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Dallas to Austin Road Trip

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248.4 miles: 4 hours, 58 minutes
The Old West lives on in Texan towns founded on the sweat of dusty cattle wranglers and hammer-wielding railroad men. Other stops recall more recent moments in history—some painful, others playful. Lingering yesterdays mingle with modern indulgences on this journey through a land of malls and coiling freeways, Western stomping grounds still tread by boots and horseshoes.
Shutterstock.com/Roni Lias
1
Dallas to Fort Worth
39.0 miles: 0 hours, 57 minutes
Dallas has grown from a small trading post to part of a sprawling metroplex that also encompasses nearby Fort Worth, an important cattle center befitting the nickname “Cowtown.” With some of the richest Texans residing in this area, high-end stores (including the original Neiman Marcus) are as numerous here as the wildflowers along North Texas’ oft-congested highways.
Recommended Stops
Zodiac Restaurant
1618 Main St Dallas, TX 75201
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The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza
411 Elm St. Dallas, TX 75202
Fort Worth Stockyards National Historic District
130 E. Exchange Ave. Fort Worth, TX 76164
Joe T Garcia’s
2201 N Commerce St Fort Worth, TX 76164
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flickr/Frank Bodden
2
Fort Worth to Waco
98.7 miles: 1 hours, 48 minutes
Heading south from Fort Worth, you’ll travel part of the legendary cattle driving route along which longhorns were herded north from South Texas to Kansas railheads in the late 19th century. Waco, once just another dot on the Texas section of the Chisholm Trail, today offers a varied assortment of attractions, several of which are conveniently huddled right off of I-35.
Recommended Stops
National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame
1720 Gendy St. Fort Worth, TX 76107
Dr Pepper Museum
300 S. Fifth St. Waco, TX 76701
Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum
100 Texas Ranger Tr. Waco, TX 76706
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3
Waco to Austin
110.7 miles: 2 hours, 11 minutes
After a quick pit stop in Temple, founded by the Gulf, Colorado & Santa Fe Railway in 1881, it’s on to Austin, the state capital and “the Live Music Capital of the World.” A rapidly growing urban center bisected by the sinuous Colorado River, the city is home to the University of Texas at Austin and countless high-profile corporations, including Whole Foods and Dell.
Recommended Stops
Temple Railroad and Heritage Museum
315 W. Ave. B Temple, TX 76501
Covert Park at Mount Bonnell
3800 Mount Bonnell Rd. Austin, TX 78731
Stubb’s Bar-B-Q
801 Red River St Austin, TX 78701
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Texas State Capitol
1100 Congress Ave. Austin, TX 78701