They say everything is bigger in Texas. Distances definitely play into that picture. It’s so large that its flag only needs one-star, perfect for the Lone Star State. Texas also has five, yes five, of the largest cities in the US: Houston, San Antonio, Dallas, Austin, and Fort Worth.
The Alamo. (Photo provided)
That’s one of the reasons Carol decided to recently visit the state. The tour would take her to all 5 cities, touch on the major sites, and definitely, leave her with the impression she needs to visit again and stay longer, possibly more time in each town. Between my wife and I, we have lived in four of the five and we know a day or two isn’t enough to even get a good feel for any city. I doubt anyone could get a good feel for Chicago if they only visited for a day. Sure, you see the tall building and possibly visit a few sites but which would be the most important to see?
So, how big is Texas? From Dallas, if you drive west, you’re over three-quarters of the way to San Diego by the time you leave the state. A fellow athlete went to school in Houston and his home IN Texas was 680 miles away. In Illinois, a drive from Huntley to Paducah, KY is just a little over 400 miles. So, when they say everything is bigger, they mean it!
But, back to traveling. Now that Covid ended, Carol decided she was going to travel. Normally in the past, she would use Mayflower Tours for her trips.
“I’ve taken them 8 times for mystery tours,” she stated.
American Classic came to Sun City for a presentation of their tour packages. Joe Conroy operates this family-run business out of Grayslake, Il. His two-hour presentation at Sun City was a slide presentation of their catalog of trips. If you signed up for a trip that night you got a $200 discount.
I chose the Heart of Texas tour because Mayflower doesn’t tour Texas. The trip was for 7 days, airfare included, with free Chicagoland home pick-up and return via O’Hare airport. We flew American Airlines to Dallas, Ft Worth. We were greeted with a new bus and 22 other people from the area. Upon arrival, a self-guided tour of the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum for 2 and a half hours. Afterward, we retired to the Hilton-Ft Worth Hotel which was renamed from the TEXAS Hotel where President Kennedy stayed the night before he was assassinated. The second floor of the hotel holds memorabilia of his trip to Dallas.
Dallas had city tour guides to point out landscape, city architecture, and the Sixth-floor book depository Museum.
Ft Worth, appropriately nicknamed “cowtown,” became significant after the city tour when we were treated to a “cattle drive” of the stockyards. A little further down the road, we stopped in Waco, Texas for the Texas Ranger Museum. No mention of the Branch Davidian incident was mentioned.
We stopped in Austin, Texas for a tour of the State capital buildings and grounds with statues, and a self-guided, two-anda-half-hour tour of the Lyndon Johnson library & museum.
Next stop, San Antonio, Texas for a city, guided tour of San Jose Mission. It included an IMAX theater presentation of the Alamo. Afterward, we enjoyed a two-and-a-half-hour self-guided visit to the Alamo. Next, a two-plus mile River Walk Boat Tour to complete a full day of activities.
Houston, Texas was next on the list. Major sites included a 4-hour visit to the Kennedy Space Center and a two-and-ahalf-hour, self-guided tour of George H.W. Bush’s Presidential Library & Museum.
Accommodations during the trip: two nights at the Hilton Hotel in Ft Worth and two nights at the Holiday Inn Riverwalk in San Antonio. Six breakfast buffets and four evening meals were also included. (Normally I don’t stay at these hotels but found breakfast outstanding with seven different fruits offered, lox, meats, chefmade omelets, assorted cheeses, and hot & cold cereals). Dinners were private rooms with selections from a limited menu. Other items included large spas, fitness rooms, and swimming pools in each hotel. Rooms had king-sized beds with large TVs, refrigerators, ironing boards, coffee makers, and safes. Bathroom towels were extra-large with handicapped shower stalls. I found the experience of not being able to use the hotel elevator until I swiped my key card for the floor something new.
The first day of arrival, March 11, was cold (34 degrees and snowy) for several days the weather was cold but sunny. Last days, 70 degrees and sunny.
The tour catalog did highlight all these attractions, which had piqued my interest as a history major. Joe Conroy and his son with another associate were on the trip the entire time with movies, and music during bus trip intervals. Joe Conroy was “Johnny On The Spot” for any problems like rooms too cold (for me).
Without using a guidebook to further my interest, I would return to Texas as there were art museums I didn’t get to go to. The American Classic tour was $1,000 more expensive than Mayflower, but the quality of hotels and variety of dinner meals would make me consider American Classic tours again.
