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The Beach Is Back . . .

. . . but can it last? That’s what Galveston officials are wondering as they put the finishing touches on a nearly $6 million renourishment project—just in time for hurricane season.

Fee, Fie

Mammatocumulus Clouds, Hays County, 1993

Of Mats and Men

At the 1995 state high school wrestling championships, pinning wasn’t everything. It was the only thing.

The Book on Waller

Post Script

The only surprise about the closing of Houston’s oldest papers was that it took so long.

Sister Acts

The daughters of San Antonio’s most conspicuous family star in their own how-to videos.

A Special Agent

The Secret Service lost a good man in the Oklahoma blast—and I lost an old friend.

A Cracker’s Farewell

When Grover Lewis died on April 16, he left a legacy of unwashed greatness. That’s how he would have wanted it.

Hit Picker

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

Call Me Clevio

I had everything it took to win the Mr. Romance Cover Model pageant—except for the looks and the body.

Big Wheel

Once he raced cars; now he builds them. Even at 72, it seems, Carroll Shelby can’t slow down.

Walk, Don’t Run

After years of arguing that vigorous activity is a key to good health, Kenneth Cooper is exercising his right to change his mind.

Cheap Thrills

From “Lone State Doom” to “Land of Violent Men,” a look back at Texas’ classic pulp fiction.

Four for Four

George W. Bush got elected governor by promising to focus on welfare, education, tort reform, and juvenile crime. After his first one hundred days, he’s batting a thousand.

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.

Playing Doctor

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,

Burning Down the Woods

In 1990 the state banned the use of dogs to hunt deer. Ever since, a rogue group of East Texas hunters has exacted a fiery revenge.

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.

Pump Fiction

Should Hollywood remake ‘Giant’? On the fortieth anniversary of the filming of the Texas epic, we imagine Brad Pitt playing Jett Rink’s grandson, Quentin Tarantino directing, and other scary scenarios.

Greens With Envy

Want to golf this summer on three of the best-designed, least expensive courses in the world? Swing on down to los cabos, mexico.

Davy Crock?

New York fireman Bill Groneman is disputing a critical piece of Alamo lore—and historians everywhere are burning mad.

Pine and Agony

Barton Springs Celebrants, Austin, 1990

Song and Dance

Biting the Bullet

If you plan to pack heat, you’ll have to go to school first. Here’s what you’re in for.

Refinery Woe

Citizens groups in Corpus Christi blame pollution for high cance rates—but they must prove it.

Race Matters

Ron Kirk is ready to be Dallas’ first black mayor. But is Dallas ready for him?

Spooking the CIA

Jennifer Harbury’s career as a lawyer in Texas was the prelude to her front-page fight with the U.S. intelligence community.

Right, but Wrong

In his memoirs, archconservative state GOP chair Tom Pauken refights the cultural wars of the sixties—and loses.

To Pack and Pack Not

We asked twenty famous Texans: Will you carry a gun?

“I Shot to Kill”

When burglars targeted my Dallas business for repreated break-ins, I felt violated—and I fought back.

Open Season

Are gun sellers responsible for gun deaths? Gun store owners and gun show promoters each say no, but that may be all they agree on.

Fear and Loading

At the state capitol, where talk of concealed weapons consumes us still, emotion is winning the day.

Are Texans Gun Crazy?

During the first week of April, as the Legislature considered the case for concealed weapons, Texas mourned the consequences of two gun-related tragedies in Corpus Christi: the murder of Tejano superstar Selena Quintanilla Perez and the shooting of five workers at a refinery inspection company by a disgruntled

Some Shots at Guns

State Fare: Vegetable Stack

Vegetables of every shape, color, and texture are mixed and matched in chef Monica Pope’s innovative and healthy dish. A light but filling option from the menu at Boulevard Bistrot in Houston (4319 Montrose), the multilayered assemblage consists of a pancake of grated and sliced vegetables on the bottom and

Clowning Around

They crack wise while bulls charge them, and fans eat it up. A look at rodeo’s real ring leaders.

Drug War!

How a small Houston biotech company and a giant California-based rival are battling over who developed what may be a revolutionary cure for asthma and allergies.

The Case of The Amateur Skull Boilers

Led by an owner of a roofing company, a group of novice sleuths solves gruesome crimes in San Antonio. It sounds like a TV show—and it may soon be one.

Lonesome Cowboy

A year after Robert James Waller left Iowa for the quieter climes of Big Bend, the best-selling author is discovering that it’s one thing to live like a Texan and quite another to be one.

The Art of Running for President

Phil Gramm is a world-class fundraiser, but it will take more than money to carry him to the White House in 1996.

Atomic War Fare

Now is the time to visit New Mexico, where the A-bomb exploded on the scene half a century ago.

Start Your Engines

Entrance of the Zapatista Army into San Cristobal, 1994

Tech Talk

Word of Mouth

Never mind the bullocks, here’s Sincola: An Austin band tries to live up to the hype.

Bad Air Days

Pollution from Mexico is already plaguing West Texas—and it's only going to get worse.

All the Dead Horses

The Humane Society wants to rein in Beltex of Fort Worth, one of the nation’s largest slaughterhouses.