Texas RV Travel blog

Did you know that the United Kingdom is the largest overseas market for travel to Texas and the US? Even with restrictions on and the expense of air travel, people from the UK are still jumping on Flights to USA.

The main purpose for visits from the United Kingdom to Texas are categorized as leisure & visiting friends and relatives, with popular destinations being (1) Houston, (2) Dallas/Fort Worth, (3) San Antonio and (4) Austin. Visitors from UK love shopping, dining, visiting historical sites and small towns, touring the countryside and sightseeing in cities. (Texas Travel Research 2006).

What is the one thing I would do if I flew in from the UK to Texas? I would visit the musical capital of the world, Austin, Texas. While Houston, San Antonio and the D/FW metroplex offer many worthy attractions, there is no place like Austin.

During the day, there is the natural beauty of the Wildflower Center, the Lady Bird Lake Hike and Bike Trail and the spring-fed waters of Barton Springs to enjoy.

For shoppers, the West End offers an eclectic collection of art, antiques, and collectible shops in cottages and storefronts built in the 1930s and 1940s. There are restaurants, bakeries and coffee houses in the area.

Sixth Street, a seven-block stretch of Victorian-era buildings once known as Pecan Street is lined with cafes, nightclubs, pubs, dance clubs, live music venues, restaurants, galleries and shops. On the weekend, the street is closed as the district explodes with music.

Welcome to Texas!

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One of my favorite places to visit is San Francisco, especially in the spring. It has been a long time since I have been there, but I remember it like it was yesterday.

We flew into SFO and rented a car. We checked into our hotel and then headed to Pier 39, which is an entertainment complex located on San Francisco Bay. What I loved most was the view from the pier; we could see the Golden Gate Bridge, Bay Bridge, Alcatraz Island and Fisherman’s Wharf.

We ate at one of the many restaurants on the bay and then walked around, window shopping. We walked over to K Dock and watched the sea lions. We discussed taking a cruise around San Francisco Bay, but decided to catch a ferry to Sausalito, across the bay from San Francisco. We visited several art galleries and unique shops in Sausalito, ate an early dinner at a delightful restaurant and then caught a return ferry back to Pier 39. As we crossed the bay, the fog was rolling in, blanketing the City by the Bay in a misty blanket.

Trusted Tours & Attractions is a purveyor of sightseeing tours and tickets in advance, like San Diego zoo tickets. Visit their website and discover all the things to do in San Francisco. Sign up for the Trusted Travels eNewsletter and you might win a hand held GPS! You may need it if the fog rolls in when you are in San Francisco!

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14th Annual Wine Opener

The intimate black tie affair features the gold medal winning wines from the San Antonio Wine Competition as well as outstanding foreign vintners.

11th Annual Champagne Brunch

The Champagne Brunch gives admirers of sparkling wines the opportunity to taste medal winners from the San Antonio Wine Competition, along side a multi-course brunch prepared by Chef Jeffrey Foresman of the Hyatt Regency Hill Country Resort and Spa.

28th Annual Fine Wine & Cuisine Tasting

Only the Alamodome is a large enough venue to accommodate the nearly 3,800 participants who will sample the hundreds of domestic and imported wines at the annual Fine Wine and Cuisine Tasting.

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Come to Austin, Texas in the springtime for the South by Southwest Music/Film/Interactive Conference/Festival. Yes, that is a mouthful to say, but it is the most exciting ten days of the year.

• Whether you are a musician, a music lover or in the music business, a Net2.0 person or a gamer, an independent film maven, a seasoned producer or a newbie screenwriter–you must come.
• Spend the days networking, promoting your band, book, game, application or innovation. Learn about social networking, mobi marketing, new apps and platforms. Get discovered, funded, mentored or published. Connect with press, radio, and film industry players.

• At night, grab a music or film schedule and anguish over your choices. Run around downtown Austin, eat and drink too much, have a wonderful time listening to tunes or watching flicks, but remember you should get up the next day to do it all again.

SXSW Music and Media Conference is held March 12-16, 2008. What started at an area hotel with about 30 bands playing in a few clubs around town has expanded to 1500+ musicians performing at 70+ music venues. During the day, thousands of entertainment and media industry professionals fill the Austin Convention Center for panels, presentations, trade show and exhibits. Dolly Parton, R.E.M. and The Black Crowes are already scheduled to perform.

SXSW Interactive Festival (Interactive feed), held March 7-11, 2008, explores the latest in media technologies with panels, presentations, trade show and exhibits. Look for ScreenBurn, gaming-specific programming with an open-platform arcade featuring tournaments and exhibitions. Mark Zuckerberg, from Facebook, is the keynote speaker on Sunday, March 9

SXSW Film Conference and Festival (Film feed), held March 7-15, 2008, covers the art and the business of independent cinematography. Scheduled events include a conversation with Michael Eisner, ex-head of Disney, and Helen Hunt, actress turned director whose new film Then She Found Me, will screen at this year’s SXSW Film Festival.

Register for events by clicking here | Download tools to keep updated here | Keep up with industry news here

If you will be staying in a hotel, reserve NOW. Otherwise, you may be staying in San Marcos or Johnson City and commuting in each day. This is a huge event, even for Texas!

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Going somewhere this holiday season? Do want to know how to find out the best attractions and tours to see while you are there?

Sign up for the free Trusted Travel eNewsletter, a monthly missive filled with travel tips and stories, between now and December 14, 2007 and receive an entry to win four tour tickets in any of the Trusted Tours cities. Sign up after before December 31 to receive an entry to win a free iPod Nano.

Washington, D.C. is just one of the more than 20 destinations that are part of the Trusted Travel and Attractions network of cities. I would recommend the Odyssey Dinner Cruise on the Potomac River. It has been years since I took this tour, but I will never forget cruising along the river, with all the landmarks of Washington, D.C. highlighted against the night sky and reflected in the flowing water.

The cruise is three hours in length and you will enjoy a wonderful dinner that includes appetizer, first course, main course and dessert, with a selection of wines, if you like. After dinner, there is dancing with a live band, or you may just sit and relax as the historical scenery passes by your window. This cruise gave me a real sense of history and my place in it.

Jacket is required for men and women should dress for cocktails.

Tags: washington d.c, trusted tours and attractions, potomac cruise

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