San Marcos

San Marcos is the largest town between Austin and San Antonio on I-35. It's home to former President Lyndon B. Johnson's alma mater, Texas State University, the crystal-clear Aquarena Springs that feed the San Marcos River, and the Southwestern Writers Collection at the Alkek Library. For the most part it's a college town, but most visitors to San Marcos buzz right by downtown and hit the state's best outlet-mall shopping at the Prime Outlet and the Tanger Outlet malls.