Lone Star Highway
Travel through Texas National Parks
You can drive for 10 hours in Texas and never leave its borders. En route you’ll discover endless history, culture, and natural beauty in the Texas National Parks.
Day One
MORNING Drive 50 miles west from Austin to Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park. Known as the Texas White House, this 674-acre park is divided into two areas: LBJ’s childhood home and the LBJ Ranch. Stop along the way at:
- Johnson Family Cemetery to pay respects to LBJ and Lady Bird Johnson
- The reconstructed birthplace of the former president
- The one-room schoolhouse LBJ attended
AFTERNOON From Stonewall, travel 16 miles west to Fredericksburg, one of many German settlements in the area. Explore the bustling Main Street, where you’ll find authentic beer halls, antiques stores, and bakeries.
EVENING If you want to slip on your dancing shoes, get yourself to Luckenbach, the town immortalized by Texas legends Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson. Otherwise, stay the night in Fredericksburg. 
Day Two
MORNING Head south to the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park to tour the remains of four 18th-century Spanish missions. Each is an exquisite example of Spanish Colonial architecture, complete with frescoes and limestone carvings.
Every Sunday at noon, the services at San Jose feature a live mariachi band. (All four missions remain active Catholic churches.)
Before lunch, drive three miles north to see Mission Concepcion, thought to be the oldest unrestored stone church in North America.
AFTERNOON Travel to downtown San Antonio for lunch. Afterwards, walk the wide boulevards of the King William Historic District, bordered with magnificently restored homes from the late 1800s.
EVENING Try the enchiladas made with homemade mole at El Mirador restaurant. Then stroll the world-famous River Walk, a pedestrian walkway bordering the San Antonio River, before turning in for the evening.
Day Three
MORNING Drive to Padre Island National Seashore to bask in the sun, splash in the Gulf waters, and wander a trail that traverses diverse grass-and-sand habitats.
Padre Island is the longest remaining undeveloped swath of barrier island in the world.
AFTERNOON Check out Bird Island Basin on the Laguna Madre—a world-renowned pilgrimage site for windsurfers. There’s also bird-watching to be had, with the chance to see up to 380 species.
EVENING On a clear night, the dark sky is perfect for stargazing. Admire the skyscape then retire to Corpus Christi for the night. Search Corpus Christi hotels on Expedia
- Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park
- San Antonio Missions National Historical Park
- Padre Island National Seashore
