Texas and the US South carry the country's musical and gastronomic soul — region of deep American authenticity, miles from the polished East Coast metropolises or the bling Florida beaches. This is where jazz was born (New Orleans 1900-1920), where the world's most renowned Texas BBQ is cultivated (Franklin Barbecue Austin), where Cajun creole, Tex-Mex, soul food cuisines mingle. It's also one of the most history-laden American regions — Spanish colonisation (Alamo San Antonio mission 1718), Texas independence war (Alamo 1836), Civil War, Hurricane Katrina (2005) and Harvey (2017).
The region organises around four complementary hubs. Austin (Texas capital, nicknamed Live Music Capital of the World) — musical and tech hub, 250+ live music venues, SXSW (March), ACL Festival (October), Franklin Barbecue (one of the world's best BBQ). Houston (4th US metro) — space and energy hub: NASA Johnson Space Center. San Antonio — historical and Mexican hub: Alamo (1718), River Walk (5 km canals), UNESCO missions. New Orleans (Louisiana) — jazz cradle and Cajun creole capital: French Quarter (Vieux Carré 1718, Spanish colonial and creole architecture), Bourbon Street, Frenchmen Street jazz, Mardi Gras, Cajun creole cuisine.
Our recommended formula for a successful trip: 10-14 days for the New Orleans + Austin combination (1h domestic flights rather than 10h drive), with San Antonio + Houston extensions for Texas. For the complete music trip over 14-21 days, add Memphis (Elvis Graceland, Beale Street blues, 700 km NE of NOLA) and Nashville (country music capital) — the mythical Southern route.
Read also
- New Orleans — French Quarter, jazz, Bourbon Street, Mardi Gras, beignets: the most unique US city.
- United States — Complete country-continent guide: ESTA, currency, regions.
- Florida — The Southern Latin beach neighbour: Miami, Orlando, Keys.
- East Coast — The urban and cultural alternative: New York, Boston, Washington.