Say Texas..and there is a flash in your mind about ’Texan cowboys’ and something about stretches of grasslands that you probably learnt in geography at school. Well, most people wouldn’t recommend Texas as a pleasant travel destination. I don’t know whether I have been lucky or unlucky to be living in the state of Texas. All I can say that...Initially I wasn’t too impressed with it, but slowly as I discovered places of my interest it appealed to me and definitely surprised me..
Well the State of Texas has some interesting and beautiful cities..
Austin: This is a the capital of Texas. A hilly, beautiful and luscious green city with stretches of flora. The very reputed University of Texas is situated here. Apart from this, Austin is the crux for the headquarters of several big companies. It has several scenic spots of interest and beautiful restaurants by the lake. The Capitol building is an interesting place to visit...you can go right inside every room and view the entire area from close quarters.
Corpus Christi: This is called the ’Sparkling’ city by the sea. It an unusually compact but beautiful city dotting the clear blue shorelines. It has the USS Lexington war ship floating on the waters. This has been converted into a museum and exploring it from the interiors in thoroughly fascinating. Also it has other attractions like the Museum of Science and history, State Aquarium and the picturesque ’South Padre Island’ which is a pivotal vacation destination for camping and swimming.
Dallas: Dallas is the city for business. Though I haven’t visited Dallas personally..I have heard from my friends that its an interesting place to be. It is a blend of the old and the modern..pretty much cosmopolitan. Eating out is like 7th heaven here. It has a restaurants about 4 times more than that in New York city. There are lots of exciting attractions ranging from museums and amusement parks.
San Antonio: The 8th largest city in the United states and one of the most visited tourist spots..what with 7 million visitors crowding this beautiful city so rightfully called as the spirit & light of Texas. San Antonio is well known for its famous ’Riverwalk’. A river about 10-15 feet wide winds its way through the city. It has restaurants on both sides, live music playing, and one can easily keep walking by the river or dine beside the river. The river has small interesting cruises and at night or during Christmas ..boy the entire place is lit up ..Its the perfect romantic setting. Apart from the Riverwalk one can visit the Monument/Shrine ’The Alamo’, Cathedrals, Historic parks..and the Market Square, a highly buzzing and interactive area. San Antonio also has the ’Sea World’ amusement park which is full of thrills..
Houston: This is the city where I live and houston is definitely close to my heart now. It is amazingly cosmopolitan. Being an Indian it is very convenient and accessible for everything Indian..be it food, shopping, temples, theatres, indian community..its absolutely perfect. There are very few places that are actually beautiful and worth seeing though. Almost everything in houston is man made, there are very few natural scenic spots.
Houston has NASA. The space centre where astronauts are trained and from where the actual mission is controlled.
Galveston island is a upcoming tourist seaside spot. It has several beautiful theme parks & aquariums. The water is not very clean though, but it offers some interesting cruises.
Houston has the highly ranked Rice University. It also has its own set of museums, nature parks, entertainment parks.
Houston is accessible by road to other cities like San Antonio, Austin, Corpus Christi and New Orleans another popular tourist city. So most Texans spend their weekends leisurely travelling or camping. Climate is very much tropical with tornado warnings occasionally...During the summers the heat burns down on you. It snows a little in North Texas...
Well, to sum it up Texas might not be the perfect travel destination, but it is certainly not as bad as some people might think..And remember, this comes from someone staying right here..!