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Texas, a place where quaint small towns, urban playgrounds, and natural wonders abound, beckons with its wide-open roads. Drives around the enormous and diverse state promise the opportunity to explore and sample the state's mouthwatering barbecue, kick back on the beach, or check out sites like the Alamo at your own pace. With such an array of offerings, there's an itinerary for every type of traveler. Load up the car, crank up the country, and cruise.
A BBQ Culinary Tour Through the Texas Hill Country
Austin to Llano (142 miles)
Satisfy your craving for smoked meat on the road from Austin to Llano (by way of Lockhart and Driftwood), which is lined with must-stop barbecue joints. Your tour de BBQ begins with two of Austin's best restaurants: the iconic Franklin's—which doesn't even have a closing time, since they usually sell out of brisket and the like before sundown—and local favorite La Barbecue, where family-size pickup options include a whole smoked brisket or turkey. Prepare to wait in line (often for hours) at both spots—and try to get there before the restaurants even open. The melt-in-your-mouth meats are well worth the wait. In Lockhart, otherwise known as the Barbecue Capital of Texas, take your pick from famed eateries like the century-old Kreuz Market, Black's Barbecue, and Smitty's Market—all within a four-minute drive of each other. Pass through lush Hill Country terrain to Llano, with a requisite stop in Driftwood, where The Salt Lick BBQ reigns supreme. The huge open-fire pit here graces social media as often as the bluebonnets in spring. But save room for your final stop: Cooper's Old Time Pit Bar-B-Que in Llano—you can't leave without ordering the "Big Chop," which is exactly what it sounds like: a giant pork chop. Finish with the pecan cobbler.
Offbeat Attractions Along Historic Route 66
Shamrock to Glenrio along Route 66, plus Palo Duro Canyon (239 miles)
A drive from Shamrock to Glenrio along Route 66 delivers quirky roadside attractions and public art installations, plus Texas-size steak. It's easy to detour to Palo Duro Canyon—America's second-largest canyon, at the center of the otherwise-flat Panhandle. Get your kicks on 66 starting in Shamrock, where a collection of Art Deco buildings have been preserved and restored (most notably the Tower Conoco Station and U-Drop Inn Café). Stop for lunch at Amarillo's Big Texan Steak Ranch, which famously serves 72-ounce steak dinners for free—if you can eat the whole thing in under an hour, that is. Go for a post-meal hike at Palo Duro Canyon State Park, often called the "Grand Canyon of Texas," and make your way through the rainbow caprock formations via trail. (Each color—orange, red, brown, yellow, gray, maroon, and white—directly corresponds to when the rock in question was formed, with some dating back nearly 240 million years.) Afterward, drive north to Cadillac Ranch and take a selfie with the colorful spray-painted cars sticking out of the ground—an art installation that acts as a true salute to Route 66 and the call of the open road. End the trip in the ghost town of Glenrio.
Extreme Desert Wilderness and Outdoor Adventures in West Texas
Guadalupe Mountains National Park to Big Bend National Park, plus Davis Mountains State Park (309 miles)
West Texas invites exploration. For an epic adventure through majestic and remote wilderness, drive between the state’s two national parks: Guadalupe Mountains and Big Bend. Guadalupe Mountains National Park is home to the highest point in Texas (the 8,751-foot Guadalupe Peak), in addition to vast stretches of mountainous desert and striking geological forms. In Big Bend National Park, the Rio Grande flows along the southwestern side of the park, providing a stunning backdrop for hiking and mountain biking. There are more than 150 miles of trails for day hikes and backpacking trips; the South Rim—a 12-to-14.5-mile loop with a 2,000-foot gain—is one of the most popular. If you're up for some extra mileage in between, tack on a stint in Davis Mountains State Park, where rolling grasslands and forested peaks offer a nice juxtaposition to the hard desert country that defines this region.
Charming Coastal Towns and Scenic Beaches on the Gulf Coast
Houston to Port Aransas, plus Padre Island National Seashore (289 miles)
Attention, beach lovers: Texas's Gulf Coast is brimming with simple seaside pleasures. From Houston, this itinerary follows the gulf down through coastal towns, wetlands, and tranquil sandy shores to reach Corpus Christi. Your first stop is Galveston, a family-friendly resort town with a bevy of seafood-centric eateries, hotels with prime ocean views, and kitschy attractions like the Historic Pleasure Pier amusement park. Keep on moving down the coast to the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge. Best known as the winter home of the endangered whooping crane, this protected area boasts lovely scenery, in the form of bright blue bay waters ringed by white sand and native dune grasses. Nearby on the northern tip of Mustang Island, laid-back Port Aransas is an absolute delight, with seashell-strewn beaches and ample opportunities for surfing and fishing. If you have time, travel a bit farther to idyllic Padre Island National Seashore, the longest undeveloped stretch of barrier island in the world.
The Greatest-Hits List of Texas
Dallas to San Antonio (330 miles)
For a classically Texan adventure, check out the highlights from Dallas to San Antonio. Your journey begins in sleek, glamorous Dallas, city of oil, upscale fashion, and endless retail options. Don't miss the West End, with its vibrant lineup of museums and restaurants. For a hefty dose of cowboy culture and world-class art, hop over to Fort Worth, where you can wander the aptly named Cultural District—home to the city's botanical garden and the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame—followed by the Stockyards National Historic District. Next, make your way down into Hill Country, through hamlets founded by 19th-century German immigrants, like Fredericksburg and Boerne. When you arrive in San Antonio, visit the Alamo and the River Walk, attractions as synonymous with the Lone Star State as football and cowboy boots.
