Water World
Athens is all wet.
Athens is all wet.
A vibrant mix of past and present.
A canoe trip down the Colorado.
The cradle of Blue Bell and bluebonnets.
A natural antidote to San Antonio sprawl.
1. Yes, Lee’s Sandwiches hails from California, but that just means it’s a spot where you can experience Melting Pot America in its myriad glory. Your order is called in Vietnamese and English; it’s a little like being in a train station in seventies Saigon. The baguettes and croissants
Match 25 Texas towns with their slogans and you may win a prize.
Llano rocks!
After telecommunications tycoon Steve Smith bought the Big Bend town of Lajitas on a whim for $4.25 million, he spent perhaps $100 million more developing what was going to be a five-star, world-class getaway. The desert, however, had other ideas.
Houston by train.
Cibolo Creek RanchNeed your space but can’t afford to buy it? You can rent it by the night at Cibolo Creek Ranch, which clocks in with a whopping 35,000 acres of desert mountains, unexpected springs, and far-reaching history. The resort’s expansive nature extends to its rooms, big enough to
Austin Street Cafe, MarfaThis renovated adobe house, on a quiet corner a few blocks off Marfa’s main drags, is as dapper and welcoming as a fifties-era fantasy housewife in heels and starched apron holding a plate of warm cookies. The floors are glossy white, abundant windows open to the
Since 2002, Palo Duro Canyon State Park has grown from about 16,000 acres to more than 26,000. That’s a good start.
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.
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.
Writer-at-large Jan Reid on entrepreneur Richard Garriott and commercial space flights.
Fourteen of them, actually. From kayaking the Colorado and rock climbing along the Pecos to tubing the Pedernales and birding on the Rio Grande, here are the most enjoyable and exciting things to do on some of our favorite Texas waterways.
There was something irresistibly romantic about the gutter punk’s description of stowing away in freight cars. No wonder I wanted to try it—even if, at 38, I probably should have thought to myself, “You’re too old for this.”
Every once in a while, when I come across something so outrageous, so over-the-toplike Grapevine's new Gaylord Texan Resort and Convention CenterI can't help myself. I just have to be snotty.
Ten Texas hotels I can recommend without reservations, plus the state's best rooftop pool, outdoor bar, and more.
My parents and I had a generation gap. My kids and I have a geographic gap, as I learned when I took my son to my hometown of Cleveland.
A West Texas road race, the Super Bowl of six-man footballand, arguably, the world's first rodeo.
Watercolor landscapes, pre-Columbian objects and a painting by Modigliani.
Blues, rockabilly, classic honky-tonkand maybe even Jimmy Buffett.
Pecan-crusted trout, lamb chops with salsa verde and salads wearing fresh flowers.
Delicate pine-needle baskets, rustic Italian tablewareand a $1,200 bottle of Pétrus.
An old-fashioned carousel, an authentic pioneer villageand starry, starry nights.
The Panhandle town may be the first in Texas to decide to base its economy on nature tourism. Judging by the results, it won't be the last.
A century after the cowboys and ranchers moved in on the local Apaches, Comanches, and Tejanos, the West Texas town is adjusting to a new breed of excitable invaders: Hollywood fashion arbiters, New York art- world youngsters, Houston superlawyers, and the like. Cappuccino, anyone?
Writer-at-large Suzy Banks talks about tourism in Galveston, moray eels in Kemah, and war stories in Port Isabel.
Since I was a kid growing up on polluted Galveston Bay, I’ve held a grudge against the watery edge of Texas—but no more. Protected wetlands! Pelicans and turtles! Historic buildings! Edible oysters! And that’s not the half shell of it.
The State Fair has seen it all, from a model of the Washington Monument made entirely out of human teeth to a visit by King Olaf V of Norway on Norweigian Day.
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.
Writer-at-large Suzy Banks discusses what she likes best about Big D and how it compares with Houston.
Austin has its own wacky take on the famous Running of the Bulls in Pamplona.
Pray for Bill Parcells, whose job is to take the Dallas Cowboys back to the Super Bowl. Pray for an arm like Troy's and legs like Emmitt's. And if all else fails, pray for a miracle.
Including my favorite movie theater, a wheely big bike trail, a hardware store with knowledgeable clerks (!), and the most sensuous pedicure a girl could ask for.
WHEN IT COMES TO CONDITIONED responses, Pavlov’s dog has nothing on me. All you have to do is whisper the names of New Orleans’ fabled restaurants—Brennan’s, Galatoire’s, Commander’s Palace, K Paul’s, Bayona, Antoine’s, Emeril’s—and I’ll be salivating at the thought of snowy white crabmeat simmering in an ocean of butter
Getting ThereFirst, reserve a site for the weekend at the West Chicago Creek Campground (877-444-6777, reserveusa.com; toilets, no showers; each site $11 a night); sites 5, 7, and 9 have the most privacy and the best views. There are nonstop or direct (one stop) flights to Denver from
A FRIEND OF MINE FROM Colorado gives the following instructions for choosing a weekend camping destination in his nature-rich home state: Place a map of Colorado on a bulletin board, close your eyes, and throw a dart. Wherever it lands, he says, is bound to offer some of the best
Getting ThereThere are nonstop or direct (one stop) flights to Albuquerque from Austin (Southwest), Dallas’ Love Field (Southwest), DFW (American, Delta), El Paso (Frontier, Southwest), Houston Bush Intercontinental (Continental), Houston Hobby (Southwest), and San Antonio (Delta, Southwest). Ojo Caliente is a two-and-a-half-hour drive from the airport via Interstate 25
I THINK MY AIRLINE CONSPIRED TO heighten my appreciation of Ojo Caliente Mineral Springs, a venerable resort between Taos and Santa Fe. After a roller-coaster flight through turbulence east of Albuquerque, the loss of my baggage, and the always-ego-boosting search for an emergency swimsuit, I was more than ready to
Getting ThereThere are nonstop or direct (one stop) flights to Las Vegas from Austin (Southwest), DFW (America West, American, Delta), El Paso (Southwest), Houston Bush Intercontinental (Continental), Houston Hobby (Southwest), and San Antonio (Southwest).Eating and SleepingHUGO’S CELLAR202 Fremont (in the Four Queens Casino) 702-385-4011 It’s so Old Vegas.
GOLF IS NOT NORMALLY THE first thing that comes to mind when you think of Las Vegas. Casino owners have invested billions of dollars to keep you playing indoor games; they want you thinking about slots, not shots. Despite these odds, Las Vegas is becoming one of the top golfing
Getting ThereThere are nonstop or direct (one stop) flights to San Diego from Austin (American, Southwest), DFW (American, Delta, Frontier), El Paso (Southwest), Houston Bush Intercontinental (Continental), and Houston Hobby (Southwest).Eating and SleepingAL’S IN-THE-VILLAGE CAFE795 Carlsbad Village Dr., Carlsbad 760-729-5448 entrées $4.95-$8.95COLD STONE CREAMERY2967 Carlsbad Blvd., Carlsbad
AFTER WHAT MY DAUGHTER STERNLY reminds me are almost but not quite six and a half years of parenting, I have a few rules for taking the family away for the weekend: First, fly direct (because, these days, having to make a connection is an agita-inducing proposition). Second, spend no
Getting ThereThere are nonstop or direct (one stop) flights to New Orleans from Austin (American, Southwest), Dallas’ Love Field (Southwest), DFW (American, Delta), Houston Bush Intercontinental (Continental), Houston Hobby (Southwest), and San Antonio (Southwest).Eating and SleepingBRIGTSEN’S723 Dante 504-861-7610 dinner entrées $17-$26CAFE DU MONDE800 Decatur 504-525-4544 café au
It's August in Texas. The dog days of summer are barking which means it's time to grab your loved ones and hop the first plane out of state. And you shouldn't go just anyplace. We're thinking of five weekend destinations in particular. Bag packed already?
Where else in Texas can you see a Picasso, a classic courthouse, and one of the most famous ranches in the country, along with an outdoor theatrical performance that’s equal parts kitsch and civic pride? If you haven’t been to Albany, get your fandangle in gear.
Not sure where to stay when you go to the Hill Country? Don't worry. I've found the best places, from a historic hotel to a caboose.