Texas Trip in May

You might enjoy Dinosaur Valley State Parkand Fossil Rim Wildlife Center near Glen Rose.  Dinosaur foot prints in the riverbed and a lovey park to hike in . 

Also if  you like caves, there are three nice ones south of FW   Longhorn Cavern State ParkNatural Bridge CavernsInner Space Cavern and west of San Antoniois Caverns of Sonora  good link for texas caves http://gorvtexas.com/texascaves.htm 

Texas is a huge state. If you are driving here are the time it takes to get from one city to another. This is all depending on what time of day (traffic) and where in the city you are going. 

Dallas>Houston- 4 hours 

Dallas>Austin- 3-3.5 hours 

Austin>San Antonio- 1-1.5 hours 

If you only have a week, I would scrap Houston. It sucks. There really isn't anything for a tourist to do and the traffic is awful. Unless you want to visit the beach.. But Galveston is basically sewage water and you'd be better hanging out at your hotel pool. 

Austin would be my choice ( I'm a bit biased bc I live here) but it is going to offer you exactly what you're looking for. Tons of breweries and great food at all price points and amazing shopping! Greats areas to go out at night (Rainey street, west 6th, and dirty 6th if you must). We also have the greenbelt which is great for hiking and is beautiful in May. Barton Springs Pool & Hamilton Pool  for swimming (google it). Fredericksburg (Texas) is a short 45 min drive away and considered the "Napa of the south".. Tons of wineries! You will also find tons of live music during that time as well! Austin is the most "cultured" that you'll get in Texas.. There's a reason they say to keep it weird. South Congress is also a great area to shop, have a boozy brunch if that's your thing and people watch. It's so beautiful during that time here and there will be TONS of people out on patios, running, biking, doing yoga, etc.  

San Antonio isn't far way so you could easily do a day or two there and see the The Alamo, Riverwalk Northetc. 

I hope that helps! If you have more specific questions, I'd love to help!  

**i don't mean to rip on Houston, but that's just my personal option and I'm sure plenty of ppl would agree. I just wouldn't consider it a place to visit

Lots to do in all of these cities! DFW (Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex) is a huge area, & the 2 cities are completely different. While in Dallas, definitely see Dealey Plaza & if time permits the The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza. This is the site of the assassination of JFK. Visit Pioneer Plaza to see the Dallas Cattle Drive Sculptures & the Dallas Arboretum & Botanical Garden is a beautiful place to spend the day outdoors. Fort Worth is a wonderful city. It was named the #1 downtown area on Livability in 2014. The city center, Sundance Square, has beautiful fountains, 32 ft umbrellas that light up, lights on historic restored buildings change color in he evening (at times with music playing), a JFK Memorial (his last speech was given in FW) & Texas shopping like Retro Cowboy Eat at The Flying Saucer which has a huge outdoor beer garden, or Reata restaurant for fancier Texas fare. Visit Sid Richardson Museum to see some incredible western art by famed artists Remington & Russell. It is small & worth the stop. Also see the Fort Worth Water Gardens a concrete water oasis where part of the sci-fi movie Logans Run was filmed. Enjoy some music at Scat Jazz Lounge & look into staying Etta's Place Bed and Breakfast where Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid once resided. Also visit Fort Worth Stockyards National Historic District for a real western cowboy experience. Watch the Herd cattle drive, shop for great souvenirs like cowboy hats, clothing, spices etc. Eat at Love Shack for a great burger & outdoor vibe, stop for a drink at H3 Ranch Booger Reds & have a drink while sitting on a saddle, eat at Cooper's Old Time Pit Bar-B-Que for an awesome Texas bbq experience & check out Billy Bob's Texas to see the largest honky tonk in America. Other things to see in FW are Rahr & Sons Brewing, Firestone & Robertson Distilling Co., Times Ten Cellars Ft. Worth for some Texas wine (TX has a big wine region), Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth see & sing in the Vortex sculpture outside, Kimbell Art Museum has the earliest known painting of Michelangelo (both museums are small but awesome), and Bureau of Engraving and Printing which is an easy place to visit unlike the one in DC. Other restaurants you might enjoy are 80 yr old Joe T. Garcia's for Mexican food & margaritas with an unbelievable outdoor patio & Rodeo Goat winner of a best burger challenge in DFW 2015, it has cool vibe. Between Dallas & Austin you may want to take a break in West & grab a few kolaches to eat at Czech Stop. While in Austin see LBJ Presidential Library, W 6th St& The University of Texas at Austin. Eat at Torchy's Tacos (cool outdoor trailer park), Kerbey Lane Cafe - Original or Rudy's. While in San Antonio see  The San Antonio River Walk, The Alamo, San Antonio Market Square (largest Mexican market outside of Mexico), eat at Mi Tierra Cafe y Panaderia while at the market, but if the lines are huge buy some Mexican candy from the panaderia & head to some street vendors for some elote (corn), frito pie, a raspa (frozen ice) & an agua fresca. Visit the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park Visitor Center & see 4 historic missions (you will need to drive to see all of them) with churches that have active catholic parishes. Even if you are not Catholic, attending a service is beautiful at Mission Concepción.  Enjoy!

While in Dallas, you should plan on seeing the Cowboys Stadium where the Dallas Cowboys play.  It's also right near the stadium where the Texas Rangers play.

I grew up right outside Washington DC and I'm at college in Austin now so from one DC resident to another for food I would suggest:

Taverna, La Condesa, Café No Sé, Bananarchy, Lucky Robot, - basically anything in the South Congress area - also the Whole Foods Market here is the flagship store, it sounds silly but it's def worth visiting just because its so big and offers so much. For stuff to do: paddle boarding on Lake Austin which is more like a river (reminds me of paddle boarding in georgetown a little), Black Swan Yoga (by far the best yoga here), Continental Club (pretty famous music venue on south congress - interesting vibe). For shopping & more food: The Domain is a relatively new but really cool outdoor mall (but mall doesn't do it justice). Thats all I can think of right now - but Austin is amazing and the list of stuff to do here is probably endless. Hope you enjoy your trip!! 

From the description of your "likes", you'll find Texas to be right up your alley! I've only driven through Houston, but I have a few suggestions for the other cities on your list.

Probably the coolest, most "Texas"y thing I did in or near Dallas was go to a rodeo. We visited the Mesquite Championship Rodeo, but Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo is open year round. In San Antonio, I've heard The Alamo is poorly run, but I thought it was fun as a kid, and it's still probably worth a visit. If not, there are loads of other old mission churches to check out nearby, and the River Walk is touristy but fun.

In Austin, Sixth Street is like the Texas version of Bourbon Street. The Driskill Hotel is a classier place for drinks and live music. Check out the city's many food trucks (there are great apps to help you locate them) and drive down to SoCo to eat and shop. If it's summer, you can see the bats emerge from below the Congress Avenue Bridge.

It would be tight given you already plan to explore four cities in seven days, but my best advice to you is to take at least a day to explore the Hill Country between Austin and San Antonio. There are plenty of wineries and distilleries nearby. Some of the towns in this area (like Fredericksburg (Texas) and New Braunfels) have a German influence, so you'll find beer gardens and dance halls. Gristmill River Restaurant & Bar in New Braunfels has great views of the Guadalupe River.

Overall, make sure you have some Tex-Mex, chicken-fried steak, and barbecue (brisket is best here) before leaving. If you're visiting in the summer, try to visit a swimming hole or river for a half-day of relaxation. Have a wonderful time in Texas!

Oh wow! How long will you be in tx for? And how long in each city?