Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Minnesota State Fair



As Texas on Tour keeps rolling along, we find ourselves parked in the Land of 10,000 Lakes at “The Great Minnesota Get-Together.” The Minnesota State Fair is one of the largest state fairs in the U.S., so we came prepared with tons of fun activities and virtual adventures for visitors to enjoy.


Kevin Fitzpatrick of Bandera, TX, was one of the special treats we brought to the fair this year. With his true Texas cowboy style and fancy trick roping, he made an exciting addition for the crowds to enjoy! He lassoed fairgoers and cowboy hopscotched the way a real cowboy should. People lined up all day long to experience being roped by a real cowboy!


Little surprise, our Ride the Texas Waterways virtual kayaking adventure was also very popular with fairgoers. Several said they had never experienced anything like it. You can look up, down, left, right, and even behind you, and still take in the Texas scenery like you were actually kayaking the waters of Texas. Minnesotans have an appreciation for places like Texas, where fun on the water is year-round.


With one week behind us, the fun continues on through Labor Day on September 5, so come on out and join us! For those who are already planning a Lone Star getaway, check out the Trip Planner tool at TravelTex.com. You can find activities, places and events for your trip to Texas. Hope to see you in Texas soon!

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Iowa State Fair


Our expectations were high as this was one of America’s top 10 state fairs, and Iowa did not disappoint us. With an average of more than 100,000 people a day at the fair, the fun never stopped at Texas on Tour. Fairgoers lined up from sunup to sundown, curious to see what kind of vacation opportunities Texas has to offer.


Our Gulf Coast beaches were extremely popular with the people of Iowa. With more than 90% of Iowa land devoted to agriculture, there isn’t much room for a beach; as a result, many Iowans chose our Texas beaches as their preferred vacation destination. Once they saw that we brought the beach to them, they were all in! Visitors were able to walk on the beach without even taking off their shoes.


After the fun in the sun, visitors to our green-screen room could choose from seven different great places in Texas to be instantly transported. From there, they could take a picture to capture the special moment.

Eight stops just aren’t enough for Texas on Tour, so we’re on to our next location. Will it be a festival in your area, or maybe your state fair? Stay tuned to TexasonTour.com to find out. If it’s not your town, don’t worry – we just added two more stops to our Lone Star State road trip. Check back with us later to find out where!

Monday, August 15, 2011

Iowa State Fair


Four days down and the fun at the Iowa State Fair is just beginning! A lot of familiar faces came out this past week, excited to see Texas on Tour back in town since Texas’ stop in Iowa last year. They all were pleasantly surprised to find out there was so much more about Texas they hadn’t discovered yet.

In our Discover Texas Dome show, fairgoers learned about just a few of the vacation activities the Lone Star State has to offer – like surfing, zip-lining, driving through wild-animal parks and even kayaking through exciting rapids! With a state like Texas, there’s always something new to learn and do.


One thing I discovered about Iowans is that they love Texas almost as much as a native Texan like me. I saw so many people wearing Texas-related gear that I had to remind myself which state fair we were attending. Bill and Eleanor, both two huge University of Texas fans, walked into Texas on Tour full of pride, draped in Texas gear from head to toe.


Well, everyone, the fun doesn’t end this week in Iowa, so if you didn’t get a chance to visit our road show last week, you have until this Sunday to learn something new about Texas and create memorable moments at the fair. Who knows, you may even make a new friend or two. After all, the Texas state motto is “Friendship”! See you at the fair!

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Ohio State Fair


They say that everything is bigger in Texas, but there’s no doubt in my mind that the state of Ohio knows big too. From attractions like the famous butter cow to the mere size of the fairgrounds, you know the Ohio State Fair is no stranger to big, and if you’ve been following the Lone Star State road show, you know Texas on Tour brought some Texas-sized good times to this event.


Ohioans came out in droves to see this year’s newest addition to the fair: Texas on Tour. With more than a thousand visitors a day, Texas easily became one of the “must see” attractions at this year’s fair. Our team stayed busy keeping the fun going all day, with fairgoers spreading the word all across the fairgrounds of the great time they had in our footprint. From trivia to live performances to a chance to win a trip to Texas, it was five days of pure excitement!

Although the pig and piglets made out of 500 pounds of chocolate were a sight to behold, the sights and sounds of Texas impressed quite a few people too. People were pleasantly surprised to learn about the more than 600 miles of coastline along the sun-kissed Gulf Coast. On the virtual kayak simulator, Ohio fairgoers traveled through the rapids of the Big Bend Country canyons to Austin’s Lady Bird Lake and continued the journey to the serene Caddo Lake. These are just some of the adventures in store for visitors to a one-of-a-kind destination.

With just a couple more stops to go, there’s still a chance for you to enjoy true Southern hospitality, so don’t forget to take a look at where we’re headed next. And when you’re ready to plan your trip to Texas, check out TravelTex.com and use the Trip Planner tool to help you plan your Lone Star State vacation. Until we meet again, my friends!

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