My daughter and SIL moved to Texas earlier this year. Me and wifey will be going down to visit next spring. Been to Dallas once, it was a different experience. I would like to actually get out actually see the state.
Ok now, coming to Dallas is NOT seeing Texas. There are more non-Texans here than Texans these days.
If you want to really experience Texas, go to the different regions and stay in small, locally owned hotels and such. I'll give you a list of my favorite places that sings and dances Texas.
Sandhills State Park in Monahans - when you drive down Main Street, say hi to folks for me. I grew up there.
Million Barrels State Park in Monahans - some big oil company decided to build an above ground resevoir that would hold a million barrels of crude for storage. Built this huge monstrosity. It leaked like a sieve so oil never put in. We teens drove our old cars around the bottom of it. Drank in it (shhh! don't tell my Mama!), caught horney toads in it, had tarantula fights in it, etc.
Continuing west, go see the Marfa Lights and stay up all night and if you're very lucky the lights will play for you. These lights have befuddled generations of scientists!
Then head out to Balmoreah - cold as hell springs filling a basin with the clearest, coldest water in all of Texas. Wonderful place to swim and cave dive.
Fort Davis - old US Army post and museum - you can still walk around and find arrow heads after the rains wash away layers of silt
Drive into the Davis Mountains - so beautiful and the air smells so good and fresh. THIS is where I'd like to bug out to.
Then go to the Senora Caverns - smaller than Carlsbad (in N Mex) but there are more live formations and, IMO, much prettier
Now head south and just drive around the ranch lands and look at the wildlife and stock. That stock feeds a large part of the southern US~
Keep going south for a few days (very slight exaggeration - hahaha) and you'll run into the Gulf of Mexico. There is so much to see and do in the coastal areas - deep sea fishing, bird watching in the wet-lands, etc.
Then do a u-turn back north through East Texas. Righ chere is where y'all find all them rednecks that are iconic to Texas. LOL Travel quiet and don't make no trouble and them ole boys'll leave you alone. Maybe. LOL I'm kidding. I have family in East Texas and they are the biggest hearted people you will even meet. I may bug-out to East Texas. Fertile land, plenty of room for one more, wonderful people that grew up hunting to put food on the table. Would be a great place to settle in! My aunt lives on a few acres that my MeMa & PePa (grandmother and grandfather) worked for 50 years or so.
Around Austin are some wonderful caves to explore and there are terrific camping areas. Schlitterbahn is down around there as well. I haven't been but my kids think it's the best place to go EVER.
Heading north by northwest you'll come to Fossil Rim and Dinosaur Park. Love that place! It's a great place to lay over for a couple of days of exploration.
Then come back to Dallas/Ft Worth. And you'll understand what I mean about
here not being
TEXAS.
I just spent a good month of your vacation. Hope you enjoyed the trip!