I've been to the United States several times and even then there's always a new place to discover there. Last time (January 2019) I took a trip to Texas. It was only five days, but I visited amazing places and had a great experience with the food and accommodation there.
I began my journey as soon as I landed on a Thursday morning at the George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston. I decided to leave the largest city in the state for the end of the trip. And so it lands on the road heading west. Destination: Austin, the state capital, famous for its nightlife, music and liberal vibe.
Renting a car at American airports is something beyond simple, which I have already explained in this post. Less than 15 minutes after going through immigration, I was already at the Hertz counter, with the keys to a Toyota Corolla in my hand. And in another 20 minutes, he was out of the urban area on the wide Interstate 10 (I-10). I just had to deal with the schedules. I forgot to comment on this, but before embarking on this adventure I researched Time in Texas well to know the opening hours of shops and other establishments so I wouldn't be taken by surprise.
Texas, with a European look
My first stop was tiny Ellinger, where 104 years ago Hruska’s Bakery was established. This former bakery, which over time also became a restaurant and souvenir shop, exemplifies something that few people know about Texas: it is not just “cowboy land”.
Hruska’s is part of the heritage brought by Czech immigration. "Czech?" Exactly. Traveling through the interior of the state you will see many references to the Central European country, especially in terms of cuisine. Right there, at Hruska’s, everyone delights in kolaches – a typical Czech mezzo, Austrian mezzo sweet, very common in these parts.
Twenty kilometers further on, I came across the small town of La Grange, immortalized in a song by country rock band ZZ-Top. It's impossible not to stop to admire (and possibly buy) the handicrafts of Los Pinos Import, which are scattered along the side of the road.
The same road that leads to the region's biggest attraction: Monument Hill State Park. It is worth a stop to admire the beautiful view of the Colorado River Valley, with its grandiose bridges.
Not to mention the interesting museum about the military conquest of this then inhospitable corner of Mexico, in the 19th century, and the ruins of one of the oldest breweries in the United States, the Kreische Brewery, built in 1860 by German immigrants (I didn't say that it has much more than cowboys around here?).
I could have stopped at many other places, but I decided to continue my journey to one of the most exciting cities in Texas: Austin.
How It Was in Austin:
Austin is a liberal, innovative and, to a certain extent, crazy city. A part of its 900,000 inhabitants are students, as it is the largest campus of the University of Texas. This alone guarantees a youthful atmosphere in every corner.
Bags left at the hotel, my first stop was a sports stadium. I know it sounds strange, but if in Rome we must do as the Romans do, in Texas, think and act like a Texan.
And the Vatican here is called Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. It is on this “sacred ground” that the University of Texas football team plays – the great passion of the Austinians.
Even if you don't know anything about this sport - which is a religion around here -, you'll be delighted with a guided tour of the architecturally imposing stadium, opened in 1924 as a monument to Texan students killed in combat during World War I.
Nearby is another highlight of any visit to Austin. It's the LBJ Library, the sumptuous museum named after President Lyndon Johnson (1908-1973), who was born on the outskirts of the metropolis.
If you like history, you will be entertained for hours in the gigantic collection of 45 million documents referring to one of the most turbulent periods of world geopolitics. A time that began with the assassination of President Kennedy in 1963 and ended with the Vietnam War at the end of the decade.