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A Taste of Texas & The Two-Step
From the early days of the Spanish Missions to the stockyards and ranches of today, a visit to Texas has always been a unique experience. Join present day cowboys in dancing the Texas Two-Step at famous Billy Bob's in Fort Worth, see where history unfolded at the sites of the Kennedy asassination in Dallas, visit one of the USA's largest wine-producing areas and get a behind-the-scenes look at space exploration at Johnson Space Center.
Highlights Include
- Small group tour - maximum 2 vehicles with 14 passengers each
- Dallas
- Beaumont Ranch
- Austin
- San Antonio
- Houston
Itinerary
Fort Worth
Check in to your hotel. This evening, mingle with other group members at a meet and greet reception hosted by your guide, a destination specialist. You will be introduced to your 8-day exploration of Texas culture, food and dance halls at a nearby Saloon in the Fort Worth Stock-yards National Historic District.
Fort Worth – Dallas – Fort Worth
This morning you will take an orientation tour of Dallas, a city that offers a unique blend of Southwestern warmth, cosmopolitan flair, old west charm and modern sophistication. You will visit the Sixth-Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza, The Museum, located within the former Texas School Book Depository building, chronicling the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. After visiting the museum, you will travel the route of the Presidential Motorcade and follow the timeline of Lee Harvey Oswald as that fatal day in November 1963 unfolded. In the afternoon, you return to the Stockyards in time to watch the late afternoon cattle drive. There will be time for dinner before gathering to attend the Stockyards Championship Rodeo at the Cowtown Coliseum. Afterwards you may choose to cap off the night at Billy Bob’s for a drink, listening to country music and dancing the Texas Two-Step, or try riding a mechanical bull!
Fort Worth – Beaumont Ranch – Austin
Depart Fort Worth for Beaumont Ranch. This western ranch reflects Texas in the 1880s when cowboys were driving their herds along the Chisolm Trail, where it now stands. Beaumont Ranch is a working cattle ranch with herds of Longhorn Cattle and horses, and also offers outdoor adventure activities to guests. You can experience ranch life how you choose from a variety of activities: take a horseback trail ride, learn how to rope cattle or shoot sporting clays. Continue to Austin, the capital of Texas, better known these days as the Live Music Capital of the World and a mecca for foodies. Tonight, tickle your taste buds with a taste of Texas Bar-B-Que and local craft beer at one of the city’s iconic smokehouses.
Austin
Begin the day with an orientation tour of down-town Austin to see such sites as the University of Texas, the Capitol Building and 360 Bridge. Head to ACL Live at the Moody Theater, the permanent home of the PBS program. Austin City Limits is the longest running music series in American television history and the only TV series to be awarded the National Medal of Arts. The pilot episode in 1974 featured Willie Nelson. Stop for lunch at one of Austin’s famous Food Truck parks - started in the early ‘90s, this has blossomed into a citywide movement and all over town chefs are eschewing sit-down establishments and serving inexpensive, unpreten-tious cuisine whipped up in the back of refurbished Airstreams and concession trailers. The tour continues through Austin’s Hill Country before time to visit SoCo, a vibrant neighbourhood that oozes homespun character and boasts the story of Austin’s yesteryear with its boutiques, eateries, galleries and music venues. No trip to Austin is complete without a visit to the Continental Club. This retro Austin vestige opened in 1957 and is a mecca for roots, rock-abilly, country and swing music. A classic neon sign hangs above the entrance and custom hot rods line South Congress Avenue in front of the dimly lit club which both Rolling Stone and Playboy Magazine named one of the Best Clubs in America.
Austin – Fredericksburg – San Antonio
A drive through the Texas hill country brings you to Fredericksburg, a charming town that proudly embraces its extensive German heritage. Walk the town's streets and pass gothic-style churches with pointed archways and vaulted ceilings, restaurants serving savory schnitzels and tall pints of dunkelweizen, with the sweet smell of German pastries emanating from histor-ic bakeries. The scenic rolling hills that surround the town are home to approximately 45 wineries. You will follow along the Fredericksburg Wine Road and make stops to taste some of the region’s deli-cious merlots or fruity zinfandels.
San Antonio
In the 18th century, Spanish priests established five Catholic missions along the San Antonio River. Today, the five missions represent the largest concentration of Spanish colonial missions in North America and have been named a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. There will be free time this afternoon to explore more of the Riverwalk and surrounding area before a drive out to Gruene National Historic District to experience “bona fide Texas”. The centerpiece of this sleepy, former ghost town is Gruene Hall, the oldest dance hall in Texas. There is nothing fake or gentrified about Gruene Hall—it’s the real thing! The old wooden floors creak and give a little when you dance, and flaps are lifted on the side of the building to create instant natural air conditioning. Here it is all about listening to the live music and trying the two-step if so inclined.
San Antonio – Houston
Arrive Houston midday. Take a short orienta-tion tour. Spend the afternoon just Northeast of Downtown. This section of historic neighbor-hoods dates back to the late 1800s. Residents once flocked to the Heights to escape the big city, but today it is the hipsters and young couples that are drawn to the area's rich and character-filled architecture, mom and pop-type shops and funky restaurants. You will enjoy an included final night dinner surrounded by century-old bungalows and unique architectural accents. The area offers an eclectic mix of ice houses, pubs and eat-eries and you will taste some of the area’s
Houston & Home
Today visit Space Center Houston, the gate-way to NASA’s Johnson Space Center, where you will get a behind-the-scenes look at space exploration. The Johnson Space Center is the home of Mission Control where human space missions and the operations of the International Space Station are monitored. A variety of astronauts prepare and train for missions here. Depart for Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport mid afternoon.
What's included?
- 7 nights hotel accommodation
- Experienced Driver and Tour Leader
- Transportation in an air-conditioned small Coach, Sprinter or Van
- Welcome reception, 1 dinner
- International flights from London (please ask if regional airports are required)
- Sightseeing tours of Dallas, Austin, San Antonio and Houston including the following sites: Sixth-Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza, Fort Worth Stockyards National Historic District, Texas Hill Country, San Antonio Riverwalk, The Alamo and Missions – a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Experiences to include: Stockyards Cattle Drive, Beaumont Ranch – Trail rides, Roping, or Clay Shooting Lessons, Austin City Limits at the Moody Tour, Live Music Venues including The Continental, and Gruene Dance Hall, NASA’s Johnson Space Center
How to book
2022 departure dates - 20 May, 12 August, 21 October
Please call us on (01892) 779900 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. stating your preferred travel dates, and number of passengers for a detailed & competitively priced quotation.