Travel & Outdoors
September 13, 2021
A Guide to Texas’s Best Botanical Gardens
Desert cacti, tropical orchids, towering live oaks—these tranquil spots teem with ever-changing flora. It’s time to plan a trip.
Travel
The best of Texas travel including news, trip guides and destinations.
Where to Stay Now
September 9, 2021
El Paso’s Hotel Renaissance Beckons Visitors Downtown
Where to stay, eat, shop, and play in this borderland city that’s rich in architectural wonders and divine dining.
Art
August 10, 2021
Texas Ghost Towns Come Alive in an Intriguing Traveling Photo Exhibit
Morgan Page and Dustin Rice spent nearly three years roaming the state for "Bones of Texas," which features images of long-gone communities.
Where to Stay Now
July 23, 2021
Time-Travel to 1920s El Paso at the Gardner Hotel
Plus: guitarist Cameron Knowler’s new album, Connie Britton in ‘The White Lotus,’ and a good ol’ country drive.
Being Texan
July 20, 2021
In Mobile City, Everybody Knows Your Name
Mobile City was incorporated in the early nineties to facilitate alcohol sales in a dry county. Now residents—especially its devoted mayor—fear for the fate of their accidental utopia.
Business
July 15, 2021
The Return of Liz Lambert
She was born into West Texas ranching royalty and found fame by building a hotel empire. Then she was ousted from her company. Now, for her next act . . .
Music
July 2, 2021
TM Recommends: A Serene West Texas Agave Garden
Plus: a Panhandle music label, a Dallas poetry podcast, and a groovy Khruangbin remix.
Travel & Outdoors
July 1, 2021
In Rocksprings, Watch Bats Emerge From Devil’s Sinkhole, or Stay in a Historic Hotel
Where to eat, sleep, and sightsee in this town of 1,200 northwest of San Antonio.
Where to Stay Now
July 1, 2021
Trying to Live My Best Life in a Port Aransas Dream House
Amenities galore? Check! Ocean views? Check! Two teen boys and my parents? Um ...
Travel & Outdoors
June 17, 2021
Seven Outstanding Parks for Riding or Renting Horses
Hoof it to these parks with your steed (or someone else's).
Travel & Outdoors
June 17, 2021
Texas Parks by Horseback Offer a Whole Other View
Equestrians can ride their own steeds, or in a few cases rent them, on public lands across the state.
Best Thing in Texas
June 14, 2021
Swimmers, Rejoice: Balmorhea State Park Is Reopening
A West Texas oasis, the world's largest spring-fed pool has been closed for the better part of three years.
Travel & Outdoors
June 14, 2021
Six Great Spots on the River Walk for Fiesta—Or Anytime
You can’t beat these San Antonio bars, hotels, and restaurants for water views and hospitality.
Where to Stay Now
June 11, 2021
Where to Stay, Eat, and Retreat in East Texas
In Jacksonville, Palestine, and Tyler, local entrepreneurs cater to tourists looking for luxury (and a very fine slice of pie) amid the Piney Woods farms and fields.
Where to Stay Now
May 21, 2021
Texas Monthly Recommends: A Rustic Retreat in Wimberley
Plus, a psych-rock album and the pleasures of homegrown tomatoes.
Art
May 17, 2021
Step Into Frida Kahlo’s Garden at a Lush New San Antonio Exhibit
Vibrant tropical plants and prickly cacti grow alongside original sculptures by Mexican artists, in a tribute to the artist's love of the natural world.
Where to Stay Now
May 4, 2021
7 Nostalgic Texas Hotels With Vinyl Record Collections
With in-room record players, album lending libraries, and, in one case, a vinyl concierge, hotels around the state are embracing the record renaissance.
Travel & Outdoors
April 30, 2021
“Chubby Diaries” Documents the Realities of Vacationing While Fat and Black
With contagious positivity, Austinite Jeff Jenkins uses his popular platform to advocate for plus-sized travelers.
Travel & Outdoors
April 28, 2021
The Implausible Experience of Kayaking the Trinity River in Downtown Dallas
Since moving to Dallas a few years ago, I've wanted to paddle the glittering water I'd pass while driving.
Where to Stay Now
April 27, 2021
The Great Roadside Motel Comeback
Motels were once a reliable respite for budget-conscious road warriors or transitory locals, but today's motel owners are seeking a younger generation of travelers who have more cash to spend.
Travel & Outdoors
April 15, 2021
On the Road Again!
Call it a collective case of cabin fever. Over a year into the coronavirus pandemic, with more and more of us vaccinated, we Texans are ready to get out—out of our homes and, yes, even out of our beloved state. The open highway beckons with the promise of socially distant
Where to Stay Now
April 15, 2021
Even New Hotels Are Steeped in History in New Orleans
These recently opened or renovated options are ready to welcome you back to the Big Easy.
Travel & Outdoors
April 15, 2021
A Texan’s Guide to Telluride
This town is full of thrills—especially the Via Ferrata (hint: don't look down)—and necessary chills.
Travel & Outdoors
April 15, 2021
How to Get a Few Kicks on Oklahoma’s Route 66
The state has more than four hundred miles of the Mother Road, but you don’t need to travel all of them to get into the spirit.
Where to Stay Now
April 15, 2021
A New Luxury Resort in Santa Fe Has a Dallas Touch
Chef Dean Fearing and architect Nunzio Marc DeSantis play big roles at Bishop's Lodge, the new retreat from Auberge Resorts Collection.
Travel & Outdoors
April 15, 2021
Looking for Bison in the Wichita Mountains
Herd immunity means something different at this wildlife refuge in Oklahoma.
Travel & Outdoors
April 15, 2021
Uncovering Hidden Gems on New Mexico’s Turquoise Trail
The scenic byway offers a lot more than just the way to Santa Fe.
Travel & Outdoors
April 15, 2021
Encountering Crawfish and Wonder in Cajun Country
Swampland adventures in the heart of Louisiana make the RV life worth it—even when things go wrong.
Travel & Outdoors
April 15, 2021
Hiking the Mountain Trails Less Traveled in Colorado
The hills are alive with socially distant adventures.
Travel & Outdoors
April 15, 2021
Finding the Healing Power of Travel in Eureka Springs
This magical Arkansas town in the Ozark Mountains brims with discoveries.
Travel & Outdoors
April 12, 2021
Where to Eat, Shop, and Groove in Gruene
Come for the famous dance hall, stay for the outdoor adventures, charming boutiques, and local wine in this river-fringed Central Texas town.
Travel & Outdoors
April 2, 2021
Texas Monthly Recommends: A Wildflower Drive
It’s one of the great rites of spring in Texas.
Libations
March 31, 2021
8 Wineries That Do Texas Spring Right
It’s that special (albeit short-lived) time of year when bright splashes of wildflowers begin popping up in the least expected places, and we welcome the shining sun rather than curse its existence. It’s spring in Texas, a season we vow each year to relish fully while it lasts. Pair the
Where to Stay Now
March 26, 2021
First Look: Houston’s Charming Little Art Hotel Harks Back to Bohemian France
La Colombe d’Or reopens with a glistening new tower and redesigned garden bungalows, but the heart of the hotel is its historic 1920s mansion.
Travel & Outdoors
March 18, 2021
How to Spend a West Texas Weekend in Roscoe and Sweetwater
Sample tasty barbecue, gape at one of the world’s largest wind farms, and get a dose of state history in these neighboring West Texas towns.
Where to Stay Now
March 17, 2021
Practice the Art of Staycationing at Three New Dallas Hotels
With packages designed for Texans, these new luxe lodging options feature museum-quality paintings, sculpture, and other artwork.
Parks & Recs
February 12, 2021
Where to Eat, Shop, and Stargaze in and Around Fort Davis
With Davis Mountains State Park as your home base, you can find a lot to explore in the area.
Travel & Outdoors
January 26, 2021
As More Novices Head to the Wilderness, Rescues Are Spiking at Some Texas State Parks
Big Bend Ranch State Park and Enchanted Rock State Natural Area both saw a 50 percent surge in backcountry rescues last year.
Travel & Outdoors
January 16, 2021
Sanderson Is an Underrated, Adventurous West Texas Escape
This scrappy town on the edge of the Big Bend region has a trendy motel, pistol-packing waitresses, and starry nights aplenty.
Travel & Outdoors
December 8, 2020
An Old Pecan Tree Is a Beacon of Hope at the Holidays
With 60,000 white lights sparkling in the night, it draws hundreds of people each year in the tiny town of Bartonville, near Dallas.
Travel & Outdoors
December 3, 2020
Ten Great Vacation Rentals Vetted by Texas Monthly Writers
From a stargazing spot in Terlingua to a lakefront cabin in the Hill Country, these are a few of our writers’ favorite getaways.
Travel & Outdoors
December 1, 2020
Where to See Holiday Lights and Meet Santa (Safely) This Year
Across Texas, Santa is staying jolly this year with contact-free visits, drive-through light displays, and more pandemic-proof festivities.
Business
November 23, 2020
This New Daily Flight Between Dallas and Houston Lets You Skip the Security Checkpoint
Dallas-based airline JSX operates small planes out of private-jet terminals—meaning no body scans, pat-downs, or other TSA hassles.
Travel & Outdoors
November 19, 2020
First Look: Dallas’s Newest Luxury Hotel Revives a Historic Bank Building
The Thompson Dallas hotel has transformed the First National Bank tower into a sleek and sophisticated space. Luxury residences and shops are coming soon, too.
Travel & Outdoors
November 13, 2020
Paddling the River Walk, and Seeing a New Side of San Antonio
The stretch of the San Antonio River that runs through the city’s downtown has been off-limits to canoers and kayakers for years—until the pandemic provided a rare opportunity.
Travel & Outdoors
November 5, 2020
Meet an Intrepid Texan Who Spends Winters at the South Pole
Rockport resident Wayne White has worked for much of the last three years in Antarctica, where temperatures of minus 100 degrees don’t keep him from taking his daily walk or jog.
Travel & Outdoors
October 30, 2020
Tour de Texas: I Just Biked Around the Entire State
I finished my crazy adventure after two months, circumnavigating Texas—all 3,000-plus miles—by bicycle.
Travel & Outdoors
October 21, 2020
Tour de Texas, Week 7: Tough Climbs and Spectacular Views in West Texas
Bicycling the Big Bend region was an unforgettable experience, with beautiful desert and mountain vistas making up for the painful hills.
Where to Stay Now
October 16, 2020
Texas Monthly Recommends: A Cozy, Retro Stay in Terlingua
Plus, a new art exhibit about the borderlands, a music compilation by many Texas artists, and Casa Colombia.
Travel & Outdoors
October 15, 2020
Tour de Texas, Week 6: The Underrated Beauty of the Guadalupe Mountains
Nothing beats the feeling of flying down a hill toward the picturesque El Capitan peak.