Travel & Outdoors
July 5, 2022
You Should Take a Soak in Marlin, the “Hot Mineral Water City of Texas”
Professional baseball teams once traveled here in search of healing waters
Small Towns
Texas Trip Guides
June 1, 2022
Wineries, Astronomy, and Caving Beckon in Burnet County
Our guide to this tranquil, often overlooked slice of the Hill Country.
Texas Country Reporter
June 1, 2022
The Scrap-Metal Artisan I’ll Never Forget
Bill Richardson’s creations from discarded metal were featured numerous times on Texas Country Reporter, but our friendship remains near and dear to my heart.
Texas Country Reporter
May 27, 2022
A Group of Veterans in Port Arthur Honors Those Who Served
Pastor Buddy Blake led volunteers who help step in for the Department of Defense to honor fallen soldiers with a proper military burial.
Texas Country Reporter
May 25, 2022
An Internationally Renowned Concert Hall in Small-town Texas
Pianist James Dick has turned a rolling pasture outside of Round Top into a haven for classical musicians from around the world.
Texas Country Reporter
May 23, 2022
97-Year-Old Lucy Dean Record Is a Queen of Western Swing
The piano teacher turned touring musician from Lockney has been inducted into several halls of fame across the U.S.
Texas Country Reporter
May 20, 2022
You’ll Find Oodles of Noodles at the Wendish Fest in Serbin
The community 50 miles east of Austin celebrates its Slavic heritage each year with music, crafts, and lots of buttery, handmade noodles.
Texas Country Reporter
April 29, 2022
After a Paralyzing Accident, This Texan Gets Back in the Race
Chris Morris broke his back during motocross practice, but that didn’t stop him from finding a new source of adrenaline and drive.
Texas Country Reporter
April 26, 2022
Chicken-fried Steak, Just Like Mama Made
After fifty years on the road, the host of Texas Country Reporter recalls his favorite dish at Mary’s Cafe in Strawn.
Texas Country Reporter
April 19, 2022
Step Inside Z Bar Trading Company, a 30,000-Square-Foot Mercantile Maze
In downtown Sanderson, shoppers can get lost in aisles overflowing with eclectic items, old and new.
Texas Country Reporter
April 18, 2022
This Texas Caterer Is Taking on Childhood Hunger, One Meal at a Time
Seeing a need in the community, Willa Johnson started Feeding Kids Right, a mobile meal delivery service in Athens.
Texas Country Reporter
April 18, 2022
The Best Fried Chicken in Beaumont Was an Underground Secret
In the courthouse basement, dozens of lawyers, judges, and jurors lined up for Esther Rollins’s famous fried chicken.
Texas Country Reporter
March 18, 2022
Why Does the World Need Bottle Cap Art?
Years ago, I learned an important lesson from a family in West Texas—happiness can be found in the simplest places.
Texas Country Reporter
March 17, 2022
Big Doobie’s Is the Life of the Party in Port Arthur
Joshua Rodrigues opened a food truck to serve up good times and classic dishes to a community hungry for Cajun flavors.
Texas Country Reporter
March 16, 2022
Meet the Mr. Rogers of East Texas
I’ll never forget Herman “Train” Gates, the man who collected junk on an empty lot in Carthage, helped fix bikes for neighborhood kids, and wrote poetry.
Texas Country Reporter
March 11, 2022
In Fayetteville, Step Into the Shelby Store and Step Back in Time
Founded in 1946, the Shelby Store is a relic of what retail once was for many small Texas communities.
Travel & Outdoors
January 21, 2022
Explore an Old Zoo in the North Texas Town of Cisco
Rocky paths wend their way past the crumbling ruins of animal dens, making for a one-of-a-kind nature walk.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Business
November 1, 1983
Twofers
They are the quirky enterprises that offer two things under one roof—like shrimp and guns, steaks and loans, or eggrolls and gasoline.
Being Texan
July 1, 1982
The Store That Made Jonesville Famous
And other great country stores of Texas.