Howdy,

I need some advice from those of you who know something about Texas.

My best friend and I will be in Texas in the middle of Feb. We are flying into San Antonio on a Saturday, staying there a couple of nights. Then driving ourselves to Dallas, with a night in Austin (she has business in Dallas on Wed-Friday).

This would basically be our first trip to Texas (I was suppose to go in Oct, but didn't make it)


So my questions are:

Any towns we should see along the way?

We want to do a ghost town or two, which would you suggest?

Fun things to do in Dallas after 5pm?

And anything else you might find helpful to add.

We pretty much just like to travel and are interseted in seeing as much as we can.

Thanks for your help.

Hi, it depends what you like to do and how much money you have, do you want to sight see, hike, shop, see museums?

I don't know of any ghost towns between SA and Dallas.

Gruene Hall in Gruene Texas, just past New Braunfels, is kind of famous (was used in the movie Michael) and a great place to check out, but I don't know what's being offered in the middle of February.

Of course, there's tons to do in Austin, but I'll let others who live there chime in. It's usually a day trip for us with lunch at Trudy's if I'm lucky.

In Austin, stay downtown or just south of downtown on S. Congress. Try the Austin Motel if you're looking for reasonable prices. If you're into ghosts, the Driskill Hotel is supposed to be haunted. It's on Sixth Street downtown. I don't know of any ghost towns either.

There's plenty to keep you occupied for one night in Austin but it would be helpful to know your ages, interests, etc. If you click on my name you'll see a recent Texas thread where I responded with ideas on what to do in Austin. Check it out.

Sounds like fun!

Gruene is technically a ghost town and is now a big tourist attraction. It's been absorbed into the town of New Braunfels and is a fun stop, with various shops and the Gristmill restaurant, which is great. I am sure there are some actual ghost towns in the area, but it would take some research to find them.

Austin is a fun, funky town. Sixth street is a big party scene (and the Driskell Hotel is down there.) It might be a little subdued early in the week during February, but still worth a stroll. Austin Motel is on South Congress, which is also a fun area.

I assume you will take Interstate 35 to Dallas. If you do, take exit 353 and make a pit stop at the Czech stop convience store and bakery in West, Texas. Sample a kolache or a "puff" as you head on to Dallas.

Dallas is a totally different scene than Austin or San Antonio, so you will get a good sample of Texas cities. Do you know where you will be staying? The city is very spread out and you could spend a lot of time driving from place to place.

If you can get downtown easily while your friend is working during the day, you might enjoy the Sixth Floor Museum downtown, which chronicles the Kennedy assasination in 1963. It's an excellent museum and there are other things to see and do down there, including the Dallas World Aquarium. There's also a trolley that will take you to some trendy areas.

If you posts your interests, I am sure you'll get plenty of ideas from the Texas crew.

Besides the above suggestions, I'd check out New Braunfels between SA and Austin (NB has a strong German heritage with nice shops, stores and restaurants) and also Salado just south of Temple. The Salado Inn (which is just off I-35) was an old stagecoach stop in the early 1800s and is now an inn with a very good restaurant.

I agree with all the other posters. In San Antonio, stay on the river. We like the Marriott River Center; Boudro's is a great restaurant - good food and prickly pear margaritas. In Gruene, shop at all the cute antique places, get Bluebell ice cream, and enjoy the decks and food at the Grist Mill - we love their homemade wine coolers, and sometimes they have live music or you can just go to Gruene Hall next door. In Austin, we like to go to the Oasis for margaritas and to enjoy the sunset view over Lake Travis. Also like Hula Hut. In New Braunfels, our favorite restaurant is Huisache Grill. If you were going later in the year, I'd say to tube the river or hit the Schlitterbahn, but it will be too cool for that in February. Ghost towns are not very common, but you can probably do a search on the internet to find some haunted hotels, etc. Have fun!

Thanks for your help so far.

We are 30ish and like to do a lot of local things when we travel together. So museums are good, get a feel for the history of the area.

We want to experience as much as Texas as we can.

About the Ghost Towns...I think we were thinking of like, 'old west' type of towns, not actually haunted towns. We are a couple of scaredee cats when it was comes to that kind of stuff. Sorry I confused everyone.

In San Antonio…we are planning to tour the Alamo, the mission’s tour, eat at Boudro’s (for the guacamole), and the Riverwalk. Anything else we should do? We are flying in Saturday afternoon (2:30PM), planning on spending all of Sunday and then leaving Monday for Austin. So I was thinking have a late lunch at Boudro’s and the Riverwalk on Saturday and everything else on Sunday. Good?

We were thinking of going to Fredericksburg on our way to Austin. I know it’s not ‘on the way’ but is it to far out of the way? We defiantly want to visit at least one small town on our trip. Big cities are great, but I think that the smaller towns are what make up the feel of the state. Or should we just visit New Braunfels?

For Austin…we haven’t a clue. So far we are just winging that one. So any suggestions would be helpful.

Dallas…I think we are staying in the Addison area, her company already booked the room. We want to do the Sixth Floor Museum. What about good places to eat for dinner in Dallas in the mid price range area? We aren’t opposed to driving.

Thanks again.

To put it gently, there aren't really any "wild west" towns left in Texas unless you go REALLY far west, and even then they are not the romantic ideal I fear you have - more like tiny towns with one stoplight and a bunch of old trucks in people's lawns.

For authentic "small town" feel, you might stop in Lockhart, which is south of Austin. There is some good barbecue there and a nice town hall - have you ever seen the movie "Waiting for Guffman" - part of it was filmed in Lockhart.

The recommendation to stop in Gruene (pronounced "Green") and eat at the Grist Mill is spot-on.

In Austin, if you are looking to keep it cheap stay at the Austin Motel. It used to be a "house of ill-repute" but has been redone and all the rooms are a different theme. The Hotel San Jose is also cool although the rooms are more spartan - it's minimalist but the patio is a great place to hang out at night with a glass of wine. Both are located on South Congress, which has plenty of walkable restaurants and shops. If you have a car, I'd say ABSOLUTELY check out the Whole Foods flagship store on Lamar Blvd between 5th and 6th. It is like the Disneyland of food, and there are tons of tables to sit and have a delicious take-out.

For restaurants, I like the new Bess, which is owned by Sandra Bullock. It is on the pricey side, but very cool. On West 6th Street.

Word of warning, sometimes February is the coldest part of winter in Austin. Several years ago it iced for a week in Feb (of course the next week it was 70 degrees). So definitely check the weather before you pack.

(P.s. I would skip Fredericksburg. Too far out of the way, and I think it's a disappointment)

Definitely agree with skipping Fredericksburg and going to New Braunfels/Groene instead. Many love Fredericksburg but it is just a long line of cheesy shops and gets old fast (just my opinion here). Groene has just the right amount of shops and you can eat at the Grist Mill.

In Austin, check out the Capitol Building, Bob Bullock Texas State Museum, the Driskill hotel, Whole Foods (don't miss it!), Town Lake (nka Ladybird Lake) Hike and Bike Trail, South Congress Street for funky shopping. A good place for TexMex is Chuy's on Barton Springs Road. Drive up to Mount Bonnell (about 10 minutes from downtown) and walk up the steps for a good view of Lake Austin. Drive out to the Oasis on Lake Travis for incredible views!

Have a great time!!

Well, we like Fredericksburg a lot, but I'd stick with New Braunfels considering the time you have. Fredericksburg (and the rest of the Hill Country) is great in the late spring/early summer with their festivals, spring flowers and peaches. I wouldn't consider it a winter destination.

And yes, you really have to get to far West Texas to see true "ghost towns". I'd scratch that this trip.

Have fun.

I like Fredericksburg a lot but as mentioned, the time of year affects what you can do there. The Rockbox Theater has a fantastic live music show but it's only on the weekends.

I second the motion for the Czech Truckstop in West. Great colaches. There are outlet malls in San Marcos (near Austin) and Hillsboro (closer to Dallas) if you like that sort of thing.

The Kennedy museum is really neat and it's right next to The West End part of Dallas that has lots of shopping and restaurants. The World Aquarium was mentioned and it's pretty neat also.

Weather can be bad in February or it can be 80 degrees. You never know.

If you want to get off the interstate and truly out of the cities to sample small-town Texas, you could do in on your way from Austin to Dallas. This will take a little longer, but is a neat alternative to the Interstate.

Take a look at a Texas map and you'll see several roads that you can take over to the west from the Austin area to Highway 281. You could take 290 west out of Austin to hit 281,then go north. This would take you through Johnson City ( birthplace of LBJ) then through Burnet and Marble Falls (very pretty) and a number of other little towns. I've heard the is fantastic.

You could also hit 281 further north of Austin if you wanted. We have done this before just to alleviate the monotony of the interstate.

You would take 281 to 67, then go east into Dallas. On 67, heading you will pass through Glen Rose, home of Dinosaur Valley State Park, where there are hundreds of dinosaur tracks. Ranch House barbeque is a neat little place with a western vibe.

I think you girls will have a great time, whatever adventures you encounter!

What kind of night life are you interested in?

oops -- missing words --I have heard the Bluebonnet Cafe in Marble Falls is fantastic.

Thanks everyone.

I love all your suggestions. So we'll stay away from Fredericksburg and do Gruene (have to remeber to say Green)

jayne1973- We will look at those routes. Thanks. For night life, we pretty much like it all but we aren't 'clubby' type of girls.

On your drive from Austin to Dallas, you might want to stop in Abbott for lunch at The Turkey Shop. It's an old-fashioned cafeteria style restaurant that serves the best smoked turkey (dinners and sandwiches) I have ever eaten. This place will give you a real feel for "small town Texas". Abbott is also the hometown of Willie Nelson and it's located right off I-35 about 22 miles north of Waco.

For a nice place in Addison for dinner, drinks and nightly live jazz, there's Soho.

Here's a Web site where you can some good info about things to do in Dallas: guidelive.com

Hey, i just returned from a similiar trip!

During the 2 nights we were in San Antonio, the water in the Riverwalk was undergoing its yearly cleaning --i.e no water in it! No boat rides, but still fun to walk and eat along.
However, I was surpirsed by the rundown state of downtown. Hadn't herd or read anything about that. There was a 24 hour guard posted in front of our Riverwalk hotel (the Drury Inn). I would not stay on that end of Riverwalk again. Around the block, on the way to Market Square, were some rather shady areas. This btw was the #2 rated hotel on Tripadvisor!

IF i were returning, i would spend BOTH nights (instead of just one) at the Hyatt Hill Country Resort, about 10 miles from downtown. A beautiful, peaceful place with amazing customer service , done in a Texan casual, friendly, unobtrusive way. I It's on a former ranch and there are signs describng their inheritances from the ranch, --eg the old windmill. You can relax there one day, drive to some of the hill country towns perhaps--and head downtown San Antonio on the next day. Warning--it was VERY hard to get in gear after relaxing at the Hyatt. Just a lovely, lovely place with a true, untouristy, Texan feel--NOT overdone and tacky, but genuine and "laid back."

After the Alalmo--which is amazing--walk through its gardens. Then head across the street to the original part of the Hotel Menger. go into the three story lobby and look up at the stained glass. If you dont already know the story of Texas independence, read a bit or perhaps watch the newer (wtih Dennis Auaid0 DVD of "the Alamo."

I loved seeing the beautiful State Capitol and its surrounding park, in Austin.

Bon voyage, y'all!!

Cali, we did a girls' weekend at the Hyatt Hill Country a few months ago; we really thought it was charming too, and they have a wonderful spa on the property.

My husband and I stayed at the St. Anthony Wyndham for the Alamo Bowl - it was a pretty bad hotel, and I wouldn't recommend it; the rooms have not been updated in years, carpet and wallpaper were ripped, paint peeling off the ceiling, etc. Also lots of homeless people in this area, so did not seem all that safe.

If you only have one night in Austin I think you need to leave San Antonio early on Monday. You have a lot that you want to do for just one day. If you want to stop on Gruene and then spend time in Austin, I'd say be on the road no later than 9AM. That will give you time to find Gruene, spend a few hours there, have lunch, then be on your way to Austin.

And if you want to shop, there is a HUGE Outlet Mall in San Marcos which is about 30 miles from Austin.. THen maybe leave SA about Midnight on Sunday... ;-)

San Antonio is a great city. You will have a blast exploring it! Don't miss the Alamo and the Missions. Hit the Riverwalk and if you want to shop there are some great places. Downtown is not all San Antonio is about (at all!) so be sure to do some other things while you're there. If the Rodeo is still going on, you should hit that or see the Spurs play. On the Riverwalk, Zuni Grill is a great resturant, but to get a better feel, don't miss Liberty Bar! Great Food! On your way from Austin to Dallas, you should stop in Salado to visit a Texas small town. There are cute shops and resturants and it is a true 'small town'.