Travel & Outdoors
November 17, 2020
What’s Growing in My Garden Now: Images From Backyards Across the State
Texas gardeners share photos of their fall crops, plus tips for preparing for the winter season.
Travel & Outdoors
Travel & Outdoors
November 13, 2020
Paddling the River Walk, and Seeing a New Side of San Antonio
The stretch of the San Antonio River that runs through the city’s downtown has been off-limits to canoers and kayakers for years—until the pandemic provided a rare opportunity.
Travel & Outdoors
November 5, 2020
Meet an Intrepid Texan Who Spends Winters at the South Pole
Rockport resident Wayne White has worked for much of the last three years in Antarctica, where temperatures of minus 100 degrees don’t keep him from taking his daily walk or jog.
Travel & Outdoors
November 5, 2020
Now Is the Time to Plant Wildflowers in Texas. Here’s How to Do It Right.
Eight tips from expert gardeners.
Travel & Outdoors
October 30, 2020
Tour de Texas: I Just Biked Around the Entire State
I finished my crazy adventure after two months, circumnavigating Texas—all 3,000-plus miles—by bicycle.
Travel & Outdoors
October 21, 2020
Tour de Texas, Week 7: Tough Climbs and Spectacular Views in West Texas
Bicycling the Big Bend region was an unforgettable experience, with beautiful desert and mountain vistas making up for the painful hills.
Travel & Outdoors
October 15, 2020
Tour de Texas, Week 6: The Underrated Beauty of the Guadalupe Mountains
Nothing beats the feeling of flying down a hill toward the picturesque El Capitan peak.
Parks & Recs
October 14, 2020
Where to Find Fall’s True Colors in Texas
At Lost Maples State Natural Area, the trees put on a spectacular show every autumn.
Travel & Outdoors
October 9, 2020
Get Lost in the Woods at These Five Magical Texas Treehouses
They aren’t just for kids anymore.
Travel & Outdoors
October 7, 2020
Tour de Texas, Week 5: Getting by With a Little Help From My Friends
At first, I had only cows and wind turbines for company on lonely stretches of Panhandle highway. Then supporters showed up to help the miles go faster.
Travel & Outdoors
September 30, 2020
Tour de Texas, Week 4: Battling High Winds and Exhaustion in the Panhandle
I struggled to keep my bike straight on stretches of desolate highway this week. When the wind was at my back, I’d never been more thankful.
Travel & Outdoors
September 23, 2020
Tour de Texas, Week 3: Riding the Northeast Texas Trail and Relishing Local Beers
Breweries in Sherman, Nocona, and Wichita Falls had just what I needed after sixty-mile days on the bike.
Travel & Outdoors
September 16, 2020
Five Great Gravel-Grinding Routes in Texas
Where cyclists can pedal past some stunning views and historic sites.
Travel & Outdoors
September 16, 2020
Tour de Texas, Week 2: Riding Behind the Pine Curtain
I cycled nearly 400 miles across East Texas this week, enjoying the kindness of strangers along the way.
Travel & Outdoors
September 16, 2020
Texas Cyclists Are Discovering the Joys of Gravel Grinding
Why many are exchanging paved roads and traffic for rural routes and breathtaking scenery.
Travel & Outdoors
September 14, 2020
Getting Away From It All, on Wheels: Texans Take to Camper Vans and RVs
One Austin-based rental website saw bookings spike by 4,500 percent. Plus: six tips for first-timers.
Travel & Outdoors
September 10, 2020
Nine Fall Gardening Tips From a Texas Landscape Architect
David Hocker is busier than ever this time of year. He says that at home, you should be too. Here’s what to do.
Travel & Outdoors
September 10, 2020
Tour de Texas: Why I’m Cycling the 3,000-Mile Perimeter of the State
I kicked off my adventure by pedaling from Brownsville to Galveston, zipping past cars stuck in Labor Day traffic.
Health
August 25, 2020
Zoos, Aquariums, and Theme Parks Have Reopened Across Texas. But Is Visiting Worth the Risk?
I visited the Houston Zoo in search of normalcy and nostalgia. But filtered through my foggy face mask, the experience was unsettling.
Parks & Recs
August 20, 2020
Where to Go Swimming Now in Texas
A handy guide to which of our beaches, lakes, rivers, creeks, swimming holes, and swimming pools are and aren’t open.
Travel & Outdoors
August 19, 2020
The Texans Are Coming (to Colorado)
Fleeing hot weather and cabin fever, more and more Texas travelers are road-tripping to the Centennial State this summer.
Where to Stay Now
August 19, 2020
Airbnb for the Outdoor Set
Affordable private places to pitch your tent when public parks aren’t an option.
Critters
August 11, 2020
Sit, Stay, Wait: What Training a Puppy Taught Me About Pandemic Life
Rewarding and ignoring are the two key tenets of dog training. They’ve helped me get through this summer, too.
Critters
July 23, 2020
Why Black Bears Are Returning to Texas
Contrary to what a viral video suggests, it’s unrelated to the pandemic.
Parks & Recs
July 22, 2020
Tyler State Park Is the Ideal Escape for These Times (or Anytime)
The northeast Texas oasis among the pines reminds us of happier summers while providing needed respite now.
Parks & Recs
July 22, 2020
Tyler State Park: Where to Sleep and Eat
Rough it—or not—and make sure to get some barbecue.
Travel & Outdoors
July 22, 2020
A Four-Day, 65-Mile Walk Along the Texas Coast
As the state started shutting down, one man took to the coast in search of a different kind of solitude. And seashells.
Where to Stay Now
June 29, 2020
First Look: Austin’s Most Anticipated Grand Hotel
The 1928 Commodore Perry mansion has been restored to its former glory and turned into an upscale resort unlike anything in the city. Join us on a virtual tour.
Travel & Outdoors
June 24, 2020
The Surprising Story of How Salt Has Helped Shape Texas
From the Estelline spring in the Panhandle and the foot of the Guadalupe Mountains to the hypersaline lakes in the Rio Grande Valley, the common mineral is all around us.
Travel & Outdoors
June 8, 2020
In Praise of Pandemic Gardening
Thousands of Texans are finding much-needed stress relief by digging in the dirt. Plus: four tips for novice gardeners.
Critters
May 20, 2020
Meet the Ocelot Whisperer
Documentarian Ben Masters tracks some of the few Leopardus pardalis that are left in Texas.
Travel & Outdoors
May 15, 2020
Priya Krishna’s Quarantine Journal, Entry No. 10: No Longer Taking the Backyard for Granted
Nothing breaks up the monotony like dining alfresco, drinking cocktails by the creek, and just breathing in the fresh air.
Critters
May 7, 2020
New to Backyard Chicken-Keeping? Here’s Some Eggspert Advice
As Texans flock to the hobby in record numbers, we convened a virtual staff roundtable to share tips.
Travel & Outdoors
April 25, 2020
I Visited a State Park This Week. Here’s What I Found.
The reopening of state parks has not come without critics, from those who say the new rules are impossible to enforce to those who think they are too restrictive.
Travel & Outdoors
April 24, 2020
Adventure Across Texas With Zoom Backgrounds From Texas Monthly Readers
Transport yourself during your next video conference or Zoom happy hour using beautiful images submitted by your fellow Texans.
Travel & Outdoors
April 20, 2020
Where to Get Outside While Social Distancing
There are places across the state where you can commune with nature, if not one another.
Hunting & Fishing
April 15, 2020
Fishing Lures We Love
These Lone Star lures catch the eye as much as they catch fish.
Hunting & Fishing
April 15, 2020
How a Battle Between Recreational and Commercial Fishermen Spawned a Conservation Movement
The Redfish Wars changed Texas fishing. A fight over flounder could be next.
Travel & Outdoors
April 15, 2020
Fishin’ Across Texas
We’re calling it: Texas has the best fishing in the United States.Alaska and Florida are right up there. California is too, we guess. But what many Texans may not appreciate—even those of us who grew up casting lines—is the impressive diversity of fishing in the Lone Star State. Most of
Hunting & Fishing
April 15, 2020
The Great Texas Fishing Safari
Texas offers some of the most-diverse fishing in the country—from stalking monster sharks on Padre Island to fly-fishing from a kayak on the remote Pecos River. And for three months, I got to try it all.
Hunting & Fishing
April 15, 2020
Kayak Fishing 101: What You’ll Need
Here are four essential items to get off dry land and into a kayak.
Hunting & Fishing
April 15, 2020
How Fishing in Texas Got So Good—and Kind of Weird
The state has spent more than a century building up a world-class fishery, with some unintended consequences.
Travel & Outdoors
April 15, 2020
Keith Combs Is the Best Bass Fisherman in Texas Waters—But He Has His Eyes Set on More
For all his success, Combs obsesses over the ones that got away—especially on the biggest stages.
Travel & Outdoors
April 3, 2020
Big Bend National Park Is Closed for Now
In what’s normally the beloved park’s peak season, officials make the call for the safety of employees and area locals during the pandemic.
Travel & Outdoors
April 3, 2020
Why I’m Not Going to South Padre Island
Even though it's legal for property owners like me to be there, it's not the right thing to do.
Travel & Outdoors
March 31, 2020
Planting Wildflowers in a Pandemic
A Houston poet laureate on the hopeful defiance of her bluebonnets.
Parks & Recs
March 19, 2020
Is It Okay to Visit Texas Parks During the Coronavirus Pandemic?
Spending time outdoors is good for mental health. But as COVID-19 spreads in Texas, officials and citizens are grappling with whether, and how, we can enjoy public parks.
Where to Stay Now
March 18, 2020
Three New Austin Hotels
Add these places to the list of stylish lodging options for travelers, with enticing restaurants and bars.
Parks & Recs
February 19, 2020
What to See, Eat, and Do Near Bentsen–Rio Grande Valley State Park
Outside Bentsen, watch butterflies, dance, and light a candle or two.
Parks & Recs
February 19, 2020
Eyes on the Skies at Bentsen–Rio Grande Valley State Park
Just along the Texas–Mexico border, this fragile oasis attracts hundreds of birds (and those who watch them).