Texas Vacation

The Lone Star State is known for its wide open spaces and its hospitality. A Texas vacation offers great cities, food and local history. There is a coastline, stretching for 600 miles with some serious sandcastle building competition going on. No one could possibly be bored here. There are six big theme parks with roller coasters and rides for family days out. The Texas State Aquarium at Corpus Christie includes displays of sharks, stingrays and barracudas. Many annual events appear on the calendar, such as the Texas State Fair, which takes place in Dallas. There is also the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo where you can watch the riders, listen to concerts and go on the carnival rides. A Texas vacation wouldn't be the same without rodeo, it's big business and it's always entertaining.

The cities of Texas are all worth a visit. Dallas and Houston are well known for their skyline with impressive skyscrapers and both cities have interesting museums and culture. Houston has its own Grand Opera Company, Ballet Company, Symphony Orchestra and a drama venue called The Alley Theatre. There is also the ArtCar Museum with a collection of custom cars and the Museum of Natural Science. Dallas museums include the Age of Steam Railroad Museum and the African American Museum. Other cities of note are San Antonio, Fort Worth, El Paso and the state capital, Austin.

Football and baseball are popular activities and there are plenty stadiums to catch a game. The Texas Rangers and the Houston Astros are prominent baseball teams and the Dallas Cowboys are worth a ticket for football fans. Keen golfers love a Texas vacation; the warm climate means that golf can be played at any time of the year.

Texas has an interesting history, with its attempt at independence from the United States and its conflicts with Mexico. The residents here have a strong sense of identity. Visitors interested in the subject can visit the significant sites. There is also a Texas Film Tour, which stops at locations used for the movies, the most famous example being the Alamo. The fort still stands where John Wayne fought to the last, at least in Hollywood.

For the very active, there is plenty of opportunity to do sports or take up a new one under instruction. The landscape is ideal for outdoor adventures and there are organizations that offer rafting, canoeing, biking on road and mountain, rock climbing, hiking, sandboarding and horseback riding.

They know about big portions in Texas and no one goes hungry on a Texas vacation. Food is celebrated in festivals, barbecues and jamborees with tasty Texan, Mexican and Spanish being the main influences. Brave visitors may even be tempted into entering the State Jalapeno Eating Contest!