Austin skyline
a classic plate of Tex-Mex with West Texas-style chiles rellenos.
Texas is far removed from the transportation hubs on the East and West Coasts, but it’s easily accessible by plane and relatively so by car.
Texas is easy to get to by air because its two largest cities—Houston and Dallas—are primary hubs for major airlines (United and American, respectively). As a result, flights from all over the country wind up in the Lone Star State, often at affordable rates. Texas’s other major cities—Austin, San Antonio, and El Paso—have international airports, but the nonstop flights from points beyond aren’t nearly as frequent (or cheap). Even Texas’s smaller cities (populations of 100,000 or greater) have airports, but you’ll have to go through Dallas or Houston to get there.
The interstate highway system in Texas is pretty impressive for a state this huge. You can get from most major cities to the others (excluding El Paso) by noon. The roads tend to be in good shape since they don’t often experience icy conditions, but as in most states, construction is a perpetual issue in Texas’s metro areas. Increased truck traffic from Mexico has taken its toll on some of the freeways, and rural roads between smaller cities can get a bit rough, but that doesn’t deter Texans from going 90 mph. The Texas Department of Transportation (www.txdot.gov) oversees all aspects of vehicular travel.
Be forewarned: Traveling by train in Texas is not nearly as charming as it sounds. Trains stop frequently between destinations and for long periods of time. The trip from Austin to Fort Worth can take as long as nine hours—the same trek is about three hours by car. Unfortunately, the fares aren’t usually low enough to make the extra time worthwhile. One of the few trips recommended by some train travelers is the scenic trek to far West Texas (Alpine and beyond to El Paso), even though it can take up to 24 hours to get there. For more information, contact Amtrak at www.amtrak.com or 800/872-7245.
For the most convenient scheduling system and affordable fares from other parts of the country, leave the driving to Greyhound (800/231-2222, www.greyhound.com). The venerable Dallas-based bus line has an easily navigable online reservation system (not always the case with bus companies) and hosts bus stops in cities across the country. Fares tend to run about half the price of a plane ticket, often a welcome option for travelers on a tight budget (and willing to make the trip in more time with less glamour). Greyhound can assist travelers with fares and schedules via email (ifsr@greyhound.com) and can serve Spanish-speaking travelers via phone (800/531-5332) 5am-2am CST.
Texas’s Gulf Coast has several major shipping ports, including Houston, Galveston, Corpus Christi, Beaumont, and Brownsville. Virtually all the activity is industrial, but cruise ships occasionally dock in Houston and Galveston. Contact the cruise lines (Carnival, Royal Caribbean, etc.) to see if they plan voyages to the Lone Star State.
Texans love their cars—and trucks. In a state this big, a vehicle is virtually a necessity, despite some advances in metropolitan public transportation systems. To get anywhere in Texas’s sprawling cities and widespread landscape, a vehicle is the most practical approach. In fact, the state is so spread out, travelers occasionally hop on planes to get from place to place. The drive from Lubbock to Corpus Christi would take about 13 hours by car but only 2 hours via plane. Other small cities with airports include Tyler, Waco, San Angelo, Amarillo, and Brownsville.
Texas’s major interstates are well maintained, and drivers are largely courteous, if a bit lead footed. The stretch of I-35 between Dallas and Austin is a racetrack, with cars and semitrucks regularly buzzing along at a 90 mph clip. That being said, some Texas drivers are notorious for hanging in the passing lane at 55 mph, forcing cars to line up behind them and pass on the right when there’s a break in the “fast” lane. The true Lone Star autobahn experience is in far West Texas, where the posted speed limit is 80 mph, meaning drivers will go even faster since patrol cars are as abundant as trees out there. Incidentally, freeway ramps are unpredictable in Texas—some are only a few hundred yards short, while others seem to stretch for miles. Once you’re off the interstate, be sure to keep an eye out for police, since some small Texas towns rely on speeding ticket fines to help fund their municipal budgets.
Unlike other states with well-established turnpike and tollway systems, Texas is relatively new to the fees-for-freeways concept. Small stretches of highways in Dallas and Houston have charged tolls for decades, but only recently have other cities (Austin and Tyler) jumped on board.
For the most part, the tollways are welcome (unless they’re placed or proposed on a previously public road) because they ease congestion on busy nearby interstates. Still, they rub some Texans the wrong way and can be underused due to perceived expense. The Texas Department of Transportation’s system is surprisingly convenient and innovative (yet occasionally confusing), with electronic gates allowing drivers to cruise through the tolls and receive a bill in the mail several weeks later. Fees are reasonable: from 75 cents to several dollars, depending on the length of the toll road.
If you’re renting a vehicle, be sure to ask the rental company if they have a toll tag or if you can purchase a prepaid tag. Otherwise, you may be unpleasantly surprised to later find you’ve been charged a $50 “convenience” fee for the company to handle the arrangements. If you don’t have a tag, be sure to look for the highway signs letting you know if there’s an option for paying an actual person at a toll gate; otherwise, you may want to take a more convenient route on a true freeway.
For more information about Texas’s toll roads, visit www.texastollways.com.
Texas has a considerable number of bicyclists, but its roadways aren’t considered very bike-friendly. The best spots for riding are municipal and state parks, which contain well-designed and scenic hike and bike trails. The state’s tremendous geographical diversity allows for a good variety of terrain, and several Texas locales—Palo Duro Canyon and the Hill Country, in particular—are major destinations for serious mountain bikers from across the country.
For those interested in traversing Texas by bus, it’s worth contacting Trailways (319/753-2864, www.trailways.com). The company operates eight regional routes in Texas, offering passengers the option of making personalized trips using independently operated bus companies. This is an ideal option for travelers interested in exploring cities or smaller towns at their own pace without having to rely on a major bus tour operation with existing (and less-than-adventurous) itineraries.
With so many “new” cities (less than 150 years old), Texas is known more for its sprawl than dense metropolitan environs. Unlike long-standing urban areas on the East Coast and in the Midwest with well-established subway and train-based transit lines, Texas’s cities have traditionally used buses for public transportation. Light-rail can be a challenging system to incorporate on established traffic grids, but it’s been successful in several cities, Dallas and Houston in particular. To find out more about public transportation options in Texas’s major urban environments, visit the following websites: Austin (www.capmetro.org), Corpus Christi (www.ccrta.org), Dallas (www.dart.org), El Paso (www.elpasotexas.gov), Fort Worth (www.the-t.com), Houston (www.ridemetro.org), and San Antonio (www.viainfo.net).
Texans spend a lot of time enjoying outdoor activities, despite the intolerably hot summers. For sports, football is the undisputed king, but baseball, basketball, and golf are also popular since they can be played year-round. The state’s mild climate also allows nonprofessional (recreational) sporting activities to continue throughout the year. Campers, hikers, and mountain bikers flock to state and local parks year-round—in summer for the lower humidity and higher altitudes of far West Texas and in winter for the warm tropical climate of the Gulf Coast and Rio Grande Valley. The Sports and Recreation and Camping sections for specific cities in this guide provide detailed information about available resources.
Professional sports are a major attraction in Texas (the Sports and Recreation sections in the metropolitan areas contain detailed information). Most Texans are fans of the Dallas Cowboys (there are some Houston Texas supporters), but loyalties are divided by region when it comes to professional baseball (the Houston Astros or Arlington’s Texas Rangers) and basketball (Dallas Mavericks, San Antonio Spurs, or Houston Rockets).
High school football is a religion in Texas (it’s the inspiration for Friday Night Lights after all), but the most passionate fans in the state follow college sports. The University of Texas versus Texas A&M University rivalry is one of the fiercest in the nation, and Texas’s sheer size allows for serious intrastate competition among several large schools (Texas Tech University, Baylor University, University of Texas at El Paso, Texas State University, etc.).
One of the most popular ecotourism destinations in the country is emerging in South Texas, particularly the Lower Rio Grande Valley. The Valley’s immense biodiversity and ecological complexity make it a natural crossing point for migratory birds, which traverse the region each fall and spring en route to and from their winter homes in the tropics.
Much like the birds that arrive in the Valley from the East Coast and Midwest, the birders who track and document their feathered friends flock from across the country in search of their favorite and rare species. The McAllen area is home to several acclaimed birding sites catering to the thousands of ecotourists who arrive annually, including the World Birding Center’s Quinta Mazatlan, the highly regarded Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge, and the Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park. These parks retain the region’s natural state by maintaining the distinctive woodlands, which draw species popular with the birding crowd, such as chacalacas, green jays, and broad-winged hawks.
Websites worth exploring to find potential ecofriendly travel options in Texas include www.ecotourism.org, www.Ecotravel.com, and www.texas.uscity.net/Eco_Tourism.
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department operates nearly 100 state parks (including natural areas and historic sites), which may sound like a lot at first but doesn’t represent much of the state’s geographic area. In fact, according to the state government, Texas has a total land area of 167.5 million acres, and the state parks’ 586,501 total acres occupy one-third of 1 percent of that total.
State parks draw visitors throughout the year.
Regardless, the state’s enormous geographical diversity is aptly represented at the parks, from northern lakes to southern tropics and from western mountains to eastern forests. The largest park in the state’s system is in the Panhandle region—the magnificent Palo Duro Canyon, at 26,275 acres (representing the country’s second-largest canyon). The smallest is in West Texas—Balmorhea, at 46 acres (a spring-fed oasis near the Davis Mountains).
The most popular parks are in or near metropolitan areas. Recent figures show the state’s most-visited parks were Cedar Hill State Park in Dallas County (531,153 annual visitors), San Jacinto Battleground Monument and Battleship Texas in Harris County near Houston (415,817 visitors), and Goose Island State Park in Aransas County on the Gulf Coast (371,519 visitors). If you’re planning to camp at these parks, it’s highly recommended to make reservations several weeks in advance, since they’re often fully booked and will turn away visitors at the gate. Incidentally, for those interested, the least-visited park was Devil’s River State Natural Area in southwestern Texas (821 visitors).
As in many other states, funding for parks is scarce in Texas, but the Parks and Wildlife Department manages to run a decent operation with limited resources. For years, Texans complained mightily about the hassles of making campground reservations via antiquated systems such as phones. By 2010, TPWD finally implemented an online reservation system (http://texas.reserveworld.com), which has provided added convenience, albeit with a few initial glitches.
For some, camping doesn’t require a car or on-site gift shop. Backcountry camping is available across the state and, because of the varying geography, can be interpreted in different ways.
Traditionally, backcountry or primitive camping involves pitching a tent in an undeveloped, secluded area accessible only by foot without any amenities (except perhaps a fire pit). In Texas, this typically means an excursion in the western portions of the state (Bandera’s Hill Country State Natural Area is a particularly popular destination), where campers can experience nature without the interference of adjacent campers and nearby highways. The definition of backcountry is expanded a bit in far West Texas, where campers can take a secluded mountain trail in Big Bend National Park, or even along the coasts, where the term encompasses beach camping in undeveloped areas.
For these types of excursions, most state parks require backcountry campers to register at the reservation desk to ensure their safety (if campers doesn’t return by the expected date/time, park rangers can check on them). To find out more about a park’s policies, visit www.tpwd.state.tx.us.
Like other outdoor activities in Texas, fishing is a popular recreational endeavor due to the mild year-round temperatures. The Lone Star State is also well known in angler circles for its freshwater reservoirs and streams packed with largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, crappie, panfish (bluegill, sunfish), and catfish, as well as the draw of the Gulf Coast’s tarpon, amberjack, red drum, and spotted sea trout.
Fishing is a fun family activity in Port Aransas.
For recommendations about the best places to cast a line in Texas’s fishing hot spots (along the Gulf Coast and in the reservoirs in East Texas’s national forests), consult the appropriate regional sections in this guide. For detailed information about fishing reports, tides, and advisories, visit the Texas Park and Wildlife Department’s comprehensive website (www.tpwd.texas.gov).
Since Texas is so big and fishing is so popular, there are nearly 1,700 locations to obtain a license (a requirement). Anglers can purchase a license at most bait and tackle shops, as well as local sporting goods stores, grocery stores, and even some department stores. Recreational licenses are available on a daily basis (fees vary by location, but usually cost around $7) or with an annual permit ($30 for freshwater, $35 saltwater, $40 “all-water”). These licenses can also be purchased in advance by phone (800/895-4248 Mon.-Fri. 8am-5pm) or via TPWD’s website. In addition, the site offers a handy service that identifies the nearest local license vendor based on the city.
Hunting is huge in Texas, and the state’s sheer size provides countless opportunities to grab a gun and wait patiently for your critter of choice. Deer hunting is one of the biggest draws, and deer season has a major cultural and economic impact on much of the state. Pick up a community newspaper during the winter, and you’ll find plenty of photos of hunters, ranging in age from 8 to 88, in the back of their pickups proudly displaying the rack of the buck they just killed.
In general, Texas offers something for every kind of hunter, from waterfowl along the Gulf Coast to quail and pheasant in South Texas to feral hogs in East Texas to antelope in the Panhandle. The best place to find all the information you’ll ever need about hunting in Texas—seasons, permits, regulations, restrictions, hunting lodges, and hunting leases—is the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s website (www.tpwd.state.tx.us).
Like fishing licenses, Texas’s hunting licenses are required and can be obtained at 1,700 locations across the state. Hunters can purchase a license at a local gun shop, sporting goods store, grocery store, or department store. Resident licenses are available for $25 (fees for out-of-staters are slightly higher) and allow hunting of “any legal bird or animal (terrestrial vertebrates).” The licenses can also be purchased in advance by phone (800/895-4248 Mon.-Fri. 8am-5pm) or via TPWD’s website. As with the fishing licenses, the website offers a service that identifies local vendors based on the closest city.
Though most locals are well versed in the procedures associated with field dressing and transporting a deer after it’s been killed, visitors may need a crash course on the state’s requirements. To find out everything you need to know about appropriate tags, processing (four quarters and two backstraps), and keeping the deer in “edible condition,” visit www.tpwd.state.tx.us.
Food lovers love Texas. Turn on the Food Network, and you’ll probably soon be watching a feature about Texas barbecue, the many varieties of Mexican food in Texas, or recipes for the perfect Lone Star chili. The following types of cuisine are represented in the Food sections of virtually every city in this guide, but here’s a quick overview of how they came to be culinary icons in Texas.
The prime representation of Texas cuisine, barbecue is all about the meat—beef (brisket and ribs), pork (sausage, ribs, and chops), and turkey, chicken, mutton, goat, or anything else a Texan can put in a barbecue smoker. The tradition originated in the Caribbean as a method to cook meat over a pit on a framework of sticks known as a barbacot, and it eventually made its way across the southern United States, where it picked up various cultural influences on the way. Even in Texas there are several different methods for barbecuing meat, and there’s plenty of debate about who does it the right way. Fortunately, everyone wins since all styles of Texas barbecue are exceptionally pleasing to the palate.
In general, the East Texas approach is aligned with African American traditions of the South—the sauce is tomato based and somewhat sweet, and the sides (potato salad and coleslaw, in particular) are mayo based and extremely sweet. Central Texas-style ’cue is considered the ideal representative of the Lone Star State, originating in the German and Czech communities in the Austin area. Based on traditions from European meat markets, the sausage and beef are smoked and served on waxed paper along with side items inspired by the former grocery store/butcher shops where they originated—bread slices, beans, tomatoes, cheese, and jalapeños. In West Texas, some restaurants and ranches still serve their meat “cowboy style,” where an entire slab of beef is cooked over hot coals on open pits and basted with a “mop” of oil and vinegar.
For most people, Mexican food means tacos, burritos, and nachos. In Texas, Mexican food can mean a variety of things—cuisine from the interior of Mexico with savory sauces and various meats, Southwestern-style Mexican food with green chiles and blue corn, or border-inspired Tex-Mex with gooey cheese, seasoned beef, and tortillas.
Though interior Mexican food is certainly worth sampling if you can find an authentic restaurant, it’s Tex-Mex that prevails in Texas, and it’s not hard to find a good representation of this regional comfort food in most cities across the state. In fact, mom-and-pop Tex-Mex restaurants are much like Italian eateries on the East Coast and in the Midwest—the best food is often in the most unassuming spot, like a strip mall or small house on a side street.
The main ingredients in Tex-Mex are ground beef, chicken, cheese, pinto beans, and tortillas. These items are combined differently for tasty variations, including a crispy or soft beef taco; a beef, cheese, or chicken enchilada; a bean chalupa; cheese quesadilla; or beef and chicken fajitas. Salsa, guacamole, lettuce, tomato, and sour cream are typically added as flavorful accompaniments.
Texas doesn’t hold exclusive rights to this category, but Southern food is considered somewhat exotic to more than half the country, and, like just about everything else, Texas puts its own distinct spin on this style of down-home country cuisine.
It’s unfair to generalize Southern cooking as being mostly fried, even though a good portion of it is encased in crispy goodness (just not always of the deep-fried variety). One of the best examples of Southern cookin’ done right in Texas is chicken-fried steak, a thin cut of cube steak that’s tenderized, breaded in egg batter or a seasoned flour mixture, pan fried in lard or vegetable oil, and served smothered in peppered cream gravy. The name likely refers to the similar process used in frying chicken. Other fried favorites include pork chops, catfish, okra, and chicken.
Another Southern cooking tendency is to include meat in veggie dishes (vegetarians should consider themselves warned). Beans, greens, and black-eyed peas are often spruced up with ham hock or bacon, and lard or bacon grease can add an extra dimension of flavor to just about any vegetable or bread recipe. Incidentally, if you order tea in a Texas restaurant, you’ll get iced tea (occasionally sweetened), and you should never skip an opportunity to order a fruit cobbler or pecan pie for dessert.
Texans take their chili seriously—maybe too seriously. But since Texans claim bragging rights to many things, it should be no surprise they profess to have the best chili, too. The main point of pride with the Texas variety is the absence of beans. It’s meat and spices only. Beans are for wimps and Yankees.
Peel-and-eat shrimp is a classic Texas Gulf Coast seafood dish.
There’s no denying the results, however. A meat-based chili puts the emphasis where it belongs, on tender beef (occasionally venison) enhanced by a blend of fiery peppers and flavorful seasonings like garlic, onions, and oregano. Chili cook-offs are traditionally cultural celebrations in Texas towns, and winners become local celebrities. In fact, the granddaddy of all chili competitions, the Original Terlingua International Championship Chili Cook-Off, held near Big Bend each year, draws hundreds of renowned chili “chefs” by invitation only from across the country, much to the delight of the thousands of chili-heads in attendance.
Not surprisingly, Texans claim to have the original chili recipe, though food historians trace the dish to Incan, Aztec, and Mayan cultures. The Texas connection is tied to Canary Islanders, who arrived in San Antonio in the early 1700s with traditional meals of meat blended with herbs, garlic, wild onions, and other veggies, including pungent local peppers. These days, Texans typically opt to prepare their chili at home, since restaurants could never duplicate the perfect combination of ingredients passed down through the generations in family recipes.
For the most part, traveling in Texas is similar to traveling in the rest of the United States, with the main exception being issues associated with crossing the Mexican border (which is avoided by most people these days). Otherwise, it’s smooth sailing across state lines, with visitor information centers located on the Texas side of most major freeways entering the state.
Years ago, people were able to easily cross the Rio Grande sans passport or auto insurance, free to roam Mexican border towns. These days, people in border communities are wary of the violence across the border associated with warring drug cartels, even though they remain safe on the Texas side.
The violence and unrest in Mexico has been severe enough in recent years to warrant statewide warnings against visits to the neighboring country. Since this affects most tourists, it is advisable for travelers in Texas to remain in the state for safety’s sake. Even longtime residents of Texas’s border communities are reluctant to cross the border, unless a family or business emergency necessitates it.
If the volatile conditions in Mexico subside (as most border communities hope, since their tourism has historically been tied to border hops), visitors will once again return to Mexico’s restaurantes and tourista areas. Meanwhile, many of these destinations (restaurants, in particular) have addressed the drop in business by opening new locations on the Texas side of the Rio Grande. It may not offer the same international flavor, but it provides visitors with something equally as palatable: safety.
Since Texas shares an enormous border with another country, international travel has traditionally been commonplace in the Lone Star State. Not anymore. With the recent rise in violence associated with the warring drug cartels, visitors are advised against traveling to Mexico.
Overseas travel is a different story—recent numbers compiled by state government show Texas ranks seventh as a destination point among mainland U.S. states for overseas travelers, with New York, California, and Florida taking the top spots.
Before international travelers arrive in Texas, they’re encouraged to address several issues that will make their experience more pleasant and convenient. Suggested action items include consulting their insurance companies to ensure their medical policy applies in the United States; making sure they have a signed, up-to-date passport and/or visa; leaving copies of their itinerary and contact info with friends or family for emergencies; and taking precautions to avoid being a target of crime (don’t carry excessive amounts of money, don’t leave luggage unattended, etc.).
Travelers with disabilities shouldn’t have much trouble getting around in Texas; in fact, the only places that may not be wheelchair accessible are some outdated hotels and restaurants. Otherwise, parks, museums, and city attractions are compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act, providing ramps, elevators, and accessible facilities for public-use areas.
Texas law requires cities to appoint one member to a transit board representing the interests of the “transportation disadvantaged,” a group that can include people with disabilities. As a result, most cities have addressed accessibility issues in airports and public transportation services. For detailed information, contact the municipal offices in the city you’re visiting or the Texas Department of Transportation’s Public Transportation Division at 512/416-2810 or www.dot.state.tx.us.
Other handy resources for disabled travelers en route to Texas are the Handicapped Travel Club (www.handicappedtravelclub.com), providing information about campgrounds with accessibility; and the Society for Accessible Travel and Hospitality (www.sath.org), containing a resources page with handy travel tips for anyone with physical limitations.
For seniors, it’s always a good idea to mention in advance if you’re a member of AARP or if you qualify for a senior discount (typically for ages 65 and older, but occasionally available for the 60 and older crowd). Most museums in Texas offer a few dollars off admission fees for seniors, and many public transportation systems also provide discounts.
If you haven’t done so already, inquire about travel options through Road Scholar (877/426-8056, www.roadscholar.org,), an organization providing several dozen programs in Texas with seniors in mind. Excursions lasting 4-12 days are available, ranging from birding trails to heritage-based tours to art, nature, and fishing trips.
Texas’s rural communities (and even some of its smaller cities) aren’t quite as open-minded as its metropolitan areas. Houston, Dallas, and Austin have sizable gay communities, with bars, restaurants, and services catering exclusively to gay clientele.
To learn more about resources related to gay and lesbian travel in Texas, including accommodations, restaurants, and nightclubs, visit the following travel-related websites: www.gaytravel.com and the McKinney, Texas-based www.gayjourney.com. For additional information, contact the International Gay & Lesbian Travel Association (www.iglta.org).
Texas isn’t any more dangerous or any safer than other U.S. states, but there are several environment-related issues (weather, animals) that set it apart. Travelers with medical issues are encouraged to bring extra supplies of medications and copies of prescriptions—local visitors bureaus can recommend the best pharmacy or medical center, if needed.
Although it’s still often considered a Wild West state, Texas is similar to the rest of the nation regarding crime statistics and trends. According to a recent report by the Texas Department of Public Safety, criminal activity in Texas was separated into the following categories: violent crimes (against people—robberies, assaults, etc.), which represented 11 percent of the reported offenses, and property crimes (burglary, car theft), representing the remaining 89 percent. The report also revealed that violent crime decreased by 1.5 percent from the previous year, while property crime increased 2.6 percent.
Also noted in the report were several interesting crime-related factoids (for those interested in crime tidbits): Of the 1.2 million arrests made by Texas law enforcement officers, 11 percent were of people 16 years of age and under; residential burglaries accounted for 71 percent of all burglaries reported in Texas; and firearms were used in 68 percent of all murders reported.
As always, if you’re a victim of a crime in Texas or witness any criminal activity, immediately call 911.
Texas’s weather is as changeable as its landscape. Summers regularly reach triple digits, and winters are marked by vicious snowstorms in the Panhandle and northern plains. The biggest threat to travelers in winter is ice—bridges and overpasses become slick and are usually closed when a rare ice storm barrels through the state. Since Texans are unaccustomed to dealing with such slippery conditions, they often disregard the danger and plow across a patch of ice in their big, fancy trucks. The results are predictably disastrous.
Heat is by far the most serious threat to Texas travelers. From the sticky humidity of marshy East Texas to the dry desert conditions of the Big Bend region, the summer months (May-September in Texas) can be brutal. Hikers, bikers, and campers are encouraged to pack and carry plenty of water to remain hydrated.
Texas has some bizarre fauna and flora, which can occasionally pose a danger to travelers, particularly those who venture to the state’s parks and natural areas. Of primary concern are snakes, which nestle among rocks and waterways throughout Texas (though rattlesnakes are largely found only in western portions of the state). Also of concern in the Big Bend region are black bears and mountain lions, which hikers and campers should intimidate with loud noises and rocks (seriously) to fend off their advances.
The most dangerous plant in Texas is cactus. There are many varieties in all regions of the state, and even though some appear harmless, they may contain barely visible needles that get embedded in your skin and cause major irritation. With cactus, the best approach is to look but don’t touch.
The best way to find out about activities and services in the city you’re visiting is through the local convention and visitors bureau, or in smaller communities, the chamber of commerce. Each destination in this guide includes contact information for visitor services, and even the most rural areas have discovered the value of promoting themselves online thanks to the wonders of the Internet.
It’s always a good idea to have cash on hand for tips, bottles of water, and parking or tollway fees, but you can get by in most Texas cities with a credit or debit card. Some smaller towns still don’t accept them (old-fashioned restaurants and “convenience” stores, in particular), but they’re typically modern enough to have ATMs. Also available, yet not quite as accessible, are wire transfers and travelers checks. Call ahead for the bank’s hours of operation since some institutions close at odd hours.
Convention and visitors bureaus are the best resource for planning a trip to Texas. Call ahead to have maps and brochures sent before your trip, or check the town’s website for electronic versions of walking tours and street maps available for download. It’s also a good idea to check these sites or call in advance to find out if the city you’re visiting is hosting its annual pecan days or biker festival at the same time. Depending on your outlook, this can enhance or hinder your excursion.