Texas is a large state, and as a result, there are many different things to do should you decide to pay a visit to it.
In fact, Texas may be one of the most overlooked tourist destinations in the United States. When one thinks of tourist destinations in the United States, the places that seem to get the most attention include Los Angeles, New York City, the Pacific Coast, Disneyland, or Disney World.
Needless to say, Texas has a lot of different things for you to do. But while it’s likely you won’t be able to visit all of Texas’ tourist attractions on a single trip, you should still be able to get a large percentage of them in. It really depends on the length of your trip and what all you want to do.
Here are the top five best things to do in Texas:
1 – Go Floating Down A River
Texas is criss crossed with numerous winding rivers, and most of them are more than suitable for kayaking, canoeing, rafting, or anything of that nature.
Since Texas can also get quite hot during the summer months, water-based activities can be a great way to get wet and cool down while also having loads of memorable fun.
As far as what the best places to go rafting are, Brazos arguably offers the best scenery and Comal is close to urbanized areas for convenience, while Guadalupe has a well-known party scene.
2 – Go RVing
Thanks to its wide expanse of land, numerous camping locations, and scenic beauty, Texas is literally the perfect state for an RV road trip.
You can hit the open roads through flat deserts and grasslands, stop by the big cities such as Dallas or San Antonio, or camp out by the beach at Corpus Christi.
As far as specific RV parks are concerned, some of the more popular ones include Fredericksburg RV Park, the Grand Texas RV Resort, By The River Campground, and Oak Creek RV Park to name a few.
3 – Explore Big Bend National Park
Big Bend is one of the largest national parks in the United States, with eight hundred thousand acres of land.
There are no shortage of things to do at Big Bend. For example, you can go hiking at Marufo Vega or Chimneys. You can climb up and down the Santa Elena Canyon, which separates Texas from Mexico. If you go deep enough into the park, you’ll also come across the Cattail Falls, which is a lush desert oasis complete with an eighty foot waterfall.
Besides Big Bend, additional parks that you can visit in Texas include Dinosaur Valley State Park, where you can find dinosaur tracks, and Guadalupe Mountains National Park.
4 – Visit Historical Sites
Texas has a very rich history, which means that there are an abundance of famous historical sites to visit. Perhaps the most famous of them all is the Alamo, where nearly a hundred and fifty Texans held off a numerically much larger Mexican army for two weeks in the Texas Revolution in the 1830s.
Another excellent historical site to visit will be the San Jacinto Monument, a nearly six hundred foot high landmark that commemorates that Battle of San Jacinto, another major battle in the Texas Revolution.
5 – BBQ
Finally, if for nothing else, you can visit Texas for the food. The BBQ in Texas in particular is well-known for being among the very best in the country.
In fact, the BBQ in Texas is distinguished into different types and styles based on geographical region. In Eastern Texas, for example, the meat is cooked until it is nearly falling from the bone and is furthermore marinated in a tomato-like sauce.
In West Texas, the meat is typically cooked over mesquite wood, while in the southern part of the state, the meat is marinated in in a molasses sauce to keep it moist.
What To Do In Texas
As you can see, there are many different things to do when you visit Texas. But there are still many more things to do besides the ones that we have listed out in this article, so don’t think the Lone Star State is only limited to these ones. When you’re planning your future family trip and are making a short list of places to go, Texas should absolutely be on that list.
