Trifter

Austin may be consistently recognized as one of the best places to live in the country, but we all need a break from home once in awhile. So, if you’re searching for a little spice of something different, here are the Top 10 Weekend Getaways from Austin, where you can find beaches, eco-friendly exhibits and out-of-this-world experiences – all within 350 miles of Austin and without leaving the comfort of Texas.

1.       The State Fair of Texas (Dallas): As any Austin resident should know, the state fair culminates in the Red River Shootout between the Texas Longhorns and the Oklahoma Sooners. But instead of leaving campus right before the game, head up sometime in the three weeks before – or even just a day early – to take in all the fun and festivities of the fair before gameday. Enjoy the Illumination Sensation (the nightly light show), auto and livestock shows and endless food and vendors. Several big name musical acts will perform throughout the three-week event, including former “American Idol” contestant Jason Castro, the Edwin McCain Band, Little Big Town and Miranda Lambert, whose performance will be after the game on the final Saturday.

2.       Galveston: Galveston Island offers prime, calm beaches about an hour southeast of Houston on the Gulf of Mexico. You can visit the Ocean Star Offshore Drilling Rig and Museum, Lone Star Flight Museum and 1984 Opera House. However, you may want to save your trip until early December so you can experience Dickens on the Strand. The weekend festival features vendors and performers costumed as Dickens characters and 19th century Brits. This celebration, now in its 36th year, also features parades, carolers, street musicians, hand bell concerts, a traditional Dickens feat and English breakfasts.

3.       San Antonio: Two locations make San Antonio the perfect two-day getaway: the Alamo and the River Walk. The legendary Alamo was originally home to missionaries and troops from all sides of the Texas Revolution. In 1835, Texans defeated Mexican forces and took control, and in 1836, the undermanned group defended the Alamo against Mexican General Santa Anna and his troops for a staggering 13 days. The details are still unclear, but the Alamo has come to represent the perseverance of the fighters and Texas in general and now receives more than 2.5 million visitors per year. San Antonio’s River Walk is officially a city park, but this park specializes in boat tours, shopping, night life, dining and entertainment, all directly on the San Antonio River. The 2.5-mile River Walk also offers theme parks and the Fiesta Noche del Rio, a celebration of the river held every Friday and Saturday night from May to August.

4.       Charro Days (Brownsville): Every February the city of Brownsville, on the Mexico border, puts aside any politics or reservations to celebrate the international friendship between Texas and Mexico. The festival began in 1938 and now includes parades, musical performances and a Sombrero Fest. Each Charro Days starts with the “Grito” — a shout of joy – for both sides of the border.

5.       Strawberry Festival (Poteet): Each year, more than 100,000 people travel to tiny Poteet, located just two hours from Austin, for the nationally recognized Strawberry Festival. The 100-acre site has 14 areas for various activities, including concerts, dancers, gunslingers, clowns, rodeos and a petting zoo. The Strawberry Capital of Texas started the festival in 1948 to promote and sell their berries. Today, the festival also raises money for scholarships.

6.       Corpus Christi: Two of the state’s best water-based attractions lie miles apart in Corpus Christi: The Texas Aquarium and the USS Lexington Museum on the Bay. The aquarium opened in 1990 and now features exhibits for dolphins, wild birds, sea turtles, otters and the Amazon, among others. The USS Lexington Museum offers incredible access to the last World War II Essex class carrier. The ship was built in 1943, retired in 1990 and came to Corpus Christi in 1992. “The Blue Ghost” has 16 decks and weighs 30,000 tons. In addition to five tours, the USS Lexington features a flight simulator, a Pear Harbor Memorial Exhibit and Diorama, a MEGA Theater and Virtual Battle Stations.

7.       Houston: This bustling city isn’t all business. It likes fun too, especially the kind based in space. In addition to housing the second-most Fortune 500 companies in the country, Houston holds the Johnson Space Center, named after President Lyndon B. Johnson. The center is the hub of all U.S. space endeavors, serving as both the astronaut training base and the home of Mission Control. As a visitor, you can tour the training center and Mission Control, as well as the astronaut cafeteria and the space simulation lab. You can also view space suits and experience life beyond Earth through the Living in Space Module.

8.       World Birding Center (Mission): Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park is the headquarters of the World Birding Center. Its location in the Lower Rio Grande Valley allows visitors access to varieties of birds unique to the deep south of Texas, as well as migrant Mexican birds. Some of the exclusive species available for watching include Green Jays, Plain Chachalacas, Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl, Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet, Altamira and Audobon’s Oriels and Hook-billed Kites. Additionally, the center offers bird walks, workshops, seminars and observation towers.

9.       Enchanted Rock State National Park (Fredericksburg): The enchanted rock – a “huge, pink granite exfoliation dome” – sits 425 feet above ground and is one of the largest batholiths in the country. The 1,600-acre park on Big Sandy Creek was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984 and also offers back packing, camping and rock climbing.

1. Longhorn Cavern State Park (Burnet): The Longhorn Cavern was first used by the Comanche Indians 400 years before anyone else. Confederates later used the rare river-formed cavern during the Civil War. It was deemed a National Landmark in 1935 and now offers daily tours in addition to several specialty ones, including the Wild Cave Tour and the Paranormal Tour. The park also has a hiking trail and observation tower.