dfinazzo said:
Well looks like you are traveling the southern route and there is a lot of history and great sites to see. If you stay in San Antonio check out
the Alamo (
http://www.thealamo.org) - a little history of the US and Mexico and maybe a relaxing evening in the River Walk (
http://www.thesanantonioriverwalk.com/)
. . . nothing like the scenery in Germany but very flatland US / Texan . . .
I am sure others will chime on in our your travels:
Guten Tag!
Being you're starting in San Francisco, you should go at least 12 miles north to Muir Woods National Monument to see some of the California Redwoods, also known as giant sequoias. I've been to Bavaria/Garmische, which is got to be one of Deutschland's crown jewels, but I don't think you have trees like this. Yosemite National Park is four hours East of San Francisco. This area is some of the most beautiful in California, and it's a "must see" part of Americana. here's one link:
http://gocalifornia.about.com/od/topcalifornia/a/redwood_forests.htm
And if you like wine, don't forget Napa Valley. California, as jacked up as their politics is
, has some great tasting wines, many of which are world class.
+1 about San Antonio- it has lots of things to see and do and the Riverwalk is beautiful- and San Antonio is one of the best locations in the USA for TexMex cuisine. Forget the Mexican food in California- they can't hold a candle to the Southwest flavor of genuine TexMex.
Also, if the google map presented in one of the posts is accurate, I suggest changing the route South from Roswell, New Mexico to San Antonio. Head out of Roswell towards Big Ben National Park. It's beautiful, then go to San Antonio.
While you're in San Antonio, you might be interested in New Braunfels. It's a relatively small town compared to San Antonio, but it was founded by
German immigrants.
It's just on the North side of San Antonio, and they have Schlitterbahn Waterpark, but if you like waterparks, SeaWorld, Texas in San Antonio might be better bet. I would say for water sports/recreation with a local flavor, go tubing down the Guadalupe River near Canyon Lake/New Braunfels. It's cheap, cool fun, and I've heard you can pull your own cooler of refreshments/beer in it's own inner tube.
I don't know much to see between Roswell and San Antonio on the above mentioned map/route, therefor the reason for my suggestion of Big Bend National Park. There's probably a member here to either confirm or correct me.
There is an area just Northwest of San Antonio referred to as the Texas Hill County, with small towns like Bandera, Fredericksburg, Kerrville, Leakey and others w/ Texas charm. This area has beautiful scenic riding, giving you even more exposure to authentic Texas ambiance, so to speak. One famous/well known motorcycle route is the Three Twisted Sisters, aka The Hundred Mile Loop. You can google this and get an idea of what you could expect. Again, it's a great example of Southwest Texas countryside and the related charm. This is also a great area to experience Texas Bar-B-Q. Hope you all aren't vegans because Texas has some of the best food in the United States, and it involves all kinds of beef. :cboy:
Speaking of great food, you'll want to maintain a healthy appetite to experience some awesome seafood and french inspired local cuisine in Louisiana known as Cajun-style or Creole. Between the flavors of what Texas offers and the great state of Louisiana, you'd be hard press to find better a more enjoyable culinary experience for your palate. Oh yeah, you'll want a great steak while in Texas. Besides TexMex, and Bar-B-Q, you can't beat Texas Beef. There are hundreds of great steakhouses. One that comes to my mine is a chain in Houston called Papas Brothers. As a matter of fact, they specialize in all the above w/ a chain of restaurants for each. They even have a chain for seafood with a Cajun influence, called Pappadeaux. But they steakhouse is called Pappa Bros. Steakhouse, and it's to die for, but it's also a four or five star restaurant, so it's pricey.
One last thing, while you're in the San Antonio area, and even the rest of Texas, try Shiner Beer. It's made in Shiner, Texas, and it's only available in Texas. There's several flavors, and all of them are really tasty. On a related note, there is a brewery with a castle-like building in San Antonio that makes Pearl Beer and Lone Star Beer. I want to say they have
free guided tours, and they use to give
free samples in their Buckhorn Hall of Horns (as in antlers). Pearl and Lone Star are marginal when it comes to flavor, but you want to say you drank a Lone Star beer. Ensure you try one from the bottle, instead of a can. Some reason, it's a lot more palatable. :toast:
Anyhow, hope this gives you some ideas to seriously consider.
