Waltz Across Texas

This post orginally appeared on RGordonArchitect, the architecture and design blog of Chicago-based architect Robert Gordon.

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Waltz Across Texas

Ernest Tubb sings:

Waltz across Texas with you in my arms

Waltz across Texas with you

Like a story-book ending, I'm lost in your charms

And I could waltz across Texas with you.

When you think about Texas, with all its oil wells and its vast interstate highway network, you probably don’t think much about walking, let alone waltzing, across Texas. But there are some places in Texas that are very good for walking, strolling, listening to music, finding some sidewalk cafes, restaurants and historic monuments. In keeping with one of the themes of this blog, we search and document the many different kinds of walking places in cities we visit.

San Antonio comes to mind because of its River Walk. The San Antonio River winds through the downtown area and its banks are filled with restaurants, musicians and people strolling. A small, flat boat goes by at the same height as the riverbank. And when you want to leave the river, who doesn’t remember the Alamo?

Austin is known as a city of music. There are hundreds of outdoor cafes, or bars with their doors open, and acoustic music pouring out. It's Willie Nelson’s home town. The river walk is generous, but very austere and underdeveloped. However, you can find a light rail in Austin.

Texas is super-hot in the summer, which may last 8 months, but otherwise has an agreeable climate. All in all, it’s a surprisingly nice place to walk when you want to hear country music as it’s meant to be heard, outdoors and with a bar-b-q.