labor day vacay

Texas Gulf oasis makes 2025 list of best Labor Day getaways

Crystal Beach on the Bolivar Peninsula is a top destination for Labor Day travelers.

Crystalbeach.com/Facebook

A new national list naming the 10 best Labor Day vacation destinations has ranked Bolivar Peninsula near Houston the 10th best vacation spot for 2025.

Vacation rental marketplace HomeToGo's "Labor Day Travel Report" analyzed "traveler search patterns" to determine the 10 best places to spend the Labor Day weekend in the U.S. and abroad.

Bolivar Peninsula was the only Texas destination to earn acclaim on the list. Edisto Island in South Carolina was named the No. 1 best destination for the holiday.

According to the report's findings, 63 percent of Americans are planning to travel domestically during Labor Day weekend. Search trends for Bolivar Peninsula vacation rentals have skyrocketed 309 percent since last year. The region is located about 330 miles (or a five hour drive) from Dallas, making it a perfect getaway for vacationers that want to explore a blossoming coastal area that isn't Galveston or Port Aransas.

Bolivar Peninsula is home to stunning retreats like Camp Margaritaville that boast breathtaking views of the sunny Texas coastline. The RV resort also offers access to 27 miles of beaches, including popular Crystal Beach, which was ranked the seventh best destination for spring break earlier this year.

Overall, search volume for vacation rentals during Labor Day weekend has increased 26 percent since 2024, and HomeToGo spokesperson Eleanor Moody says interest in traveling to international destinations is also on the rise.

"Just over one-third of U.S. travelers are eyeing international destinations," Moody says. "With places including Italy’s L’Aquila, Lagos in Portugal, and Vourvourou in Greece seeing substantial spikes in interest for visits over the holiday weekend, it appears that Americans are looking to live out their ‘Euro Summer’ dreams while there is still time left this year."

In HomeToGo's separate ranking of the best budget-friendly domestic destinations for the holiday weekend, Tarpon Springs, Florida took the top spot with a median price of $170.20 per night for a vacation rental.

The top 10 best Labor Day vacation destinations in the U.S. are:

No. 1 – Edisto Island, South Carolina
No. 2 – Indianapolis, Indiana
No. 3 – Annapolis, Maryland
No. 4 – North Wildwood, New Jersey
No. 5 – Beaufort, South Carolina
No. 6 – Lake Keowee, South Carolina
No. 7 – Bellingham, Washington
No. 8 – Saint Augustine Beach, Florida
No. 9 – McCall, Idaho
No. 10 – Bolivar Peninsula, Texas

travel vacations labor day holiday beach

DART News

DART receives $7 million federal grant for new low-emission buses

Gillig

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Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) has received a grant to update its fleet of buses. According to a release, the agency was awarded a $7.094 million grant from the Federal Transit Administration to support the purchase of new buses as the agency phases out its fleet of older model vehicles.

The grant awarded to DART is one of 165 transit projects across the U.S. funded with more than $2 billion in federal grants.

In February, DART purchased 476 Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses from Gillig, a California-based manufacturer of heavy-duty transit buses, to fulfill their goal to modernize their transit system over the next decade — particularly via new buses and light-rail vehicles to replace the oldest units in their aging fleet.

The phase-in of those new vehicles is expected to be executed through 2027.

Compressed Natural Gas (CNG)-powered buses are a near-zero emission option, which was a key component in DART qualifying for the federal grant. Gillig has already delivered the first buses ahead of a Spring 2026 timeline — meaning that DART riders will get to start riding the upgraded buses on routes by the end of December 2025.

In a statement, DART President & CEO Nadine Lee says the timing is perfect.

“The timing of this grant couldn’t be better as we begin to receive early delivery of new, state-of-the-art vehicles from Gillig and as we move ahead with preparations to provide service to the massive crowds we expect next year with the FIFA World Cup," Lee says. "We are grateful to U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, FTA Administrator Marcus Molinaro, and our entire congressional delegation for valuing their strong federal partnership with DART, recognizing the need to find additional funding to support transit programs in one of the fastest growing metro areas in the nation."

This new grant is in addition to $103 million initial federal grants, bringing the total federal support for DART’s purchase of new buses to more than $110 million – reducing the overall cost to DART and member cities.

U.S. Congressional delegates, representing communities across Texas, were instrumental in securing the funding for the grant. The purchase of 476 buses is one part of DART’s Transform, a $2.5 billion 10-year plan to modernize and upgrade the DART system.

transportation