Do NOT Do These 10 Touristy Things In Texas. Do These Instead.
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Katie Lawrence
Author
Summer is just around the corner, and we all know what that means: tourists out the kazoo. It’s great to have people visiting our great state, but it can be kind of annoying when our favorite places are so busy we can hardly enjoy them. Lucky for us native Texans, we know of a few off-the-beaten-path destinations that are just as good as their more well-known counterparts. Here are our top 10 picks.
Sure, it's breathtakingly beautiful - but chances are you've already been there, and it's nearly impossible to enjoy it with the crazy amount of people who frequent it every summer day.
It may not look like a secret underground grotto, but it's still gorgeous in its own way. And I don't know about you, but I'd rather not be packed with other people like a bunch of sardines when I'm trying to peacefully enjoy the water.
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There ARE other mountains in Texas, believe it or not. We just don't hear about them as often as the famed Big Bend, but the view from "El Capitan" is indescribable.
Yeah, it's fun, and kinda obligatory if you live in Texas, but when it starts looking like this and strangers' feet are in my face, it gets old really fast.
Especially in the fall when you can admire the foliage lining the banks and forming a canopy over your head. And you can retain your personal space and actually experience some of the peace and serenity that water is supposed to bring.
Much less crowded, and it's the world's largest spring-fed swimming pool.
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This cave system is hardly ever mentioned compared to Natural Bridge, and I have no idea why. The stalactites and stalagmites are more abundant than in any other cave in Texas and possibly America - it's actually been voted one of the most beautiful caves in the entire world.
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Essentially the same view, fewer people, and the stark contrast between the lush greenery and dry rocks is pretty neat. An all-around winning situation, if you ask me.
Unless it's Christmas. Then absolutely, positively get there as fast as you can. Otherwise, it's just scorchingly hot and too commercialized for my tastes.
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Not Fredericksburg or Jefferson; even those have become too touristy. I'm talking places like Alpine or Salado - places where the true Southern charm we're so famous for radiates to the core.
Yeah, yeah, it's a pink blob that supposedly creaks and groans at night. Cool story.
"Balcones" means "balconies" in Spanish, and when you're standing at the top of one of the many hills, you truly feel like you're on a balcony gazing out in front of you as far as the eye can see. The greenery is beautiful and the towering layered rocks are breathtaking. Plus, so many interesting species of animals live here! It's an unforgettable experience, to say the least.
Learning about the history of space travel is cool and all, but spending a night in the desert, unimpeded by city lights, gazing up at the band of our Milky Way Galaxy? I'd choose the latter any day.
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Those narrow pathways can get pretty dangerous with hundreds of people trying to squeeze past each other. Plus, the waterfalls aren't that impressive.
It's unknown to many Texans, and it looks like a scene from Tarzan. Need I say more?
Have you ever visited any of these places? Where else in Texas can locals go to escape the influx of tourists?
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