The nation\u2019s second largest state is home to gleaming skyscrapers, big skies, big cities, barbeque and badlands all worth a visit, but go off the beaten path to get a taste of Texas without the crowds.\u00a0 Visit some of the Lone Star State\u2019s hidden travel gems for a taste of quirky history, beautiful vistas, modern art, and cowboy culture.<\/p>\n
Visit Marfa, who\u2019s tourism slogan sums things up pretty clearly: Tough to get to; Tougher to explain, but once you get here, you get it.\u201d\u00a0 Oddness is in its history. Named for a character \u201cThe Brothers Karamazov\u201d by Feodor Dostoyevsky, Marfa began as a railroad water stop in far west Texas high desert of the Chisos Mountains in the 1880s, fell into decline after WW II, before experiencing its renaissance as a mecca for minimalist art.\u00a0 In between it served as a backdrop to the movie classic starting James Dean, Rock Hudson, and Elizabeth Taylor and gained fame for its mysterious Marfa Lights.\u00a0 Natural or unnatural, the lights dance on the horizon outside Marfa attracting their own cult following \u2013 and their own webpage. In 1971 Minimalist artist Donald Judd left New York City for Marfa and soon began the process of installing his art, and the work of other artists, in venues in and around Marfa.\u00a0 Today people come to enjoy the high altitude rugged spaces, the art in it\u2019s unusual setting, the spiritual isolation, and mystical lights of Marfa.<\/p>\n
Wedged between Big Bend National Park and Big Bend Ranch State Park is Terlingua is an abandoned \u201cquicksilver\u201d \u2013 or mercury — mining town that\u2019s about as magical as Texas ghost towns get.\u00a0 Visit Terlingua Ghostown, stay in one of the unique lodgings originally inhabited at the turn of the century by miners with the Chisos mining company, enjoy the views of Santa Fe de Los Pinos mountain range 80 miles away in Mexico by day, and the wonder at the star filled sky by night. Use Terlingua as a base for exploring the spectacular Big Bend National Park or the pristine primitive Texas landscape surrounding the town.<\/p>\n
A favorite getaway for those from nearby Austin and San Antonio, but off the national radar, Fredricksburg is a charming Texas Hill Country town that retains and celebrates its German heritage. The quaint town is also known for its proximity to Hill Country wineries and decades-old peach orchards. Visit Fredricksburg\u2019s Pioneer Museum, which features German settlers’ homesteads and artifacts. Stroll to the Marktplatz, the town square and visit the Vereins Kirche, a replica of a 19th-century German church that once stood in the city. Stroll the Hauptstrasse which is lined with boutiques restaurants and German bakeries. \u00a0Make time to tour the world class National Museum of the Pacific War featuring WWII exhibits, including a recreated combat zone.<\/p>\n
While you\u2019re in Hill Country, head to Bandera to explore the self-proclaimed \u201cCowboy Capitol of Texas.\u201d The city of Bandera is located less than an hour away from San Antonio. Bandera is home to some popular, old-school Dude ranches dating back to the 1930 when taking in \u201cdudes\u201d became a way for struggling ranches to get through the depression,\u201d according to the town\u2019s website. Along with ranches, Bandera also boasts the Frontier Times Museum, preserving the legacy of the American cowboy and ranch culture. Horseback riding, popular scenic drives, rodeos, in-season hunting, bird watching, and golf are all popular activities around Bandera. At the end of the day, unwind in one of Bandera\u2019s honky tonks.<\/p>\n
Near the Brazos River is the town of Mineral Wells where since 1877 people have come to sip on the healing waters. This small town is about an hour northwest of Dallas-Fort Worth and looks like a typical Texas tourist town with a quaint downtown of antique shops, boutiques and eateries. The huge, historic Baker Hotel provides the first clue that there\u2019s more to Mineral Wells than meets the eye. Spend a few interesting days exploring Mineral Wells\u2019 past, then go way back at Mineral Wells Fossil park, where you can dig in a large pit filled with 300-million-year-old fossils.\u00a0 Daring visitors can try rock climbing at Mineral Wells State Park.\u00a0 Replenish with a drink of the healing waters at Mineral Wells Water Company.<\/p>\n
If you didn\u2019t get your fill of fossils at Mineral Wells, head to Dinosaur Valley State Park. Travel millions of miles back with a short drive from Fort Worth. Stride in the steps of dinosaurs preserved in the ancient ocean bed along what is now Paluxy River. After walking through time, set up camp, picnic, break out the bikes or just relax with some swimming or fishing.\u00a0 The 1,500-acre park has 20 miles of trails to explore on foot or horseback. \u00a0There are tent and RV sites as well as backcountry camping.<\/p>\n
A park like no other in the state, Caddo Lake State Park is a vibrant cypress swamp on the Texas-Louisiana Boarder. The 225,400-acre cypress swamp lake is a delight for fishermen and bird watchers with many bayous channels, waterways and sloughs to duck into. Birder watchers have discovered about 240 species of birds at Caddo Lake while white-tailed deer, raccoons, beavers, minks, nutrias, squirrels, armadillos, frogs, turtles, snakes, alligators, and a large variety of waterfowl also call the park home.\u00a0 Stay at Caddo Lake State Park in a campsite, screened shelter or cabin.\u00a0 Hike, paddle, boat and explore the hard wood uplands and the lowland moss draped cypress swamp.<\/p>\n
Wild and remote, the Davis Mountains tower over the Chihuahuan desert, crowned by the greatest biodiversity in the state. Its West Texas remoteness keeps it off the main tourist paths, allowing the wildlife \u2013 including mountain lions and black bears — to thrive and visitors to savor the trails and tranquility offered. Originally the named Limpia Mountains, the Davis Mountains stand 5,000 to 6,000-feet above sea level \u2013 also offering some of the coolest temperatures in Texas.\u00a0 Hike the mountain trails, bird watch and stay at one of the park\u2019s cabins or at the park\u2019s historic Indian lodge.<\/p>\n
Near the entrance of Colorado Bend State Park in Texas Hill Country is one of Texas\u2019 few waterfalls.\u00a0 Gorman Falls is a spectacular cascade that feeds into the Colorado River and worth the trip off the beaten path. The falls are a 2.6-mile hike through hard scrabble desert highland that end at the lush \u201cliving\u201d waterfall.\u00a0 The water here is rich in carbon dioxide that that leaves a deposit on the limestone walls. The deposits form travertine that fuels the slow by steady growth of the falls. Over millions of years the falls have grown to 650 feet. After visiting the park, get back to nature in the untamed wilderness of Colorado Bend State Park. There are 35 miles of trails, rivers to paddle and caves to explore.\u00a0 The camping here, like the wilderness, is primitive.<\/p>\n
Visit Texas where the sea meets the marsh — \u00a0and if you\u2019re really lucky you can score the state\u2019s only floating campsite. Located at the far southeast corner of Texas this remote and unique coastal park has 5.2 miles of Gulf shoreline and 4,000 acres of marshlands. Camp, go birding and beach combing, paddle in a canoe or kayak, swim, fish, hunt (in season), and walk. Explore the marsh on the Gambusia Nature Trail then spend the night at one of the park\u2019s campsites, its cabin, or if you reserved early, pitch your tent on its one-of-a-kind floating campsite.\u00a0 Sea Rim also has primitive campsites on the beach.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The nation\u2019s second largest state is home to gleaming skyscrapers, big skies, big cities, barbeque and badlands all worth a visit, but go off the beaten path to get a taste of Texas without the crowds.\u00a0 Visit some of the Lone Star State\u2019s hidden travel gems for a taste of quirky history, beautiful vistas, modern […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[12,13],"tags":[97,49,115,96,1248,34,16,17,31,18,205,94,92,613],"class_list":["post-6984","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-rv-buyers-guide","category-rv-destinations","tag-campground","tag-campgrounds","tag-camping","tag-destination","tag-little-known-travel-destinations","tag-rv-camping","tag-rv-destinations-2","tag-rv-lifestyle-2","tag-rv-trip","tag-rvusa","tag-texas","tag-travel","tag-travel-tuesday","tag-vacation"],"yoast_head":"\n