Freelance Writer in Austin
Travel Writer - Texas & Beyond
CYNTHIA J. DRAKE
RECENT ARTICLES
​SOUTHERN LIVING
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The Oldest Family-Owned Barbecue Joint In Texas Is Hiding In This Small Town, April 2025
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5 Best Places To Find Spring Wildflowers In Texas, February 2025
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13 Best Things To Do in San Marcos, Texas, October 2024
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12 Best Things To Do in Taylor, Texas, September 2024
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16 Best Things To Do in Waco, Texas, September 2024
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13 Things To Do in Round Rock, Texas, September 2024; also appeared on AOL
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The 10 Best All-Inclusive Resorts In Texas For Your Next Trip, July 2024
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The 15 Best Things To Do In Tyler, Texas, The "Rose Capital of America", July 2024
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20 Best Things To Do in Jacksonville, Florida, January 2024
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28 Restaurants To Try For Your Next Houston Food Tour, September 2023
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A Pool Pass Is The Ticket To Your Best Staycation Yet, July 2023
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18 Best New Hotels In Texas—Plus 6 More Opening Soon, June 2023
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4 Small Texas Towns That Go Big On Wine, June 2023
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16 Best Lakes in Florida for a Sunny Escape, February 2023
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12 Southern Trips We Can't Wait To Plan For Next Year, November 2022 (also on Yahoo! Life)
For more of my Southern Living articles click here.
THE GUARDIAN
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This is Texas: A locals' guide to the Lone Star State, September 2024
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Stockyards, saloons and sushi: a local's guide to Fort Worth, Texas, August 2024
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'We welcome everybody': a local's guide to Houston, Texas, August 2024
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From speakeasies to SXSW: a local's guide to Austin, Texas, August 2024
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From drag queens to the Cowboys: a local's guide to Dallas, Texas, August 2024
TRAVEL + LEISURE
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America's Best Small Towns of 2023 (Port Aransas), August 2023
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Galveston, Texas: Home to Beautiful Beaches, Delicious Gulf Coast Eats, and the Birthplace of Juneteenth, March 2023
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Frisco, Texas, Is Having a Major Moment, February 2023
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The Best Texas Beaches for Every Kind of Traveler, January 2023
TEXAS MONTHLY
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Inside the Revamped 1850s-Era Home of a Signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence, December 2024
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How Indigenous Texans Are Rethinking the Camino Real, October 2024
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These Historic Texas Hotels Hold a Century's Worth of Stories, July 2024
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Five Years After a Devastating Tornado, Caddo Mounds Reopens With a New Mission, May 2024
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Profile of comedian Vanessa Gonzalez, December 2023
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For a Houston Nonprofit, One Woman’s Trash Is Another’s Couture Skirt, November 2023
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Fort-Worth based Dickies celebrates 100 years, October 2022
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At Long Last, a Prom Night to Remember, April 2022
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Checking in to Funky Town (Fort Worth), a profile on entrepreneur Jonathan Morris, March 2022
See also: A Hotelier's Guide to Fresh Fort Worth. -
After a Year Off, Tamaladas Return to Texas, December 2021
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A Joyful New Read Celebrates Galveston’s Bygone Black-Owned Restaurants, August 2021
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When You Wish Upon a Meal (The Rose Table's Disney Dinners), July 2021
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7 Nostalgic Texas Hotels With Vinyl Record Collections, May 2021
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The Great Roadside Motel Comeback, April 2021
USA TODAY​
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We made priceless family memories in the Grand Canyon with Adentures by Disney, October 2024
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Our non-golfing family stayed at the hottest golf resort in the US — and had a blast, February 2024
BRIT + CO.
TEXAS HIGHWAYS MAGAZINE
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Where to Stay in Texas in 2025, Jan/Feb 2025
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Preserving Traditional Black Gospel Music, January 2025
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Pets Can Join the Fun at These Dog-Friendly Texas Hotels, November 2024
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Small Town Stays with Big Histories, August 2024
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Create Lasting Memories at These Texas Family-Friendly Resorts, May 2024
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Texas stargazing hotels, April 2024
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Experience Harlingen in the Rio Grande Valley Like a Local, March 2024
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Where to Stay in Texas in 2024, Jan/Feb 2024
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Keep Your Kids Entertained With These Texas Holiday Activities, November 2023
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Texas Historic Bank Hotels, October 2024
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Restoring Gulf Coast Barrier Reefs One Oyster Shell at a Time, September 2023
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Stay in a Former Lutheran Chapel in Boerne, Texas, August 2023
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Coastal Que BBQ Is the Freshest Catch in Matagorda, June 2023
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Saddle Up in Bandera, the Cowboy Capital of the World, June 2023
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8 Overnight Adventures to Do with Kids this Summer, June 2023
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Six Essential San Antonio Cocktails to Try This Summer, May 2023
For more of my Texas Highways articles click here.
AAA MAGAZINES
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Calling All Foodies: Under-the-Radar Dining in Texas [pdf], AAA Explorer, April/May/June 2025
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10 ideas for a fun-packed spring break in Texas, AAA Explorer, January 2025
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9 Places to Beat the Heat this Summer, AAA Explorer, July 2024
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5 Texas trips the whole family will enjoy, AAA Explorer, April 2024
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Feature: 7 Totally Cool Texas Getaways, AAA Explorer, April/May/June 2024
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Feature: I Didn't Know That! Texas Brag-Worthy Attractions, AAA Explorer, April/May/June 2024
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Surprising Amenities at 7 Hotels in New Mexico, AAA Explorer, March 2024
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7 Pueblo-owned hotels and resorts in New Mexico, AAA Explorer, September 2023
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10 green chile treats along the Walk of Flame, AAA Explorer, August 2023
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10 ways to celebrate New Mexico's piñon trees, AAA Explorer, July 2023
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Where to go glamping in Texas, AAA Explorer, June 2023
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Out & About in Texas, AAA Explorer April/May/June 2023
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Follow These Routes for a Retro Texas Road Trip, AAA Explorer, April 2023
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Exploring New Mexico’s Earthship community, AAA Explorer, March 2023
For more of my AAA articles click here.
​ALLEGIANT AIRLINES NONSTOPLIFE
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Classic Eats in Austin, Texas, August 2024
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Weekend on Amelia Island, May 2024
FAMILY VACATIONIST
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An Epic Family Road Trip Guide to the Grand Canyon and Beyond, October 2024 - also appeared on MSN
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Our Non-Golfing Family Stayed at the Hottest Golf Resort in the U.S. — and Had a Blast, January 2024
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9 Texas Family Resorts with the Best Kid-Friendly Amenities, September 2022
HOUSE BEAUTIFUL
TRAVEL MARKET REPORT
AUSTIN TRAVELS MAGAZINE
CRUISE CRITIC
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Just Back From A National Geographic Tulip Time River Cruise in Holland, April 2023
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Should You Take Your Kids on an Antarctica Cruise? January 2023
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Just Back From Adventures by Disney in Antarctica, January 2023
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These Are The 7 Largest Cruise Ship Suites At Sea, November 2022
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How to Save Money on Specialty Dining on Cruises, October 2022
For more of my Cruise Critic articles click here.
PARENTS
AUSTIN MONTHLY
MICHIGAN ALUM
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Book review: Everything I Learned, I Learned In a Chinese Restaurant, Winter/Spring 2023-24
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Miss Kim Sizzles With Culinary Accolades, June 2023
MATADOR NETWORK
ULTIMATE FAMILY VACATIONS
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Best of the West, Summer 2021
AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN
Immersive art experience Hopscotch opens in San Antonio, September 2020 [pdf]
Rent your neighbor's pool with Swimply, September 2020 [pdf]
Wining, dining, peaching and climbing: Visiting Fredericksburg during COVID-19, July 2020 [pdf]
Touring Weetzie Bat's Los Angeles, 30 years later, March 2020 [pdf]
Exploring Ann Arbor, Austin's Michigan cousin, July 2019 [pdf]
A Quest for Authentic People and Eats in Shreveport, May 2019 [pdf]
Building a Dream: Austin's Wayback Cafe & Cottages, May 2019 [pdf]
A First-Timer's Guide to Lubbock, October 2018 [pdf]
Nashville: Made in Music City, May 2018 [pdf]
Alabama Gulf Shores: Off the Hook, February 2018 [pdf]
ALASKA BEYOND MAGAZINE
Enjoying Austin, February 2020
A Texas Holiday Season, December 2019
San Antonio: Rolling by the River, March 2017
WESTJET MAGAZINE
An interview with an Esther's Follies cast member, September 2019
Raise the Roof, August 2019
TRIPSAVVY
Top 12 Restaurants in San Antonio, December 2019
AARP
Texas Hill Country Getaway, May 2018
HERTZ UK
What's so Great About San Antonio? August 2018
GOOD HOUSEKEEPING
THE POINTS GUY
THE COSTCO CONNECTION
Meal trains, January 2019
How to Play the Luggage Game, May 2017 (packing tips reprinted in May 2018 issue and Canadian edition)
WHERETRAVELER
SOUTHWEST: THE MAGAZINE
Spirit of Texas, April 2017
SAN ANTONIO MAGAZINE
Morgan's Wonderland, May 2018
History of San Antonio's Chili Queens, May 2018
EATER AUSTIN
SOUTHERN BRIDE
Newly Unveiled Trellis Spa Offers Jaw-Dropping Bridal Showers, September 2021
ARCHIVES
ABOUT ME
My recent articles have appeared in Southern Living,
Travel + Leisure, Texas Monthly, USA Today, Parents,
House Beautiful, Good Housekeeping, AAA publications,
Texas Highways, and Cruise Critic.
I wrote the book Budget Travel for the Genius in 2015.
I'm a proud member of
Society of American Travel Writers (SATW) and
American Society of Journalists and Authors (ASJA).
