Get a real taste of Texas on this Lone Star tour. Saddle up and dive into the cowboy experience with tours of Fort Worth, the Cowgirl Museum, and the historic Longhorn Cattle Drive district, before an authentic meal at the world’s only year-round rodeo. Spend the weekend line dancing and try your hand at the mechanical bull to party like a true local. In Dallas, touch on some of the cornerstone moments in American history, including the JFK assassination and a unique presidential museum devoted to JFK. Onward to sprawling plantations, balmy nights with rousing, toe-tappin’ country-western tunes, lip-smackin’ BBQ, and of course, a stop in Austin to indulge in the “Live Music Capital of the World”. Lose yourself in the fields of the nation’s largest wildflower farm. Learn about the lives of our 36th, 41st and 43rd presidents by visiting their Presidential Libraries. Take a stand at the Alamo and relax at the incredible Houston Zoo. This is an experience for those who wish to indulge. Get your fill of atmosphere, history, nature, and more and come on back for seconds when you take this incredible trip to Texas.
Degree of Difficulty –
Arrive at DFW Airport and transfer to your hotel. This evening, enjoy a welcome dinner at a local restaurant, setting the stage for an unforgettable adventure. Next morning, enjoy a guided Fort Worth Tour (Bandanas for all) – “Giddy up” to the Stockyards National Historic District. At 11:30 am watch the Fort Worth Herd cattle drive where the Old West comes to life as the herd passes before your eyes, driven by genuine Texas cowhands. Enjoy a self-guided tour of the National Cowgirl Museum which showcases the bravery of women in the American West. Dinner tonight is at the Chuck Wagon, featuring the finest in authentic Texas cuisine from world-renowned cowboy chefs cooking up meals over a real campfire in cast iron Dutch ovens. Watch a two-hour Stockyards Championship Rodeo and have leisure time to check out Billy Bob’s Texas – the world’s largest honky-tonk for the best in live Country Western music, bull riding and line dancing. HYATT PLACE FORT WORTH HISTORIC STOCKYARDS.
(Dinner; Breakfast, Dinner)
Discover Dallas, a combination of old and new America, hanging on to its cowboy charm yet offering a range of contemporary tourist attractions. Visit Founders Plaza, JFK Memorial, Pioneer Plaza (largest bronze collection in the world), the Wilson Block (historic neighborhood, Queen Anne/Victorian Style Houses), the Art District (the largest in the world!), the City of Highland Park (5th richest suburb in USA, home to many celebrities), Dealey Plaza (JFK assassination Point), the Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza, and much more. End your tour at the George W. Bush Presidential Center, which opened in 2013. HYATT PLACE FORT WORTH HISTORIC STOCKYARDS.
(Breakfast)
Head to Caldwell to visit the family-owned Royalty Pecan Farms to learn about its history and how the pecans go from trees to you. Head to College Station and visit the George H. W. Bush Presidential Library & Museum. Continue to Austin and check into your hotel. BBQ, Live Music & Boot Stompin’, do the three best things in Austin in just one night! Feast on local BBQ, then head to the Broken Spoke for live music and a two-step lesson from the daughter of the owner. Next day, discover Austin’s musical heritage and weave around town visiting key heritage neighborhoods and musical sites, starting at 6th Street, the epicenter of today’s nightlife scene, and then going back in time to where it all started in the 1800’s at Scholtz Biergarten. Hear about Austin legends such as Willie Nelson, Janis Joplin, Stevie Ray Vaughan and modern-day local celebrities such as Bob Schneider, Malford Milligan, Guy Forsyth and Matthew McConaughey. In the afternoon, visit the Lyndon B. Johnson Presidential Library. CANOPY BY HILTON.
(Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner; Breafkast)
Depart for Johnson City and visit the Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park Visitor Center, a gallery that showcases LBJ’s life, as well as a tribute to “Lady Bird” Johnson. Continue to Fredericksburg and visit the Wildseed Farms, the nation’s largest working wildflower farm with more than 1,000 cultivated acres and over 200 acres of wildflower fields. Then drive to San Antonio and check into your hotel. Dinner tonight is at the 750-foot Tower of the Americas revolving Chart House Restaurant for the most spectacular view of Alamo City. DRURY PLAZA SAN ANTONIO RIVERWALK.
(Breakfast, Dinner)
Take a stroll through the history of San Antonio with a fun, interactive and totally unique tour! This “bucket list tour” gives you an overview of the city, major landmarks like The Alamo, lesser-known gems that only a local would know about, real neighborhoods like the historic King William, and of course, Mission San Jose, founded in 1720, the largest of the five San Antonio missions, for an excellent perspective on Spanish mission architecture, the purpose of the missions, and how life must have changed for the Coahuiltecan Indians neophytes living under the protection and guidance of the Missionaries. Visit Alamo on your own, one of the historical sites connected to the San Antonio River Walk, established as a mission in 1718, perhaps the most recognizable symbol in Texas. Enjoy the River Walk from the comfort of a boat during a 45-minute cruise down the river. DRURY PLAZA SAN ANTONIO RIVERWALK.
(Breakfast)
Depart San Antonio for Houston and visit the Houston Zoo, a 55-acre park that houses more than 6,000 animals, from Komodo dragons and white alligators, to grizzly bears, jaguars and wolves, to rhinos, giraffes, gorillas, elephants and lions. Next day, take a ride through Houston’s nine districts and learn about the founding of the city, see many historical places and sites, and visit the Houston Space Center, where NASA conducts human spaceflight training, research, and flight control simulations to prepare astronauts to go into the vast expanse of space. Tonight, enjoy a farewell dinner at one of Houston’s delightful restaurants. AC HOTEL BY MARRIOTT HOUSTON DOWNTOWN.
(Breakfast; Breakfast, Dinner)
Transfer to the airport for your flight home, bringing with you the incredible memories of Texas.
(Breakfast)
Start in Oklahoma City, known for its fascinating mixture of Western history, Native American culture and genuine Southern charm. Tour the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum which honors the 168 lives lost. Experience the legacy of the American West at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum. Learn about the collective histories of 39 distinctive First American Nations in Oklahoma at the First Americans Museum. Visit Pawhuska and the Ben Johnson Cowboy Museum and the Pioneer Woman Mercantile. Head to Bartlesville to visit Woolaroc Museum & Wildlife Preserve, and learn why Will Rogers called it “the most unique place in this country”. Discover Tishomingo and have lunch at Blake Shelton’s Ole Red Restaurant.
Prices vary by season and package. Please inquire by phone at (800) 627-1244 or email info@classicescapes.com for more information and a pricing estimate.
Maximum group size: No restrictions, although we recommend a maximum of 30 travelers.
YOUR JOURNEY INCLUDES:
- Superior accommodation at hotels as indicated in the itinerary (or similar).
- Transfers between Airport and Dallas hotel, as well as Houston Hotel and Airport on the main trip, starting in Oklahoma City on the pre-extension. (Please note one group transfer will be supplied each way. Anyone not arriving on group schedule, will require a personal transfer at additional cost.)
- Breakfast daily. All other meals as specified in the itinerary.
- Services of driver/guides throughout the tour.
- Transportation in private minibuses or motorcoach throughout the tour.
- All admission fees.
- All applicable hotel taxes and gratuities for baggage handling.
- Complimentary baggage tags.
Generally, the weather in Texas varies from humid and muggy in the east to arid in the west, with short winters. From mid-April through October, weather conditions include blistering heat and relentless sunshine, but being such a large state, Texas does experience different climatic conditions in the various parts of the state. The geographical regions of Texas encompass swamps and pine forests in east Texas and mountainous deserts in west Texas, thus it is easy to see why the climates can vary. Spring is lovely in Texas where the temperatures are in the 60’s and 70’s and the wildflowers, such as bluebonnets, are abundant. In the Fall, you can experience explosive colors in the foliage. Overall, the cities and regions included in our program are best visited during the Spring and Fall. Summer should be avoided at all costs because of the oppressive heat. The coldest months in the winter are January and February and should also be avoided.
