Whether you’re new to Dallas or not, you may not have known about all these interesting & exciting places to go – on a Day Trip! Yes, there really are tons of places you can visit this summer for your Summer Daycation or Kids Summer Staycation.
For all you “day trippers” out there, here’s a list of Dallas Day Trips we thought you might like including Texas Factory Tours.
And speaking of factory tours, be sure to pick up a copy of Kidding Around Town before you go to have the activity scoop on things to do on factory tours and other day trip places to make it fun and educational for your kids as well as other day trip areas. Research has proven engaging your kids with questions and activities while at these places will make them smarter!
EAST of DALLAS – Dallas Day Trips
Athens, Texas
Home to Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center which includes tanks of Texas fish in native environments, a wetlands trail, museum & hatchery. Athens is the “Home of the Hamburger” and the “Black-Eyed Pea Capitol of the World”.
Carthage Texas
Home to Texas Country Music Hall of Fame and Tex Ritter Museum
Grand Saline, Texas
One of Texas’ more unusual structures is The Salt Palace. This modern building , constructed entirely of salt blocks replaces a more modest cube that was built in 1977 for Grand Saline’s Salt Festival. Other attractions include the restored Texas and Pacific Depot. Grand Saline is also the birthplace of famous aviator Wiley Post.
Greenville, Texas
Includes the Audie Murphy/American Cotton Museum, Historic Downtown Greenville, Farmers’ Market, Matthews Prairie Nature Preserve and Heritage Garden.
Jefferson Texas
Horse-drawn carriages ramble through brick streets, carrying visitors past magnolia-white mansions and neatly raised cottages. People come to Jefferson to discover history, bask in the natural surroundings and to slow down. The town offers an abundance of shops, restaurants and historic landmarks as well as riverboat tours, the “Gone With The Wind” museum, Vintage Vehicles Car Museum and more.
Kemp Texas
Be sure to visit the Heritage Market – full of Pennsylvania Dutch goodies including jams, jellies, pickles, baked goods and more treats.
Longview Texas
Take a self-guided tour of historic sights, visit the many lakes and rivers or swing by nearby Kilgore for the East Texas Oil Museum. Be sure to stop in at Bodacious Bar-b-que for the best bar-b-que in east Texas! Longview is a large enough city that you will find all the “comforts of home” including putt-putt golf, bowling and much more.
Marshall and Caddo Lake
So deep is Marshall’s heritage that favorite son and newsman Bill Moyers hosted a popular PBS special titled, “Marshall, Texas, Marshall, Texas,” in his series, A Walk through the Twentieth Century with Bill Moyers. In and around town are plenty of leisurely diversions, and there are good reasons to stop along the way, too. But it’s likely that most people are drawn to Marshall for its proximity to Caddo Lake , the ancient and most fascinatingly beautiful body of water in Texas known for its lily pads and cypress trees.
Palestine, Texas
Take a 1 ½ hour ride between Palestine and Rusk in a vintage passenger car pulled by a steam or diesel powered locomotive at the Texas State Railroad. Palestine is also home to restored Victorian homes, world famous Eilenberger’s Bakery, offering – for 100 years – old world recipe cakes and many more attractions.
Terrell Texas
Terrell has a rich history including museums such as the British Flying School Museum, El Paso Rail Car and much more. For those of you who want to kick back and eat some homemade peach ice cream, be sure to visit Ham’s Orchard where you can also purchase the freshest peaches in Texas in their country store.
Tyler Texas
Known for its famous “Tyler roses” the 14,000 acre rose garden boasts 35,000 rose bushes of 500 different varieties. Stop in and see The Cotton Belt Depot Train Museum, World of Wildlife Museum & Country Store, Caldwell Zoo, Cherokee Trace Drive-thru Safari Park, Camp Ford Historic Park and much more.