At a glance
Scan the table to match a trip to your weekend. Schedules change, so check before you go.
| Trip | Getting there | Best for | Start with |
|---|
| Fort Worth, TX | Trinity Railway Express, Monday to Saturday. | Western heritage and art museums | The Stockyards |
| Austin, TX | Amtrak's Texas Eagle, with a daily departure. | Shops, a spring-fed pool and the lake | South Congress |
| San Antonio, TX | Amtrak's Texas Eagle, with a daily departure. | Spanish colonial missions | Mission San José |
| Waco, TX | Bus, with trips from 1 hour 30 minutes. | A museum with a soda fountain | The Dr Pepper Museum |
| Houston, TX | Bus, with trips from 3 hours 39 minutes. | Museums, a zoo and a park | The Museum District |
| Tyler, TX | FlixBus, with trips from 1 hour 40 minutes. | Roses | The Tyler Municipal Rose Garden |
| Oklahoma City, OK | Greyhound bus, or the Heartland Flyer train from Fort Worth. | Memorial, museums and Bricktown | The National Memorial & Museum |
| Texas Hill Country | Drive | Scenic landscapes, small towns | A town or scenic route |
| Galveston, TX | Drive south on I-45. | Beach, seawall and a pleasure pier | Seawall Boulevard |
Trips by train
Fort Worth, TX
Cattle runs, downtown plazas and two major art museums, on a commuter train from Dallas.
- Getting there. The Trinity Railway Express connects Dallas and Fort Worth. Trains run Monday through Saturday, with no scheduled service on Sunday except during the State Fair of Texas, so plan another way back for a Sunday return.
- Day one. Head to the Fort Worth Stockyards, where you can explore vintage Old West buildings and watch the twice-daily cattle runs. Then visit the Stockyards Museum for the history of the Fort Worth Livestock Exchange.
- Day two. Explore Downtown's 37 blocks of art, dining, retail and entertainment around Sundance Square Plaza, which has free live music Wednesday to Sunday. See Michelangelo, Picasso, Monet and Matisse at the Kimbell Art Museum, and Warhol, Pollock and Rothko at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, designed by Tadao Ando.
- Worth knowing. Check the train times for your day before you go.
Austin, TX
A walkable shopping street, a spring-fed pool and a lake in the middle of the city.
- Getting there. Amtrak's Texas Eagle runs through Dallas and Austin, with a daily departure. Check the departure and the return you need before you book.
- Day one. Walk South Congress. Browse the shops on Music Lane, Kendra Scott and Letterpress PLAY, then try Home Slice Pizza for oversized New York-style pies, or Hopdoddy Burger Bar. Finish with a scoop at Amy's Ice Creams.
- Day two. Swim at Barton Springs Pool in Zilker Park, a 3-acre spring-fed pool that stays around 68°F year-round. It is open daily, with a small admission fee. Then paddleboard on Lady Bird Lake, which is walkable from downtown, or climb Mount Bonnell for a view of the Colorado River.
- Worth knowing. Austin is car-dependent and many trailheads and parks have limited transit access, but just about all outdoor activities are reachable by rideshare. For a place to stay on South Congress, the source names the Austin Motel and Hotel San Jose.
San Antonio, TX
Four Spanish colonial missions along the river, with free admission.
- Getting there. Amtrak's Texas Eagle runs through Dallas, Austin and San Antonio, with a daily departure. Check the departure and the return you need before you book.
- Day one. Start at Mission San José, home to the main Visitor Center. Pick up a trail map, talk to a ranger and catch the orientation film "Gente de Razón," shown every hour on the hour from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in English and Spanish.
- Day two. Follow the Mission Reach, an eight-mile stretch of the River Walk with trails and pedestrian bridges, to the other missions: Concepción, San Juan and Espada. Admission to San Antonio Missions National Historical Park is free, and no reservations are required.
- Worth knowing. The missions sit roughly 3 to 8 miles south of downtown. You can reach them by car, rideshare, on foot, or by bike on the Mission Reach Hike & Bike Trail. The park is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day.
Trips by bus
Waco, TX
A short bus ride to the home of a famous soda.
- Getting there. Greyhound runs between Dallas and Waco, with trips from 1 hour 30 minutes. Check the stop and the weekend return before you book.
- Day one. Visit the Dr Pepper Museum. A general admission ticket includes self-guided access to all the exhibits and a complimentary 12 oz drink at the Soda Fountain. Reservations are not required, and general admission tickets are not sold online.
- Worth knowing. The museum is open year-round except Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year's Day.
Houston, TX
A museum district with a zoo and a park, reached by bus.
- Getting there. Greyhound runs between Dallas and Houston, with trips from 3 hours 39 minutes. Check the stop and the weekend return before you book.
- Day one. Spend the day in the Museum District, home to 19 museums. Learn about dinosaurs and butterflies at the Houston Museum of Natural Science, or play in the interactive exhibits at the Children's Museum.
- Day two. Visit the Houston Zoo and Hermann Park, both in the same district. Visit Houston says the neighborhood has enough to keep you busy for a full day, and you may want more time.
- Worth knowing. The neighborhood is tree-lined, walkable and easy to reach by METRORail.
Tyler, TX
A rose garden that peaks twice a year.
- Getting there. FlixBus runs between Dallas and Tyler, with trips from 1 hour 40 minutes. In Dallas it boards at the Dallas Bus Station, Downtown Dallas / Deep Ellum, Dallas Market Center and Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. Check your ticket for the exact stop.
- Day one. Walk the Tyler Municipal Rose Garden: 14 acres, more than 300 varieties of roses and 600 beds, plus the Idea Garden, the Heritage Garden and the camellia and day lily collections.
- Worth knowing. The garden is open from dawn until dark, seven days a week, and admission is free. Roses are at peak bloom twice a year, in October and in mid-to-late May.
Oklahoma City, OK
A downtown you can cover on foot, with the Heartland Flyer train from Fort Worth.
- Getting there. Greyhound runs between Dallas and Oklahoma City. You can also take Amtrak's Heartland Flyer, which connects Fort Worth and Oklahoma City daily, with connections at Fort Worth to Dallas on the Texas Eagle. Check the departure and the return you need before you book.
- Day one. Start at the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum on the north side of downtown. Go inside to the museum, then outside to the Outdoor Symbolic Memorial. Walk on to the Oklahoma City Museum of Art, which has the most comprehensive collection of Chihuly glass in the world.
- Day two. Spend the morning at Myriad Botanical Gardens, a 17-acre living plant museum with a tropical conservatory. Then visit the American Banjo Museum and the Bricktown Entertainment District.
- Worth knowing. The Heartland Flyer page also points to the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum and the Red Earth Indian Center. Check current opening times before you go.
A trip by car
Texas Hill Country
This region of central Texas is known for its rolling hills, clear rivers, and charming small towns. It offers a different pace from the major cities.
- Getting there. The Hill Country is primarily explored by car, with various routes leading into the region from Dallas.
- Day one. Focus on enjoying the scenic drives and natural beauty of the area.
- Day two. Discover one of the many unique small towns, each with its own character and local offerings.
- Worth knowing. Planning your route in advance can help make the most of your time, as the area is quite expansive.
Galveston, TX
A Gulf Coast island with a seawall, beaches and a historic pleasure pier.
- Getting there. From Dallas, take I-45 South until it ends at the Gulf in Galveston.
- Day one. Cruise Seawall Boulevard and explore the beaches, then eat at a waterfront restaurant.
- Day two. Ride the Galveston Island Historic Pleasure Pier, with its thrill rides, games and dining.
- Worth knowing. The pier's hours vary by season, so check them for your visit date.
