Big Bend – Immense stretches of land, endless solitary highways, and a grand scale equaled only by profound natural beauty, the Big Bend region is a place of wonder, with a colorful past, wide-open spaces, and luxury accommodations. Take a real Texas day trip to Big Bend National Park and enjoy the great outdoors. Mountain biking, hiking, and horseback riding bring you closer to nature and adventure as you explore this Texas treasure. Just north of Big Bend National Park, visit Alpine in the fall and watch the skies come alive with color as hot-air balloons take flight for the Big Bend Balloon Bash. El Paso, the biggest city in the region, is culturally diverse and a fitting place to buy handmade boots.
Panhandle – Texas’s 26 northernmost counties constitute the Panhandle Plains region, home to some 1,500 pictographs at Paint Rock and the 800-foot-deep Palo Duro Canyon, visible sections of which date back 250 million years. Cruise along the famed Route 66 to Adrian, where you can savor a slice of “Ugly Crust” pie at MidPoint Café. Watch for the U Drop Inn and the Leaning Tower of Texas while you amble your way through the rest of this fine region.Here you can find yourself in a swanky hotel, cruising an offbeat beachside burg, or gazing into the Gulf of Mexico from anywhere along the 624-mile expanse of sandy coastline. Houston features an exceptional art and cultural district, multitudes of eclectic entertainment, and the nearby NASA Johnson Space Center. Beaumont and Orange are infused with a Louisiana feel, while Brownsville embraces the Mexican culture. Excitement, fun, and relaxation are all yours for the asking along the Texas Gulf Coast.
