San Antonio Road Trips Part II: The Sequel - Texas travel tips - Brief Article

Information Outlook, March, 2001

As visiting honorary Texans, you may find yourself behind a steering wheel and able to explore some of the vast Lone Star State. Carry water, a good map, and have fun! Here are a few travel suggestions.

Austin: A favorite destination for many Texans and less than 100 miles away on North I-35, the state capital (http://austin.citysearch.com) has a playful ambience despite the conjunction of big government, big business, and big university. Some attractions include the live music, water sports, parks, the Mexican free-tail bat colony's summertime nightly exodus from downtown bridges, shopping, restaurants, and the sheer beauty of the Hill Country setting.

Water Holes: Its going be warm in June, so if you find yourself perspiring or "glowing," as the southern belle types delicately put it, pack your swimsuit and head into the Hill Country. Austin has two lovely city parks with spring-fed pools, Barton Springs (http://austin.citysearch.com/E/V/AUSTX/0005/28/31/cs1 .html) and Deep Eddy (http://austin.citysearch.com/E/V/AUSTX/0003/59/66/). The spring waters are approximately 68 degrees year around, which can be very invigorating. The quiet waters of Hamilton Pool (http://www.austincityguide.com/kiosk/ads/sightseeing/hamiltonpool/ma in_si.htm) are located South of Austin in a state park off Texas 71. If you want to try river tubing, half way up I-35 to Austin is the San Marcos River (http://www.texasoutside.com/san_marcos/tuberental.htm), where tube rentals can be had. Tubers tend to be an exuberant bunch, so this is the extroverts' choice.

The Border: Mexico is less than 200 miles South. Cruise down I-35 and you will be in Los Dos Laredos: the cities of Laredo (http://www.cityoflaredo.com/) in Texas and Nuevo Laredo in Mexico. As long as you stay in the well-traveled parts and have some picture ID, you won't need a passport and can freely visit our NAFTA neighbor. If you do any shopping, this is an opportunity to brush up on those bargaining skills. Generally, merchants' first prices are marked up at least 100%. Sound familiar?

The Coast: The Gulf of Mexico is about 150 miles Southeast down I-37. Corpus Christi (yes, it really means "Christ's body") is a fun loving tourist town (http://www.ci.corpus-christi.tx.us/). The attractions include a busy working port with ship tours, a historical district, seafood, and water sports. They even let you drive automobiles on the beaches in some areas. Head down South Padre Island Drive to Mustang Island State Park (http://www.tpwd.state.tx. us/park/mustang/mustang.htm) for a more rustic look at the coast. Those translucent dark blue blobs are Portuguese man-of-war jellyfish and they will sting you, even lying on the beaches, so please be careful.

Rambling Places: Head Northwest on I-10, Northeast on Route 87, and North on R.R. 965 to Enchanted Rock State Park (http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/park/ enchantd/enchantd.htm), less than 100 miles from San Antonio. Enchanted Rock is a monolithic chunk of pink granite that you can hike, climb, contemplate, and spelunk through in the 1,000 foot fissure on top. Big Bend National Park (http:/ /www.nps.gov/bibe/home.htm) is an immense place defined by the largest bend of the Rio Grande River on the Texas-Mexico border and located some 400 miles from San Antonio. Big Bend is a country unto itself with deserts, water, canyons, mountains, cacti, and critters.

Critter Field Notes: We'll start with the bugs. There are lots of them. The cockroaches come in all sizes and live everywhere. Just duck the flying ones, shoo the crawling ones, and grit your teeth. The fire ants are quite another story. They are small, reddish brown hellions that swarm and bite viciously. If you find yourself in the vicinity of many fire ants, leave quickly. Texas is known for long horn cattle. There aren't many left, so if you see any, consider yourself lucky. Long horns are good range animals, but other breeds dominate in our modern fenced era. You're very likely to see armadillos, generally extinct on roadsides. Their habit of jumping up to startle predators has not proved a success with the automobile. You're also likely to see roadrunners, which bear little resemblance to the Warner Brothers cartoon character. You'll recognize their long legged forms jogging near roads and through brush.

Travel safely and enjoy the sites of this great state!