Lone star trail Self Drive Tour
Dallas/Fort Worth, TX
With 11 distinct ecological regions in Texas alone, you won’t get bored traversing between cities. The hilly vistas around Austin welcome you into one of America’s most vibrant music scenes. Meander through the Gulf Plains of Southern Texas to the coast where you’ll be welcomed into Texas’s “playground”, Corpus Christi, to explore sandy dune beaches that shelter sea turtles and wildlife. With luck, as you cross the Great Plains on the way to New Mexico, you’ll experience a majestic thunderhead as you’re dwarfed by the big Texan sky. Albuquerque has its own rugged beauty – and a world-renowned hot air balloon festival that fills the New Mexico’s own expansive skies. Delight in the epitomes of western landscape on your journey to Palo Duro Canyon. Cowboys and culture collide in cities such as Fort Worth where you’ll feel truly Texan with the chance to experience cattle drives, rodeos, Texan barbecue and authentic Western Saloons. But you’ll also get a flavour for the strong Spanish influence that permeates the region with visits to the border town of El Paso and tours of San Antonio’s Spanish missions.
Highlights
- Enjoy the sights and sounds of the “Live Music Capital of the World” with a night out on Sixth Street or in the Warehouse District of Austin while plugging into the thriving art scene.
- Discover one of Texas’s once leading ports and commerce sites whose progress was halted by a hurricane but whose Victorian charm lives on through the city’s uniquely majestic architecture.
- Experience the expansive beauty of the open range, dotted with the farmland of early settlers while expectantly sighting deer, jackrabbits, and coyote along some of Texas’s most inhospitable terrain.
- View a unique blend of Spanish and American culture in cities such as San Antonio that contain charming heritage buildings including the Spanish Governor’s Palace and a multitude of Spanish missions.
- Delight in the interesting mix of culture and climate in El Paso, AKA “Sun City”, a city wedged between three states and on the border of Mexico giving the location a unique sense of identity.
- Visit Albuquerque’s historic Old Town, where the Villa of Albuquerque was founded in 1706 and gaze into the sky filled with hot air balloons during the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta.
- Experience a piece of early North American history with a stop at Palo Duro Canyon to take in the rugged Texan scrubland and to peruse anthropological artifacts of pre-Pueblo inhabitants.
- Escape to the Wild West in the City of Cowboys and Culture (Fort Worth) which offers a year-round rodeo, daily cattle drives in the Stockyards Historic District, and real Western Saloons.
- Day 1 - DALLAS ARRIVAL
- Day 2 - DALLAS - AUSTIN
- Day 3 - AUSTIN
- Day 4 - AUSTIN - HOUSTON
- Day 5 - HOUSTON - CORPUS CHRISTI
- Day 6 - CORPUS CHRISTI - SAN ANTONIO
- Day 7 - SAN ANTONIO
- Day 8 - SAN ANTONIO - PECOS COUNTY - FORT STOCKTON
- Day 9 - FORT STOCKTON - EL PASO
- Day 10 - EL PASO - ALBUQUERQUE
- Day 11 - ALBUQUERQUE
- Day 12 - ALBUQUERQUE - SANTA FE - AMARILLO
- Day 13 - AMARILLO - FORT WORTH
- Day 14 - FORT WORTH DEPARTURE
Arrive at the Dallas/Ft. Worth Airport. Pick up your car and transfer independently to your hotel.
Meals Included: RoFairfield Inn & Suites Dallas Park Central
Property Location With a stay at Fairfield Inn & Suites Dallas Park Central in Dallas (Park Central), you'll be convenient to Richland College. This hotel is within the vicinity of Northwood Club and Museum of Biblical Art.
Today head out for the capital city of Texas, Austin, home to the handsome State Capitol Building and the Texas State History Museum. Austin is a lively city that bills itself as the “Live Music Capital of the World”, filled with more than 250 music venues and a vibrant arts scene. Enjoy an evening on Sixth Street or the Warehouse District.
Driving Distance: 207 MI / 333 KM
Meals Included: RoRodeway Inn Austin
Property Location With a stay at Rodeway Inn in Austin, you'll be close to St. Edward's University and Governor's Mansion. This hotel is within close proximity of Lady Bird Lake and Dougherty Arts Center.
Enjoy a full day to explore Austin. There is not just music in Austin. This city is famous for its many parks and lakes, very popular for hiking and swimming. If you are a fan of Formula One, don’t miss the possibility to visit the only F1 circuit of the US: the Circuit of Americas.
Driving Distance: 201 MI / 323 KM
Meals Included: RoRodeway Inn Austin
Property Location With a stay at Rodeway Inn in Austin, you'll be close to St. Edward's University and Governor's Mansion. This hotel is within close proximity of Lady Bird Lake and Dougherty Arts Center.
Discover Houston’s past in Heritage Park amid the skyscrapers of downtown. Visit the Johnson Space Center for a fascinating history of America’s love affair with outer space.
Driving Distance: 201 MI / 323 KM
Meals Included: RoComfort Suites - Near The Galleria
Property Location Located in Houston, Comfort Suites - Near The Galleria is convenient to The Galleria and Gerald D. Hines Waterwall Park. This hotel is within close proximity of Williams Tower and Houston Country Club.
Take a short drive to the island of Galveston, filled with Victorian architectural reminders of its reign as Texas’ leading port. Galveston dominated commerce along the Gulf until its growth was halted by a hurricane. Then head for Corpus Christi, known as Texas’s playground.
Driving Distance: 213 MI / 342 KM
Meals Included: RoBest Western Paradise Inn Corpus Christi
Property Location With a stay at Best Western Paradise Inn in Corpus Christi, you'll be convenient to Sunrise Mall and La Palmera Mall. This hotel is within close proximity of Hans A. Suter Wildlife Area and Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi.
See the open range and farmland of early settlers on the way to San Antonio. San Antonio’s unique blend of cultures makes it one of the most charming cities in the U.S. Your hotel for the next two nights is in the heart of San Antonio within easy reach of the major sites.
Driving Distance: 149 MI / 239 KM
Meals Included: RoHoliday Inn San Antonio Downtown Market Sq
Property Location A stay at Holiday Inn San Antonio - Dwtn - Market Sq places you in the heart of San Antonio, minutes from Market Square and close to River Walk. This hotel is within close proximity of Spanish Governor's Palace and Cathedral of San Fernando.
Stroll along the River Walk or visit El Mercado. The Spanish Governor’s Palace or one of the many Spanish missions will take you into the historical heritage of this charming city. But most of all, remember the Alamo and visit the site of the courageous battle between a handful of Texans and Santa Ana’s vast army, which was instrumental in creating the Republic of Texas.
Meals Included: RoHoliday Inn San Antonio Downtown Market Sq
Property Location A stay at Holiday Inn San Antonio - Dwtn - Market Sq places you in the heart of San Antonio, minutes from Market Square and close to River Walk. This hotel is within close proximity of Spanish Governor's Palace and Cathedral of San Fernando.
The rolling hill country was the site of early settlements in mid-Texas, farmers had to battle infertile earth and Comanches to survive. The code of the West rules here as you travel through Pecos County where giants and legends, such as Pecos Bill, are made. Look for deer, jackrabbits and coyote as you journey across this seemingly uninhabitable terrain. Overnight in Fort Stockton.
Driving Distance: 330 MI / 530 KM
Meals Included: RoHampton Inn Fort Stockton
Property Location With a stay at Hampton Inn Fort Stockton in Fort Stockton, you'll be convenient to Fort Stockton Visitor Center and Historic Fort Stockton. This hotel is within close proximity of Annie Riggs Museum and James Rooney Memorial Park.
The city of El Paso is located on the westernmost tip of the state of Texas and is on the U.S./Mexico border. Its proximity to Mexico helps promote the best the two worlds have to offer, and El Pasoans have long enjoyed the benefits of being situated between three states and two nations. El Paso’s cli- mate, typical of the desert southwest, and its mix of cultures and traditions makes the Sun City a unique and interesting place to visit.
Driving Distance: 240 MI / 386 KM
Meals Included: RoSuper 8 El Paso Airport
Property Location With a stay at Super 8 El Paso Airport in El Paso, you'll be near the airport and minutes from The Fountains at Farah, and close to Patriot Stadium. This motel is within close proximity of Cielo Vista Mall and El Paso Community College.
Leave El Paso and cross into New Mexico. Between the mountains and the mesas runs a river, and astride it stands a city that embodies the diversity of cultures that are uniquely American. It is Albuquerque.
Driving Distance: 269 MI / 433 KM
Meals Included: RoDoubleTree by Hilton Albuquerque
Property Location With a stay at DoubleTree by Hilton Albuquerque, you'll be centrally located in Albuquerque, steps from Albuquerque Civic Plaza and Albuquerque Convention Center. This hotel is within close proximity of The Cell Theater and Telephone Museum of New Mexico.
Albuquerque is a city full of exciting attractions and events, from Historic Old Town, where the Villa of Albuquerque was founded in 1706, to the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, the most popular ballooning event in the world.
Meals Included: RoDoubleTree by Hilton Albuquerque
Property Location With a stay at DoubleTree by Hilton Albuquerque, you'll be centrally located in Albuquerque, steps from Albuquerque Civic Plaza and Albuquerque Convention Center. This hotel is within close proximity of The Cell Theater and Telephone Museum of New Mexico.
Unique to this area are the Pinyon pines, which produce an edible nut considered a gourmet delicacy in the west. Continue eastward to the panhandle of Texas and hopefully you’ll get a glimpse of the Texas blue sky or a towering thundercloud, both prevalent features of this flat plain. Amarillo was once a railhead town for cattle shipments to the north. The cattle industry remains an important element of the city’s economy. Amarillo is well known for its Cadillac graveyard.
Driving Distance: 341 MI / 549 KM
Meals Included: RoQuality Inn
Property Location You'll be centrally located in Dumas with a stay at Quality Inn, minutes from McDade Park and Phillips Park.
Drive eastward today to Palo Duro Canyon and see artifacts of pre-Pueblo inhabitants. Then continue South towards Fort Worth. The City of Cowboys and Culture is the 16th-largest city in the United States and offers visitors rich Western history, world-class art and entertainment. The Old West is alive and well in Fort Worth: learn to two-step at the world’s largest honky-tonk, watch a year-round rodeo, see a daily cattle drive in the Stockyards National Historic District or have a drink in a real Western Saloon.
Driving Distance: 369 MI / 594 KM
Meals Included: RoHoliday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Fort Worth Downtown
Property Location Located in Fort Worth (Downtown Fort Worth), Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Fort Worth Downtown is convenient to Fort Worth Convention Center and Panther Island Pavilion. This hotel is within close proximity of Cook Children's Medical Center and Sundance Square.
Return your rental car at DFW airport before your departure flight or you have the option to extend your stay and explore distinct dining, shopping and world-class museums in the “Cultural Capital of the Southwest”
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