luckymom Posted June 1, 2009 Share Posted June 1, 2009 Hello! I need your recommendations.. I am planning a three-day trip to one place in Texas: where to go/what to see? San Antonio for the Alamo? Austin because it's hip? A smaller town where my cowboy-crazy kid can see REAL COWBOYS? Ideally, we would see the Alamo, see cowboys (maybe a rodeo), and eat yummy tex-mex. Please help. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TXMomof4 Posted June 1, 2009 Share Posted June 1, 2009 I would vote for Ft. Worth. The zoo is wonderful. The Natural history museum is great. The cattle drive through the stockyards is an experience. You're not far from Glen Rose - an easy drive and Dinosaur Valley State Park. Sundance Square is fun to just browse around in. That would be my choice probably - San Antonio is fun, but I'd vote FW. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TwinMominTX Posted June 1, 2009 Share Posted June 1, 2009 Hello! I need your recommendations.. I am planning a three-day trip to one place in Texas: where to go/what to see? San Antonio for the Alamo? Austin because it's hip? A smaller town where my cowboy-crazy kid can see REAL COWBOYS? Ideally, we would see the Alamo, see cowboys (maybe a rodeo), and eat yummy tex-mex. Please help. Thanks. If you want Alamo, a rodeo and Tex-Mex, I think your best bet is San Antonio. Tejas Rodeo Company puts on a rodeo each Saturday night in Bulverde, Texas which is just outside of San Antonio. Their website is tejasrodeo.com. Austin is also fun and you can easily do San Antonio in a two or so hour drive. Have fun! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeathenMom Posted June 1, 2009 Share Posted June 1, 2009 San Antonio! there are some really nice caves in the San Antonio area as well. the Cave Without a Name is particularly nice. it'll be hot, so be prepared! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orthodox6 Posted June 1, 2009 Share Posted June 1, 2009 (edited) San Antonio ! ! ! Not even just for the Alamo (which is, of course, central to our folklore and history, and which should be visited) ! Sea World. Institute of Texan Cultures. The Riverwalk and Markets. People-watching. Remnants of the Hemisfair exhibition. Great food ! (including the unabashedly tourist-trappy "Mi Tierra", which is a "Don't Miss !" Etc. [see Chamber of Commerce info for more] Of the three choices, I would rank Fort Worth in second place, and would endorse all the reasons cited by TxMomOf4. My dd also loves the Cowgirl Museum there. http://www.cowgirl.net/ Also the "male counterpart" -- http://www.texascowboyhalloffame.com/ Museums are top-notch, as is the Zoo. Check for current music performances at the beautiful Bass Hall. . . . Hmmmmm Perhaps I should revise this to a "tie" for the two cities ! ". . . a smaller town where . . . see real cowboys" Fort Worth is a big city. For "real cowboys", I think you have to head into West Texas. FW is "tourist cowboy", I have the impression. (except during rodeo season, when "the real thing" is showcased) People who still love Austin, please don't read the rest of this post. At least, don't send me "hate mail" ! :) Austin no longer is pleasant. It started downhill during the 1980's, Condo-menace began marching across the city, destroying myriad old, irreplaceable, beautiful homes. Town Lake (which no longer even bears that name) now looks like a maddened porcupine from the air, with endless (and ugly) office buildings perforating the skyline. There no longer is any "space" separating Austin from the once-separate towns of Round Rock and Georgetown. (Urban bloat, in other words.) I don't know about "hip". Not a word I would employ any more in description. Driving from north-to-south through the city (and reverse) affords great opportunity for listening to audiobooks during the daily ant-crawl traffic stack-up on IH-35. . . . I lived in Austin from 1977-1985. Lost my heart to the city ! ! I think now that I moved away in the nick of time. Edited June 1, 2009 by Orthodox6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinRTX Posted June 1, 2009 Share Posted June 1, 2009 I think Fort Worth would be great also for all the reasons TXMomof4 said. There is also the Cowgirl Museum where my 8yo loves to pretend riding a bucking bronco. Also there is a rodeo every weekend. Take a look at the site http://www.cowtowncoliseum.com (I don't know how to include a link). Of course I would not vacation in Fort Worth, but only because this is all in my backyard. The only thing I haven't done is the rodeo. We never seem to have time for it. Linda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luckymom Posted June 1, 2009 Author Share Posted June 1, 2009 :001_smile::001_smile::001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teamturner Posted June 1, 2009 Share Posted June 1, 2009 If you go to Ft.Worth, don't miss Kincaids (I think that's the name of it) for lunch/dinner. It's a great hamburger place close to the zoo/museum area. Organic beef and it's been there for a long time. A little history lesson while you eat. We love going to Glen Rose and Dinosaur Valley State Park! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
i.love.lucy Posted June 1, 2009 Share Posted June 1, 2009 People who still love Austin, please don't read the rest of this post. At least, don't send me "hate mail" ! :) Austin no longer is pleasant. It started downhill during the 1980's, Condo-menace began marching across the city, destroying myriad old, irreplaceable, beautiful homes. Town Lake (which no longer even bears that name) now looks like a maddened porcupine from the air, with endless (and ugly) office buildings perforating the skyline. There no longer is any "space" separating Austin from the once-separate towns of Round Rock and Georgetown. (Urban bloat, in other words.) I don't know about "hip". Not a word I would employ any more in description. Driving from north-to-south through the city (and reverse) affords great opportunity for listening to audiobooks during the daily ant-crawl traffic stack-up on IH-35. . . . I lived in Austin from 1977-1985. Lost my heart to the city ! ! I think now that I moved away in the nick of time. Well, I won't send any hate mail, but will respectfully disagree. I guess you are entitled to your opinion and if you don't like it so much, then it's a good thing for all of us that you moved away.:tongue_smilie: Town Lake has been renamed out of respect for Ladybird Johnson who has done SO MUCH for the beautification of Texas. While it's hard to get used to calling it "Ladybird" Lake, it's a fitting tribute. And Austin has grown because it's a great place to live and raise a family. Cedar Park, my home town and suburb of Austin, was recently named by Family Circle magazine as one of the top 10 best places for families. And I can say that it is. :D Austin is still very hip, very fun and has lots and lots to do, but maybe it's not the "cowboy" experience the OP is looking for. And San Antonio is an even lovelier example of urban sprawl. But it is a fun place to visit. What's already been mentioned is fun, and I would also add that if you have a little extra time, the zoo there is very cute. For what you are looking for, I'd also vote on Ft. Worth. Museums, restaurants, rodeo, all of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shannon C Posted June 1, 2009 Share Posted June 1, 2009 I would pick San Antonio over Ft. Worth. Ft. Worth is nice, but not as great for a vacation, IMO. I've been to both many times(lived outside of Ft. Worth for 2 years). As far as Austin goes, I love it, but not really vacation material--more of a day trip. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeatherLynn Posted June 1, 2009 Share Posted June 1, 2009 I would vote for Ft. Worth. The zoo is wonderful. The Natural history museum is great. The cattle drive through the stockyards is an experience. You're not far from Glen Rose - an easy drive and Dinosaur Valley State Park. Sundance Square is fun to just browse around in. That would be my choice probably - San Antonio is fun, but I'd vote FW. I LOVE Fort Worth too, but it's my stompin grounds, so I would. Ft. Worth is also known as "Cow Town". Now, not too far from San Antonio is Bandera Texas. It is Cowboy Capital of the world. They have "Cowboy" stuff going on every weekend. They have great cabins, dude ranches (great for you and your kids), and cowboy saturdays down town. http://www.banderacowboycapital.com/ I highly recommend it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jubileex5 Posted June 1, 2009 Share Posted June 1, 2009 I live in the Austin area, and besides the Bob Bullock museum there isn't much else I would recommend. I think that San Antonio would be a better choice. We personally enjoy Dallas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tedearly Posted June 1, 2009 Share Posted June 1, 2009 San Antonio all the way. Don't forget the missions, and the River Walk has recently been lengthened with a working lock. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KRG Posted June 2, 2009 Share Posted June 2, 2009 Another vote for San Antonio--we were there for 3 days last summer and still did not have time to do everything on our list. Austin--lived there 4 years. I don't think of it as vacation material. You can see the capitol building and walking around downtown is fun and interesting, but most everything can be done in a few hours. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jubileex5 Posted June 2, 2009 Share Posted June 2, 2009 And if you drive through the city of West on the way to San Antonio, make sure you stop and get the kolaches which is what the city is famous for! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeatherLynn Posted June 2, 2009 Share Posted June 2, 2009 And if you drive through the city of West on the way to San Antonio, make sure you stop and get the kolaches which is what the city is famous for! I live right outside of West...yup, yum. They have a great steakhouse too. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mari Posted June 2, 2009 Share Posted June 2, 2009 San Antonio all the way. Don't forget the missions, and the River Walk has recently been lengthened with a working lock. :iagree: ...so I'm biased. If you have time, please do try to work in a mission trail and see the beautiful and well preserved missions. Start it off at the Institute of Texan Cultures to get the full explanation of it's historical significance to Texas' early days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halftime Hope Posted June 2, 2009 Share Posted June 2, 2009 and also wanted to add, that just north of SA is New Braunfels with the beautiful Guadelupe River for crystal clear tubing...doesn't get any more beautiful than that!! NB also has Schlitterbahn, a beautiful half-natural, half-chlorinated waterpark. The older part has hillside, spring-fed water slides, the newer half is like any other water park in the US = a great, unique venue for families. Bandera and NB might make a super day trip if you skipped Schlitterbahn and just did tubing morning and early afternoon then skipped on up to Bandera for an evening rodeo. hth Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Alte Veste Academy Posted June 2, 2009 Share Posted June 2, 2009 I LOVE Fort Worth too, but it's my stompin grounds, so I would. Ft. Worth is also known as "Cow Town". I'm from Fort Worth and love, love, love it! It's my home town and when DH retires from the Army, we will get up there ASAP. There are tons of things to do and the best way I can describe it is to say it's a big city with a small town feel. I wouldn't want to live in Austin or San Antonio. I do get that urban sprawl thing about them. However, partially because OP is not going to be in TX during late Jan/early Feb to partake of the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo (where the real cowboys are found) or for the cattle drive (truly a sight to behold), I will have to agree with the suggestion of... Bandera Texas. It is Cowboy Capital of the world. They have "Cowboy" stuff going on every weekend. They have great cabins, dude ranches (great for you and your kids), and cowboy saturdays down town. http://www.banderacowboycapital.com/ I highly recommend it. Wonderful stuff and close to San Antonio. San Antonio has lots of vacationy stuff to do and the Alamo is a must see. But just for a vacation, as my heart belongs to Fort Worth. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brehon Posted June 2, 2009 Share Posted June 2, 2009 Hello! I need your recommendations.. I am planning a three-day trip to one place in Texas: where to go/what to see? San Antonio for the Alamo? Austin because it's hip? A smaller town where my cowboy-crazy kid can see REAL COWBOYS? Ideally, we would see the Alamo, see cowboys (maybe a rodeo), and eat yummy tex-mex. Please help. Thanks. I'd base in San Antonio. There is so much to see and do in and around the city. If you have 3 days, I'd spend 1 day in Austin -- it's just a couple of hours up the road. There is a lot to see/do in Austin, as well. A good place to check for local happenings is www.kut.org (one of 2 local public radio stations in Austin). Another option is a day trip in the Hill Country -- there are tons of neat places to go, things to see, roads to drive and most of it can be (a) started from either Austin or S.A. and (b) done in a day. Pack a picnic lunch and head out! Check the state Parks & Wildlife Dept (I think this is where you'd need to check) for Hill Country day trips. There's also a book called, umm, The Texas Hill Country (or something like that) which has nearly 200 pages worth of Hill Country drives. Skip Schlitterbahn (in New Braunfels) -- yeah, it's lots of fun. It's also expensive and horridly crowded (at least for this introvert). Tubing in Gruene (pronouced Green, located between Austin & S.A) is fun, but can also be fairly crowded. I'm not sure if the river level is high or not right now. I live northwest of Austin (actually not very far from i.love.lucy!) and really like this area. Between Austin and San Antonio you'll find *tons* to do and see!! I really think you'll get the best bang for your buck here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiguirre Posted June 2, 2009 Share Posted June 2, 2009 I'd choose SA too. We've gone for a couple of long weekends with guests and there's a lot to do for all ages. Rodeo season is over (at least here in Houston) so I'd take advantage of the Tejas rodeo if you can. Have a good time! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PineFarmMom Posted June 2, 2009 Share Posted June 2, 2009 San Antonio, hands down. I have lived all over TX, and have lived in the DFW area, and while it is fun and a great place, I just don't think I've been anywhere in TX comparible to SA. I'm in agreement with the poster who isn't crazy about Austin. It has a few interesting points, but SA is just wonderful. Plus, if you go to SA, you aren't too far from Austin so you could run down there and do a quick run-through in a day or so and go back to San Antonio. New Braunfels is midway between the two (about 45 minutes) and Schlitterbaun is there and is soooo fun if you want a waterpark!! The zoo is fun, plus there's a train around it that will take you to the children's museum which is great. You could start early and do those in a day. The Alamo and downtown is fun. The riverwalk is just a great place with a great atmosphere that you could include in the evening on a day-trip downtown and to the Alamo!! There is Sea World and Fiesta TX. There is also a good mall there at the end of the riverwalk. I know there are a few neat museums in the downtown area and GREAT restaurants. We just ate at one about 2 months ago. I need to ask dh. It was some of the most delicious, fresh, chic Tex-mex food I have ever eaten (I never knew there could be chic Tex-mex, but it was). My kids still talk about how delicious that food was, and Tex-mex is not a new thing to them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PineFarmMom Posted June 2, 2009 Share Posted June 2, 2009 I live right outside of West...yup, yum. They have a great steakhouse too. :D Oh man!! I've had those kolaches. They are divine!! I love driving through that part of TX. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dalynnrmc Posted June 2, 2009 Share Posted June 2, 2009 (edited) And if you drive through the city of West on the way to San Antonio, make sure you stop and get the kolaches which is what the city is famous for! I'm from West (though we don't live there now), and IF you drive through West (if you come down I-35, you will, but don't blink :lol: ) and decide to stop and get kolaches... PLEASE take the time to go downtown (it's a full 6 blocks from the highway) and get them from The Village Bakery. I'm married to a baker, ((who started baking in West at the age of 15, has baked at every bakery there - including the ones that are no longer there - and is 31 and still baking,) and he highly recommends this one... and NOT the big Shell station on the highway. ;) Please. (Okay, now to read the rest of the responses, formulate a response to the OP, and PM the pp who said she lives near West! LOL) ETA: I second the Fort Worth suggestions. There's just a ton to do there. I've also lived all over Texas, though admittedly not west of the panhandle. ;) I'm currently about halfway between Austin and San Antonio, not far from San Marcos. This is a gorgeous area, for sure. San Antonio would not be a bad choice at all! Plus, you could make a day trip down to the coast - Corpus has a fantastic (the state) Aquarium. I second the "awful Austin" sentiment, though. We *just* moved out of Austin, and I am *so glad* to be outta there. If you come to San Antonio, take 183 out of Round Rock and skip that awful Austin traffic. 183 out of Austin and south of it towards Lockhart, then exit at hwy 21 for a few miles, and take FM150 back to the interstate at Kyle. PM me for more precise directions, if you'd like. They'll take you within a baseball's throw of my house. *giggle* Or, take the new toll road. $6 til the free space, and it takes you back to the interstate at Buda. Anyway. So much to do in Fort Worth, there's no need really to mess with the rest of it. Not in a 3-day trip. ;) Edited June 2, 2009 by dalynnrmc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aurelia Posted June 2, 2009 Share Posted June 2, 2009 I second (or third, fourth or fifth) the votes for San Antonio. You get Texas history, cowboys, and loads of other stuff. Tourist stuff there: San Antonio Zoo Alamo Ripley's Believe It Or Not The Riverwalk & mall Plus the tex-mex there has more "mex" there than in the northern parts of the state. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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