ROAD TRIP – The Texas Historical Commission has an app to help you navigate through time

THE WOODLANDS, TX – With the Memorial Day coming up and summer break looming right behind it, it’s a great time to plan a family trip. Instead of crossing state lines to overspend and overextend at a theme park or tourist trap, why not use technology to discover all the wonder that the Lone Star State has to offer?

The Texas Historical Commission has just launched the Texas History Navigator, an app for your iPhone and Android that lets you explore Texas like never before.

The app is your new guide to more than 18,000+ historical sites and markers across the Lone Star State. Discover hidden stories, listen to audio tours, check in at landmarks, earn badges, and plan your own historical adventures – all for free.

For extra family fun, transform your exploration into an adventure with the app’s gamified experience – earn points, unlock badges, and check in at historic locations as you visit them. The comprehensive map makes it easy to find historical sites near you, while custom trip planning helps you create meaningful journeys through Texas history for yourself, friends, or family.

Here are some destination ideas to get you started on your family road trip:

• Acton – A statue of Elizabeth Crockett marks the burial site of folk hero Davy Crockett's second wife, who died in 1860.
• Barrington Living History Farm – Discover the final home of Anson Jones, the last president of the Republic of Texas, now a Living History Farm.
• Fannin Battleground – This site memorializes the brave soldiers who fought and lost the Battle of Coleto Creek here in 1836 during the Texas War for Independence.
• French Legation – Explore the history of one of the oldest homes in Austin and its transformation from a diplomatic post to a symbol of cultural exchange.
• Monument Hill – Visit the final resting place of the brave individuals who lost their lives in the 1842 Dawson Massacre.
• Presidio La Bahía – The Presidio, established in 1749 on this site during the Spanish colonial period, was crucial to the development of Texas.
• San Felipe de Austin – This site preserves the location where Stephen F. Austin established his colony in 1823, the first Anglo-American settlement and provisional capital of Texas.
• San Jacinto Battleground – The Battle of San Jacinto resulted in Texas’ independence from Mexico in 1836. This 1,200-acre park includes the San Jacinto Monument and the San Jacinto Museum.
• Star of the Republic Museum – The star-shaped museum commemorates the site of the signing of the Texas Declaration of Independence and the last capital of the Republic of Texas.

As always, Woodlands Online encourages you to travel safely, buckle up, rest frequently, and make it home with more knowledge and good memories than when you first set out.

Download the app at https://thc.texas.gov/travel/texas-history-navigator.