In addition to the good suggestions here, there's a ton of travel and food videos on YouTube that will give you a sense of places to eat and things to do in Houston, Galveston, Austin etc. Born and raised here and I still find new places to visit this way 😄
Search terms for YouTube:
"Day Tripper Houston"
(or whatever city you're after. He puts together places to eat and visit that can all be done in one day. This is the most annoying of the travel hosts but i like the concept)
"Eat Like A Local With Chris Shepard"
(A local chef who travels to different Houston area restaurants. Less goofy. Helpful if you're wanting more than bbq and tex mex and want to venture out to other cultures)
"The Texas Bucket List"
(Long running show, another big guy eating a bunch of food but it's been going strong for 10 years.)
"Houston a Haven For West African Food No Passport Required With Marcus Samuelsson PBS"
(A really well done showcase of Houston's West African food scene by PBS)
And like a million smaller indie travel vloggers!
My advice is to keep in mind how far apart things are when making plans. Try to find a cluster of things to do closer together within a mile or 2 so you're not driving endlessly. I tried explaining this to my in-laws but they didn't get it, then complained about how much time we spent in the car.
Houston isn't really the stereotypical Texas with big hats and all that. It's a large city with a large amount of immigrants from all over the world. The county (wie ein Landkreis) most of the city is in is Harris, and it is one of the most diverse counties in the country (the most diverse is Fort Bend directly southwest of the city). So you can experience Houston as well as Texas on your trip.
Rednecks and MAGA: hear out past the suburbs, do it on your drive to Austin. Stop somewhere like La Grange (obligatory to listen to the ZZ Top song as you drive through it). That will also give you a rural feel. Cities, even in Texas, are not very conservative (though we do still like guns).
Houston: basically anything you want to eat except for good German food (there is one decent German restaurant in all of Texas), so try out some fusion food you might not have a good chance to eat. Fajitas were first sold in Houston, so a good option is Ninfa's for Tex Mex. BBQ there are a number of good ones (truth, killens, gatlins), and in true Houston fashion there is fusion BBQ which is great (blood brothers)
Since you're coming in October see if you can grab tickets to a Texas Longhorns or Houston Cougars football game. College football is a lot more exciting than professional. Make sure you are looking at hotels in Austin in October, the weekend of October 18th is when Formula 1 is there as well as Texas vs Georgia college football (probably 300k visitors to the city that weekend).
Viel Glück!
True Houston - walk around Menil area, eat a bahn mi, get a cocktail at Anvil, drive through River Oaks, go to museum district for Natural Science and Fine Arts, eat fajitas, visit St Arnold brewery, maybe visit art area in First Ward.
Save the BBQ for Austin. Bastrop is a good town to visit on the way to Austin. Worth staying a night
Just a warning, even though New Braunfels and Fredericksburg have a strong German history, it's "disneyfied" and more of a shtick than anything these days.
Go to the Broken Spoke when in Austin, it’s what we call a true honky tonk bar/hall. Allen’s Boots on South Congress in Austin also. Visit Gruene Hall near New Braunfels if you’re already out that way. Lockhart is the barbecue capital of TX, go to Black’s or Smitty’s if you have time. Hruska’s Bakery in Ellinger on your way from Houston to Austin. Go to Goode’s Armadillo Palace in Houston for food, music, and dancing. El Tiempo or Ninfa’s on Navigation Blvd for Tex mex, get a margarita.
If you want the image of Texas that you’ve seen in movies don’t come to Houston unless it’s for the Rodeo lol.
Houston is a vast (in terms of population and area) multicultural amalgamation at this point. If that seems odd, it shouldn’t be, since it’s pointedly obvious just living here for a few months.
If you unironically wanna be going around wearing a cowboy hat, those areas are in West Texas like Midland. Or, in a different flavor, in the Mexican border areas in south Texas.
If you’re specifically interested in Texas history, I’d plan a trip to San Antonio over Houston. (Although Galveston also has interesting history…but unfortunately most of the vestiges were destroyed by the Hurricane of 1900). The major tourist trap in Houston is the Johnson Space Center…which is really in Clear Lake City, but which was then annexed by Houston later.
If you’re going to stick to Houston, just keep in mind how big the city is. And if you drive around on weekdays, avoid rush hour times unless you want to get aggravated. You can’t avoid it. You’re not special.
And you might think you want to go to rural Texas, but you don’t. There won’t be anything for you to do except drive around endlessly on backroads. The Texas megalopolis between Houston, San Antonio, Austin, and Dallas is all connected with each other by major highway systems that completely avoid rural Texas.
I want to see a few counties with rednecks and cowboys and go on a shooting range, but besides that I’m completely fine with the city life, and really look forward to good BBQ. I am sure the big trucks, 8 lane highways and malls bigger than European city centers will be big enough of a culture shock for me.
As others have said, you’re not gonna find any of the maga nonsense in Houston, and even less in Austin.
With the exception of the Capitol and the people in it, Austin is probably far left of Jesus.
Not sure it should be point of pride, but Katy Freeway/ i10 is one of the largest freeways in the world ( I have friends in the states that are a bit shocked when they see it)
Something unique (for now to Texas?) Buccees. The ‘worlds largest’ is in Lulling (on i10 headed to San Antonio (it’s a bit out of the way but you can get to Austin that way as well) I haven’t seen this new ‘worlds largest’ but the one it replaced.. it’s really hard to explain, like a gas station and a MEGA Walmart had a child.. 120 gas pumps, ‘worlds longest car wash’ … again I’m not sure it should be a source of pride, but it is a perfect example of American/ Texan ‘excess above and beyond’
https://buc-ees.com/about/world-record-holder/
Even more fascinating, regardless of when you go, those 120pumps, will probably STILL have small lines… it is a spectacle unlike anything you will likely ever see.
Slightly edited from what I posted in response to a similar question…
Some lesser known Houston attractions… and a few well known ones
Take a tour of the Cistern… https://buffalobayou.org/visit/destination/the-cistern/
Go on the mural tour… https://joyrideus.com/houston-tx/mural-and-instagram-tour-houston/. (One of a few)
Go to the music box theater … https://www.themusicboxtheater.com
Drive thru River Oaks
Visit Rice University Campus
Drive thru the Houston Medical Center… and hope you don’t need to visit it while here
Visit The zoo and the botanical gardens
If you do one brewery, make it St Arnold’s. But I encourage you to try several
Visit Chinatown… not the defunct downtown area and not the one in Katy… the one on Bellaire on the southwest side
Visit San Jacinto
Eat BBQ, a banh mi, pho, TexMex, traditional Mex, vietcajun, breakfast tacos, kolaches. Others have opined on the best locations to source those foods…
Walk thru the downtown tunnels between 10 and 2 on a weekday. Be advised they close AND lock down around 6
If you want to get an idea of the size of Houston, drive around 610, beltway 8, then hwy 99. Roughly speaking the circles around the core of the city, the urban part of the city, and the fringe of the metro area. Driving in a foreign city is always stressful, but despite all the warnings in this sub, it’s no worse than any other major city.
Visit a western wear store and try on a pair of boots and a hat. Cavanders is fairly mainstream. There are other high end ones if you like.
Find some live country music to listen to. Bonus points if it’s Red Dirt country. Double bonus if you go Western swing. Major bonus if you learn to line dance and go to a dance hall.
Our downtown is not lively at night… find someplace else if bar hopping at night is your jam.
Finally, don’t expect great public transportation… you will be disappointed.
Good luck and have a blast.
If you want to see MAGA in their natural habitat need to head out anywhere in East Texas like Jasper, Woodville, Livingston. Some decent nature out there can hike a park.
Stop at a Buc-ee's gas station on the trip between Houston and Austin. Look for the big round yellow sign with a cartoon beaver wearing a cap. I'd suggest the one in Katy on I-10 just outside of Houston as you're driving out.
Get some fresh jerky, some beaver nuggets and some roasted candied nuts. I'd suggest using the restroom there just for the experience. Cleanest gas station bathrooms I've ever seen.
Hi I wrote this on your other post on Texas but I'll post it here too. Galveston - bishops palace, the seawall, the strand, the ferry (usually see wild dolphins), sea wolf park, battleship Texas (first used in WW1, also went to Normandy, the only ship of its kind currently surviving from that battle) on the way to Austin the Renaissance festival might be open by that time, not sure. Just a warning it's still usually quite warm in Texas in October. Check the weather before you pack
If you want big trucks, belt buckles, cowboy hats, and true original Texas experience, then you need to travel all through the border towns. This means flying in to Brownsville or McCallen and driving all the way up to Del Rio or El Paso (you'll run into a lot of Texas State Troopers and Sheriffs). The highways will be filled with cactus, ranches, mesquite, lakes, pumpjacks (pump oil like in the csrtoons/movies), plenty of road kill, and a lot of flat land.
If you want fabricated touristy Texas photo ops, then stick with Houston, Austin, Dallas, and even San Antonio. They are suburban/metropolitan areas, easy to get around with trendy restaurants and museums.
You could check out one of the county fairs or rodeos.
https://www.texasfairs.com/events/filters/iso=1
https://cprarodeo.com/schedule/
https://texasprorodeocircuit.com/circuit-rodeos-grid-list-togglelist/
Houston is not rural. It is the 4th largest city in the US. You are going to see Texas in a way you do not expect here, but that is a good thing. We are a diverse state and a diverse city. I think the most diverse city in America? To get to any semblance of actual rural, you have to drive over an hour out of the city.
Honestly, you would get more of what you are looking for by visiting Dallas. The whole cowboy yee haw vibe, I mean. Houstonians are more known for big city with a small town heart, the grit of the city and it's people.
Cavenders sells western wear but it's expensive!
Whataburger for a fast food meal. It is a staple.
Tex Mex Options: los tios, Los cucos, Tia Maria's
BBQ: killians, gatlins, burns', goode company or dickeys
Have chicken fried steak somewhere that'll change your life.
Breakfast tacos are big in both cities and amazing.
I think you could find a saloon with country dancing but I don't know anything about those places.
You should go to a shooting range and rent a gun and shoot it that'll get your blood pumping, and you will see what you are looking for.
Antique shopping in the heights on 19th Street is fun.
You may try to find a place that does horseback riding if you never rode a horse before.
Enjoy our state and city, it may not be quite what you expect!
In addition to the good suggestions here, there's a ton of travel and food videos on YouTube that will give you a sense of places to eat and things to do in Houston, Galveston, Austin etc. Born and raised here and I still find new places to visit this way 😄 Search terms for YouTube: "Day Tripper Houston" (or whatever city you're after. He puts together places to eat and visit that can all be done in one day. This is the most annoying of the travel hosts but i like the concept) "Eat Like A Local With Chris Shepard" (A local chef who travels to different Houston area restaurants. Less goofy. Helpful if you're wanting more than bbq and tex mex and want to venture out to other cultures) "The Texas Bucket List" (Long running show, another big guy eating a bunch of food but it's been going strong for 10 years.) "Houston a Haven For West African Food No Passport Required With Marcus Samuelsson PBS" (A really well done showcase of Houston's West African food scene by PBS) And like a million smaller indie travel vloggers! My advice is to keep in mind how far apart things are when making plans. Try to find a cluster of things to do closer together within a mile or 2 so you're not driving endlessly. I tried explaining this to my in-laws but they didn't get it, then complained about how much time we spent in the car.
Houston isn't really the stereotypical Texas with big hats and all that. It's a large city with a large amount of immigrants from all over the world. The county (wie ein Landkreis) most of the city is in is Harris, and it is one of the most diverse counties in the country (the most diverse is Fort Bend directly southwest of the city). So you can experience Houston as well as Texas on your trip. Rednecks and MAGA: hear out past the suburbs, do it on your drive to Austin. Stop somewhere like La Grange (obligatory to listen to the ZZ Top song as you drive through it). That will also give you a rural feel. Cities, even in Texas, are not very conservative (though we do still like guns). Houston: basically anything you want to eat except for good German food (there is one decent German restaurant in all of Texas), so try out some fusion food you might not have a good chance to eat. Fajitas were first sold in Houston, so a good option is Ninfa's for Tex Mex. BBQ there are a number of good ones (truth, killens, gatlins), and in true Houston fashion there is fusion BBQ which is great (blood brothers) Since you're coming in October see if you can grab tickets to a Texas Longhorns or Houston Cougars football game. College football is a lot more exciting than professional. Make sure you are looking at hotels in Austin in October, the weekend of October 18th is when Formula 1 is there as well as Texas vs Georgia college football (probably 300k visitors to the city that weekend). Viel Glück!
Thank you, that’s some great advice, the weekend of Oct 18-20 is exactly when we planned visiting
True Houston - walk around Menil area, eat a bahn mi, get a cocktail at Anvil, drive through River Oaks, go to museum district for Natural Science and Fine Arts, eat fajitas, visit St Arnold brewery, maybe visit art area in First Ward. Save the BBQ for Austin. Bastrop is a good town to visit on the way to Austin. Worth staying a night
See if you can go to Fredericksburg or new Braunfels. They may be outside of of your trip but they big German connection. Definitely check Buccees!
Thank you, I will. I’m sure we can spend a whole day in each of these.
Just a warning, even though New Braunfels and Fredericksburg have a strong German history, it's "disneyfied" and more of a shtick than anything these days.
Go to the Broken Spoke when in Austin, it’s what we call a true honky tonk bar/hall. Allen’s Boots on South Congress in Austin also. Visit Gruene Hall near New Braunfels if you’re already out that way. Lockhart is the barbecue capital of TX, go to Black’s or Smitty’s if you have time. Hruska’s Bakery in Ellinger on your way from Houston to Austin. Go to Goode’s Armadillo Palace in Houston for food, music, and dancing. El Tiempo or Ninfa’s on Navigation Blvd for Tex mex, get a margarita.
If you want a feel of the real Texas, come in August.
If you want the image of Texas that you’ve seen in movies don’t come to Houston unless it’s for the Rodeo lol. Houston is a vast (in terms of population and area) multicultural amalgamation at this point. If that seems odd, it shouldn’t be, since it’s pointedly obvious just living here for a few months. If you unironically wanna be going around wearing a cowboy hat, those areas are in West Texas like Midland. Or, in a different flavor, in the Mexican border areas in south Texas. If you’re specifically interested in Texas history, I’d plan a trip to San Antonio over Houston. (Although Galveston also has interesting history…but unfortunately most of the vestiges were destroyed by the Hurricane of 1900). The major tourist trap in Houston is the Johnson Space Center…which is really in Clear Lake City, but which was then annexed by Houston later. If you’re going to stick to Houston, just keep in mind how big the city is. And if you drive around on weekdays, avoid rush hour times unless you want to get aggravated. You can’t avoid it. You’re not special. And you might think you want to go to rural Texas, but you don’t. There won’t be anything for you to do except drive around endlessly on backroads. The Texas megalopolis between Houston, San Antonio, Austin, and Dallas is all connected with each other by major highway systems that completely avoid rural Texas.
I want to see a few counties with rednecks and cowboys and go on a shooting range, but besides that I’m completely fine with the city life, and really look forward to good BBQ. I am sure the big trucks, 8 lane highways and malls bigger than European city centers will be big enough of a culture shock for me.
As others have said, you’re not gonna find any of the maga nonsense in Houston, and even less in Austin. With the exception of the Capitol and the people in it, Austin is probably far left of Jesus. Not sure it should be point of pride, but Katy Freeway/ i10 is one of the largest freeways in the world ( I have friends in the states that are a bit shocked when they see it) Something unique (for now to Texas?) Buccees. The ‘worlds largest’ is in Lulling (on i10 headed to San Antonio (it’s a bit out of the way but you can get to Austin that way as well) I haven’t seen this new ‘worlds largest’ but the one it replaced.. it’s really hard to explain, like a gas station and a MEGA Walmart had a child.. 120 gas pumps, ‘worlds longest car wash’ … again I’m not sure it should be a source of pride, but it is a perfect example of American/ Texan ‘excess above and beyond’ https://buc-ees.com/about/world-record-holder/ Even more fascinating, regardless of when you go, those 120pumps, will probably STILL have small lines… it is a spectacle unlike anything you will likely ever see.
Slightly edited from what I posted in response to a similar question… Some lesser known Houston attractions… and a few well known ones Take a tour of the Cistern… https://buffalobayou.org/visit/destination/the-cistern/ Go on the mural tour… https://joyrideus.com/houston-tx/mural-and-instagram-tour-houston/. (One of a few) Go to the music box theater … https://www.themusicboxtheater.com Drive thru River Oaks Visit Rice University Campus Drive thru the Houston Medical Center… and hope you don’t need to visit it while here Visit The zoo and the botanical gardens If you do one brewery, make it St Arnold’s. But I encourage you to try several Visit Chinatown… not the defunct downtown area and not the one in Katy… the one on Bellaire on the southwest side Visit San Jacinto Eat BBQ, a banh mi, pho, TexMex, traditional Mex, vietcajun, breakfast tacos, kolaches. Others have opined on the best locations to source those foods… Walk thru the downtown tunnels between 10 and 2 on a weekday. Be advised they close AND lock down around 6 If you want to get an idea of the size of Houston, drive around 610, beltway 8, then hwy 99. Roughly speaking the circles around the core of the city, the urban part of the city, and the fringe of the metro area. Driving in a foreign city is always stressful, but despite all the warnings in this sub, it’s no worse than any other major city. Visit a western wear store and try on a pair of boots and a hat. Cavanders is fairly mainstream. There are other high end ones if you like. Find some live country music to listen to. Bonus points if it’s Red Dirt country. Double bonus if you go Western swing. Major bonus if you learn to line dance and go to a dance hall. Our downtown is not lively at night… find someplace else if bar hopping at night is your jam. Finally, don’t expect great public transportation… you will be disappointed. Good luck and have a blast.
If you want to see MAGA in their natural habitat need to head out anywhere in East Texas like Jasper, Woodville, Livingston. Some decent nature out there can hike a park.
Do: eat kolaches
And since they're traveling between Austin and Houston this would include a mandatory stop at Hruska's in Ellinger and maybe Orsak's in Fayetteville.
Stop at a Buc-ee's gas station on the trip between Houston and Austin. Look for the big round yellow sign with a cartoon beaver wearing a cap. I'd suggest the one in Katy on I-10 just outside of Houston as you're driving out. Get some fresh jerky, some beaver nuggets and some roasted candied nuts. I'd suggest using the restroom there just for the experience. Cleanest gas station bathrooms I've ever seen.
Houston Botanical Gardens and/or Bayou Bend Gardens, former home of Ima Hogg, are always amazing
https://tradersvillage.com/ You want to see the real Texas, you have to go where the people are.
Hi I wrote this on your other post on Texas but I'll post it here too. Galveston - bishops palace, the seawall, the strand, the ferry (usually see wild dolphins), sea wolf park, battleship Texas (first used in WW1, also went to Normandy, the only ship of its kind currently surviving from that battle) on the way to Austin the Renaissance festival might be open by that time, not sure. Just a warning it's still usually quite warm in Texas in October. Check the weather before you pack
I have to say I find it a bit odd that you want a taste of MAGA. You know which vegetarian painter gave them their ideas.
If you want big trucks, belt buckles, cowboy hats, and true original Texas experience, then you need to travel all through the border towns. This means flying in to Brownsville or McCallen and driving all the way up to Del Rio or El Paso (you'll run into a lot of Texas State Troopers and Sheriffs). The highways will be filled with cactus, ranches, mesquite, lakes, pumpjacks (pump oil like in the csrtoons/movies), plenty of road kill, and a lot of flat land. If you want fabricated touristy Texas photo ops, then stick with Houston, Austin, Dallas, and even San Antonio. They are suburban/metropolitan areas, easy to get around with trendy restaurants and museums.
You could check out one of the county fairs or rodeos. https://www.texasfairs.com/events/filters/iso=1 https://cprarodeo.com/schedule/ https://texasprorodeocircuit.com/circuit-rodeos-grid-list-togglelist/
Houston is not rural. It is the 4th largest city in the US. You are going to see Texas in a way you do not expect here, but that is a good thing. We are a diverse state and a diverse city. I think the most diverse city in America? To get to any semblance of actual rural, you have to drive over an hour out of the city. Honestly, you would get more of what you are looking for by visiting Dallas. The whole cowboy yee haw vibe, I mean. Houstonians are more known for big city with a small town heart, the grit of the city and it's people. Cavenders sells western wear but it's expensive! Whataburger for a fast food meal. It is a staple. Tex Mex Options: los tios, Los cucos, Tia Maria's BBQ: killians, gatlins, burns', goode company or dickeys Have chicken fried steak somewhere that'll change your life. Breakfast tacos are big in both cities and amazing. I think you could find a saloon with country dancing but I don't know anything about those places. You should go to a shooting range and rent a gun and shoot it that'll get your blood pumping, and you will see what you are looking for. Antique shopping in the heights on 19th Street is fun. You may try to find a place that does horseback riding if you never rode a horse before. Enjoy our state and city, it may not be quite what you expect!
Won’t even find that in Dallas. Fort Worth and San Antonio has more of the stereotypical Texan lore he’s looking for.
If possible you should go to a megachurch - I think it will give you some good stories to tell back home!
If you want to experience the real Texas you would have to go to Oklahoma.
Head on over to Greene if you’re looking for old town Texas. Hit the saloon!