Travel & Outdoors

Texas Primer: Caprock

Across the Panhandle stretches a thin red line that divides doughty plains dwellers from Texas’ lesser changed.

Secret Places

In the hidden corners of Texas’ outback—in foresty swamp and shimmering desert—there are a few places that are still primeval.

Phantom Cat of the Valley

Meet the ocelot, not as pet, not as fur coat, but in its best role—an elusive remnant of Texas’ wild past.

Funky Riviera

Discover another side of the Texas coast—its peerless beachcombing, legendary beer joints, odd birds (feathered and otherwise), and lovable year-round scruffiness.

The Cow’s in the Corn

Or, my life as a Texas gardener.

By Jan Reid

Jan Reid

Jan Reid was a senior editor at Texas Monthly and also contributed to Esquire, GQ, Slate, Men’s Journal, Men’s Health, and the New York Times.

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The New Rustlers

Today’s desperadoes are in the bays of the Texas coast, roping redfish and cursing the Parks and Wildlife Department.

On the Wing

Roy Kendall, self-taught lepidopterist, would want you to add this to the list of reasons for living in Texas: nowhere else in the U.S. are there so many beautiful and unusual butterflies.

Underneath Texas

The real lowdown on the Lone Star State.

Texas Primer: The Horny Toad

It’s everybody’s favorite reptile, and it’s disappearing from Texas.

Big River

A photographic tour of the timeless Rio Grande, from its origins in the mountains of Colorado to the Padre Island dunes at the tip of Texas.

The Hog Chronicles

The city boy moved to the country and life was good. And then he bought four pigs.

Bats!

They’re ugly little things, but you’ve got to respect them.

Lord of the Flies

Fly-fishing is a particularly fastidious way of trying to fool a fish, but it’s also a particularly pleasant one.

The Perfect River

From giant freshwater prawns to bikini-clad coeds, from ancient Indian artifacts to swimming pigs, there’s something for everyone on the San Marcos River.

Get Out and See the World, Kid . . . or Bring the World Back Home

These gifts should activate the wanderlust in any recent graduate.

The Year of the Flower

What’s behind this year’s rampant display of wild flowers? The birds and the bees, of course.

The Coyote Wars

The stake is survival—for either the sheep and goat ranchers of West Texas or the smartest predator of all.

By Jan Reid

Jan Reid

Jan Reid was a senior editor at Texas Monthly and also contributed to Esquire, GQ, Slate, Men’s Journal, Men’s Health, and the New York Times.

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Tenting Tonight

How you can—and why you should—go camping in the middle of the week.

Pack Up Your Troubles

Today’s high-tech camping gear has stolen a march on your old kit bag.

Grin and Bear It

Camping gets you back to the basics: blisters, chiggers, and, yes, deep satisfaction.

Shrimpers

Someone endured weeks of hard work, loneliness, and seasickness to land that lovely pink delicacy on your plate.

Going Under

For a man and his daughter out for a pleasant day’s fishing, the first sign of danger was a man’s hat floating silently down the stream.

Out in the West Texas Town of El Paso

What to eat, how to shop, and where to boogie in the most enchanting corner of Texas.

Schmaltz Across Texas

On a soap opera sound stage in Brooklyn the state of Texas lives and loves.

Life Behind Bars

Zoos are fine for people, but they make animals go crackers.

See How She runs

Diane von Furstenberg is a one-woman event, from her DVF glasses to her purple lizard pumps.

Medicine Men

From pig pancreas pills to pyramid power ice trays, the cure-alls of these unorthodox healers are aimed at getting you back on the right wavelength.

Discover Beautiful Beaumont

Okay, we heard that snicker. But give the place a chance. You’ll find plenty to enjoy.

The Ultimate Sport

Polo? It’s passé. Big game hunting? Humdrum. It’s the pursuit of the wily blue marlin that admits men to the world’s most exclusive club.

Dust on the Golden Spur

When ranchers gathered in Lubbock to celebrate their way of life, they found they didn’t have much cause for celebration.

Can the Boy Scouts Save America?

Perhaps. At least they’re on the right track and trying hard.

Feather your vest.

By Patricia Sharpe

Patricia Sharpe

Patricia Sharpe writes a regular restaurant column, Pat’s Pick, for Texas Monthly.

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In the Still of the Night

A photographer finds mystery and magic.

The Secret Life of the Beach

Along the silent, lovely beach, tiny armies fight in the tide, fierce battles rage in the sky, and nocturnal marauders slither across the sand.

The Conqueror Worm

All the beautiful kickers gathered in Houston for the premiere of Urban Cowboy. It began at a shopping center and ended in a honk-tonk, and John Travolta had to say he liked it.

And Now, On Your Left…

Have you ever wondered what Houston and Dallas look like to tourists? A Gray Line Bus is the perfect way to find out.

An Insider’s Guide to San Antonio

There’s more for the traveler in San Antonio than meets the Alamo.

Three’s Company

Not even a freak April snow could keep the glittering multitude from the Y.O. Ranch’s one-hundredth birthday party.

The Good Life

You can still find it in these great small towns.

The Women Who Came to Dinner

Bringing the world’s most controversial feminist sculpture to Texas turned out to be no picnic - but a rare feast for connoisseurs of the outrageous.

A Dog’s Life

Fighting over a black neighborhood in Austin; corralling the irascible Bull of the Brazos; fussing and feuding with the DAR; monkeying around with the San Antonio Zoo.

I Want to be a Star

You do? There are some people right off Dallas’s Central Expressway waiting to help.

Alias Miss Moonlight

For Maxine, Texas’ leading gossip, life is all work and no playcation.

Horse Power

Horses are expensive, finicky, and a pain to groom. They are also irresistible.

Down in the Depths

The intricate underwater passages and pristine water of Jacob’s Well fascinate divers. Too often, the fascination proves fatal.

Flipping Out

When big-time gymnastics came to Fort Worth, half the contestants were steely-eyed little girls with the bodies of children and the wills of fanatics.

Doing the Greenville Avenue Boogie

By reputation Dallas is a staid city. But there is one strip where Dallas is fevered, excessive, and lascivious, and where every night is party night.

The Best Little Hotels in Mexico

We’ve found them: nine of Mexico’s best colonial inns and lodges. All you have to do is make reservations.

Tiny Texas

If you want big, we’ve got big. If you want small, we’ve got that, too.

Zandra and the Laughing Elk

Al Neiman’s Fortnight the attractions varied between eccentric Americans and somnambulant British.