How to make the Best of your Trip to Texas-

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I just got back home last night and I couldn’t sleep because I have so much to share! I have traveled to many States and fell in love with a few, but I will tell you that there really hasn’t been a State that made me feel the way Texas made me feel!

My family and I recently took a trip to “Hill Country”. Austin, San Marcos, San Antonio, Kingsbury, Geronimo, New Braunfels and a few other neighboring towns. Originally it was just going to be the hubby and I taking a trip for the blog; Nightlife, live music, breweries and of course FOOD! But the kids decided they wanted to come along. “Everything is bigger and better in Texas Mom, I want to see that!”

Being from Southern California there is so much to see and do here, everything is literally at my fingertips. I can go to the Mountains, the Beach, Mexico, Wineries, Lakes, Amusement parks and Museums. So much to see and do here in the beautiful Southern California region. But it has become overcrowded, traffic can be insane and it is expensive to live. There is a reason it is so crowded…. California has some of the best weather and everyone wants to live here!

I love to travel. I love seeing new places, trying new foods, checking out the trends in different places, meeting new people. It’s such an adventure! Living in Southern is truly a blessing and it has given me so much joy. But I am at a place in my life that simple seems appealing. How many of you have felt like this? It’s hard because I love the City, but I could also see myself eventually moving somewhere less congested.

We had planned to hopefully retire in Costa Rica, a few years ago we traveled the whole Country for a month checking things out-Living the “PURA VIDA” life! We are many years from retirement but it’s good to have a plan. I have also looked into a few other places here in the States. I really like Oregon, Washington and Utah.

Have you thought about your plans for retirement? What are some of your choices? I would love to hear!

Texas is affordable. Gas is nearly $2- less a gallon then here in California, homes are half the price. Traffic is less and Crime is low. I know just like any State, that it depends on the area. I am not too sure about the job market and cost of living, it does look like from my research that it is pretty affordable in areas like Austin and San Antonio. People were genuinely “Nice” and respectful. I did not see a lot of crime, hate or non-sense in the area that I was in.

Depending on the area, there are a lot of outdoor activities available, City life is near and beaches are in a days drive. I would miss the beach being 40 mins away, the heat is harsh and of course I would miss SoCal Mexican food!

Bottom line-I enjoyed Texas and I would suggest you give it a try!

Here are a few things I suggest you check out when visiting Austin, San Antonio and neighboring towns. Also make sure to check out my other blog posts on Texas-

Some highlights of the trip……

Buc-ees

I know, I know, you’re probably wondering: why would she suggest going to a convenience store right? Let me tell you, this is WAY more then just a “store”! Everything is BIGGER and BETTER in TEXAS right?

When we pulled into the parking lot everyone knew that I was a tourist because I was snapping shots of EVERYTHING! Never in my life have I seen anything quite like this! First of all, there had to of been over 100 gas pumps and the whole outside perimeter was lined with ice coolers! So you know, “Y’all” will never run out of gas or ice!!!!

Once you walk through the doors, its like being in a 7-eleven, walmart, cracker barrel gift shop, outdoor gear store and a deli all rolled into one! Your senses go wild! So much to see, touch and smell…oh’ and of course TASTE! Aisles and aisles full of candy, snacks, jams and jellies, nuts and so much more! There is also a grab and go deli and a cafe that you can order hot items from. If you need to get some Texas Memorabilia or souvenirs for friends, this is the place!

It’s fans say few things are more Texas than the chain of massive convenience stores with the disposition of an amusement park. Among its 38 stores, customers can find a whole wall dedicated to Icees. Seasoned nuts that are roasted on site, and there’s a homemade fudge bar and a massive beef jerky display. The travel centers can have as many as 120 fueling stations and as I mentioned, a ton of ice coolers, And the bathrooms are high-tech and famously pristine.

My family and I stopped in at the New Braunfels location. Apparently its their largest store. With 67,000 square feet of retail sales space, the Buc-ee’s location in New Braunfels, Texas, is the world’s largest convenience store. You could fit 22 average-sized 7-Eleven convenience stores or two average-sized Whole Foods stores inside this Buc-ee’s.

The Buc-ee’s chain has 36 locations in eastern Texas, most in small towns along major highways, and is expanding into Alabama and Florida.

Grab breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks…a cooler to put them all in and of course ice! Fuel up your car, shop for souvenirs, grab an icee for the road and of course make a pit stop to use the restroom. You can do all of this at this awesome “roadside “attraction”.

Murals-

When in Austin you MUST at least get one snap shot in front of one of the many iconic spots. Here are a few I suggest:

Joes Coffee- I LOVE YOU – MLK east

BUTTER HALF- S.1st

Greetings from Austin- S.1st

A few side notes– I planned a few other sights to see in the downtown area and here is my input-

Moon tower– waste of time! I was bummed, I had expected to see something a little different that what I did.

Congress Ave bridge– Cool experience, especially if you go at dusk and see the bats.

Ziker park– is also cool to check out.

Driskill Hotel-Cool to check out if you are strolling through the neighborhood. It is close to live music and Voodoo donuts.

Texas BBQ

So guys… WHO HAS THE BEST BBQ IN TEXAS?

That is a tough one! But I will tell you there are many amazing places to choose from. My favorite though was in San Marcos, Texas. Just outside of Austin.

I did so much research prior to my trip to Texas. Everyone has their own opinion on who is the best and I also read that some places have a 4-6 hour wait! Check out my blog post on my favorite place-https://www.chasingthesunshineblog.com/the-best-texas-bbq/

Sweet Treats & Yummy Eats

Of course there is always room for some sweets right? We stopped in at the legendary Vodoo Donuts to see what the Austin location had to offer. We were very lucky to time it just right. The line wasn’t too long and we even got to hear live jazz from the bar next door. https://www.voodoodoughnut.com/locations/austin-texas-6th-street/

Gordoughs Public house– First off, love the name! “Gordo” in Spanish is fatty so the name for this donut shop- “Gor-doughs” was a fun fit! We originally went in just for dessert, but once I took a peak at the menu we had to stay and grab a bite to eat.http://www.gourdoughspub.com/

Read the full story on my blog post-

Whataburger- This place is to Texas what “In and out” is to us SoCal peeps. When in Texas you have to stop in and try this. If you are brave enough, grab a Dr.Pepper milkshake! Yes, I said it right!- DP milkshake! Apparently DP is very popular in Texas. A few other unique things about this place- they offer fruit snacks and they have several different dipping sauces including spicy ketchup, jalapeño ranch and hot gravy!

Taco Cabana– Can I tell you a secret? Please don’t laugh! Can you guess where I had the best margarita while I was in Texas? Yes…. Taco Cabana!! The Mango margaritas are the BEST! They line the rim with tajin and they hand make all their margaritas.

Live Music

Sixth Street is Austin’s entertainment showpiece. Sixth Street draws an eclectic bunch including endless streams of mostly single UT students and live music fans. Live music of every genre abounds. From jazz, blues, and country to rock, hip-hop, beat, progressive, metal, punk and derivations of these, there’s something to whet everyone’s musical pallete.

Austin in known for their live music seen and I guarantee it won’t disappoint. We had the opportunity to check out some live music in Austin at a few local bars as well as in San Marcos, Texas. We dined at a place called https://www.industrytx.com/ Good food, great happy hour, outdoor seating and an amazing live band. You have to check out-

Outdoor & Family Fun

There is so much to do in Hill Country. Here are a few places that I we checked out:

Austin-

We spent the day strolling through downtown and then headed over to the State Capitol. My older Son really enjoys visiting places like this. We were lucky on the day that we were visiting, they were swearing in the New State Officials. https://tspb.texas.gov/plan/tours/tours.html

San Antonio-

The Alamo– plan on being there for a short period of time. You can defiantly do the Alamo as well as the Riverwalk in the same evening. There are many restaurants along the riverwalk as well as a boat tour. Just outside of the Riverwalk are a few other activities- Museum of the Weird and Guinness book of World Records.