1. Big Bend
   Abilene State Park
2. Sea Rim State Park
   Goose Island State Park

Big Bend is located so far off the beaten path it doesn't experience the crowding found at other national parks. Located in the state's southwest corner, it straddles the Rio Grande and is home to incredible hikes and dirt road drives. Big Bend is also a certified dark-sky park and one of the darkest spots in the U.S., according to the International Dark Sky Association, which means visitors can see stars in a way most people will never experience.

1. Reunion Tower
   Dealey Park
2. The Alamo
   Sam Houston Mission

"Remember the Alamo!" became a battle cry that motivated Texans to win independence from Mexico in the 1830s. For 13 days during the Texas Revolution, a group of citizens held off an attack by the Mexican Army at this small San Antonio mission. Though they were ultimately defeated, their efforts helped shape the future of the area and gave this tiny, unassuming structure a story that looms larger than life.

1. Dallas
   San Antonio
2. Austin
   Houston

Houston has long been the home of the NASA Johnson Space Center and Mission Control for U.S. space excursions. In 1992, the center expanded into an impressive visitor center, which welcomes a million tourists a year to explore space shuttles, view lunar rovers and capsules and even make contact with the touchstone — a moon rock you can actually lay hands on.

1. Stockyards
   Diamond District
2. Boardwalk
   Newspaper Alley

Its location along the railroads made Fort Worth a hub for cattle ranchers in the late 19th century. While the livestock trade had moved elsewhere by the 1950s, the former stockyards were eventually transformed into an entertainment and shopping district. Today, tourists flock the 100-acre site to tour historic structures, grab a meal, listen to live music or even take in a rodeo, Texas-style.

1. Dealey Plaza
   Houston Plaza
2. Alamo Plaza
   Mission Plaza

Lee Harvey Oswald fired the shots that killed President Kennedy from the sixth floor of the Texas Schoolbook Depository on 11/22/1963. Today, the building in Dallas' Dealey Plaza is home to The Sixth Floor Museum, which offers exhibits dedicated to Kennedy's life and legacy.

1. Galveston Island
   Padre Island
2. Austin Island
   Jekyll Island

The longest barrier island and second-largest island of any kind in the U.S., Padre Island sits off the southeast coast of Texas in the Gulf of Mexico. The center portion is a protected National Seashore, with endless opportunities for fishing, boating and wildlife viewing.

1. Laredo
   Abilene
2. Sugar Land
   Galveston

Galveston was a massive port and the biggest city in Texas during the 1800s until a 1900 hurricane killed thousands of people and destroyed huge swaths of the island. Much of Galveston has since been rebuilt, and visitors now flock to the island to tour Galveston's six historic districts, especially the well-preserved Victorian buildings along the Strand.

1. San Marcos Mountains
   Enchanted Rock
2. Plano Park
   Brokeoff Mountains

People have occupied the area now known as Enchanted Rock State Natural Area for more than 10,000 years. The pink granite mound rises 425 feet above the surrounding landscape, providing magnificent views of Texas Hill Country for those who make the climb to the summit.

1. Reunion Tower
   Spinnaker Tower
2. Willis Tower
   San Jacinto Monement

Completed in 1978, Reunion Tower consists of massive concrete support beams holding up a geodesic dome that sits more than 500 feet above the Dallas skyline. Elevators take visitors to the top in just over a minute, where a visitor's center, observation deck and rotating restaurant provides spectacular views of the city.

1. Triceratops Wildlands
   Mastodon Natural Area
2. Pterodactyl Plantation
   Dinosaur Valley State Park

Millions of years ago, dinosaurs walked through the land now known as Glen Rose, Texas. Today, visitors can see and walk in the footprints left behind by these beasts in the Paluxy River. While you're in this part of northeast Texas, make sure to travel to the town of Acton and view the final resting place of Elizabeth Crockett, wife to famed outdoorsman Davy.

1. Houston
   San Antonio
2. Austin
   Dallas

After terrible floods killed more than 50 people in 1921, the city of San Antonio redirected the San Antonio River to flow a story below the city center. The area has since been transformed into a major attraction, where locals and tourists come to tour historic missions, grab a bite to eat, visit galleries or take in live music.

1. USS America
   USS Roosevelt
2. USS California
   USS Lexington

Nicknamed "The Blue Ghost" for her ability to silently disappear into the fog in WWII, the USS Lexington has been retired to the shores of Corpus Christi, Texas. Since 1992, visitors to the Essex-class aircraft carrier have been able to tour the vessel, step behind "virtual battle stations," and view artifacts and displays related to the ship's military history.

1. Fort Worth
   El Paso
2. Austin
   Houston

Built in the 1880s, the Texas State Capital building towers over the city of Austin. This Renaissance-Revival-style building uses local red granite. It's not only taller than the U.S. Capitol, but ranks among the tallest Capitol buildings in the U.S. Visitors head to this impressive structure to view its massive rotunda and dome, as well as to check out Austin from high on a hilltop that overlooks the city.

1. Turkey Hill
   Blue Bell
2. Ben and Jerry's
   Breyer's

Blue Bell Creameries has been blending up ice cream in East Texas for over a century. Today, they welcome visitors to their Brenham factory for tours. They also serve up sweet scoops to help you cool off in that blazing Texas heat.

1. Cars
   Beignets
2. Telescopes
   Waterslides

Part of the University of Texas at Austin, McDonald Observatory near Fort Davis in the southwestern part of the state has some of the most powerful telescopes on the planet. Attend an evening star party to look deep into the cosmos, or visit during the day to take a tour and view space-based exhibits.

1. Six Flags
   Schlitterbahn
2. Dollywood
   Kings Dominion

Six Flags is one of America's most iconic amusement park chains, and it all started in Arlington, Texas in 1961. Today, that park is known as Six Flags Over Texas, and it's home to the fastest and tallest roller coasters in the Lone Star State.

1. Houston Hollow
   Smith Lake
2. Austin Acres
   Barton Springs

Texans have been swimming in the cool natural water at Barton Springs since before Texas was even a state. Today the spring waters, which remain between 68 and 74 degrees year-round, are largely contained in a manmade pool with concrete walkways and decks for easy access.

1. Amarillo
   Abilene
2. Luckenbach
   Katy

Located in the heart of Texas Hill Country, the tiny town of Luckenbach wasn't much more than a dot on the map until its name was used as the title of a hit Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson song in 1977. Swing through Luckenback to check out the old general store and dance hall, or come during one of the town's many music festivals and special events for country music at its finest.

1. Reunion Tower
   Tower of the Americas
2. Sears Tower
   Alamo Tower

The tallest observation tower in the entire U.S. from 1968 through 1996, Tower of the Americas remains the tallest structure in San Antonio. The 750-foot tall tower was built for HemisFair '68, and yes, there is a rotating restaurant at the top offering spectacular views of the city.

1. Kemah Boardwalk
   McKinney Boardwalk
2. Round Rock Boardwalk
   Texarkana Boardwalk

The town of Kemah sits just 30 miles south of Houston along Galveston Bay. Its claim to fame is an enormous boardwalk area complete with rides, restaurants, a marina, hotel and plenty of other attractions. There's even a classic wooden coaster like the ones you'd see at many New England boardwalks.

1. Cowboy Cal
   Big Tex
2. Tom Mix
   Sam Houston

The State Fair of Texas draws 2 million visitors a year during a three week stretch in September. Under the watchful eye of 55-foot cowboy Big Tex, visitors flock to fried food stands, play games on the midway and check out the best in livestock and agriculture.

1. Zilker Pond
   Hamilton Pool
2. Bridge Well
   Abilene Springs

On highway 71 just west of Austin, stop by the Hamilton Pool Preserve to take a dip into brisk natural springs. The partially collapsed cave over the jade water forms a gorgeous natural grotto, while a 50-foot tall waterfall adds to the beauty of the area.

1. Bats
   Cars
2. Stars
   Waterfalls

When engineers redesigned Austin's Congress Avenue Bridge in the '80s, they had no idea that the arching supports beneath the bridge would attract so many bats. Today crowds gather each night at the nearby Statesman Observation Center to watch the world's largest urban bat colony take flight each night.

1. Diamond City
   Deadwood
2. Terlingua
   Galveston

Howard Perry set up a mining company in Terlingua, Texas in 1903 to take advantage of high quicksilver, or mercury, prices. By the end of WWII, the sharp decline in price of this element left Terlingua in ruin. Visitors to this town near the Mexican border can take in beautifully preserved structures from the town's heyday, and can even book a stay at the restored Perry Mansion.

1. Sheep farm
   Ice skating pond
2. Stonehenge replica
   Japanese tea garden

You might not expect to see Japan represented in the land of cowboys and rodeos, but the culture of this Asian nation is beautifully captured in San Antonio's Japanese Tea Garden. Built a century ago on a former rock quarry, it welcomes visitors via a traditional Torii, or gate, and is packed with arched bridges, lily ponds and even a pagoda.

1. "Crying" statues
   Exquisite paint schemes
2. Famous pastors
   Free wine

A surprisingly large number of Czech and German immigrants settled in central Texas in the late 1800s. When they arrived, they decorated the interior of many local churches using the elaborate decorating themes of their European homelands. Tourists now flock to these "painted churches" around Schulenberg to view their impressive interiors.

1. Dallas
   El Paso
2. Houston
   San Antonio

Museums in big coastal cities get all the attention, but Houston has its own Museum District, with 18 museums located within a 1.5-mile radius of one another. Stop by the Museum of Natural Science to view dinosaur skeletons or tour the massive butterfly garden. There are also buildings dedicated to art, history, space, children's interests and even a Holocaust Museum.

1. Natural Bridge Caverns
   Mammoth Cave
2. Wind Cave
   Jewel Caverns

Arrowheads and other artifacts reveal that the area near San Antonio known as Natural Bridge Caverns has been occupied since around 5,000 BC. Walk in the footsteps of early man by taking a tour 180 feet below the ground, or get a real taste for adventure with one of their more rugged tours. Not only do they take you to areas without concrete walkways or electric lights on their Adventure Tours, but you'll find yourself crawling or wiggling through tight spaces like a real spelunker.

1. Roswell
   Marfa
2. Kemah
   Gruene

So many people flock to the tiny town of Marfa near the Chianti Mountains that the state built a visitor's center along Rt. 90 in 2003. They come to see mysterious flashing lights that appear in the desert. While some blame the lights on car headlights far in the distance, historical documents include references to the Marfa lights as far back as 1883 ... well before Texans had cars. There's also a Prada storefront installed by a pop artist in 2005 to see while you're in town.

1. Barton Springs
   Amarillo Falls
2. Jacob's Well
   Tom's Pool

Crowds flock to Jacob's Well Natural Area in Hill Country to swim in a natural spring that remains around 68 degrees all year. While it's safe to wade, many jump off the surrounding rocks into a 100-foot deep pool at one end known as Jacob's Well. At the bottom, the spring opens into a massive underwater caving system that has served as a watery grave for countless inexperienced divers.

1. Natural gorge
   Many museums
2. Water park
   Tall skyscrapers

When it opened in 1979 in New Braunfels, the Schlitterbahn water park set the standard for water-based amusement parks around the world. Today the park, whose name comes from the German for "slippery road," is home to the world's longest tubing river as well as MASSIV — the tallest water coaster on the planet.

1. Yosemite Peak
   Alpine Hills
2. Marble Falls
   Palo Duro

Situated near Amarillo, Palo Duro Canyon State Park is home to the Grand Canyon of Texas. It's 120 miles long, up to 20 feet wide and 1,000 feet deep or more in some spots. If some of the Palo Duro landscapes look familiar, you may have seen them in the work of Georgia O'Keeffe, who lived nearby and often painted in the park.

1. Horse ranch
   Dance hall
2. Gold mine
   Rail station

Established by German immigrants in the 1840s, the south-central Texas town of Gruene was reduced to a ghost town a century later. Among its surprisingly intact Victorian homes and businesses stood an impressive dance hall dating back to 1878. Today tourists stop off in Gruene, now part of New Braunfels, to view the historic town and take a spin at the Gruene Dance Hall.

1. Roman Forum
   Pyramid
2. Great Wall of China
   Stonehenge

You'd have to head to England to see the real Stonehenge, but Texas is home to several replicas of the mysterious stone monument. Built in 1974, Cadillac Ranch near Amarillo has served as a representation of Stonehenge built out of classic cars. Both Odessa and Ingram, Texas have their own stone versions, but the town of Ingram takes things to the next level by throwing in replicas of the Easter Island heads as well.

1. Guadalupe Mountains National Park
   Big Bend National Park
2. Yellowstone National Park
   Dinosaur Valley National Park

Tired of all that low-country living? Good thing Texas has plenty of tall mountain peaks to lift your spirits! To climb the state's four highest peaks, head for Guadalupe Mountains National Park near El Paso. The best views can be had from the top of the 8,750-foot Guadalupe Peak, but the park is also packed with ranches, trails canyons and sand dunes to satisfy your inner adventurer.