Sherman's Travel

If you’ve been tasked with visiting San Antonio on business, don’t feel disappointed – after all, you’ll fly into some of the country’s warmest weather, but you’ll also be showing up prior to the dog days of summer. In a nutshell, it’s the perfect time to visit. In an effort to get you outside the boardroom and into the River City, we’re offering up two restaurants, two attractions, and one bar that you can hit with just a few extra hours between meetings. Read more

Winemakers rely on the soil, weather, and other natural elements to produce their wines, so it’s no surprise that many have turned to eco-friendly and sustainable practices to protect their vineyards and reduce their environmental impact. Although California leads the way, the rest of the nation’s wine-making regions are following suit. Here are five wineries that have embraced the movement. Read more

Food trails are about more than just, well, food – they provide a unique opportunity to explore a region through a specific culinary item or dish. Because trails are usually a loose collection of food-themed destinations rather than a Point-A-to-Point-B route, you can plan a vacation around them or incorporate them into existing travel plans. These six mouthwatering food trails will tantalize your taste buds and satisfy your sense of adventure. Read more

I’m not going to talk about barbecue and Tex-Mex here. When I began planning my trip to Austin, I made the mistake of opening that can of worms after I posted a thread on a foodie forum to ask about the best BBQ and Tex-Mex in town. Apparently, those are fighting words for Texans – like bagels and pizza for New Yorkers. There are too many greats to list only three. Instead, I’m going to tell you where to drink. (But, for what it’s worth, I ate my weight-plus in BBQ and Tex-Mex in Austin and recommend you do the same.) When you go to Austin, don’t miss these three favorites. Read more

With frostbite creeping up on us all over the continental U.S., cities sitting well south of the Mason-Dixon are looking increasingly inviting. As the winter convention season heats up, you may find yourself traveling down to southern Texas, with Houston next up in our continuing series of business travel destinations ripe for some personal time. In an effort to get you outside of the boardroom and into the wilds of Space City, we’re offering up two restaurants, two attractions, and one bar that you can hit with just a few extra hours between meetings.

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Austin’s been keeping it weird for years and years now. In fact, many locals say it’s the one place in Texas where you go to actually leave Texas. No offense to the rest of the state, of course. If you’re headed down south to escape Old Man Winter, Austin is an excellent place to end up for business or pleasure, offering some of the best after-hours food and entertainment in the nation. In an effort to get you outside of the boardroom and into the heart of The Lone Star State, we’re offering up two restaurants, two attractions, and one bar that you can hit with just a few extra hours between meetings.

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Dallas is one of America’s largest, most sprawling metropolises, and touching down there for the first time can be somewhat intimidating. If you’re sent to the heart of Texas for business, however, there’s nothing to be afraid of. In an effort to get you outside of the boardroom and into the wilds of Big D, we’re offering up two restaurants, two attractions, and one bar that you can hit with just a few extra hours between meetings.

Unlike some cities, which shove their meeting venues to the outskirts of town, Dallas’ primary convention center is located right in the middle of the action. Nestled between Union Station and City Hall, you won’t have to walk far to find good grub. Just a few blocks away sits Sonny Bryan’s Smokehouse. While in Texas, you’ll be doing yourself a disservice if you don’t have a taste of Texas-style BBQ. For the vegetarians that may be in the group, a hearty helping of green beans, sweet potatoes, and onion rings ought to fill a similar void. Dallas is chock full of chain-style BBQ eateries, but this one is a cut above. And yes, you’ll need to temporarily ignore whatever diet you’re on. Read more

Today’s breed of Halloween-themed attractions grows more terrifying every year, making the haunted hayrides of bygone eras look like tea parties in comparison. This year is no exception, as many venues have upped the fright factor with freaky new themes (bloodthirsty humanoid centipedes, anyone?), mazes designed for solo exploration, and more serial killer clowns than you can shake a scythe at.

Nobody seems scared off; in fact, brave souls are flocking to these Halloween attractions in such high numbers that many parks have added a fast-pass ticketing option that allows visitors to bypass the lines. Here are our picks for the scariest Halloween attractions in 2012. Check them out – if you dare. Read more

Some hotels are merely a place to rest your head at night, but others hold fascinating tales of wartime refuges, remarkable wildlife, valuable art, and ghostly spirits that refuse to let go. Sign up to be amazed and maybe learn a thing or two on these exceptional hotel tours.

Until recently, most people had forgotten there was an air raid shelter underneath the Hotel Metropole in Hanoi, Vietnam. When staff discovered it during some routine work on the pool area, however, the hotel decided to excavate the bunker and restore it to its original state. Now, hotel guests can participate in nightly tours that highlight the shelter’s famous past residents – including Joan Baez, who recorded “Where Are You Now My Son” there in 1972 – and Hotel Metropole’s role during the Vietnam War.

An in-house historian leads groups through the Renaissance Vinoy Resort & Golf Club in St. Petersburg, Florida, each Wednesday through Saturday to reveal such nuggets as the unlikely origins of the hotel and President Calvin Coolidge’s preference to dine with the hotel staff during his visits. The tour costs $5 for guests, $10 for non-guests; alternatively, book the tour and a three-course lunch at Marchand’s Bar & Grill for $25.

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Planning a trip in the South? Skip the frisky screeners at TSA and take a bus instead, as Megabus expands its operations into Texas and other Southern states with fares as low as $1.

Beginning June 19, customers who book early can secure dollar seats from Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio to locations like Austin and other states like Oklahoma, Tennessee, Arkansas, and Louisiana. While prices go up as the traveling date gets closer, Megabus is giving away 10,000 free seats and capping the price of its tickets at $1 during the first week of sales to promote its new service. Read more