First-time visitors to Texas

I'll let the Texas experts answer about the cities. Just wanted to point out that spending 10-12 days in 3 or 4 cities will not let you see what Texas is really like. You'll need to get out of the big cities and visit some of the rest of the state for that - Texas is so much more than Houston, San Antonio and DFW.

Arjana, I'm sure you've done a lot of research for your trip to Texas (my home state), but I think you are missing the best city in Texas, Austin, and the surrounding area called the Hill Country. Austin has some of the best of everything Texas has to offer--music, food, outdoor activities, culture, history, etc. I think you and your teenage boys would love all the things to see and do in Austin.
The Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo is from January 16th - February 8th, 2009. If you really want to see a rodeo, this one would be a good one to see. See the rodeo website for details: http://www.fwssr.com/
There are also some good art museums in Ft. Worth which are worth a visit if you enjoy art. I would choose Fort Worth over Dallas for your visit, but if you aren't going to be in Texas during the time of the Rodeo, I'd skip both
Dallas and Ft. Worth and head straight to Austin.
If you can manage 12 days in Texas, you can see Ft. Worth, Austin, San Antonio and Houston. I would plan on 2 days in Ft. Worth (museums and rodeo), Austin and Hill Country (4 days), San Antonio (3 days) and Houston (3 days).
Hope y'all have a fun time in Texas.

We live in Oklahoma and we go to Dallas several times per year to shop and eat. We have been to all of the major cities that you mentioned in Texas several times. I can't imagine teenage boys enjoying a trip like you have indicated. All of the cities have good shopping and great places to eat. There isn't much to do activity wise at any of these in the winter. Yes, there is Football or Basketball, Professional or Collegiate level. The theme parks aren't open then. Schlitterbahn is great along with a couple of other Theme Parks.

I just don't invision most boys getting into art, museums,shopping for 12 days. Maybe I am wrong.

You might want to consider Big Bend for 3 or 4 days.

In Houston, NASA might be interesting . . it is south of Houston on I-45

From San Antonio to Dallas . . consider stoping at Gruene . . near New Braunfels . . http://www.gruenetexas.com/

Bandera would be another place to get a feel for Texas.

If you are driving between Houston and San Antonio, try the BBQ in Luling at the City Market.

How about Austin and the hill country?

Since you will have a car, I'd suggest staying at Great Wolf Lodge in Grapevine. It has been open less than a year and has an indoor water park. The boys might enjoy that in January. While in Grapevine, you might want to do a bit of shopping at Grapevine Mills....they have some stores like Hot Topic and American Eagle that boys might enjoy. Try the Ft. Worth stockyards. For Dallas, google "American Airlines Center" and see if there is a Mavericks (basketball) or Stars (hockey) game when you are in the area. In January, you might even be able to catch a Cowboys game (American football.) The sixth Floor Museum in Dallas is well done.

Just noticed your question about the rodeo. The Ft. Worth Stock show and Rodeo runs from Jan. 16 to Feb. 8.
http://www.fwssr.com/

Thank you all for your quick responses.

Now I believe I'll have it easier to decide what to do and how long to stay in a city. Also, I'm looking forward to putting Austin into our plans.

As to rodeo, we'll be in Texas in the first half of Jan. Does that mean that we won't see a rodeo? What a pity that would be!

We very much want to and I'm sure we'll find time to visit the surroundings of the big cities I've mentioned.

As to teenagers, I'm not worried about them, I'm sure they'll enjoy themselves - you know, we come from a small country, and visiting Texas will be something completely different, new and certainly entertaining.

But what about the safe areas?

Thanks
arjana

I looked up the season for the Mesquite Championship Rodeo and unfortunately, it is April to September.

If I were you, I'd choose Houston OR Dallas, San Antonio and Austin. Dallas has Ft. Worth, which is where you get the cowboy culture. Houston has the Space Center. But I think just from "looks", the two cities will seem pretty much the same to you.

With all of the devastation in Houston from Ike this past weekend, I might skip it on this visit. 3 months seems like a long time for the region to clean up, but many areas will be without electricity for up to a month! Galveston was devastated, and will be uninhabitable for quite a while.

If you want to see a rodeo, the Fort Worth Stock Show is a MUST!! It is the World's Original Indoor Rodeo, and is truly one of the best in the country. You'd also do well to visit the Fort Worth Stock yards, which are in a different part of town from the Stock Show. The Stock Show draws large crowds so hotels in the immediate area will be very full. I'd try to get a room along I-30 whereever you can get one.

Even though I am a resident of Grapevine, I'd say skip the Great Wolf since you have teenagers. This resort is great for younger kids, but teens will find it too kiddy. (They have "storytime" by the fireplace each night, with the story read by a costumed character...not what most teens would consider "cool!")

San Antonio is always fun, but in the winter, it is a little more sedate. Sea World and Fiesta Texas will not be open. Of course the Alamo and the IMAX theatre will still be open, as will the Riverwalk. If your sons enjoy history, check out the other 5 missions which are national parks. I'd stay as close to the Riverwalk and downtown as possible since this is where the action is!

Since winter is off-season, you should be able to get some good deals on hotels!

Thanks for your suggestions.

Galveston was one of the cities we wanted to see, but now I'm not so sure after Ike. I hope the citizens will return to their homes a.s.a.p.

So it seems no rodeo for us this time, since the first half of Jan. is the only time when we can travel.

arjana

As other posters have said, I suggest Austin. It is IMHO by far the prettiest and most entertaining city in the state. Live music and the best food (and the biggest portions!). Dallas and Houston are interssting but they pale by comparison to Austin.

arjana, we have a son who lives in Houston so we have been there often. It is a huge city, traffic is awful. The Space Center is well worth a visit but other then that IMHO it is just a big, big city with huge traffic problems. Galveston has a lot of destruction, there's a lot of rebuilding to do there.

I agree with putting Austin in your plans, check: http://www.fredericksburgtexas.com/

I second Longhorn's reply to include Austin and the Hill Country. The Texas State Museum tells the story of Texas, but I've never seen it myself. I hear it's great, but I can't get my 16 year old son to go with me! If you want both cowboys and culture, Fort Worth is the choice over Dallas, but they're close enough together that you can really see some of both cities in several days. It's only a 30 minute drive or train ride between them. You have to say you've at least been to Dallas. Stay in downtown Fort Worth near Sundance Square, with restaurants, shopping, movies, etc. all in walking distance. Space Center Houston is boring and geared more to small children-we went last year and were extremely disappointed. There are some very fine museums there and by January, I expect the hurricane damage will be cleared. You will like San Antonio best of all for the beauty, history and ethnic culture and it will be warmer there. But, January in Texas isn't the best time to enjoy the outdoor activities that your boys might be interested in. I've never been to Big Bend, but I hear the scenery is spectacular. That's a long drive, though.

Enjoy your visit! I've only seen pictures of your country and it looks beautiful-such picturesque coasts.

Thank you, centex, for your compliment on my country. Yes, it's beautiful indeed, especially the Adriatic coast, and when you decide to come over, I'd be glad to offer advice.

So Austin it is! After reading all your suggestions and checking all the sites that you've mentioned, I decided to visit the Texas capital and the Hill Country. Really a beautiful region.

We've been to the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, and I suppose the NASA center in Houston won't be much different, so I guess we'll skip that too.

We'll probably be flying into Houston, so we'll spend a couple of days there before heading west, where we'll spend most of our holidays. We might fly back home from Dallas, in which case we'd certainly go to both Forth Worth and Dallas.

Please keep your suggestions and recommendations coming. It's so much easier to plan such a trip if you have lots of 'insider' information.

Thanks
arjana

I recommend that you spend one night in Houston, just to get your clocks reset. If you're not doing NASA, move on. San Antonio or Austin are easy drives.

The Fort Worth Stock show starts Jan 11, 2009, if that helps. Sea World in San Antonio is open the second week of January. The countryside West of San Antonio and Austin is attractive in a subtle way, although in winter it will be brown.

San Antonio and Dallas have pro basketball teams and Dallas also has hockey. The boys would likely enjoy any of these games.

Much of the flair of TX in Jan. will be winter dormant--sorry.

How old are your boys and what are their interests? What are your interests?

The reason there aren't many rodeos in January is twofold:
1. The Pro Rodeo National Finals Rodeo is in mid-December. The cowboys take a break after that for Christmas and New Year's, and then Fort Worth kicks off the new season in early January. Fort Worth Stock Show first, then Houston Livestock Show, then the San Antonio Stock Show.
2. The weather in Texas in January can be COLD, so all of the early pro rodeos are indoor. The weather for Fort Worth is notoriously bad...if it is icy and below 20 degrees outside, you know it's Stock Show time!!

arjana, I have lived in Texas for 25+ years, the last 20 in the Dallas/Fort Worth area and Houston before that.

I would be very happy to give you more information regarding where to stay in the area (on a budget) and where it is "safe".

My maternal grandfather was born in Karlovac, and I hope to visit Croatia one day to see my family's homeland.

Please feel free to email me and I can give you some more information regarding hotels and safe areas. And anything else you want to pick my brain about!

paulam910@hotmail.com

Repeat after me: "Y'all come back now, y'here?"



Paula

you have gotten some great info so far!!!

I would agree to skip the big cities.

please visit the state capitol in Austin.

Texas is big, do your research on driving times.

please try all of our "Texas" food.
Bar-b-que, Tex-Mex, chicken fried steak, and Dairy Queen ice cream.

I hope yall have a great time!!

also, please check out the talk forum on tripadvisor.com there is a lot of "Texas Talk" on it, good info there also!

I received my new Texas Fodor's book (free becauase I was quoted) and since it's brand new, it's really up to date. I'd recommend that you buy a copy.

Thank you all for your advice. I appreciate it very much. Please keep it coming.

I was planning a day trip to Galvestone. However, after reading about Ike, I'm not so sure if this will be possible in January. I'm sorry for all those people there.

We'd certainly like to see the beaches of the Gulf and even go for a swim in January (?).

My boys are 17 and 14 and are into sports very much.

We all want to visit museums where we can find more about the history of Texas. The Alamo is a must.
We want to see a rodeo (but have to go home before January 12) and cowboys and eat local food. A dude ranch, maybe? Dairy Queen sounds great, what about Bluebell Icecream?

DH and I would like to dance in a salloon where everybody is cheerful and happy and wearing cowboy hats and boots, if you know what I mean, but I've seen it in the movies.

I can't possibly leave the States without outlet shopping.

We're open to suggestions.
arjana

When you are driving from San Antonio to Austin, you will pass two HUGE outlet malls in San Marcos.

Someone above mentioned New Braunfels/Gruene (outside San Antonio). There is a place there called Gruene Hall, which is an old-fashioned dance hall. I don't know the hours, but I think they have live music. Also not sure of the dress code. Gruene is also fun for poking around - lots of little antiques stores and boutiques (hand-made jewelry and stuff).

Hi, arjana. So glad you'll be coming to Texas! I live in the Panhandle, but have family in the DFW area and Austin area and previously lived in Houston. My suggestions:

Houston: Taste of Texas Restaurant--one of the best steaks I've ever had and lovely surroundings. http://www.tasteoftexas.com/ It is a little pricey though so might not fall within your budget. I would also skip NASA and Galveston. Outside of Houston is Old Town Spring which is a neat little community. http://www.oldtownspring.com/ Might give you a taste of "big Houston" and quaint towns outside of Houston.

San Antonio: You must have Mexican food and margaritas here--yum! I love the Alamo (it just never gets old to me). Contrary to what an earlier poster said, I do believe Fiesta Texas (large amusement park) is open from January 1-6. Your sons might enjoy this. Definitely walk around the River Walk.

Austin/Hill Country: I'm so glad you're adding this! It's wonderful! The Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum is a must! They have an exhibit "Cowboys and Presidents" open until January 4. http://www.thestoryoftexas.com/ There are a lot of dives with great live music you'll want to visit(only some of which your sons will be able to get into so make sure and check). The capitol is wonderful as well. I'm guessing you'll drive from Houston to San Antonio, San Antonio to Austin, then to DFW. If you happen to venture out to the Fredericksburg area (and thought charming, I don't think I would, but if you do), it's not that much more of a drive to Llano, which is home of Cooper's BBQ, one of my all time favorite BBQ spots in Texas http://www.coopersbbq.com/.

DFW area: I'd go with Fort Worth as well. How about the Fort Worth stockyards? http://www.fortworthstockyards.org/

As previous posters mentioned, really study drive times and in all of these metro areas, be cautious of traffic and heavy traffic times. I hope you have a wonderful trip!

Oops! Forgot---I definitely second the poster who mentioned the San Marcos outlet malls--the best in Texas IMHO. There are two: http://www.tangeroutlet.com/sanmarcos
and http://www.primeoutlets.com/cntrdefault.asp?cntrid=1042
You could hit these on your way to Austin from San Antonio.

Also, here is the information on Gruene hall: http://www.gruenehall.com/ It's the "oldest dance hall in Texas" and quite fun.

Taste of Texas is more than "a little pricey" (but it is fabulous steak).

If you do eat there, counter it with BBQ at The Salt Lick outside Austin - inexpensive, delicious BBQ where you sit at picnic tables.

http://www.saltlickbbq.com/

They drain the river in San Antonio early every January. Lsat year, they drained it on Jan. 2 and the Mud Festival was Jan 10-13, so I assume the river was a canal of mud from Jan 2-13th. I can't find the dates for 2009, but you may want to email the city to see if you can find out when it is. It's worth going to San Antonio even if there's no water in the river, but you might want to check into it so you can plan accordingly.

I'm glad they've convinced you to include Austin and the Hill Country. Trying to get the flavor of all of Texas will of course be a challenge with the number of days you have and the distances you have to travel.

If part of what you want to experience is the sheer vastness of the state, here is an imaginary itinerary:

You fly in to Houston. Stay overnight and get over your jetlag, pick a few highlights for the day. If you are a little crazy and need some gumbo, you could take an hour drive east on I-10 to Al-T's in Winnie. (I had to say it, when I'm in the area on the other side I always take a side trip, I don't care that it's an hour). Sorry, I don't know Houston hotels so can't help you with that.

Then, drive to Austin. It'll be about 2 1/2 hours according to triptik. (it may be or less depending where you are leaving from in Houston. Houston is a huge sprawl with a ton of traffic) People who live in Austin can give better details than I, but there is a good music scene there, Barton Springs, and there used to be some freeway bridge where the bats roost (Austin-ites, is that still around? Is it seasonal?). You could stay there, or, an idea is to venture into the hill country and make that your base for a few days.

Several years back when visiting my dad in Wimberly we were able to rent a two bedroom cottage, fully furnished, full kitchen, fireplace, direct TV, the whole deal for a good price. There was a sleeper bed too so the whole family could stay. With something like that you really would be in the heart of Texas and it's a good jumpoff for day trips to Austin, Wimberley itself which is a cool little village, Luckenbach--the song from Willie Nelson Fame, Johnson City, Blanco, Gruene that is mentioned above, Fredericksburg--a very German town that is well-preservered, the sceneic route along Devil's Backbone, and more!

Let's say you stay three days there. Now head towards San Antonio. Stop in San Marcos on I-35 at the outlet malls. If this is really a big deal to you, you honestly could spend a whole day and there are many discount hotels right near there. You could pop over to San Marcos to eat at a steakhouse I think is called Red's and have some of the best steak ever. You could also visit the University there where the very sad event of the shooting took place.

Then it's on to San Antonio. No, you cannot miss the Alamo! I read a great trip report here not long ago on San Antonio with some things I hadn't thought of, I'll have to see if I can find it. Anyway, let's say you have now used up about 6 days of your time. If you want a beach, maybe you could go from San Antonio to Corpus Christi or Port Aransas. Maybe 3 hours.

But, if I really were doing this trip, I would get ready for a really long drive and get to know Texas. I would head for Big Bend. Yes, you will drive for hours and hours, with not much in sight. What better way to understand what a massive state it is? And then Big Bend will be completely unique for you. Maybe 7 hour drive from San Antonio. If you do this, you have now used maybe 7 days. Spend the next two to 3 days in Big Bend, hiking etc. Then either drive to Midland/Odessa and drop your car and take a Southwest flight back to Houstin to fly back home, or make a massive long haul drive back to Houston. Sometimes, the driving is everything that Texas is about.

Okay, that's very long, but it's an idea! If it is an idea you like, maybe we can all start giving you details on places to stay, places to eat, etc.

arjana, if you have a spare day, I would be happy to take your family to my sister's ranch in Bogata.
She has a 3000 acre beef ranch with lots to see and do...
You can email me at webjetter@yahoo.com if you are interested in getting to know me and my sister.
She has hundreds of photos of her life and farm on photobucket.com
I am a travel professional born and raised in Dallas. I live 5 minutes from Southfork, which is not a big deal but often something people from other countries want to see

Anyway, let me know if you are interested...

Thank you all,
I've read somewhere that people from Texas are very friendly and this is so true. And hospitable, as well. TxTravelPro, thanks for your offer, but I don't think we'd go that far as Bogata (Northeast of Texas, right?). By the way, bogata is a Croatian word meaning rich.

I have checked all the sites and places you've recommended and my plan is slowly shaping up. I'm thinking something along your lines, Toucan2.

I don't think we'll do Big Bend, though. We should leave something for next time. Then we'll have a reason to come again.

Do dance halls let kids in? They're 17 and 14 year old boys.

arjana

Once you get your itinerary set, check back in and we can recommend restaurants and hotels.

The dance hall mentioned, at Gruene (and there is actually one at Luckenbach) can often be very family oriented. It's not like a honky tonk bar. Depending on the event you'll pretty much see all ages (and I do mean all!) at them. Maybe you'll get lucky and someone will teach you the Texas two-step!

BTW, here's another link with a lot of good information around Gruene.

http://www.touringtexas.com/gruene/

Fort Worth - Cowtown Rodeo in the Stockyards will be going on the early part of January. Visit this website for more detail.
www.cowtowncoliseum.com/news.asp

Billy Bob's or the White Elephant Saloon (both in the Stockyards) will have dancing.

Also, if you visit the Austin/Hill Country area, visit Enchanted Rock - a large granite rock your kids would LOVE to climb. It is near the Fredricksburg / New Braunfels area.

Check out this small B&B in Sundance Square in downtown Fort Worth called Etta's Place. It has ties to Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.
www.ettas-place.com/

Enjoy your visit to Texas - it's a GREAT State!!

There's so much good advice here I don't have much to add but here goes:

It's hard to say if Galveston will be ready for visitors yet even in January. As a plan B you might look at Port Aransas. Please check back with us about Galveston when the time gets closer. I will be in Houston in November and we might take a drive to Galveston so I might be able to answer that question by then.

I think the biggest "don't miss" in Texas is the San Antonio Riverwalk, but unfortunately they drain it for cleaning in January. This year it will be drained from Jan 2-9 so if you can be there outside those dates try to plan that. Here's a bit more info and a great pic of the Riverwalk at night:

http://www.sanantonio.gov/dtops/riverdrain.asp?res=1152&ver=true

Aside from the Riverwalk there are many more attractions in San Antonio:

http://www.sanantoniotourism.com/

I live in Austin which is the capitol of TX and also worth a visit. I am sorry to say this, but if time is limited I must recommend San Antonio over Austin, especially when kids are involved.

I think you are in for a lot of surprises, Texas is not what you see in the movies. You mentioned getting a feel for the real Texas, but what some people don't realize is that Texas is a very large and diverse place and each part can be very different.

Thank you for your interest in Texas and welcome to our state. I sincerely hope you enjoy your visit and take home many great memories.

You've been offered ALOT of great suggestions for Texas, but there is always something to do. If you fly into Houston,there are several "unusual" museums your boys might like:the art car museum (http://www.artcarmuseum.com), the houston fire museum (www.houstonfiremuseum.org), and the funeral museum (www.nmfh.org). Also could catch a professional sporting event here as well. San Antonio is about 3 hours away. If you like driving off the beaten path, you can go from Houston to San Antonio through Brenham, where they make Blue Bell ice cream. There you can take a tour of the creamery and sample new flavors. Just outside Brenham is a small town called Independence, where the Texas declaration of independence was signed. There is a small museum and lots of bed and breakfast homes-some on ranches-where you could stay. Texas really is a friendly place, stop at any small town store and ask the clerk where to go and you might want to change your plans and follow their suggestions. Austin is great, and in their own words "weird". Tour the capital for sure. Around San Antonio are some great old missions if you've got time for those too. Its a lot of territory to cover in a short amount of time, but come back often, we're always happy to see you!!

FYI- outlet malls, I agree that San Marcos is the best, but Just if you need another option, there is Grapevine Mills, In Grapevine, Texas ( which is Dallas) and in Hillsboro, which is south of dallas/Ft. Worth. let us know your itenerary!

Thank you all - your advice is greatly appreciated.

We still don't know when we're coming - the reason being that DH is an airline employee, so we travel when there are open seats, on stand-by. This means that planning our vacation is always a bit more challenging, but we don't complain.

Most of the things we want to visit can fit easily in our itinerary, no matter when we come or where we fly into (Dallas or Houston). However, there are two exceptions:
We must be in San Antonio before they drain the Riverwalk, Jan 2 (thanks P_M) and we should be in the Dallas area on a rodeo day, Fridays and Saturdays, plus New Year's Eve and New Year's Day.
(thanks jill-h).

We are free to leave after Christmas and have to be back home on Jan 11, the latest.

arjana

I have lived in Texas all my life. You HAVE to visit Austin! The music, food, people, and the hill country around it is beautiful! I live in Houston and I would recommend staying in Midtown or Rice Village. Lots of cool bars, restaurants, people....whatever you do, DONT DO NASA! It's very over rated and very far!! I would check out the Galleria (in Dallas or Houston) lots of good shopping. If you do get a chance to come for rodeo you HAVE to go. It's a lot of fun and you can get a glimps of who Texans are. Good fun, good music, and lots of Beer! Be aware of 7-9am traffic and 430-6pm traffic. Wish you were coming during Baseball season (

UPDATE ON GALVESTON:

UPDATE ON GALVESTON:

As I promised in my earlier post I can now give you an update on the situation in Galveston, as I was just there yesterday.

As you may recall Hurricane Ike hit in mid-September. Galveston was devastated and declared uninhabitable for a time. Since Galveston re-opened there has been some healing but so much of the city is still closed. The historic Strand District was mostly empty, as well as Pier 22 where you will find the ship Elissa and many great seafood restaurants. There are so many repairs to be done around the city and it made me sad.

But here's the good news: The major hotels such as the Galvez and a few others along the seawall are open and anxious for your business. I saw people in the water yesterday enjoying thier day at the beach. The Bishop's Palace lost a window or 2 but it's still drop dead gorgeous. And the beautiful ship Elissa is open for tours.

I did not visit Moody Gardens yesterday but according to their web page it looks like they are open. Moody Gardens is well worth a visit.

http://www.moodygardens.com/

So to answer your question, YES please visit our beautiful seaside city of Galveston. You will be most welcome.

PS Sorry for the silly post above, I hit "Post my Reply" prematurely.

Welcome to Texas and thank you for coming.

Here are some other things to see and do in Dallas:

Dallas Visitors Center, downtown, corner of Main and Houston

Dallas Farmers Market, including one of a kind items in large indoor shed

McKinney Avenue Antique Trolley to West Village

Dallas Museum of Art

Nasher Sculpture Center

Crow Asian Art Museum

Latino Cultural Center

Ice Skating in hotel next to Pearl Street rail station

Holocaust Museum in West End

Dallas County Historical museum in West End

Dallas World Aquarium (indoor zoo) in West End

Historic graveyard and sculpture of entire cattle drive in Pioneer Park

Recreated village of Dallas in the 1870s in Old City Park

Spiral building with spiral stained glass ceiling in Thanksgiving Square

Frontiers of Flight indoor aircraft museum

Womens Museum, 2 science museums, aquarium, railroad museum, auditorium featuring Broadway Roadshows, in Art Deco Fair Park

Quaint shops in Bishop Arts District

Hiking trails in White Rock Lake

Katy trail for hiking, running and biking through Dallas' Uptown district

Reunion Tower (if open when you arrive). Stunning view of the city

Koreatown shopping district

Ride DART Rail to Dallas Zoo

Ride DART Rail to Dave and Busr=ters video game arcade at Walnut Hill station (good for teenagers)

It should be mentioned that the West Village area has a bicycle shop that will rent bicycles. You can then bike your way either up the Katy Trail toward the Knox-Henderson district, or down (south) thru Uptown and on to downtown Dallas.

The shop is on Blackburn street, just west of its intersection with Mckinney Avenue.

You can get to the West Village in one of three ways. The #21 bus will take you there. The DART rail system has a subway station on the edge of the West Village... take either the Red or Blue Lines. Finally, the McKinney Avenue Trolley (a charming ride in an antique trolley car) picks up from the Dallas Museum of Art's west side and takes you through Uptown to the West Village.

Incidentally, you might also want to visit the Mockingbird Station area from the West Village. The #21 bus also takes you there, but the Red and Blue DART rail lines also have a subway station, just 1 stop from the West Village station.

be sure to give us a trip report!

westtexas- I have been in touch with Arjana and, unfortunately, they had to postpone their trip.

I know she'll be back here for help when they are again in a position to travel to US.

too bad, thanks for letting me know!

Wow! I'm glad I clicked on this thread. We are considering visiting Texas in March for a couple of weeks, and this thread has so much great information.
Austin is high on our list - for the music if nothing else. I'm glad there is more to the area than that
I shall visit all the websites mentioned and may start a thread of my own when I know more about our trip.
I am sorry you didn't make your trip Arjana - I hope you get to make it soon.

Thank you all for your suggestions for this trip that had to be posponed, unfortunately. I hope there are travelers out there who will find this thread useful.
I'm still convinced that I, too, will be one of those to use the information above - we have only postponed our trip, not canceled it.
However, as we travel on standby and there are little or no chances to board a US-bound plane in the summer, we'll have to wait till winter and then embark on our much desired Texas adventure.
In the meantime, if you decide to visit Croatia, I'll be here to answer all your questions.
arjana

arjana - thanks for reporting back and hope the trip works out soon. And thanks for offer of info - Croatia is on our list!

Trip recommendations about Texas would not be complete without a mention of the high plains/panhandle region. Having been raised there, I thought it was the most boring place in the world. Flat, dusty, essentially treeless and waterless. Now after being away for 40 years, I find the Llano Estacado fascinating. Start with Amarillo and venture to Palo Duro Canyon State Park. Next to Big Bend Nat. Park, it looks like a Texas movie stereotype.

Then get off of the interstate and drive the small roads through cotton country. The farms are pristine. The area around Lubbock, TX is the largest geographical region of the world in terms of cotton production. Catch the museum at Texas Tech University for a first rate early pioneer experience.

Then off to Abilene for views of the wide open spaces with mesas, dry wash gulley creeks, and oil fields. From Abilene head for Ft. Worth or San Antonio.

West Texas is a worthy of serious consideration.

arjana, Croatia is high on my list of places to visit too!! I hope I can benefit from your advice soon.

I'll be glad to share with you whatever I can about Croatia. You can also send me an email: arjanab@yahoo.com
I'm still dreaming about Texas and I'm sure my dream will come true next winter.
In the meantime we'll be travelling around Europe.

Interesting. We have to go to Houston for our grandaughters graduation, St. Agnes. We have to be close to the galleria and can't find up-to-date info on Hotels in that area that are nice. UNBELIEVABLE. even had to order a Frommer's travel book; there is non in the book stores. Does anyone know anything about the Houston Post Oak Hotel? we need fresh air for asthma; the Derek and St. Regis has no fresh air- It was reported on a travel site that the J.W.Marriot, Galleria, had bed bugs last year... Any info please. Thanks, Kathy

Kathy, I've never heard of the "Houston Post Oak Hotel." Do you mean Hilton? Or Houstonian? I'm not sure what you mean about "fresh air for asthma." Details, please.

Kathy, if you mean air conditioning I can promise you that every hotel in the city of Houston has it. But please clarify, I would like to help.

I've stayed at the Galleria Mariott and had no problems with bedbugs.

Kathy I just had another thought. If you called a hotel and asked if they have "fresh air for asthma" they probably had no idea what you were talking about. I am also asthmatic but I haven't a clue what you mean either. I can guarantee you that every hotel in Houston will have air conditioning and at least some non-smoking rooms. They just don't build anything in this part of the country without a/c.

Please do post back, I am very familiar with Houston and I want to help you.

There is a Hilton Hotel - Houston Post Oak located on Post Oak Boulevard, is that the one you are asking about?

Here is trip advisor's thread on it:

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g56003-d98944-Reviews-Hilton_Hotel_Houston_Post_Oak-Houston_Texas.html

I'm sorry but I'm not sure what is meant by "fresh air for asthma" either.

Kathy, have you thought about staying somewhere like the Lovett Inn? It gets consistently good reviews. It looks like it would allow you to easily get outside to get fresh air or to open the windows since it's a B&B. The J.W. Marriott gets good reviews too. I can't imagine they would have a pervasive problem with bedbugs.

Hi All, Thank you so much for your responses, sorry my comments weren't clear, funny how you think everyone knows what you mean-of course. By Asthma,need fresh air, I mean we need windows or doors that we can open to the outside. Thanks Beach Girl it is the Houston Post Oak Hotel, which looks good on the web, has what we want, was designed by I.M. Pei, but isn't listed in Frommers or Fodor's and have had really good luck with Fodor's. Although Fodor has written only one book on Texas. P_M, I had a good laugh over your idea, I'm sure they may even ask "does it come canned"?. Haven't looked at the Lovett,would like a pool and is it by the Galleria or So. of it? The reports on bbugs JWMarriott Galleria are on Trip Advisor. I agree it's strange,usually like Marriott, but bbugs are a problem and why would they single out this one hotel?? I even called the Health Dept., they kept referring me but said there are many problems. Know any thing about the Hilton Post Oak,? read some good reviews. If you had one day to visit Houston, what are the primiary sites to see, besides NASA space center? Thanks again, K

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g56003-d82200-Reviews-Lovett_Inn-Houston_Texas.html

This is the link for tripadvisor reviews of the Lovett Inn. I believe it's in the Montrose area. I've read a lot of good reviews of it on this board.

If you're down by the Space Center, I would have lunch or dinner on the Kemah Boardwalk and maybe go to Galveston to Moody Gardens. In Houston itself, I think the best things are shopping at the Galleria, going to the museums like the Natural Science Museum with its IMAX theater and butterfly center or going to the Museum of Fine Arts or the zoo, taking in a Rockets game or an Astros game - Houston has great stadiums, taking in a show at the Wortham, the Alley, or Jones Hall, and eating out at some of our great restaurants. Houston has just about any kind of food you would want. For a special celebration, we like Mark's.

Thank you for your link to Lovett's Inn, I belong to trip advisor and they're good also; and for the idea of Mark's. As everything is A/C, are summer clothes worn? Is H.S. graduaion in Houston, a private school, a dressy, med-dressy event? Thanx, Kathy

For the high school graduations we've gone too, women have worn suits or a nice dress that you would wear to church. We went to one last May, and that seemed to be what everyone was wearing. It was an indoor graduation and heavily air conditioned like everything else in Houston! Mark's is a neat place - wonderful chef, and the restaurant is built in an old church so it has neat architecture. http://www.marks1658.com/ is the link. I'd make reservations if you think you'd like to go.

Kathy - I live/work near the Galleria. Don't know of a hotel called "Houston Post Oak Hotel" (google turned up nothing). There are lots of hotels in the Galleria area ranging from very expensive (Intercontinental) to very moderate (Embassy Suites). But anything built in the last 50 years will have AC and likely to have hermatically sealed windows, so the idea of a B & B probably fits your situation better.

The Lovett is quite nice (about 4-5 mi from the Galleria, but very easy to get to). It is near the museum district (Museum of Fine Arts; Comtemporary Art Museum; Museum of Natural Science; Cockrell Butterfly Center; Children's Museum; etc), Hermann Park; Rice Univ. and the Zoo, with some great restaurants nearby - so location in general is very good.

Many if not most graduations, whether public or private, are held outdoors. [vg was lucky if she went to an indoor graduation]. It's usually hot, so you're not expected to dress up. Very few coats/ties - business casual (slacks/sports shirts for men; nice cotton dress for women) would be appropriate. Even with AC, summer clothes are usually worn everywhere. I don't specifically recall where St Agnes usually has their graduation, but check with your friend/relative so you'll get the details.

I believe their graduation is at the Catholic Charismatic Center indoors but double check me. If it's outdoors, I agree you should wear something the will keep you cool because it could be quite hot. Congrats on having a graduate in the family!

We have had two grandchildren graduate HS in Houston and both graduations were indoors. Our 21yr old granddaughters was held in the old Astrodome (huge) and our 19yr grandson's was held in a building the school board built especially for these kind of function. (also big but not as huge as the Astrodome) Cotton pant suits or cotton dresses were worn.

Kathy,

Well I certainly missed the boat on the "fresh air for asthma" meaining. Here's the reason. When I was a kid my asthma was much worse than it is now. We were traveling in a part of the country where not every hotel had a/c. My asthma attacks were much worse without a/c becuase the outdoor allergens would set me off. But in your case it sounds like indoor allergens are the enemy.

I hope you will enjoy your trip to Houston.

I understood what "fresh air for asthma" meant but I laughed because I understand why most Houstonians didn't understand it. Growing up with asthma and particularly sensitive to indoor allergens, I understand completely.

Yes, people actually do open their windows in other parts of the country I try to do so as much as I can when I don't have to run the heater or air conditioner but if I'm doing something like painting, even if it's hot outside, I will open the windows to ventilate, if even a crack (but keep air running). It's the only way to rid the house of toxins.

I always got asthma growing up but I never do now and I live in the allergy capital of the US, so I must be doing something right