Gemma,

I ain't from Texas but I reckon since y'all be goin thru the "Big D" and I do mean Dallas.. I might be suggestin that y'all saddle up and stop at da Ft Worth Stockyard.

Get there in time and y'all will be fixin to see som of da prettiest animals y'all ever did seen. I'm talkin bout dem Texas Longhorns

Video:http://youtu.be/8UY83mLlOlY

Quite a plan!
What time of year are you making this trip?

Texas can be uncomfortably hot for some in the summer months. Spring time is gorgeous, but you'll want to avoid the coast during Spring Break. Late fall is also wonderful. If you can hit the Hill Counry during spring bluebonnet season, you've hit THE iconic Texas roadtrip.

i'm going to suggest a re-ordering of your cities.

If you're coming in from Louisiana, I'd suggest coming through Beaumont to Houston.
Make your way Down the coast from Galveston to Corpus Christi.
Leave Corpus and head for San Antonio.
San Antonio through the Hill Country, to Austin. Hill Country to-do's: Fredericksburg, Gruene/New Braunfels. Austin is the place for live music and food trucks. Sixth Street for nightlife and Congress St Bridge at sunset to watch the bats come out.
Austin to Dallas/Fort Worth. Fort Worth to-do's: Sundance Square, Stockyards, musuems. Dallas for musuems.
DFW to West Texas, Big Bend, etc. Read up on the Marfa Lights.
Depending on the time of year, you should be able to find a rodeo in atleast one of your cities. Search for Stock Shows and Rodeos in Houston, San Antonio and Fort Worth for big annual ones, or catch the weekly little one in Ft Worth Stockyards. That's also where you'll see the (touristy) twice-daily cattle drive of Texas Longhorns through the streets.

This route assumes you're headed towards California.
You've got lots to do with lots of long driving in between. There are lots of things along the way to break up the the drive, we can start suggesting those once you've got a better idea of a route.
Personally, I'd drop your Houston-Corpus leg, and go from Houston to San Antonio. Not enough bang for the buck to make it worth the drive, imo.

Just a couple of suggestions for you:

1. Hill Country--Plan to spend a lot of time in Fredericksburg. The shops on Main Street are a lot of fun to browse and you'll enjoy the galleries. I particularly like Rustlin' Rob's (which offers free tastes of every Texas-centric product they sell) and Dooley's Five-and-Dime (which is a blast to the past of the 1960's). Don't miss the National Museum of the Pacific War which should be of interest to you since, based on your name, I assume you are coming from Australia. The self-guided driving tour and the guided tour of the ranch house at the LBJ National Historical Park are also well worthwhile. Finally, for a good hike, head out to Enchanted Rock. (Avoid the weekends, if possible, as it gets super-crowded and they sometimes have to close admission.)

2. Marfa/Ft. Davis--Even though I am from Texas, my first visit to this area was earlier this year and it was fabulous! The Marfa Lights may sound hokey (and I'm not a UFO believer), but there were some strange lights out there! But the best part is getting to see the night sky--I have never seen so many stars in my life! You might enjoy staying at Indian Lodge State Park outside of Ft. Davis. There's a good hiking trail from Indian Lodge to Ft. Davis which we enjoyed doing. Finally, be sure to get out to McDonald Observatory. They have Star Parties on the weekends which are worthwhile (if the sky is clear) and be sure to do the guided tour of the observatories--it's fascinating.

Personally, I'd drop your Houston-Corpus leg, and go from Houston to San Antonio.

We are going to Texas in two weeks, and I am curious what you mean by this. Are you referring to the drive between Galveston and Corpus Christi?

We are planning to spend a night in Port Aransas and to drive to Galveston from there..

HTtY

HTTY, yes, that's what I meant, but that's just my opinion. If the OP has a desire to see the coast, and wants to spend several days exploring the area, that's one thing. But it sounded to me like they are throwing darts at a map, and I have found that most people are honestly surprised by the amount of time of time it takes to travel across Texas. If they're looking for 'don't miss' and they're trying to see as much as possible, I just think it's a lot of empty road to cover just to say they saw Corpus. OP mentioned food, history and art, and that's not the coast.
I'm also interested in hearing what time of year the OP is planning on being in the area. I have camped on the coast this time of year, kayaked the inland waterways and it's great for a few laid-back days. Please don't take my suggestions to the OP as a reflection on the coast, I love the area and visit as often as I can. I just wouldn't put it on a must-see list.

Thanks, txgirl.

Do you have an opinion about Big Thicket National Preserve? We like walks (not hikes) in unique landscapes.

We will also be in Big Bend and environs, Del Rio, San Antonio, and the Hill Country and we are trying to decide if we should also visit Houston, Austin, Dallas and Fort Worth. We prefer small towns to big cities, but we don't want to miss any city of particular interest.

HTtY

PS We've seen so many museums that now we prefer visiting galleries to get a feel for local art scenes.

I haven't been to Big Thicket, and I've only driven through west TX, so no experience there. I did camp for a week on the Rio Grande near Del Rio, but that was a soul-searching trip and it was as far from home as I could get without going to Mexico! I love the Hill Country, and if it were a choice between Houston and HC, no brainer. DH and I spent a week last summer just doing the BBQ trail, Gruene, New Braunfels, Fredericksburg and surrounding areas. There are some gorgeous State Parks in the area for walking.

If you had one city to visit, I'd pick Austin, the live music, food scene, outdoor lifestyle and overall vibe makes it a personal favorite. If you have no other reason to be near the D/FW area, I'd say don't make the drive up. But if you're heading somewhere that takes you through D/FW, Fort Worth is the classic Texas Cowboy experience. Lots of history and not a 'big city' feel. Dallas is a lot more cosmopolitan. Hope that helps!

Hi txgirl

Thanks so much for your response!

My timings are a bit all over the place but we are hoping to kick off from Washington DC mid March or possibly earlier.

We are currently working in Canada so we are flexible.

Prior to Tx we will have been in VA,NC,SC,GA,TN,MS and LA.

Obviously there is a lot of timing issues. From TX we will hit NM,UT,AZ,CA etc etc.

The heat is going to hit us sooner or later But as you guessed we are Australians from the West so the heat isn't really concerning us nor the long drives lol.

My boyfriend loves the desert!

So all that being said lets say we will probably hit TX late spring possibly slightly earlier.

I have outlines on the other southern states which are still developing, just like Tx, its like putting together a jigsaw puzzle, which can give me the best bang for my buck.

Hence tough choices and cherry picking.

Sounds like the gulf coast could be on the chopping block. Though camping on a beach in our van sounds appealing for a day or so

But like you say if the destination isn't worth the journey then I can cut it.

I really like the itinerary for the drive that you suggested. Can you recommend any other stops on the way?

What about the boarder regions in the south? Is there anywhere worth stopping there on this kind of a trip?

Thanks so much for your help.

Gemma

Gemma, we could have a field day picking out places for you to stop along the way!!!

Are you flying down from Canada to a starting point, or driving over the border? And is this a one-way trip ending in Washington state? Or are you driving back across to the east coast?

The VA-NC-SC-GA route is going to be gorgeous in the springtime. Are you avoiding Florida? The southern Atlantic coast and the Gulf Coast between Florida and Texas should be good to cover your beach needs!

I am thinking you'll be hitting West Texas-AZ-NM during the hot months - and there are some long stretches of road - need to make sure the vehicle is up for it, and carry water.

Before we start suggesting specific stops, are you looking at interstate (major highway) driving, or are you sticking to the side roads?

Another thought (and only because I totally want to do this one day) - don't know if you're familiar with a US Food Network show called Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives - the host, Guy, travels all over and stops at some very cool joints all over the country - you can Google his list - might be an idea to bookmark restaurants he's been to if you happen to be in the area - he usually hits the funky, original, local places, so that might be a way to sample more regional food while you travel.

If you want to see a nice coastal area, make a stop in the panhandle region of Florida. Somewhere around Appalachicola would be great. After seeing that you won't need or want to see the Texas coast.

I second Enchanted Rock, but you will not be allowed to sleep in your van. Only tent camping is allowed.

And of all the cities you listed, do not miss Austin.

Also, if your boyfriend loves the desert I would actually not spend much time in Texas. Once you see the beauty of New Mexico, Colorado, and Utah, you will wonder what the heck you were doing in Texas all that time.

First of all, do NOT be like DMBTraveler's post - Texans in the cities do not speak like that, and those in the towns are far more refined. There are still cowboys and G-d knows there are plenty of rednecks (especially in East Texas), but insulting the locals isn't necessary. Texas has three of the largest cities in the US (Houston, SA, Dallas) and even San Antonio (the biggest small town in America) is becoming cosmopolitan. Fort Worth is a far more modern city than the Stockyards and its cowtown history lead outsiders to believe. And Austin is by turns a bohemian enclave, a college town, and a government city all at once.

Second, do not go to the Texas coast. Texans themselves usually prefer to go to the Gulf Coast, aka the Redneck Riviera that stretches from eastern Louisiana through Mississippi, Alabama and the Florida Panhandle. THOSE are good beaches and the people are almost as friendly as Aussies, although often far more sober. There's a reason that the Gulf Coast states run a TON of advertising here and California doesn't - the Gulf Coast is within driving distance, it's generally affordable for middle income vacationers, and the people are more like Texans than those nutters out on the West Coast who love their poncy little Priuses and high taxes.

I'd avoid most of the border regions - there's not much interesting there generally and the Mexican drug wars make the whole area uninviting. I'd also avoid El Paso - there are better places to spend your time.

Third, when you need to get from place to place, take the Interstates not the side roads.

Fourth, I agree with AustinTraveler - northern New Mexico is awesome and much of it is like the Red Centre of Australia only the base colors are tan and brown (haven't been to the areas south or east of Albuquerque like Las Cruces, Hatch, TorC, Carlsbad or Roswell). Colorado is a collection of natural wonders and, based on your timetable to visit, you won't have to drive I-70 in the snow (which sucks).

I just backpacked at Guadalupe this past weekend.
I would probably do Gualalupe Peak for your hike there9didn't do it this trip, but have previously). It isn't an easy one though. I would definately do it from the NM side. From the north you have Dog Canyon Camping and that would be awesome there too.

Definately see Carlsbad Caverns, which is only 45 minutes away or so from Guadalupe. DO NOT stay or eat at White's City(terrible terrible). I would highly recommend one of the wild cave tours there(available only on Sat and Sun-reserve as far in advance as possible-they only take 8 people per week on each tour-very amazing experience).

Another great place to see is White Sands NM.

Big Bend is somewhat similar to Guadalupe. I would consider doing a rafting tour there. See Victor the Singing Mexican(as seen on youtube). He jumps across the Rio Grande about every day to sing for tips.

Texas/gulf coast is totally different than those in WA or CA. Not even pretty at all compared to WA or CA(IMOP). Do realize that you will be doing a lot of driving. The good news is the speed limit is high in a lot of places in TX.

Of all the places you initially listed, the two that I would drop are Houston and Galveston/gulf coast. I'm not real familiar with the Houston art scene, but I would suspect it's not special enough to warrant a few days in that city. And the Gulf Coast (as others have said) has many other, better locations to spend time.

If you're going to Austin for food/music, you have to go to Nashville, Memphis and New Orleans for the same reasons. Well maybe not so much food in Nashville but the music should make up for it.

I would not classify the beaches on the Mississippi coast as 'good' beaches, unless you get out on one of the barrier islands. US 90 runs right along the beach in MS for most of the way - and the beach is not real wide so it isn't a quiet place at all. The storm sewers drain into the ocean so all kinds of crap and muck is out there - at low tide the exposed areas are black and disgusting. They even truck in sand from Florida as the natural sand isn't very nice. So, just go to the beach in Florida or get out on a barrier island on the gulf coast, much nicer beaches.

While most of West Texas might technically be a desert, it isn't pretty. Big Bend area is the best place for hiking and scenery if you're looking for desert landscapes. If it's hot, hike the desert early and then head into the Chisos Mountains in the afternoon. Stop at La Kiva in Terlingua for some real local flavor, don't miss the drive from Terlingua to Presidio along the Rio Grande, and take your time down there or you'll miss it all.

Thanks, txgirl, your comments have been a big help to me in reaffirming most of my choices and adjusting a couple others. HTtY

Any time - have a great trip!

<<I would not classify the beaches on the Mississippi coast as 'good' beaches, unless you get out on one of the barrier islands.>>

Alabama, Florida . . .

It depends on what type of beach your are looking for or what your perception of a beach is. For me, I don't like the gulf beaches at all. I do like it for fishing though.

<<Texans themselves usually prefer to go to the Gulf Coast, aka the Redneck Riviera that stretches from eastern Louisiana through Mississippi, Alabama and the Florida Panhandle. THOSE are good beaches>>

BigRuss, that was your initial statement. No need to point out Alabama and Florida as if I somehow overlooked that you had mentioned them, I simply wanted to give my opinion of Mississippi beaches.

Austin is a definate Must. Its a beautiful island in the middle of Texas.

Where is a good area or neighborhood to stay in Austin?

HTtY

Since I mentioned Carlsbad, I started thinking about the bats exiting. I have not seen the bats that are in Austin. I have always wanted to see them. I would suspect they would be there in the summer about the same time they are in Carlsbad. I don't see how their evening journey could be better than the Carlsbad bats, but I do know there is supposedly far more bats in Austin(not sure which bridge they roost). Anyway, if you are there when the bats are there, it would be a good thing to see at dusk.

We have been thru Austin a few times and do really like it. It seems they do have speed traps. I am always very careful there to go slow.

Where is a good area or neighborhood to stay in Austin?

HTtY

The only place to stay for visitors that I recommend is downtown. I would pick a hotel on Town Lake (nka Ladybird Lake) so you can walk downtown and South Congress. I've heard good things (on this forum) about Embassy Suites on Town Lake. I can't personally comment on hotels because I don't stay in hotels here!

Thanks guys for all of your replies. It really helps. So maybe we will skip the Gulf Coast. Austin is a definite. txgirlinba we'll have a camper van so we'll be driving from Montreal down the East Coast USA and across. This will be a one way trip. We don't plan on driving back to the East Coast. We'd like to stick to the side roads as much as possible but inevitably we'll end up driving on some interstates. We have already visited Miami and Key West so will probably skip the Florida coast this time around. What does everyone think about the museums in Fort Worth though? We've read good things about the Kimbell and Amon Carter museums. Are they worth stopping in Fort Worth for?

I think if you're doing the southern Atlantic coast and Gulf coast, skipping the TX coast is entirely reasonable.

If you're headed north after Austin, Ft Worth is well worth a couple of days. Great museums, great downtown area. Stay on highway 281 (runs parallel to interstate I-35, just to the west) - that will keep you off the craziness of the interstate and will take you through some nice little towns.

There's a state park near Ft Worth that's got dinosaur track fossils in the riverbed, good for an afternoon's walk around to stretch your legs.

Hey txgirl

We would only be heading North to visit Dallas/Fort Worth then heading West to Big Bend/Martha/Ft Davis and into New Mexico.

What towns would you recommend between Fort Worth/Austin?

Have you ever been to Houston? So far based on everyone the agreed must sees are:

Austin, San Antonio, Hill Country, Big Bend, Martha/Ft Davis.

I wonder if Dallas/Ft and Houston is just a bit to much. Not so much driving time but more the number of days used. I could whirlwind through but i dont want to short change.

When planning a trip like this i always have a serious case of FOMO (fear of missing out)!

If you're going to be in the Austin/Hill Country area and then headed for Big Bend, I would scratch D/FW. It's one hell of a long way around. There's nothing so spectacular between Austin and D/FW that you'd really be missing out, and there's not much at all between D/FW and Big Bend but a long and mindless drive through some of Texas's less appealing areas.

I don't have a whole lot of experience in Houston, I've been for specific activities, but usually only overnight trips or to the airport. Hopefully someone else can chime in.

I second the Enchanted Rock suggestion, as well as Fredricksburg, Gruene (pronounced Green), Kerrville area.

I second not going to the Texas Gulf Coast. If you've done the Florida beaches, then you'll be satisfied.

I second McDonald Observatory and Marfa area and Big Bed National Park if you have time.

While in Fort Worth, try to go to the Cowtown Rodeo in the Stockyards that is held every Friday and Saturday night.
http://cowtowncoliseum.com/

Definitely do the Kimbell, Amon Carter and Modern Art Museums - they are all within walking distance of each other.

Also DO NOT ATTEMPT TO GO INTO MEXICO! Border relations are not amicable at this time.