Dallas-Fort WorthThe two biggest cities in
North Texas,
Dallas and
Fort Worth, are 30 miles (48km) apart but have been drawn together into one urban concentration known as the 'DFW Metroplex' with a combined population of more than four million.
The two cities are, however, very different halves of a whole. Dallas, its soaring glass-sided skyscrapers seemingly growing like mushrooms out of the prairie, is full of glitz and glamour. Its urban landscape is vigorous and classy, its citizens enjoying the good things in life from fashionable clothing to flashy cars. This thriving city
is the ninth largest city in the
United States, having grown from a frontier outpost with 20 streets in 1841 to a center for big business and big banking, helped along a little by 'black gold', the oil that was discovered 100 miles (161km) east of the city in 1930.
Fort Worth, the western half of the Metroplex, is the gateway to the Wild West. Having started out as 'Cowtown', a base for cattle drives, Fort Worth still reflects a laid-back and slightly 'cowpoke' attitude, although surprisingly it has also developed into a cultural center with world-class museums and a thriving performing arts sector.
Dallas is certainly the place for visitors to enjoy a rich shopping experience and upmarket wining and dining, but Fort Worth is the venue for exciting and interesting attractions and a taste of western culture.
Getting Around: Dallas and Fort Worth are connected by Greyhound buses as well as by an express commuter train service. A car used to be the only way to see both cities, but recent improvements to the public transport system, especially in Dallas, have meant that it is now possible to get around the main downtown area, hotels and restaurants without one. In Dallas, though, a car is still more convenient as the city is very spread out, but Fort Worth is easily manageable without. Dallas is serviced by buses and a limited light railway system, and there is also an electric trolley bus, as well as the free McKinney Avenue Trolley. Fort Worth is serviced by a fairly extensive bus system as well as the Longhorn Trolley that travels between the major districts of interest to tourists. Taxis are available for hire in both.
Climate: The weather in Dallas/Fort Worth is generally warm throughout the year, with temperatures of up to 67°F (19°C) possible even in the midst of winter. Temperatures in January, though, usually average 43°F (6°C). Summers can be extremely hot. Severe weather is possible because the cities are sited between the notorious 'tornado alley' and the meteorologically turbulent Gulf coast, so lightning storms, hail, floods and tornados can occur, especially during spring when the rainfall is heaviest.
AmarilloThe city of
Amarillo, about 330 miles (531km) northwest of
Dallas-Fort Worth, is where the old West lives on in the commercial center of the
Texas panhandle.
Amarillo started out in 1887 as a 'buffalo-hide tent camp' for railroad construction workers. Today, the town named for a nearby stream, the Arroya Amarillo, boasts a convention center, symphony, ballet, theater, opera and two higher education facilities,
Amarillo College and
Texas State Technical College.
Amarillo's fortunes have long rested on the horns of cattle ranching, but it has also become a popular stopover for tourists keen to play cowboy or cowgirl, with numerous motels and restaurants having opened up in recent years. The town is located on the major Route 1-40 east-west highway, making it easily accessible for visitors and those who come for the famed frenetic Amarillo Livestock Auctions.
At first glance Amarillo may seem unprepossessing and have little to offer apart from cowboys and cattle, but it is worth digging below the dust of the high plains to discover its attractions.
Getting Around: Visitors to Amarillo are advised to hire a car from one of the many international agencies in the city. This is the most popular way of getting around as it is the only way to see most places. To hire a car, a full national driver's license, and in some cases and international driver's license, is required and drivers must be at least 25 years (some companies hire cars to those aged 21 to 24 with surcharges). Amarillo has a bus service that runs from Monday through Saturday between 6.15am and 6.45pm and taxis are a good way to get around but must be booked through one of the many private taxi companies operating within the city.
Climate: Amarillo on the High Plains of the Texas Panhandle has a basically dry, semi-arid climate with four distinct seasons. Summers are scorching hot, and winters can be numbingly cold. The area is prone to severe weather conditions, having experienced ice storms, drought, and floods. Average annual rainfall is difficult to calculate, there being little constancy. Rain falls mainly in thunderstorms, some of them quite violent, between March and October. Snow falls between October and April, averaging 15 inches (38cm) a year.
HoustonThe massive metropolis of Houston, sprawling across the Gulf Coast plain of
East Texas from its busy port, is almost twice the size of the entire state of
Rhode Island. Even with this heavy urban concentration, though, Houston is green and lush, sited at the end of a belt of forest coming down from the north, and characterized by marshlands and bayous lined with cypress trees in the southern reaches.
Houston, named after former Republic of
Texas president
Sam Houston, is hot and humid. To make life more bearable in the close-packed downtown area much activity has gone underground. The city center sports an air-conditioned seven-mile (11km) pedestrian tunnel system full of restaurants and shops. Unlike most cities, downtown in Houston is the hub of residential development, so it remains busy and bustling long after dark.
Texas' largest city is not generally a sought after tourist destination, being concerned more with business than pleasure and leisure. Computer manufacture, gas and oil, and a huge concentration of medical institutions account for most of the economic activity, but all those hard-working citizens have to play sometimes, and there are some good attractions like excellent museums, the amazing
Astrodome sports pavilion, some wonderful theaters and, thanks to the cosmopolitan mix of its residents, some ethnically diverse cuisine on offer in its many restaurants and neighborhoods. For visitors the absolute 'must-see' in Houston is the famed Space Center, mission control for the US space program.
Getting Around: Visitors to Houston are well advised to hire a car, which is relatively inexpensive and provides the quickest and most convenient way to navigate the spread-out city. There are plenty of car parks and a well-managed road system. To hire a car, a full national driver's license is required and drivers must be at least 25 years (some companies hire cars to those aged 21 to 24 with surcharges). Those opting for public transport will find that the
Metropolitan Transit Authority (Metro) has it well covered with an efficient and extensive bus service, as well as a new light rail line which links Downtown, Midtown, the Museum District, Hermann Park, the
Texas Medical Center and
Reliant Park. Correct change is required for on-board bus fare boxes, or purchase tokens or a day pass in advance from local stores sporting the Metro sign. Taxis are a rather expensive option, though readily available downtown.
Climate: Houston has a humid subtropical climate, prevailing winds bringing in the heat from the deserts of
Mexico and moisture from the
Gulf of Mexico during most of the year. Summers are swelteringly hot and humid, making air-conditioning a necessity rather than a luxury. Summers are characterized by afternoon thunderstorms, which bring rain most days, and sometimes tornadoes. Winters, by contrast, are cool and temperate, with no snow but some rain. The coolest month is January.
AustinCapital of Texas, the city of
Austin lies almost in the center of the state, a big city with a small town feel, young population, casual lifestyle and reputation as a
Mecca for live music shows.
Home of the
University of Texas campus, Austin life is closely entwined with the energy and enthusiasm of its students, but this city that has been a state capital since 1838 does not ignore its history. Young people are drawn here too by the array of live concerts that are held frequently around the shores of Town Lake. Most famous of these events is the annual
South by Southwest music festival-conference held each March. Visitors wanting to tune in to Austin's live musical repertoire, which spans everything from blues and country to reggae, simply have to drift down the famous Sixth Street strip of pubs and clubs any night of the week.
Austin's laid-back attitude lends itself to the great outdoors, and the city has miles of hiking and biking trails linking parks, preserves and greenbelts adding to the ambience of its leafy streets.
Getting Around: The excellent public transport system in Austin provides cheap public buses and vans that cover all neighborhoods, downtown and the university campus for a flat fare. Transfers between buses are free and valid for three hours. The Armadillo Express, known as 'the Dillo', provides free trolley rides through the historic downtown area. There is also a free Yellow Bike Program that makes bicycles available to the public - yellow bikes can be picked up anywhere, ridden to one's destination and then left for the next rider. Taxis can be expensive and are best ordered by phone, although they are on hand outside most downtown hotels. Driving in Austin can be very confusing, with a lack of clear east-west routes through the city center and the fact that locals tend to refer to highways by unofficial names. The city center can become congested at rush hour.
Climate: Unlike the other cities in Texas, Austin enjoys settled weather and a pleasant semi-tropical climate. Even in the height of summer temperatures are more moderate than in other parts of the state. In winter the temperature stays well above freezing. Humidity is at its highest between May and September, and rainfall is fairly evenly distributed throughout the year.
GalvestonThe island city on the Gulf Coast, linked to the Texas mainland by a causeway,
Galveston has survived the USA's deadliest natural disaster to become one of the country's hottest tourist destinations, and a favorite port of call for hundreds of cruise liners. Offering miles upon miles of beautiful beaches, some of the country's most superb restaurants and seafood, art galleries, antique stores, enervating entertainment, a fantastic portfolio of Victorian architecture and some fascinating attractions, there is possibly no better place to step ashore and become a land-lubber.
It is hard to believe that in 1900 Galveston was all but devastated by a hurricane, which claimed around 10,000 lives. Fortunately most of the historic buildings on the east end of downtown survived, and today the city is protected by a sea wall built post the disaster. The wall now safeguards a compact city that most locals declare they need never leave, because they have it all, right here in Galveston. Galveston citizens are only too pleased to welcome visitors to their wondrous city, and in fact they have produced countless attractions to suit all tastes, from fascinating museums to harbor tours with dolphin watching; excellent theater to a unique fun family waterpark and a paradise for shop-a-holics.
The city's events calendar bursts with fun too, with an annual Mardi Gras, the famed Jazz and Blues Festival, a beach festival, bike rally and Victorian-styled Christmas festival, most taking place on The Strand, which is Galveston's hub of entertainment and fun. Even getting around Galveston is fun, whether it be on a horse-drawn carriage, aboard the 'Treasure Isle Tour Train' or a paddlewheel steamer.
