Brand USA - The Great Outdoors: the vast landscapes of Texas and New Mexico

Dallas rises in the heart of Texas with glass skyscrapers and a modern energy that blends with deep Southern tradition. Dealey Plaza and the Sixth Floor Museum preserve the memory of John F. Kennedy's assassination, while the Dallas Arts District — the largest urban cultural district in the United States — gathers museums and theatres designed by world-renowned architects. The historic Deep Ellum quarter reveals murals, jazz and blues venues, while the Bishop Arts District tempts visitors with artisan shops and restaurants. Texan cuisine is a ritual here: smoked barbecue, ribs and generous Tex-Mex. Nearby, Fort Worth keeps the authentic spirit of the Old West alive in its Stockyards. Dallas is the contemporary face of Texas, blending business, culture and warm hospitality.

Austin, the capital of Texas, is a young and creative city that proudly calls itself the "Live Music Capital of the World". Along famous Sixth Street and in the venues of South Congress, blues, country and rock ring out every evening, while each spring the city erupts with the SXSW and Austin City Limits festivals. Dominated by the imposing dome of the Texas State Capitol, Austin surprises with its natural side: Lady Bird Lake invites kayaking and walks along its shores, while at sunset thousands of bats stream out from the Congress Avenue Bridge in a unique spectacle. Between Texas barbecue and Tex-Mex food trucks, craft breweries and the nonconformist spirit captured in the motto "Keep Austin Weird", the city wins over those seeking energy, music and culture.

Bandera proclaims itself the "Cowboy Capital of the World," tucked into the picturesque Texas Hill Country west of San Antonio. The town keeps intact the spirit of the West, with its dude ranches for authentic horseback experiences, historic saloons and live country music. Rivers and rolling hills invite adventure. Bandera is the ideal destination for those seeking cowboy culture, Texas ranches and the authentic charm of the Hill Country.

Fort Stockton rises in arid West Texas, a historic town that grew around a military fort along the old westward trails. The Fort Stockton Historic District and the statue of Paisano Pete, the giant roadrunner, make it a distinctive stop along the roads of western Texas. Surrounded by deserts and sprawling ranches, it is a foothold toward Big Bend National Park.

Big Bend National Park stretches across southwestern Texas, where the Rio Grande draws a great bend along the Mexican border. A vast realm of Chihuahuan desert, the Chisos mountains and deep canyons, it is one of the most remote and wild parks in the United States. Its skies, among the darkest in America, offer unforgettable starry nights. A sanctuary of pristine nature for those seeking solitude and wide-open spaces.

At the foot of the Franklin Mountains, El Paso stretches along the Rio Grande on the border between Texas and Mexico, facing its twin city of Ciudad Juárez. An ancient caravan crossing once known as "El Paso del Norte," it is today a lively frontier metropolis where Tex-Mex culture and Hispanic traditions blend in food, music, and adobe architecture. Its historic Mission Trail preserves the Spanish missions of Ysleta, Socorro, and San Elizario, among the oldest in the United States. Franklin Mountains State Park offers trails through the Chihuahuan Desert and sweeping sunset views, while the Wyler Aerial Tramway climbs to Ranger Peak for a panorama spanning three states and two nations. El Paso is best savoured over enchiladas, sunshine, and endless skies.

Albuquerque stretches along the Rio Grande in New Mexico, where Native, Hispanic and Anglo heritage blend beneath an immense, luminous sky. Its ancient core is Old Town, founded in 1706, with the church of San Felipe de Neri, earth-coloured adobe buildings and pueblo craft shops. High above, the Sandia Peak Tramway — one of the longest aerial tramways in the world — climbs to the crest of the Sandia Mountains for sweeping desert views. The city is famous worldwide for the International Balloon Fiesta, when hundreds of hot-air balloons colour the autumn dawn. New Mexican cuisine carries the aroma of green and red chile, sopaipillas and pueblo dishes. Amid red mesas, art and Native culture, Albuquerque is the gateway to the authentic Southwest.

From Albuquerque to Santa Fe, you can travel along the Turquoise Trail, a scenic road that goes from Albuquerque to Santa Fe and crosses the hills of New Mexico, offering beautiful views of the surrounding mountains and old ghost towns. It is recommended to make a stop in Madrid, once a ghost town, now a gathering place for artists. Santa Fe guards a singular soul: capital of New Mexico and the oldest of all the United States' state capitals, it wins you over at first glance with its unmistakable terracotta-coloured adobe architecture. Its beating heart is the historic Plaza, flanked by the Palace of the Governors, where Native American artisans display silver and turquoise jewellery. Nearby rise the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi and Canyon Road, the famous gallery-lined street that made Santa Fe one of America's art capitals. The city pulses with Hispanic and Pueblo culture, with its green-chile spiced cuisine, museums devoted to Georgia O'Keeffe and the peaks of the Sangre de Cristo mountains as a backdrop. Santa Fe reveals itself through art, spirituality and desert light.