By Layla Bellows
In Texas, everything is bigger — including the distance between major metro areas and worthwhile side trips. Visiting Austin? Don’t miss the Alamo in San Antonio. At 80 miles apart, in this state, they’re practically twin cities. Visiting Dallas-Fort Worth? Be sure to spend a little time off the beaten track and head to Abilene. Just three hours away, it’s the ideal overnight trip to get away from the city and experience (comparatively) small-town Texas.
Stop one is easily
Frontier Texas! A celebration of Abilene’s roots as a frontier town, this multimedia museum uses first-hand accounts from early settlers to tell the story of frontier living — and often with life-sized holograms (left). After learning about the town’s background, take a walk through its
historic district, where many buildings are more than 100 years old and date to the town’s inception. From here, pick your pleasure: Those who can’t get enough of museums have options aplenty, ranging from
contemporary art galleries to children’s museums and history centers. A one-stop shop for families is the
Grace Museum, which has an art museum, a children’s museum
and a history museum.
Those who can’t call it a vacation unless they get a taste of local cuisine and bags full of souvenirs from local boutiques (read: clothes, shoes, jewelry) will find a wide array of options sure to fill up an afternoon. For an insider’s insight on the best of both, check out vacationplanning.net’s Abilene blog.
On your way out, stop by the
Buffalo Gap historic district for a bit of the Williamsburg, Va., experience in the heart of Texas. Costumed guides take visitors through original buildings dating to the late 1800s; don’t miss one of their vintage base ball (yes, that
was the original spelling) games played according to 1880s rules.
As any road warrior worth her gas money knows, you can only find a state’s true identity when you get off the beaten track and into its smaller towns. Abilene’s located deep in the heart of Texas, and a visit here will show you just what the Lone Star State is all about.
For more information and tips for your visit to Abilene, visit Shanna Smith-Snyder’s vacationplanning.net
Abilene blog.