of Quitaque
END: East of Canyon
DIRECTIONS: Start at Caprock Canyons, just north of Quitaque on FM 1065, and drive south to Texas Highway 86. Follow 86 west through Silverton to Texas Highway 207, then head north. At FM 285, proceed west, then head north on Interstate 27. Finally, turn onto Texas Highway 217, near Canyon, and go east to Palo Duro Canyon State Park.
DISTANCE: 105 miles

The Lighthouse Drive

by Katy Vine

ROUTE: Port Arthur to Port Aransas
DISTANCE: 308 miles
NUMBER OF COUNTIES: 11
WHAT TO BRING: A pair of binoculars

I started as far east as you can go on the Gulf Coast and still be in Texas. And since the Sabine Pass Lighthouse, which is technically across the state line in Louisiana, is on a private road, I decided to drive along the border just south of the Sabine Pass Battleground State Historic Site, on First Avenue, until the structure came into view. Even from a distance, it was impressive. While only about as big as my thumb when my arm was outstretched, I could clearly make out the octagonal lighthouse, built in 1857. It was a whopper—80 feet of brick going straight into the air as if ready to lift off from its eight giant buttresses. To the east, only a few buildings dotted the landscape. To the west, there was nothing but marshland as far as the eye could see.

After lunch, I headed toward the McFaddin National Wildlife Refuge. I had wanted to snake next to the Gulf by way of Texas Highway 87, but hurricanes had damaged some parts of the road between Sabine Pass and High Island, so I wound my way west out of Port Arthur along Texas Highway 73. The landscape quickly changed back to marshland, with tall grass on either side of the road. I passed Boondocks Road and Big Hill Road, along with other references that reminded me I had left the city far behind.

When I finally returned to Highway 87 and reached Bolivar Peninsula, I began driving alongside the water. I passed only scrub for a long while and then, near the west side of the peninsula, groups of houses in teal, coral, yellow, and white, all on stilts. It was here that I nearly drove off the highway when I spotted the 1852 Bolivar Point Light Station on my right. I realize it’s 15 feet shorter than Sabine Pass, but the black 65-footer is so close to the road it’s hard not to rubberneck. My apologies to anyone inconvenienced by my spastic weaving.

Continuing along the coast for 154 miles, I headed toward Port Lavaca on Texas Highway 35, and after passing a good deal of lush farmland, I started seeing little bays and long bridges. The Half Moon Reef Lighthouse was directly next to the highway, built on pier and beam. Its wood exterior was painted white, and unlike any other lighthouses on my tour, I could simply walk inside. It isn’t as tall as the others I saw; in fact, it’s barely three stories high. Built in 1858 in Matagorda Bay, the hexagonal structure weathered many hurricanes until a storm in 1942 did it in for good. A private resident bought it, moved it inland, and donated it to the Calhoun County Historical Commission. I walked around inside the structure—I even had to turn the lights on myself—and wandered in a circle looking at photographs of the beacon at its original site.

But the prize of my trip was still seventy miles away, in Port Aransas: the Lydia Ann Lighthouse. Located on an island and privately owned, it still has a keeper and a functioning light. From Aransas Pass, I headed down Texas Highway 361 and spotted the lighthouse from a distance, the only structure on the entire horizon. Originally built in 1855, it has suffered some damage in the intervening years, but it is currently in great shape, a 55-foot-tall 
octagonal brick tower. The best view, I was told, is at 
Virginia’s on the Bay seafood restaurant, and as I sat at 
my table, I marveled at the 
scene. But next time I’ll know to time my arrival at dusk, when the beacon is fully
 illuminated.

The 
Off-Road 
Drive
If you’ve ever wanted to keep going after the road ends, the beach at Padre Island National Seashore is the perfect getaway. The views of the Gulf are stunning, but take note: a four-wheel-drive vehicle is essential, and it’s wise to call ahead to find out about current conditions (361-949-8175).
START: Park headquarters, on Park Road 22
END: At the southern tip of the island
DIRECTIONS: No roads, no traffic, no problem. Just keep heading south on the sand.
DISTANCE: 60 miles (one way)

The Hill Country Drive

By Courtney Bond

ROUTE: Bandera to Concan (and back)
DISTANCE: 125 miles
NUMBER OF COUNTIES: 3
WHAT TO LISTEN TO: 104.3 FM, 
the Ranch

A great drive may be about slowing down and clearing your head, but who can resist roads lined with signs warning of “Earth Slides” and “Steep Grades, Sharp Curves”? Born of massive geological upheaval, this corner of the Hill Country is stunning, its lush valleys and stark canyon ridges painted in weathered hues of slate and ocher and moss. It’s a landscape that will make you slam on the brakes, camera at the ready, and declare, “Now, this is the Hill Country.”

The ideal jumping-off point for this beautiful loop is Bandera, a bohemian community of longtime ranchers and weekend cowpokes that some chamber of commerce official had the good sense to proclaim the Cowboy Capital of the World. Fuel up at the Grotto, where handsome young fellas are peddling Cornish game hen in a land where sightings of the Ben E. Keith truck are all too frequent.

Head northwest on pastoral Texas Highway 16 to Medina, the—wait for it—Apple Capital of Texas. There’s no better ambassador than Love Creek Orchards, where you can pick up