Dallas to San Antonio drive: 16 ranked stops worth the detour

a pioneer of award-winning Texas single malt and blue-corn whiskey

spring-fed falls and a swimming hole at a beloved Hill Country spot

Longtime Oak Cliff soul-food destination piling plates with BBQ ribs, melt-in-your-mouth fried chicken, seasoned collard greens and cornbread. Order: Fried chicken.

A scenic Hill Country daily-fee along the Guadalupe River between Austin and San Antonio, with oaks and water in play. A reliable, affordable round.

Chef Omar Flores, a five-time James Beard nominee, delivers upscale takes on greasy, spicy Tex-Mex favorites in an energetic modern room. Order: Enchiladas.

A beloved, historic municipal in central Austin known as 'Muny,' with a civil-rights legacy and a fight to save it from development. Old trees and city soul.

Formerly Wolfdancer, this Arthur Hills design rolls through prairie, climbs a wooded ridge, and drops into the Colorado River valley near Austin. The downhill par-3 12th opens up a 180-degree view.

Tasting-menu sibling of Odd Duck with inventive local cooking. (North Austin)

An Arthur Hills course at the Hyatt Regency Hill Country resort, threading live oaks and old ranch land on San Antonio's north side. Easygoing resort golf.

The spring-fed Comal River offers a compact New Braunfels float from Prince Solms Park through the City Tube Chute. This check-in anchor is the public city-park arrival opposite the tube-chute entrance.

Tiffany Derry's soulful Southern cooking. (Farmers Branch)

The signature 7th, The Rattler, plunges eighty feet off the tee with Six Flags rides spinning in the distance. A former tour stop carved into Hill Country limestone.

air-conditioned under a roof — the only way to play summer baseball in North Texas

Independent Richardson Thai restaurant near UT Dallas serving fresh, modern Thai curries and noodles popular for lunch, dinner and takeout. Order: Pad Thai.