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Weekend getaway spots?


brian0123

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I'd love to hear some of your favorite (and lesser known) weekend getaway spots from Houston. I'm not talking about Austin, San Antonio, Galveston, etc... but somewhat unknown/quirky places that you can take the wife (and possibly a kid) that are an easy drive away and stay the weekend. I need some ideas!

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Chapel Hill, Navasota, Madisonville, and Fredricksburg. I know the last one is well known but its probably got cooler stuff for the kiddo. Unless it likes history, Washington on the Brazos is pretty.

Edit: if you like lake action, Lake Amistad in Del Rio is unbelievably beautiful. Plus Big bend is around the corner. Camping? Try Possum Kingdom up by Breckenridge. Again, a bit of a drive but its really nice up there.

Also, Freeport/Surfside Beach put Galveston the shame.

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Without knowing what things you like to do, I'm going out on a limb here but why not try one of the county fairs in neighboring (or near) counties?

 

I believe that Washington County is having theirs this weekend (Brenham) and Colorado County (Columbus) is next weekend.  Ft. Bend (Richmond/Rosenberg) should be coming up too.  Fayette County (LaGrange) is always Labor Day weekend so it's over.

 

The small town county fairs have plenty of entertainment, with live bands and dance floors.  The local high school kids have their FFA project animals on display and my favorites are the many varieties of chickens.  One year, a big sow had her babies during the fair, about 20 of them! 

 

Our county, Fayette, always has a carnival at the fair grounds in conjunction with all the local hoopla. 

 

You could check out other things to do once you decide which fair to attend.  Several counties around the hill country have wineries now and we even have a meadery, called Rohan Meadery. 

 

The fourth weekend in October is Czhilispiel in Flatonia TX.  They close of Hwy 90 in downtown and set up a huge tent.  They also have a carnival, live music all day and night, food booths benefiting local organizations (Lions, high school, KC etc), chili cookoff, bbq cookoff, parade, car show and some arts & crafts. 

 

It's a lot of small town fun, they do get crowds but nothing like Houston.

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I'm partial to Waco :) -- a few great museums (Texas Sports Hall of Fame, Texas Ranger & Dr. Pepper), a fantastic zoo, beautiful Cameron Park (hiking, biking, frisbee golf, etc) and it's all dirt cheap. Downtown is really coming around too.  Of course I lived there 5 years so I got to know it pretty well.

 

Others will disagree but they likely haven't spent much or any time there besides driving down I-35.

 

 

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These are all awesome ideas. I'm really open to anything. I'd hate to tell you all what I like and then miss out on other random ideas (i.e. the county fair is one thing I never thought of). I'll contribute to the thread by mentioning Trinity, TX. It has Lake Livingston, camping, and Fat Cops!

 

I'd love for this thread to have whatever off-the-wall type places people like near Houston. Maybe others can get some different ideas as well.

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Village Creek SP outside Beaumont (or in Beaumont? - I was there ten years ago) has a lovely sandy-bottomed swimming hole, a nice change from Hill Country swimming holes. You can rent a group cabin with kitchenette. You could take your kids to look for carnivorous plants in the Big Thicket, but you must dip them in DEET first.

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I second village creek state park. http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/state-parks/village-creek

 

There is also a little water park just north of it on hwy 96.

 

Even farher off the beaten path, in very rural Newton County is Artesian Springs Resort. http://www.artesianspringsresort.com/index.html

And near there is the Wild Azalea Canyon http://www.toledo-bend.com/attractions/index.asp?request=azalea

It's really pretty when the azaleas are blooming.

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IMG_093136w.JPG

 

 

The drive between Newton and Toledo Bend up Hwy 87 is very pretty as well.

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I'm partial to Waco :) -- a few great museums (Texas Sports Hall of Fame, Texas Ranger & Dr. Pepper), a fantastic zoo, beautiful Cameron Park (hiking, biking, frisbee golf, etc) and it's all dirt cheap. Downtown is really coming around too. Of course I lived there 5 years so I got to know it pretty well.

Others will disagree but they likely haven't spent much or any time there besides driving down I-35.

Plus there's lake Waco and West is just down the road for some good German and Czech cooking.

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http://www.palodurocanyon.com/ Maybe a little far for a weekend but still a very cool place that is underrated in Texas

 

The Panhandle Plains Historical Museum in nearby Canyon TX is outstanding, in my opinion.

 

Also, part of old Route 66 is in Amarillo and the Cadillac Ranch is not far from there.

 

When we were last there in 2010, there was a prairie dog town on the outskirts of Amarillo.  It took up an entire block and was very interesting to observe.

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Float/fish/have fun on the the _____ river.  Frio, Guadalupe, Blanco, San Marcos, Llano, etc.... Some of the most beautiful hill country around.  Fastest growing wine region in the world if you're into checking out vineyards and what not. 

 

The vineyards is one thing I haven't done yet. Any recommendations?

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If you're into history, I recommend a drive into northeast Texas to Jefferson, on US 59 about 20 miles north of Marshall. Founded in the 1830s, Jefferson is one of the more historic towns in Texas. It's on a tributary of the Red River, and until the 1870s it was a major inland port city, second only to Galveston in total tonnage.

 

During the Civil War it was one of the Confederate Army's major supply terminals for the war west of the Mississippi. Then in 1873, the Army Corps of Engineers finally removed a giant logjam on the Red River, causing the water level on the tributary to Jefferson to fall so low the steamboats couldn't get there anymore. Jefferson was no longer a port city, but it didn't dry up and turn into a ghost town.

 

Today, Jefferson is a beautiful little city that works hard at keeping its 19th century charm with a historic downtown area, historic hotels dating to the 1840s and dozens of turn-of-the-20th century homes and even some ante-bellum homes now serving as B&B's. It's about a four hour drive from Houston, and I highly recommend it as a weekend getaway.

 

Check it out: http://www.visitjeffersontexas.com/

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If you're into history, I recommend a drive into northeast Texas to Jefferson, on US 59 about 20 miles north of Marshall. Founded in the 1830s, Jefferson is one of the more historic towns in Texas. It's on a tributary of the Red River, and until the 1870s it was a major inland port city, second only to Galveston in total tonnage.

 

During the Civil War it was one of the Confederate Army's major supply terminals for the war west of the Mississippi. Then in 1873, the Army Corps of Engineers finally removed a giant logjam on the Red River, causing the water level on the tributary to Jefferson to fall so low the steamboats couldn't get there anymore. Jefferson was no longer a port city, but it didn't dry up and turn into a ghost town.

 

Today, Jefferson is a beautiful little city that works hard at keeping its 19th century charm with a historic downtown area, historic hotels dating to the 1840s and dozens of turn-of-the-20th century homes and even some ante-bellum homes now serving as B&B's. It's about a four hour drive from Houston, and I highly recommend it as a weekend getaway.

 

Check it out: http://www.visitjeffersontexas.com/

 

Her's some information on the Red River Raft, one of the great natural obstacles in the early days: http://www.redriverhistorian.com/greatraft.html

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Anyone have any comments on Rockport? Its near Port Aransas, looks like a nice small town with beach and a little street with art shops and restaurants.

I'm planning a weekend trip myself, and camping and too much activity is out given my wife will be 6 months pregnant.

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Several years ago my wife and I drove over to Fayette County and spent the day touring the famous Painted Churches. These beautiful 19th century Catholic churches were built by Czech and German immigrants who wanted their small country churches to look like their churches back in the old country. 

 

Most are in old farming communities along and near I-10 within a ten or 15 mile radius of Schulenburg -- Praha, Dubina, Ammansville, High Hill, Flatonia, Shiner. You can go out and find the churches on your own if you want to, but it's better to do an organized tour through the Schulenburg Chamber.of Commerce. You'll learn the stories of the churches and the people who built them and those who restored and maintained them, and you'll learn a lot about the history of this beautiful part of the state.

 

They really are something to see and I promise they'll take your breath away.

 

Here's the website, with lots of pictures: http://www.klru.org/paintedchurches/

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