©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd

Texas

Dallas & the Panhandle Plains p139 Houston & Big Bend & East Austin p206 West Texas p54 p300 ^# & Hill Country p90

Gulf Coast & South Texas p262

THIS EDITION WRITTEN AND RESEARCHED BY Lisa Dunford, Mariella Krause, Ryan Ver Berkmoes PLAN YOUR TRIP ON THE ROAD

Welcome to Texas. . . . . 4 AUSTIN ...... 54 Waxahachie...... 175 Texas Map ...... 6 Around Austin...... 86 Glen Rose ...... 175 Texas’ Top 25...... 8 Bastrop ...... 86 West...... 176 Waco...... 176 Need to Know...... 20 Lockhart...... 88 Panhandle & Plains. . . 179 If You Like ...... 22 Highland Lakes...... 88 Permian Basin ...... 180 Month by Month. . . . . 26 SAN ANTONIO & Big Spring...... 182 Itineraries ...... 28 HILL COUNTRY. . . . 90 San Angelo ...... 183 Outdoor Activities. . . . 34 San Antonio...... 92 Sonora...... 186 Travel with Children. . . . 40 Around San Antonio. . . 120 Junction...... 186 Texas BBQ & Cuisine. . . 43 Natural Bridge Caverns. . . 120 Abilene...... 187 Regions at a Glance. . . . .51 New Braunfels ...... 120 Buffalo Gap...... 189 Gruene...... 121 Albany ...... 189 San Marcos...... 122 Lubbock...... 190 Hill Country...... 124 Along Texas Hwy 70. . . . 195 Johnson City & . Turkey...... 195 Stonewall...... 124 Quitaque ...... 196

WITOLD SKRYPCZAK / GETTY IMAGES © IMAGES GETTY / SKRYPCZAK WITOLD Fredericksburg...... 125 Caprock Canyons . State State Park...... 196 Natural Area...... 129 . . . . . 197 Luckenbach...... 130 Amarillo...... 199 Kerrville...... 130 Canadian...... 204 Comfort...... 133 Bandera...... 134 HOUSTON & EAST Boerne...... 135 TEXAS ...... 206 Wimberley...... 136 Houston...... 210 Around Houston. . . . . 234 GUADALUPE MOUNTAINS DALLAS & THE Clear Lake & Around. . . .234 NATIONAL PARK P336 PANHANDLE San Jacinto Battleground PLAINS ...... 139 State Historic Site. . . . . 235 Dallas...... 141 Spring...... 236 HOLGER LEUE / GETTY IMAGES © IMAGES GETTY / LEUE HOLGER Fort Worth...... 160 Sam Houston . North of Dallas & National Forest...... 236 Fort Worth...... 171 Huntsville...... 236 Grapevine ...... 171. Washington County. . . 236 Frisco...... 172 Brenham ...... 236 McKinney...... 172 Burton ...... 238 Denton...... 173 Round Top...... 238 Decatur ...... 173 La Grange ...... 239 South of Dallas & Chappell Hill...... 239 Fort Worth...... 173 Washington-on-the-. BUCKHORN SALOON & Arlington...... 173 Brazos ...... 239 MUSEUM P95 Contents

UNDERSTAND

Bryan-College Station. . . 240 South Padre Island . . . . .284 Texas Today...... 340 Galveston...... 241 Rio Grande Valley. . . . 289 History...... 342 Beaumont & Golden Brownsville...... 289 Life in Texas ...... 351 Triangle ...... 250 McAllen ...... 293 Music Scene...... 358 Beaumont...... 250 The Upper Valley ...... 296 Football!...... 362 . Laredo ...... 297 National Preserve...... 252 Carrizo Springs...... 298 Land & Wildlife. . . . . 364 Orange...... 252 Eagle Pass...... 298 Port Arthur ...... 253 Northeast Texas. . . . . 254 SURVIVAL BIG BEND & GUIDE Nacogdoches ...... 255 WEST TEXAS. . . . . 300 Tyler...... 256 Big Bend National Directory A–Z...... 370 Canton...... 257 Park ...... 301 Kilgore...... 258 West of Big Bend Transportation . . . . . 376 Jefferson...... 258 National Park ...... 309 Index...... 383 Caddo Lake...... 260 Terlingua & Study Butte. . . .309 Map Legend...... 391 Lajitas Golf Resort & Spa. . . 312 GULF COAST & Big Bend Ranch . SOUTH TEXAS . . . . 262 State Park...... 312 The Coastal Bend. . . . 263 Central West Texas. . . . 312 Brazosport Area...... 263 Fort Davis & . Davis Mountains...... 313 Matagorda...... 263 Marfa ...... 316 Palacios...... 266 Alpine...... 319 Aransas ...... 266 Marathon...... 321 Goose Island State Park. . .267 El Paso...... 323 Rockport & Fulton. . . . .268 Van Horn...... 335 Coastal Plains...... 269 Fort Stockton...... 335 Victoria...... 269 Guadalupe Mountains National Park ...... 336 Goliad...... 270

Corpus Christi Area. . . 271 Corpus Christi ...... 271 Port Aransas...... 276 SPECIAL FEATURES Mustang & Padre . e# 0 60 km Off the Beaten Off the Beaten Track: Texas 0 40 miles

To P Q ya BALMORHEA STATEec u MCDONALD •# Balmorhea h [Ù67 o i C s t R m k PARK iv a OBSERVATORY Toyahvale •# er n #÷ 10 385 Island Beaches...... 279 TRIP YOUR PLAN TRIP YOUR PLAN VÓU ]Û M BALMORHEA Take a dip in the largest spring-fed It's a star party! Weekend evenings Da o vis u M •# swimming pool in the state. (p314) n ou STATE PARK VÓU10 t the observatory hosts nighttime nt a ain i s Track: Texas ...... 32 n Fort Stockton outdoor viewings that use at least one s MCDONALD Fort Davis of the amazing telescopes on-site. OBSERVATORY National Historic Site During the day you can tour the æ# [Ù67 facility. (p313) ÷# `ß118 MARATHON •# Valentine Davis F H EAE RACK TR ATEN BE THE OFF Mountains ÷# •# ]Û385 A sleepy little outpost, Marathon has ACK TR ATEN BE THE OFF S State Park Corpus Christi to . i e FORT DAVIS one claim to fame – the Old Gage r r æ# PRADA PRADA a Hotel. Choose between Western V i ]Û285 Marfa is known for avant-garde art: e j rooms or adobe casitas (little a äb17 the Chianti foundation, the Ballroom M [Ù90 bungalows); be sure to stop at the o tains 4 u un o gallery (with outdoor theater to n •# s M White Buffalo Bar. (p321) Outdoor t las G a MARFA come)... But the Prada installation (an i n •# Alpine Harlingen...... 280 entire4 fake store) outside of Valentine s may be the oddest. (p319) Stockton Plateau æ# Marfa Lights •# Candelaria •# Viewing Area MARATHON [Ù90 Chinati Hot Activities ...... 34 æ# •# Sanderson Springs

FORT DAVIS Ruidosa •# Cibolo [Ù67 `ß118 ]Û385

C Creek Up at 5000ft in the Davis Mountains h i Ranch Lower Gulf Coast. . . . 281 R n you have gorgeous, scenic drives, a Black Gap io t •# S i æ# Plata a Wildlife M n trails and overlooks. Check out this G o t Management r u ia a n g Area t •# o one-horse town's historic fort, then n a Shafter i M d n s o sleep at the state park's Native e u ( n R ta American-styled adobe lodge. (p313) i í n o s B BOQUILLAS ra #æ Texas BBQ vo CANYON ) Harlingen...... 281 Ojinaga •# •# Presidio Big Bend BOQUILLAS CANYON Ranch Fort Leaton ÷# State Park Outfitter-arranged rafting in the State Historic Site Heath Canyon •# Redford #æ national park ranges from turbid S æ# Sauceda i R e #÷ white water to gentle floats, r IV La Linda •# ra E depending on season and launch & Cuisine ...... 43 G R BIG BEND ra R Study Butte n OA point. Boquillas Canyon offers the d D •# •# NATIONAL e longest, most tranquil and most Colorado Chisos Basin Canyon Lajitas TERLINGUA PARK MARFA •# •# scenic ride. (p303) Laguna Atascosa National Paseo Lajitas •# What a fun little town. Visit the old Chihuahuan hotel where Giant was filmed, eat at Desert TERLINGUA BIG BEND NATIONAL foodie-fave restaurants, watch for •# s PARK n alien lights and stay in an old Terlingua's ghosti town is a must-do. Santa a RIVER ROAD t Have a beer onn the porch of the Chisos Mountains, Chihuahuan Airstream trailer or other boutique Elena u general store,o Terlingua Trading Co, Desert, Rio Grande Valley: this motel. (p316) Rte 170 winds up, down and around M s before youo dine at Starlight Theater amazing, 1252-sq-mile park has three geological formations as it follows the s Wildlife Refuge...... 282 i Music Scene . . . . .358 (or below hground in a kiva); then sleep separate ecosystems. All are covered sinuous Rio Grande between Lajitas C and Presido. (p312) in luxuriously converted adobe ruins. by 200 miles of trails and 150 miles of (p309) back roads. So get going! (p301) Los Fresnos...... 282 Port Isabel...... 282 On the Road

Dallas & the Panhandle Plains p139 Houston & Big Bend & East Texas Austin p206 West Texas p54 p300 ^# San Antonio & Hill Country p90

Gulf Coast & South Texas p262 AOUR beat-up oldSTORY car, a few dollars in the pocket and a sense of adventure. In 1972 that’s all Tony and Maureen Wheeler needed for the trip of a lifetime – across Europe and Asia overland to Australia. It took several months, and at the end – broke but inspired – they sat at their kitchen table writing and stapling together their first travel guide, Across Asia on the Cheap. Within a week they’d sold 1500 copies. Lonely Planet was born. Today, Lonely Planet has offices in Melbourne, London and Oakland, with more than 600 staff and writers. We share Tony’s belief that ‘a great guidebook should do three things: inform, educate and amuse’. OUR WRITERS Lisa Dunford Coordinating author; Houston & East Texas Does living in a state for 22 years, marrying a native and learning to speak the language mean someone can become a naturalized Texan? Lisa sure hopes so. Over the years she’s logged tens of thousands of miles exploring her adopted home. She loves cruising the country roads seeing what there is to see – a cow in a bluebonnet field, or an old barnlike dance hall. She’s bought boys drinks at the Continental Club in Austin, ridden the rides at the State Fair in Dallas and sailed on Corpus Christi Bay. Before becoming a freelance writer, Lisa was a restaurant reviewer and an editor in the features department at the Corpus Christi Caller-Times newspaper. Now no matter where she roams, she always returns to the patch of riverfront east of Houston that she, her husband and their dogs call home. Lisa also wrote the Welcome to Texas, Texas’ Top 25, Need to Know, If You Like, Month by Month, Itineraries, Outdoor Activities, Travel with Children and Regions at a Glance chapters, as well as the Understand and Survival sections.

Mariella Krause Austin; San Antonio & Hill Country; Big Bend & West Texas Mariella first fell in love with Austin when she checked out the UT campus during her junior year of high school. After college, she intended to live ‘everywhere,’ but felt so at home in Austin that she accidentally stayed for 15 years. Mariella will always consider Texas home, and she still sprinkles her language with Texanisms whenever possible, much to the amusement of those who don’t consider ‘y’all’ a legitimate pronoun. Mariella also wrote the Texas BBQ & Cuisine chapter.

Ryan Ver Berkmoes Dallas & the Panhandle Plains; Gulf Coast & South Texas Ryan grew up in Santa Cruz, California, the sort of goofball beachtown place that made him immediately love Port Aransas. An itinerant wanderer, he was most at home on the hundreds of miles of Texas backroads he traversed for this book. Whether it was discovering a forgotten town on Texas Hwy 70 or driving to the literal end of the road to (happily!) check out yet another empty Gulf Coast beach, he relished every click on the odometer.

Published by Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd ABN 36 005 607 983 Although the authors and Lonely Planet have taken all reason- 4th edition – Jan 2014 able care in preparing this book, we make no warranty about ISBN 978 1 74220 199 3 the accuracy or completeness of its content and, to the maxi- © Lonely Planet 2014 Photographs © as indicated 2014 mum extent permitted, disclaim all liability arising from its use. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Printed in China All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be copied, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise, except brief extracts for the purpose of review, and no part of this publication may be sold or hired, without the written permission of the publisher. Lonely Planet and the Lonely Planet logo are trademarks of Lonely Planet and are registered in the US Patent and Trademark Office and in other countries. Lonely Planet does not allow its name or logo to be appropriated by commercial establishments, such as retailers, restaurants or hotels. Please let us know of any misuses: lonelyplanet.com/ip. 28

Itineraries

Dallas •#

•# Waxahachie É

Austin •# Houston •# Gruene •# San Antonio •#

É

É

•# Corpus Christi

2 WEEKS Texas’ Greatest Hits

So you want to do it all but are short on time? Start with three days in Dallas (p140). See the JFK assassination sites downtown and eat in trendy Uptown, then the next day trip out to the historic Fort Worth Stockyards. Heading south out of town on day three, stop in cute little Waxahachie (p175) for a bite before spending two nights in Austin (p54) listening to live music and watching the bats fly. Stop for a night in the Old West–era town of Gruene (p121), to dance at one of the state’s oldest halls, before continuing on to San Antonio (p91). In two days there you can explore the Alamo and Riverwalk. Then Corpus Christi (p271) is just a three-hour drive south; it’s a good base to kick back for a couple nights and hit the beach at Padre Island National Seashore or Port Aransas. Afterwards it’s time to turn north for three nights in Houston (p207). NASA’s Space Center Houston is a not-to-miss attraction, as is the museum district. For a third day’s excursion, hikers could trek out to Big Thicket National Preserve; history and sunshine lovers should see Galveston. 29

•#

É Galveston TRIP YOUR PLAN •# Lake Jackson

Rockport Fredericksburg É Austin •# •# •# •# Corpus Aransas National •# Kerrville •# Christi Wildlife Refuge •# •# •# •# Port Aransas Boerne I

•# ARIES TINER Bandera •# É É

•# San Antonio

•# South Padre Island MEXICO

•#

Austin, Hill Country 10 1 Coastal Texas DAYS & San Antonio WEEK

Start your Hill Country adventure with Trade the cities for sunny beaches, small two days in Austin (p54). Don’t miss the museums, historical towns and some of Texas State History Museum, a splash in the state’s best bird-watching. Begin in Barton Springs Pool or eating along quirky Galveston (p241), spending two days ad- South Congress Ave before club-hopping. miring the turn-of-the-20th-century man- sions, exploring the state park and dining Next, head out for the countryside to and shopping on the Strand. spend two nights in the German town of Fredericksburg (p125); area activity Follow the coast south, stopping at the choices include a visit to the Texas wine fun little Sea Center Texas aquarium and country, a climb up Enchanted Rock or a hatcheries in Lake Jackson (p267). Then musical pilgrimage to Luckenbach. make your way down to Aransas Nation- (p266), the best bird- Enjoy the wandering road, and wild- al Wildlife Refuge watching site on the Texas coast. Stay a flowers in spring, as you meander south. night nearby in the seaside town of Skirt the Guadalupe River and lunch in Rock- port (p268); in season boat tours depart Kerrville (p130) before overnighting in from here for the endangered whooping the cowboy town of Bandera (p134). A crane’s feeding grounds. trail ride at a local dude ranch and a drink at the 11th St Cowboy Bar are must-dos. Spend a couple of nights at the coastal fishing town of (p276), near Take time to go antique hunting (or to Port Aransas the outlet to Corpus Christi Bay, and explore go caving) in Boerne (p135) on your way Corpus Christi (p271) or Padre Island Na- to three nights in San Antonio (p92). tional Seashore, or just laze on a local beach. There you can follow Mission Trail and eat Mexican food to your heart’s content. One Four more hours south finds you for the night make sure to catch a live local act last two nights in South Padre Island outside of town at John T Floore’s Country (p284). Be sure to stop at the Birding & Na- Store in Helotes or at Gruene Hall near ture Center there, as well as trying beach- New Braunfels – now that’s country. front horseback riding or water sports. JEREMY WOODHOUSE / GETTY IMAGES © Top: CaddoLake Top: (p260) Bottom:Galleria Dallas (p158),

SUPERSTOCK / GETTY IMAGES ©

Itineraries

PLAN YOUR TRIP 30 31

Washington-on-the-Brazos •# TRIP YOUR PLAN

É

Brenham

É •# •# Chappell Hill Round •# É

Top É •# Dallas Jefferson Houston •# •# É É •# Tyler •# I •# ARIES TINER Edom Kilgore TEXAS

5 Houston & East- 1 Dallas & Northeast DAYS Central Texas WEEK Texas

Ah, big-city life. Spend three days im- Spend two days museum-hopping in mersed in culture and fine food around Dallas (p141). Be sure to take a break for Houston (p210). Check out some of the shopping and dining in the Bishop Arts many arts and sciences exhibits in the Mu- District, or for braving the huge Galleria seum District, then prowl the eclectic Mon- megamall. trose neighborhood for your evening meal. Then it’s time to head east for small-town While in town don’t miss catching a show pleasures among the pine forests. Be sure in the Theater District or have a night out to detour down FM 279; the 8-mile stretch clubbing on Washington Ave. After you’ve of road from Ben Wheeler to Edom (p257) eaten, drank and shopped yourself silly, has a surprising number of cafes, artisan escape to the country for a few days. shops and live music in the evenings. You Book into a B&B and spend the next can spend the night in nearby Tyler (p256), two nights in the small town of Brenham which is an especially good idea if it’s spring (p236), home of Blue Bell ice cream (yes, and the azaleas are in bloom – or if you you should tour the factory). From there want to see a tiger sanctuary. you can explore the tiny towns of the re- From there continue east, pausing for gion, stopping at famous Royer’s Cafe in lunch and to see the Rangerette Showcase (p238) or checking out the Round Top & Museum and the old oil derricks in the lavender farm in Chappell Hill (p239). little town of Kilgore (p258). Spending To the north is the historical site and mu- three nights in Jefferson (p258) allows seums at Washington-on-the Brazos you to peruse the historic town and take (p239), where the Texas Declaration of excursions. Choose from a canoe ride or a Independence was signed. While you’re swamp-boat nature trip on sinuous Caddo in the area, don’t forget to eat some of the Lake or a drive to Tex Ritter’s hometown Czech-resident-inspired kolaches (sweet- Texas Country Music Hall of Fame in bread pastries stuffed with savory or sweet Carthage. filling). Off the Beaten Track: Texas

Q u MCDONALD i t m a OBSERVATORY Toyahvale •# n PLAN YOUR TRIP TRIP YOUR PLAN M Da o It's a star party! Weekend evenings vi u s M n ou t the observatory hosts nighttime nt a ain i s n outdoor viewings that use at least one s MCDONALD Fort Davis of the amazing telescopes on-site. OBSERVATORY National During the day you can tour the æ# Historic Site facility. (p313) ÷# `ß118 •# Valentine Davis OFF Mountains ÷# •# S State Park i e FORT DAVIS r

r THE æ# PRADA PRADA a

V

i Marfa is known for avant-garde art: e j a äb17 EATEN BE the Chianti foundation, the Ballroom M [Ù90 o 4 u gallery (with outdoor theater to n

t a MARFA come)... But the Prada installation (an i n

s •#

RACK TR entire4 fake store) outside of Valentine may be the oddest. (p319)

æ# Marfa Lights Candelaria •# Viewing Area Chinati Hot æ# Springs

Ruidosa •# FORT DAVIS Cibolo [Ù67 Creek C Up at 5000ft in the Davis Mountains h in Ranch you have gorgeous, scenic drives, R a io ti æ# •# M Plata trails and overlooks. Check out this G o u r n a t •# one-horse town's historic fort, then n a Shafter i d n s sleep at the state park's Native e ( American-styled adobe lodge. (p313) R í o B ra v o) Ojinaga •# •# Presidio Big Bend Ranch Fort Leaton ÷# State Park State Historic Site •# Redford S æ# Sauceda i R e r IV ra E G R ra R n O d A e D Colorado Canyon Lajitas MARFA •# Paseo Lajitas •# What a fun little town. Visit the old Chihuahuan hotel where Giant was filmed, eat at Desert foodie-fave restaurants, watch for alien lights and stay in an old RIVER ROAD Airstream trailer or other boutique motel. (p316) Rte 170 winds up, down and around geological formations as it follows the sinuous Rio Grande between Lajitas and Presido. (p312) 0 60 km e# 0 40 miles

To P ya BALMORHEA STATEe •# Balmorhea h [Ù67 co C s R k PARK iv er #÷ 10 385 BALMORHEA VÓU Take a dip in]Û the largest spring-fed TRIP YOUR PLAN •# swimming pool in the state. (p314) STATEPARK VÓU10 Fort Stockton

[Ù67

MARATHON

]Û385 A sleepy little outpost, Marathon has OFF one claim to fame – the Old Gage

Hotel. Choose between Western THE rooms or adobe]Û285 casitas (little

bungalows); be sure to stop at the ATEN BE ns untai s Mo White Buffalo Bar. (p321) •# Glas Alpine

RACK TR Stockton Plateau •# MARATHON [Ù90 •# Sanderson

`ß118 ]Û385

Black Gap S a Wildlife n t Management ia g Area o M o u n ta in s BOQUILLAS #æ CANYON BOQUILLAS CANYON

Heath Canyon Outfitter-arranged rafting in the #æ national park ranges from turbid #÷ white water to gentle floats, La Linda •# BIGBEND depending on season and launch Study Butte point. Boquillas Canyon offers the •# •# NATIONAL longest, most tranquil and most TERLINGUA Chisos Basin PARK •# scenic ride. (p303)

TERLINGUA BIG BEND NATIONAL •# s PARK n Terlingua's ghosti town is a must-do. a Santa t Have a beer onn the porch of the Chisos Mountains, Chihuahuan Elena u general store,o Terlingua Trading Co, Desert, Rio Grande Valley: this M s before youo dine at Starlight Theater amazing, 1252-sq-mile park has three s i (or below hground in a kiva); then sleep separate ecosystems. All are covered C in luxuriously converted adobe ruins. by 200 miles of trails and 150 miles of (p309) back roads. So get going! (p301) ©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd

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