• The Bluebonnet is the state flower of Texas and can be Seen on Spring DrivesBluebonnets 4 image by Olivia Ogden from Fotolia.com
  
  Texas is a state that offers something for every kind of vacationer, whether it be urban entertainment, mountain hikes, desert camping or beach hopping. Sometimes the options may seem overwhelming, but with a little time and effort the Lone Star State will provide any vacationer with unique opportunities to deviate from the usual getaways and enjoy once-in-a-lifetime adventures.
  
  

Experience Austin

• Hill Country scenerySwimming Hole in Austin Texas image by Doodlebugs from Fotolia.com
  
  Austin has been described by "Texas Monthly" writer Gary Cartwright as a "blueberry in a bowl of tomato soup," a reference to the conservative, or "red" state of Texas, which surrounds liberal Austin. Not only are its politics different than the rest of the state, Austin also offers many interests to make a vacation here unique. The Congress Street Bridge, located just south of downtown, is home to the largest urban bat colony in the world. Every evening one-and-a-half million Mexican Free Tail bats fly from under the bridge and pass over the hundreds of people gathered there to watch.
  
  Austin is home to the Texas capitol building, which is open to tourists year round. Austin is also known as the Live Music Capital of the World, with clubs lining well-known Sixth Street as well as others scattered throughout the area. Located at the edge of the Hill Country, Austin is one of the most beautiful areas of Texas for a scenic drive.
  
  

Marfa

• Two of 2008's most popular films---"There Will Be Blood" and "No Country for Old Men"---were filmed near the small west Texas town of Marfa. Ironically, even at the height of year's Academy Award fever, the movies still weren't the main attraction to this town, located at the upper corner of the Chihuahan Desert. Instead, the Marfa Lights draw visitors here.
  
  These unexplained lights floating above the ground, sometimes high in the sky, were reportedly seen as far back as the 1800s. The lights sometimes hover above the ground, but at other times move rapidly in any direction. Sighted colors include white, orange, red, yellow, blue and green, and they sometimes appear in singles, pairs or groups. The lights can be seen at varying hours after dark, and in an area south of U.S. 90 and east of U.S. 67.
  
  A really unique vacation is the Marfa Lights Festival, held every Labor Day Weekend around the Presidio County Courthouse. After the festival, visitors can extend the adventure with a quick run to Roswell, New Mexico, located just four hours away.
  
  

Jefferson

• This small, east Texas town was once a thriving port city and one of the most prosperous in the state. Then, in 1874, the U.S. Corps of Engineers dynamited the logjam that blocked Red River and opened the waterway to traffic, but at the same time throttled Jefferson's future.
  
  Jefferson still has several points that make it a unique vacation spot. First is the city's resemblance to New Orleans, in its feel and architecture, a holdover from the town's riverport days. This resemblance is even more marked during the Mardi Gras celebration held there each February, complete with floats, parties and beads.
  
  Jefferson also boasts two 1800s-era hotels, the Excelsior House and the Jefferson Hotel. Both hotels allegedly are haunted and play host every weekend to amateur ghost hunters looking for a thrill. Local legend tells that a short stay at the Excelsior House inspired Steven Spielberg with the idea for the movie "Poltergeist."