mizscarlett

Hello. I am planning a trip to Texas with my family. We will be traveling the first week in Sept. Although we have traveled this route, between Dallas and Houston, many times, we have never really taken the time to explore--it has always been just another highway. This time, we would like to find some interesting little towns to stop in on our return trip. Does anyone have any suggestions for some "hidden gems" anywhere along there? They don't have to be towns just right off the interstate-we are willing to travel a bit off the beaten path. We have 2 girls, ages 10 and 7. My husband and I both enjoy historical places. Museums are fine, as long as they have something of interest for children. Just any ideas that you can come up with will be appreciated. Thanks!

rkkwan

A steam train runs between Palestine and Rusk on weekends. Palestine is about 60 miles off I-45 on US287, and you can then pick up US79 to get back onto I-45.

http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/park/railroad

Closer to Houston, there's Lake Conroe.

Binthair

Corsicana, just south of Dallas is home to the Collins Street Bakery. This place makes some fine edibles, including the only edible fruit cake in my opinion.

mizscarlett

Thanks for the responses so far! I will do some checking into those ideas. Any more ideas out there?

Barblab

In Huntsville the Texas prison museum, honest, it's interesting! Just south of Huntsville is the big Sam Houston statue which is worth a stop.

Binthair

Good call. Don't miss "Old Sparky".

mizscarlett

I was looking at things in Waco. Any comments about the Dr. Pepper museum, paddleboat tour, Texas Rangers and Texas Sports Halls of Fame, and Homestead Heritage Craft Village? These sound kind of interesting, but would like others' input, if possible.

Keep those ideas coming, Texans! Thanks!

rkkwan

Waco is quite a detour for Dallas-Houston, so if you're willing to do that, you can also go to College Station. The George HW Bush presidential library's there at Texas A&M University.

ChristieP

Waco is on I-35, not I-45. It would be a LONG detour!

A god place to eat between Dallas and Houston is Sam's Restaurant in Fairfield. It is "home cooking" with meat, potatoes, veggies.

The Bush Library at TAMU is neat, but I doubt that 10 and 7-year olds would get anything out of it.

mizscarlett

It looks to me like Waco is about 55-60 miles east of I-45 on US84. If there are several things for us to do there in a day's time, it might be worth it for us to detour that way. Then we could continue on our way on I-35 to head home, maybe even going through Ft. Worth instead of Dallas (we are heading north to Kansas). I also thought about the Bush Library, but wondered if it was something my kids would find interesting. They are fairly well used to touring museums. We might not be able to do the entire library, but maybe a few parts.

As I said in my original post--we are just looking for any ideas and then we will try to narrow down the possibilities. We would really like to go over to Fredericksburg, but it is just too far for us to fit into our itinerary this trip. So, I am looking for someplace (or places) that are just as unique and/or interesting.

rkkwan

Waco is about 65 miles west of I-45. But if you go there, then the best way to get down to Houston is by Hwy 6, which goes through Bryan/College Station. It then joins US290 and is freeway into Houston.

dwoodliff

I grew up in Waco and still live nearby. I have been trying hard to think of something of interest for a 7 and 10-year-old girl. Honest. When my kids were growing up, we always LEFT Waco to find something to do. (There was the Brazos Queen paddlewheeler, but it flooded out earlier this week.) One of my best friends has 9-year-old twin girls, and another has 12-year-old granddaughters. I will try to get in touch with one of them, and find out what there is of interest in the area. There is the relatively new Cameron Park Zoo, but I haven't been there, so I can't tell you much about it. I'll get back with you later.

Donna

ChristieP

The drive from Fairfield (on I-45) to Waco (on I-35) is horribly desolate. There is not even a gas station once you leave Mexia until you arrive in Waco! Personally, I avoid making this drive unless I have to!

Have you considered stopping in Brenham to see the Blue Bell Creamery? Your girls would probably LOVE that!

Barblab

If you decide to detour over to Waco I think your kids would enjoy The Dr. Pepper Museum and tour, as well as the Texas Ranger museum as we took our kids when they were about that age. The Bush library at A&M is diffenitly worth a stop and not all that big if you were in the area. ChristieP wins first prize for suggesting the Blue Bell tour. I hear there is a miniture horse farm you can tour near there too but have never been. Save Fredricksberg for a San Antonio, Austin, hill country tour. Please report in when you return and tell us your route. Have fun!

mizscarlett

Dumb me--I meant to say that Waco is west of I-45! I really do know how to read a map!

The Blue Bell Creamery sounds great! I'm getting so many good ideas now, that we may have a hard time deciding. But, since we have family in Houston, we will be there again sometime, so if we don't get to do everything this trip, we will do some things next time.

dwoodliff

mizscarlett: I talked to my friends tonight about something in the Waco area that your daughters might like.

In Waco, they recommended the new Mayborn Museum, with numerous hands-on science exhibits for kids, on the Baylor University campus. "A" said her 8 and 10yo grandsons especially like the museum, and were begging to go back. There are several good casual restaurants in Waco we like, including George's (which is always crowded with locals and Baylor students, but has great food), Buzzard Billy's (less crowded, but visually more interesting), and a number of chain places (Cracker Barrel, Texas Roadhouse, Red Lobster, etc.) There's also an amusement "area" for kids called Doc and Laddy's Family Fun Center.

Both friends highly recommended Dinosaur Valley State Park (and Fossil Rim Wildlife Ranch) in Glen Rose, 70 miles NW of Waco. I checked their websites and also found the Best Western Dinosaur Valley Inn and Suites, a nice-looking place to stay in Glen Rose. From there, you are only 50 miles from Fort Worth.

Another route you might consider from Houston to Waco is this:

Go north on I-45. Stop in Centerville at Woody's Smokehouse (Shell station) for beef or turkey jerky, assorted cheeses, and baked goods made on the premises. We always bought the turkey jerky and a whole loaf of homemade raisin bread to eat in the car.

At Buffalo, take the 2nd exit, and go east on Hwy. 164 through Groesbeck and Mart. Cut off on Hwy. 7 to get to Waco.

I don't know if it would interest you or not, but Westfest in West, TX (famous for its Czech bakeries and located 15 miles north of Waco), is on Labor Day weekend. Also, the Central Texas State Fair will be at the Bell County Expo Center in Belton (40 miles south of Waco) on 9/2-6.

Donna

mizscarlett

Thanks so much everyone! I am going to print this out and show it to my family. I will post back after our trip and let you know what we saw and did and ate!

dwoodliff

mizscarlett: In case you decide not to visit the area around Waco this time, I wanted to tell you about a new attraction for 2005 that was described in the Waco newspaper today.

In the works at the Cameron Park Zoo is a new Brazos River Country exhibit, which sounds great for kids. Set to open early next year, it will include 700 animals, an aquarium, climbing areas, a clear tube slide through an underwater otter playground, and a waterfall. According to the article, Waco city managers are hoping the exhibit's innovative design will make Cameron Park zoo a statewide tourist attraction.

Donna

wsoxrebel

It will still be hot then so what about tubin'? Or Schliterban? Or the caverns?
We did the Dr Pepper museum once and were underimpressed. We also tried to find the fruitcake place one time but wasted about an hour driving through the town, stopping at train tracks. I also recommend the Forth worth zoo over the Waco one.