Go to The Schlitterbahn in New Bransfel. Just north of San Antonio.

I would just eat at the airport at one of the Pappa locations.
Pappadeux, Pappasito's, Pappa's Burgers, etc

We had decent food in the Houston airport, which might be the easiest solution after a 15 hour flight. San Antonio and the missions south of it are worth a visit. But if I were you, I would start reading guidebooks.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mksfca/sets/72157623718580201/show/with/4516082115/

If you aren't planning on seeing Houston, can you fly into DFW instead? The airport is just north of Arlington, putting you within easy reach of hotels, restaurants and well-positioned to start off your stadium tours and the Rangers game. (the stadiums are right next to each other.) Arlington is also a good place to be based to visit both Dallas and Forth Worth.

Austin is a 3-4 hr drive south from DFW, depending on time of day/ traffic. There is plenty in that area to see and do, esp the New Braunfels/Gruene (say 'green') areas. San Antonio is further along the same highway. You can do all of those areas without hitting any toll roads, although sometimes the toll roads provide you with a quicker drive.

The only real issue is that this is a one way itinerary, leaving you with a several-hour drive back to the airport. (Might be worth looking at dropping the car in SA and catching a commuter flight back to DFW.)

You are aware that this is the absolute hottest time to be visiting Texas, and you're likely in for temps in the high 90's-100 degrees?

Forgot to mention that your son should be able to find plenty of golf options, esp between Austin and San Antonio. Early or late evening tee times would be recommended! ( and a hat, sunscreen and plenty of water...)

Timing-wise, I think you could easily spend several days in the DFW area, then work your way south - DH and I did an entire week last summer based in New Braunfels, doing day trips to Austin, Gruene, the Hill Country, etc. and that was with a then-2yr old.

I am sure we can make better hotel and restaurant recommendations once you've got your itinerary more set. A budget per night would be helpful, too.

Thanks txgirlinbda. Unfortunately July/August is the only time we can travel due to school/work commitments. We were in Arizona at the same time last year so we know what to expect temperature wise

Flying into Houston would save us approximately 900GBP as a family of 3 going on current flight prices.

We would like to see Houston, again taking in the baseball, schedule depending.

We were hoping to stay about 1 hours drive from Houston the first night heading towards San Antonio and stay in a hotel that doesn't need to be plush, just somewhere comfortable, clean and near to somewhere for a bite to eat when we get there and breakfast the next morning.

Our first "draft" itinerary would be;

1st night somewhere en-route to San Antonio
4 nights San Antonio
4 nights Austin
3 nights Arlington
2 nights Houston

Please advise if you think that we are staying too long or too short at these places.

We do like to go to outlet malls, so if there are any you recommend that would be of interest.

Thanks again

I'm in the UK right now and from TX, so I know all about those flight prices! Totally understand that!

I'd be inclined to maybe drop a night from SA and add it to Austin, but that's just because I have so much love for the Austin and surrounding areas.

There is a huge outlet mall between Austin and SA, the name and exact location is escaping me right now, but it'll come to me. Regardless, it's situated right on the highway you'll be taking from SA to Arlington (I-35), so you'd have to be asleep to miss it. There's also an indoor one north of the DFW airport/Arlington area called Grapevine Mills.

You'll be taking I-10 towards SA, and depending on what time you land, you should be able to get near the town of Katy in a reasonable amount of time (1-1.5 hr). There's a decent selection of chain hotels in Katy, any of which should suit you fine. Katy puts you about 2.5 hr drive from SA. If you land late, though, I would eat as soon as you leave the airport - if I recall from our last trip in Oct, we landed about 6:45pm and it was almost 9 before we got to a restaurant just north of the airport. And I had someone waiting for me, no car to rent.

The outlet mall between San Antonio and Austin is in San Marcos.

In San Antonio, you might check out the Hyatt Hill Country Resort. Your son would be able to golf there.

For the first night, try the Best Western in Schulenberg, TX. It might be more than an hour towards San Antonio, though. It's clean, it's reasonably priced, and the ladies there make an extra effort to make your free breakfast more than packaged junk.

When you go to San Antonio, be sure to have breakfast at Guenther House (www.guentherhouse.com/). It's awesome! I wouldn't spend as much time IN San Antonio, but move an hour or so west and go to Boerne and Fredricksburg.

Then head north on Hwy. 281, instead of Interstate 35. Much more scenic and interesting. You can check out Granbury, Fossil Rim on the north end of your journey.

In the DFW area, if you're interested in a really great little town, go north about an hour from Arlington and visit McKinney. Beautiful town square with interesting shops and great food (my recommendation is Rick's for lunch!)

From there, you can get on US 75 and head straight south to Houston (it becomes I-45 in downtown Dallas). Along the way, stop for lunch at Woody's BBQ in Centerville -- it's really good, and you can purchase "to go" jerkey, sausage, etc.

Check out Enchanted Rock close to Fredericksburg. Awesome place for a few hours of hiking.

Thanks guys, you are all very helpful and giving us lots to think about.

It seems that we need to cut our stay down in San Antonio and go to some other towns.

Are the roads nice and quiet or busy like LA?

Is there anything else that we need to plan into our travels?

Thanks again

<<Are the roads nice and quiet or busy like LA?>>

Depends. I-35 from Austin to San Antonio is busy. Austin and its surrounds is like California - heavy traffic, flaky people (the city slogan is "Keep Austin Weird"). The Interstates are busy near the cities and so are the other highways - Houston is the fourth most populous in the US, San Antonio seventh and Dallas ninth and the DFW Metroplex is the fourth most populous metro area in the country (behind only NY, Chicago and LA). US 281 in the Hill Country won't be as bad, nor will US 67 near Cleburne/Fossil Rim area. (There's also a great wildlife park between SA and Austin).

What do you want to do? Austinphiles like its atmosphere and nightlife, but as tourists will there be enough for you to see and do for four nights?

How old is the boy?

Dallas has its Arts District and Dealey Plaza (ugh) and the Sixth Floor Museum (double ugh - this is the 50th year since JFK's assassination and Dallas still has a bit of a complex about being the site) and the Perot Science Center (thumbs up); Fort Worth has its Cultural District, the Stockyards (see a rodeo!), TCU and Sundance Square.

Dallas is hotter than SA or Austin, which have navigable waterways or Houston (on the coast), although the 90%+ humidity in Houston is always a suck factor. And yeah, if you've been to Arizona in the summer, it will be hot like that, but perhaps not as bad - Phoenix routinely hits 105+ (40+C), Dallas does so less regularly.

I would hate to miss Fort Worth if I were coming to Texas. It is a lot more western than Dallas and not far from Arlington.

If only we could get 3 weeks?? There seems so much to do!

We (ok, me) like to shop
We like history (son will be studying American history next school year)
Love to speak to the locals and get to know more about the area
Perhaps go to Seaworld
Like to be out and about during the evening to soak up the atmosphere, to have a drink (need hotels near so that hubby can have a drink if he wishes) and have quality family time
We all enjoy watching sport (especially baseball after going to our 1st game in Anaheim).
Son who will be 16 enjoys playing golf.
Perhaps go to a rodeo too!

So do you think we need to cut down both San Antonio and Austin stays and now include Forth Worth and Dallas?

Thanks again

No, you need to find three weeks!

Shopping - the outlet malls in San Marcos

History - San Antonio for Texas Independence, Fredericksburg (day trip from Austin) is an amazing little town, well worth a day and lots of history, Fort Worth for the cowboy side of life - both downtown (Sundance Square and the museum areas) and the touristy but ever-popular Stockyards.

There was a good suggestion upthread re: golf in San Antonio

Rodeo - easiest option is to catch the Saturday night rodeo in the Stockyards in Ft Worth. There is also a fairly new and very well-located chain hotel called the Hyatt Place in the Stockyards, perfect for positioning yourselves for exploring/shopping/eating/rodeo - all without using the car. www.fortworthstockyards.org

Seaworld - if you're trying to fit things in, probably would be one thing I'd cut. There is a Six Flags and a huge waterpark in Arlington - if you're already in Arlington and want to hit a theme park, those are options. Six Flags is open late and we always timed our visits for very late afternoon, so we weren't in the heat of the day. (These are right down the road from the stadiums, too).

Fort Worth would be my pick over Dallas, but you can base yourselves in Arlington for access to the Rangers and Cowboys stadiums and have both Dallas and Fort Worth within easy reach. Dallas is much more cosmopolitan, Ft Worth is more laid-back.

We still haven't touched on Houston - are you still trying to fit that in?

Driving - I'd avoid I-35 through Austin like the plague at evening rush hour. It also gets congested on Friday and Sunday evenings in stretches, as people flee the cities for the weekends and then head home, so I would try to not be on that road at those times. The smaller roads that take you through the country are wonderful, but do watch your speed. Those small town cops just love to pounce on speeders!

Hi txgirlinbda

Well we certainly have lots to look into now. Thanks for your help and suggestions. I'm sure we will have lots more questions once we have started to research these places.

As for driving, we will more than likely take the scenic routes rather than the busy interstates so will invest in a new sat nav to take with us, this will keep us in check with the speed limits ha ha ha

<<Dallas is much more cosmopolitan, Ft Worth is more laid-back.>>

That's the standard line and is turning into arrant nonsense. Fort Worth is working feverishly to neutralize its cowtown image and project cosmopolitanism, thus it's becoming more "cosmo" by the day -- just look at the area near the Cultural District from 7th to Lancaster near University, whereas Dallas is working toward providing more family friendly sites and open green spaces (Perot Museum, Klyde Warren Park, Fair Park). Don't know what "laid back" means in that context other than the payscale in FW is still lower.

Arlington hotels are going to be of the La Quinta/Courtyard by Marriott type of vintage, not much more. Clean, comfortable, but hotel bars aren't really the thing - that's uptown Dallas and Victory Park area stuff. Arlington is not atmospheric - it's a bedroom community whose city council lured two big stadiums with tax breaks and sweetheart deals. Much like the other "mid-cities," it's a suburb where people who work in Dallas or FW live.

Sea World is in San Antonio, it's not a water park (that's a park with slides and pools and fat rednecks in skimpy bathing costumes). It has all the trained dolphins and orcas you'd ever want to see.

One other thing - have you tried to plot airfares for open jaw flights? They may be less for going into DFW and out of IAH (or vice versa) than for round trip to DFW and it's more convenient not to have to return to Houston or Dallas after starting the trip there.

Thank you for your interest in Texas, I just love it when people come to visit. I live in Austin and I would like to suggest a few things here. Do not miss the State Capitol Building. It's free to get in and I think tours are still free.

I suggest going to a show on 6th Street called Esther's Follies. It is a lot of political satire and you will laugh your butt off for two hours. Sixth Street in Austin is sort of comparable to Bourbon Street in New Orleans, with dozens of restaurants and many bars with live music. You could have an evening of dinner, Esther's Folllies, then head to a bar and listen to live music.

If you want a cool dip in a natural spring I recommend Barton Springs pool. The water is very cool as it is a natural spring but it's very refreshing on a hot summer day.

I am sorry to tell you this but the heat in TX might be worse than Arizona because in TX it's very humid, unlike the dry heat in AZ.

If you would like to share your budget I will try to make a suggestion for a hotel.

There is so much great info on this thread but if you have any specific questions about Austin I will be happy to help if I can.

What are the rules with children and bars in Texas?

We are not heavy drinkers by any means (a couple of glasses of wine or beer maximum) but of an evening we quite like to have our evening meal, take a walk and then perhaps stop at a bar to end the day.

Last summer in Scottsdale there were bars but we didn't feel comfortable going in there with our son as we didn't know if it was acceptable or not, so usually we went back to the hotel as they didn't mind kids being in there.

Obviously he's not old enough to drink ha ha ha

With regards to hotels we are looking for somewhere that provides breakfast and has a pool.

As we haven't finalized our plans yet, we've only been browsing so nothing is set in stone but the type of thing we have been looking at is the Habitat Suites in Austin and the Admiral Hotel in Arlington, both working out about $100 per night.

We don't mind spending more, first and foremost it's cleanliness then location. Saying that we don't want to waste money on somewhere that we will be just using as a base and not staying there for a complete day to use the facilities.

We've stayed in various chain hotels before like Sheraton, Marriott etc and never had a problem, but we were looking for something smaller and not so business like.

Any websites that you can suggest we can look at or recommendations would be great.

Thanks again

Hiking Enchanted Rock in August would be like hiking on the sun.

You really need to do some research and decide for yourself what you want to do. I live in central Texas and disagree with the advice to go to Fredricksburg and Centerville, etc. Some people like that, some don't. A lot of the people who recommend it haven't been to Fredricksburg in years.

I don't know how old your son is but yes, he might like Schlitterbahn. There's also a spring fed pool in New Braunfels if you want to cool off but not brave the crowds at Schlitterbahn. I definitely agree with the Barton Springs pool suggestion.

I suggest you take a walking tour of San Antonio to get more background regarding the Alamo and the fight for Texas Independence. Unfortunately the site of the battle of the Alamo hasn't been preserved well but the history is fascinating just the same.

Austin is the worst for driving. It slows down at all times of the day through town. If you are going through and not stopping, take the toll road around Austin to Georgetown.

I looked up Habitat Suites, are you looking at the one on Highland Mall Blvd.? If so I don't recommend it. Although it might look good on the web it's not a part of town where I would stay. Not only is it not near any place you want to go, it's just a nasty part of Austin. If you can stay closer to downtown, preferably west of I-35 that would be best. The Driskill is a fave among tourists but it's a bit on the pricey end. If you could tell me what you would like to spend I will try to help you find something.

Please check out the Double Tree by Hilton in the University Area. I'm looking at that on expedia.com. It's in a good location near downtown. I drive past it on my way home from work and it looks like a very nice hotel. I don't know your dates so I made up some dates in July and it prices at $109/night. It has a pool but not breakfast, however they have an on-site grocery store so you could probably find something to eat in the room. Even w/o a free breakfast I think this is far better place to stay than anywhere near Highland Mall. I just now told my husband you were considering staying on Highland Mall Blvd and he reminded me he had to go there recently for business. He said he was very nervous being in that neighborhood and he did not feel safe.

I forgot the most important part--the Doubletree will give you some wonderful cookies when you check in.

I would not recommend the Admiral Hotel. I think a better suggestion would be Hampton Inn & Suites, near Cowboy Stadium and Ranger Stadium.

http://hamptoninn3.hilton.com/en/hotels/texas/hampton-inn-and-suites-dallas-arlington-north-entertainment-district-DALETHX/index.html

Hi there. So from a Houstonian's point of view with an English husband - we do this often when family comes to visit...

I would fly in to Houston and stay the first night in Houston. The airport is about a 30-45 min drive to downtown. Stay in downtown area, have some food, check out the sights (or not) and head out early to San Antonio via I-10 in the morning - stay for 3 nights. It's only a 3 hr drive -I know for you that's a lot but in Texas, that's par for the course. Spend the first day in San Antonio visiting the river walk and the Alamo. The next day check out the missions in the area, maybe a round of golf in the afternoon. The third day, do a day trip to the New Braunfels area. Check out the Natural Bridge Caverns and/or Wildlife Ranch in the morning,
stop by the outlet malls off of I-35 (exit 200)- the largest in the area, and float down the guadalupe river in Gruene, Tx in the afternoon, dinner at a "treehouse" overlooking the river at the Gristmill. The next day, head out of town to a little German town called Fredericksburg by continuing down I-10 to Hwy 87. Stay in Fredericksburg at least a night, maybe 2. While there I would check out Enchanted Rock (climb to the top!), visit some wineries, walk up and down main street, and at night, a short drive will get you to Luckenbach Tx to have a real texas dinner and dance at the local dance hall. It's the tiniest town but a lot of fun (there's a famous song about this place that I am singing in my head right now...'Luckenbach Texas' by Waylon Jennings). Next, Austin. Head east on 290 towards Johnson City (named after a US president), have a quick stop at the Wildseed farm. There may not be much flowers in bloom but it's nice anyway. For those not driving, they can have a cheeky cold pint of german beer! This is a pretty drive, btw. Keep a look out for a buffalo farm by a lake, peach and fruit stands. So far you've exhausted 5-6 nights of your time here, depending on how many nights you decided to spend in Fredericksburg (bet you never thought you could see so much in such a short time!). That leaves you with 8 nights. I would stay 3 nights in Austin, 3 nights in Dallas (day trips to Arlington) and 1 night in Houston - yes, I live in Houston but there's more to see in the other places. You do this by heading north on I-35/I-35W, then heading east on I-30 to Dallas. From Dallas, take I-45 south to Houston. I'll list things to do in each of the cities remaining.

San Antonio/New Braunfels area:
http://www.gruenetexas.com/ (eat at the Gristmill)
http://www.naturalbridgecaverns.com
wildliferanchtexas.com/
San Antonio missions (www.nps.gov/saan/)
Restaurant in San Antonio (www.biga.com)

Fredericksburg:
http://www.luckenbachtexas.com/
Enchanted Rock (http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/state-parks/enchanted-rock)
www.wildseedfarms.com
A little out of the way but a really cool hole in the wall restaurant with great food (http://hilltopcafe.com/)
Wineries - I like Torre di Pietra and Becker (http://texaswinetrail.com/map)

Austin:
http://www.oasis-austin.com/
Fun street to visit, albeit a younger crown (http://www.6street.com/) NOte: There's another area on the corner of 4th and Colorado that has bars and restaurants that feels a bit older than 6th street. If there, check out Gingerman for a HUGE selection of beers on draft if you like beer (what Englishman isn't, right?)
Another fun area to visit and a bit older (
Canoeing at Zilker Park (http://www.zilkerboats.com/)
Barton Springs Pool (http://austintexas.gov/department/barton-springs-pool)
NOT TO MISS - Hamilton Pool!!! (https://parks.traviscountytx.gov/find-a-park/hamilton-pool)
Congress Bridge Bats (http://www.batcon.org/index.php/get-involved/visit-a-bat-location/congress-avenue-bridge.html)
Best BBQ (http://www.saltlickbbq.com/)
I'm sure I'm missing others...will post more if it comes to mind.

Dallas/Arlington - this area is really close together. There's plenty to do. I would suggest to find a good base and do day trips from there. Do a day for Arlington and spend the rest of the time between Dallas and forth Worth. Dallas' downtown area is fantastic. Visit the 6th floor museum at Dealy plaza and take a tour of the JFK shooting site (http://www.jfk.org/). Forth Worth has a nice littel downtown area too and if you are there on a Saturday, Rah Brewery does a great tour where you can also eat BBQ and listen to live music (http://www.rahrbrewing.com/our-brewery/tour-tasting.html). Grapevine also has a nice downtown area to visit, maybe do a wine tasting tour (https://www.grapevinetexasusa.com/Default.aspx). Last but not least, as most of my friend from the UK love the tv show Dallas, if you like it also, you can visit the Southfork Ranch (http://www.southforkranch.com/tours/)

Houston:
Space Center (www.spacecenter.org)
Galleria (http://www.simon.com/mall/the-galleria)
Menil area (www.menil.org/ & www.rothkochapel.org/)
So many parks - one of the best to see Aligators (http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/state-parks/brazos-bend)
Hermann Park & Med Center - the largest medical center in the US (www.hermannpark.org/ & http://texasmedicalcenter.org/)
and many, many, restaurants and nightlife area.


Phew.

OK, I know that's a lot of information. Let me know if there is anything else I can help you with. Hope you have a great time in Texas. Be prepared for the heat. It's not like Arizona at all. Arizona has dry heat where in Texas it is humid on top of the soaring temperatures so be prepared for the difference.

Well done maria_so, you are a Texas tourist's encyclopdia.

Oh, and for hotels, Homewood suites are nice and has a separate room (with a door) to the sitting area so some in your party can sleep and others can watch tv without disturbing each other. Embassy suites has the same set up and has an additional cooked to order breakfast for free. I'm all about clean also and I have found these 2 chains to be not only abundant in the area you are looking at but also clean, clean, clean. If you are there during the week, there's also a nightly managers reception which includes free drinks (alcoholic and non) with some snacks.

As for your son and bars - if he's a tall 16 year old and is with you (parents), then I would say it's fine. Most 16 year old kids sneak in bars now anyway. If they card him, just show that you are his parents and they'll let him in (I think). The nightlife area I listed are busy places so they may not make a big deal. If one does, the one next door may not.

Oh wow that's a lot of information to digest, that's going to take up our week-end to do all the research

That's what I like about this forum, people tell you like it is and what and what not to do, where to stay etc. and that's what we need.

As we can't commit to flights just yet due to my work schedule not been finalized for the summer we can take our time to peruse hotels and ask you guys for your input (if you don't mind).

Maria that's some schedule and looks fun. We'll probably add a couple of "chillax" days so that we don't need another holiday when we get home

Thanks you all so much again, you are all very helpful.

thanks P_M. We have a lot of experience with relatives & friends from the UK coming to visit...

<<Sixth Street in Austin is sort of comparable to Bourbon Street in New Orleans, with dozens of restaurants and many bars with live music.>>

This is a misused comparison - Sixth Street is lively but it's not a madhouse like Bourbon Street and the Austinians can't walk around with their 48 oz Hurricanes. Sixth Street is more live music and hang out, Bourbon Street is more get sloshed and act the fool with some places for live music (Preservation Hall) and some decent restaurants.

Most "bars" have sit-down areas and food options so you can sneak in and sit down for a meal too. Trinity Hall in Dallas is the paradigm - a lively pseudo-Irish bar with celtic music performances on weekends but it has a full set of menu options too.

Lots of good advice on this thread.

To reiterate some of the things already said, definitely stop at the outlets in San Marcos if you enjoy shopping. And I second the recommendation for the Natural Bridge Caverns in New Braunfels. http://www.naturalbridgecaverns.com/(S(u5ufkx55flgedzadqh1mwh55))/Index.aspx In Austin, hike the Lady Bird hike and bike trail (also called Town Lake) and kayak on the lake. And yes, the traffic is heavy in many areas. I particularly don't like I-35 because there always seem to be so many trucks. I agree with traveling on 281 if you can on the way to Dallas, plus you'll see more of Texas than you will from the interstate.

In the Dallas/Ft. Worth metroplex, you might consider staying in Grapevine. It's a good location for getting to both Dallas and Ft. Worth. There is an Embassy Suites there that's nice. It's located right next the Bass Pro Shops which y'all would probably enjoy going to. They might even have a boat show going on while you're there. They have them every so often. Bass fishing is a popular sport here in Texas. Bass Pro is interesting even you don't fish. That Embassy Suites is also a few minutes away from the Dallas Cowboys Golf Club that your son might enjoy golfing at (the previously mentioned Hyatt Hill Country Resort in San Antonio is good too). http://cowboysgolfclub.com/view.asp?id=229&page=7252 Grapevine also has a main street to walk around for restaurants, etc.http://www.downtowngrapevinetexas.com/ as well as the Grapevine Mills Outlet mall.

Despite a previous poster's remarks, I think you'd enjoy the Sixth Floor Museum. It does a great job of conveying the emotions of the country at the time.

Hope you enjoy your trip to Texas!

Arlington is more family oriented and reasonable. There are numerous hotels close to the stadium. The Admiral is older but nice. Sheraton is closest to the stadiums. Most bars are in restaurants therefore children are welcome. Several public golf courses to the north. One only a few blocks away. If you want plush and pricier look elsewhere. Texas Land and Cattle, Babe's chicken dinner house and several Mexican food restaurants close.Have a nice trip.

Oh my!!! You MUST go to Babe's. It is SOOOOO good and so not good for you!!! Great comfort food!!! They don't take reservations, it is loud, it is fun!!

http://www.babeschicken.com/our-kitchens/arlington/

I live about an hour north of the Dallas-Fort Worth area, and I hope your family enjoys the time here!

I would also recommend that you spend some time in Fort Worth- go to the Stockyards on a Saturday night and see a rodeo.

I also agree that the JFK Sixth Floor Museum is worth the visit- they have done a nice job.

As others have mentioned, Babe's would be a fun place for your family to eat. If you are spending any time in the Stockyards, grab a bite at Riscky's BBQ while enjoying the touristy Old West scene.

Howdy
Austin- Magnolia Cafe South, Matt's El Rancho (great outdoor patio) Whole Food Market on N Lamar a must if you go to Austin a food market with a wine tasting station to a dessert station
San Antonio- Mi Tierra Cafe & Bakery
Arlington- Mariano's the inventor of the frozen margarita machine and you must have one!
Drury Inns have 5:30 free drinks ,snacks and breakfast
Mesquite- Mesquite Rodeo
Fredericksburg- peaches,wineries,National Museum of the Pacific War Museum, Fredericksburg Inn nice place to stay within walking distance to town where you can shop with one hand and hold your wine/beer in the other
Dallas- Dallas World Aquarium,Perot Museum

Me again guys!

Flights seem to be coming down a little at the moment so we may fly to DFW but can't decide if we need to see Houston or not.

If we did Houston, San Antonio, Austin and Arlington/Fort Worth/Dallas how many days would you say we needed at each place? If we were to build in a couple of relaxation days where would you do this?

Hampton Inn, Doubletree & Sheraton hotels are up there on our list at the moment.

Thanks all