Where Should I Go In Texas?

M

munk

Joined
Mar 22, 2002
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My wife and I are traveling for a week this June. She wanted to go to some posh Eastern Seaboard spot, I rejected this, and we split the difference: Texas.

I want to see the Desert next to Mexico. I'm not thrilled about late June but I'll take what I can get. There's a rattlesnake roundup somewhere....

My wife wants to go to Corpus Christi or anywhere along that protected coast.

There is a good possibility I'll leave my wife to fly back to Montana while I drive the panhandle and find Yvsa in OK.

But I really gotta know where I'm going- Texas is just too damn big to spend only a week in. So I must limit my choices-

Any advice or data would be appreciated.

thanks,

munk

Oh, need to know firearms law in Texas while traveling.
 
I always wanted to go to El Paso, and to see the Alamo. Just me though.
 
Yeah, the Alamo was inspiring. If Uncle Hoppy's Ribs is still across the plaza, you can get brisket by the pound and Texas beer, too (Lone Star is a little thin, but a few bad ShinerBock can ruin your evening). San Antonia Riverwalk is there, too. Didn't walk that...thought it would be too yuppie. For rules and regs go fishing online (our state's statutes are ALL online and searchable; TX might be too). Or get the book by Korwin, the new one with all 50 states. Good luck and watch out for armadillo roadkill! :eek:

jw
 
Go Due South You can get to Austin, San Antinio, then east to Corpus Christi. Problly need to fly out of houston as corous has a small airport. Al
 
the alamo is in san antonio, just to be clear. San antonio is nice, i liked it more than new orleans.

dallas has an historical spot a few people like to visit.

the rattlesnake roundup is in sweetwater, but i think its in march, i AINT sure.

stay out of houston, its got nothing but smog, traffic, humidity and big oil companies.


the desert next to mexico? thats a mighty big area, munk.
can you narrow it down?
there is an extinct volcano out near lubbock and the guadalupe mountains in new mexico.
that's a neat place too.
 
Yeah, the Sweetwater rattlesnake roundup in March- like the 11 to 13th or something.

No, I cant narrow the desert. Probably east of Big Bend. Wouldn't mind seeing the River, but want to be armed if I'm near Mexico.

I've been online all evening looking TX up. There's a lot and and a lot of useless info as well.



munk
 
DannyinJapan said:
stay out of houston, its got nothing but smog, traffic, humidity and big oil companies.
Click to expand...
You forgot to mention STAY THE HELL OUT OF HOUSTON. Especially North Houston. Unless you like taking your life into your hands.
 
As you said, your problem will be the size of Texas... just driving from area to area can be most of a day in the car.

San Antonio is a must for a first time in Texas. Alamo is great if you can forgive some of the tourists (and a number of historic other missions if you're into that type of thing, they are much more contemplative), while the Riverwalk can be very romantic.

I'm not too wild about Austin, but if you're into live music in a bar, it can be great. NW of San Antone, or SW of Austin is the hill country, very nice natural area. Of course, it is impressive for Texans but may not be for Montanans :D. Seems to me all the towns are very touristy, but you can find nice restaurants and such, and natural areas. There is one glass-blowing place outside Wimberly that I need to get back to. For water fun you can tube the river in New Braunfels, just a lazy day floating down the river...

I haven't been down to the border much myself. Lots and lots of open land, not sure how nice it would be. Big Bend NP is very nice but a heckuva long way. Some nice old towns in Big Bend area too, not sure about the rest of the border. With some altitude in the mountains the heat may not be too bad. Note it is almost equal distance from El Paso to Los Angeles as it is from El Paso to Houston... 600 miles from Big Bend to Corpus Christi. If you're going to Big Bend it's almost better to tour New Mexico and then go down to Big Bend.

Coast is nice too, Corpus Christi or South Padre Island. Not to much to do in Houston or Dallas IMHO (and I live in Dallas). Most areas not too bad on crime if you keep alert and don't play the target. Haven't been out Panhandle-way, but it's a damn big flat place. Kansas without the wheat?

Gun stuff:
Long guns OK in vehicles, loaded, wherever you want. Do keep it out of sight or someone will bust your window for it. Montana and Texas have CHL reciprocity for pistols, can't remember you saying if you had a Montana permit or not. Otherwise, no pistols in the passenger compartment! Unloaded & locked in trunk. With the CHL here they have cracked down on no-CHL pistols in vehicles (except RVs). National parks will have their own Federal rules, not sure about that. CHL carry in state parks is ok! Not sure about long guns in state parks, may need to be locked up so no chance of mistaking for a poacher. Let me know if you need more info on this, and TX carry in general.
I would not be on the border without a weapon either, strange stuff these days. Note Big Bend is a national park (but I'm sure lots of folks carry anywhays) but there is a state park next door, not sure of the name. I would like to do the float trip down the Rio Grande (if it has water), but a couple folks doing that got sniped from Mexico a decade ago or so...
Other thing is make sure your vehicle is in good condition with adequate spares and survival gear. Think hot and lonely and no cel coverage.
 
I can so far find nothing on handgun regs in Texas- OTHER THAN THE CONCEALED WEAPON Lic process.

All links lead to this.
I still have not figured out if a loaded and plain site weapon is legal in a car.


munk
 
OK. I may want to apply for a concealed carry lic here then. It really isn't neccesary in Montana as you can carry loaded and plain sight most places.

Now I gotta figure out OK. Wonder what they want of firearms travel?

YOu know, this would be a nicer country if you could just carry weapons like the BILL OF RIGHTS says you can!!!


munk
 
Without a CHL, there is basically no provision for carrying a pistol in the passenger compartment of a car, period. Open, concealed, locked, unlocked, loaded, unloaded, zip, nada, nothing. Used to be a vaguely-defined "travelling" defence to prosecution (not an allowance, just a defence to use in court), but with advent of CHL that has been essentially removed.

Packing.org shows OK honors MT permit. May want to look at getting a Florida non-resident permit, they are honored by many states including Texas and Oklahoma.

Tough part going between states is knowing the specific rules for each one. Which signs apply to you and which don't, places that are off-limits with or without a sign, what to say to cops if stopped, etc. E.g. in Texas, any of the generic "no guns" signs can be ignored by CHL people. Only a very specific, large sign can be used to deny access, except to places that are off-limits written in the law.
 
Munk my friend, West Texas is extremely Windy.
Why when we lived in the Big Bend Country when I was a kid I saw a chicken lay the same egg three times in one day!!!!:rolleyes: :eek: :D :cool: :p ;)

I liked it in many areas of Texas when I was a kid. I especially liked the horned toads we called horny toads back then.;)
In a local pawn shop a few years back I saw a Very LARGE Ocharina in the shape of a horny toad. I asked the guy about it and was told it wasn't for sale. He wouldn't even take it out of the case so I could see it close up.:grumpy: :(
 
packing.org

They show reciprocity between Texas and Montana, That site is a treasure trove for CCW though.

Mpsi beat me to it. There is a lot of information from this site though, Something to read through, and as always, send to the state you want to visit and ask the CLEO for information as well.
 
Thanks MPisi and 45/70

Yvsa, you think West Bend blows harder than Montana? Can't be. Only reason that chicken was in West Bend in the first place was she tried laying that egg in Montana. The wind came, blew her inside out, sort of ballooned her into the clouds. When she came down she was in TX. I heard eggs just roll out natural now she never even plucks...

Damn shame about handguns in TX. Houston would roll over in his grave.

I did want to see the Alamo- you know, that place where all those lilly livered cowards were found cowering under bunks when Santa Ana arrived? It must be true- Santa Ana's officers wouldn't lie or listen to gossip.... Course, we never did figure out why they all stayed on in the first place, being as how they could have just left... That'll probably be explained in the next revisionist text.

(this is a sarcastic entry, if any need explanation)


munk
 
munk said:
Yvsa, you think West Bend blows harder than Montana? Can't be. Only reason that chicken was in West Bend in the first place was she tried laying that egg in Montana. The wind came, blew her inside out, sort of ballooned her into the clouds. When she came down she was in TX. I heard eggs just roll out natural now she never even plucks...

munk
Click to expand...
Okay, take a lesson from this kiddies.:rolleyes: This is classic of why the first liar doesn't stand a chance.:p :D ;)
 
if you want to see the panhandle, just rent "the hitcher" or "kill bill."

(the wedding scene)
or other movies. its flat, grassy endlessness and a 2-lane highway.
Believe it or not, I miss that like crazy right now.
japan is the total opposite. I get claustrophobia over here.

In Texas, I could lay down in the grass and people wouldnt bat an eye.
Here, (if there was any grass) they'd form a crowd and take pictures then call the police and have me deported.
 
Yvsa. I didn't know that about the last big liar wins, but it MAKES sense.


munk
 
Hill country is nice. The Gulf is kinda muddy. Nice for laying out in the sun and stereotypical beach culture. Not so interesting in my book - I prefer rocky beaches w/ lots of critters.

Definitely worth stopping in the small-town barbecue joints - pick whichever one has the fullest parking lot around lunch.

Austin is known for music and clubs, and is a bit more liberal than the rest of the state.

This advice is worth what you paid for it - most of my Texas experience is driving through, plus a few months in Houston. Have fun!
 
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