Want to get out of town your Senior Year? See below for some Road Trip ideas out of Austin. 

Texas is big  – but there are plenty of fun places to visit just a few hours drive from Austin. From cities to state parks to beaches, you have lots of options only a few hours drive from home.

So grab your friends, hit the road and visit some of these fun sites below.

“If adventures will not befall a young lady in her own village she must seek them abroad” -Jane Austen

Inks Lake State Park, Burnet, Texas

1.Burnet, TX (54 miles from Austin)

Only about an hour’s drive from Austin, visit Burnet, Texas and go underground at the Longhorn Caverns, hike and swim at Inks Lake State Park or check out the night sky at Eagle Eye Observatory at the Canyon of the Eagles.

The Alamo Mission in San Antonio, Texas

2. San Antonio, TX (73 miles from Austin)

You can stop in San Marcos on your way South and shop at the outlet malls, take a glass-bottomed boat tour, go tubing or take a clear kayak on the river.

Once you get to San Antonio, besides walking the Riverwalk, you can visit the various Missions, like the Alamo. Go check out Hopscotch for interative art exhibits, shop at the Nowhere Bookstore and visit the McNay Museum for some modern art. Make sure to swing by the Pearl Brewery for food and events. Also enjoy nature at the Botanical Gardens.

Pedernales State Park, Johnson City, Texas

3. Johnson City and Fredericksburg, TX (48 and 78 miles from Austin respectively)

Stop in Johnson City on the way to Fredericksburg and hike Pedernales State Park. Visit the LBJ boyhood home if you’re interested in history.

Once in Fredericksburg, pick peaches in the summer, go to the Wildseed Farms in Spring, hike Enchanted Rock in the Fall, visit Main Street decorated for Christmas and go ice skating in the Winter.

Color Factory in Houston, Texas

4. Houston, TX (146 miles from Austin)

Houston is full of great food, art, sports and science. Visit the Menil or Museum of Fine Arts. See baseball at Minute Maid Park. Learn about NASA at the Space Center Houston. Immerse yourself at the Color Factory. Pretend to be in Middle Earth at the Hobbit Cafe.

Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden

5. Dallas, TX (182 miles from Austin)

Stop in Waco on your way to Dallas to shop the Magnolia Market and Silos, drink soda at the Dr. Pepper Museum or learn about fossils at the Waco Mammoth National Monument.

Once in Dallas, visit the Arboretum and Botanical Gardens – decorated throughout the year, but extra magical for the holidays.

See the animals at the Dallas Zoo or World Aquarium. Go to the top of Reunion Tower. Test out your conspiracy theories at Dealey Plaza.

Galveston, TX beach

6. Galveston, TX (218 miles from Austin)

If you want beach time, go visit the coast. Galveston has many public beaches as well as Moody Gardens, the Railroad Museum, the Pleasure Pier amusements and dolphin watching tours.

“The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.” – St. Augustine

If you’re interested in Science, History or Art there are lots of places to match your interests when traveling around Texas.

Or if you love to get outdoors and hike or swim, Texas is full of beautiful parks, rivers and lakes to enjoy.

Go make some new memories with your family and friends during your Senior Year with road trips around Texas.

Please contact me if you’d like to book a Senior Photo Session in Austin, Texas. Explore more portrait sessions on my blog.