Buckled himself in, tuned the radio to country, and spent three weeks on the road in the Lone Star State.

Sam Boyer NEW MEXICO MEXICO

They say everything is bigger in Texas – trust me, Texans do actually say it a lot – and they’re not wrong. From the sheer size of the state, to the meal portions, to Texan hospitality, everything is super-sized. The Lone Star State is a huge place with huge personality.

With its ranches and theme parks, deserts and hill country, rodeos and vineyards, it’s like a country unto itself. The cities are huge, the highways immense, and every small town along the way is chock full of character and cowboy boots.

Driving on the wrong (right) side of the road might seem daunting, but renting a car is the best way to explore the giant state, which is more than two-and-a-half times the area of New Zealand.

Houston

No trip to Houston would be complete without a visit to the space centre, a place for kids and grownups alike to explore the wonder of deep space travel and marvel at one of the most defining moments in human history.

Houston, we have a problem. Except, just jokes, we don’t really – at least not when you visit the star (get it?) of the tourist show in Texas’ largest city.

As you pull into the car park you’re greeted by a space shuttle perched atop a 747 jet. Inside the centre, there are rides and movies and astronaut equipment.

You can meet an astronaut. You can take a tour of the historic mission control room in the Johnson Space Center, practically unchanged since the 60s when Nasa monitored nine Gemini and all Apollo missions, including Apollo 11’s voyage to the moon. Gaze out over the room where engineers and scientists controlled moon landing and space trips that marked a pretty giant leap (get it?) in the history of this planet.

Oh and there’s an actual moon rock you can touch. A rock, from the moon! With your human earth hand! Now that is some start to your Texas trip.

So it’s a most-of-the-day trip out to Nasa, but when you get back – and if they’re playing in town – make sure to get yourself along to a Houston Astros game. Major League Baseball teams play 162-regular season games a year, so there’s a good chance you’ll find yourself in town when the Astros are playing at Minute Maid Park. After all, what could be more American than sitting down with a cold one, a hotdog, and watching the big boys sock some dingers into the crowd.

San Antonio

San Antonio – you probably wouldn’t expect this – feels surprisingly European downtown, at least until you stumble across that most American of landmarks, the Alamo.

The inner city River Walk is a beautifully constructed and manicured canal that bends and flows its way through the central city. Built to regulate floodwaters, now it serves as a beautiful boulevard winding beneath buildings and bridges, with bars and restaurants lining the water level.

Back up to street level, the famed Alamo – the site of one of the country’s most famous battles – is right in the heart of downtown. You know what? It’s kind of tiny. Patriotic American visitors flock every day to see it. It’s worth a look … if the lines aren’t too long.

Outside of downtown, the city sprawls out in neighbourhoods full of barbecue, bars, and oh-so-many wonderful taquerias. San Antonio is 65 per cent Hispanic, so a serious recommendation is this: eat some breakfast tacos, more breakfast tacos, then dinner tacos. Day sorted.

Explore the River Walk as a guided 5km run. Get your exercise in as you broaden your local knowledge. Available in the weekends through River City Run. North of town, visit Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch. Safari animals come right up to your car windows to eat food from your hands.

For the kids: Head to the top of the Tower of the Americas for panoramic views of the city. Afterwards don’t miss the 4D movie about the region. You’ll leave in giggles.

Try the Alamo Beer Company for a tour and tasting. Freetail Brewing, about 10 minutes from downtown, has various events in the brewery. If you get the chance to watch their amateur wrestling nights, do it!

A bit different: To drink: Austin

The Texan state capital is the least Texan city. Described as a ‘‘blueberry in the tomato soup’’, liberal Austin is a democratic (politically blue) spot in an overwhelmingly republican (politically red) state.

The city’s slogan ‘‘Keep Austin Weird’’ means anything cool and unusual happens here. So wherever your Texas road trip takes you, don’t miss Austin!

Seemingly every suburb has fresh appeal – whether it be scenester record stores, destination food trucks, the grand state Capitol, Sixth Street debauchery, or a cloud of swarming inner-city bats. There’s a lot here to keep you entertained.

Famous for its music scene, if you leave Austin without seeing some live music you’ve done it wrong.

Austin Detours. If you’re lucky enough to have Curt as your tour guide, you’ll be well pleased.

Plan ahead and try to take in a concert at the Austin City Limits central city stage. With its pitch perfect acoustics, this venue has been hosting the best of the best for 42 years.

Worth a look: Try your luck: Where to sleep:

If your budget allows, splash out on the trendy W Hotel. And if there’s a special occasion coinciding with your trip, make it happen here with the help of the ‘‘W Insider’’ – whether you want some unique room decoration, a hard-to-get dinner reservation, or a sold-out concert, they may be able to pull some strings.

Where to eat:

Franklin Barbecue is arguably the best barbecue in the States. Warning though: queues can take four or five hours.

Canyon of the Eagles

For a nature pitstop away from the cities, you could give yourself a night at the adorable Canyon of the Eagles, outside Burnet. Explore the wild flowers and wildlife on their expansive, pretty nature walks.

Fort Worth

Welcome to your first taste of cowboy country. This half of DFW (the combined metro area of Dallas-Fort Worth) staunchly campaigns its western heritage.

In the city itself you’ll find a pleasantly paced bar and restaurant scene, but the action really starts at the historic Stockyards.

There’s something romantic about rodeo. It’s so tough and skilful and elegant in its way.

Watching the raw power of the bulls and broncs and the human challenge of conquering that power is formidable to watch.

The local rodeo here runs every Friday and Saturday night.

Afterwards explore the world’s largest honkytonk bar, Billy Bob’s, a sprawling complex loaded with bars, dancing, arcade games, and live country music.

Where to eat: If you like burgers (of course you like burgers) you got to try Fred’s, a burger bar where cowboys will serenade you while you eat. These burgers are serious.

On a Thursday night or Saturday afternoon, head to the Martin House Brewing Company where you’ll get three pints of beautiful craft beer for $10.

Where to drink: Dallas

The D half of DFW has a very different feel to FW. There’s a rivalry between the two, with each apparently considering itself superior to the other. Yin and yang, Dallas is the town to Fort Worth’s country.

For sports fans, there aren’t many