Seeing Texas differently: A Traveleyes tour with visually impaired travellers

From dancing in Austin to riding on a ranch, this Texas trip was full of surprises. The Alamo in San Antonio is a must-see. Photo / Unsplash

From dancing the Texas Two-Step to riding horses on a dude ranch, travelling Texas as a sighted guide offers a new perspective on travel, writes Julia Hammond

“You can all go to hell and I will go to Texas.” So said Davy Crockett, American politician and – in popular culture at least – king of the wild frontier. When the Tennessee native and US Congressman failed to get re-elected in 1835, he flounced off to battle against Mexico at the Alamo. It would be a devastating loss; he and countless others died fighting for Texan independence, which would finally come a year later. The Lone Star State eventually threw in its lot with the US in 1845 yet even now, many consider themselves Texan first and American second.

More than 180 years after Davy Crockett set foot on Texan soil, our Traveleyes group touched down in Houston. With an even mix of sighted and visually impaired travellers, our tour had been designed to be accessible to all. Prior to travel, like all sighted participants I’d received a guiding pack with tips and advice that I’d agreed to follow in exchange for a discount off the tour price. Each day partners rotate and so mornings started with a brief discussion to understand the extent of vision loss and the nature of the support required.

San Antonio Cathedral. Photo / Supplied

We were keen to visit the largest state in the contiguous US and find out what made it tick, making the Alamo in San Antonio a must-see. Originally built as a Catholic Mission, volunteers recounted its changing role in Texan history as we handled 19th-century muskets, riffled through a soldier’s ration bag and heard some horror stories about how rudimentary surgery – and medicine in general – was at the time. It was fascinating, but over a round of margaritas at the city’s lively Riverwalk, we all agreed 21st-century Texas was a much more fun place to hang out.

Close bonds were quickly forged over shared interests such as music and sport; sight differences were soon forgotten. Even when I thoughtlessly exclaimed “wow, look at that!” any embarrassment over my unconscious turn of phrase was defused with humour and I learnt to be more mindful of inclusivity. Describing textures, shapes and colours forced me to look more closely at my surroundings than I would usually have done, while an increased emphasis on appreciating smells and sounds added a sensory dimension to everyone’s experience.

We moved on to Austin, where our hotel concierge tipped us off about a historic dance hall called the Broken Spoke. Country music greats like Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson and Garth Brooks have played at this humble honky tonk, Dolly Parton shot a movie here and Hollywood A-listers like Clint Eastwood and Quentin Tarantino have also been spotted on the premises.

Fortunately, none of them were present to witness our disastrous attempts at the Texas Two-Step. It sounded easy – one-two, one-two, slide, shuffle – but was harder than it seemed, regardless of whether you could see your feet or not. The dance lesson we’d been given in Houston the day after we arrived had done its job as an icebreaker, but we had a long way to go before we’d blend in with the locals who moved effortlessly around the dance floor.

Austin has built its reputation on being weird, so spending Sunday afternoon at the Little Longhorn Saloon while they hosted Chicken S*** Bingo felt entirely appropriate. The bar was six-deep with punters, a mix of locals and tourists, but we managed to grab our Lone Star beers in time to see the first round.

Offerings in an Austin boot shop. Photo / Supplied

In a corner pen, chickens pecked at feed scattered over a numbered grid. The game was self-explanatory but it took a while. Initially enthusiastic, our commentary quickly dwindled to nothing. Eventually one of the chickens made a deposit over a number and a raucous cheer indicated there was a winner. Three more rounds followed, just as chaotic as the first, though luck didn’t shine on any of us.

The most relaxing part of the trip was a stay at the Dixie Dude Ranch just outside Bandera in the heart of Texas Hill Country. This working farm has been in the same family for seven generations, but the family are also adept at providing a homely atmosphere for visiting guests. Pet dogs lounged on the porch; a couple of kittens purred contentedly from a cardboard box in the courtyard. This early in the season it was too chilly to make use of the pool, so after a ride in a haycart to see the farm’s longhorn cattle, we gathered around the campfire to toast S’mores instead.

Trail rides are a popular activity on the ranch. As most of us were novices, there was a nervous excitement as ranch hands tightened stirrups and gave us a rudimentary lesson on how to use the reins. Though we’d planned to alternate sighted and visually impaired riders to make guiding easier, the horses had other ideas.

Bandera. Photo / Supplied

Things got a little hairy as we rode through a copse of trees with overhanging branches to navigate. “Julia! Aren’t you supposed to be spotting for me?” came a shout from behind me as I swivelled back and forth in the saddle. Fortunately, a couple of ranch hands rode wide of the group to ensure we stayed safe. Everyone returned to the stables with a smile rather than a scratch on their face and, as no one had fallen off, a profound sense of achievement all round.