Texas’s charms are many—stunning natural beauty, a fiercely independent spirit, and fascinating points of interest among them. Whether you’re planning a visit to the Lone Star State, shopping for an enduring keepsake, or even searching for a home, put these nine unique businesses on your list.
A Boutique Inn You Won’t Want to Leave
Don’t let the word “motel” fool you. Round Top, Texas’s newest boutique retreat is more of a luxe bed and breakfast than a roadside lodge. The three-building compound includes the Cottontail guest house and two small cottages, the Garden Suite and the Three Carat Suite. Completing the intimate, country-chic space are a private pool, a pickleball court, and the Rabbit Hole, a Victorian-inspired parlor with blue toile wallpaper. To reserve a stay, visit TheCottonPearl.com/booking.
A Texas Business With Sole
Blame it on Crystal Gayle. From the moment they first set eyes on the country legend at the Houston Rodeo, sisters Margaret Walker and Sarah Caruth idolized her. They became so enamored with the long-haired icon, they started wearing cowboy boots everywhere, from football games to hunting trips with their father. When time came to name their pandemic-fueled start-up, they decided on their dad’s favorite country song, “Fraulein.” Feminine and steeped in vintage style and American history, Fraulein Boot Company celebrates Western couture and the feeling of power and confidence that comes from wearing a pair of these showstoppers. To find your own, two-step to FrauleinBoots.com.
Realizing Dreams in the Heart of Texas
Foster Farm & Ranch Real Estate
The dream of owning a piece of Texas is as old as this nation. Chad Foster facilitates modern-day investors’ goals of buying or selling their own small part of the state. It’s an easy sell for Foster, who comes from a two-hundred-year tradition of Texas land ownership. He and his team use a deep knowledge of land development and market trends to broker every deal. Their proficiency in ranch and wildlife management, land sales and acquisitions, water and mineral rights, title transfers, and resource protection have made them trusted real estate partners. Working with Foster Farm & Ranch is more than a transaction. It’s land stewardship, one parcel at a time. Find your dream Texas property by contacting FosterFarmandRanch.com.
Luxury As Far As the Eye Can See
Against San Antonio’s cactus-dotted terrain is a luxury escape to write home about. La Cantera sits at the city’s highest elevation, offering starry views to match its five-star service. Guests can look heavenward from the Plaza San Saba outdoor terrace or enjoy the scenery in the Sky Loft outdoor treatment spaces of the Loma de Vida Spa. The exceptional amenities extend to the ten on-site food and beverage venues, including the fine-dining Signature Restaurant, that pay homage to Hill Country flavors. And while children are invited to share in the R&R, floor seven offers a private respite for adults only. Book your next Hill Country getaway at LaCanteraResort.com.
World-Class Beef With a Side of History
Cattle ranching began in Texas three hundred years ago when colonial conquest introduced to the region the first Spanish livestock, a precursor to the famous Texas longhorn. Today, the Lone Star State remains the biggest beef producer in the nation. There’s no better place to celebrate this legacy than at Houston’s Taste of Texas. A landmark steakhouse, the family-owned restaurant and museum serves only the finest-quality cuts aged a minimum of forty-two days. Historical documents line the dining room, including rare ephemera like Sam Houston’s personal calling card and Republic of Texas currency. Prime rib or porterhouse, it’s a dining experience where pride of place comes with every plate. Plan your visit—or order perfectly aged Taste of Texas steaks to be shipped straight to your door—at TasteofTexas.com.
An Entrepreneurial Spirit’s Spirits
When Daniel Barnes opened Treaty Oak Distilling in 2006, it was only the fourth distillery in Texas. But being a pioneer didn’t faze him. Raised by small business owners, Barnes has entrepreneurial instincts in his blood. The vanguard operation, based in Dripping Springs, approaches spirit making with a reverence for history while implementing modern expertise. Set on a twenty-three-acre ranch where grain-to-glass Treaty Oak whiskeys and Waterloo gins are made from locally sourced botanicals, the site also boasts Alice’s Restaurant, a live music venue, and immense outdoor space. It’s a Texas success story worthy of raising a glass. Discover it at TreatyOakDistilling.com.
A Texas-Made Heirloom
The best pieces of cast-iron cookware are made to last multiple lifetimes. That’s the mindset of Fredericksburg Cast Iron Co. Crafted entirely in Texas using years of advanced manufacturing experience, each piece of ironware is an affordable investment. A durable but user-friendly polished and hand-seasoned cooking surface makes each piece a Hill Country treasure. The company’s skillets and griddles are meant to be handed down through generations along with your family’s treasured recipes. As the owners like to say, each piece is made in Texas for family, by family. Shop Fredericksburg’s cookware and accessories at FBGCastIron.com.
Antique Experts with an Eye for Design
You can’t buy good taste—but you can buy from those who have it. Becca Masters and Shannon Crouch, veteran Round Top Antiques Show vendors, are two of Texas’s leading arbiters of fine decor. At the M, they curate unusual furniture, art, and objects. Believing that authentic style is without borders or labels, they’ve made shopping (virtual and by appointment) at their McKinney, Texas, warehouse a sought-after reservation. Design enthusiasts come for hard-to-find pieces from the midcentury through postmodern eras, including chair pairs from the likes of Roche Bobois, Jay Spectre, and Saporiti Italia. Explore the M’s unique primitive, industrial, and modern offerings at Blue Hills during the Round Top Antiques Show or at themdowntown.com.
A Timeless Destination for Year-Round Fun
Time travel is possible on Galveston Island, where the past meets the present at every turn. Once the state’s largest and most prosperous city, the island maintains its historic feel with stunning nineteenth-century iron-fronted buildings, centuries-old estates, and restored storefronts. It has enough history to rival that of other Southern ports like New Orleans and Charleston. Add a temperate climate, a thriving arts scene, and numerous attractions, and it’s no wonder Galveston is a beloved vacation destination year-round. Whether you’re looking for fresh seafood, a pre-cruise adventure, or hours of uninterrupted sunbathing along thirty-two miles of beaches, the Queen City of the Gulf has it all. Plan your getaway at VisitGalveston.com.
