Travel & Outdoors
September 12, 2023
Rockport Is the Quintessential Texas Beach Town
With a vibrant festival scene, a funky downtown, and great birding, it offers more than just sand and surf.
Small Towns
Travel & Outdoors
September 7, 2023
“Escape” Means Many Things in the Lakeside Town of Kingsland
Here you can sleep in a yellow caboose, swim in one of the many nearby watering holes, and eat a steak in the ‘Texas Chain Saw Massacre’ house.
Travel & Outdoors
July 31, 2023
Denison Is a Cozy, Not-(Yet)-Too-Crowded Getaway in North Texas
Wineries, stylish bed-and-breakfasts, and a beautifully restored old train depot make this North Texas town a great weekend getaway.
By Rose Cahalan![Rose Cahalan's Profile Photo]()
Travel & Outdoors
June 15, 2023
Where to Eat, Shop, and Stroll in Salado
The Central Texas town has a lively arts scene with a picturesque creek running through it.
Sponsored
May 2, 2023
Slow Down in Far West Texas
Texas Country Reporter
March 16, 2023
Farmhouse Fried Pies: Easily Overlooked, but Not to Be Missed
The best secret in Mineola can be found at the back of a downtown mercantile where Shelia Parker serves hot, homemade fried pies.
Made in Texas
February 28, 2023
On the Wide Plains West of Lubbock, a Chainsaw Carver Works From an Old Cotton Gin
From small woodland creatures to life-size figures, Cam Dockery has used chainsaws to carve more than 10,000 sculptures in his hometown of Whitharral.
Small Towns
February 24, 2023
Family Memories Echo Through an East Texas Shoe Shop
Robert Lane took over City Shoe Shop in Palestine after his father’s death.
Travel & Outdoors
February 22, 2023
Our Guide to Johnson City, Where You Can Stroll to Wineries and Museums
Here’s where to stay, eat, and explore in LBJ’s hometown.
Texas Country Reporter
September 27, 2022
This Rusty Scrapyard Off Route 66 Is a Hot-rodder’s Playground
In the rolling plains of the Panhandle, Bob Owen tears up what’s left of old vehicles so that some classic cars get a chance at a new life.
Travel & Outdoors
September 21, 2022
Miranda Lambert’s Parents Really, Really Want You to Visit Their Hometown
The Grammy winner is the most famous export from Lindale, but the charming East Texas town also boasts a delightful candy shop, blackberries galore, and plenty of live music.
Travel & Outdoors
August 29, 2022
Utopia, Texas, Is Accurately Named
This serene Hill Country town boasts a treehouse hotel and an idyllic swimming hole.
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Style & Design
August 22, 2022
Come for the Nostalgia, Stay for the Pinball
Craft beer, live music, and small businesses breathe new life into Old Taylor High, a repurposed school building from 1923.
Texas Country Reporter
July 28, 2022
The Tiniest Bank in Texas Didn’t Deal in Change
For decades, Roddy Wiley ran the only bank in the small town of Oakwood, which happily resisted modern technology well into the twenty-first century.
Texas Country Reporter
July 19, 2022
The Last Graduate of Spade School
Sixteen years ago, a small town’s only public school closed its doors. But not before the final graduating class invited a former POW to walk the stage, finishing what he started nearly six decades before.
Texas Country Reporter
July 18, 2022
Step Inside a Time Capsule for the Golden Age of Video Games
Texas Country Reporter visits Maniac’s Mansion in downtown Wichita Falls, offering unlimited play steeped in eighties and nineties nostalgia.
Texas Country Reporter
July 14, 2022
The “Garlicmeister” of Central Texas
Bob Anderson says the self-inflicted title is for amusement only, but the quirky farmer sure seems serious about garlic.
Travel & Outdoors
July 13, 2022
Old West Meets New in Little Hico
The town, an easy back-roads drive from Austin or DFW, is both quiet and brimming with worthy new shops and eateries.
Style & Design
July 8, 2022
Jimmy Pierce Can Tell a Lot About You From Your Hat
The Hutto-based hatmaker uses decades-old equipment to meticulously customize every hat.
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
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.
Small Towns
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.
Small Towns
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.
Music
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.
Music
May 20, 2022
A Trip to Turkey, Texas, Where Western Swing Is Still King
Bob Wills fans flock each spring to the tiny Panhandle town to “dance all night, dance a little longer.”
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.
Sports
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.
Travel & Outdoors
March 31, 2022
Escape to Indianola, a True Ghost Town on Matagorda Bay
This far-flung spot has a rich history, excellent fishing, free beach camping, and no crowds.
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.
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.
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
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.
Travel & Outdoors
January 3, 2019
Don’t Pass by Brenham: Where to Shop, Eat, and Drink
This delightful burg, halfway between Austin and Houston, invites you to stop and stay awhile.
Travel & Outdoors
March 21, 2018
Hip to Be Square in Georgetown
Yesterday and today go together nicely in this historic town not too far from Austin.
Travel & Outdoors
January 1, 1989
Superbonanza!
Look out, Waxahachie! Here come the Protonettes, the Big Bang Motel, and the Phil Gramm Institute
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.