Kudus—I mean kudos—to the landscapers and horticulturists at the El Paso Zoo. Their careful plantings, which manage to block sun but not wind, helped make a midsummer visit almost cool. Still, baking visitors gratefully entered the indoor displays: In the nocturnal exhibit, my friend Isela gazed for a long time
“Wow, this looks like a great place,” exclaimed my six-year-old daughter, Rayna, before we’d even gotten out of the car at the Dallas Zoo. The towering giraffe statue out front was all it took. Her enthusiasm propelled us through the entrance and up the bamboo-lined ramp that leads to the
Luis Foncerrada, age ten, burst through the gates first, grabbing a zoo map on the way; his brother Sebastian, five, was a half step behind, followed by me. Veteran zoo-goers, the boys barely glanced at the flamingos, paused briefly for the jaguars, and then settled in to observe the spider
The fledgling Austin Zoo is basically a big, no-frills barnyard full of exotic jungle beasts as well as miscellaneous domestic breeds. Situated on the city’s southwestern edge, it started out in 1992 as a petting zoo for small fry and has since expanded to include 106 species, from Shetland ponies
Booking a hotel reservation online? Before you check in, check out what John Davis III has done to make it possible.
In-Spur-ational.
This much is plain: the Texas Panhandle is part of the High Plains. But what, exactly, is the Texas Panhandle? Folks have debated the issue for years. Historian Frederick Rathjen says the Panhandle is the state’s 26 northernmost counties. Others, such as author A. C. Greene, deem it rectangular,
No one captures the majesty and mystique of wide-open spaces like photographer Peter Brown.
How to get your kicks on Route 66 and other less celebrated roads: three leisurely drives through a part of the state where the sights are cool and the nights are cooler.
Hot springs, steep cliffs, death-defying trails: My six-day trek through Mexico’s Copper Canyon was the adventure of a lifetime.
Where to see the painted bunting, the summer tanager, and other feathered friends: A guide to the best birding spots in Texas.
La Grange’s Mr. Barbecue, the police chief of Athens: fifteen local characters with, er, character.
The airlines are locked in a fiercely competitive war. Should you try to benefit? Discount-travel guru Tom Parsons says: All’s fare.
Don’t think of the Hill Country Hyatt as just another chain hotel. Think of it as your salvation—especially if you have kids.
Houston’s J.P. Bryan is remaking a West Texas town into what could be the next Taos—and for some locals, that’s a mixed blessing.
The birds of High Island. The wilderness of Matagorda Island. The untamed beach of Boca Chica. These and other hidden treasures await you-if you know where to look.
I wanted to see lightning strike the steel rods that artist Walter De Maria installed in a New Mexico field. I didn’t, but the trip was still illuminating.
The remaking of a South Texas town.
Nothing riles a Texan like a rattlesnake, whose aggression and toxicity account for endless horror stories. Some of them are even true.
At the entrance to Las Pozas, the logical, the predictable, and the commonplace evaporate, giving way to one of the most enchanting places on earth.
HUMBLE Mercer Arboretum, 22306 Aldine Westfield (281-443-8731). A staffer says the arboretum’s three-year-old plantings of dozens of old roses have generated a lot of interest because they’re “ten feet tall and bulletproof.” But not deerproof, which is why you’ll find the roses protected behind fences. Open daily 8 to 5
The people in love with old roses are often as interesting as the roses themselves. They can help with identification, propagation, and locating small, specialty nurseries in your area that sell old roses.DALLAS AREA HISTORICAL ROSE GROUP, P. O. Box 38585, Dallas 75238. For $15 a year, you get ten
After Liz and Dick put it on the map, Puerto Vallarta went glitzy. But the old romantic allure is still there—if you know where to find it.
Texans are rediscovering antique roses, the hardy, neglected beauties that decorate old graveyards and abandoned houses across the state. Whether you buy them from a nursery or rustle cuttings from the wild, here�s the dirt on how to grow your own.
It’s unpalatable to cattle, an invader of grasslands, and a water hog. So why can’t I just get rid of it? Because it’s a vegetative Vietnam.
Acapulco used to be a favorite destination of beautiful people from Texas and elsewhere. It still should be.
Stanley Marsh 3’s mobile autos.
It’s still the best little town in Texas.
High peaks, scant rain, and hardpan soil—but also high art, hip hotels, and a new telescope that’s a star in its own right: Snapshots from a remote region of our state unlike anyplace else on earth.
How I survived a course in desert survival.
The secrets of Big Bend Ranch State Park.
A bat man builds a super cave (holy conservation!).
A swimming swine’s squeally big show comes to an end.
Hiking, biking, and nighttime weather to your liking make the Palo Duro and Caprock canyons a cool summer getaway.
Did a flying saucer really crash-land in a field outside Roswell fifty years ago this month? The truth is out there; find out for yourself.
Why do reviewers from Condé Nast Traveler to the Zagat and Mobil guides swoon over Dallas’ Mansion on Turtle Creek? I wanted to find out, so I checked in.
Like it says on her newly acquired bumper sticker, movie mogul Lynda Obst is “Texan By Choice.” But while you can take the girl out of Hollywood …
High in the Mexican mountains and only a day’s drive from Texas lies El Cielo, a stunning cloud forest where exotic birds soar but the temperature doesn’t.
If U.S. officials put an end to illegal trips across the Rio Grande at Boquillas, the enchanting border town will find itself caught between countries and cultures. Of course, that’s where it has always been.
summary: What’s the best hotel in Texas? (Hint: It’s not the Mansion on Turtle Creek).
While U.S. citizens can take an unlimited amount of money into Mexico—you will have to fill out an IRS form at U.S. Customs if it’s more than $10,000—you’re allowed to bring back only $400 worth of merchandise every thirty days duty free. (If there are four people in the car,
This month, a ragtag group of wanderers will descend on Hueco Tanks state park in West Texas, where they’ll spend their nights hanging out and their days hanging on to the most challenging boulders around.
The time is ripe, and so are the chiles: This tiny, homey town in New Mexico is the ideal spot for a fall weekend getaway.
There are no showgirls or musical revues, but the four casinos in and around Lake Charles, Louisiana, do a nice job approximating the Vegas experience. Deal yourself in.
For breathtaking snorkeling in subterranean rivers and caverns, take the road out of Cancún and head for the Yucatán rain forest.
If you think there are bargains on the border, you won’t believe what you’ll find seven hundred miles south in three tiny Mexican towns.
Feeling stressed? Soothe the strain of the daily grind at these terrific Texas retreats.
Before my tortuous trek through the Peruvian Andes to Machu Picchu, I was told I’d be changed by the experience. And, indeed, the spirits moved me.
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.
One of the country’s top photographers traveled around his home state to capture these stunning portraits of exotic animals on display.
