Texas in September - Dallas, Houston, Austin - advice needed

Hi all,

would appreciate your advice on our holiday this year. We will we be coming to Texas for 10 days in September. We%26#39;d like to visit Dallas, Austin and Houston. How should we split the days between these 3 destinations? I was thinking Dallas - 5 days, Austin - 2 days and Houston - 3days?

I%26#39;ve decided we%26#39;re going to stay at the Rosewood Mansion in Dallas, but would appreciate your views on nice (4/5 star) places to stay in Austin and Houston, and what to do in those cities.

My wife loves shopping and we both enjoy eating out at nice restaurants, if that helps. I%26#39;d also like to take in either a baseball game or NFL game if possible.

Thanks.

Texas in September - Dallas, Houston, Austin - advice needed

To determine which professional sports team to see, you will need to consult the schedules for the Texas Rangers and Houston Astros (baseball) and the Dallas Cowboys and Houston Texans (football), then match it up to your dates.

Other than a sports event, what are you wanting to see/do in Dallas?

What are you wanting to see/do in Austin? I would take a day from Dallas and add it to my Austin stay but I enjoy the live music scene there- that may or may not appeal to you. Austin is more historic and walkable.

You won%26#39;t find anything in Austin to compare with the Mansion- Austin is much more laid back than Dallas. However, the Omni is a very nice, higher end downtown hotel. I%26#39;d like to recommend the Driskill since it has the historic, old time hotel vibe but it gets very mixed reviews. Same with Four Seasons- nice hotel, mixed experience.

Texas in September - Dallas, Houston, Austin - advice needed

Hi,

thanks for the swift feedback. We%26#39;re looking at early September to mid. I%26#39;ll check out the sports team websites to see if they are in town.

We%26#39;re just planning on doing tourist type attractions (museums, local sites etc), some shopping, eating out and relaxing.

I%26#39;ve read that the weather is quite hot in Houston this time of year. What is Dallas and Austin like?

Thanks.

Yes, Texas is often quite warm is September and, of course, Houston is more humid so the heat is magnified. However, it is better than July/August!

Might be too late in the month but the State Fair of Texas runs in Dallas September 25-Oct 18.

www.bigtex.com

If you like museums, a couple favorites in Dallas are the Dallas Museum of Art and the Sixth Floor Museum. The Old Red Courthouse Museum is also very interesting for local history. Riding the light rail around downtonw is quite easy and there is a streetcar that goes around the Uptown area.

www.jfk.org

wwww.dallasmuseumofart.org

www.oldred.org

www.mata.org

If you care to ride the train over to Fort Worth, there are several wonderful museums including the Kimbell and the Modern.

www.trinityrailwayexpress.org

www.kimbellart.org

www.themodern.org

When in Austin, definitely take time to see the bats emerge from the Congress Ave bridge at night- it is quite amazing.

austin360.com/search/…bats_batfaq.html

Recommendations for museums in Austin include LBJ Library, Blanton Art and Bullock State History. A tour of the capitol is very interesting as well.

www.lbjlib.utexas.edu

www.thestoryoftexas.com

www.blantonmuseum.org

www.tspb.state.tx.us/SPB/capitol/texcap.htm

You might also want to order the travel guide from this link

www.traveltex.com

The Four Seasons in Austin should be where you stay. On Lady Bird lake and close to the downtown scene.

Restaurants in Austin to try would be Jeffery%26#39;s (sp?), Chez Nous, Hudson on the Bend, and Fonda San Miguel.

I lived 11 years in Houston but that was mostly back in the 80s. The Houstonian was one of the better resorts in Texas back then. I haven%26#39;t experienced it but I understand the downtown area has been substantially revitalized. A really happening scene as I understand it.

Restaurants in Dallas that are must try are Lola, Fearing%26#39;s, Stephen Pyle%26#39;s, York Street, Local, and the French Room.

I, too, would take a day from Dallas and add it to Austin. In Austin: Four Seasons, Hotel San Jose on South Congress, or the Driskell will fit your needs just about right - although San Jose is less in service, but it%26#39;s a great part of town in the old funky Austin way.

Four Seasons in Houston is very near Discovery Green. http://www.discoverygreen.com/ The Grove restaurant is very good in the area.

One of the jewels of Texas, San Antonio, isn%26#39;t far from Austin. It would be a shame to miss it. I suggest you schedule one night at a hotel on the river walk there. If history interests you, the Alamo is just a short walk away. www.visitsanantonio.com

Assuming you%26#39;ll have a car, SA is about three hours drive from Houston on Interstate 10 West. Spend the night there, then go to Austin the following day. Rather than a somewhat boring drive on I35 for an hour to Austin, Hwy 281 North toward Johnson City will give you a taste of the Texas Hill Country. If you wish, you could go all the way to Johnson City, about an hour and a quarter from SA, to visit the hometown of US President Lyndon Johnson. Or, take Hwy 290 East a few miles south of J City on to Austin. The drive would take about two hours.

For a longer look at Texas Hill Country, you could drive I10 West to Hwy 87 North to Fredericksburg, then Hwy 290 to J City and on to Austin. That would add roughly an hour not counting stops in Fredericksburg and perhaps at the quite good Becker winery at Stonewall (yes, Texas produces good wine).

Many thanks Texhills. That sounds like a great plan. I%26#39;ll shave a day off Dallas and add San Antonio, taking the route you suggest via Johnson City between Austin and SA.

Thanks to all for the swift and knowledgeable feedback.

I%26#39;d stay at the Intercontinental in Austin.

Haven%26#39;t stayed at a hotel in Houston in ages, as we have family there.

If the pro sports don%26#39;t match up when you%26#39;re in TX, do look at college sports. A football game at Texas A%26amp;M is always a fabulous experience. Be aware that you need to get tickets fairly soon.

When in Dallas take at least one day for Fort Worth (it%26#39;s only about a 45 minute drive, straight shot on I-30). Very lovely city with lots of wonderful things to do. And very different from Dallas.

If you like gardens, both cities have wonderful arboretums.

i would definitely try and make a cowboys game while you are in dallas - the brand new stadium will have just opened and it is a MUST see! the mansion is an excellent choice for hotel. beautiful, classic choice and the service is impeccable.

if you like nice restaurants, while in dallas i would highly recommend nick and sam%26#39;s and hibiscus. both are excellent, excellent fine dining choices. shopping for your wife will not be a problem - highland park village, north park mall, snider plaza, the west village, mockingbird station, are all within minutes of the mansion, so you should be set there.

while in austin, i would HIGHLY recommend hotel st cecilia on south congress and academy st. it is a newly renovated, historical hotel and i can%26#39;t say enough about how great this place is. the driskill is nice, but st cecilia is a one-of-a-kind experience, a MUST visit/stay! i%26#39;d also recommend jeffrey%26#39;s for a nice meal in austin. and don%26#39;t get out of austin without a breakfast taco. they are the best!

if it were me, i%26#39;d just do the dallas area and austin and skip houston, but i%26#39;m biased. ; )