Jordan Breal
A Fort Worth native, Jordan Breal is a graduate of Northwestern’s Medill School of Journalism, and joined TEXAS MONTHLY in February 2005. She has also written for Fast Company, National Geographic Traveler, and Whole Living, among other publications.
Features
Travaasa Austin, Austin
JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort and Spa, San Antonio
The Inn at Dos Brisas, Washington
Hotel Saint Cecilia, Austin
El Cosmico, Marfa
The Joule, Dallas
Riven Rock Ranch
Hotel Galvez, Galveston
Hotel Zaza, Houston
Where to Stay Now 2012
A glass-bottom rooftop pool. A hike through a 210-acre pristine nature preserve. A 1,035-square-foot space-travel-themed suite. Whatever you're looking for, our ten favorite new (or improved) Texas hotels have you covered.
The Old-Fashioned Drive
Miles and Miles of Texas
The Hill Country Drive, the BBQ Market Drive, the Backwoods Drive, and thirteen other summer trips, from the mountains to the coast, that will take you down some of the prettiest, most picturesque, most wide-open stretches of asphalt Texas has to offer. Buckle up!
Straight From the Art
From the Menil in Houston to the Chinati Foundation in Marfa, Texas museums are home to some of the greatest paintings and sculptures in the world. But what are the best within our borders? Come along on a guided tour of the ten works of art you must see before you die.
Girl Gone Wild
How I learned to (sort of) love camping.
The Great Terquasquicentennial Road Trip
Some people call it a quartoseptcentennial, or a septaquintaquinquecentennial (seriously), but you’d better save your breath. You’ll need it on this wide-ranging 6,000-mile voyage commemorating Texas’s 175th birthday. It starts in Glen Rose, ends in Austin, and stops along the way at 175 places that tell the story of the state, from the grassy field in La Porte where independence was won to the parking garage in Dallas where the Super Bowl was dreamed up; from the Austin dorm room where Dell Inc. was born to the college hall in Houston where Barbara Jordan learned to debate; from the hotel in San Antonio where Lydia Mendoza recorded “Mal Hombre” to the—well, you get the idea. And you’d better get started. The road awaits . . .
The Yellow Cheese Hall of Fame
Mex-Mex has the purist vote wrapped up, but these Tex-Mex bastions win hands down when it comes to comfort food and customer loyalty.
In Our Backyard
The faces—and voices—of eighteen Texans who are living the debate over illegal immigration.
Rough Creek Lodge
Houston is Chow Town
Marfa Best Western
Port Aransas Waves Hello
Hill Country Map Quest
Breaking Away
Quick! You still have time to get in a great vacation before school starts and summer ends. And with this handy—and extremely thorough—guide to five perfect trips, all you need to do is fill up the tank, buckle up the kids, and go.
The Bucket List
Driving the River Road, in far West Texas; having a drink at the Mansion on Turtle Creek, in Dallas; fishing for bass in Caddo Lake; eating a chicken-fried steak in Strawn; searching for a lightning whelk along the coast; and 58 other things that all Texans must do before they die.
People We’ll Miss—2009
A fond look back at 22 Texans who died in 2009, from Farrah Fawcett and Walter Cronkite to Brandon Lara and Joe Bowman.
Fear Factor
If you really want to scare your boots off this Halloween, take a look at these eight places, which our bloodcurdling, hair-raising, nerve-racking research has determined to be the state’s spookiest.
Whatastory
How a modest Corpus Christi burger stand became a Texas icon.
The 50 Greatest Hamburgers In Texas
On our first-ever quest for the state’s best burgers, we covered more than 12,000 miles, ate at more than 250 restaurants, and gained, collectively, more than 40 pounds. Our dauntless determination (and fearless fat intake) was rewarded with a list of 50 transcendent burgers—and you’ll never guess which one ended up on top. Check out our Best Burger section.
That’s the Spirit
Not that you’re looking for an excuse, but these five original cocktails concocted by Texas bartenders using local liquors are a thoroughly acceptable reason to pour yourself a drink. Or three.
Home on the Range
Styles and Styles of Texas
The thirty Texans with the most iconic, unforgettable, eye-popping looks, from Davy Crockett to Beyoncé.
Saturday Night
From a honky-tonk in Odessa to a Catholic church in Houston, there’s one night of the week when you’re guaranteed to find Texans at their snappiest.
The 40 Best Small-Town Cafes
Our exhaustive, exhausting, strictly scientific (and lamentably fattening) survey of the finest home cooking around, from Maxine’s on Main, in Bastrop, to El Paraiso, in Zapata.
BBQ08
Eighteen hungry reviewers. 14,773 miles driven/flown. 341 joints visited. Countless bites of brisket, sausage, chicken, pork, white bread, potato salad, and slaw—and vats of sauce—ingested. There are only fifty slots on our quinquennial list of the best places to eat barbecue in Texas. Only five of those got high honors. And only one (you’ll never guess which one in a million years) is the best of the best.
Child’s Play
Summer vacation is right around the corner, but that doesn’t mean you should panic. We’ve rounded up 68 of our favorite things to do with your toddlers, teens, and every kid in between. Dance the hokey pokey. Rope a horse. Eat way too many hot dogs. Zip down a waterslide. And yes, feed the animals.
Wyatt’s World
Thirty years after he took his first photograph for us—of charming kook Stanley Marsh 3—contributing photographer Wyatt McSpadden looks back on his extraordinary career and tells the stories behind some of our favorite images.
Thank God It’s Friday
And Saturday. And Sunday. The arrival of fall means weekends spent watching football, up close and on-screen, and yet another opportunity to love the greatest game on earth for all the usual reasons. Forty-nine of them, in fact.
Water, Water Everywhere
From kayaking on Town Lake to mountain biking around Joe Pool Lake, from bass fishing on Lake Fork to horseback riding on the shores of Lake Whitney, here are some of our favorite things to do in, on, and around Texas lakes.
Columns | Miscellany
David Lee Garza
Poteet
Norah Jones
Grapevine
Start Here
The childhood homes of nine famous Texans.
Reporter
Fort Davis
Fort Davis.
Grapevine
Kerrville
The annual folk festival celebrates its fortieth anniversary next month, but there's more to this Hill Country town than banjos and fiddles.
Historic Downtown Palestine
Come spring, this charming East Texas town will draw tourists with its annual dogwood festival—and sweets lovers with its popular pecan cake.
West Seventh Street District, Fort Worth
This once sleepy Cowtown neighborhood has morphed into a shopping and nightlife hot spot.
Midland
The oil-fueled boomtown may be running out of water, but there’s still plenty of shopping and culture to be found.
Historic Downtown Marshall
When the weather turns cold, the self-proclaimed “Center Stage” of East Texas, attracts tourists with its famous Wonderland of Lights. And have you tried the raspberry-chipotle burger?
Old Town Spring
Dozens of charming, century-old homes just north of Houston have been transformed into a historic shopping district, complete with wooden clogs and fried Oreos.
Marathon
The Gateway to Big Bend offers enough tasty food and worthy art to attract event the hiking-averse.
San Antonio’s North River Walk
The two-year-old extension of the famed promenade offers Roman antiquities, Roman delicacies, and plenty of opportunities for roamin’.
Comfort
This Hill Country town founded by Freethinkers and abolitionists offers unique artisanal wares, first-rate antiquing, and a tasty $8 hamburger.
Tyler
Flower lovers drawn to the Rose Capital of the Nation will find snazzy frocks and spicy guisado de puerco amid the petals and thorns.
Historic Downtown Abilene
You can eat a good steak here in cowboy country—and take in some fine art while you’re at it.
Gruene
Granbury
Rockport
Make like a whooping crane and head south to this coastal hot spot to indulge in seafood and collect treasures for your nest.
Wimberley
Anchored by a lively square, this Hill Country haven attracts artists, musicians, and spirited shoppers.
Downtown Nacogdoches
Fort Worth Stockyards
Fort Worth Stockyards.
Andrea Karnes, 44
Andrea Karnes, museum curator.
Alpine
In this high-desert hub just north of Big Bend National Park, you’ll find Western artwork, Mexican handicrafts, and the unexpected snow cone.
Historic Downtown McKinney
Snap up vintage finds, fancy footwear, and sweet treats as you stroll around this tree-lined square.
Curtis “Trey” Roark, 22
Curtis “Trey” Roark, bingo caller.
East Main Street, Fredericksburg
Narrow your focus to these two blocks of the city’s famed shopping stretch.
Ghassan “Gus” Karim
Ghassan “Gus” Karim, tailor.
Amarillo
On (and off) Route 66, Amarillo.
Melanie Matcek
Matchmaker
Impersonating Elvis
Donny Edwards on impersonating Elvis.
Main Street, Salado
Veer off I-35 to explore this lively stretch of boutiques, bistros, and gift shops galore.
Gift Giving
Ginger Reeder on gift giving.
Downtown Llano
Handmade crafts, homey cafes, and cowboy couture make this Hill Country hamlet a browser’s paradise.
Downtown San Angelo
Downtown San Angelo.
Dawn Cockrell
Dawn Cockrell, midwife.
Historic Downtown Jefferson
Eat and antique your way along the brick-paved streets of this charming East Texas town.
Living Off The Grid
John Wells on living off the grid.
Alameda Street, Corpus Christi
Alameda Street, Corpus Christi.
Running Hot
Big Bend Open Road Race; Dallas Cup; Texas State History Museum.
Updating Your Closet
Ken Downing on updating your closet.
Golden Oldies
Afghan artifacts in Houston; Texas Biennial.
Dancing Queen
The Houston Ballet; a Marcia Gygli King retrospective; Philip Glass.
Chad Jistel
Chad Jistel, locomotive engineer.
Chamber Made
El Paso’s Chamber Music Festival, Hallettsville’s domino championship.
The Show Goes On
The Texas Ballet Theater; Olafur Eliasson; Art Guys in Abilene.
Suggested Reading
Texas Book Festival; Latin Grammy Awards; San Antonio Opera.
Andy Mullins
Andy Mullins, midway barker.
Return of the King
Tut’s treasures; aural art; the poetry of Laurie Anderson.
Breaking Into Showbiz
Music, Maestro
The Dallas symphony; The Color Purple; the Nasher at five.
Heart’s Home
LBJ at 100, Beachcomber’s Museum, The Black List Project.
Dallas, Our Dallas
Dallas in Austin; base ball in Buffalo Gap; gorging in Canyon Lake.
A Modern Addition
A McNay makeover; welcome to Shangri La; show us the Monet.
A Dark Visionary
Let There Be Light
J. M. W. Turner in Dallas; Discovery Green in Houston; Fiesta in S.A.
Long Time Coming
The Long Center performs; FotoFest flashes; Diboll gets husk-y.
Keep Art Here
Katrina Moorhead; Teatro Dallas; Design Life Now.
Straight Strait
Strait talk; Fort Worth takes stock; MLK in S.A.
Downtown Bastrop
A Quickie Guide.
Shopping for A Wedding Gown
Lela Rose on buying a wedding dress.
Being a Rockette
How a Rockette gets her kicks.
You Can Go Home Again
Come home, Dixie Chicks.
Sundance Square, Fort Worth
Sundance Square takes shape.
The Art Of Shopping
Mouth Kim France likes Old Navy—but not leggings.
Web Exclusives
Opening Days
A round-up of impressive art exhibitions.
The Art Lover’s Companion
More than sixty art insiders gave us their list of favorite works of art to see in Texas. So grab your notepad, sketchbook, or iPad and take the ultimate tour of must-see art in Texas.
Cool Cocktails
A few of the state’s best mixologists share their secrets to making delicious drinks.
All in the Family
A new film presents a never-before-seen look at Dominique de Menil in her curatorial element.
Performance Anxiety
An interview with Cliff Redd—executive director of the Long Center
Barry Walker
The curator of The Museum of Fine Arts in Houston discusses the museum’s recent acquisitions, from Jasper Johns to Philip Guston.
Dickens on The Strand
Galveston
Fashion at The Park
Big State Festival
Six-Man Super Saturday
An Interview With Dirk Van Tuerenhout
The Houston Museum of Natural Science curator of anthropology talks about this month’s new exhibit, Lucy’s Legacy: The Hidden Treasures of Ethiopia.
Lucy’s Legacy
Houston
An Interview With Tim League and Karrie League
The founders of the Alamo Drafthouse chat about how the indie movie theater got its start.
An Interview With Alison de Lima Greene
The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston curator of contemporary art talks about this month’s new exhibit, “Red Hot: Asian Art From the Chaney Family Collection.”
Rolling Roadshow Tour
East Meets West
The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston curator of contemporary art talks about this month’s new exhibit, Red Hot: Asian Art From the Chaney Family Collection.
Plácido Domingo
Placido Domingo on being an opera star.
Coming to America
Television journalist Jorge Ramos, the author of the book Dying to Cross, on immigration reform and being called the “voice of the voiceless.”
Texas History 101
Most of Mason's history is as quiet and agreeable as the modern-day town, but the late nineteenth—century Hoodoo War was the exception to the rule.
Walking Among Ghosts
Senior editor Michael Hall revisits Waco's Branch Davidians and describes the challenges and nuances of writing about the remaining followers and the controversies of their tragic history.
Ground Coverage
Photographer O. Rufus Lovett discusses the three days he spent documenting the haunting wreckage of Columbia in East Texas.
Underneath It All
Misty Keasler talks about her young photography career and the intense images she captures, including this month's photos of the present-day Branch Davidian compound.
Sports Fan
Writer Skip Bayless talks about the Dallas Cowboys, Bill Parcells, and his pick for next year's Super Bowl winner.
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