What do my wife & I have to go see while in Texas?

My wife and I are going to Texas for our anniversary and have never been. We'll be flying into DFW & staying the night there. Then the next day we'll be in San Antonio with plans to see the Alamo (my buddy told me about an old hotel nearby we needed to find) and the Riverwalk. We'll be staying in SA that night. Then it's onto Gruene which is a historic district and we'll be staying in nearby New Braunfels that night. The next day it's on to Austin where we will be staying that night. Then, the next morning it's back to DFW where we will have a couple hours before heading to the airport and flying back home.

So, what is it we have to see while we're there? We were going to spend a day at Schlitterbahn but then we found out it was going to cost us like $120 for two people plus it may not be worth it since the rivers that supply the place are running low. What are some eating holes we simply can't miss out on? I'm talking Man v Food type places that you see on TV and want to book a trip there just to eat what you see on the TV. We're big fans of BBQ and the like.

So, any tips hints or ideas?

Edit: I almost forgot, we have a place lined up each night except for Monday night when we'll be in Austin. Suggestions?

 

Lukenbach when your down in the hill country.
Stubbs BBQ & 6th street in Austin

 

google "the salt lick" for bbq in austin

 

I've heard that from several people now so I'm pretty sure we'll be hitting it up while we're there.

 

When you first fly into DFW do you have any time to do anything that day? Could see the 6th Floor Museum if you're into that sort of thing.

I'm always bad at thinking of things for people to do when they visit

 

Well, Dallas has Medieval Times if you've never been to it before.. Not really a Man v. Food or Texas BBQ place, but it's pretty entertaining.

 

Not the day we get in because we will actually get in pretty late that night but the day we fly out it's also a night-time flight so we will have a few hours in Dallas that day. I plan to check out the JFK significant attractions that day.

 

Jacobs Well in Wimberley is awesome here's a link http://jacobswellspring.org/home.html

I would maybe try and make it up to the Salt Lick in driftwood for some good food.

 

I agree ~ Salt Lick - I used to work a block away from Stubbs and went all the time. Moved to a different office and didn't go for a couple years and went back not long ago and wasn't the same.

Sounds like you're hitting all the highlights - welcome and enjoy!

Larry

 

Schlitterbahn in New Braunfels is the best water park ever!

 

I've been there once and did all that you've mentioned. Schlitterbahn was schweet! Too bad about the rivers being low. That is a must aside from the low water levels. Didn't remember it being that expensive though. Can't think of anything else other than Six Flags Fiesta Texas that we did. Have fun!

 

Coryell Museum in Gatesville. Worlds largest spur collection.

Eat at Chuy's in Austin. Best Mex food Anywhere. Order the Elvis plate.

 

I touched base with the wife at lunch today to see what all she had planned in addition to the advice I've gotten from several forums and so far we're planning to get into DFW late at night so we're staying near the airport.

We get up the next morning and head to San Antonio and will stop at Round Rock Doughnuts just off of I35 since we were told he HAD to. Once in SA we plan to see the Alamo, Menger Hotel and some of the old missions and historic sights around that immediate area depending on what kind of time we have. That night we may rent some river bikes or take some sort of river walk tour of SA. I forget which one she said but something about we need to bring watersocks if we do the river bikes. That one sounds like a lot of fun to me. This is our anniversary so we'll probably choose someplace decent for dinner and I think I've got a list to select from here. Just need to decide where.

The next morning we'll get up and head to Gruene (possibly after stopping at LuLu's in SA to split the 3lb cinnamon roll I saw on Man vs Food lol) where we will check out the historic district and then do a river float (probably Guadalupe unless the Comal has more water) as opposed to Schlitterbahn that we initially wanted to do. We will eat at the GristMill sometime that day/night. We're then staying in New Braunfels that night.

The next morning we'll head to Austin. I've heard lots of good people talk about 6th street, Salt Lick, Rudy's, Art's Rib House & Amy's Ice Cream so those are in the list somewhere for this day... maybe. We'll probably check out the capital while we're there as well. We also were told to check out the bats under Congress Bridge so that may be something we do near dusk before dinner or something. We still need to book a room for this night in Austin and I plan to check out Driskill based on a tip. If it's too 'spensive we'll probably have to find some roach motel on the West side of the fancy new bridge. lol This will be our last night in TX as our flight out is the next night.

The next morning we'll get up and head to Dallas. I want to see the School Book Depository/Grassy Knoll and 6th story museum and other JFK related locations. I want to eat at Dick's while in Dallas because I've heard good things about this place for years. Sounds like a raucous atmosphere with some decent 'que. Our flight back to lovely Colorado is around 4:00 so it's likely we'll have to head to the airport shortly after getting lunch so maybe we can hit a couple quick sights before we go wheels up.

So far that's a rough outline of our itinerary. There are some meals left out and some places I'm debating on going to so we may plug those in here and there depending on what we feel like and where we are. All I know is when we travel we go out of our way to avoid chain restaurants or anything we can just eat when we're back home unless we're on a long trip somewhere.

I know that's a LOT to do in only a few days but I think we'll get a lot out of this trip and get to see most of what we want to see. I would really like to spend some time in Fredericksburg based on what I've heard but I just don't see it happening on this trip. I hope to go to Houston with a buddy for a hog hunt sooner than later so I can get some places out of the way whenever we go to that part of Texas but for now at least I feel like our tour of central TX will be pretty fun even though it will be lots of driving sprinkled throughout. The worst part will be the first morning when we make the Fort Worth to San Antonio trek but the rest of the legs will be broken up into daily segments on the way back up North.

 

Since you are doing Round Rock doughnuts on the way down, you could do the Czech Bakery in West on the way back up to Dfw

 

Okay well i live in New Braunfels so i can give you some heads up about that. As far as places to eat, bbq: Granzin Bar-B-Q, pizza: New York pizza pub or Bosses Pizza. GET SOME breakfast tacos at El Nopalito, they have two spots in town. As far as things to do there are lots of places to taste wine. You can go to the Snake farm where Mike rowe from dirty jobs went. The water park is pretty cool as others have said. Also Natural Bridge Caverns is pretty cool as well. Shopping you have the outlet malls in San Marcos that is about 15 mins from New Braunfels. One of the top places to shop in the world has pretty much every clothing type store. Thats all i can think of for now.

 

They also have a Dick's on the river walk in SA and its pretty fun
ALso if your going to be in Gruene you can stop by the Gristmill, good food lots of famous people stop by there all the time. If you are going durning the summer at Gruene hall they have some good bands if you are into that.

 

Of your staying by the airport in DFW the Bass Pro shop is right up the road at 121 & bass pro drive. From the airport just take the road going northbound(121) and its just a couple of miles up. good place to kill an hour or so.

Also some REALLY good BBQ near there called "Hard Eight" it's also just a mile or two away from bass pro so its close trouble the airport. Hard Eight is a must go to place if your in the area

 

Reading over your plans I'm betting when you get back to D/FW you are going to be exhausted. You say a lot of "run over to" but you will be surprised how far apart somethings are in Texas. San Antonio to D/FW is pretty much an all day drive. Not trying to tell you that you can't; but you are going to need your sleep each night.

If it were me; once in South Texas I would go over to Big Bend and fly home from El Paso. Big Bend truely is part of Texas you should not miss.

 

If you're going to Gruene...Gotta eat at the Grismil (sp) its under the old water tower. San Antonio has some great restraunts but that was my fav. If the wife is into shopping theres a great outdoor mall on the NW side of town cant remember the name but my wife claims its the best mall shes ever been to. Eat Mexican on the riverwalk, I thought Seaworld is lame, didnt go to 6 flags, you can float the Guadalupe river. I lived there for a yr those are my recommendations.

 

Definitely hit up 6th street, I have been to the Dick in SA. There is another outdoor commons style mall closer to DFW. There was a lot of wine country in the area of Austin too I think. I can't remember the name of the town though, very nice I stayed at a bed and breakfast there, I think it was a German town... I am trying to remember. Very nice though.