Texas

With cultural and geographic properties of both the South and the Southwest, Texas has long been an area — and a state of mind — that defies categorization. Texas is traditional and progressive; it’s home to vast rural spaces and densely populated cities like Dallas, Houston and San Antonio; and its diverse landscape changes from the pine woods of the east, to the beaches of the Gulf Coast, to the prairie and desert of the west. 

Dallas-Fort Worth’s art scene is world-class, and the city’s downtown cultural district is a must-visit. Austin’s music scene thrives during renowned annual festivals. And in San Antonio, the bustling River Walk lines the Rio Grande with shops, hotels and restaurants. Houston, the state’s largest city, sprawls in the southeast, and its cosmopolitan attractions are blended with distinctly Texan ones, like the world’s largest rodeo and a plethora of Tex-Mex and steakhouse venues. For a taste of Texas’ natural grandeur, visit Big Bend National Park in the southwest, where desert flora and fauna flourish under the relentless sun.