where to travel right now

Vonlane rolls out discounted fares + more Texas travel tips for January

Get big discounts with Vonlane's Winter Pass sale all month long.

Courtesy of Vonlane

Texas' erratic winter season may have some residents fleeing to warmer parts of the state to experience weekend escapes, vacations, fun-filled events, and much more in January. Houstonians looking for ideas on where to travel can find them here, in our big monthly roundup of top tips around the state.

Throughout Texas & beyond

Two Texas-based premium transportation operators are having January sales:
Vonlane, a luxe bus company with routes across Houston, Dallas, Fort Worth, Austin, and San Antonio, is offering discounts of up to 20 percent off during its winter Vonlane Pass sale all month long. First-time users and seasoned travelers alike can get a $1,500 Vonlane Pass credit for $1,350 (a 10 percent discount), with additional discounts for larger purchases. Pass members will also receive up to four complimentary drinks (with a valid ID) as another perk during their trips. Credits can be purchased by contacting Vonlane Passenger Services.

JSX "hop-on" air carrier is hosting its annual network-wide Red Stripe sale, featuring fares discounted up to 30 percent. The sale will run from January 7-13 on eligible travel dates from January 7-March 12, 2025. Destinations include Las Vegas, Cabo San Lucas, Boca Raton, Salt Lake City, Miami/Opa-Locka, Westchester County, Napa, Los Angeles, Denver, Carlsbad, Oakland, Scottsdale, and more. JSX is a public charter jet service that operates from a private terminal in Houston and allows passengers to check in just 20 minutes before departure.

In Austin

January is the perfect time for reflection and recharging, and there's no better way to kick off 2025 than with a much-needed spa day. W Austin's Away Spa is offering several self-care spa packages for those in need of a New Year reset. The spa's "Shimmer" and "Sparkle" packages include 60-minute massages with a complimentary enhancement, while the "Shine" package includes a luxurious "Rewind" facial, manicure and pedicure, and the "Over the Hills & Far Away" body treatment. All spa offerings include valet parking and access to the hotel's Wet Deck and fitness center. The new spa packages begin at $335, and are available through the end of February.

Award-winning composer Hans Zimmer is bringing his legendary live tour to Austin's Moody Center for a one-night-only show on Friday, Jan. 31. According to a release, the singular Texas show will be one of the last chances to experience Zimmer, his 18-piece live band, and a full orchestra before he debuts an entirely new setlist and production for his future tours. Attendees will hear music from iconic films such as Gladiator, Pirates of the Caribbean, Interstellar, The Lion King, Dune, and many more. The show is nearly sold out, but a limited number of tickets are still available at hanszimmerlive.com.

Hans Zimmer Live The famous composer will put on a spectacular show.Photo by Suzanne Teresa

On Thursday, January 18, charitable organization Sonic Guild will award $150,000 in grants to 20 deserving Austin local bands and solo artists during the Sonic Guild Ball at the Long Center for the Performing Arts. Recipients include Nemegata, Stella and the Very Messed, Rob Baird, and more. But what makes this year's gala so special is that for the first time ever, tickets are available to the public for the ceremony and show. Individual public tickets are available online and run $24-$130.

In Dallas-Fort Worth

There are not one, but two exciting new exhibitions opening concurrently this month at the Arlington Museum of Art. The first, "Wicked Threads: The Artistry of Costume in Oz," will feature original costumes, props, and images from the film that celebrate the artistry of its costume design and the 20+ year history of the beloved Broadway musical. Meanwhile, British royalty enthusiasts won't want to miss "Princess Diana: Accredited Access Exhibition," which will showcase photos of "The People's Princess" that were taken by the late royal photographer Anwar Hussein. The Wicked exhibit will be on display in AMA's community art space (with no tickets required for entry) through April 27, while the Princess Diana exhibit will run through April 6, and is included with regular museum admission ($15 for adults).

The 41st Annual KidFilm Family Festival will take place January 18-19 at the Angelika Film Center Dallas, featuring 12 programs with feature films, short films, and author appearances. The highlight of festival is a screening of The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie, the first fully-animated feature-length film in Looney Tunes history. All programs are free, but tickets are required. Tickets for all shows are available at the theater on the day of show only, beginning one hour before each showtime. The full schedule of KidFilm programs can be found online at usafilmfestival.com. For additional information, call 214-821-3456.

The 2025 Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo officially begins Friday, January 17, and CultureMap will be covering all of the rodeo season happenings taking place until February 8. Festivities include everything from acclaimed fashion designer pop-ups to buzzy comedians appearing for the rodeo's Auditorium Entertainment Series. A full schedule and ticketing information is available on fwssr.com.

In San Antonio

The Alamo City's Michelin Key-awarded Hotel Emma and its signature restaurant, Supper, have debuted a new winter menu created by the hotel's new executive chef Geronimo Lopez. The restaurant's rotating steak offerings and fan-favorite dishes will still remain, but chef Lopez has also developed several new options to delight the palette, such as a stuffed quail with dirty rice, chicken liver, and chicken demi-glace; a winter citrus salad with shallot, fennel, tarragon, and olive oil; a short rib grilled cheese with onion jam and gruyère; and more. Reserve on OpenTable.

Supper's new short ribbed grilled cheese at Hotel Emma in San Antonio "Chef Tasting" events will happen at Hotel Emma on Fridays from 5-6 pm with special servings of the seasonal menu.Photo courtesy of Supper at Hotel Emma

At home in Houston

Houston's iconic Montrose neighborhood has gained a new saint: The highly anticipated Hotel Saint Augustine is now accepting reservations for luxurious stays on its beautiful two-acre, five building campus in 2025. More than half of the hotel's 71 rooms are facing the carefully manicured courtyard, while its suites have either balcony or terrace spaces. Plus, the courtyard and Augustine Lounge are open and accessible to the public, so you don’t have to be a guest to show up and hang out. Nightly rates at Hotel Saint Augustine begin at $450 per night.

Broadway lovers in Houston will have plenty of options with three blockbuster musicals making stops in the city, alongside several more classical musicals, plays, a short play festival, and more. Musical theater buffs will enjoy the Houston Grand Opera's production of West Side Story, while Mean Girls superfans can watch Cady, Regina, Gretchen and the rest of the girl gang open their burn book and sing their way to the top of the class at Hobby Center for the Performing Arts.

arlington museum of art jsx princess diana spas staycation texas travel vacations

Now hear this

New Texas museum shines spotlight on Tejano music history

Totally Tejano Hall of Fame and Museum, San Antonio, tejano music

Photo by Edmond Ortiz

Roger Hernandez serves as board president of the Totally Tejano Hall of Fame and Museum.

For a city that proudly calls itself the capital of Tejano music, San Antonio has long been missing a permanent place to honor the genre’s pioneers and preserve its history. That gap officially closed In December with the opening of the Totally Tejano Hall of Fame and Museum at 1414 Fredericksburg Rd.

The music couldn’t have found a better steward than its founder and board president. Roger Hernandez has had his finger on the pulse of Tejano music for decades. His company, En Caliente Productions, has provided a platform for countless performing artists and songwriters in Tejano, conjunto, and regional Mexican music since 1982.

Hernandez says his wife, who ran a shop at Market Square years ago, would often get questions from visitors about the location of a physical Tejano music museum, a thing that simply did not exist. In 2022, he banded together with friends, family, and other local Tejano music supporters to make the nonprofit Hall of Fame a reality.

“I decided I've been in the music scene for over 40 years, it's time to do a museum,” Hernandez recalls.

Hernandez says a brick-and-mortar Tejano music museum has long been needed to remember musical acts and other individuals who grew the genre across Texas and northern Mexico, especially those who are aging. Recently, the community lost famed Tejano music producer Manny Guerra and Abraham Quintanilla, the renowned Tejano singer/songwriter and father of the late superstar Selena Quintanilla-Perez. Both deaths occurred roughly one week after the Totally Tejano museum opened to the public.

“They're all dying. They're all getting older, and we need to acknowledge all these people,” Hernandez says.

The Totally Tejano Museum — named after Hernandez’s Totally Tejano Television Roku streaming — has 5,000 square feet of space packed with plaques, photos, promotional posters, musical instruments, and other memorabilia honoring the pioneers and stars of the beloved genre. Mannequins wear stage outfits from icons like Laura Canales and Flaco Jimenez, and a wall of photos remembers late greats. Totally Tejano Television plays legendary performances on a loop, bringing the exhibits to life.

The newly opened Totally Tejano Hall of Fame and Museum includes a growing collection of memorabilia. Photo by Edmond Ortiz

Hernandez says the museum will soon welcome permanent and rotating exhibits, including traveling shows, a Hall of Fame section, and an area paying homage to Chicano music crossovers, such as the late Johnny Rodriguez, the South Texas singer-songwriter who blended country with Tex-Mex music. Plans call for the organization to hold its inaugural Hall of Fame induction in February 2026.

Eventually, a 2,000 square feet back room will be converted into additional display space and host industry gatherings, community symposiums, and record and video release parties. The museum also plans to add a gift and record shop and a music learning room where visitors can listen to early Tejano music and browse archival photos. Hernandez is already talking with local school districts about educational field trips.

Much like Tejano itself, the museum is a grassroots production. Hernandez and fellow board members have used their own money to rent, renovate, develop, and maintain the museum space. The board also leads the selection of the Hall of Fame honorees and curates the exhibits.

Hernandez has been heartened by the museum’s reception, both from media outlets and music fans around Texas and beyond.

“We had a radio station come in this morning from Houston to interview us,” he says. “People have come in from Lubbock, Texas. We have had people from Midland, Texas. We have another person who emailed us who’s coming in from New York. People are learning all about us.”

That includes many of the musicians who helped shape the genre. Johnny Hernandez, Sunny Ozuna, Elida Reyna, and Danny Martinez from Danny and The Tejanos are among the luminaries who have already graced the halls.

The Totally Tejano Hall of Fame and Museum is now open 10 am-6 pm, Tuesday-Sunday, and closed Monday. Admission is free, but donations are encouraged. Fans can call 210-314-1310 for more information.

san antonio tejano music museums hall of fame music openings