Both Texas and California have special days in February – each are celebrated with their own National Day; California’s falls on February 22 and Texas is the star of the day on February 1. According to nationaldaycalendar.com, the best way to celebrate these National Days is to visit the state! If you can’t make it on each state’s very special day, make a plan to visit these two states soon – which by the way are our country’s second and third largest states (Texas is #2 and California is #3).
California
With over 809 miles of coastline, and over 20 Thousand Trails campgrounds, a visit to California is definitely something that should be on your list. You can certainly split up a visit to the Golden State in multiple trips or spend a long, leisurely trip exploring.
The Wine Country region is a beautiful trip that could begin with a planning/camping foray at San Francisco RV Resort in Pacifica. Head into the city and snap pics of the iconic Golden Gate Bridge, tour Alcatraz Island, hike Muir Woods and ride a trolley car. Then head north to Wine Country – which consists of the towns in the Napa Valley and Sonoma County. Make Thousand Trails Russian River your home base as you explore the wineries, the countryside, and the charming towns along the way. There is more than just wine here, too – consider following the California Cheese Trail or the Sonoma County Farm Trails map to see non-wine highlights.
Another scenic route, albeit a short one, is the 17-Mile Drive from Monterey to Carmel. Book a stay at Marina Dunes and take this scenery-stacked trip whose highlights include The Lone Cypress; Crocker Grove, home to the largest and oldest Monterey Cypress in existence; the Pebble Beach Golf Course; and Fanshell Beach, popular for watching Harbor Seals (note the beach is closed in April and May to protect the seal pups). Monterey musts include the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Cannery Row, and the Point Sur Lighthouse, an historic landmark dating back to the late 1800s.
San Diego is California’s second largest city and offers something for everyone. There are 70 miles of beaches; a few theme parks, including LEGOLAND California; the San Diego Padres baseball team; the Gaslamp Quarter and plenty of outdoor activities. Stroll the San Diego Zoo which offers views of more than 3,000 rare and endangered animals, plus a botanical collection featuring more than 700,000 exotic plants, all set in the city’s Balboa Park. When exploring San Diego, stay at Thousand Trails Pio Pico to be close to everything the city has to see!
Texas
At over 268,000 square miles, Texas is definitely a big one! From the big cities like Dallas/Fort Worth and Houston to the music mecca of Austin, there is a whole lot to see and do here.
If it’s the city life you’re looking for when you visit Texas, there a few big ones not to miss. The Dallas/Fort Worth (yes, that’s two cities) area offers such attractions as the The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza which offers a history lesson into one of the most defining moments in U.S. history (the assassination of President John F. Kennedy); the beautiful Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden; The Fort Worth Stock Yards, which are considered an Historic District and listed on the National Register of Historic Places; the Fort Worth Zoo and the Kimball Art Museum, which not only houses an amazing collection of art and statuary, but the building itself, designed by famed architect Louis Kahn, is worth the visit. Check out Thousand Trails Lake Tawakoni, Thousand Trails Lake Texoma, and Thousand Trails Lake Whitney for your Dallas adventure.
In addition to the Alamo and the River Walk, visitors to San Antonio can enjoy Natural Bridge Caverns, the San Antonio Zoo, and the San Antonio Botanic Gardens. Houston has NASA’s Space Center Houston and the Houston Zoo, in beautiful Hermann Park, plus the Houston Museum of Natural Science and outdoor activities along Buffalo Bayou, the city’s 162-acre green space great for hiking and biking and views of the bayou. Plan to stay at Thousand Trails Medina Lake while exploring San Antonio.
Austin is a mecca for music lovers and annually hosts two popular festivals, South by Southwest (each March) and Austin City Limits (each October). There are also craft breweries, all kinds of live music venues and food – don’t miss the Tex-Mex offerings and anything BBQ! For outdoor adventures, consider McKinney State Park for hiking, biking and bouldering, or Lady Bird Lake for kayak, canoe, and paddleboard fun.
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