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    Summer vacation

    8 family-friendly resorts worth a road trip from Houston this summer

    Celestina Blok
    Jun 13, 2024 | 4:00 pm

    Airfare is through the roof these days, but don’t sweat it: A family-friendly summer getaway is just a road trip away. Here are eight unique resorts worth a visit this season — seven in Texas and one just across the border in Oklahoma. Some boast elaborate amenities like on-site waterparks and floating obstacle courses, and some are completely off the grid amid wildlife and starry skies. All are kid-friendly and ready to welcome families this summer.

    Isla Grand Beach Resort - South Padre Island
    Open since 1959, the island resort is located on 10 beachfront acres featuring lush foliage that provides a truly tropical vibe. There are two resort-style pools, hot tubs, tennis courts, sand volleyball courts, multiple restaurants including a beachfront burger shack, and daily live entertainment during the summer, including fireworks every Thursday night. Also during the summer are daily kids’ activities, including water games, arts and crafts, kids’ night out, sandcastle building, and movie nights. Rates start at $212 through July.

    Omni Barton Creek - Austin
    The Central Texas resort, spa, and golf club has a new emphasis on family amenities, recently debuting its 6,000-square-foot Longhorn Lawn. The greenspace is home to inflatables, lawn games, foam parties, and several scheduled activities. There’s also mini golf (including nightly “glow golf”), family-friendly pools, a splash pad, and nightly complimentary s’mores by the firepit. Make plans for Barton Fest on June 15 featuring animal encounters, face painters, balloon artists, live music, live music, and local cuisine. (Free to attend with $5 parking, open to non-hotel guests.) There’ll also be Independence Day activities July 4-7 with fireworks, live music, pool parties with a DJ, and kids’ activities. Rates start at $399 with promos for longer stays starting from $319.

    Kalahari Resort - Round Rock
    Not only is this African-themed resort home to America’s largest indoor waterpark but it also features multiple outdoor pools and slides, several signature restaurants, a massive arcade, bowling, escape rooms, laser tag, a mirror maze, and more. Grown-ups can plan ahead for Kalahari’s third annual Food & (Not Just) Wine Festival on Sunday, September 22 from 12-4 pm featuring more than 100 food and drink samples along with chef demos and live entertainment. Tickets start at $149 per person. Overnight rates through September 2 start at $195.

    Horseshoe Bay Resort - Horseshoe Bay
    The expansive Hill Country resort, on Lake LBJ near Marble Falls, just debuted its 2,850-square-foot floating pool, touted as the only one in North America and inspired by the Grand Hotel Tremezzo’s floating pool on Lake Como in Italy. Horseshoe Bay Resort is also home to Splash Safari Aqua Park, a floating obstacle course with climbing walls, slides, and balance beams on the lake open to those six and up; and the country's first Mouratoglou Tennis Center. Peruse the resort’s Summer Guide for dozens of daily kids’ activities, from sand bottle art sessions to tortoise and meet-and-greets. Make plans for Breakfast with the Birds on July 6 and September 1. Overnight rates start at $239.

    Villages Resort at Lake Palestine - Flint
    Located just outside Tyler in East Texas is this Holiday Inn Club Vacations resort on Lake Palestine, home to lake activities, 18-hole mini golf, and a year-round indoor waterpark right on-site. Other amenities include sports courts, an arcade, three pools, a splash pad, hot tubs, and a marina restaurant right on the water that provides sunset views. Rates start at $135.

    Oak Ranch Resort - Graham
    For those wanting to get off the grid and avoid big crowds, this ranch-style resort is perfect for a quiet retreat. Located on 57 acres just north of Possum Kingdom Lake, the secluded setting is full of Texas wildlife (turkey, deer, armadillos, and songbirds to name a few) and crystal-clear starry skies. There’s also an on-site pool and fully stocked fishing pond, and the Brazos River is located just minutes away. Options for overnight accommodations include three casitas that sleep from two to eight people and the four-bedroom La Casa Tierra that sleeps up to 12. Make it a family reunion and host dinner catered by the resort’s on-site chef at the newly completed poolside Social House. Rates start at $457, including taxes and fees.

    Great Escapes RV Resorts North Texas - Perrin
    Located about five hours northwest of Houston in the town of Perrin, this family-friendly RV park boasts a water obstacle course, fishing lake, multiple pools, a multi-level splash pad, 18-hole mini golf, laser tag, playgrounds, basketball and volleyball courts, on-site restaurant, ice cream shop, snack bar, and more. There are also themed weekly events, like “Santa’s Summer Surprise” and “Messy Chocolate Craze.” Don’t own an RV? No problem. There are a dozen on-site cabins and cottages, including a swanky barndominium that sleeps up to six. Rates start at $149.

    Isle Grand Beach Resort

    Isle Grand Beach Resort/Facebook

    Open since 1959, Isle Grand Beach Resort sits on 10 beachfront acres on South Padre Island.

    Choctaw Landing - Hochatown, Oklahoma
    Tucked in the woods amid nearby trout streams in Oklahoma’s Beavers Bend State Park and Broken Bow Lake, the hotly anticipated 100-room lodge-style resort and casino opened in April. While it is a casino, there are kid-friendly amenities that fall right in line with the Broken Bow area’s identity as a family destination. The resort pool is open to all ages and features a splash pad, cabanas, loungers, and fire pits for evening s’mores. The Cypress Lawn features an amphitheater for live music and events. The hotel also offers an Art Hike highlighting Choctaw culture and history guided by an AI-generated digital version of Choctaw Chief Gary Batton. Make plans for a fireworks show on July 3. Rates start at $169.

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    an architect's dream

    This stunning steel house is the No. 1 most 'wishlisted' Airbnb in Texas

    Amber Heckler
    Apr 20, 2026 | 9:45 am
    Robert Bruno Steel House Airbnb in Ransom Canyon, Texas
    Photo courtesy of Airbnb
    Have you ever wanted to stay the night inside an art sculpture?

    A stunning architectural paradise just minutes outside of Lubbock is drawing attention as the most sought-after Airbnb property in Texas.

    The vacation rental platform's 2026 list of the most "wishlisted" listings in the U.S. surveyed over 2,000 people to find which properties "offer a unique experience for every type of adventurer across all 50 states." More than half of all respondents said uniquely designed listings would attract them to previously overlooked destinations.

    The Lone Star State's most desirable — and most fascinating — Airbnb listing is Architectural Marvel: Robert Bruno Steel House, a futuristic 2,200-square-foot three-story piece of art. Last year, the most wishlisted property was a shipping container treehouse in North Texas.

    The structure was built and designed by sculptor and Texas Tech University professor Robert Bruno in 1973, but it wasn't quite finished by the time Bruno died in 2008 at the age of 63. The famous building and its history was extensively documented by Texas Monthly in 2022.

    "The Robert Bruno Steel House is a one of a kind house and you will never see anything like it," the listing says. "Enjoy the beautiful sunrise on the balcony and the stunning sunset from the large windows."

    Robert Bruno Steel House living room Experience the views from the comfort of the living room.Photo courtesy of Airbnb

    The Steel House is a 20-minute drive east from Lubbock and about eight hours from Houston, located near Lake Ransom Canyon and offering beautiful views of the water.

    The listing says it can accommodate up to eight guests across three bedrooms, two-and-a-half bathrooms, and a spacious living room, and it offers in-unit washer and dryers for extended stays. Guests might become awestruck at the home's organic and unconventional design, the flood of natural light coming through stained glass windows, the sweeping staircases, and more.

    "I first discovered this house in the mid[-]90s from an old 80s art magazine," one reviewer said. "This is truly a very rare sculptural an[d] architecture marvel to be able to stay in. The new interiors artfully compliment the design and are comfy. The view in the canyon is splendid through the windows. It was a true treasure and I’m glad it’s open to the public to be shared."

    Robert Bruno Steel House bedroom Two of the Steel House bedrooms have queen size beds, while the third bedroom has a king.Photo courtesy of Airbnb

    The property also boasts an abundance of local wildlife, such as deer and two great horned owls — which also means drones are prohibited on the premises for their protection.

    Two-night minimum stays at the Robert Bruno Steel House in May 2026 start at about $585 per night, according to the listing.

    From big cities to small towns, places in West Texas and the Panhandle are becoming popular under-the-radar destinations among travelers this year. Vacationers are also exploring the region's newly opened and expanding state parks to avoid visiting tourist traps during their adventures.

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