Innholdsfortegnelse for February 2018 i Texas Highways Magazine

Texas Highways Magazine|February 2018

The Cowboy Way

THE MYTHOLOGY OF THE Wild West looms large over Texas. Tales of heroic cowboys and gritty ranchers dominate much of the state’s literature. And from outsiders’ perspectives, led by depictions in film and TV, every Texan wears a cowboy hat and owns a horse. As Amarillo-bred journalist Jason Boyett writes in his feature about his hometown (Page 32), “This is what they think Texas looks like.” Andy Wilkinson of Lubbock, a fifthgeneration nephew of Charles Goodnight— perhaps the most widely venerated of ranching legends—explains the allure this way: “There are a number of reasons for it. My late and dear friend Buck Ramsey, who was a cowpuncher and later become one of the great writers and poets of the West, said the cowboy and that way of life is a…

1 min

Texas Highways Magazine|February 2018

SCENIC ROUTE

Route Kicks 35º 12' 23.69" N 101º 28' 17.63" W ENJOYING ROADSIDE attractions while traveling Route 66 is a time-honored tradition. While not a typical destination, this weathered barn along the route east of Amarillo— now Farm-to-Market Road 2161—takes on a warm glow with photographer Clark Crenshaw’s addition of LED lighting. From Conway, head about 5 miles west along FM 2161 to find the deserted outbuilding along the south side right before the road curves toward Interstate 40. For more information, visit nps.gov/nr/travel/route66/sh_207_interstate_40_conway.html.…

1 min

Texas Highways Magazine|February 2018

Music, Motion, and Media

WHEN NIGHT FALLS IN SAN ANTONIO during the annual spring Fiesta Flambeau Parade, URBAN-15’s troupe of drummers and dancers draws howling gritos of delight from the crowds packed along downtown streets Adorned with synchronized lighting and costumed as stars, butterflies, and other dancing characters, the URBAN- 15 performers have also entertained throngs at San Antonio Spurs games and championship parades, Día de los Muertos celebrations, and the Alamo City’s annual contemporary art festival, Luminaria. Outside of San Antonio, the group has toured Mexico and performed at the inaugural balls and parades of Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama. “We merge traditional Latino culture with contemporary aesthetics and the creative use of technology.” The parade spectacles are just part of URBAN-15’s endeavor to spread the arts throughout its…

5 min

Texas Highways Magazine|February 2018

The Proof is in the Chocolate

I’M STANDING INSIDE THE WISEMAN HOUSE chocolate-making studio in downtown Hico, and the chocolately, slightly salty aroma reminds me of a mug of hot cocoa. A few blocks away, the Wiseman House retail shop sells chocolates and chocolate-themed gift items, but here is where the real chocolate magic takes place. The front of the studio features floor-to-ceiling windows that flood the room with warm light. It brings to mind what an old-world European confectionary might look like with stone walls, trays of chocolates in various stages of preparation, and apronclad workers bustling around various work stations. As an artist, he began thinking of chocolate as his medium, bringing it to Hico from Belgium. “Can you stand some toffee?” chocolatier Kevin Wenzel asks me, placing a few broken pieces in my…

5 min

Texas Highways Magazine|February 2018

ESSENTIALS Amarillo

For general travel information about Amarillo, contact the Amarillo Convention & Visitor Council, 800-692-1338; visitamarillo.com. The Big Texan Steak Ranch is at 7701 E. I-40. Call 806-372-6000; bigtexan.com. Oliver Saddle Shop is at 3016 Plains Blvd. Call 806-372-7562; oliversaddle.com. The American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame & Museum is at 2601 E. I-40. Call 806-376-5181; aqha.com/museum. Palo Duro Canyon State Park is in Canyon, about 15 miles southeast of Amarillo. Call 806-488-2227; tpwd.texas.gov. Palo Duro Canyon ZipLine Adventure Park; palodurozip.com. Cadillac Ranch is at 12601 W. I-40. Coyote Bluff Cafe is at 2417 S. Grand St. Call 806-373-4640; coyotebluffcafe.com. YCSF Craft is at 2916 Wolflin Ave. Call 806-353-9273. Jack Sisemore Traveland RV Museum is at 4341 Canyon Drive. Call 806-358-4891; sisemoretraveland.com. The Galleries at Sunset Center are at 3701 Plains…

1 min

Texas Highways Magazine|February 2018

HOOFBEATS of History

AS I DRIVE WEST ON BECKENDORF Road in Katy, the riders appear on the western horizon of the road ahead like a mirage. Scores of horseback figures and a group of covered wagons warp on the horizon in the blazing noonday sun, dust blooming in puffy plumes from the horses’ hooves and the wagons’ wheels. They drift, cloudlike, across the bluebonnetbedecked pastureland. Having just cleared the Grand Parkway, the third outer loop around Houston, and departed the city’s concrete canyons for the rolling grasslands of the Katy Prairie, I might be forgiven if my mind’s playing tricks on me. But it’s not. I’ve been invited to lunch this February afternoon by members of Wagon No. 13 of the 1,200-rider, 24- wagon Salt Grass Trail Ride—the oldest of the 11 trail…

10 min

Texas Highways Magazine|February 2018

Boomtown, Ghost Town

In the early 20th century, the 148-foottall smokestack loomed over woodframe houses and grand Craftsman homes, a mercantile and an opera house, churches and schools. DRIVING EAST ON INTERSTATE 20, I CREST an incline in the rolling landscape between Abilene and Fort Worth. In the valley below, a brick smokestack cuts a dramatic profile against the surrounding hills. The tower rises from the horizon like a sentinel, watching over the site where the bustling town of Thurber stood at the turn of the 20th century. In those days, the electric plant’s 148-foot-tall smokestack loomed over wood-frame houses and grand Craftsman homes, a mercantile and opera house, churches and schools. Now, nothing of Thurber is left but the chimney, a handful of buildings, and a cemetery. When I’ve almost reached the…

8 min

Texas Highways Magazine|February 2018

Peak Views

THERE IS A place out west where the phrase “Everything’s Bigger in Texas” comes into its full meaning. It’s a near-mythical destination where distances stretch and time slows down, a place that can be as dry as a scorching desert or as wet as a raging river. Those who seek great adventures need look no farther than Big Bend National Park. 8 A.M. After driving about 40 miles south from Marathon, I reached the north entrance of Big Bend National Park and pulled over to take an obligatory photo at the entrance sign. Although I had technically arrived, I still had 30 miles to go before I reached park headquarters. I rolled down the windows and reset my internal clock to match the unhurried pace of the desert. 9 A.M.…

3 min

Texas Highways Magazine|February 2018

Coastal Canter

WHAT: HORSEBACK RIDING ON THE BEACH WHERE: MATAGORDA BAY NATURE PARK WHEN: MARCH THROUGH AUGUST Indulging in the age-old Texas tradition of riding a horse may be the best way to experience the untouched natural beauty of Matagorda—a secluded sandy treasure on the Gulf of Mexico. Dusty Wells, owner of T&D Adventure Parks—the only service offering equestrian rides on the shores of Matagorda—has been in the horse business for more than three decades, and horseback riding on the beaches of Texas has been in the family for five generations. While the company offers nearly 200 horses for guided beach rides in Corpus Christi and South Padre Island, only 10 of its horses enjoy a quieter career in Matagorda. One-hour excursions are $60 per person; reservations recommended. horsesonthebeachmatagorda.com.…

1 min

Texas Highways Magazine|February 2018

MOST ROMANTIC PLACES IN TEXAS

We want to hear from you: What are the most romantic destinations in the state? Head to our Facebook page in mid-January to add your submissions, and then vote in our poll. We’ll crunch the numbers and present a full list with links and recommendations on texashighways.com before Valentine’s Day on Feb. 14. MARDI GRAS EVENTS Head over to texashighways.com for details on Fat Tuesday (Feb. 13) celebrations. There are plenty of Mardi Grasinspired parades, festivals, and events to enjoy all over the state. STOCKYARDS HOTEL WEB EXCLUSIVE After you read our story on Fort Worth’s Stockyards Hotel (Page 20), visit texashighways.com to learn more about the history of the renowned lodging. SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER Keep up with the latest Texas Highways news and events by signing up…

1 min

Texas Highways Magazine|February 2018

In the Saddle

THE COWBOY PHILOSOPHER WILL ROGERS once said, “A man that don’t love a horse, there is something the matter with him.” A bona fide movie star, Rogers also observed that an actor isn’t anything special: “He’s a fellow that just has a little more monkey in him.” Both those maxims came to mind recently when my actor friend Joe Stevens, who’s got enough monkey to have appeared on the silver screen in True Grit and other flicks, got to talking about horses. Joe commented that some actors, when auditioning for a role that required riding, fibbed about their experience on horseback and found themselves in a pickle when called upon to prove it. Joe also allowed that while he’s not a “real cowboy,” he does fine on a “movie horse.”…

5 min

Texas Highways Magazine|February 2018

Where the Rest Begins

MORE THAN A CENTURY’S WORTH OF TIME TRAVEL awaits guests at the Stockyards Hotel in Fort Worth, which opened in 1907 at the fabled junction of Main Street and Exchange Avenue. Affixed to the hotel’s brick exterior, a Texas historical marker introduces its intriguing history and sets the mood for a relaxing and rewarding stay. A wrought-iron portico shelters the hotel’s brass-handled entryway. Inside, the lobby unfolds with Western paintings, ceiling fans, antique rugs, a gilded mirror, and deep-cushioned leather couches. The saddle of Wild West entertainer “Pawnee Bill” Lillie reminds visitors of his early 20th century shows in Texas and beyond, events now re-enacted weekly at nearby Cowtown Coliseum. Hotel Director Paul Gallagher, who has spent most of his professional life at the hotel, is usually at the registration…

5 min

Texas Highways Magazine|February 2018

Murphy’s Steakhouse Delivers

THERE’ S NOT MUCH TO DO IN WINCHESTER, population 50, on the western lip of Fayette County. So when someone in neighboring Bastrop or Lee Counties says, “Let’s go to Winchester,” they’re talking about eating at Murphy’s Steakhouse. It’s fine dining, country-style, with an old Western look and a chargrilled rib-eye steak that’s to drive for. And you can mail a package from there, too, as the steakhouse’s co-owner and manager, Georgianna Fox-Orona, is also Winchester’s postmaster. If you open the wrong door to enter the building on Thomas Street, constructed in 1913 by German immigrant C.H. Schmidt, you’ll be facing a wall of post office boxes. Go in the other door and you’re at the restaurant’s antique hostess station, which Georgianna bought on eBay 10 years ago for $20.…

5 min

Texas Highways Magazine|February 2018

THE DUDES abide on three historic TEXAS RANCHES

WAS THERE EVER a better way to see the Texas countryside than from horseback? Even before cowboys became synonymous with the Lone Star State, the great Comanche horsemen of yesteryear discovered the advantages of riding steeds liberated from the herds that arrived in the desert Southwest with Spanish conquistadors. And how fortunate are we centuries onward to be able to saddle up and experience life from atop a horse? These were the thoughts that crossed my mind during a trail ride at the Mayan Ranch on the outskirts of Bandera, the western Hill Country town nicknamed the “Cowboy Capital of the World.” On a brisk morning, my family and I rode on a Medina River path overhung by post oak and pecan trees, spotting colorful butterflies coming to life in the…

9 min

Texas Highways Magazine|February 2018

HORSEMEN, PASS BY

1 MISSION TRAIL RIDE Est. 1991: celebrates the early vaqueros and cowboys who drove cattle east to New Orleans STARTING POINT: San Antonio’s Mission Espada 239 miles, 65 riders, 3 wagons 2 NORTHEASTERN TRAIL RIDE Est. 1990: pays homage to the Buffalo Soldiers STARTING POINT: Cheek 109 miles, 200-250 riders, 8 wagons 3 OLD SPANISH TRAIL RIDE Est. 1956: covers the second-longest route STARTING POINT: Logansport, Louisiana 216 miles, 50-100 riders 4 PRAIRIE VIEW TRAIL RIDE Est. 1957: first African American Houston Rodeo trail ride STARTING POINT: Hempstead 89 miles, 200 riders, 7 wagons 5 SALT GRASS TRAIL RIDE Est. 1952: longest-running and largest trail ride STARTING POINT: Cat Spring 103 miles, 1,200 riders, 24 wagons 6 SAM HOUSTON TRAIL RIDE Est. 1955: approximates General Sam Houston’s route from Montgomery to Houston in the mid-1800s…

1 min

Texas Highways Magazine|February 2018

Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo

FROM ITS HUMBLE BEGINNINGS in 1932 as a cattle showcase, the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, Feb. 27-March 18, has evolved into a 20-day bonanza filled with the usual rodeo offerings like bull riding and steer roping, but with the addition of amusement park rides, deep-fried treats, shopping, and big-name concerts—this year, two-time Grammy winner Garth Brooks performs on opening and closing nights. Rodeo organizers hope to top last year’s record-breaking attendance of more than 2.6 million. The event ropes in bigcity folk with a spirited parade featuring marching bands and floats through downtown Houston on Feb. 24—see feature story on page 50 for details. rodeohouston.com BIG BEND COUNTRY DEL RIO: Pop-Up Beer Garden Feb. 2. infodelrio parksfoundation.com 612-850-5617 FORT STOCKTON: Sheep Dog Trials Feb. 10-12. Pct. 4 Six Shooter…

12 min

Texas Highways Magazine|February 2018

MERGE

GOT SOMETHING TO SAY? As long as I am with you, I would go anywhere. –LORI WHEATLEY, LUBBOCK OUR FAVORITE SOCIAL MEDIA OF THE MONTH Heater on at night, and AC on during the day. ANNE EVERETT JOHNSON, ABILENE My mama and daddy spent their wedding night at the Hotel Settles in Big Spring, back in 1947. FRANCES BLEVINS BRASHER, DENVER CITY Texas Highways makes the Lone Star State look great and fun for all. ANDREW CUMMINGS, FRAMINGHAM, MASS Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram Warm Fuzzies “Stitching Through Time” [December] captured the history of quilts, their purposes, and the enjoyment these creations bring. All the exhibits at the Texas Quilt Museum are great. Hurray for quilts! Cherie Spacek Harris, Houston Citrus Season My grandfather had a citrus orchard outside…

2 min

Texas Highways Magazine|February 2018

Flower Power

LAST WINTER HAD BEEN DRAGGING ON—NOT FRIGIDLY cold, but devoid of the sunshine that Texans crave yearround. One February day, I followed a tip from friends and took my children on a day trip east of our Dallas-area home in search of a dose of sunshine. As I exited Interstate 20 near Gladewater, bare tree branches stretched toward blue sky, their silhouettes like sculptures against the clouds. I drove on, following a line of cars through rolling hills of brown grass, forests of stark trees, and houses scattered here and there. But at the crest of one hill, the entire landscape changed before our eyes. The horizon erupted in color, and the monochrome winter scenery became washed in cheer. Fields of bright yellow daffodils stretched out like a sea of…

5 min

Texas Highways Magazine|February 2018

Heaven on the Half Shell

OYSTERS HAVE THE REPUTATION OF BEING AN expensive delicacy—high-end fare offered at fancy eateries with prices to match. Not so at Gilhooley’s Restaurant and Oyster Bar. There is nothing highfalutin about this ramshackle seafood joint in the tiny coastal town of San Leon, located about 40 miles southeast of Houston on a small spit of land stretching into Galveston Bay. This corner of the bay was the stomping grounds of the French pirate Jean Lafitte in the early 1800s, and Gilhooley’s looks like the perfect haven for sailors and vagabonds. Situated about a block from the water, its weathered building has been cobbled together with salvaged lumber and corrugated metal, and its parking lot is paved with cast-off oyster shells from countless dinners. Inside, a horseshoe-shaped bar dominates the center…

5 min

Texas Highways Magazine|February 2018

AMARILLO has surprises in store

LIKE MANY TEXAS PANHANDLE NATIVES I grew up on a steady diet of rodeos and stick horses. So when I think of my Amarillo childhood, I think about Boots’n Jeans. Not the attire, but the retail store. The rustic wooden doors of Boots’n Jeans once beckoned shoppers beneath a life-size sculpture of a wild, rearing horse. Every year, for my birthday, my grandparents took me there for a new pair of ropers. That was then. In the decades since, the store sold to a big corporation, transformed into a national Western-wear chain, and finally closed for good in 2016 after 43 years. A Jimmy’s Egg opened in its place a few months ago. You can deconstruct that metaphor anyway you like: “Amarillo sheds its Western heritage” or “Progress replaces boots…

11 min

Texas Highways Magazine|February 2018

DUDED UP

MAYAN RANCH, 350 Mayan Ranch Road, is 1 mile southwest of downtown Bandera. Accommodations include lodge rooms and private cabins. Overnight rates for adults are $165; $100 for teenagers; $80 for 12 and younger. The rate includes three meals, two horseback rides, and daily activities. Call 830-796-3312; mayanranch.com. BLISSWOOD BED AND BREAKFAST RANCH, 13205 Frantz Road, is 15 miles northwest of Sealy. Cabins start at $199 per night, breakfast included. Adventure options available for additional cost, including horseback rides for $69 per guest per hour. Call 713-301-3235; blisswood.net. PRUDE RANCH, 201 Prude Guest Ranch Road, is 6 miles north of Fort Davis off State Highway 118. Lodging in motel rooms, bunkhouses, and cabins starts at about $95 with deals for large groups. Meals available for groups of 12 or more. Horseback rides cost…

1 min

Texas Highways Magazine|February 2018

Out of the Woodwork

I REMEMBER LEARNING THE THRILL OF THE road trip as a child. Back then, my parents would load us up in the wee hours of the morning to trek hundreds of miles across Texas or to far-flung parts of the U.S. One of those childhood trips took us to Branson, Missouri. The experience has been blurred in my mind by the brush of time, but I remember my dad stoically abandoning his reserved nature at a musical variety show where he was called up on stage to dress as Dolly Parton. Amusing as that Branson trip was, my children— ranging from toddler to teen—handle short jaunts better than long days in the car. So we find a little piece of Branson in the heart of East Texas, only a few…

7 min

Texas Highways Magazine|February 2018

travel resource guide

TO RECEIVE FREE travel information from the following destinations, simply circle the number on the attached reply card that corresponds to your selection, fill in your name and address, and drop it in the mail. To find our advertiser information online, go to texashighways.com/advertiser-information. Free TRAVEL INFO! 1 Abilene Convention & Visitors Bureau 2 Amarillo Convention & Visitors Council 3 Bay Area Houston Convention & Visitors Council 4 Beaumont, City of, Convention & Visitors Bureau 5 Brady/McCulloch County Visitors Center 6 Brenham-Washington County Convention & Visitors Council 7 Bryan, City of 8 Bullock Texas State History Museum 9 Conroe Convention & Visitors Bureau 10 Cuero Chamber of Commerce 11 Dallas Arboretum 12 Dripping Springs Visitors Bureau 13 Fredericksburg Convention & Visitor Bureau 14 Galveston Co-op 15 George Boutwell’s Texas Collection…

1 min

Texas Highways Magazine|February 2018

Eye on Texas

FOR MORE THAN FOUR DECADES, PHOTOGRAPHER LAURA Wilson has been documenting the American West—and Texas in particular. Her lens has captured such subjects as the drama of small-town football games, the time-honored traditions of ranchers and cowboys, and the challenges of life along the border. Although Wilson grew up in Massachusetts, she has made her home in Dallas since 1966. It was there that she launched her career and, with her late husband, Robert, reared her three sons (Andrew, Owen, and Luke, of Hollywood fame). She got her start in 1979 as an assistant to renowned photographer Richard Avedon. For six years, she served as the location scout for his project In the American West. Afterward, she pursued her own photographic vision of the West and began landing assignments from…

5 min