The Space Center Houston exhibit "Science Fiction, Science Future," on display from May 27 - September 4, is one of many Houston area attractions.
Photo courtesy of Space Center Houston
With the hot and humid weather, Texas isn't often thought of as a prime summer vacation destination spot. But three cities in the Lone Star State rank among the top 12 in the nation where you get the most bang for your travel buck, according to a new survey.
WalletHub compared 80 of the most populated metro areas across six categories, including travel costs and hassles, local costs, the number of attractions, weather, activities, and safety to determine the nation's best vacation spots.
Houston-The Woodland-Sugar Land came in as the top vacation spot in Texas, ranking No. 7 in the nation, while Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington was close behind at No. 8. The Austin-Round Rock area came in at No. 12.
San Antonio-New Braunfels ranks No. 38, El Paso in No. 40, and McAllen-Edinburg-Mission is No. 42.
The Houston area benefits from low travel costs and a large number of attractions. Even our much-maligned weather ranks a relatively modest 26 out of the 80 metropolitan areas surveyed.
The Dallas-Fort Worth and Austin-Round Rock areas also score well in key areas of the survey, with only a few points separating these metropolitan areas from Houston.
San Antonio and McAllen rank in the Top 5 with lowest costs, while McAllen is in the Bottom 5 with fewest attractions and fewest activities.
Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and Orlando rank as the top three metro areas in the survey.
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.
