In late September, I headed off to explore the lone star state, Texas. This is now my second time visiting Texas, and the majority of the cities I went to in the state. It was a lot of driving to check out 3 of the larger cities in Texas, so I think next time I would concentrate in a bit more if possible, instead of driving all over the place. Nonetheless, I had a wild time exploring the state! Read more for your fall guide to Texas. 🍂

DALLAS + PLANO

I spent a little bit of time in the Dallas/Plano area at the beginning of my trip. I have to say, I really liked the skyline of Dallas coming in to the city and driving around the outskirts of it, I felt like there was a cool vibe. Plano wasn’t bad, but the day I landed it was SO HOT that I was real uncomfortable. I knew it was going to be hot in Texas, but wasn’t anticipating it was THAT hot. That first day was definitely the hottest, though the rest of the week was still nice and toasty. I definitely got my fair dose of hot weather! ☀️

I got to visit Trader Joes, my fav, and Ulta Beauty for the first time which was neat. It was suggested to me to visit Buc-ees, and I’m glad I checked it out because it was quite the experience! It’s essentially a gas station with a HUGE convenience store attached. I’m talking truly Texas sized, the most gas pumps I’ve ever seen, and the store was enormous, filled with almost anything you could imagine – food, clothes, home decor, etc. Their restrooms are apparently “world famous” because they’re so big and clean, and I’m almost positive there were metal detectors marking the bathroom entrances. American flags were allll over the place, so it definitely felt like a Texas American experience for me! Truly wild, and something you should experience if you’re coming to Texas.

Dallas + Plano highlight: city views and Buc-ees

AUSTIN (Part 1)

After my very brief stint in Dallas, I drove back to Austin and had a day filled with visits, plus a drive to Houston! As I said, a lot of driving, and it was a veryyyyyy long day for me. I did enjoy driving around the different suburbs in Austin though. Unfortunately I didn’t have much time to explore, but I wasn’t worried because I was flying out of Austin later in the week, so I knew I’d be coming back for more.

HOUSTON

My Houston visit started in The Woodlands, one of my favourite areas of Houston. They are exactly as they sound, a massive forested area. It’s much less busy and very clean, and there are a ton of great schools in the area. Later in the week, I continued to explore different suburbs as well as downtown, and wound up in the museum district. Since I was there, I thought it would be a good idea to visit a museum. It just so happened that the Museum of Fine Art had free admission on Thursdays when I was there, so it worked out perfectly!

It was a very cool museum and I spent a few hours exploring the different buildings – they have 3 of them connected through a pedestrian network. I didn’t get the chance to see everything, even though I was there for over two hours. Still, this museum was the highlight of my time in Houston. I definitely recommend checking out one (or many) of the museums if you find yourself in the museum district of Houston!

Houston highlight: The Woodlands and the museum district downtown

AUSTIN (Part 2)

Before I knew it, I was heading back towards Austin to prep for my flight out of Texas. I actually had a morning to myself before heading out, so I decided to go for brunch! I tried out Another Broken Egg Cafe which was SUCH a good choice!! Their breakfast was actually MASSIVE, truly Texas-sized: I got the cinnamon bun french toast (just as good as it sounds), which came with a side of eggs AND potatoes! It was so much food but SO delicious. Plus, the mugs they serve their coffee in are adorable, and the server told me they actually sell them! So if you’re interested in some pottery mugs, check them out 🙂 highly highly recommend visiting, it was a great vibe and the food was amazing!!

After I was filled to the absolute brim with brunch, it was time to head to the airport. I’ve flown out of both Dallas and Houston airports in the past, but this was my first time in the Austin airport, and I have to say – it takes the cake. It’s not super big so it’s very easy to navigate, and they have a ton of cute shops and food places in the airport too. I definitely recommend flying to Austin if you’re visiting Texas! ✈️

Austin highlight: the food scene! Brunch, dinner, bars – you name it, they’ve got it.

Build Your Guide

Here are my top Texas recommendations to build your very own itinerary:

• Pick 1 or 2 cities to focus on rather than 3 – visiting Dallas, Austin, and Houston all in one week was way too hectic. I would strongly recommend visiting only 2 of the 3 at once, or even only 1 if you want to limit your driving time. 🚗
• If Austin is one of your cities on the list you want to visit, I recommend flying in and out of the Austin airport. ✈️ In my experience, it has been the smoothest in this airport, in comparison to Dallas and Houston.
• Be prepared for the heat 🔥 in my experiences, September is quite a bit hotter than October, if you are planning to visit in the fall.
• If you want a truly American experience, you’ll want to visit Buc-ees. 🇺🇸 American (and especially Texas) stereotypes are alive and well here. They have multiple locations throughout Texas, primarily along the highways, that you will come across while driving through.
• In Dallas, I recommend checking out the city sights, and exploring American classics like Trader Joes and Buc-ees.
• Houston has a range of options to explore. Visit The Woodlands for a dose of nature, or check out the museum district for a dose of art and culture. 🖼
• Austin is a foodie paradise, so make sure to enjoy dinner and/or brunch. I highly recommend the cinnamon bun french toast at Another Broken Egg Cafe! ☕️

There you have it! All around, it was a fairly good week for me exploring the area. I’m not sure if I’ll be back in the future, but it’s safe to say I’ve had my fill of Texas for now. I hope this guide to Texas is helpful for you if you’re heading out that way in the fall. Enjoy! 🍂