A Texas road trip can create memories that last a lifetime. In between Austin and El Paso are hundreds of miles that weave through vast landscapes under that iconic expansive sky. Starting in the “Live Music Capital of the World” this trip will have you wine tasting in the Hill Country, horseback riding on dude ranches and stargazing in the dark skies of West Texas.
Austin
Start your ultimate Texas road trip in the heart of the state. Not long ago the capital city was a laid-back college town known for bohemian cowboy music, an easygoing lifestyle, and a spirited counterculture. Now it’s a metropolis, full of tech startups, avant-garde restaurants, and luxury hotels with swanky rooftop cocktail bars.
While the food scene has diversified, barbecue remains king in Central Texas. Arrive early to Franklin Barbecue and you’ll be rewarded with what might be the best brisket in the state. For another take on traditional Texas barbeque, head to Terry Black’s BBQ for beef ribs. Other restaurants are reimagining the art of barbecue too. Loro infuses its barbecue with Asian smokehouse flavors and KG BBQ mixes in Egyptian spices like coriander, sumac and thyme.
To truly embrace the heart of the city, park the car and explore on foot. South Congress is a pedestrian’s paradise. Settle into the Hotel San Jose – a garden oasis transformed from a 1930s motor court into a chic boutique retreat – before venturing out. South Congress is also the perfect place to find locally owned Old Austin treasures. Step into Allens Boots or Heritage Boot Co. for authentic Western wear, wander through Parts and Labour for locally crafted art, clothes and jewelry, or add a vintage touch to your wardrobe at Stag Provisions for Men with its curated selection of Americana.
When the sun goes down, stop by Guero’s Taco Bar for mole enchiladas and a margarita before heading across the street to Continental Club. The legendary indie rock and blues bar has been at the heart of Austin’s music scene for almost half-a-century. Cap off your night with two-stepping at classic honky-tonks like Donn’s Depot, Broken Spoke or The White Horse.
For a natural escape, take a 40-minute journey south of the city to float on the gentle currents of the Guadalupe River. The four- to five-hour float trip meanders through the captivating beauty of the Texas Hill Country.
The drive: Make your way to Fredericksburg heading west on US-290 W. The 80 miles should only take you about an hour and a half.
Fredericksburg
What started out as a small German-influenced town in the heart of the Texas Hill Country is now a wine-lovers destination. With more than 60 wineries, Fredericksburg is the second most popular wine region in the states after Napa Valley. The rolling vineyards along US-290 offer a scenic route that leads directly into the heart of town.
Provided you have a designated driver, you can start wine tasting before even reaching Fredericksburg in the 200-person town of Hye at William Chris Vineyards. As you continue to make your way east to town, stop off at Becker Vineyards, Texas Heritage Vineyard and Innovation Vineyards for a variety of wine styles. For an even more immersive winery experience, stay overnight at cottages on the Messina Hof winery.
Once in town embrace the German heritage of Fredericksburg. Grab a freshly made German-style Kolsch at the Alstad Brewery, a German-style pancake made from scratch at the Old German Bakery and Restaurant and a schnitzel or two at Der Lindenbaum restaurant. If you’re looking for outdoor adventure to burn off all that potato-based food, climb the enormous pink granite dome at Enchanted Rock State Natural Area or stroll through the 200 acres of wildflowers at Wildseed Farms.
While in the Hill Country don’t miss a detour to Luckenbach, made famous in a song by Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson. With nothing more than a post office, a bar and one of the oldest dance halls in the state, this tiny town just outside Fredericksburg offers a glimpse of a bygone era of Texas history. The town is known for impromptu jam sessions where musicians play country, blues and folk music together.
The Drive: Head out on US-290 toward Kerrville. You’ll be on this route for a short stretch before making a slight right turn onto TX-16 S. Continue on TX-16 S until you hit Kerrville where you will take TX-173 S. The hour-long drive will lead you through rolling landscapes, winding roads and sprawling Live Oak trees.
Bandera
As you approach Bandera, known as the “Cowboy Capital of the World,” the landscape becomes dotted with horse ranches. The town was the last staging area for the great cattle drives of the 1800s and proudly embraces its cowboy heritage. While in town, stroll down Main Street to check out the Western shops, saloons and historic Bandera County Courthouse that line the street. Grab a Chicken Fried Steak at the 100-year-old Old Spanish Trails Restaurant, taste Texas-made liquors at Spirits of Texas and learn about the history of the area at the Frontier Times Museum.
A stay at the Mayan Dude Ranch is highly recommended to truly embrace the spirt of the Old West. Here you can spend afternoons on horseback and evenings roasting marshmallows around a campfire.
The Drive: Queue up your favorite Texas playlist for this next segment. Take TX-16 north to Kerrville where it meets up with I-10. Take the interstate west for three and a half hours. Just past Fort Stockton, switch to US-67 south towards Alpine for 68 miles, then take TX-118 for the last 77 miles to reach Terlingua.
Terlingua
Terlingua is an historic mining town near the eastern entrance of Big Bend National Park. While the proximity to the park has always been its draw, nowadays visitors are spending as much time in the frontier outpost as they are in the park.
The ghost town consists of a handful of rustic relics of times past including a humble cemetery, the old Chisos Mining Company store and a saloon. At sunset the wide porch of the Terlingua Trading Company turns into the local gathering spot. Here you can grab a beer from the general store and watch the sunset over the far-off Santa Fe de Los Pinos range all while enjoying the easy-going chatter of residents. After the sunset show, swing by the Starlight Theatre for a bite to eat or make your way to the Boathouse to listen to some live music. It’s a perfect spot to unwind before heading back to your room at the Big Bend Holiday Inn.
The Drive: Head north on TX-118 to Alpine. For the best tacos in the Big Bend area, stop at El Gordo’s Grill for a birra taco. It’s the little food truck in the Wright Hardware parking lot near Study Butte. From there continue north to Alpine, then take US-90 West directly to Marfa.
Big Bend National Park
The beauty of Big Bend National Park lies in its versatility. You can make your adventures as vigorous or as relaxed as you like. If you want an all-out multiple-day adventure, hike the Outer Mountain Loop, a 30-mile circuit that makes its way up, down and around the Chisos Mountains and the surrounding Chihuahuan Desert.
If you’d rather take a nice leisurely drive with amazing views, head for the Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive. The thirty-mile drive weaves through the park with easily accessible pull-offs that show off the beauty of the land. Highlights of the route include the Sotol Vista Overlook where you can see the expansive western half of the park, the Mule Ears Viewpoint where you can see the famous Mule Ears Peak and the Santa Elena Canyon which is arguably the most beautiful spot in the entire park.
If you would rather be on the water, book a canoe trip down the Rio Grande. Local tour operators like Wild Adventure Outfitters or Far Flung Outdoor Center offer everything from half-day paddling excursion to immersive multi-day journeys.
Marfa
Located in the high desert of the Trans-Pecos in far West Texas, Marfa has gained a reputation as one of America’s coolest art towns. The town is known in equal parts for its modern art scene and remote desert landscape. Possibly no other place in town encapsulates this more than Ballroom Marfa – a contemporary cultural arts space that promotes the visual, performing and musical arts while fostering community engagement.
Plan on dinner at Jett’s Grill for a taste of nostalgic Old Marfa. Named after James Dean’s character in Giant, the restaurant is located in the historic Hotel Paisano first made famous in the 1950s when Dean, Elizabeth Taylor and Rock Hudson stayed there during filming of the classic Western saga.
Marfa’s local newspaper doubles as a cafe reflecting the town’s quirky nature. The Sentinel serves as a gathering place for coffee and cocktails complete with Marfa’s signature desert-minimalist interior design. You cannot leave town without grabbing a homemade burrito from Marfa Burrito.
Book an evening at El Cosmico if you want to live out your childhood dream of sleeping in a teepee. If you are more into mid century modern motels complete with vintage typewriters to peck out your travel memoir, book a room at Thunderbird Marfa.
The Drive: Fort Davis is a short 20-minute jaunt north of Marfa on TX-17.
Fort Davis
The Big Bend region holds a distinction for having some of the darkest skies in the continental United States. The wide-open spaces and pristine sky attracts would-be stargazers from all over the world to this slice of Texas to get a glimpse of the Milky Way. The McDonald Observatory atop Mount Locke and Mount Fowlkes is the ideal location for stargazers. The observatory plays host to weekly two-hour star parties where visitors can use high-powered telescopes to glimpse the stars, plants and constellations that make up our night sky.
To make your own star party, go camping at Davis Mountains State Park, spread out a cozy blanket and gaze upwards. If you can, plan your trip around a moonless night when the stars shine at their brightest.
The Drive: The final leg of your road trip will take about three hours. From Fort Davis take TX-17 north until it hits I-10. If you want to jump into a natural pool of refreshing spring-fed water along the way, take a detour to Balmorhea State Park near the intersection of I-10 and TX-17. After that take I-10 west for 190 until you hit El Paso.
El Paso
El Paso is a lively border city that combines the rugged natural beauty of the Chihuahuan Desert with the colorful charms of the American Southwest and sprinkles in cultural traits of Mexico. Whether you want to explore the 100 miles of trails at the Franklin Mountains, shop for handmade, custom cowboy boots at Rocketbuster Boots or explore the three historic churches that make up the El Paso Mission Trail, Texas’ westernmost city has something for everyone.
Hueco Tanks State Park is a rock climber’s dream. The volcanic rock peppered with hand gripping hollows or ‘huecos’ at the park makes it the No. 1 bouldering destination in America. Non-climbers can spend a day at the park learning the history behind the ancient rock art left behind by the various people who used the rock formations as a place of shelter over the centuries.
Refuel after a day spent outdoors with a hearty T-bone steak at Cattleman’s Steakhouse or an overflowing plate of enchiladas at L&J Cafe. End the evening at the Hotel Paso del Norte’s Dome Bar. For more than 100 years, the who’s-who of El Paso have sipped cocktails under the 25-foot Tiffany stained-glass dome. The spot is an ideal location to toast your travel companions to another epic trip in the books.