hobbsy
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| posted on 19/2/12 at 09:11 PM |
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Anyone been to Texas (Dallas/Austin/San A/Houston etc) on holiday - tips?
Have booked flights in next few weeks to Fort Worth, got 10 days, am considering these routes:
http://g.co/maps/9hd32 - 859miles (14.5hrs), basic triangle (no Corpus Christi)
http://g.co/maps/hb4zg - 978miles via Corpus Christi (17hr15mins)
http://g.co/maps/u629b - 1381 miles via New Orleans (23.5hrs)
I'm happy with the mileage as during the few years summer Alps trips I've done around 3k miles over the same 10 days and that was in my
BEC Fury.
I'm planning on hiring something with an LSx so probably a Corvette or a Camaro SS Convertible, so around 6.2 litres and 430bhp  Although
will have the misses on board and over zealous cops lurking so can't be too much of a hooligan - although nothing handles like a hire car
Anyone done anything similar or got any tips at all / places to see around that route and area? All I've booked so far is the flights so
I'm completely flexible but as it's only a couple of weeks away I need to get cracking with some of it.
I've done some research and Austin sounds good (would like to go to SXSW but a bit too late now to book hotels etc) and there is some kinda dirt
track racing the evening we get there:
http://www.texasmotorspeedway.com/Home.aspx
I bow to the collective broad knowledge of LCB and await a flood of informative replies
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hobbsy
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| posted on 19/2/12 at 09:12 PM |
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Also considering going to Billy Bobs Texas as before we head down to Austin...
http://www.billybobstexas.com/index.htm
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deltron63
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| posted on 19/2/12 at 09:20 PM |
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I spent 5 hours in Dallas airport once 
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hobbsy
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| posted on 19/2/12 at 09:24 PM |
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I was hoping for some info about *outside* the airport really
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deltron63
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| posted on 19/2/12 at 09:27 PM |
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It was hot 
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hobbsy
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| posted on 19/2/12 at 09:28 PM |
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Cheers  It won't be that hot in March.
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Ninehigh
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| posted on 19/2/12 at 09:34 PM |
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Not been, but I highly suggest NOT writing "Man love rules OK" or "Nascar is rubbish" on the side of your car
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bj928
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| posted on 19/2/12 at 09:53 PM |
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i can tell u the miles will be easy, i do about 3500 a week driving a truck, try to avoid dallas/fortworth morning and evening rush hour, but other
than that, it will be clear open roads, and it will be quite hot even in march, t-shirt weather, huston rush hour is also a nightmare, if u want good
food cheap use the truck stops, they are clean and friendly, they have showers and laundry as well, u need to find a GOLDEN CORRAL and TEXAS ROAD
HOUSE to eat at, you will not come out hungry, don't book hotel/motel in advance, just stop when u need, normally just pull in and a room will
cost u from $30 a night, normally big bill boards as u come to and exit will tell u whats there and how much, exits work on mile marker not starting
at 1 and going up by the number of exits, roads going east west have mile markers starting at 1 on the west, north south mile markers start with 1 at
the south of the state.
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digiman
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| posted on 19/2/12 at 09:54 PM |
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Lived there a few years, Texas is a big place with not a lot to see in between the cities.
Must do list:
Stockyards in Fort Worth, jeans only!
The historic town of Grapevine...they have a shed that is 100 years old.
Austin, downtown pubs and restaurants
Drop in at the natural bridge caverns nr San Antonio
Sea World is open at the weekends.
Never made it as far as Corpus Christi
Galveston is worth visiting
Houston, be careful where you drive, some very bad districts
Not a lot between Houston and Dallas
And get your picture taken on the grassy knoll.
I've flown to New Orleans nice place for a couple of days, never driven it.
If you want to see a bit more of the wilderness head over to the Big Bend National Park. But that will add another 1000 miles to the trip. like I said
Texas is a big place.
Best things to drive in Texas are pickup trucks (F1500) and Chevy Suburbans. Then you blend in.
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T66
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| posted on 19/2/12 at 10:10 PM |
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Brother has recently moved after 6 years in Houston to Mexico, managed the 6 years without any bother. But he is careful....
However never talked in any fondness of the place, Galveston do the big Harley Davidson meets, also find the Facebook "Houston Cars &
Coffee" page, happens once a month on Sunday and is definitely worth a visit if your local.
Must do - http://www.nba.com/rockets/index_main.html
http://s831.photobucket.com/albums/zz235/Exiledintexas/Houston%20Coffee%20and%20Cars/Nov%2009/
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HowardB
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| posted on 19/2/12 at 10:16 PM |
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spend too much time in Houston, apart from work and the NASA place I'm not sure why one might go there. Massive city 10 lane highways, huge
buildings and nobody walks anywhere, and the weather may well be very warm, I was out there 2 weeks back and it was +20 for 2 days and +10 for 2
days,...
I've been to San Antonio and seen the Alamo, and the oldest bar in Texas, to be fair we have housing estates older than that,..!
All very interesting if you like that sort if thing, but 3 hours drive from Houston to San Antonio, not an exciting drive!
hth
Howard
Fisher Fury was 2000 Zetec - now a 1600 (it Lives again and goes zoom)
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femster87
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| posted on 19/2/12 at 10:40 PM |
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Bit of advice, try and sort out your car hire from the UK with a decent company. went on a 2 weeks driving tour with the lads in september. A $500 car
hire quickly became $1500 when we arrived to collect the car at the airport. Thats after all the stupid taxes have been put on. We told them kindly to
pi** off. And called carhire3000 in the UK to sort the car hire for us. Got it for £250 for the 8 days. We had a very underwhelming Dodge charger
[Edited on 19/2/12 by femster87]
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matt_gsxr
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| posted on 19/2/12 at 10:41 PM |
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San Antonio was a bit of a dump when I was there. Alamo is supposedly worth a visit.
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hobbsy
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| posted on 20/2/12 at 05:49 AM |
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quote:
Originally posted by femster87
Bit of advice, try and sort out your car hire from the UK with a decent company. went on a 2 weeks driving tour with the lads in september. A $500 car
hire quickly became $1500 when we arrived to collect the car at the airport. Thats after all the stupid taxes have been put on. We told them kindly to
pi** off. And called carhire3000 in the UK to sort the car hire for us. Got it for £250 for the 8 days. We had a very underwhelming Dodge charger
[Edited on 19/2/12 by femster87]
Yeah I *almost* fell foul of that, initially it got me quite excited as the rates seemed unbelievable. I had a look at the company you suggested and
apparently they don't have any cars in that area(!) and also they don't list the airport as a pickup but a couple of places in town. We
are on a fairly tight schedule so it's got to be one of the 10 hire companies that serve the airport - although I do appreciate that the company
you mentioned is just a broker and use several companies.
Digiman - good suggestions, thanks.
HowardB - not planning on spending much time in Houston probably just a night to break it up a bit, unless you know of anywhere nearby that's
better?
Matt - not done much San Antonio research but SeaWorld in an option (which I acknowledge could be anywhere!). Doing the river walk sounds nice, and
will deffo pop in to see the Alamo, there is also apparently a 45min IMAX film which you should see first if you're a bit lacking in the history
behind it all.
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twybrow
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| posted on 20/2/12 at 06:41 AM |
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I spent some time in Austin a couple of years back. A very nice city from what I found - lots of green space if you like that sort of thing! There is
a bridge, on which millions of bats live, and you can go at sunset/sunrise and see them all heading to/from their roosting sites.
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liam.mccaffrey
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| posted on 20/2/12 at 08:59 AM |
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I lived in Oklahoma for 2 years and completely fell in love with the place, I wouldn't be surprised if we ended up there for good one day.
I also spent 6 weeks in Dallas and met up with former regular here chrisf.
If you're in Dallas (and depending how Macabre you feel) there is the 6th floor museum at Deeley Plaza. See me on the grassy knoll
[Edited on 20/2/12 by liam.mccaffrey]
Build Blog
Build Photo Album
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Bizarro
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| posted on 20/2/12 at 09:12 AM |
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Ive been to Texas quite a bit in the past couple of years (work not holiday) and to be honest, as others have said, Texas is a huge state with very
little to look at apart from open plains and nodding donkeys.
Never been to Austin but have been to Dallas, Houston and Corpus Christi. Dont bother with CC, its a huge industrial town with areas where Mexicans
regularly shoot at each other at night for fun!
Houston and Dallas both have areas with bars and restaurants serving typical American food, Texans fry everything!! You do get nice TexMex if you like
Mexican food.
Sorry for being a bit negative but apart from Austin and grassy knoll in Dallas I dont think Texas has much to offer regarding tourism. Personally I
would go North/East from Dallas and visit Memphis, much more to see.
Keep an eye out for police when driving as they have speed guns that record your speed as you approach each other, even accross dual carriageways. On
my last trip I was stopped for doing 73 in a 70, didnt get fined but was given a warning ticket.
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Jasper
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| posted on 20/2/12 at 11:12 AM |
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Best Titty bars in the world from what I hear!!!
And defo make sure you sort out your car hire before you arrive as it's not always easy to get the more interesting cars!
[Edited on 20/2/12 by Jasper]
If you're not living life on the edge you're taking up too much room.
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Fred W B
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| posted on 20/2/12 at 02:27 PM |
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Do yourself a favour, if you can, and go see a v8 sprintcar race meet on a dirt oval - really spectacular, more cars than track
One thing I learnt when I was in America -You are probably used to currency that has the diferent denominations of bank notes in a different colour.
In USA, all the banknotes are green.
If you buy say a drink in a crowded bar, and have an accent, the barman will give you change from a 5, no matter what note you gave him. Before you
pay, look at the note, and say to the guy - Here's a twenty, or whatever note you use. Save's you being ripped off
Cheers
Fred WB.
You can do it quickly. You can do it cheap. You can do it right. – Pick any two.
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iank
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| posted on 21/2/12 at 06:31 PM |
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This place was very good when I went (but that was quite a few years back)
http://www.fogodechao.com/index.php?id=122
--
Never argue with an idiot. They drag you down to their level, then beat you with experience.
Anonymous
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