Some TEXAS MONTHLY Stories on Outdoors
Springs Eternal »
Grab your towel, your sunscreen, and go! Presenting our 25 favorite swimming holes: Barton Springs, Blue Hole, Balmorhea, and other iconic places to lower your core
temperature. At least for a couple of hours.
by Charlie Llewellin [August 2008]
The Old Man and the River »
Fifty years after the mythical trip on the Brazos that was the basis for John Graves’s classic book, I followed in his wake. Literally.
by S. C. Gwynne [November 2007]
Shore ’Nuff »
The best beaches in Texas for—among other summertime pursuits—shelling, strolling, birding, fishing, treasure hunting, turtle herding, solitude, and surfing, dude.
by Suzy Banks [June 2007]
Take a Hike »
Travel by foot along these thirty carefully chosen routes—from the South Rim in Big Bend to Lost Maples near Vanderpool—and you’ll take in the sights, sounds, and smells of Texas in ways you never thought possible. Lace up your boots and go.
by Charlie Llewellin [October 2006]
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.
by Jordan Breal, David Courtney, S. C. Gwynne, Michael Hall, Skip Hollandsworth, Charlie Llewellin, Patricia Busa McConnico, Katharyn Rodemann, John Spong and Brian D. Sweany [June 2006]
Wings »
At the Houston Museum of Natural Science, butterflies are free (sort of).
by Patricia Sharpe [May 2006]
75 Things We Love About Texas »
Including: the sopa azteca at El Mirador, in San Antonio; the spring-fed pool at Balmorhea State Park; the humidity; elbow room; free advice at White Rock Lake, in Dallas; county courthouses; boots-and- jeans-clad Academy Award–winner Larry McMurtry; and—seriously— quail hunting.
[April 2006]
Tour de Texas »
These ten bike routes, some easy and some hard, will help you channel your inner Lance.
by Charlie Llewellin [October 2005]
Pedal Pushers »
Contributing photographer Wyatt McSpadden, who shot this month’s feature “Tour de Texas,” describes how a plum assignment became a poignant father-son journey.
Interview by Ryan Vogt [October 2005]
The Thrill Of the Hunt »
How I learned to stop worrying and love “blood sport”—or at least understand its appeal.
by Gary Cartwright [March 2005]
A Texas Survival Kit »
What to do if you're bitten by fire ants, lost in the
wilderness, sprayed by a skunk, attacked by a shark,
stuck in a lightning storm, swept away by a riptide, or
caught in any of eleven other worst-case scenarios.
by Anne Dingus [October 2004]
Cave Clan »
As Natural Bridge Caverns celebrates forty years since its
dedication, its patron family looks back on three
generations of cave life.
by Lori Fradkin [July 2004]
Conversations with a Grasshopper »
To experience the majesty and peril of the desert on my own terms, I spent a week alone in the Solitario, the most remote area of Big Bend Ranch State Park. I confronted my darkest fears—and made small talk with an insect.
by S. C. Gwynne [March 2004]
This Land is Your Land »
With more than 600,000 acres of state parks, historic sites, and natural areas, Texas can be a perfect playground for every type of outdoor adventurer—if you know where to go. We do.
by Suzy Banks, Stacy Hollister and Charlie Llewellin [March 2004]
Call of the Wild »
Seven images and captions—from the campsite to the view from the rim—show how executive editor S. C. "Sam" Gwynne spent seven days alone on the Solitario.
Photographs and text by S. C. Gwynne [March 2004]
Happy Campers »
Suzy Banks, Stacy Hollister, and Charlie Llewellin discuss this month's cover story, "This Land Is Your Land."
by [March 2004]
On the Fly »
Who needs Colorado when the Guadalupe River is so close—and so full of rainbow trout.
by Stayton Bonner [March 2004]
Arrested Development »
The flat-as-a-mouse-pad landscape bordering the Laguna Madre contains one of the greatest wildlife-viewing regions in North America—and that's not all.
by Charlie Llewellin [February 2004]
Saving Cupid »
Every year, at least two hundred sea mammals get stranded on Texas beaches. This is the story of one of them, a 199-pound dolphin with a neurological disorder, a sardonic grin, and a willingness to swim with yours truly.
by Gary Cartwright [November 2003]
One Hump or Two? »
Riding a camel across the West Texas sand dunes, I got in touch with my inner O'Toole— and left the modern world far behind.
by Charlie Llewellin [November 2003]
Holy Trinity »
When I was growing up in Arlington, the upper Trinity River was a dirty joke—and it still is. But the lower Trinity? You've got to see it to believe it.
by Gary Cartwright [October 2003]
Happy Trails »
Until I went biking at Caprock Canyons State Park and Trailway, I had never heard of the little town of Quitaque, where life is slow and people like it that way.
by Stacy Hollister [September 2003]
Making Waves »
Photographer Kenny Braun has been surfing the Gulf Coast for about thirty years. So naturally, when the water's just right, he grabs his . . . camera.
by Katy Vine [August 2003]
Surfer Dude »
Kenny Braun talks about waves, waterproof cameras, and the perfect picture.
Interview by Anna Lauzon [August 2003]
Texas Tidbits »
Surf report: The waves are up. Get to the Texas Gulf Coast.
by Carter Batsell [August 2003]
Beck Weathers »
Beck Weathers' life (and wife) after Everest.
Interview by Christopher Keyes [May 2003]
Ride On »
To the long list of reasons to visit Fort Worth these days, add this: outstanding bike trails.
by Charlie Llewellin [April 2003]
Head for the Hills »
A friendly bar in Johnson City, a grand old opry in Mason, a cabin with a view of the Sabinal Canyon, and 22 other things I love about the Hill Country.
by Suzy Banks [April 2003]
The Old Country »
I've become a sort of pessimistic accepter of the changes that have beset the Hill Country in recent years, unacceptable though many of them may be. But I'm grateful for having experienced the hills earlier, when change was slight—and grateful too for corners and stretches still untouched.
by John Graves [April 2003]
Cast Away »
There are rivers in Texas—some of the most beautiful places on earth—where the fly-fishing is great and you don't have to battle the crowds. Now, tell me again why I should vacation in Montana?
by Charlie Llewellin [January 2003]
Old Man River »
Photographer Artie Limmer talks about the challenges of shooting the mighty Rio Grande.
by Christopher Keyes [January 2003]
Get Hooked »
Click here for more information on fly fishing.
[January 2003]
Place in the Heart »
When you fall in love with a piece of land in Texas, you quickly learn that it changes. And it changes you.
by Kathryn Jones [November 1999]
All Stars »
The celebrity high school football hall of fame.
[October 1999]
Hey, Dude »
You might be bunking in a room that would give Martha Stewart seizures, but at these eleven guest ranches you can saddle up and get in touch with your inner buckaroo.
by Suzy Banks [October 1999]
Q&AAAAA’s »
Understanding the basics: A pigskin primer.
[October 1999]
Hey, Coach »
What are you wearing? And other fun facts.
by [October 1999]
Band Notes »
A few words about the game’s other players.
[October 1999]
Just Say Snow »
Breathtaking scenery, tons of runs, and pillowy, powdery white stuff: If you need a lift this winter, New Mexico skiing won’t leave you cold.
by Jason Cohen and Joe Nick Patoski [December 1998]
Rattled »
Nothing riles a Texan like a rattlesnake, whose aggression and toxicity account for endless horror stories. Some of them are even true.
by Gordon Grice [April 1998]
Rose Buds »
by [March 1998]
Their Bloomers Are Showing »
If it’s inspiration you seek, a spring visit to a garden of old roses is in order.
by [March 1998]
Rough and Ready »
The secrets of Big Bend Ranch State Park.
by Joe Nick Patoski [October 1997]
Sweating It Out »
How I survived a course in desert survival.
Chihuahuan Desert.
by Joe Nick Patoski [October 1997]
The Real West Texas »
High peaks, scant rain, and hardpan soil—but also high art, hip hotels, and a new telescope that’s a star in its own right: Snapshots from a remote region of our state unlike anyplace else on earth.
by Paul Burka [October 1997]
Road Show »
Our guide to finding Texas wildflowers that stand out in their fields.
by Patricia Sharpe [March 1997]
Six Simple Steps to Meadowhood. »
by [March 1997]
Go Wild »
With a little planning and these gardening tips, growing your own wildflower meadow will become second nature.
by Suzy Banks [March 1997]
Blue Period »
Thanks to his wildly popular bluebonnet paintings, Dallas artist W.A. Slaughter is living on easel street.
by Skip Hollandsworth [March 1997]
Field Trip »
A day at the LBJ Ranch provides a brief—very brief—encounter with a legend.
[March 1997]
45 Years (Sat Nov 22 at 5:28 PM)
Can You Spare Some Change I Can Believe In? (Sat Nov 22 at 4:10 PM)
Even Worse, They're Cutting Back on Monocles (Fri Nov 21 at 8:39 AM)
