Join Christian Tours as we rustle up some new adventures in the grand Old West. Filled with cowboys and cattle drives, wildflowers and waterways, it’s easy to fall in love with Texas. This fly trip includes something for every interest, exciting adventures, interesting history, delicious food, great shopping, and much more! Arriving in Albuquerque, we check into our hotel for the night before a delicious dinner. (D)

Perhaps the finest museum in the region, the Anderson Abruzzo International Balloon Museum is dedicated to the worldwide history, science, and art of all types of ballooning and lighter-than-air flight and features one of the world’s finest collections of ballooning equipment and memorabilia collected by pioneer aeronauts Maxie Anderson and Ben Abruzzo. Departing Albuquerque, we travel Historic Route 66, stopping in Tucumcari for an unique photo op and sights. In 1960, when founder R. J. Lee opened the Big Texan Steak Ranch, the restaurant with the western atmosphere also featured a horse- back mounted cowboy greeting guests, a towering 60-foot neon cowboy sign and a contest to see who could eat a humongous steak in an hour. You’re going to enjoy your dinner here tonight. We overnight in Amarillo for the next two nights. (D)

The second largest canyon in the country lies in the Texas Panhandle and is our first stop today. Called the “Grand Canyon of Texas”, Palo Duro has earned that name both for its size and multicolored rock and steep mesa walls. Our scenic drive through the canyon provides many photo ops! Next, we visit the campus of Texas A&M University to tour Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum. At Texas’ largest history museum, step back to the Old West in a life-size Pioneer Town, view one of the Southwest’s finest art collections, experience the exciting history of the petroleum industry, and more. Then, we get a sweet taste of Texas with some shopping at Creek House Honey Farm, an active apiary producing delicious, local honey. In the Route 66 Historic District, we find over a mile of art galleries, antique and collectible stores, and restaurants. Keep your cameras ready for ten Cadillacs nose down at the same angle of the Great Pyramids. Cadillac Ranch is a roadside attraction and a must-stop for all who drive through the Texas Panhandle. After a dinner stop we return to our hotel for the night.

Grab your Stetson and get ready to “boot scoot” around historic and family-friendly Fort Worth, our destination for today! Fort Worth is where the West begins, and nothing embodies Western heritage better than the Stockyards National Historic District. From the original brick walkways to the wooden corrals, every inch of the Stockyards tells the true history of Texas’s famous livestock industry. Watch the twice-daily drive of the longhorn herd down Exchange Avenue and marvel at the historic garb of the ranch hands. Then, explore on your own the many shops specializing in all things Texas. We overnight in the Stockyards, so this evening is yours to fill as you wish!

Texas is renowned not only for its tremendous size, but also for its magnificent museums. And where better to get a true picture of Texas than in Waco at the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum. Located on the banks of the Brazos River, the Museum preserves the history and inspires an appreciation of the Texas Rangers, a legendary symbol of Texas and the American West. We cannot mention Waco without a picture of Chip and Joanna Gaines coming to mind. America’s most beloved fixer-uppers have brought millions of visitors and breathed life back into Waco at the Magnolia Silos. From women’s clothing to children’s toys, bath supplies and paper goods, food trucks and snacks, there’s something here for everyone at this complex that encompasses two city blocks! We visit the Dr. Pepper Museum where we find America’s oldest major soft drink. We stop for dinner on our own before checking into our Georgetown hotel for the evening.

This morning we’re rounded up for a short ride to Stonewall Texas where we find Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park. Just about 50 miles west of Austin in the Texas Hill Country, the Park protects the birthplace, home, ranch, and grave of Lyndon B. Johnson and presents a unique perspective into one of America’s most noteworthy citizens by providing the most complete picture of any American president. We have an included lunch before our stop at the National Museum of the Pacific War. Here we see the human side of World War II in the Pacific on our selfguided journey through this “must see” museum. Nothing can prepare us for the beauty we may see on our shopping visit at Wildseed Farms, a real working wildflower farm spanning over 200 acres in the beautiful Texas Hill Country. The Jourdanton-Pleasanton area, known as the “Birthplace of the Cowboy”, is just south of San Antonio and our final stop where we can climb off these saddles and tie up the horses for the night. (L)

Eat a hearty breakfast before we ride south to King Ranch. The largest ranch in the US, with 825,000 acres, it is larger than the land area of Rhode Island. Mainly a cattle ranch, the King legacy has also produced the Triple Crown winning racehorse Assault. Learn about Captain King and the resourcefulness and drive it took a destitute boy to envision and build an empire in 19th century Old West. Enjoy an included lunch filled with Texas BBQ as we break from our explorations. Then, mount our big horse (motorcoach) for a short ride to the coastal city of Corpus Christi where we take our adventure into the Gulf of Mexico on an exciting nature cruise to watch for dolphins. No cowboys here! Just lots of beautiful water and hopefully, plenty of dolphins. (L)

This morning we visit Corpus Christi Bay where the USS Lexington rests. Built for the Navy, this World War II-vintage Essex Class aircraft carrier has been turned into a museum, delighting visitors of all ages. Explore the Blue Ghost at your own pace before we travel on to Galveston and our ocean front accommodations, for the next two nights. Leave your spurs at the curb and sit down to a hearty included dinner at Bubba Gump’s. Located at Galveston Island Pleasure Pier, the restaurant provides great ocean views as well as delicious food to round out our day. (D)

Start your day with a walk on the beach, a warm cup of coffee in a comfy chair or maybe a dip in the sparkling waters of the Gulf. We would be amiss if we visited Galveston without making a stop at the Bishop’s Palace. The stone and steel mansion of Walter Gresham rises like a beacon in Galveston’s East End Historic District. The three-story home of more than 19,000 square feet is also known as Gresham’s Castle, was designed by the island’s premier Victorian-era architect and is considered one of the most significant Victorian residences in the nation. Our next adventure takes us aboard the Colonel, a triple deck sternwheeler, for an elegant, romantic experience from a bygone era. Blue skies and calm seas create a gorgeous backdrop for a cruise along Offatts Bayou on Galveston Island. Our last stop brings us to Ocean Star Offshore Drilling Rig and Museum, a one-of-a-kind facility that offers us the unique opportunity to learn all about the oil and gas industry while being aboard a retired jack-up drilling rig. Our tour is selfguided so we can experience the exhibits at our own pace. We gather tonight for an included farewell dinner and share our favorite parts and places of this amazing adventure across the grand state of Texas. (D)

We wave goodbye to Texas and the Longhorn cattle and cowboys, we board our plane in Houston for a flight home, remembering all we have seen and done on this exciting tour across the plains and prairies of Texas.