Bullet Train Update

Jump on board at public meeting for high-speed train from Dallas to Houston

If you're a Dallas-Fort Worth resident interested in learning more about the high-speed rail project between Dallas and Houston, you'll get your chance on Tuesday.

A meeting seeking input from the public will take place October 21, from 4:30 to 8 pm, at the Dallas Infomart (1950 N. Stemmons Fwy.). Dallas is one of six cities where public meetings are being held by the Federal Railroad Administration and TxDOT.

The October 21 meeting will kick off with an open house, followed by a 30-minute presentation and an hour of public comment.

The two agencies are preparing an environmental impact statement for the 240-mile high-speed rail project from Dallas to Houston proposed by the Texas Central High-Speed Railway, a private company that has been developing plans for the train system since 2009.

Using the same Japanese bullet train model as the one that connects Tokyo and Osaka, Texas Central says the train would reach speeds of 205 miles per hour and complete the Dallas-Houston route in just 90 minutes.

The company plans to raise $10 billion in private capital to fund the line, which would provide an alternative to flying or driving on I-45.

The October 21 meeting will kick off with an open house from 4:30 to 6:30 pm, followed by a 30-minute presentation and an hour of public comment. The hearing comes in the midst of the project's environmental impact study, which will examine construction and operation effects of a high-speed rail system. The study will include an evaluation of the presumed method (a sealed high-speed rail corridor) as well as alternatives.

After Dallas, federal and state authorities will hold meetings along the proposed route in Corsicana, Teague, Bryan, Hunstville and Houston. In a statement, officials said they welcomed comments "regarding alternative alignments and station locations, as well as any significant social, economic or environmental impacts" related to the rail project.

The privately funded Texas Central Railway would connect DFW and Houston, cutting travel time to only 90 minutes.

Central Rail high-speed bullet train rail

Photo courtesy of JR Central

The privately funded Texas Central Railway would connect DFW and Houston, cutting travel time to only 90 minutes.

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worth every mile

Texas Hill Country route beckons as most scenic road trip in the U.S.

Courtesy of Condé Nast Traveler/Getty Images

You can't do a road trip in the Hill Country without visiting Enchanted Rock outside Fredericksburg.

A new comprehensive guide on the best road trips in America has unveiled two scenic routes through the Lone Star State that should be on everyone's must-see list.

The new guide from luxury lifestyle magazine Condé Nast Traveler spotlighted 17 ultra-scenic road trip routes across the U.S. that are "worth every single mile."

Hill Country Route
The first Texas road trip on the list is the Hill Country Route, a 300-mile trek starting in Lampasas, with stops in Marble Falls, Fredericksburg, Austin, and New Braunfels, and ending in Brenham. Travelers can spend as few as three days traversing the Hill Country Route, visiting "award-winning vineyards and boutique lavender and olive tree farms," or they can linger for a week or more by making additional detours in other small Texas towns.

Condé Nast Traveler recommends Hill Country staples like Blue Bonnet Café in Marble Falls and Truth BBQ in Brenham as the two can't-miss good eats that road trippers have to try for themselves. As for lodging, the magazine makes three recommendations: Tyson’s Corners Retreat Cottage, a 35-acre horse ranch in Lampasas, glamping resort Onera Fredericksburg, and the newly opened Faust Hotel in New Braunfels.

Onera Fredericksburg offers modern lodging like The Diamond. Photo by Jeff Jones

Typical attractions like Enchanted Rock outside Fredericksburg obviously made the list of stops to make along the way, but the report also digs into other niche destinations.

"History buffs can walk the sprawling grounds of the Lyndon B. Johnson Ranch, rich with mighty live oaks and environmentalist Lady Bird Johnson’s wildflowers; pair it with a trip to his Presidential Library, which offers a glimpse of how the former president wanted to be seen by history," the report's author wrote. "And if you're road-trippin' in the summer, don't miss a visit to Krause Springs. It’s a beautiful campsite and also a natural swimming spot, with a lot of gorgeous springs to dive right in."

Route 66: St. Louis to Amarillo
A second ultra-scenic road trip that includes Texas is the portion of Route 66 from St. Louis, Missouri to Amarillo. Some travelers don't have time for the full 2,448-mile stretch from Chicago to Los Angeles, so Condé Nast Traveler says the St. Louis-Amarillo route is the "most underrated stretch" that can be completed in just two days.

No trip through Amarillo is complete without a stop at Cadillac Ranch. Cadillac Ranch/ Facebook

The 756-mile route cruises through the Lake of the Ozarks and Oklahoma City before ending in the Yellow Rose of Texas, giving road trippers ample opportunities to see the sights, enjoy a "classic American meal" at a roadside diner, or try some St. Louis-style barbecue.

At the end of the trip, the report recommends Amarillo's The Barfield, Autograph Collection for a "quiet luxe" hotel stay, or this rustic converted Silo Barn on Airbnb.

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