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Jolly Texas town makes list of best Christmas road trip destinations

Smithville's annual Festival of Lights transforms downtown into a winter wonderland.

Smithville Area Chamber of Commerce/Facebook

The December holiday season brings many opportunities for creating memories, such as visiting all of the spectacular light displays in the Houston area. But one twinkly town in Central Texas outshines the rest of the state.

The small, merry town of Smithville – located about 120 miles west of Houston – and its beloved Gingerbread Lane was just named one of the jolliest holiday road trips in the nation, according to a recent report by online classifieds site RVTrader.

Downtown Smithville completely transforms during the winter season in preparation for its annual Festival of Lights, which took place on Saturday, December 7. This year's festivities included an indoor arts and crafts show featuring local artisans, an array of outdoor vendors, complimentary rides on the Ann Powell Express train, a parade, and many more activities.

No winter extravaganza is complete without snow, and 40,000 pounds of real snow was blown during the morning of the festival to allow for snow tubing, snowball fights, and more. Santa even made an appearance to snap photos with children.

At the heart of the festival is the iconic Smitty gingerbread man, which broke the Guinness World Record for the World's Biggest Gingerbread Man in 2006, which was officially recognized two years later, according to Explore Bastrop County.

"In honor of being officially named the World’s Biggest Gingerbread Man, the Smithville Area Chamber of Commerce and the City of Smithville retired the cookie sheet that was used to bake the giant gingerbread man and converted it into a monument to commemorate the record," the website says.

Smitty the gingerbread man in Smithville, Texas Smitty is a sizeable famous figure in Smithville.Smithville Area Chamber of Commerce - Facebook

If you missed the festivities this year, stay tuned for the 34th annual festival in 2025. But visitors can still check out all of the dazzling lights and meet Smitty throughout the winter season.

For visitors who want to turn a day trip into a weekend stay, RVTrader suggests camping at Buescher State Park, which is only two miles away from Smithville. The park offers a variety of RV campsites, screened shelters, and cabins. But for those who would prefer a hotel, there's always the historic Katy House Bed & Breakfast.

Smithville was the only Texas city to make it on RVTrader's list of top holiday road trip destinations. Several other holly jolly cities were chosen across every region in the country.

"The holiday season is the perfect time to hit the road and discover the magic of Christmas across the country," the report's author wrote. "Whether you’re visiting Gingerbread Lane in Texas, marveling at the lights of McAdenville, or exploring the Bavarian charm of Leavenworth, these holly, jolly holiday road trips promise unforgettable moments."

Other prominent holiday road trip destinations include:

Plant City, Florida
McAdenville, North Carolina
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
Frankenmuth, Michigan
Branson, Missouri
Durango, Colorado
Fresno, California
Leavenworth, Washington
North Pole, Alaska

travel central texas holidays christmas road trip

shop local

New list names Texas shop one of the best indie bookstores in America

Deep Vellum Books, independent bookstores in Dallas

Deep Vellum Books/Facebook

Reading is all the rage in 2026.

Dallas' Deep Vellum Bookstore is claiming new bragging rights as one of the 20 best independent bookstores in America, according to a new guide from Condé Nast Traveler. Sadly, Houston's iconic Brazos Bookstore was snubbed.

The list was published in celebration of Independent Bookstore Day on April 25 — but every day can be Indie Bookstore Day when you're supporting your local shop rather than a national chain like Amazon or Barnes and Noble.

Indie bookstores and physical media have been having a much needed renaissance in today's digital (and AI slop-filled) era. More than 400 new bookshops opened in 2025 alone, the American Booksellers Association reported, and local bookstores are welcome third spaces for many literature loving individuals.

Deep Vellum won the title as the best indie bookstore in the Lone Star State, outshining several other popular Texas booksellers. Located at 3000 Commerce St. in Dallas' Deep Ellum neighborhood, Condé Nast said the bookshop serves as "one of the country’s premier translators of contemporary global literature."

"As esoteric as its collection may seem, the bookstore itself makes exploration approachable," wrote editorial assistant Kat Chen. "Crack into a can of craft beer, gaze at the wall plastered with polaroids of smiling patrons, and tuck into an engrossing read on one of the tweed armchairs."

Deep Vellum was founded by Will Evans in 2013 as a community-focused literary arts center and nonprofit publishing house for diverse international literature, as well as local Dallas writers. The bookstore soon followed in 2015, and operations have now expanded to five publishing imprints that produce half English-original works and half international literature.

This mighty bookshop and publishing house has long proved its staying power even after its federal funding was axed last year. In early April, the organization revealed it would launch its inaugural Deep Vellum Music and Literature Festival from July 10-12, 2026.

"Through literary readings, author panels, spoken word, live music performances, and community activations this festival will bring voices from across Texas and around the world," a press release said.

Until then, Condé Nast provided some recommended reading for Texas bibliophiles that want to check out some (new-to-you) literary and psychological fiction: Tram 83 by Fiston Mwanza Mujila (translated by Roland Glasser) and Miss MacIntosh, My Darling by Marguerite Young.

dallas indie bookstore deep ellum bookstores conde nast traveler