A more affordable way to visit Texas and explore what the Lone Star State has to offer

My heart started pounding as Breaker and I prepared to negotiate another precarious rocky descent.
The San Antonio River Walk. Picture: ShutterstockThe San Antonio River Walk. Picture: Shutterstock
The San Antonio River Walk. Picture: Shutterstock

But the energetic pinto gelding had no respect for my nerves as he trotted nonchalantly down the ridge before leaping across the dry creek and back onto the path.

I was halfway through a trail ride at Rancho Cortez in the heart of the Texas Hill Country.

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With rugged mountain ranges, picture-perfect prairies and far-reaching forests, it’s easy to see why adventurers have long flocked to the Lone Star State.

The Crockett Hotel.The Crockett Hotel.
The Crockett Hotel.

In the past, a trip to Texas for British holidaymakers has usually meant an expensive flight to a big city like Dallas or Houston.

But, thanks to Norwegian’s new route from Gatwick to Austin with fares as low as £315 return, travelling to America’s second-largest state is now affordable.

My wife Rachel and I arrived in the ‘Weird City’ on a steamy Saturday afternoon, before picking up our car from Hertz and setting off south to San Antonio.

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Our base for the weekend was the Crockett Hotel, named after the legendary Tennesseean frontiersman, memorably played on screen by John Wayne.

The historic Alamo.The historic Alamo.
The historic Alamo.

With an outdoor pool, bar and a superb Western-style breakfast including pancakes, waffles and freshly ground coffee, the Crockett is ideally located just a stone’s throw from the city’s top attraction – the Alamo.

This small compound was the site of 200 settlers’ 13-day losing battle with Mexican Generalissimo Santa Anna’s troops in 1836, and is now a symbol of American and Texan defiance.

For all the history here – San Antonio is currently celebrating its 300th anniversary – what Rachel and I were really looking forward to was the food.

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We are both massive fans of Tex-Mex cuisine and the city is home to some of America’s best spicy, meaty and crispy dishes.

Our favourites were the fajitas at the mariachi-soundtracked La Margarita on the vibrant Market Square, along with tacos at Cafe Ole and enchiladas at Iron Cactus on the River Walk.

Although San Antonio is the seventh largest city in the US, the Downtown area never feels overcrowded and the lack of skyscrapers make it ideal for sightseeing.

Rachel and I hopped on a City Sightseeing Bus, which took us to some of the main tourist spots, including the Tower of the Americas, the Museum of Art and the Spanish Governor’s Palace.

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When you mention Texas to most people, the first thing that springs to mind is cowboys and cowgirls.

So, fittingly, our next destination was the Cowboy Capital of the World, Bandera, where we picked out a couple of Stetsons, before driving up to Rancho Cortez.

After checking into Geronimo – our room for the next two nights – wrangler Desree introduced us to our first trail horses – I was paired with the laid-back palomino Rascal, while Rachel got to know the energetic chestnut Playboy.

During an exhilarating trail ride, we saw deer, jack rabbits and turkeys (thankfully no rattlesnakes!), before returning to the ranch where owner Larry Cortez gave us lessons on how to saddle a horse and rope a calf. He even convinced Rachel to get on a horse – but standing, rather than sitting.

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In Bandera, we picked up two slabs of rib-eye from the town’s Meat Market and headed up to 11th Street Cowboy Bar.

We found it all a bit surreal, as cowboys and cowgirls from all over the county threw meat on the fire-pit barbecues, danced along to live country and honky tonk music, and downed the local Lone Star beer.

Our final destination during the week was the beautiful Fredericksburg.

As its name suggests, the town has held onto its German influence since it was founded by Baron Otfried Hans von Meusebach in the mid 19th century.

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But despite its rich history, Fredericksburg is a forward-looking place and you can’t help but notice the growing number of vineyards in the area.

Before leaving for Austin airport, we took advice from the locals and visited the Enchanted Rock State Natural Area.

After a hot and sweaty climb to the summit of the pink granite dome, we were rewarded with amazing views of Texas. From here, it was easy to see why settlers such as Meusebach wanted to make this place their home, and why the soldiers at the Alamo put their lives on the line to defend it.

The Lone Star State’s motto is ‘Friendship’, and when you travel around Texas you will often see the cheeky slogan ‘Come and Take It’, a throwback to the revolutionists’ taunt during the battle of the Alamo.

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And my advice to anyone who wants fine food and drink, history and adventure from a US holiday, would be for y’all to saddle up, mosey on over to Texas, and Go and Take It.

Travel facts:

- Norwegian operates three weekly flights from London Gatwick to Austin International Airport. All flights are operated by a fleet of new Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft with two cabins – Premium and Economy. Fares start from £185 one-way and £315 return in Low Fare economy and £515 one-way and £945 return in Premium, including all taxes and charges and subject to availability. To book visit https://www.norwegian.com/uk or call 0330 828 0854.

- For car hire and inspiration on road trips, check out the Hertz Road Planner destination guide at https://www.hertz.co.uk/p/american-road-trip-planner- For information on holidays in Texas, visit the https://www.traveltexas.com website.