nature
Big Bend National Park
is mountains, desert, wilderness, and river Rio Grande scenery. There are snakes, deer, javelina wild pigs plus many other types of wildlife. At the western entrance is Terlingua an old ghost town which is the home to the annual International Chili Cookoff. Farther down the road to the west along the El Camino del Rio The River Road scenic drive to Presidio is the town of Lajitas whose mayor is a goat a real goat that guzzles beer like water -- put a bottle or can near his mouth and he will grab it right out of your hand in his teeth and turn it up until it all drains into his mouth.Get an idea of the size and space of Texas with a drive through the Chihuahuan Desert or through the Texas Panhandle.
Guadalupe Mountains National Park, at the New Mexico state line in the far western part of the state, is home to 8,749 foot Guadalupe Peak, the highest point in Texas. Another point of interest in the park is McKittrick Canyon, a rather startling oasis of maple trees and other flora and fauna that stands out in stark contrast to the aridness of the surrounding desert.
Palo Duro Canyon, the second largest canyon in the country, was cut across the High Plains near Amarillo by a branch of the Red River, providing some really breathtaking scenery and plenty of trails to follow.
culture and "texana"
The King Ranch, along the Gulf Coast, is a working ranch bigger than the state of Rhode Island.
As the largest city on the US/Mexico border, El Paso is a hotbed of Hispanic culture in America with a flavor that is more Mexican than Texan.
Not to be missed is the extraordinary Hill Country, with its fields of wildflowers covering sprawling cattle ranches.