arjana

Hi,
we're a family with two teenage boys, planning a visit to Texas this January.

We intend to spend 10-12 days in the cities of Houston, Dallas or Ft. Worth and San Antonio. Will that be enough to experience the flair of these cities?

Please recommend safe areas of these cities where we can book a hotel, or even better, tell us which parts to avoid, if any.

We'll be renting a car and we don't mind being a bit off the center, especially as we're traveling on a budget.

We want to visit both Dallas and Forth Worth, but I'm wondering where to stay. Both are nice cities, as I've already read, but is there anything that can make me decide easily?

Will we be able to visit a rodeo in January?

We're from Croatia and would very much like to see what Texas is really like.

Thanks
arjana

WhereAreWe

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.

longhorn55

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.

spirobulldog

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.

Rich

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.

sheri_lp

How about Austin and the hill country?

missypie

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.

missypie

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/

arjana

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

missypie

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.

ChristieP

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!

arjana

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

sallyjane3

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.

cd

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/

centex

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.

arjana

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

39N105W7800Ft

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.

Austin

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

ChristieP

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!!

sarge56

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!

[email protected]

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



Paula