Arlington: Arlington is dubbed “Fun Central,” and it’s no wonder. Six Flags, Rangers Ballpark, Johnnie High’s Country Music Review, and—beginning with the 2009 season—the Dallas Cowboys football team provide plenty of entertainment options.

Grapevine: Travel in either direction on the historic Cotton Belt Route between Grapevine and the Fort Worth Stockyards via the Grapevine Vintage Railroad. In Grapevine’s historic district, enjoy artisan demonstrations such as glassblowing, and tour up to 10 wineries on the Grapevine Wine Trail. The Gaylord Texan Resort and the Great Wolf Lodge offer accommodations—and so much more!

Denton: An estimated 25,000 horses live on more than 300 farms and ranches in Denton County, many of which are open for tours. A stroll in Denton’s town square with its century-old courthouse should conclude with stops at a few shops and restaurants.

Frisco: Frisco’s Pizza Hut Park is the first large-scale soccer facility of its type in the U.S. The city enjoys three professional sports teams: Frisco Rough Riders baseball, FC Dallas soccer, Frisco Thunder Intense Football League, and the Texas Tornado amateur hockey plays at a near-pro level. The new Frisco Heritage Museum allows you to see the past come alive.

Bryan–College Station: When in Bryan–College Station, home of Texas A&M University, one must also tour the George Bush Presidential Library. Explore the Messina Hof Winery, taste its award-winning wines, and purchase a bottle to enjoy when you get back home.

Brenham: In historic Brenham, peruse the antiques shops, watch the miniature horses at the St. Claire Monastery, and tour Blue Bell Creameries, which (of course!) includes mounds of delectable ice cream. In nearby Independence, take in the roses at the Antique Rose Emporium.

Rosanky: On the way home, detour through Rosanky to cruise the Central Texas Museum of Automotive History, which has more than 100 cars on display dating back as many years.

Dallas: If you can’t shop for it in Dallas, it doesn’t exist. Wallet in hand, head to Galleria Dallas for an international shopping experience. The flagship Neiman Marcus store (have lunch at the Zodiac), NorthPark Center, and the West End Historic District round out the array of shopping possibilities.

Sherman: In Sherman, take time to explore Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge as well as Touch of Class Antique Mall on the downtown square.

Denison: In Denison, include Perrin Air Force Base Museum and the Red River Railroad Museum, as well as the Grayson County Frontier Village and Dwight D. Eisenhower’s Birthplace on your agenda.

Fort Worth: Don’t miss the Stockyards for the daily cattle drive or Billy Bob’s Texas. The Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame is housed in the area’s original horse and mule barns. Give equal time to the ladies and take in the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame.

Granbury: Granbury claims Texas’s smallest historic site, the grave of Mrs. Elizabeth Crockett, widow of Alamo hero Davy Crockett, in Acton Cemetery. Hood County’s Old Jail Museum occupies an authentic 1885 Old West jail. Granbury Opera House and the Granbury Riverboat add to the local flavor.

Glen Rose: Take the 9.5-mile scenic wildlife drive through the Fossil Rim Wildlife Center to see exotic and endangered animals up close. Dinosaur Valley State Park features dinosaur tracks, a 70-foot Apatosaurus, and a 45-foot T-Rex. Just across from the park, Dinosaur World displays life-size sculptures of 100 dinosaurs in a 22-acre park setting.

Irving: The world’s largest equestrian sculpture, the Mustangs of Las Colinas, is the perfect warm-up for the Las Colinas Equestrian Center. Include a tour of Texas Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys. Norman Rockwell fans will enjoy the National Scouting Museum, and no visit is complete without a short jaunt to Parker to the legendary Southfork Ranch, setting of the popular TV show Dallas.

Waxahachie: Unwind in Waxahachie, the beautiful Gingerbread City, which is a treasure trove of historic homes dating back to the 1880s, as well as the picturesque Ellis County Courthouse.

Kilgore: Get near Kilgore and you’ll know you’re in oil country. Kilgore’s East Texas Oil Museum pays homage to the 1930s oil boom. World’s Richest Acre Park, on about 1.2 acres, marks the site of the greatest concentration of oil wells in the world, including one well that was actually drilled through the floor of the Kilgore National Bank, when it stood within the acre. Learn all about Kilgore College’s renowned Rangerettes at the Rangerette Showcase.

Marshall: Christmastime in Marshall is reason enough for a visit. The historic courthouse is bejeweled with more than 125,000 lights, and the town’s businesses and neighborhoods do their part to light up the winter evenings, too. Known for its potteries, Marshall has myriad shops filled with antiques and collectibles.

Texarkana: When is an island not surrounded by water? When it’s Photographer’s Island, located in Texarkana in front of the State Line Post Office and Federal Building, which straddles the Texas-Arkansas border. Other photo ops include the 22-sided, 123-year-old Ace of Clubs House and the fully restored historic Perot Theatre, which hosts national and international productions. The Museum of Regional History (check out the Scott Joplin exhibit) and the Tex-Ark Antique Auto Museum will satisfy curious history buffs. Saturday nights you can catch a family-friendly country music show at the recently reopened Pleasant Jamboree.

The Woodlands: The Woodlands Waterway Taxi provides the perfect mode of transportation in this shopping mecca that offers up more than 450 retail shops. Upscale dining, picnics at Town Green Park, and everything in between keep appetites pleasantly sated. The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion hosts a multitude of visual and performing arts events. The Woodlands Resort and Conference Center is located in 28,000 acres of natural forest and meets the needs of the most discriminating meeting planners and guests.

Conroe: Set a tranquil tone with lunch or dinner aboard the Southern Empress riverboat on beautiful Lake Conroe. If the group is up for something more active, boats, canoes, Jet Skis, and kayaks are available for rent. Conroe has more than 50 antiques shops and plenty of other shopping, too. The 21 city parks and more than 150 restaurants make it easy to stay amused.

Huntsville: The Texas Prison Museum in Huntsville, the only one of its kind, compellingly portrays life in the lockup. Golfers may want to step up to the challenge at the top-ranked Waterwood National Resort and Golf Course, designed by Peter Dye to be one of the toughest courses in the country.

Tyler: Don’t leave Tyler without seeing the Tyler Municipal Rose Garden and its 400 or so rose varieties, as well as the Tyler Rose Museum and its gift shop. The Tiger Creek Wildlife Refuge has been featured on Animal Planet. Brookshire’s World of Wildlife Museum has more than 450 mounted mammals to admire, and the Country Store replicates a store from the 1920s. The pre–Civil War home Myrtle-Vale and its surrounding gardens reveal the charm of antebellum East Texas. For those who’ve just gotta move, the Tyler Skateplex gives you more than 22,000 square feet of polished maple to work with.

Mineola: Here you can just sit a spell on the porch of the Blueberry Ridge Farm, purportedly the oldest certified organic blueberry farm in Texas—or you can do more. Search for antique treasures or take in a first-run movie or live stage production at Select Theatre, the oldest continuously operating theater in the state.

Mount Pleasant: Time it right during the spring and you’ll be dazzled by a stunning display of more than one million daffodil blooms of more than 700 varieties at Sleepy Hollow Daffodils in Mount Pleasant. On your way back to Tyler, stop at Los Pinos Ranch Vineyards to relax with some tapas and a sip or two of wine.