7 Exciting Places Worth Visiting in the “Big” State of Texas

For over a century the saying “everything is bigger in Texas” has been a common way to describe the state and its people. While Alaska covers more miles and California has more people, there has always been something audacious about Texas that attracts other Americans and people from around the world. Over the past decade, the state’s population rose by more than four million due to a strong business climate, an increasingly diverse culture, and a vibrant atmosphere for young people in its leading cities.

The Traveling American recently returned to Texas and visited some unique sites including the popular destinations of Dallas, Fort Worth, Austin, Galveston, and San Antonio. Here are seven interesting and big places for couples or families to visit in Texas:

Fort Worth Stockyards – Fort Worth, Texas

Fort Worth has quietly emerged in the 21st century as a prominent and modern Texas city with close to a million residents and a separate identity from the neighboring communities of Dallas and Arlington. It started out as a rough cowboy town located at a key juncture on the Chisolm Trail which was used for transporting herds of longhorn cattle from South Texas to the railheads in central Kansas. During the 19th century ranchers and drovers escorted an estimated four million cattle through Fort Worth.

Over the years, the stockyards in the north part of the city expanded to include slaughterhouses for cattle, sheep and hogs, meatpacking plants, livestock trading, and rodeos. Nevertheless, by the 1970s, the means of transporting cattle had changed to rail cars and trucking, so the operation was no longer economically viable. Faced with the question of what to do with this industrial area, the city made the surprising decision to preserve the cobblestone streets, livestock pens and classic buildings as a national historic district and develop it for entertainment and tourism use.

Today, the Fort Worth Stockyards are a unique Americana attraction that draws ten million visitors per year. It blends the cowboy culture, local history, and entertainment activities into an experience that adults and couples can enjoy while providing neat things for kids to do too. Some of the major attractions at the Stockyards are:

A cattle parade of several dozen majestic longhorns and their cowboy escorts down the main street twice a day.
Western experiences such as group trail rides around the compound on horseback, trips by stagecoach or wagon train, or mechanical bull riding for kids.
Staged encounters between outlaws and lawmen in the street
Full rodeos in the Cowtown Coliseum with bull riding and cattle roping and a Wild West Show
Live music presenting country acts and southern rock bands on the outdoor Rodeo Stage
Plenty of restaurants and snack shops offering food and drink ranging from barbecue and steak to burgers and treats
Stores with boots, clothes, souvenirs, western garb, and cowboy accessories
Clubs like Billy Bob’s Texas and the White Elephant Saloon with nighttime entertainment and honky tonk favorites.

The Fort Worth Stockyards are planning to add more interactive experiences for guests, more special events, and more stores to the venue in the coming year.

Read more about the things to do at the Fort Worth Stockyards, how to enjoy your experience there, and see more pictures.

Austin, Texas

Austin, Texas always appears on lists of the “best cities” in the United States for business, quality of life, and entertainment. There is a lot to see and do in this region of 2.1 million people which makes it a popular destination for a business or pleasure trip. Many attractions and activities are located around the center city. Although a technologically sophisticated city, Austin has a casual vibe and a focus on supporting local business and culture captured by the slogan “Keep Austin Weird.”

Here are four special experiences to pursue on a trip to Austin.

Learn about Texas – Texas has an amazing history which is not well understood. A frontier backwater with an estimated population of only about 50,000 when the Republic of Texas was established in 1836, the state is bigger in stature today with a population of thirty million and the tenth largest economy in the world. Two ways to learn about Texas and the people which shaped its development are to visit the Bullock State History Museum and the Texas Capital Building. The films, galleries and exhibits at the History Museum show how the landscape of the region was shaped by the Native American tribes, explorers and settlers from Mexico and the United State. It also explores the effects which important events such as the Texas Revolution, the Civil War, industrialization, and oil exploration had on the culture and urbanization of the state. Visitors should also not miss the 218-foot-tall rotunda and dome of the majestic State Capital which displays the flags of the six different countries which have flown over Texas. The chambers of the state’s two legislatures and the historic paintings of the building also convey the grandeur of the state and its traditions.

Shop and Eat - Austin has a focus on local stores and small business which is reflected in the popular shopping areas of South Congress Street known as SoCo, the West 6th Street District, and the Second Street District. The SoCo area located just south of downtown and Lady Brid Lake features western clothing, artistic works from the area and eclectic merchandise. There are also restaurants, clubs and ice cream parlors which keep the area hopping on nights and weekends. As for food in general, Austin has emerged as the surprising culinary capital of the southwest. There are plenty of steak and barbecue establishments, but the food scene features a wide variety or international cuisine and popular chefs.

Be Entertained - Austin has more than 250 live music establishments featuring everything from southern rock to Tejano and jazz. Many national artists emerged from the Austin music scene which is concentrated in the Sixth Street District clubs and bars. During the evening, people stroll along the ten-block area to enjoy live bands and soloists. Festivals like Austin City Limits and South by Southwest also draw big crowds. Football games at the University of Texas and formula one races at the Circuit of the America’s add to the excitement.

Go Outdoors – Austin’s culture is focused on the outdoors and people of all ages recreate vigorously. There is an extensive system of public parks throughout the city including sites on both sides of the Lady Bird Lake and the 358-acre Zilker Metropolitan Park near SoCo. When you want to play sports, bike, hike, kayak, canoe, jog, swim, or picnic, there is always someone doing the same thing nearby.

Southfork Ranch - Parker, Texas

Before there was Game of Thrones or the Sopranos, the biggest epic television series was “Dallas,” a prime-time soap opera that ran on CBS from 1978 to 1991. The Friday night show depicted the rich powerful and beautiful members of the Ewing family who battled with business and romantic rivals over the fate of a Texas oil company and a cattle ranch. It was viewed in sixty countries and drew large ratings in the US.

The principal actors on the series such as Larry Hagman, who portrayed the scheming and philandering oil tycoon JR Ewing became famous. But surprisingly, so did the 357 acre privately owned Southfork ranch and 5900 square foot mansion in Parker, Texas, where many of the show’s scenes were filmed. It was not long before fans and visitors overwhelmed the place and a new owner opened it for public tours, events, and private parties.

Today, Southfork entertains more than 400,000 visitors annually on its grounds and large events center. Most visitors come for the 90-minute group tour and walkabout which takes place six times per day. The tour includes a museum with exhibits, pictures and videos explaining the history of the show and the interesting personalities who starred on it. Guests are driven around the grounds on a tram to see the horses, cattle, stables, and ranchland, where important scenes from the show were filmed. The tour ends at the majestic mansion with a walkthrough of the swimming pool, dining room, and family areas familiar to past viewers. Portraits of the leading characters are displayed in the rooms. Guess flock to photograph themselves in front of the mansion and the elegant South fork gate to the ranch.

The Southfork tour appeals most to nostalgia fans who enjoyed the show during its heyday of the 1980s. It presents a unique slice of American culture and reflects the traditional way in which people outside of Texas viewed life of the rich and famous in Dallas. A revival TV series that ran from 2012 to 2014, which focused on the lives of the next generation of Ewings, attempted to bring the image of Texas wealth into the 21st century.

To read more, check out the featured article.

San Antonio, Texas

San Antonio has grown to be America's seventh largest city. It has a strong reputation as a festive destination because its exciting culture, good food, and distinctive attractions that make it an excellent place for families and conventioneers to visit for three-to-five-day trip.

There are two destinations in San Antonio that provide the foundation for this reputation. First, the crown jewel of downtown San Antonio is the 15-mile-long Riverwalk which makes its way through the central business district about twenty-five feet below the adjoining streets. The preservation and rerouting of the San Antonio River into a scenic entertainment district and park was visionary move by City authorities in the 1960s. People visit the Riverwalk by taking a brightly colored motorized barge along the water to see the sites which include tree line promenades and small parks, while others enjoy hiking or walking along its banks. Along the way, there are restaurants, cafes, and stores available for people to eat, drink and shop during the day or at night when the walkway welcomes them with period lighting.

The second major destination in San Antonio is the Alamo where the legacy of that famous battle and the Texas War of Independence fill the air. The Mexican army under President Santa Ana prevailed in the attack. They destroyed the fort and killed the motley crew of farmers, frontiersmen, and Tejano’s who had rebelled against Mexican control. But the massacre inspired Texans and their sympathizers in the U.S. to rally their forces, defeat the Mexican army, and negotiate a treaty acknowledging Texas’ self-rule in 1836. Notwithstanding the romanticism associated with the Alamo, the walled compound has been preserved as a living museum which is open to the public free of charge. The gardens, Alamo church, and displays about the battle provide a memorable experience for adults and older children.

In addition to these two attractions, Tex-Mex and fine dining restaurants are available throughout the city. Entertainment and recreational events also attract people to town on a regular basis. Popular events include the Holiday River Parade, Day of the Dead Festival, art festivals, and the sporting events held at the Alamodome. Families coming to town also stop at the nearby Six Flags and Sea World Park in the suburbs or visit downtown attractions like the Legoland Discovery Center and the 579-foot-high Tower of the Americas. When it gets too hot, travelers often extend their visit by driving to the nearby Hill Country which features top-notch resorts and spas and other outdoor activities.

Here's more information about San Antonio.

Fort Worth Water Gardens - Texas, United States

Fort Worth has a vibrant downtown with a convention center surrounded by office, retail, and residential activities. The downtown district is bordered on two sides by elevated sections of interstates 30 West and 35W. Seeking to provide a place for relaxation and reflection in the downtown and attract visitors, the city commissioned architects Philip Johns and John Burgee to design a park on 5.4 acres of shaded land. Dedicated in 1974, the Water Gardens immediately attracted attention because of its futuristic layout and unique features which have been described as “soaring mesas and deep canyons of concrete unified by displays of water and vegetation.”

There are four principal areas of the park which surround a central square. The signature display is a recessed pool located thirty-eight feet below the square which is constructed out of a concrete terraces and flat steps. Known as the Active Pool, water cascades down the terraces to the bottom where it is pumped back to the top. Visitors can walk down to the bottom and enjoy the sensation of rushing water all around.

The three other sections of the park are an Aeration Pool where mist sprayed from forty small fountains dances above the water, a Calm Pool recessed and surrounded by cypress trees designed as a place for meditation, and a concrete plateau Mountain with a grassy lawn and stage buffering the park. The Water Gardens are quite different from traditional downtown parks and create a sensation of tranquility that downtown workers and tourists can both enjoy.

For more information about the Fort Worth Water Gardens, visit its featured article here.

Galveston, Texas

The Texas island of Galveston has a local population of 50,000 residents but an estimated seven million people visit the community each year to experience the unique blend of activities available there. It is unusual to see a place so full of history with interesting buildings, beach space and support facilities, recreation and entertainment activities for families, and major resorts.

Before Galveston was reborn in the 20th century as a beach community and a maritime city, it suffered the largest natural disaster in American history when the Great Hurricane of 1900 hit the island directly with no warning destroying thousands of buildings and hundreds of boats and killing an estimated 6,000 to 10,000 people. This catastrophe wrecked the Gilded Age city of Galveston which had become the leading commercial port in Texas and a center for trade, culture, and summer recreation. It took decades to secure the island from future storms and gradually restore Galveston’s historic downtown areas and ship facilities.

The most interesting destinations to visit in Galveston are:

Beach – Galveston is renowned for its thirty-two miles of shoreline on the Gulf of Mexico. There is beach access throughout the island, but most visitors end up along the ten miles of beach facing the Gulf. Supporting the beach and protecting the community is a 17-foot-high concrete seawall which is sixteen feet thick at its base and dozens of lifeguard stations on the sand. The water close to shore sometimes looks muddy because of siltation, but the waves at Galveston are mild, the beach is flat and there is a soft breeze that helps keep the air temperature tolerable throughout the year.

In addition to the beach, there is a four-lane boulevard which runs along entire length of the shore with ample parking spaces and a wide variety of restaurants, motels, stores, and other activities. One popular location is the historic Pleasure Pier at the end of 25th Street which contains an amusement park with fifteen rides, arcade games, food outlets and stores. There is also a family-friendly Fishing Pier that extends more than 1,100 feet into the water. It is open 24 hours per day for a small admissions fee for use by seasoned anglers and newcomers.

Historic District - Galveston's historic district known as The Strand serves as the commercial and shopping center of the downtown and is located near the city's inner harbor. Many buildings there survived the storm and were restored in the 1980s. Today they are renowned for Victorian architecture and interesting shops which include art, antiques, funky fashions, candy, and souvenirs. Some of the classic buildings such as the Grand 1894 Opera House and Victorian mansions are open for public events and tours.

Moody Gardens - One unusual leisure and entertainment activity is Moody Gardens. This attraction includes three large pyramid buildings called the Aquarium Pyramid, Rainforest Pyramid, and Discovery Pyramid which seek to inspire people about nature, conservation, and research, along with an IMAX theater. In addition to education, there is an exciting water park called Palm Beach that features a sandy beach, lazy river, zipline and wave pool. All these activities support a 418-room resort, spa, and convention center.

Seaport - The land along the inner harbor of the island next to the Galveston ship channel is a working port that houses a fast-growing cruise ship terminal and operations supporting offshore oil platforms. Several large complexes along the harbor area known as the Waterfront District have popular restaurants and museums including one that provides access to a huge offshore drilling rig.

For more information about Galveston, view its featured article here.

George H. W. Bush Presidential Museum - College Station, Texas

Texas is the home of the libraries and museums of three recent presidents including the late George H. W. Bush. In addition to preserving official documents and personal papers, these museums present displays about the fascinating lives led by our presidents and exhibit valuable artifacts relating to key historical events. The George H.W. Bush library is an impressive structure and conference center located on the campus of Texas A&M.

A tour of the Bush Museum begins in an elegant rotunda where there are four large pictures of the president and continues through thirty-one separate galleries which can be explored on your own. The events and experiences of President Bush are presented during four phases of his life

Family History and War Years - The son of a US senator and a Wall Street banker Prescott Bush, President Bush was raised in privilege and educated at the Phillips Andover private school. However, Prescott Bush also infused his children with a powerful sense of duty and family loyalty, so George Bush left Yale University at the age of eighteen to enlist in the navy. The youngest pilot in World War II, he flew fifty-eight combat missions and survived being shot down in the Pacific Ocean. A replica of the bomber plane he flew along with the picture of young George meeting Babe Ruth when he was a captain of the Yale baseball team are to interesting displays in this section.

Career in Business and Public Service - After the war and his marriage to Barbara Pierce, Bush moved to West Texas, started an oil drilling firm, spent 15 years building a successful business, and started a political career by winning election to the United States Congress. He moved up fast, serving as US ambassador to the United Nations and the People's Republic of China, head of the CIA, and then Vice President with Ronald Reagan in the White House. The relationships he was building throughout the world would prove helpful as president and the museum presents photos, exhibits and correspondence effectively.

Presidency - The exhibits in the museum about the Bush presidency are very compelling. Major events that took place from 1989 to 1992 such as the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the Gulf War victory over Iraq, and important domestic legislation are brought to life by the displays. There are replicas of the oval office in the white house, the military situation room, a presidential podium, a Gulf War tank, a presidential limousine, and a piece of the Berlin wall.

Post Presidency Activities - The museum also shows all the unusual experiences which President Bush had after leaving the White House. In addition to watching his son serve as President for 8 years, he befriended President Clinton after losing the 1992 elections to him and they worked together for raising money for world calamities. Avoiding a quiet retirement seems to have been a goal for the ex-president. He began to engage in tandem sky diving on selected birthdays until his death and the death of his wife Barbara in 2018. The family graveyard is also located at the museum flanked by a rose garden and presidential pond.

For more information about this interesting museum visit its featured article here.