Our 1600-mile road trip definitely had a "foodie" theme. We hit all our favorite spots in Sedona, Tucson and El Paso. When we arrived in Central Texas, we hit the Texas BBQ trail with gusto. A typical menu includes beef brisket, ribs, sausage, beans, coleslaw and potato salad. Slow, indirect heat and smoke provided by burning wood is the cooking method, and most places make sausage rings, a tradition brought to the Texas Hill Country by German and Czech immigrants who settled here in the mid-19th century. In this, one of the most famous of all BBQ joints in the state, meats hang over several smoldering “holding” pits at the entrance, and the smoky aroma gets your taste buds going in anticipation of the hearty meal to come. Ate too much but loved every bite and the pecan pie was the best I've ever had!