best in Texas

Dallas-Fort Worth hot spots take home 7 Texas Travel Awards in 2024

The Sixth Floor Museum in Dallas took home two Texas Travel Awards in 2024.

Photo courtesy of Sixth Floor Museum

Dallas-Fort Worth is home to several of the best attractions in the state, according to the 2024 Texas Travel Awards. North Texas hot spots took home seven awards this year, compared to the 14 that were awarded in 2023.

The Texas Travel Awards were created by Austin Monthly, San Antonio Magazine, and Texas Music publishers to "shine a spotlight on the most exciting, innovative, and inviting places around the state." The winners are decided by a panel of industry professional judges, travel journalists, and one musician.

The 49 awards were split into two smaller groups: statewide best attractions and best attractions by population. The latter was further divided into market size: small/mid and big market.

The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza came away with two awards this year; it was designated the best "Historical Site" in Texas, and the best "Big Market" museum. The Texas Travel Awards praised the Sixth Floor Museum for its dedication to preserving the legacy of President John F. Kennedy, calling it an "unrivaled cultural gem" in Dallas.

"Beyond a mere chronicle of Kennedy’s life and presidency, the displays delve into the broader historical context, political climate, and the enduring impact of the assassination," a museum overview said. "By encouraging critical thinking and reflection, the museum becomes a dynamic space for learning; it serves as a platform for deepening public understanding of historical complexities."

The only other Dallas attraction to earn an accolade was Crown Block in Reunion Tower, which won a statewide award for the "Best Revitalization." The steakhouse was brought to life in 2023 thanks to hospitality duo Elizabeth Blau and Kim Canteenwalla, who brought an "unmatched level of hospitality" to the space and high attention to detail across every dish on the menu, the judges said.

"The plates, brunch stations, cocktails, and refined wine list offer guests a sense of adventure and whimsey, with fresh, unexpected flavor combinations and a bit of Las Vegas-inspired flair," the award overview said.

Other North Texas attractions that won Texas Travel Awards include:

City of Corsicana's 175th Celebration – Best "Small/Mid Market" Destination Marketing Campaign
Taste of Plano Foodie Pass Breaks Records – Best "Big Market" Destination Marketing Campaign
Texican Court in Irving – Best "Big Market" Unique Lodging
Historic Downtown McKinney – Best Statewide Destination for Foodies

Awards outside of North Texas
The Hill Country was the region that won the most awards, further solidifying the area's soaring popularity among travelers. New Braunfels earned the highest number of accolades, even going so far as to be designated 2024's "Destination of the Year."

"The city’s vibrant downtown is full of character, with historic architecture housing one-of-a-kind shops, art galleries, speakeasies, craft breweries and eateries," its overview said. "Only blocks from the spring-fed Comal River, visitors and patrons can spend a day tubing or lounging riverside, then meander to downtown for live music, dining, shopping, wandering, and exploring."

New Braunfels won five awards in the “Big Market” awards by population. One business triumphed twice. They are:

Phoenix Saloon – Best Bar
Thru the Chute Cardboard Boat Race – Best Community Event and Best Under the Radar Activity
8Sages-The Dolly Cottage – Best Instagrammable Spot
Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch – Best Outdoor Activity

New Braunfels also took home three awards in the statewide category:

Gruene Hall – Best Iconic Tourist Attraction
Gruene Historic District – Best Shopping District
Dry Comal Creek Vineyards – Best Winery

The full list of winners in the 2023 Texas Travel Awards can be found at texastravelawards.com.

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News for campers

New 650-acre state park coming to Lake Palestine in East Texas

Photo courtesy of TexasLand

Lake Palestine

East Texas is gaining a new state park at Lake Palestine that will include amenities like hike-and-bike trails, campsites, and lakefront access.

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation has paid more than $10 million for a 650-acre ranch at Lake Palestine that will be converted into a state park, the agency says. If the park opened today, it would be the 90th state park in Texas.

The ranch, roughly 100 miles southeast of Dallas, had been on the market for a little less than $10 million. Roughly 60 percent of the ranch is wooded, and about 40 percent is pastureland.

The foundation will make improvements to the site, about 18 miles west of Tyler, before handing it over to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department in late 2027. That’s when funding from the Centennial Parks Conservation Fund will become available for the department to acquire the property.

The deal preserves one of the last large habitat sites in that part of East Texas and will ultimately expand public access to Lake Palestine. The lake encompasses more than 25,500 acres and touches four counties. White-tailed deer, bobcats, and waterfowl are among the creatures that populate the habitat.

“Opportunities to protect a property like this don’t come along very often, and when they do, timing is critical,” Anne Brown, the foundation’s executive director, said in a release. She said the land will “ultimately become a place where generations of Texans can enjoy the outdoors.”

The Pollard family had owned the ranch, which housed their pecan farm, since 1940. Aside from the pecan orchard, the property includes pine forests, ponds, a seven-acre lake, and Lake Palestine frontage.

Sam Pollard, president of Texas Pecan Nursery, said the property “is part of my soul. It means a lot to me that we can leave a legacy for people to enjoy.”

The foundation says visitors to the future park will be able to enjoy blufftop views of the lake, watch wildlife and birds, and walk around the pecan orchard. They’ll also be able to take advantage of boating, paddling, swimming, and fishing at Lake Palestine.

Rodney Franklin, director of the state park system, called the site an “East Texas gem” and thanked the Pollards for enabling “this special slice of the Pineywoods to be accessible for generations of Texans.”

The parks and wildlife agency plans to create the park in phases, starting with guided access, followed by daytime access and then full-day and overnight access. The agency will invite public input about the park’s development.

Planned amenities include hike-and-bike trails, traditional and primitive campsites, day-use areas and lakefront access.

The NextEra Energy Foundation, a philanthropic arm of NextEra Energy and NextEra Energy Resources, chipped in $100,000 to support the future park. NextEra supplies electricity to about one million customers in Texas, mostly through its Gexa Energy subsidiary.

In addition, the wildlife foundation tapped into the state’s Land Conservation Loan Fund for the ranch purchase. The voter-approved, donor-supported fund aids land conservation efforts. Dallas-based Lyda Hill Philanthropies was an inaugural backer of the loan fund.

lake palestine parks state park texas

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News for campers

New 650-acre state park coming to Lake Palestine in East Texas