Texas is big and you will be doing a disservice for yourself if you just stick to one or two cities for your visit. So you have to find out what this Dallas road trip can offer.
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas.
Here is a go-to guide if you want to get around Dallas for the most amazing and wonderful getaways. These are some of the places that you need to visit.
10 Grapevine
Grapevine is located only 20 minutes outside of Dallas and is a smaller suburb. While it does not necessarily come to mind as a tourist destination, the city is loaded with lots of extraordinary activities, making it the perfect road trip from Dallas. Grapevine Lake is perfect for water skiing, windsurfing, boating, and fishing. This lake is surrounded by hiking and biking trails if you wish to stay out of the water. There is also the Vintage Railroad taking visitors on a historic ride along the Cotton Belt Route in Victorian coaches of the 1920s. The city is likewise famous for the world-class local wines that it has. They even hold the annual GrapeFest for four days of live music, wine tasting, and more.
9 Fort Worth
Fort Worth is the sister city of Dallas and together they both make up the 4th largest metroplex of the US. It is only a 30-minute drive from Dallas and you will immediately find yourself immersing in the cowboy's world as well as lively honky-tonks. The best way for spending your day here is at the Stockyards. If you can hit the Texas Hall of Fame in the morning, then you can make sure that you catch the cattle drive at 11:30. There are endless Tex-Mex and barbecue options for lunch and you can go to Billy Bob’s for square dancing and a mechanical record-breaking bull ride at night.
8 Turner Falls
Turner Falls, the tallest waterfall of the neighboring state, clocks in at 77 ft. Although that is the main attraction, the landscape around it is loaded with hiking trails, refreshing natural pools, as well as caves for exploration. You would want to come early in the morning and enjoy while it is quieter and then as the other visitors start arriving, you may want to rest from swimming and savor Sothern cooking at one of the restaurants onsite. Turner Falls is easily experienced in a single day. However, if you want to extend your stay, there are campsites as well as cozy cabins for accommodation. As you head back to Dallas, drop by the Winstar World Casino and Resort, the biggest casino in the US.
7 Dripping Springs
Dripping Springs is not very far from Austin. The feature that is most visited would be Hamilton Pool. It’s a picturesque swimming hole that is natural, having lovely aquamarine water along with abundant sloping cliffs that you would imagine that you are no longer in Texas. After the adventure, you can wind down at one of the many distilleries or wineries in town. Deep Eddy, an Austin-based brand, is popular for the flavored vodkas it has and the Dripping Springs Wine Trail is going to take you on the tour via several boutique stores that sell local products.
6 Caddo Lake State Park
This is among the most wonderful road trips in Dallas. When you go there, the trip would not be complete without exploring the swamps, and kayaks and canoes are available if you would like to explore more. If you choose to remain overnight, there is a set of lovely historic cabins. Caddo Lake Park happens to be full of history. It is alleged that it has not been less than 12,000 years that it has been inhabited.
5 Davy Crockett National Forest
This national forest is just three hours away from downtown Dallas. Go out early and then stretch out those tired legs on the 20-mile trail of the park. You are going to find a simple campsite where you will be able to spend one night before winding up your trek on the following day. If you are not fond of hiking, the forest likewise takes pride in 50 miles of horse trails as well as a lake that is 45 acres where visitors are able to swim, fish, boat, and picnic.
4 Beavers Bend
This picturesque getaway is just 3 hours from Dallas. For an active adventurer, paddle boarding, golfing, and hiking are just some of the activities they offer. You may also want to try the wonderful and weird yakanoe, canoe-kayak combined that is going to take you stylishly out on the water. Visiting in November and February will even get you participating in the eagle-watching excursion. The nature center of the park has an extensive lineup of guided hikes and films where you will be immersed in as well as educated on local habitats. For those who love the thrill, Beavers Bend includes jet skiing, ziplining, and scuba diving to the mix.
3 Colorado Bend State Park
Don’t allow the name to get you confused. Colorado Bend State Park happens to be 3 ½ hours away from Dallas. But the landscape seems totally different. Over 400 caves are running beneath the park and the guided tours they have are going to have you crawling caverns and sliding through tight spots. If you feel a bit claustrophobic, you can instead hit open water and take advantage of the 6-mile bank through the river of Colorado where visitors are able to fish, swim or kayak. It is also among the primary biking getaways of the state. The very popular trek is going to deposit you in the Gorman Falls, which is a 70-foot pristine waterfall that runs down rich green cliffs.
2 Oklahoma City
Oklahoma is noted for the museums it has and the very popular would be the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum. To have a greater understanding of the history of the city, spend some time viewing the Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum to commemorate the victims of the 1995 bombing. If you wish for a while to get away from the crowd head down to Myriad Botanical Gardens, sprawling 17 acres throughout the downtown area, and lay on the grass for a relaxing afternoon looking through the Tropical Conservatory,
1 Houston
Houston is only 3 ½ to 4 hours away from Dallas but it is almost twice the size and it comes with a totally different feel. If you are going to travel in spring don’t forget to drop by Ennis where you can take a look at bluebonnets (state flower of Texas) blooming all along the roadside. Just over halfway to the trip, pull over the highway and then have a picnic where the statue of Sam Houston, first president of Texas, can tower while eating lunch. Then upon arriving in Houston there abound lots of attractions. A tourist favorite would be the Space Center, serving as the center for NASA’s home of Mission Control.