Texas Travel

[ManFromTartarus]

This thread derailed to a food debate. Everybody must be starving from your lean diets trying to get 6-pack abs.

Back to OP's question, how about the Gulf coast? If you like the water, and that vibe certain times of year it could be nice.

 

[BeExcellent]

This thread derailed to a food debate. Everybody must be starving from your lean diets trying to get 6-pack abs.

Back to OP's question, how about the Gulf coast? If you like the water, and that vibe certain times of year it could be nice.

The beaches in Texas are not pretty. They are long (South Padre and Galveston both have miles of unobstructed shoreline) but the water is green/brown most of the time because the ocean current (Gulf Loop Current) brings the Mississippi River delta silt, Atchafalaya silt and silt from most major Texas rivers south along the Texas shoreline. Makes for great fishing but not pretty beaches a la Florida or California).

But if you like to fish it’s great. If you like the sound of the beach it’s great too.

There are sometimes oil bits in the water due to all the oil platforms off shore in the Gulf of Mexico. You’ll get tar in your swimsuit, on your feet and in your hair at times. If there is a leak or spill the beaches will wash up lots of oil residue which I’ve seen firsthand.

Also can be lots of Portuguese Man of War jelly fish, which are purple and have long trailing tentacles and sting like fire on contact.

So Texas in my view is not a great beach destination if you can afford to go to Fl, Ca or the islands. If you like to fish it’s great. The oil platforms form artificial reefs and the redfish are amazing about 40 miles off shore.

 

[CornbreadFed]

This thread derailed to a food debate. Everybody must be starving from your lean diets trying to get 6-pack abs.

Back to OP's question, how about the Gulf coast? If you like the water, and that vibe certain times of year it could be nice.

OP didn't mention going to Big Bend or the Guadelupe National Park, so food is a big factor in visiting Texas.

 

[sangheilios]

OP didn't mention going to Big Bend or the Guadelupe National Park, so food is a big factor in visiting Texas.

There was actually a discussion in the middle of this thread I had with @SW15

Starts at post #28

 

[CornbreadFed]

There was actually a discussion in the middle of this thread I had with @SW15

Starts at post #28

Big Bend National Park is one of my favorite national parks I have visited. If I was OP I would just do Austin, Hill Country, and Big Bend. Dallas and Houston are more cities for living than visiting.

 

[sangheilios]

Big Bend National Park is one of my favorite national parks I have visited. If I was OP I would just do Austin, Hill Country, and Big Bend. Dallas and Houston are more cities for living than visiting.

Yeah, I've been looking to visit that place, it looks great. Anything in particular you recommend there?

 

[SW15]

Dallas and Houston are more cities for living than visiting.

Think about why someone would go to Dallas or Houston. There are few significant tourist attractions in either city. Neither has as much going on for tourists as Miami.

Most visiting to Dallas or Houston is done for events. There are a wide variety of events.

1. Concerts
2. Sporting Events
3. Business conferences/business meetings

The 4th reason to visit Dallas or Houston would be to see family members who live in Dallas or Houston.

Business travel was very affected by the pandemic. It likely affected Dallas and Houston more than most areas because Dallas and Houston have been more dependent upon business travel.

Guadelupe National Park

The hike up Guadalupe Mountain in West Texas is an intense one. Guadalupe Peak is the highest point in Texas and it typically takes 6-8 hours to complete the hike. I like hiking, but I don't think I like it that much.

There are also no hotel rooms near Guadalupe Mountain. Van Horn, Texas and Carlsbad, New Mexico are both 50+ miles away. There's more to do in Carlsbad and there's Carlsbad Caverns, which is a major tourist attraction. Van Horn is more known as a rest stop for Interstate 10 travelers and possibly serious hikers of Guadalupe.

food is a big factor in visiting Texas.

It doesn't have to be. There's so much more to do in Texas than eat. There's good fishing, access to nearly every major recreational activity somewhere in the state, art, and museums.

Palo Duro Canyon. Fly into Lubbock or Amarillo. It’s second to the Grand Canyon. Worth seeing.

This is a good suggestion and much closer to civilization and the nearest airport than Big Bend. It is still isolated. People in the bigger Texas metros (Dallas-Fort Worth, Austin, San Antonio, Houston) need more than a 3 days weekend to go there if they drive. It's much easier to get to with a flight in to Amarillo or Lubbock. People have done trips where they went to The Big Texan in Amarillo and Palo Duro Canyon.

 

[CornbreadFed]

Yeah, I've been looking to visit that place, it looks great. Anything in particular you recommend there?

I just went and drove and hiked some parts, but I would definitely do it in the cooler months. I stayed in some rusty town off I10, but people usually stay in El Paso or in one of those small towns like Marfa.

Think about why someone would go to Dallas or Houston. There are few significant tourist attractions in either city. Neither has as much going on for tourists as Miami.

Most visiting to Dallas or Houston is done for events. There are a wide variety of events.

Yeah, I would recommend Austin for anyone wanting to visit Texas because it caters to tourists better.

It doesn't have to be. There's so much more to do in Texas than eat. There's good fishing, access to nearly every major recreational activity somewhere in the state, art, and museums.

What is wrong with food being a huge draw to tourism in Texas?

 

[SW15]

I just went and drove and hiked some parts, but I would definitely do it in the cooler months. I stayed in some rusty town off I10, but people usually stay in El Paso or in one of those small towns like Marfa.

Big Bend is better in the cooler months. Hiking Guadalupe Mountain is best done in Spring/Fall.

I would recommend Austin for anyone wanting to visit Texas because it caters to tourists better.

Austin and San Antonio are a better draw for tourists than Dallas and Houston among the bigger cities. San Antonio has The Alamo and The Riverwalk.

What is wrong with food being a huge draw to tourism in Texas?

Food is supposed to be the thing that sustains our bodies for other activities in life. I don't think food needs to be a such a draw. Other life activities are supposed to be more important.

 

[CornbreadFed]

Food is supposed to be the thing that sustains our bodies for other activities in life. I don't think food needs to a such a draw. Other life activities are supposed to be more important.

That’s a really sad thing to say