Five stories that have North Texas talking: Hit the road across Texas this summer; Whataburger is NOT closing; July 4 fireworks start Saturday in Dallas-Fort Worth; and more.
Even though it’s hotter than all get out, Texas was named one of the best states for a summer road trip in an analysis from WalletHub, a personal finance website.
Texas ranked No. 6 among the 50 states — not bad when the top three are Oregon, Utah and Washington. Analysts compared states across three categories — costs, safety and activities — that were broken down into 22 metrics, like gas prices, population density and national parkland.
Let’s take a look at those three.
Average gas prices across Texas currently sit at $2.04 per gallon; the national average is $2.24, according to AAA. Amarillo has the cheapest gas in Texas this week at an average $1.89 per gallon. Drivers in Galveston are paying the most at an average $2.07 per gallon.
As for population density, suburbs of Dallas and Houston are swelling, but the stretches between booming ‘burbs and major cities still offer wide open spaces for traveling.
Third, national parkland. Texas is home to 16 designated sites, including monuments, recreation areas and two national parks that thousands of people visit every year.
Now, that you know all of that, where should you go? Here are a few road trips: one for the best burgers in the state, one that follows classic Texas movies, one for Route 66 and one known as the Quartoseptcentennial Odyssey. [WalletHub, The Associated Press, Texas Monthly, KERA News]
Some links have a pay wall or require a subscription.
- In case you didn’t know, there’s an article saying Whataburger plans to close all of its stores by February 2018. In case you didn’t know, that article is a complete and utter hoax. [Daily Dot]
- The Dallas Street Choir just returned from performances in New York and Washington D.C. For many members, a trip like this was a first — because they all happen to be homeless. [KERA News]
- After a fisherman caught a 45-year-old walletin a West Texas lake, he posted the discovery on Facebook, and the deceased owner’s sister contacted him hours later. [San Angelo Standard-Times]
- In North Texas, Fourth of July celebrations start on July 1. Here’s your holiday guide to fireworks galore, pie-eating contests and the third annual Dachshund Dash. [Art&Seek]
The High Five is KERA’s daily roundup of stories from Dallas-Fort Worth and across the state. Explore our archives here. And sign up for our weekly email for the North Texas news you need to know.
