For Spring Break 2026, we toured the Southeast via Texas for an underrated road trip packed with many cool sights.
Originally, the plan was for a nine-night trip, camping on five of those and an optional tenth night (also camping) on the way home.
However, the main campsite setter-upper (yours truly) got really sick, and no one else was feeling it either.
The goal of so many camping nights was to save money, at about $20/night at campgrounds vs an average of $250/night at AirBNBs and hotels. But as part of the trip planning, I found alternative places to stay in case of weather or otherwise, and we wound up taking advantage of those on all but the first night.
With that, here was our itinerary along with standouts along the way.
Day 1: Arizona, New Mexico, El Paso
This was largely a driving day without any fun stops, as we have been through these places on previous trips. We had a pretty solid lunch at Becky’s Diner in Deming, New Mexico and camped at Franklin Mountains State Park in El Paso, Texas. Camping was a bit challenging because we were in a rooftop tent on a mountain and it was extremely windy. The rainfly slapped against the top of the tent all night long (we didn’t have time to do any setup other than popping the tent open and getting our sleeping gear into the tent before it got dark.
If you haven’t been to El Paso, a couple cool places to shop are the Tony Lama Factory Stores (including an outlet that sells defects and B-stock) and Mission Del Rey Southwest.
Day 2: West Texas and Abilene
After packing out from our campsite, we grabbed breakfast at Grove Brunch Cafe just east of the park, and continued on our journey. If you’re not familiar with West Texas, there is… not a lot. So, Day 2 was also mostly driving. I really wanted to try Far West Coffee in Midland, but alas, they were already closed when we passed through. I unfortunately had the same luck with Crane’s Craft BBQ in Tye just outside Abilene.
We wound up at a place called Galveston Seafood Company in Abilene for dinner, and it was… not good, to put it politely. The wait staff was super nice and friendly, but that was the sole bright spot. We suspect the high reviews might come from people who prioritize quantity over quality, as the portions were massive.
Day 3: Fort Worth and East Texas
This was our first “fun” day. We started the day at Front Porch Bakery and Coffee. It was our second time there, and we definitely recommend it!
After some driving, we spent mid-morning at the Forth Worth Stockyards where we shopped at Kimes Ranch, Wrangler, Chief Records, The Spice & Tea Exchange of Ft Worth, Stockyards Trading Post, The General Store, and Fincher’s White Front. But the coolest part of the day was the 11:30 ceremonial cattle drive, narrated live by a gentleman full of the knowledge of the initial cattle drives from Texas past. Before leaving, we ate lunch at Cooper’s Old-Time Pit Barbecue.
We’d also planned to shop at a couple lesser-known stores nearby – the Mattel Outlet and Cinch Outlet stores, but both were unfortunately closed the day we were there.
The rest of the day was spent driving from Fort Worth over the state border into Louisiana, where we spent the night in Bossier City just east of Shreveport.
Day 4: Louisiana and Mississippi
From Bossier City, we stopped in Minden for breakfast and coffee at Brick Street Coffee, and then in Monroe to check out Duck Commander. There’s a museum there, but it was closed due to recent storm damage so we checked out the store and then left. While in Monroe, we had unexpectedly good coffee at Seventh Square Coffee, which has to be one of the coolest little coffee shops we’ve been to. Our lattes here were amazing, and it was one of the best coffee spots of the trip.
We arrived for the day in Laurel, Mississippi, where we checked out all things Home Town. While there, we went to Laurel Mercantile, Scotsman General Store and Woodshop, and Southern Antique Gift Mall. We also ran into (but did not speak to) a recurring guest on the show inside Manuscript Coffee, and had pizza at Homeslice.
Days 5 and 6: Mobile, Navarre Beach, and Okaloosa Island
Mobile, Alabama
Probably the biggest pleasant surprise of our trip was the time we spent in Mobile, Alabama. Our route to Navarre Beach from the Shreveport area was I-20 to Jackson, then US-49 around Hattiesburg to US-98 to Mobile, and then to the I-10. There was…not a lot to see on this drive. So, I planned a stop in Mobile to (1) snag an Alabama magnet for our states traveled map and (2) get lunch some coffee. But we left Laurel later in the morning than we’d planned, so we needed lunch too. We went to Bienville Souvenir & Gifts for our magnet, and Knucklebones Elixir Co for our coffee – so we quickly looked for something in that area for lunch. We landed on Debris Po-Boys & Drinks for lunch, and let me tell you. Top-five experience from our 3,700-mile trip.
We arrived with our child and dog, and began winding up a patio umbrella to sit outside. A server noticed us, came out to help us, and brought water for the dog. And then the po-boys we had were delicious. We had a soft-shell crab and shrimp po-boys and they were very good. The server was attentive and came back often to check on us, and it was an all-around great experience.
Navarre Beach and Okaloosa Island, Florida
After that, we finished driving to Navarre Beach, where we stayed two nights – a nice break from driving every day.
In the Navarre area, we went to two beaches. We couldn’t play or swim in the water because it’s still too cool, but our daughter loved playing in the sand and getting her feet wet. The one closest to our stay was of course Navarre Beach, but we went in particular to Navarre Beach Marine Park. It was one of the most uncrowded beaches we’ve ever been to (that isn’t next to a power plant)!
But our favorite was definitely Fort Walton Beach, because look at the photo. Here, we walked the pier and explored the boardwalk (FYI: it’s still cool and windy on March mornings).
While there, we hit up some mid-to-subpar establishments like Cactus Flower Cafe which falsely promised “California-style” Mexican food but instead served prepackaged/canned chips and salsa, weird toppings, inauthenticity (hard-shell tacos are … not a thing), small portions, and divided meat choices into “premium” and “non-premium.” Maybe as someone who has lived in Arzina for more than a decade and married into the Mexican culture my standards are a bit high for a restaurant whose base is mostly non-hispanic retirees, I’m not sure. The steak on my chimichanga was delightfully marinated, I will say that. The least good experience was easily Maas Coffee Roasters, who delivered overpoweringly strong, flavor-lacking lattes.
We also went to some good to great places like Slow Wake Coffee and Donuts (good), Bear Fruit Bowls and Coffee (good bowls but expensive), and The Shack (seafood – pretty good), and Tehillah Coffee. Tehillah Coffee was a unique coffee shop with a theologian vibe. It was definitely Christian-owned, as the name “Tehillah” itself is a Hebrew word meaning “spontaneous praise from the heart,” and there was a banner with this on the wall. There was also a piano with a well-loved Bible open on it, and other markings of Christianity. But it was done in a way that isn’t cheesy or offputting at all – no Christian radio on the speakers, no cheesy signs or decor. It was well-done, and positioned Christianity as smart and subtle yet somehow direct in a public space, which isn’t something you see often. There were also plenty of plats, fancy chess sets, and industrial lighting to add to the vibe. The coffee itself was fantastic and served the need for real, quality coffee in a community that doesn’t seem to have a lot of it.
We of course also checked out some shops: Buccaneer Gift Shop was full of both antique and reproduction vintage items (they seem to focus on Coca-Cola items) and local souvenirs, and the couple who own the shop were wonderfully friendly; Island Style had a mix of name-brand beach apparel and local souvenirs; and Surf Star had the mass-produced cheap souvenirs you expect at the beach.
Day 7: Mobile (again) and New Orleans
After staying at the beach in Florida for a couple days, we pointed our Titan westward and began the journey home. The first stop on this day’s drive was for the brief moment we were in Alabama again. We chose to venture once more into downtown Mobile, where we checked out Great Day Latte.
After passing (also briefly) through Mississippi, we drove through New Orleans and stopped for lunch in Harvey at Home Cooking Cafe. This was definitely a highlight of the trip – the establishment was small, old, and unassuming, just like the best “holes in the wall” always are. The server was fast-paced yet friendly and polite, which is the ideal personality for such a place to move people through as quickly as possible while also making sure they enjoy themselves. The food was epic – I had blackened chicken which was so flavorful, with a side of crispy fried okra that wasn’t greasy (a rare feat, as evidenced by most places with fried okra) and mashed potatoes. And the icing on the cake was, despite serving up such good food, the service was fast for a sit-down restaurant. We got in and got out and on to our next stop in a pretty short time.
We then went just up Manhattan Boulevard to Qamaria Yemeni Coffee Co. We ordered pistachio lattes, which were on point and reminded me a lot of Moka Cafe’s here in Gilbert AZ. The shop was large and had plenty of seating, the vibe included the cutesy basket-style decor, plants, and scripty neon that seems to be the trend for coffee shops right now, and the service was fast and friendly.
Day 8: Austin
We began the day in Winnie, Texas after an unpleasant hotel stay, and we were ready to explore Austin. We drove through Houston without stopping, even though there’s probably a lot to see and do there. We arrived in Austin around lunch time, and we ate just east of the city in Elgin at Southside Market & BBQ. Unfortunately, we did not realize it was a chain until we were walking in, but that said the barbecue was decent for being a chain. A nice gentleman named “Mr. Sam” came to our table and chatted with us and made sure our food was good. After that, we checked out the following places:
- TYLER’S Outlet: Worth a stop for deals on brands like Patagonia and OluKai
- Atown: Also worth a stop, but unless your child already knows the four-letter-word that starts with “f,” you might want to go in without them – we alternated one adult in the store, one in the car with our child. They had a pretty cool collection of local tees, hats, stickers, and other stuff.
- Haraz Coffee House: Good coffee, lemonade for the littles, and service with a smile
- Darrell K Royal Texas Memorial Stadium: As a huge Texas fan, I’ve always wanted to come here. Unfortunately, there was nothing to do but look at it from the outside. he gift shop was closed, there were no stadium tours or anything els that we could find.
- University Co-Op: Holy selection. A full two-story University of Texas store with possibly hundreds of hats, hundreds of t-shirts, and tons of other burnt orange gear. This is a must stop if you are a Longhorn fan.
- Rally House: We always stop at one when in a town with a team I like
We stayed in Seguin for the night, which was a good location between Austin and San Antonio.
Day 9: San Antonio, US 90, and Marfa
San Antonio
San Antonio was only about a half hour from the previous night’s stay, and we got up early for a long drive, so we were in San Antonio by 8:00 AM. There was a lot of construction all over downtown, but it wasn’t too bad since we were there early on a Sunday.
We visited the following places in San Antonio:
- San Antonio River Walk: Not what I pictured in my mind, but still fun to walk around and look at the art and the ducks with our daughter in the absence of any other souls
- Alamo Biscuit Company: Expensive but worth a try. Massive biscuit sandwiches (I ordered brisket) and plate sizes. A coffee bar which we didn’t try – but a fancy, dimly lit upscale environment and a full bar that made it seem like they serve up plenty of biscuits at dinner time, too
- The Alamo (of course): Much smaller than expected, but tons of learning opportunities about Texas located around the building.
- San Antonio General Store: Right across from The Alamo and was one of the only shops open early on a Sunday.
- Stranded Coffee: A cool coffee shop in a historic Texaco station with pleasant baristas and fantastic drinks. Would definitely return.
US 90
You may wonder why I dedicated a whole subsection of this article to a highway. We opted to drop down to US-90 to Marfa instead of getting there via I-10, and I’m glad we did. Unfortunately a lot of the restaurants and shops I’d mapped out were closed, but we did pretty well at improvising.
Before I continue, a word about safety if you ever plan to take this route: It drops to two lanes in parts and the speed limit is 75, so be careful. It straddles the border in places, so keep that in mind. And lastly, there are 90-mile stretches of nothing, meaning you’d better be strategic on when you fill your gas tank.
With that, we got gas just west of San Antonio and again in Uvalde, and again in Del Rio. Del Rio was a planned stop for gas and lunch, and we improvised as mentioned on where we ate – the HEB deli counter and Golden Chick. We also hit up HTeaO, which had excellent self-serve iced tea per my wife. I got iced coffee, which was I’d say on par with gas station quality. So maybe go for the iced tea and skip the coffee?
Just after Del Rio came one of the coolest surprises of the trip in Amistad National Recreational Area. We didn’t stop, but it provides an epic and unexpected view from the highway. I’ll leave it at that rather than spoil it for you.
After that, we (and everyone else) made a restroom and fuel stop in Sanderson.
By the time we got to Alpine, we were ready for dinner and stopped at Alcove Social (it’s a bar, so food offerings are limited and there is no kid menu, but the food they do have is quite good). There are a ton of local shops , coffee choices, and other restaurants in Alpine that we would have loved to visit but we passed through on a Sunday so most were closed, and we also wanted to get to Marfa where we were stopping for the night.
Marfa
Marfa and the surrounding area are full of art installations, art galleries, and hipster vibes. We missed out on a lot of it because Sunday, but we did get to check out…
- “Buc-ee’s”: An art installation east of town.
- ”Prada Marfa”: A more involved art installation northwest of town between Marfa and the I-10. We passed by in the wee, still-dark hours of the morning on our way out but it was lit decently enough to see inside
- The Lincoln Marfa: A fantastic and modern little hotel that is more casita than hotel.
- Marfa Water Tower: Tons of crows were congregating in and around it when we went by, which was cool to watch
- Giant Marfa Murals: Art installation in some cow fields, equipped with music playing from speakers. Based on the movie Giant.
Day 10: El Paso and Tucson (again)
El Paso
We set our alarms early in Marfa and got up at 5:00 AM to start our nine-hour drive home to Gilbert, and headed north to the I-10. There was nothing open in the tiny town at that time of day, so we waited for coffee and breakfast until we got to El Paso, where we ventured off the beaten path to Bravo Coffee House, located just south of the interstate and railroad tracks in central El Paso.
No one was super enthused about driving two hours before stopping, but it was well worth it. In fact, this stop on our final day was the best one of the entire trip. The barista, who I believe was the owner, was there with one other worker in the kitchen.
Both took quite a long time to make our order of lattes, french toast, and chilaquiles. But the wait wasn’t due to slowness – it was because they were meticulous. We watched the barista take his time with attention to every detail. We couldn’t see the kitchen from our counter seats at the window, but when he brought out the food it was clear he had done the same. My wife, who is quite picky with chilaquiles, loved her breakfast. Meanwhile, the cook elevated the simple dish of french toast to heights I didn’t know were possible. The toast itself was moist without being soggy, and full of flavor – and the toppings of fresh berries, berry compote, and chopped, fresh thick-cut bacon worked together unexpectedly in a legendary way. Meanwhile, the lattes were very good and the best of our trip.
As we left, we chatted with the barista who even told us about a coffee shop here in the Phoenix metro in Tempe that he’d previously worked with (and we love).
Tucson
For the final stop of the trip, we went to Nook downtown. We ate outside on the patio even though it was a little warm, but we couldn’t leave our pup in the car because of the heat. We also walked over to Roadrunner Coffee, which interestingly was a small walk-up window only format tucked between restaurants a couple doors down from The Fox.
Summary
We went for an awesome 10-day road trip that spanned nearly 3700 miles where we hit Tucson, El Paso, Midland/Odessa, Abilene, Fort Worth, Monroe, Laurel, Mobile, Navarre Beach, New Orleans, Houston, Austin, San Antonio, and Marfa. The original plan was to camp for several nights to cut costs but sickness changed those plans. Several places we wanted to check out were closed, and we decided we spent a little too much time in the car. We also learned you get what you pay for when it comes to accommodations, even if photos and reviews seem to say otherwise. But all in all, it was a great trip where we got to see the beach on the Gulf Coast, the Fort Worth Stockyards, the setting of HGTV’s Home Town, The Alamo, and Amistad National Recreation Area along with eating and drinking a ton of good local food and coffee.
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