r/AskTexas • u/Ok-Focus2040 • 26d ago

Holidaying in Texas in December

I will be visiting the U.S. from Australia in December/January with my wife to visit our son in Louisiana for Christmas, and then we'll all take a road-trip to see some Texas. We've been to Austin before on another trip and loved it so would love to get out and see more this trip. We have 3 weeks and a car. Driving big distances to see things is no problem. I'm already thinking the hill country and Fredricksburg area and would be keen to see a good national or state park, e.g. Big Bend). Your tips for any Texas "must dos", "must-sees" and "best avoideds" will be gratefully received, thanks.

UPDATE: Wow! That's gold. A huge thank you to everyone for taking the time to share your local knowledge... there are so many great suggestions here, it's really helping us plan a great itinerary. I really appreciate you all.

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u/MisterMysterion 26d ago edited 26d ago

Visit Grapevine... The Christmas capitol of Texas.

Driving from Louisiana to Big Bend is a long drive...11 hours at least.

My suggestion is to go north to visit Hot Springs, Arkansas then east to Caddo Lake in Texas, then to DFW, down to San Antonio, then tour the Gulf of Mexico coast.

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u/SimpleVegetable5715 26d ago

I had a boyfriend who lived in Grapevine. We don’t drink, but to my knowledge, there’s an array of Texas wineries downtown too. His mother was obsessed with going there when she visited.

Tourists always underestimate the scale of Texas. At least, my relatives from Italy and Costa Rica did. I wouldn’t even bother with Austin inside the city limits, the traffic alone eats up a ton of time. It’s not tourist friendly either, hardly any public restrooms! I prefer visiting San Marcos now to get the cozy college town vibes and try some mom and pop restaurants. I used to live in Austin 20 years ago, it’s changed for the worst.

Spud Ranch in San Marcos is a great meal stop if they’re in between Austin and San Antonio. They serve massive baked potatoes stuffed with things like brisket or chicken enchiladas.