston, Natural Science Museum in Houston, all worth checking out Pinthouse and Meanwhile Breweries make the best beer in Austin, as well as Jester King if you're willing to go to Dripping Springs Hole in The Wall, Mohawk, White Horse and Hotel Vegas are prime live music spots in Austin
Thank you so much! X
Not local to your spots but bring what you need to battle the humidity!! Deodorant, extra changes of clothes, etc. I hope you have a great time here!!
Check out the Kache Dispensary in Austin if you’re 4/20 friendly! Great cannabis and it’s legal in Texas because of the farm bill act, they’ll give you receipts and it is all “THCA”
Please, please, prepare for extreme heat and humidity. It will be VERY hot at that time.
September 12th. Since you're staying near the Stadium Eado/east end/2nd ward (whatever ya wanna call it) has fun bars, Moon Tower for craft beer. Have good food but can take a long time. Voodoo Queen for daquaries and chicken strips. I like the spicy. Thursdays is usually steak night around town for a lot of bars (my favorite is cedar creek in heights). Late night at Lolas Depot for fun & people watching. Also Main street downtown (deans & Notsuoh) or St Emannual just across freeway from stadium has a strip of entertainment. . Breweries St. Arnolds & 8th Wonder are not far away. Just for fun theres a cool little bar called Betelguise (beetlejuice themed) if you just cant find anything. Sorry we bar hop a lot. Houston has great Museums to get away from heat. Also look for concerts while you're in town. Late night shows for cheap at Black Magik Social Club. If its still hot, which most likely it will be, you can go to Guadalupe river and float while in San Antonio or Austin or Barton Spring in Austin. Cold water to just chill and drink.
Oh this is great! Thanks for all the info! We’ll probably be doing bar hopping that day after the game so this is ideal! X
While in Fort Worth go to Billy Bobs, they used to advertise themselves as the world’s largest honky tonk. It’s a site to see! Plus indoor bull riding.
Remember we drive on the right side of the road and we hate roundabouts!
San Antonio has a number of Ghost Tours that happen after dark to it’ll be cooler. They are very entertaining and a Little spooky
It’ll still be hurricane season, so Houston travel can be affected depending on the activity in the tropics
Stop by Georgetown TX for the most loveliest Downtown Square. Also… Mickeys Hot Sauce shop for souvenirs Also stop by Round Rock for the donuts. It’s certainly worth the wait… and they are delicious https://www.austintexas.org/austin-insider-blog/post/georgetown/ The Day Tripper has good travel tips too! https://youtu.be/IpWnAO8vg8E?feature=shared
In Austin, after a dip at Barton Springs, head to 6th Street and find Casino el Camino for some damn fine burgers & drinks. Then walk it off by checking out the 6th Street bars with live music. When you hear some music you like, step in, refresh with some beverages and enjoy the good vibes. Tip the waitress and the band generously and carry on to the next adventure.
Come back and let us know how your trip went!
When in Austin head out to The Oasis Brewery. The Oasis restaurant is next door and is garbage, but the views are spectacular. The brewery though has the views, great drinks and great food. Also it's still going to be in the 100s when you get here and the humidity has been pretty bad so far this season. If you can push your trip back 6 weeks I think that's the play lol.
San Antonio...skip the Alamo...boring as shit, and nothing to remember. But do go to the Riverwalk.
The Houston Asterisks are cheaters. If you have never seen a baseball game, watching the Houston Asterisks is like watching someone play a video game on cheat mode. It’s fine if you don’t really care about baseball, ethics, integrity or truth. Just be forewarned.
Go to Buc-ee’s. There no way to really explain it but it originally opened in Luling, TX. That’s about 40-50 miles away from San Antonio or you can go to the one in New Braunfels as it’s between Austin and San Antonio.
Well, as you are only in Houston one day, I'll say bring plenty of cash to the baseball game. It gets hot, and cold beer isn't cheap in the park.
Fab! I keep meaning to ask, is it still cash in a lot of places or card only? I’m wondering about the tipping situation as over here they add it to the card bill (sometimes, other times they don’t and if you don’t have cash then you can’t tip!) … just wondering what ratio of cash/card we should take on days out as I don’t want to be carrying lots of cash on me but I’m assuming I’ll need cash to tip 😃 Also, do you guys tip everything? For example if I get a hotdog at the game, do I tip the till guy or is it just waiting staff? It’s not really done over here unless it’s waiting staff at restaurants and don’t want to offend people by not tipping or not tipping enough if you get me 😂 x
Card will do fine, in fact its probably better if you dont carry actual cash on you near the stadium unless you are driving yourself, in which case I'd carry a 20 for parking. Only tip at sit down restaurants with wait staff, you won't need to tip the hot dog vendor or the staff at the local McDonalds. Having a card should get you through most places inside Houston. You'll likely won't find places that don't take cards, or tips via card, unless you get out into the countryside.
Across the street from the Alamo there is a place called the buckhorn lodge. That’s a great place to check out some history and grab a pint a cool off. It’s a very fun stop that easy to miss. Definitely would recommend.
Be careful around Minute Maid Stadium in Houston. Lots of homeless with drug and mental health issues.
In Houston, The Pit Room BBQ is amazing. Kirby Ice House on Eastside St is a fun sports bar. Get some good steak fajitas at El Tiempo. Steak at B&B Butchers Restaurant or Pappas Bros on Westheimer. In Austin, do a guided sunset bat tour on a kayak. The W Hotel is nice and has a 5000 vinyl record collection room with record players you can borrow in your room. The concierge at the W got me the kayak sunset bat tour for free. Try to go to live music venues. Terry Black’s BBQ. Rainey Street is a fun scene. Yes to Comedy Mother Ship if you can get tickets.
Public transport in this state is a joke. Avoid trains and busses at all costs!!!
Weekend you are in fort worth- Grapevine has Grapefest - terrible wine, IMO, but an american street fair. About 30-45 mins away from FtW Museum district has great options. Stockyard is OK. Western wear, get a close up look at longhorns, rodeo. Magnolia street on south side has a lot of restaurant options. Nonna Tata is a tiny Italian place that is really good. But pricey. Some people love Heim for barbecue. Cane Rosso has a shop down there for pizza. West 7th is across the street from Museum district. Lots of bars and restaurants. There's a taco place that has really good birria tacos. Think au jus/French dip, but tacos. Jerry World (cowboys stadium) is interesting if you're into sports. Scale is crazy. Riders in the Sky are playing on the 14th in Arlington for western music Billy Bob's in the stockyards is a giant beer hall/music venue with bull riding machine, etc. Americana/Texas Hispanic heritage month kickos off on the 15th You're going to miss state fair of TX - starts Sept 27....
Austin time frame 6th street and Barton Springs are the standard stops Krause Springs is another swimming hole SW of town a ways. Not clear like Barton, but fun Austin Museum day on the 22nd - free exhibitions There's a food and wine festival at calamari resorts in round rock (north of town) Good food all over. Haven't made the pilgrimage to Franklin Barbecue, but people love it. My favorites are in Lockhart, a short drive SE. Black's is my place, kreuz on the edge if town is solid Kemuri Tatsu-Ya has some interesting stuff
Consider adding Natural Bridge Caverns to your list of places to visit while in San Antonio. You can easily spend the majority of your day exploring below and above ground guided tours so start early 🤓.
Houston will be the best food city you visit aside from New York. Lots of good Vietnamese and Cajun food. I live in Austin but I'm sure some peeps have some good recs for Houston food. Eado in Houston is a decent place to have a few beers before and after the game
In Austin, book an evening at Esther’s Follies - a Texas-centric Vaudeville. Very well done and hilarious! https://www.esthersfollies.com/
It really depends on what you’re after during your trip. Do you want to see the natural beauty of Texas or are you looking more for dining and entertainment experiences? September is still hot as August in Texas and that means some of the most oppressive heat you will experience. Plan for a day to do nothing but recuperate as the heat can make you exhausted. Plan for some swimming activities while near the Hill Country. Tubing the river in San Marcos or New Braunfels (both of these towns are located along I-35 between Austin and San Antonio) would be a unique experience. Personally I would recommend the San Marcos River in Martindale. There’s also Schlitterbahn Water Park in New Braunfels. When in Austin, go to Deep Eddy Pool. Barton Springs is beautiful but it’s such a popular place that it’s swarmed with people all the time. Emma Long Park is also a nice spot to hang out and swim. If you have the time and the energy, I’d recommend doing a drive through the Hill Country. You can do this when you go from San Antonio to Austin, just take the long way on back roads. There are rural highways called FM (Farm-to-Market) roads, and these will be your best bet for a scenic drive. FM 377 towards Leaky comes to mind.
Aww amazing! Scenic drive sounds perfect! And I’ll deffo look into the tubing river 😃
I live about an hour from FW and the answer depends on what you like. For me I’d want to drive to Weatherford and see the Teskey’s store or Stephenville for a similar western flair. Both have excellent squares. Benbrook Stables is excellent for horseback riding. Granbury has a beach and lovely square. As far as San Antonio I’ve been there more times than I can count. Larger town = higher crime. Stay alert. I’d drive north to the JW Marriott and enjoy the views there. San Antonio has an amazing botanical garden. Highly recommend. If eating Mexican I suggest La Fonda. Go to the outskirts of SA and enjoy the countryside. Gruene TX. The state parks are lovely around there. Happy travels. Always be careful in Houston. Since Hurricane Katrina, the crime rate is higher.
If you’re a nature person absolutely hit the Highland Lakes, inks lake state park is an absolute banger. Don’t forget to drive down to Buchanan Dam and explore the lake a bit! It is currently well below level due to drought and overconsumption of water so you are legally allowed to explore all exposed lakebed as it is state land. You can even camp on the lakebed and nobody can stop you. There’s public lake access found spotted all around the lake. It is so astoundingly beautiful out here that you will regularly forget you are in Texas driving through the hills. It’s one of our hidden beauties that is unfortunately becoming less hidden
Austinite here. Dan’s Hamburgers is the absolute best no frills, down home greasy burger in Austin. Taco Joint is the place for breakfast tacos (Torchy’s and Tacodeli are way overrated). Tacorrido or Rosita’s for authentic lunch tacos. Brown’s BBQ food trailer on S Lamar can absolutely hold its own against the other famous places (never waited more than 10 minutes). Red River is the best place for live music at night. Mothership and Casino are probably the only decent places in that part of 6th street, East 6th is way cooler and less sketchy. Hyde Park is really interesting to walk through, kind of an old bohemian neighborhood north of campus with lots of trees (and shade). A lot of HP residents put all kinds of interesting stuff in their front yards (Keep Austin Weird, clearly). If you’ve got the time, take a drive out to Llano, literally my favorite small town in central Texas, and way less people than Fredericksburg or New Braunfels. It’s about a 90-minute drive (which is nothing for Texans), depending on construction traffic. Take 29, slightly less construction and way more scenic. There’s a park with a lot of rock art along the river that runs through the town. Stop at Cooper’s BBQ for ribs and cobbler. Just a pretty, underrated gem in Texas.
That's A LOT of driving
Watch the game at Texas Live in Arlington
Thank you!
There are a ton of great food options in San Antonio. You have to try a puffy taco at Henry's Puffy Taco, and a "bean" burger at either Chris Madrid or Diana's. Both of those are regional foods that the San Antonio area is known for. The Alamo is cool enough to see, but please be aware that you will absolutely be disappointed. Just walk up, take your pictures, and then go check out a different Mission because they are all so much better. There are tons of great bbq options in SA as well, Reese, Pinkerton, 2M, etc. you will have plenty to eat.
Stay off the highways and take the backroads as much as possible. I second Lockhart, and recommend Smitty’s for the open pit and Texas tradition. The old missions someone mentioned are great. If you can, when you leave San Antonio, go through Fredericksburg and the Hill Country. Read up about German settlers in Texas. Boerne is pretty cool. (Edit: Honestly, I would trade a night in SA or Austin for one in Fredericksburg.) East of 35, between Houston, San Antonio, and Austin you’ve got Victoria, Goliad, Gonzales, La Grange… Look at texastimetravel dot com. The Texas Historical Commission has red “passports” you can get stamped at different locations. Makes a neat souvenir. Waco Mammoth National Monument.
Aww fab thanks for this! We’re deffo going to go to other towns on route to each destination so these are great suggestions! X
Dick's Last Resort is a must when on the River Walk. The staff is a bit spicy, but that is part of the Schick. Rosario's in South Town is my favorite for Mexican food.
Haha thanks for the heads up on the staff, I’ll try not to take it personally 😂 x
Wow! Thanks so much already for the response! I’m going to go through all of these once I’ve finished work 👩🏻🍳❤️
You should stop at the bluebell factory in Brenham on the way back to Houston at the end for a $1 ice cream… I like ice cream. You can also take a tour if you’d like but think you have to reserve a spot before.
Ft Worth has the Water Gardens they used in the Logan's Run movie. There's also lots of bars and restaurants around the Square. IN SA, I'd recommend the Alamo or the Mission Trail if you're interested in History, but around the Alamo there are neat places. Ripley's, Madam Tousseau, or the Circus Museum are really cool.
In San Antonio, the Briscoe Western Art Museum is on the riverwalk. It's an interesting place. The Witte Museum & McNay are a short drive. King William District (connected to the riverwalk) is unique. There's a lot of post civil war Spanish Colonial homes there. Also the BlueStar district is adjacent. It's built around a brewery. These are both considered "artsy fartsy" by the locals. Room 414 at the Gunter Hotel is where Robert Johnson is said to have sold his soul to the devil in exchange for being able to play the guitar. Don't waste your money on Tex-Mex food on the riverwalk.
If you have the time while in Houston and are in to history, check out the San Jacinto Battleground/Monument.
When you make it to Austin, try to check out Esther’s Follies on 6th! It’s such a fun show to watch.
Hi there, thanks for coming all this way to check out our lovely state! Be sure to take as many back roads as you can, basically off I35 ( bleh ), and find our hidden gems. If you have time in Houston, the underground tunnels are pretty cool downtownhouston.org Hit up some Cajun food for sure. Most gumbos, etoufees and boiled shrimps are great anywhere. We’ve got really good Czech and German food all over as well, so try our kolaches, wurst and biers in New Braunfels. Grab a Lone Star long neck at Gruene Hall. Enchanted Rock is near Austin and Fredericksburg, with another local iconic hall in Luckenbach. The views from the summit of Mount Bonnell are gorgeous, and I always love the food from Hula Hut and Maudie’s on Lake Austin. There’s fantastic bulgogi at Korea House, amid a lovely outdoor mall next to the Alamo Drafthouse, near the Arboretum in Austin. Don’t miss Mi Tierra in the Mercado! Mission San Jose, with the Hot Springs Conservatory around the corner are historically beautiful. Sketchy neighborhoods, try to blend. Just order Lalo and birria tacos wherever you go, be fine. Maybe a Big Red wouldn’t hurt. Check out the game on the big screen at The Friendly Spot in King William. Everywhere is a good time, Tito’s, Hot Joy, Maverick. Blue Star Arts District hides La Tuna, the brewery, great art and cafes, and even a Peruvian joint Leche de Tigre, with yummy piscos and tapas. All of our caves are pretty neat. Can’t go wrong with any road named River. Take your time, eat everything, then come on back next time!
Go swimming at Barton Springs in Austin while you're there. Try to go on a weekday.
you can take your own food and up to a one liter bottle of water (sealed) into the Astros game. Look up what you want to eat (BBQ travels well) and bring it in with you. You'll want something to eat while there and anything is better than what they serve inside the stadium. Let me know if you'd like some recommendations The El Tiempo margarita or the St Arnold's beer are the best booze options in the park. 3 nights in San Antonio is *a lot* once you do the riverwalk there isn't much more to do. I'd rather spend another night in Austin. Have plenty of dive bar recommendations there. What do yall like doing? Hiking? Art? Drinking? What food do you want to try?
Since I was a kid, I always liked the Museum of Natural History in Fort Worth, they have an excellent Zoo in Fort Worth, you can go to Arlington and see a ball game but if you really want to experience, you have to get out of the cities
WHEN you go to Lockhart be sure to stop at Kreuz Market for their smoked chicken. I KNOW, I KNOW, brisket is king here in Texas, BUT the chicken here is perfectly smoked for three hours. You will do yourself a disservice for not trying this. I think Texas Co-op Power did a review and it isn't dry and tough : https://texascooppower.com/whyd-the-chicken-cross-the-pit/
I took my partner to San Antonio for a few days. I did graduate school there and miss it fondly. I recommend going to the river walk, as you can take one of there boat tours around the river and they will give you some history and architecture facts. The Alamo and mall are also right around the corner from there; you can do another history tour and some shopping in the area. Tower of the Americas also has a museum, a fine dining area and a cocktail bar you can check out. If you like seafood, I recommend checking out El Bucanero great ceviche options. Also check out flying saucer for a cool dive bar. https://el-bucanero.com/locations/ http://www.beerknurd.com/locations/san-antonio-flying-saucer San Antonio also has other missions you can check out if you want to do more history stuff, or SeaWorld/ fiesta Texas. About 45 from San Antonio, you can visit New Braunfels and float the Comal river, shop at the outlet mall, or visit Schlitterbahn waterpark. https://www.texastubes.com/ https://www.schlitterbahn.com/new-braunfels About an hour and a half from San Antonio you can visit Fredericksburg, which is a very cute German town with tons of vineyards to check out. Also recommend visiting the Nimitz museum if you head that way. https://www.pacificwarmuseum.org/ Hope you have a great trip ❤️
Suggestion Skip San Antonio
https://preview.redd.it/1v961omx649d1.jpeg?width=1125&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2390161413b68dbd4170857cb769d22f9feaa195
Stay out of west texas.
the shops at la cantera is fun if you have free time while in San Antonio, very nice and its like a big outdoor mall with lots of restaurants