11-Nights The Lone Star State To The French Quarter

Texas/Louisiana

Cosmos

Moderate

Vacation Offer ID 1517216

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From $2,439

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Overview

Cosmos

Everything is bigger in Texas! With its spacious size and cultural diversity, Texas is described by locals as “a whole other country.” On this tour through the Lone Star State, you’ll discover its major cities—Dallas, Austin, San Antonio, and Houston—and some of its historic landmarks, museums, and must-see sights. Take a city tour of the ‘Big D’, including Pioneer Plaza with its bronze sculpture recreating a cattle drive that commemorates the trails that brought settlers to Dallas. In Austin, visit the Bob Bullock State History Museum that tells the “Story of Texas.” See the Lyndon B. Johnson National Historic Park in Texas Hill Country and hear the story of President Johnson’s life. In nearby Fredericksburg, stroll the historic district with its one-of-a-kind, eclectic shops, art galleries, and museums. In San Antonio visit the San Fernando Cathedral, the oldest cathedral in the United States and take a self-guided tour of the famous Alamo. Enjoy a private, narrated cruise down the San Antonio River through the picturesque River Walk area. Highlights in Houston include a behind-the-scenes tram tour of the Johnson Space Center, home to NASA and the U.S. Space Program. See flown spacecraft, learn how astronauts live aboard the International Space Station, and discover what it takes to travel to Mars! Leave the Lone Star State and travel to the Louisiana city of Lafayette to take a cruise through moss-draped cypress trees in the Atchafalaya Basin—keeping an eye out for alligators! That evening, get a true taste of Louisiana on a casual optional outing with Cajun & Creole music and food. Then travel across Bayou Country to New Orleans, the Big Easy, and take a sightseeing tour with a Local Guide that includes viewing famous French Quarter landmarks and other sites. All of this and much more await you on this value-minded Texas and Louisiana vacation!

Featured Destinations

Lafayette Lafayette Situated on the Vermilion River about 115 mi/185 km west of New Orleans, Lafayette, Louisiana, is the center and de facto capital of Cajun Country—the area settled by French Acadians in the 1700s. There are several sights of note in the immediate Lafayette area, and the town serves as a good base for exploring the true treasures of Acadiana—the smaller towns located within a 30-mi/50-km radius. To the north of Lafayette is the Cajun Prairie region, which is made up of smaller towns that retain their French Acadian heritage. This is a largely rural area where cattle graze contentedly and flooded rice fields double as crawfish farms. The tranquil formal gardens of the Academy of the Sacred Heart draw travelers to the town of Grand Coteau. Fans of percussive zydeco music will gravitate toward the towns of Opelousas and Plaisance, where living legends of the style play in dance halls. Traditional Cajun music (less electrified than zydeco but no less danceable) is also a big draw in the area. Fans of the music get up early on Saturday morning to hit Fred's Bar in Mamou, a microscopic barroom-turned-dance-hall that hosts an early-morning radio program that's popular with locals and visitors alike. Up the road in Eunice, the beautifully restored Liberty Theater features the Saturday-night radio program Rendez-vous des Cajuns. Host and folklorist Barry Jean Ancelet takes the stage 6-8 pm for a live broadcast of Cajun music, stories and culture.	Destination Guide
Fredericksburg
Ft. Worth Ft. Worth To travelers unfamiliar with the city, Fort Worth, Texas, may seem like a secondary travel destination—a place to visit only after taking in all the sights of its bigger, glitzier neighbor, Dallas. (It does have to live with second billing in the "Dallas-Fort Worth" phrase used to describe everything from the shared airport to the general urban area). But Fort Worth has an identity all its own as a travel destination. Fort Worth boasts rich western heritage (lending it the nickname "Cowtown"), a world-class arts scene, beautiful parks, casual sophistication, great sightseeing and small-town charm despite its big-city population. A significant downtown renovation has filled the Fort Worth city center, known as Sundance Square, with such attractions as shops, cafes and inviting pedestrian areas that appeal to travelers. Residents and travelers alike enjoy Fort Worth's top-ranked museums, which have earned the city the title "Museum Capital of the Southwest." Add to this the prestigious Van Cliburn Piano Competition and the stunning Bass Performance Hall, and it's clear why Fort Worth's devotion to the arts has earned even Dallas' grudging respect. Even though it has its share of high-tech businesses and contemporary culture, Fort Worth keeps one boot in its frontier past. The restored historic stockyards—once the world's largest—remind visitors of the city's authentic cowboy heritage.	Destination Guide
Dallas Dallas Dallas is a city of Southern hospitality, cosmopolitan flair, Old West charm and modern sophistication. Dallas offers a wealth of culture and attractions. The Dallas Arts, District, largest of its kind in the U.S. offers all the types of art you could want. Dallas attractions include exciting amusement parks to natural parks and museums. Dallas has a never ending array of things to see and do. There is an outstanding collection of world-class museums, arts, amusement parks, professional sports, fine dining, and outstanding night clubs all in one place.	Destination Guide
Houston Houston Houston is a city of Southern hospitality, cosmopolitan flair, Old West charm and modern sophistication. Houston offers a wealth of culture and attractions. Houston’s Museum and Theater Districts are full of wonder and entertainment. Houston attractions include exciting amusement parks to natural parks and museums. There is an outstanding collection of world-class museums, arts, amusement parks, professional sports, fine dining, and outstanding night clubs all in one place.	Destination Guide
New Orleans New Orleans New Orleans is a happy, high-spirited city with the pulsing beat of Dixieland jazz. It delights visitors with its riverboats, Creole cuisine, quaint antique shops and narrow streets of the French Quarter. While here, be sure to take a ride on one of the picturesque trolley cars. Eccentric, elegant New Orleans is strongly connected to both the Mississippi River and the South, but its identity remains aloof from any regional or even national affiliation. It reminds some visitors of European cities, in part because French and Spanish colonial architecture adds an Old World backdrop to some streets. But the feeling of foreignness goes deeper: The celebrated New Orleans atmosphere, cuisine, music, traditions and lifestyle are rooted in an embrace of the decadent and assimilation of the unconventional. New Orleans welcomes all, but is familiar to none, and the result is a city which attracts the romantic, the spiritual, the wild and the inquisitive—all while successfully promoting itself as corporate America’s playground. No matter what is expected from a visit to New Orleans, no one goes home disappointed.	Destination Guide
San Antonio San Antonio San Antonio has something to offer everyone. The city is filled with an array of attractions, from nightly entertainment to historical site visits, shopping, sporting events and museums.	Destination Guide
Austin Austin Austin is a city of Southern hospitality, cosmopolitan flair, Old West charm and modern sophistication. The food is just about the best in the state, with every cuisine represented, and the city's outdoor attractions are no less than superb, with the river widening into a series of long lakes. Austin has a never ending array of things to see and do. There is an outstanding collection of world-class museums, arts, amusement parks, recreational activities, fine dining, and outstanding night clubs. Austin is also the home of country music in Texas, the city where Willie Nelson and Doug Sahm got their start. There is a thriving music scene in the city, with almost every style of contemporary music available.	Destination Guide