Articles tagged with "Texas"
Texas suits a relaxed, curious traveler well: missions, museums, river cruises, small towns and some of the best food in the country. Planning around two things, heat and long drives, makes the difference between a tiring trip and a great one.
Texas cities and major attractions are generally accessible, and the Americans with Disabilities Act sets the baseline. TSA Cares helps at the airport, and national and state parks publish their own accessibility information, park by park.
Texas holds some of the most important places in African American history: Galveston, where Juneteenth began in 1865; the Emancipation Parks that freed communities bought for their celebrations; and the Buffalo Soldiers National Museum in Houston.
Four big events shape the Texas calendar for visitors: RodeoHouston in March, Fiesta San Antonio in April, Juneteenth in June with its roots in Galveston, and the State Fair of Texas in Dallas in the fall. Each one fills hotels, so plan around it.
Texas culture draws on Mexican, Tejano, African American, Anglo, German and Czech roots, among many others, and its manners are warm and direct. A few customs, from the dance hall to the rodeo arena, help a visitor fit in.
Texas food is a set of strong regional traditions: Central Texas barbecue, Tex-Mex and the taqueria, Gulf seafood on the coast, and the kolaches and sausages that German and Czech settlers brought to the Hill Country and beyond.
Texas is a straightforward place to travel, and the risks visitors actually meet are environmental: heat, flash flooding, storms and long drives. Ordinary city sense covers the rest, and 911 is the number for any emergency.
Texas is a driving state, and the distances are the first thing to plan around. Flights link the major cities, rail and transit help inside a few of them, and the Galveston ferry is a free crossing on the coast.
Packing for Texas is mostly packing for sun and heat, with a warm layer for cold fronts and chilly interiors. What changes the list is where you are going: the coast, the cities, the Hill Country or the desert of Big Bend.
You already hold the currency, so a Texas money guide is about what gets added to a price. Sales tax is added at the register, hotel occupancy tax is added to the room, tipping is expected, and park passes cover entrance rather than everything inside.