Joe Nick Patoski

Riders on the Storm

By the end of May, the weather in the Panhandle finally turned nasty, and two real-life tornado trackers cut to the chase.

Junior Achievement

Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Jerry Jeff Walker—and now Junior Brown? The former community college teacher is the latest outlaw to hijack Texas country music, and he may be the greatest.

Sex, Drugs, and Rock & Roll

When the double life of pioneering record producer Huey Meaux was exposed, it was time to face the music: How well did I really know the legend I once called my friend?

The Ultimate Hill Country Tour

Spend a long weekend this spring meandering through Texas’ fabled heartland, where you can stop and smell the wildflowers, taste country cooking, and take home a trunkful of fine antiques.

Big Bend, R.I.P.?

Air pollution from Mexico has descended on Big Bend big time and while officials on both sides of the border dither, our last unspoiled frontier is slipping away.

Bugging Out

Farmers in the Rio Grande Valley are reeling from last year’s crop disaster—and they don’t cotton to agriculture commissioner Rick Perry’s excuses.

The Sweet Song of Justice

The verdict is in, but a complete account of what went on in the Selena murder trial hasn’t come out—until now.

Texas Twenty: Roland Swenson

The music man.

Texas Twenty: Jay Wilbur

The prophet of ‘Doom.’

Trip Tips

Travel InfoBefore you go, write or call the South Padre Island Convention and Visitors Bureau (Box 3500, South Padre Island 78597; 800-343-2368) and load up on the helpful brochures; or on your way in, stop at the Visitors Center at 600 Padre Boulevard.When to GoDepending on the time of year,

Hit Picker

Each week, record promoters flock to see Redbeard, the Dallas radio programmer with an ear for the best new music.

The Shore Thing

Our complete guide to a great vacation on South Padre Island: the best spot for tanning, who serves the freshest seafood, how to rent scuba gear, where to see the prettiest sunset, and more.

Take Me to the River

A complete guide to the coolest stretch of the Guadalupe: 22 miles of tubing, rafting, and all-around fun in the sun.

Roky Road

Gone to CyberTexas

With a computer and a modem, anyone can travel the state on the information superhighway, but it helps to have a road map. A complete guide to Texas on-line.

Latin Beat

Music and dance define Veracruz, the city with the stongest coffee and the freshest seafood in Mexico.

Folk Lure

An Austin arts group is exposing the roots of Texas music to a younger audience.

Sea Change

Unchecked growth of microscopic algae has muddied the water—and threatened the future—of Laguna Madre.

Tour de Folk

Diverse styles and a shared devotion to fold music mark new releases by Nanci Griffith and Robert Earl Keen.

David Schwarz

Building a better Fort Worth.

Selena

The sound of assimilation.

Rave On

The world’s leading expert on rock legend Buddy Holly, Bill Griggs is alive and well and living in the fifties.

Chile Weather

It’s harvest time for the green chile—the mild-mannered pepper that adds zest to almost any dish.

The Big Twang

Some of the brightest country music stars—like Mark Chesnutt and Tracy Byrd—are born in the honky-tonks of Beaumont.

Dirty Dancing

A new musical from a group of Lubbock expatriates celebrates West Texas’ bawdy past.

Rads to Riches

Two Arizona ex-hippie publishers are bringing Texas' weekly papers into the mainstream.

Reality Bit

With a song on a hit movie sound track, Dallasite Lisa Loeb is ready to make a deal.

Talking Fred

The family gift for gab radio is bringing El Paso’s Fred Imus fortune and fame.

Home Field Advantage

Baseball season is here at last, and for the Texas Rangers and their fans, it’s a whole new Ballpark.

Rhapsody in Blue

With its wildflowers, Texas history, and romantic B&Bs, Washington County is an enchanted April getaway.

Tex-Mex Treks: Ciudad Acuña, Coahuila

A cool mariachi bar (in Juárez), tasty lake bass (in Cuidad Acuña), terrific shoes and boots (in Reynosa), and other secrets of border travel.

Nashville City Limits

Once, country acts made art in Austin and money in Nashville. Today each place is a lot like the other, which is why more Texas singers are heading east.

ASKed Out

My third year organizing the JFK assassination conference was one year too many.

Show Your Colors

You don’t need to travel to Vermont to see fall splendor. Discover it in the Guadalupe Mountains, Texas’ undiscovered national park.

The Natural

In his new release, Jimmie Dale Gilmore sings country music the way it’s supposed to be sung—pure and easy.

Raise the Roof

The Alamodome is more than an outsized sports arena. It’s a marvel of urban planning that ensures San Antonio’s downtown vitality for years to come.

Green Highways

If you want to see the real Texas, take a little extra time, turn off the interstates, and ride these alternate routes.

A Farewell to Arm

Even after his baseball career is over, Nolan Ryan will continue to be a role model for my kids—and me.

Blues Bayou

At an obscure backwoods honky-tonk, Houstonians get a dose of the blues.

French Twist

In Texas, singer Calvin Russell can barely fill a club. In France, he’s more popular than Willie—and sells more records.

Big Bend Made Easy

It may be more than 800,000 acres, but you can easily cut Big Bend down to size. Here’s how.

The Sound of Música

Texas’ tejano radio stations dish out a spicy mix of music and patter in English and Spanish, and the ratings are magnifico.

Hidden Valley

Brownsville’s Sabal Palm Grove has it made in the shade.

What a Disc!

From Scott Joplin to ZZ Top, a comprehensive guide to the best Texas music on CD.

Roadhouse Warrior

Ely may have a new album, but his best performances have always been live, in person.

Heavy Duty

Houston’s favorite bouncer keeps the peace with style and a smile.

Panhandle Hollywood

Plainview became Rustwater, Kansas, for the shoot.

Narc Central

Agents target the flow of contraband on the border.

Cattle Recall

John L. Guldemann scorns claims that Longhorns damage the natural area.

Too Legit to Quit

Ward and deejays Murphy, Milton, and Love rap about rappers.