Texas roadtrip advice

Howdy Y'all,

Headed for a family roadtrip from Missouri to Texas the last two weeks of July. I am going from Dallas to San Antoine to Houston for a couple days each and was looking for family friendly stuff and good eats, any suggestions?

Thanks in advance

Rox

 

There's a Six Flags in Arlington, Texas, that's conveniently located. Riverwalk in San Antonio is nice; probably have to do the Alamo thing.

Good luck if your trip involves lots of outdoor activities. Texas in July; like a blast furnace. Seriously, consider yourself lucky if you have any days without triple-digit temperatures. The two most important things you'll need to have handy are cold water and sunscreen.

 

Worth considering, though somewhat off the beaten path, is Fredericksburg -- a little German community about an hour north of San Antonio.

TexasSportsJournalists.com might be able to point you toward a specific place. It's been so long since I was there I can't remember the places I went.

http://www.fredericksburgtexas.com/dining.html

I want to say Der Lindenbaum and Cotton Gin Restaurant, but I can't swear to it.

 

I would recommend a visit to the Sixth Floor Museum at Dealy Plaza. Very well done and very interesting.

 

They have a WWII museum in Fredericksburg too, because Nimitz was born there.

As for Houston, the default destination is NASA. I don't know how old your kids are, but anyone up to teens should find something to like (it can be expensive, or much more expensive than in its pre-Disneyfied days, but coupons are available easily).

Minute Maid Park has got the roof, so if you're going to see a game it's probably a better bet, comfort-wise, than Arlington. The upper decks can get steamy, though.

If you're going low-key, it would make sense to go the extra 45 miles to Galveston. The Gulf isn't much when it comes to waves or pretty sandy beaches, but it can be cheap and fun for a family.

 

The mission tour in San Antonio is supposed to be good. Never done it though.

If you're in SA you'll definitely want to stop at the Alamo.

 

The NASA stop in Texas is worth it. If you have smaller kids, they will like the giant play place at the front, if nothing else.

Riverwalk in San Antonio is nice. Take a boat ride with the kids. You can walk to the Alamo from points on the Riverwalk.

The Schlitterbahn water park in New Braunfels, near San Antonio, is one of the best in the world. Kids would love it and you can keep cool. They also have one in Galveston.

http://www.schlitterbahn.com/nb/

For eats in Texas, any of the Pappas restaurants in Houston are good (BBQ, seafood, cajun, etc.). But you've gotta eat Mexican in San Antonio and barbecue in Houston.

Margaritas in San Antonio is nice and authentic. There are zillions of good BBQ joints in Texas. Save room for pie.

 

Take enough clean shirts.

 

Don't try to go to Schlitterbahn on a weekend. Way too crowded. A less expensive, less crowded option in New Braunfels is Landa Park.

Tubing down the Guadalupe River is also a lot of fun though weekends tend to attract a younger, drunker crowd.

 

If you see this guy along the road...



...don't pick him up.

 

I will second Schlitterbahan and the Riverwalk is definitely something to do. Make sure to take the Riverwalk tour on the boat, it's fun and entertaining. The kids should like it and they can learn a little something about San Antonio history. Feel free to PM me and I can tell you some more.

 

Riverwalk, the Alamo and Ripley's Museum are all musts for a San Antonio stop.

Houston? Even though it's my home, I'm saddened to say there aren't a lot of MUSTS, unless you're going to be here a while. Certainly Minute Maid Park is worth seeing, if the Astros are in town. Also, the Aquarium restaurant in downtown is nice. NASA is a bit out of the way but definitely worth seeing.