Three Types of Texas
Weightlessness, emptiness and feeling so miniscule compared to the giant world that I stare back at, there is a thick silence and all I can hear is my own breath and the mechanical sounds created from my spacesuit…
“The Eagle has landed” … goose bumps cover my body from head to toe and my daydreaming thoughts are brought back down to earth, as our guide describes the chilling and incredible moment in 1969 as Neil Armstrong touches down on the moon.
More than just oil rigging and rodeos, Texas – the third largest state in America – should be a destination on your bucket list, offering quiet towns for tropical-feeling relaxation; wild wild west excursions, where man and steed can become one with the land; and big cities packing even bigger rockets. When heading abroad, consider destinations that can tick more than one thing off the list. For me, travelling is about getting out of my comfort zone and experiencing new things; don’t get me wrong, I love the idea of being pool side, with a cold drink in my hand, but I can only handle that whole relaxing thing for about five minutes before having to get out and do something adventurous. So why wouldn’t I want to go to Texas, where I could luxuriate in the 41-degree heat, pool side, with that drink and then, as I become restless from too much relaxing, I can leave the resort to go target shooting, paddle boarding, exploring NASA and do all of those bucket list-worthy activities all in one great state.
My introduction to Texas started in Grapevine, a quaint city just north of Dallas, rich in heritage and culture and, as the name suggests, known for the wine the city produces. To get to Grapevine, there is a high chance you would fly into the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, which is the third-largest airport in the world in terms of aircraft movements, with almost 2000 flights arriving and departing each day. Grapevine is just a short drive from there, and my first destination to stay in was the Gaylord.
If there is anywhere I have ever stayed where it has been a full experience on it own, it would be here. The Gaylord is part of the Marriott International group and opened in Grapevine in 2004, following the successful bid of Mayor William D. Tate, and it offers some of the most well-put-together architecture for the ultimate guest experience. The best way to describe the property is to say it is an entire village that surrounds a central park featuring different restaurants, cafés and gardens dotted throughout and all enclosed by a perfectly climate controlled glass dome. At times I would walk around at night and find a different path to take and discover an entire part of the hotel that I hadn’t been to yet. There are a total of four different themed restaurants and nine levels totaling 1511 rooms; there are another 303 rooms coming after a huge US$166 million expansion announced in 2016. There are 37,000 square metres of meeting space, not to forget the in-resort Starbucks, sports bars, convenience stores and so much more… I can’t think I discovered it all! On the very first day in Grapevine, I headed to its lake. Now, for a New Zealander such as myself, the sheer size of the state of Texas is extremely eye opening, it seems that in almost every direction you look is a vast, waterless land that stretches as far as the eye can see, to a hazy horizon line where the land just… continues! In New Zealand, at some
On the very first day in Grapevine, I headed to its lake. Now, for a New Zealander such as myself, the sheer size of the state of Texas is extremely eye opening, it seems that in almost every direction you look is a vast, waterless land that stretches as far as the eye can see, to a hazy horizon line where the land just… continues! In New Zealand, at some places you can see both coasts of the country at a time. So, spending the first day by the lake was somewhat comforting. The large reservoir serves as both a source of water for the surrounding districts and as a recreational area. I was there with DFW Surf, to explore part of the lake by paddle board. After a total of 17 hours’ worth of flights, and minimal sleep before getting out and about to explore, this was possibly the best way to spend the first few hours in Texas. There was something therapeutic about paddling on the calm warm waters of the freshwater lake, through the groves and around the natural twists the lake shoreline took, giving me a feeling of complete peace. Birds I had never seen before were darting around and then there was the heat wave we’d arrived into, making a great change from Aucklands’ winter I had escaped!
After the refreshing paddle boarding experience, it was time to literally take a bite of the authentic culture that true Texans love – BBQ. This is no ‘bangers on a hot plate’ kind of Kiwi-style BBQ, though. This a fully fledged Texan BBQ, where the careful cuts of brisket, ribs, turkey and sausage have been smoked to absolute tender perfection and then, once the day’s worth of meat is sold, the workers get to clean up and go home, so these places are a get-in-quick kind of location. Meat U Anywhere is must-try BBQ, the smokehouse is out the back so while you are dining, you get the hearty aroma of seasoned oak and hickory wood-smoked meat to tantalise your nostrils. It is family owned and operated, so you get the full authentic experience and the homely offerings they have on their menu. With a side of sticky buns and jalapeño mac’n’cheese, you can’t go wrong here. The turkey is just perfect and I can clearly remember the taste of how the juicy meat just fell off the bone.So, what’s the perfect follow-on activity from a big lunch like that in Grapevine? Wine tasting.
So, what’s the perfect follow-on activity from a big lunch like that in Grapevine? Wine tasting.
With wine-making deep in Grapevines roots, the town has a lot to offer in terms of historic wineries. You can hop from one to another, and learn about each winery’s unique charm and history and, of course, taste some of their finest vintages.I stopped by both Messina Hof and the Homestead wineries, and again experienced a big culture difference between New Zealand to Texas and it starts to make sense to me as to why people fall in love when visiting New Zealand, where you would be sitting among the vines, with a view over the ocean and greenery surrounding you on all other sides. On the other hand, the Grapevine wineries have a different type of magic to them. Most of them are in historic buildings, with heritage and charm found in every corner and, even more literally at Homestead Winery, and wall. Once served your vino, you are let loose to grab a ‘Sharpie’ and sign your name on the wall, that is if you can find some space! There are sketches and markings from people proposing to one another, dates of anniversaries and, if you go do there and look hard enough, you will find our M2 signature up on the wall too. I am not much of a wine connoisseur, but at these wine
I stopped by both Messina Hof and the Homestead wineries, and again experienced a big culture difference between New Zealand to Texas and it starts to make sense to me as to why people fall in love when visiting New Zealand, where you would be sitting among the vines, with a view over the ocean and greenery surrounding you on all other sides. On the other hand, the Grapevine wineries have a different type of magic to them. Most of them are in historic buildings, with heritage and charm found in every corner and, even more literally at Homestead Winery, and wall. Once served your vino, you are let loose to grab a ‘Sharpie’ and sign your name on the wall, that is if you can find some space! There are sketches and markings from people proposing to one another, dates of anniversaries and, if you go do there and look hard enough, you will find our M2 signature up on the wall too. I am not much of a wine connoisseur, but at these wine tastings I learnt a lot! When stopping by Messina Hof, be sure to try the Sparkling Almond demi-sec and at the Homestead, taste the Chocolate Rose… your life will be changed.
Your exploration of the wineries will most likely take you through Main Street. In historic downtown Grapevine, it’s a centre of attraction for most people and is home to the Grapevine Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, public library and a myriad of other small business and bars. This area of the city is all kept as historic as possible, with most of the buildings still in their original state. Following the street a little will lead you to the Grapevine Vintage Railroad, another restored historical attraction of the town and my method of transport to get me to my next part of Texas.
Another side to Texas is the more stereotypical vibe – the Western, rodeo, cowboy kind of Texas that comes straight to mind – and where better to dive right into this culture than Fort Worth. Fort Worth is home to some iconic places to really get your Texas on. Down at the stockyards you will experience a twice-daily cattle drive and watch real cowboys wrangle Texas Longhorns straight through the centre of the town; go to a country and western nightclub (aka a Honky Tonk) and grab your partner for some line dancing and watch a full-on rodeo at the coliseum. Fort Worth is not all about cowboy boots and rodeos, though, and as you head south from the Stockyards side of town, you will get to the main centre. The city is stunning with its architecture, traditional and modern – some buildings tower above the others with a staunch look from the way they have been painstakingly crafted from thousands of small bricks. You can’t miss the Bass Performance Hall, an elegant limestone building that features two towering 15-metre tall angels, sculpted from limestone by a local Texan, that grace the Grand Façade. This part of the city is home to several world-class museums, also designed by local and some internationally known architects.To really get a taste of Texas living, I definitely recommend heading out to Wildcatter Ranch, not too far out from Fort Worth and absolutely worth the drive, as you pass by some incredible scenery on the way. The 605-hectare ranch is situated along the Brazos River, and from different parts of the
To really get a taste of Texas living, I definitely recommend heading out to Wildcatter Ranch, not too far out from Fort Worth and absolutely worth the drive, as you pass by some incredible scenery on the way. The 605-hectare ranch is situated along the Brazos River, and from different parts of the property you will see some breathtaking views of the river and surrounding drylands.
Upon arrival at the ranch, the staff had me straight out to the far side of the property to start my activities for the day. First up was sport clay shooting, something I hadn’t even done back home and was quite excited to be doing in Texas. I didn’t have high hopes for a successful time, but the confident instructor reassuringly told me: “I’m a good teacher, y’all be hitting most of these target by the end of this.” And he was right, there is some serious satisfaction in yelling “set” for the targets to be fired into the air then shooting and reloading in fast succession, to be able to shoot the very next target that was launched straight after the first. The dull smell of burnt gunpowder filled my nostrils and really got me into the zone. After an hour of shooting, there would be three or four targets fired into the air from different sides and I shot most of them, so I must say Nick is a great teacher. On the topic of guns, expect to see people in Texas carrying firearms. It is legal to carry an unconcealed weapon, something that took me by surprise, but that’s the thing about experiencing other cultures, you get to see things that are so different from being at home. Not everyone agrees with the practice, and not everyone carries guns, but it is something to take note of.
While on the ranch, you can do a selection of different activities; archery, horseback treks a Jeep tour where you can see the vast size of the ranch property. All of these I can definitely recommend. The Jeep takes you up and down some steep terrain, and past some of the property’s oil rigs, then through some of the native bush, which makes you feel like you are on an African safari; there is even a chance of spotting some of the wildlife on the ranch too. Then, for those who are in need of some well deserved R&R, the ranch has a unique infinity pool, overlooking the incredible views of the countryside, where you can relax, get a massage and drink a few cold ones as the sun goes down. But you’re not done getting that true cowboy Texas treatment until you have finished the activity-packed day with a juicy rib eye at the Texas Steakhouse on the ranch.
This more authentic side of Texas is fun and very historical, and we had plenty of interesting talks about the indigenous Native Americans, and we could picture how things would have been hundreds of years ago when they roamed their territory, living off the land, as well as how things were done in the Wild West’. You can get your dose of culture at the beautiful museums and galleries in the main centre. Also just a stone’s throw away from Fort Worth is Arlington; my destination was Six Flags over Texas, where other adrenaline junkies and I ride some of the world’s biggest and best roller coasters and theme park attractions.
So, once you’ve done the quaint, quiet city of Grapevine and the Texas throw back at Fort Worth, for the city slickers and space geeks out there – and let’s be honest, who isn’t a bit of a Space nerd – Houston is a city that will take your breath away. After hosting three Super Bowls to date – with 2017’s the most recent, where Lady Gaga descended from the sky (an apt entrance considering Houston is known as the Space City) – the increase in tourism and capital has led to the city performing a huge facelift in some of the downtown areas. This has resulted in the openings of another Hilton and another Marriott hotel, both connected via sky walk to the new Avendia Houston, Texas’ largest convention campus.
Houston might, however, be more well known for its part in the NASA space program, becoming home of Mission Control in 1963, which would eventually put Neil Armstrong on the moon in 1969.
The Space Centre, Houston, is an incredible facility, opening in 1992, it has welcomed more than 18 million visitors to explore and discover some once-in-a-lifetime artefacts and installations. The centre features more than 400 space artefacts, permanent and travelling exhibits and attractions and theatres related to the exciting future and remarkable past of America’s spaceflight programme. It also serves as the visitor centre for the Johnson Space Center. When visiting the Space Centre be sure to purchase a Level 9 tour, this grants you access to some of the most sought after places on earth, and if you are anything like I was, you will be in awe for the entire experience.
The tour starts with a humbling dose of history; I was completely speechless when visiting the giant that was the Saturn V, an indescribably gigantic rocket that was one of only 15 ever made. Out of those 15, 13 were flown with successful missions, one of those being Apollo 11, the first-ever moon landing. It towered over me and that was even with it lying horizontal; imagine that being upright! The guide talked passionately about incredible feats and some chilling fatalities that all contributed to the incredible space program that exists today. From the Saturn V, we were taken through some replica parts that make up the International Space Station training facility, a Soyuz (which is the Russian aircraft that takes astronauts to the ISS) and through the NASA robotics lab. It was incredible to be in the same room as some of the world’s leading robotics designers, scientists and rocket scientists at work, and the way they talked about the future of space travel and so candidly mentioned the possible future manned flights to Mars, was awe inspiring.
One of the most bone-tingling places I was fortunate enough to visit was the Christopher C. Kraft Jr Mission Control Centre. The air smelt musky and although I didn’t actually put on a spacesuit, I swear if you let your subconsciousness drift enough, you could smell the cigars and cigarettes that were anxiously puffed on as they quietly awaited the faint crackly words through the speakers: “The Eagle has landed.”
Back in the city, I explored the downtown developments and made my way to the Minute Maid Stadium because, when in town, you must attend a sports game; they are nothing at all like anything we see in New Zealand. Everyone gets completely immersed into the game, all wearing their team colours in support; cheer and boos on demand, and not a soul in sight who doesn’t have a glistening hotdog in hand.
There is a common misconception about Texas, and I was guilty of it too – I imagined desert as far as the eye could see, cactus and tumbleweed tiptoeing across the dusty terrain. Don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of cacti, but there is also plenty more to Texas. The people of Texas are so kind everywhere you go, you’ll get a ‘God bless you’ from a stranger or a compliment from your waiter and it all makes you feel so welcomed. From the north to the south of the state, the culture, people, food and everything else changes so much, that travelling in Texas gives you a really broad range of experiences. As you look at a map, it is all there; you can see the borders and the towns, but it isn’t until you get off the plane from little old New Zealand and start to explore that you truly get to feel the sheer size and greatness of the state. As the saying goes: Everything’s bigger in Texas, but the best way for me to describe my there is ‘Texas is bigger in Texas’.