On the Road Again

Texas hotels, resorts, and more offer hot deals for summer travel

If you're ready to get out there, you've got places to stay.

As Texas slowly and optimistically begins to open back up following stay-at-home orders amid the COVID-19 pandemic, many residents are itching to do one thing in particular: travel. If a flight seems like too much, too soon, consider a Texas staycation.

Many hotels and resorts, especially in Central Texas, are offering deals to entice travelers back onto their properties — we've rounded up a few here, along with a discounted way to get around the state.

Vonlane
Despite ceasing all operations through May 28, the Dallas-based luxury bus company is looking ahead with a spring sale. Receive 20 percent off ticket purchases made prior to May 22, 2020, for travel through June 30, 2020. Though traveling on Vonlane always felt exclusive with its limited seating, free amenities, food and drink service, and attendant on each route, the company promises that going forward it will:

Block all aisle seats through June, ensuring that everyone will sit alone and there will be at most 12 other passengers on each route
Conduct non-contact pre-boarding fever scanning of all passengers
Provide service from masked Vonlane crew members, as well as supplement the amenity list with masks and hand sanitizer

All Vonlane trips purchased with a credit card are refundable if canceled 24 hours or more prior to the start of first leg of your trip. Visit here for a list of available routes, and use the code SPRING2020 for the discount.

The company is also running a bulk credit sale, meaning that you get a discount for loading your account with funds in advance. For example:

$500 credit for $460 (8 percent savings): Valid for three months
$1,000 credit for $900 (10 percent savings): Valid for six months
$1,500 credit for $1,320 (12 percent savings): Valid for six months
$2,000 credit $1,720 (14 percent savings): Valid for twelve months
$3,000 credit for $2,550 (15 percent savings): Valid for eighteen months
$5,000 credit for $4,000 (20 percent savings): Valid for eighteen months

Email passenger.service@vonlane.com with the subject line "Bulk Credit" to purchase yours.

Hotel Alessandra, Houston
The chic, European-inspired hotel has a "Stay Texas" discount of 20 percent for Lone Star State residents, as well as a flexible 24-hour cancellation policy. There are blackout dates and restrictions (such as you can't use this with any other offers), but go online to read all the fine print and book.

Great Wolf Lodge, Grapevine
In honor of Nurses Month in May and National Nurses Day on May 6, Great Wolf Lodge in Grapevine is launching a "Nights for Nurses" campaign. For every room (priced $149.99 and up) booked from May 4-12, 2020, with the code THANKYOU, the lodge is donating a free overnight stay — up to 10,000 of them — to a registered nurse to enjoy with their family at any of its 17 U.S. resorts.

Nurses can book their complimentary stays starting June 1, and choose from a variety of stay dates between August 1-December 17, 2020. That same promo code also unlocks a discount of up to 50 percent off standard room rates for stays July 6-October 29, 2020. Note that the lodge is currently closed until June 15.

Hotel ZaZa, Dallas, Houston, and Austin
Join the ZIP loyalty club (it's free) and receive 20 percent off standard rooms booked through May 31, for stays May 1-December 31, 2020.

The Guild, Austin and Dallas
Long-term stays (14 days or more) in these fully furnished hotel apartments are 50 percent off when you book by May 31, 2020, and stay through August 31, 2020. The rooms come fully equipped with kitchen tools, washer and dryer, bathroom essentials, Parachute linens and Tuft & Needle beds, high-speed WiFi, and a virtual concierge for before, during, and after check-in.

South Congress Hotel, Austin
Whether your travel is essential or for pleasure, this hip Austin spot is offering a $99/night rate with the code HEREFORYOU. The team promises it's taking extra precautions to clean and sanitize all spaces, multiple times daily. The check-in and in-room dining processes have been altered, and distancing regulations apply to keep guests and employees safe.

Four Seasons Hotel Austin
The "Texas Strong" offer discounts your room rate by 10 percent and upgrades you to a Lake View guest room with overnight parking. It's valid through May 31, 2020, and you can use the Four Seasons mobile app to check in upon arrival. From May 1 through the end of the year, the "Austin Getaway" offer nets your 20 percent off your room booking of two nights or more.

Omni Barton Creek Resort & Spa, Austin
The swanky resort is closed until May 15, but you can still book at least 21 days in advance of your stay and received 20 percent off the best available rates. As a bonus, each stay at the Omni is also a donation to Feeding America, to help end world hunger.

Fairmont Austin
Another "Texas Strong" rate gives Lone Star State residents the best available deal, complimentary valet parking, and a $25 daily hotel credit to use during their stay. The rate is currently set to begin June 1, 2020, but that could change once the hotel reopens.

Horseshoe Bay Resort
Stay on the shores of Lake LBJ beginning June 1, and if you use the code TEXAS when booking and show your Texas ID upon check-in, you get a resident discount. Save up to 20 percent if your stay is Sunday through Thursday, and 15 percent off for Friday and Saturday trips.

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Love the Land

New PBS docuseries spotlights conservation efforts across Texas

Photo courtesy of Hogaboom Road, Inc.

Making of a Million: Daytripping with The Nature Conservancy in Texas is free to watch online.

Thanks to a new three-part PBS docuseries, you don't need to go to all of Texas' protected lands and waters to appreciate their breadth. Making of a Million: Daytripping with The Nature Conservancy in Texas follows The Daytripper host Chet Garner from West Texas to the coast, discussing conservation efforts by the conservancy (TNC) along the way.

"Making of a Million" refers to the one million acres in Texas that fall under TNC's protection. The one million figure is a milestone TNC is celebrating with the series, but it's not the full extent of its work; actually, according to the 2025 annual report, its total impact is 1.6 million acres. TNC also works in Africa, Europe, Latin America, the Asia-Pacific region, and more specific smaller regions within those.

The Daytripping project has been rolled out slowly in 2026, from YouTube previews, to an official release on PBS in April, to an Austin event in May that formally introduced the works. The Contemporary Austin hosted an outdoor screening on behalf of TNC's Board of Trustees, specifically focusing on the episode that explores West Texas.

The 26-minute video shows off striking aerial images of mountains, close ups of plants and wildlife, and even a quick feature of an archeological find. Water, of course, is a big topic in the desert and it's a large topic across the series. Fresh water even has its own dedicated episode.

Although conservation experts are consulted throughout the series, viewers can do more than passively watch other people solve environmental problems. One story, toward the end of the West Texas episode, highlights how a rancher directed researchers to a habitat for an endangered species of fish on his property, simply because he overheard a scientist at a café claim they were extinct.

On a larger and perhaps less direct scale, producing video series like this can kick off similar effects. The more civilians know about conservation efforts in their neck of the woods, the more they might know their place in helping out.

Garner spoke on a panel after the Austin screening with TNC director of land protection Jeff Francell, spatial analyst Jacqueline Ferrato, and director of land protection/stewardship Dan Snodgrass. They discussed the series and the broader conservation topics it connects to.

“This new series really captures the spirit of our efforts and collaborations to protect Texas lands and water,” said Snodgrass in a recap for press. “Chet’s storytelling skills spotlight our partners and projects in a unique, engaging way — we’re excited for more Texans to see why conservation matters and learn how they can get involved.”

“Daytripping with The Nature Conservancy in Texas allowed us to visit some of the most amazing places in Texas and to meet people who are making a real difference for conservation,” said Garner. “Folks will love traveling with us across wildly diverse landscapes and learning the solutions shaping the future of our state’s biggest environmental challenges.”

Viewers can watch the series for free on the Nature Conservancy's website or on YouTube.

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