It's best to carry a Texas road map as you travel. It's also advisable to carry a county map for a better look at farm-to-market (FM) and ranch roads (RR). You can get brochures on Texas attractions and a free copy of the "Texas State Travel Guide" from the the Texas Department of Transportation, P.O. Box 5064, Austin, TX 78763-5064, by calling (800) 8888-TEX or online.

The guide is coded to a free Texas state map also provided by the Highway Department. These maps are also available from any of the Tourist Information Centers located on routes into Texas and at the Texas State Capitol in Austin. The Travel Information Centers are open daily, except for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day.

The expansiveness of Texas sets it apart from other states. Note the scale of the map. With 266,807 square miles of land, Texas is the second largest state in the country. One inch on the state road map spans 23 miles.

Driving varies with terrain. You won't find many towns en route from San Antonio to the Mexican border or on I-10 west to El Paso, and there's little traffic to slow your drive. To the east, population is more dense, and day trips involve quiet, slow drives along farm-to-market (FM) and ranch roads (RR).