Texas travel

Texas cruises to No. 1 on new list of top states for summer road trips

Who wants to take a road trip to Palo Duro Canyon State Park?

Dallas might not be at the top of the list when it comes to the best summer travel destinations, but the expansive Lone Star State is leading the rest of the nation as the No. 1 state for for summer road trips in 2024.

Texas' superior traveling potential was recognized in WalletHub's annual list of the best and worst states for summer road trips, which ranked all 50 states based on their road trip costs, safety, and activities. Over 32 metrics were considered for the study, including each state's average gas prices, road quality, and variety of attractions.

The top states are the ones that have plenty of fun things to do at relatively low costs, and provide "the best driving experience," according to WalletHub analyst Cassandra Happe. Texas was also No. 1 in 2023.

Texas earned 58.59 out of 100 total possible points, barely edging ahead of Minnesota (No. 2) and New York (No. 3), which earned 58.48 and 58.44 points, respectively.

Out of the three main categories in the report, Texas performed the best for its numerous attractions, ranking No. 5 nationwide. WalletHub specifically highlights zoos, botanical gardens, and amusement parks, but you can't forget about Texas' beautiful state parks, lakes, family-friendly resorts, or the beaches.

"There are plenty of things to make stops at for a day or even just a few hours while taking a road trip," the report said. "Even in between activities, the act of being on the road in Texas can be very enjoyable, since the state has over 9,500 miles of scenic byways."

Texas ranked just outside the top 10 for its costs of taking a road trip, landing at No. 11 nationally. Planning affordable meals and accommodations is a big factor on travelers' minds this summer, and WalletHub revealed Texas has the second-cheapest three-star hotel prices within a 10-mile radius of city centers during mid-July. The Lone Star State is also leading the U.S. with the highest number of lodging accommodations and restaurants per capita.

Unfortunately, Texas fell far behind other states when it comes to safety, coming in at No. 39. The report doesn't explain why Texas ranked so low, but it examined each state's road quality, car thefts per 1,000 residents, the number of uninsured drivers, and traffic "indiscipline" (also known as the number of accidents due to phone use, speeding, aggressive acceleration, and others). Poor safety rating aside, Texas still came out on top.

"Taking a summer road trip can be a very exciting way to experience a new place, but with the prices of gas, food and accommodations heavily impacted by inflation, you’ll want to be in a state that makes this type of vacation affordable," said Happe. "Safe roads are also key, and so is having plenty of worthwhile attractions to stop at along the road."

The top 10 states for summer road trips in 2024 are:

No. 1 – Texas
No. 2 – Minnesota
No. 3 – New York
No. 4 – Louisiana
No. 5 – Florida
No. 6 – Ohio
No. 7 – North Carolina
No. 8 – Wyoming
No. 9 – Maine
No. 10 – Pennsylvania

texas wallethub rankings reports road trip vacations

Holiday News

American Airlines expects record-setting travel on Thanksgiving 2024

Photo courtesy of American Airlines

American Airlines ready for takeoff.

The holidays are looming and American Airlines is ramping up. Over the upcoming Thanksgiving weekend, the Fort Worth-based airline expects to process nearly 8.3 million customers across more than 77,000 flights.

According to a statement from American's COO David Seymour, the airline is having a good fall season and canceled fewer flights than its peers during October.

“Thanks to the hard work of our 130,000 team members, we canceled fewer flights than any of our major competitors this October and beat our own records for on-time departures and arrivals,” Seymour says.

That's surely good news. One hates to rain on their parade, but in June 2024, the only flight I booked this year, my flight was canceled less than 24 hours before take-off. I had made hotel reservations, scheduled a pet sitter, planned events, and arranged for a friend to pick me up at the destination airport. One employee speculated that it may have been "insufficient crew." Their only solution offered was: Feel free to reschedule your flight.

Thanksgiving facts and figures
The travel window runs from November 21 to December 3, and the airline expects to carry more than 500,000 more customers than it did last year.

The most-traveled day will be Sunday, December 1. The second most-traveled day will be Monday, December 2.

The peak of peak: 1,035 mainline and regional aircraft will be enroute at 10:45 am on Sunday, December 1 — the highest number of flights handled at any given time during American’s travel period.

The airline expects to serve more than 6.8 million Biscoff cookies on board from November 21 to December 3.

Travel tips
Download the American Airlines app and check in for your flight, noting added any bags to your trip. This will save you time at the airport.

If traveling internationally, download the Mobile Passport Control app, which can speed up your entry into the U.S. Global Entry members can download the Global Entry app, which allows you to submit your entry and go straight to the officer.

Upon arrival at the airport lobby, scan your mobile boarding pass to print bag tags quickly at a kiosk. If you’re not checking bags, go straight to TSA security with your mobile boarding pass.

holidays