🔒Ultimate Texas to-do list: The Lone Star State’s 101 best experiences

Breathtaking mountain vistas, ocean views, incredible museums and music, mouthwatering food, Texas does indeed have it all.

That said, enjoying everything Texas has to offer during a lifetime is more than a challenge, it’s an impossibility. But with a little structure, some planning, and list, perhaps you could see the best of the best.

With that goal in mind, we assembled the ultimate Texas to-do list. On it, a strenuous hike up Guadalupe Peak; a bowl of ice cream in Brenham; an unforgettable performance in Palo Duro; a bottle of Dr Pepper in Dublin; a hidden desk in Alpine; and 96 more delightful and awe-inspiring things every Texan should experience before they kick the bucket.

Without further ado, our ambitious list of Texas adventures (it is numbered but it’s not ranked):

1. Climb to the ‘top of Texas,’ with a hike up Guadalupe Peak.
2. Order off the menu at the flagship Whataburger in Corpus.
3. Creep through the Caverns of Sonora.
4. Attend a Star Party at the McDonald Observatory.
5. Enter a world of bluebonnets in Washington County.
6. Roam Milton Reimers Ranch Park.
7. Beachcomb Padre Island National Seashore.
8. Examine the rock art at Seminole Canyon.
9. Soak up the sun at Rockport Beach.
10. See sensational fall colors in McKittrick Canyon.
11. Summit Old Baldy at Garner State Park.
12. Wade through Hamilton Pool’s aquamarine water.
13. Surf the sand dunes at Monahans Sandhills.
14. Summit the highest peak in El Paso, North Franklin Peak.
15. Eat barbecue at Snow’s in Lexington.
16. Spray-paint a car at Cadillac Ranch.
17. Go birding in the Rio Grande Valley.
18. Look out the ‘window’ in Big Bend.
19. Ride the ferry between Galveston and the Bolivar Peninsula.
20. Sip a Dublin Dr Pepper.
21. Greet a new year with a Polar Bear Plunge at Barton Springs Pool in Austin.
22. Admire marine life at the Texas State Aquarium in Corpus.
23. Raft down the Rio Grande through Big Bend’s Santa Elena Canyon.
24. Two-step at Billy Bob’s in Fort Worth.
25. Walk to the lighthouse in Palo Duro.
26. Find a moment of Zen at the Japanese Tea Garden in San Antonio.
27. Get lost in the Big Thicket.
28. Visit the Nasher Sculpture Center in Dallas.
29. Watch a play at the Globe Theatre in Odessa.
30. Order a Brown Derby at your local Dairy Queen.
31. Pick your own peaches in Fredericksburg.
32. Visit the Texas State Bison Herd in Quitaque.
33. Hike the Summit Trail at Enchanted Rock.
34. Float the Guadalupe River.
35. Drive the Davis Mountains Scenic Loop.
36. Cast away your cares on Matagorda Island.
37. Haggle during First Monday Trade Day in Canton.
38. Attend the Llano River Chuck Wagon Cook-Off.
39. Get away from it all at Indian Lodge in Fort Davis
40. Eat well at The Pearl in San Antonio.
41. Admire fall foliage at Lost Maples.
42. Hike to a hidden desk in Alpine.
43. Hop aboard the Texas State Railroad.
44. Get your groove on at Gruene Hall.
45. Frolic among the flowers at the San Antonio Botanical Garden.
46. Paddle down Devils River.
47. Make a pit stop at Buc-ee’s.
48. Eat a Fletcher’s corny dog at the State Fair of Texas in Dallas.
49. Feel small in Sam Houston National Forest.
50. Canoe across Caddo Lake.
51. Hop on rocks in Pedernales Falls State Park.
52. Serve some time at the Texas Prison Museum in Huntsville.
53. Take in the Riverwalk during Fiesta.
54. Get lost in the stacks at Barber’s Book store in Fort Worth.
55. Enjoy breathtaking views at the top of the Tower of the Americas.
56. Step aboard the USS Lexington.
57. Watch an unforgettable performance at an outdoor amphitheater in Palo Duro.
58. Face your fears at Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington.
59. Follow the Chain Trail to spectacular views at Hueco Tanks.
60. Savor a slice of pie at Blue Bonnet Cafe in Marble Falls.
61. Stop and smell the roses in Tyler.
62. Eat your fill on Rainey Street in Austin.
63. Watch the sun set on Snoopy’s Pier in Corpus.
64. Refuel at Gage Hotel in Marathon.
65. Get your game on at Kyle Field in College Station.
66. Crane your neck at the San Jacinto Battleground Historic Site.
67. Attend the Austin City Limits Music Festival.
68. Swim with the fishes in Balmorhea.
69. Sail through Hell’s Gate at Possum Kingdom Lake.
70. Stroll through a house of immaculate glass in San Juan.
71. Chow down in Houston’s Chinatown.
72. Drive down the Devil’s Backbone.
73. Bust a move at Broken Spoke in Austin.
74. Search for treasure at the antiques fair in Round Top.
75. Get a glamorous drink at the Dome Bar inside El Paso’s Hotel Paso del Norte.
76. See phenomenal wildflowers at Wildseed Farms in Fredericksburg.
77. Absorb the art in Houston’s Museum District.
78. Cool off at the Blue Hole in Wimberley.
79. Order the onion rings at Gristmill in New Braunfels.
80. Admire the architecture in Galveston.
81. Work up a sweat walking, running or biking around Lady Bird Lake.
82. Tour the painted churches in Little Bohemia.
83. Go full-on cowboy at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.
84. Enjoy a quiet morning at the Chihuahuan Desert Nature Center & Botanical Gardens.
85. Visit the missions in San Antonio.
86. See the Marfa Lights (or pretend to see the Marfa Lights).
87. Spend madly -- or browse responsibly -- at BookPeople in Austin.
88. Chug through the Galveston Railroad Museum.
89. Rest easy at Hotel Paisano in Marfa.
90. Prance through the pumpkin patch at the Dallas Arboretum.
91. Go wild at the San Antonio Zoo.
92. Rev up at the Art Car Parade in Houston.
93. Wander through the Umlauf Sculpture Garden in Austin.
94. Picnic at the Fort Worth Botanic Garden.
95. Paddle the Medina River.
96. Book a night at Hotel Settles in Big Spring.
97. Meander through the Kimbell Art Museum in Fort worth.
98. Enjoy a bowl of Blue Bell ice cream in Brenham.
99. Cast a line on Pirate’s Landing Fishing Pier in Port Isabel.
100. See remnants of the Pleistocene era at the Waco Mammoth National Monument.
101. Oh, and remember the Alamo! (As if we could forget.)

Texans, you’ve got a lifetime to complete this list, but that doesn’t mean you should delay. Lace up your hiking boots, fill up your tank, and hit the road!

Use our printout to check off the things you’ve done and share your travel photos with us on Click2Pins. We can’t wait to see all the places you go!

🤠 What’s at the top of your Texas bucket list? What would you add to this list? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.