Texas Road Trip with Toyota Highlander

I love a fun road trip. You go cool places, see fun things along the way, avoid airport craziness, and there is always snacks, shopping, and plenty of stops along the way. They are even better when you have an awesome car to drive! I borrowed a 2018 Toyota Highlander Hybrid for my most recent Texas road trip where Kale and I traveled in the Toyota Highlander from Dallas to San Antonio.

Dallas to San Antonio in the Toyota Highlander

The Car: I have to admit, the Highlander was so much larger than the car I usually drive. There was a bit of a learning curve, mostly with parking (which I’m pretty sure I never mastered). However, the car was decked out, and the features were helpful on the road and provided a convenience factor that I was pleased with. From heated and cooling seats, to bluetooth, gps, and XM radio for entertainment and comfort. Then the back up camera and blind spot monitor for safety, I felt safe and ready to go the entire trip! Kale kept asking to drive, but I wouldn’t let him- I was having too much fun! The XM radio stayed on the 00s station pretty much the entire drive, and we stocked up on Twizzlers and Pringles before we left, so we were ready for the long haul.

Stops to Make on the Drive

Czech Stop: Every time we drive down 30, we find ourselves stopping at the Czech Stop right before you hit Waco if you are coming from Dallas. Kale claims they have the best sandwiches ever, but I usually grab a sausage roll (which is awesome) to tide me over until we get to our destination.

Magnolia Market: Magnolia Market is definitely a destination to hit. Located in Waco, TX right between Dallas and Austin, Magnolia is a gorgeous market owned by Chip and Joanna Gains from the HGTV show, Fixer Upper. I’ve never actually been in here, and we didn’t make the stop this time because we didn’t carve out enough time! You have to make a plan to go since the lines are insane. Everytime I’ve been in the area, I had another destination and time constraints, so plan ahead so you can stop in! I am hoping to get back there this spring, possibly taking a day to only stop by the market.

San Marcos Premium Outlets: We drove by this massive outlet mall on our way down to San Antonio. It’s about 45mins outside the city, and about 20 mins away from Austin. These outlets have pretty much any store you could imagine because one side is the Premium Outlets, and the other is the Tanger Outlets. I saw the signs for the Gucci, Burberry, and Prada outlets, and could not resist a detour on our way home! Kale was so sweet to tag along while I ogled bags I still couldn’t buy! The prices were definitely great, but I couldn’t justify a $500+ impulse purchase right before we move! We did also stop in the Lululemon outlet, and I think Kale did even better than I did.. I may be creating a monster. Anyways, these outlets are a must-do if you’re in the shopping mood!

Texas Ranch BBQ: There are a lot of places I would recommend eating in Austin, but this time we stopped at Texas Ranch BBQ. We randomly pulled it off of Yelp because it was close to the highway, and it was the best meal of the trip! Texas Ranch BBQ ended up being a food truck outside of a Taco joint, and really you can’t go wrong since I love them both. If you are in, around, or driving past Austin, definitely check them out!

I’m sure there are plenty more stops to make during your Texas road trip the way, but so far these are my favorites! I’m sure I’ll be making the trip again, because San Antonio is so fun! Look out for my next post explaining what we did once we arrived! I’m so happy to be exploring my new home state. After almost four years, I should know more about this place!

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