Thanks to the millions of tourists spending over $44 billion a year on Texas flights, accommodations and visiting Texas attractions, the state continues to get bigger and better both financially and visually. The old cliché is true: everything really is bigger in Texas.
Texas is the second-largest state in the United States and is larger than any country in Europe. The three largest U.S. cities are in Texas: Houston, Dallas and San Antonio. In Texas, the ranches are bigger, the hats are bigger, the steaks are bigger, the cacti are bigger, the cowboys are bigger, even the cars are bigger in Texas. The state’s motto “Don’t Mess With Texas” is less a slogan and more an attitude. While you may not be able to carry a concealed weapon through security before boarding your Texas flight, you can carry a handgun just about anywhere in Texas.
Before sitting down to your Texas steak or taking in a Texas rodeo, make sure to pay respects to the other “big” parts of Texas. Houston, Fort Worth and Dallas are home to world-class art galleries built by the world-renowned architects thanks to the big money and influence of Texas philanthropists. Other must-see attractions for travelers booking flights to Texas include the Gulf Coast resort area, the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center in Houston, and of course, a visit to the Alamo in San Antonio.
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The panhandle and central Texas are at the southern end of Tornado Alley. The tornado season is from early spring to late summer, but tornados are not uncommon in November. Texas springs are pleasant, even with thunderstorms, heavy rains, and flash flooding in the Hill Country. Texas summers are hot and humid with the exception of Dallas where it’s hot and dry. Fall throughout the state tends to be pleasant. Winters in Dallas can get quite cold, even icy, with generally just under three inches of snow. Houston winters are usually mild, with an occasional cold snap. Winter in San Antonio tends to be mild with perhaps a dusting of snow or an ice storm. Austin’s winters are typically mild.
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Peak Season:
The peak seasons are fall and spring. Dallas hosts the Texas State Fair in the fall, and San Antonio’s Fiesta is in April. Austin is busy with visitors in the summer too, and the city can be quite full during legislative sessions and events at the University of Texas.
Off Season:
Except for San Antonio and Austin, visitors tend to avoid the Texas summers. On the plus side, nearly everything is air conditioned in Texas - and this may be the perfect time to find the cheapest flight to Texas.
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Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, and Austin all have city centers that are manageable on foot, and all have good public transportation systems. Many of Houston’s hotels also provide shuttles to common destinations, and Austin’s free Armadillo ('Dillo) Express routes take you to tourist sights.
Driving is not recommended in these cities; traffic can be heavy and parking very hard to find or nonexistent. If you do drive in a city, pay sharp attention to where you are. San Antonio has a pattern of one-way streets that is confusing at best, and driving in Austin can be frustrating. Its street signs are hard to read and often obscured, and the streets branch into turn-only lanes with little, if any, advance warning.
Cabs are another option for getting around. You can find them at hotel taxi stands or you can call for one. As for highway driving, pay attention. Watch the signs and be prepared to make lane changes to make sure you don’t end up in an express lane headed somewhere you don't want to go.
Depending on the distance you’re covering, the number of airports in Texas makes flying an option and catching a cheap flight to Texas's regions is fairly easy.
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- Visitors to Dallas are greeted with Texas hospitality and plenty of activities—museums, amusement parks, gardens, and historic sites. Probably the best-known site is the Texas Schoolbook Depository that houses exhibits examining the life, times, death, and legacy of President Kennedy. Dallas is also a sports town and one of the few U.S. cities that supports teams in six professional sports. The city’s biggest event is the annual Texas State Fair in October. Book Texas flights and accommodations ahead of time if you plan to visit Texas during the state fair.
- A town of sophistication and friendliness, Houston has a top-level art collection and an accomplished culinary scene. The largest city in Texas personifies the Texan spirit with its friendly people and juxtaposition of the elegant and mundane, functional and whimsical. Houston is the country’s biggest oil and gas center and has the largest concentration of medical institutions in the world. NASA, the Astrodome, and the museum district are just a few of the sights waiting for you in Houston.
- San Antonio is a popular destination for Texans, Mexicans, and out-of-state visitors. Founded before the state won independence from Mexico, San Antonio was settled by Spanish missionaries and militia, German merchants, Southern plantation owners, Western cattle ranchers, and Eastern architects. Many visitors go to see the Alamo, but San Antonio still has five original Spanish-Colonial missions within its limits, aqueducts that carry water to farmers, and the heritage of its multicultural history.
- The Live Music Capital of the World doesn’t have as many tourist attractions as other cities, but that’s the charm of Austin. Which is not to say that it doesn’t have attractions, it does—live music around every corner, museums, the University of Texas, bat flights at sunset, haute cuisine, and down-home barbecues. The Texas capital consistently ranks high on lists of the best places to live, work, and play in the U.S.
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