Street Tripping in Texas: Dallas, Houston and Austin

Journey ideas and photographs from a street journey by way of Texas, utilizing a journey app to find the perfect issues to see and do in Dallas, Houston and Austin

If you consider United States, you may need a whole lot of stereotypes and cultural references in thoughts: from quick meals eating places and gun outlets to the Statue of Liberty and the Golden Gate, America appears to be straightforward to understand.

Nevertheless, the actual America (that elusive idea) is totally numerous, and contains nicely all types of various folks and realities. This time, I’m going to inform you about one thing Individuals actually love, even after they’re not essentially conscious of that: driving a automobile.

You want a automobile to go all over the place: the fitness center, the CVS, that bizarre cousin who lives in Tampa. And that is when issues get attention-grabbing. If Individuals love something greater than driving, it’s street journeys.

It might be a brief street journey to a Czech bakery on the outskirts of Fort Value, it’d be the transcontinental expertise popularized by numerous books and movies, or only a weekend tour from Chicago.

Throughout this quick go to – solely three months – in america, it’s not the meals or the tradition that I’m most enthusiastic about. It’s that feeling of getting in a automobile and simply driving away. If you’re on a street journey, you get this sense that you just’re discovering a brand new America.

Cities which might be comparatively shut to at least one one other have totally different personalities—the street journey accentuates this when you transition from one to the opposite in a single automobile. On a street journey, you uncover how all these stereotypes in regards to the American lifestyle typically simply don’t make a whole lot of sense. It’s an effective way to find someplace new—but in addition someplace acquainted.

Associated: Extra Street Journey Journey Tales

So, whereas #HomeForTheHolidays within the Dallas-Fort Value space, I made a decision to take a last-minute street journey by way of Texas. I chosen a fairly easy route—guiding myself with little greater than the inexperienced freeway indicators directing me from Dallas to Houston and Austin. All cities that I’ve been to at the least as soon as in my childhood, however not anytime just lately. I began out on this street journey from my dwelling within the Dallas suburbs with a full tank of fuel—and with my mother’s automobile…as a result of, why not?!

My automobile was absolutely stocked for the drive with cookies, a selfie stick, cellphone chargers and loads of cell knowledge. With out realizing a lot of what’s new and funky in every of those Texas cities, I teamed up with the Journey.com app to assist discover my means round. Professional tip: it’s at all times useful to have a passenger on a street journey caught with the duty of discovering the place to go and what to do when you, the driving force, will get to look at the street and select the radio stations.

DALLAS
From JFK to nice sculptures

There are a number of causes to go to Dallas, each historic and cultural. Whereas some folks complain that Dallas has no character (aside from a little bit of Dallas angle—#Dallitude) or that it’s a pretend metropolis, I don’t essentially agree. Downtown Dallas is a crucial place in USA historical past. Elm Road, for instance, is the notorious place the place our President Kennedy was assassinated. There’s a small memorial designed by Philip Johnson across the nook from Dealey Plaza—the place conspiracy theories have been born. Standing amongst the glass and metal skyscrapers, the stark open house of Dealey Plaza, the Grassy Knoll and Founder’s Plaza is sort of inspiring. It’s unusually comforting—a nonetheless oasis of historical past.

Dallas is a kind of nice street journey locations for a number of causes. It’s comparatively straightforward to get round and there’s loads of parking (tons from simply $8/day). Inside strolling distance from Downtown Dallas, there are three nice museums: the wonderful assortment (and free) within the Dallas Museum of Artwork, the Crow Assortment of Asian Artwork and the Nasher Sculpture Heart. The town additionally has that vital side of any street journey—a metropolis skyline seen afar from the flat highways.

Learn extra: A Homosexual Weekend in Dallas – Journey Ideas

From the enduring Reunion Tower to the brand new Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge (designed by Santiago Calatrava), driving out of Dallas towards Houston feels like the start of a real Texas journey.

HOUSTON
Public parks and siphoned espresso

On the street from Dallas to Houston, you would possibly spot on the street (perhaps a bit too late like me) a large sculpture of Sam Houston simply outdoors of Huntsville. In fact you’ll need to cease the automobile and take a few images—however typically it’s simply simpler to maintain driving.

Take it as an expertise and simply benefit from the street; it’s what the American street journey is all about. Among the many billboards asking me to promote my automobile or the promoting for grownup movies, the freeway is quick and there’s no time to look again (and don’t you dare attempt to use your cellphone and drive). Don’t Mess With Texas®, hey.

Upon arriving in Houston, there’s a direct feeling that that is additionally a BIG metropolis. Twelve or fourteen lane highways reduce by way of town, sideswiping the skyscrapers. Over the freeway into town, there’s an iconic piece of graffiti over an overpass telling all of the drivers to: “Be Somebody.”

That is Houston. A rich metropolis, however comparatively understated; it’s America’s fourth largest in inhabitants but it surely’s laborious to really feel crowded right here. With stylish cocktail bars, wonderful artwork museums and a foodie tradition, there’s loads of house in Houston to “be somebody.”

In Houston, I relied fairly closely on the Journey app to find what to do—principally as a result of I’ve by no means actually been a vacationer in Houston earlier than. The app didn’t disappoint!

Inside an hour of arriving to Houston, I opened up the app to see what was close by for espresso and the very first spot turned out to be what’s arguably Houston’s most hipster espresso store: Siphon.

At Siphon, the espresso is served with a bizarre, but innovating method—it’s heated from the underside and rises up, as if in a siphon. I attempted to grasp from speaking with the lovable barista, but it surely all simply regarded like a science experiment to me. Regardless: it was glorious espresso!

At night time, I used the Journey app to assist uncover Houston’s nightlife. We began on the Anvil Bar & Refuge—evaluations on the app mentioned it was the “finest cocktails in Montrose” which I’d already found as Houston’s hipster, gay-friendly neighborhood.

And it’s true: the perfect cocktail in Montrose! Later, I used the app to search out a few of Houston’s homosexual bars—beginning on the ginormous JR’s Bar & Grill after which later to George: Your Nation Sports activities Bar (which FYI is strictly what it seems like).

Homosexual bars in Houston appear to be numerous—from the stereotypical pop golf equipment for twinks to the dive lounges for bears. Houston is stunning!

Difficult my preconceived concepts of town as a polluted haven for site visitors, Houston can also be surprisingly inexperienced. The Journey app pointed me within the route of a handful of various inexperienced Houston sights—together with the picturesque Hermann Park, Buffalo Bayou Park and the Menil Assortment.

The free Menil Assortment features a everlasting assortment that includes nice works from Picasso, Kandinsky and Warhol. The Menil can also be the house of the Rothko Chapel—a spot for the contemplation of artwork and oriented towards peace and spirituality. Considered one of my favorites artists, Cy Twombly, even has his personal constructing with each his work and sculptures.

Earlier than you permit Houston, don’t overlook to go to the general public parks, together with the Hermann Park with its Japanese gardens, its little lakes with geese and its cute railroad. In the summertime, there’s an outside theater at no cost public performances, too.

AUSTIN
Hipster streets and the Texas Capitol

After two days exploring Houston, we crammed up on fuel and moved on to our final cease: Austin. It’s a metropolis I’ve been to a handful of instances earlier than—one which’s the unofficial hipster capital of the south, perhaps all of America. Their slogan is “Austin is bizarre” however honestly, Austin is simply fairly rattling cool. Nice inexperienced areas just like the Barton Creek Springs Pool, or the Butler park make town very totally different than different Texan metropolises.

In Austin, the hipster feeling is within the air. Like all true metropolis for artists and bohemians, there’s going to be graffiti—from the well-known “I really like you a lot” (star of my Twitter background) to environmental messages about Texan toads.

A stroll down South Congress road and also you’ll spot dozens of individuals looking for classic artifacts and geeky antiques, ingesting smoothies, having Tex-Mex tacos and consuming cupcakes. On South Congress, classic shops coexist with sweet outlets and karaoke bars. We ate dinner on South Congress at Hopdoddy—the third most beneficial Austin restaurant on the Journey app. It’s hipster heaven.

Elsewhere in Austin, the skyline is dominated by the Capitol constructing. It’s free to go to (and there’s free parking on the Capitol Customer Heart, too). Inside is the well-known rotunda that includes the six flags of Texas and surrounded by portraits of our current governors.

Down the road from The Capitol is the small Mexic-Arte museum—a small museum and store with fusion artwork from American and Mexican artists.

Sunday morning brunch in Austin, on the best way out of city, we used the Journey app one final time. For the drive again to Dallas we determined to carbo-load with an enormous brunch, Texas-style. In Austin, meaning Kerbey Lane Cafe—huge parts and hearty Texas favorites like biscuits and gravy!

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After a highly effective breakfast, there was nothing else to do however get within the automobile and drive. Driving in Texas, you actually get the sense of the pure grandeur of house. This can be a huge state, a part of an even bigger union.

On the street for hours, even easy street journey drives just like the one from Austin to Dallas, really feel by some means majestic. The lengthy flat roads, the sun-showers and the repetitive billboards flashing in entrance of you—the street is a small microcosm of America, but it surely’s the place the adventures at all times start.