Explore Texas On This Epic Road Trip

What do you think of when Texas comes to mind? Is it rodeos, country music and tumbleweeds? Yes those clichés are true, but there's so much more to the Wild West than it’s swashbuckling stereotype.

Vast natural beauty that remains largely untouched combined with rocky mountains, rivers, lakes and glorious starry nights reward those who make this epic journey. 

Grab a car and take a road trip through these epic lands, hitting genuine american towns such as Lubbock, Marfa, Alpine and Marathon.

Stop by these locations and prepare to be pleasantly surprised.

Ooh ooh, I look just like Buddy Holly

The texan town of Lubbock is most famous for being the birthplace of rock ’n’ roll legend Buddy Holly,

The city certainly celebrates his life with artefacts and memento’s at The Buddy Holly Centre and no trip to Lubbock would be complete without a visit.

Marvel at this famous Fender Stratocaster and his iconic black-rimmed glasses sit in a glass case and remained hauntingly intact after the tragic plane crash which claimed Holly’s life back in 1959 making 2019 the 60th anniversary.

The Massive University

Lubbock is also home to Texas Tech University. Walking the grounds it’s easy to lose yourself in the awe of beautiful architecture and historical statues.

Be sure to swing by the Texas Tech Red Raiders football stadium for an impressive view and real life taste of american university culture.

Texans Make Art Too

Out of the ashes of a tornado that ripped apart the old business district in 1970 now stands Lubbock Arts District. It's centre to a thriving arts scene with street murals, studios, breweries and all around good vibes.

With sustainable artists community projects like the ‘Charles Adams Studio Projects’, This will no doubt contribute to the nurturing of local talent in the area, providing a vibrant place to produce all kinds of wacky art.

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Time for Wine

McPherson Cellars Winery puts texan wine on the map, with 90% of all grapes in Texas being grown in the local Lubbock city area. Their adjoining La Diosa restaurant offers some excellent spanish cuisine, with tasty tapas, unique decor and a very (very!) long wine list.

The Secret Canyon

North of Lubbock sits the Paulo Duro Canyon. Aka the second largest canyon in the US at 120 miles long (no points if you guessed the largest). Don’t forget your water bottles, it can get pretty hot out there with temperatures reaching over 40 degrees whilst you hike.

Cadillac Ranch

Further still is the Cadillac Ranch. Get your cameras out for this one as this unique art installation that has literally buried several cadillacs into the ground, which makes for some pretty cool photos. Maybe you can get hold of a spray can and add to the artwork yourself.

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Stay in Marfa

Heading all the way to West Texas sits this quiant peaceful desert town with some seriously awesome aesthetic. With trendy hipsters moving out of Austin to set up camp here, be sure to stay at the El Cosmico retreat with its selection of yurts, teepees and fashionable trailers; it even hosts it's own music festival every year! And if you're feeling hungry, stop by the best restaurant in town, Cochineal.

Fashion meets desert

Just outside of Marfa sits Prada Marfa. An art installation built to look like a Prada store in the middle of the barren desert. It has some serious Wes Anderson vibes and is bound to muster up a bunch of likes to your Insta profile.

Who you going to call?

For over 135 years people have reported seeing strange ‘ghost lights’ on the horizon over Marfa. Scientists and explorers alike have tried to solve the mystery, but no one has yet been able. Some believe the lights to be UFO activity or ghostly orbs, others think they’re simply car headlights. Spooky!

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Stay in part of hollywood history

Made famous by the 1956 James Dean & Elizabeth Taylor movie ‘Giant’. Historic hotel, The Paisano is utterly charming. Located toward San Antonio, it features a heated pool, a beautiful courtyard and displays of film memorabilia throughout.

There’s also the Predio County Courthouse building. The beautiful courtroom brings to mind hundreds of iconic Hollywood movie scenes and if you venture all the way to the top of the building, you are greeted with an incredible view of the town and it’s limits.

Stay in a Haunted Hotel

North of the Big Bend National Park in a town called Marathon, stay at the Gage Hotel which many had said to be haunted but to take your mind of that, visit the stunning Gage gardens. Twenty-seven acres of lush greens and afterwards you can tuck into some amazing mexican food. What ghosts?

The Historic Holland Hotel

Located in Alpine, this hotel built in 1928 by local rancher JR Holland is the the 3rd of the historic hotels in the area. Try to refrain from pretending to be Marty McFly in back to the future III… DOC!?

What’s up Cow Dog?

For the vegetarians and hot dog lovers alike, this locally owned food truck has something excellent for everyone.

You ever heard of a Wine Saloon?

Locally owned wine saloon and beer garden, The Ritchey Hotel, has been lovingly restored and host many nights to showcase the local music scene. Beautiful country music vibes.

By Zoe Mead

MTV Travelled with... Travel Texas. For more information on Texas, please visit www.traveltexas.com.