First Impressions of Texas: Houston, San Antonio, Austin & Dallas
Well, they say everything is bigger in the Lone Star State, and if anything that is an understatement! From cars, to sodas to gas/petrol stations, things are just on a bigger scale here. Texas however has a lot more to it than just its size. We entered Texas by train, traversed it by bus and car, and then left by aeroplane. In this process, we started to get a sense of the state, urban and rural, coastal and inland, and it left us wanting to visit again soon.
Houston & Galveston
I’m not entirely sure what we were expecting from America’s fourth largest city, but it certainly exceeded our expectations. We had heard tales of its sprawl and freeways, and whilst Houston felt about as far from the traditional Main Street USA as it was possible to get, it certainly felt representative of a certain style of American living.
Driving across the city, the impression was more of a never-ending network of suburbs rather than a city focused around the downtown area. Perhaps this was because we were staying with relatives in (a very green and pleasant) suburban area that felt straight out of central casting, but with the huge urban highways and omnipresent drive-thru restaurants, retail parks and hotel/motel chains, it felt as if the fabric of life here moved to a different rhythm.
This then, was the America of big trucks, barbecues in the (enormous) back yards and weekends spent fishing, be it in the lakes, swamps or the Gulf of Mexico. Our excursions out of the city to Brazos Bend State Park, the creeks and waterways around the city, and also to the coast at Galveston were a lovely change of pace.
Beyond a vague awareness of the beach at Corpus Christi, my ignorance had been such that I seldom associated Texas with beach living. My prevailing perceptions of the Texas coast had been more shaped by visions of offshore oil drilling and the aftermath of Deepwater Horizon. Galveston with its long sandy beaches, seafood restaurants and beach-front abodes was therefore a bit of a revelation - somewhere that we would happily spend more time in the future.
A particular highlight back in Houston was a visit to Swanny’s Grill, where we had some authentic (and deliciously hot) crawfish washed down with some Lone Star beer. Well worth a visit!
In summary, although Houston might not be on too many leisure vacation itineraries (business trips are another matter entirely), there is certainly plenty of interest here for those who are keen to experience and understand America. Given its location between New Orleans and San Antonio, it makes sense to at least stop by on your way through.
San Antonio
After the enormity of Houston, the centre of San Antonio felt immediately more human in scale and navigability. About five minutes after arriving, we could immediately see what all the fuss and hype is about. San Antonio is above all a charming and walkable city; the sort of place that would have ‘weekend break’ written all over it if we didn’t live on the other side of the Atlantic.
Before jumping into its delights though, a quick note on our journey from Houston to San Antonio. Following hot on the heels of the success of our Amtrak train journey from New Orleans to Houston, I was keen to chalk off another iconic mode of American transport: The Greyhound Bus. Now, I understand that the quality of the vehicles and services varies enormously (with a number of services sub-contracted out to other companies), but our journey in all honesty was the low point of our entire trip (and the worst bus trip I have been on since a ‘sleeper’ bus with bunk beds in Vietnam)! Having been excited about the Greyhound journey (the fact that the line went all the way to the Mexican border at Laredo added to the romanticism), I almost instantly came to regret it.
Having travelled all around the world, including extensively in Latin America, Russia and Asia, I can honestly say that the atmosphere inside and around the Houston Greyhound Station at 5am was about as intimidating and unprepossessing as I can recall. Once we did escape the hustlers outside the station, the inside was still more shady than sanctuary.
The facilities amounted to some broken vending machines and toilets that were closed for cleaning (no amount of sweet talk allowed me entry), so we boarded the bus thirsty, hungry and more than a bit anxious about the toilet situation for the three-and-a-half-hour journey! Again, I’m sure that no two buses are created equal (and hopefully others will have better luck), but even sitting in a normal seated position, our knees were pressed really tightly against the seat in front. Neither of us are particularly tall, and this was certainly more cramped than we had previously experienced on a bus (minibuses aside). To cap it all off, the bus was pretty filthy, and the continual use of phone speakers (as opposed to earphones) by other passengers prevented us finding refuge in sleep. I sincerely hope that there are better Greyhound bus services out there, but we would me very reticent to gamble on it again.
Stepping off the bus in San Antonio was therefore a relief in more ways than one. We had decided to stay centrally at the historic Menger Hotel, which was basically next door to the Alamo. Checking in at this beautiful hotel felt like an experience in itself and a trip back in time. With its historical displays, lavishly decorated seating areas and bar in which Teddy Roosevelt recruited The Rough Riders, this was the perfect antidote to the journey that had preceded it.
The world-famous Alamo is a major tourist draw and a venerated historical monument (just ask Ozzy Osbourne how seriously it is taken), with the 1960 John Wayne film helping to spread its fame around the world. What remains of the Alamo today is both beautiful and evocative, whether during the day or at night.
Another major highlight of the city is the famed River Walk along the San Antonio River. Pictures don’t really give a sense of its length or congenial atmosphere, but walking, eating (Tex-Mex naturally) and drinking (Frozen Margaritas seemed appropriate) next to the river was sheer bliss. The strong sun and the shade of the river combined to make the perfect temperature for strolling about.
There are also plenty of other interesting places to visit (The San Fernando Cathedral, Spanish Governor’s Palace and King William District foremost among them) and most things are walkable, meaning that after a couple of days we really thought we had done the city justice.
Austin & Dallas / Fort Worth
Austin appears to be very much the place of the moment. The fastest growing city in the USA is attracting huge numbers of people (especially from California) on account of its famed lifestyle and atmosphere (mostly famously expounded by Matthew McConaughey). The 0% income tax is also no doubt part of the appeal, but experiencing Texas’ state capital (and especially before it inevitably changes even more due to the growth and influx) was one of the main things we wanted to do in Texas.
To really get to grips with most of Texas, a car can be invaluable. For us, our car rental was actually quite a bit less than we had anticipated, especially given that we were taking it across multiple states and returning it to a different location. It is well worth checking out the possible options and prices to give you an idea:
Dallas and Fort Worth with their historical associations (JFK/80s TV and Stockyards respectively) and extended family to visit appealed for different reasons. Alas, after a wonderful start to our trip, this is when Covid struck us down! Our final days in Texas were therefore spent confined to the ground floor of my wife’s cousin’s house set in some lovely parkland between Dallas and Arlington.
Getting to know the rest of Texas would therefore have to wait. Fortunately, our quarantine was over in time for us to make our flight to Denver, Colorado to embark on the next (and longest) stage of our journey.
Having started the article commenting on the ‘Everything is Bigger in Texas’ maxim, it is only appropriate to finish by mentioning the sheer scale of Dallas-Fort Worth airport. Given that the airport is actually larger than Manhattan, I was very pleased that we were driven to the airport rather than needing to find our own way to the correct terminal building!
The Considered Journey is a travel blog focused on travel reviews, travel tips and travel guides, all focused on travel inspiration with a view to helping you make the most of your trip and maximise your travel time.
Having travelled across Europe, Asia, South America, North America, and parts of Africa, we have a host of experiences to share with you. As our focus is on helping you make the most of your trip and maximise your travel time, we highlight the best things to eat, best things to drink, best places to go, and best things to do. In addition, we have written a range of airline reviews, hotel reviews, airport lounge reviews and credit card reviews, and also cover topics such as travelling as a couple, career break travel and sabbatical travel.
We understand that circumstances vary from trip to trip, so we cover everything from luxury travel to some more budget travel options, and the traditional to the modern.
Comments