Innholdsfortegnelse for December 2018 i Texas Highways Magazine

As he guides walking tours of San Elizario, Al Borrego paints a vivid picture of the town’s 400 years of borderland adventure and enterprise. On Main Street, Borrego describes the day in 1598 when explorer Juan de Oñate marched through with an expedition of 500 colonists. Outside the immaculate San Elizario presidio chapel, Borrego explains how the community was actually south of the Rio Grande until an 1829 flood realigned the river. At the Old El Paso County Jail Museum, he recounts how in 1876, Billy the Kid liberated a jailed associate without firing a shot. San Elizario grew up as a Spanish military fort and farming village, about 20 miles southeast of El Paso. Acequias lace the town like veins, irrigating crop fields and adding to the Southwestern feel…

1 Galveston The Belle of Ball Street survived the infamous 1900 hurricane and features a grand staircase, soaring ceilings, and balconies on all three floors, not to mention a dining table that seats up to 16 people. Built in 1894. Sleeps 16 for $325-$450 per night; vrbo.com 2 Rockport The two-story R.H. Wood House overlooks the harbor from the Heritage and Cultural Arts District. Walk to the beach or lounge around an outdoor kitchen and heated pool. Built in 1868. Sleeps 13 for $483; vrbo.com 3 Fort Davis Sit by original brick fireplaces or take in views of Sleeping Lion Mountain from the front porch under century-old pines at the Webster House a couple of blocks from dining and shopping. Built in 1898. Sleeps 8 for $158; homeaway.com…

People who visit the coast during the summer may think there’s no surf in Texas, but that’s because they haven’t seen the waves of winter. In late January through mid-February, storm-driven northerlies blow across the Gulf of Mexico, roiling the placid surf into choppy waves that can build to heights of 5 feet and taller. Offshore winds then polish these waves to produce smooth, jade-colored swells that build then break, curling in a clean line, row after row. For those willing to brave the chill, there are plenty of destinations along the 367 miles of the Texas coast to give off-season surfing a try. “Most people are fair-weather surfers,” says James Fulbright, proprietor of Strictly Hardcore Surf Specialties in Galveston. “There are 70 percent fewer surfers in the water in…

All Delia’s locations are open Mon-Sat 6 a.m.-8 p.m., Sun 7 a.m.-6 p.m. 3400 N. 10th St.,McAllen956-627-2532 4800 S. 23rd St., Suite 5McAllen956-630-3502 602 W. Griffin ParkwayMission956-584-5800 1501 E. Monte Cristo Road, Edinburg956-380-2700 2000 N. Jackson Road, Pharr956-783-7799 106 W. Nolana Loop, San Juan956-961-4565 If you plan on ordering Delia’s for the holidays you can pick up a couple dozen frozen tamales from any store before Dec. 19. For fresh tamales, the last opportunity to place a large order is Dec. 13. They will be available for pickup in the days leading up to Dec. 25. Online orders are prepared, frozen, and shipped to your home. deliastamales.com…

Arts & Culture CENTRAL TEXAS Austin Day of Tango Festival Dec. 14-16 The eighth annual festival offers performances by international tango dance champions and instructors, plus live music from the famous Miguel Arrabal Tango Quartet. Interactive dance workshops, a free beginner’s lesson, and Argentine milonga dances are among the event’s cultural activities. Ben Hur Shrine Auditorium, 7811 Rockwood Lane; Esquina Tango, 209 Pedernales. 512-695-1024; dayoftango.org San Antonio Monarchs: Brown and Native Contemporary Artists in the Path of the Butterfly Through Jan. 6 This exhibition takes the migration path of the Monarch butterfly as a geographic range and a metaphor. The butterfly crosses the U.S. border at its junctions with Canada and Mexico along the entire length of these conceptual divides—and the busiest path is through the center of the U.S.…

Penny the Chihuahua greets visitors with an inspection sniff outside the elevator leading to Bunkhouse, the Austin-based hospitality company owned by Odessa native Liz Lambert. From the third-floor workspace, windows overlook South Congress Avenue, home to Lambert’s Hotel San José and Jo’s Coffee. Lambert opened both establishments roughly 20 years ago, transforming this once-seedy thoroughfare into a hot spot for tourists and locals alike. Ephemera tacked on Lambert’s office wall documents her story. There’s an early sketch of El Cosmico, the trailer and teepee grounds in Marfa that she opened in 2009. There’s a thank-you note from New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd after a stay at San José. There’s also a composite illustration of a sensuous woman rendered in a psychedelic swirl. “This is a spirit image for the…

One sunny morning in July, on an otherwise unremarkable Wednesday, I slide into the driver’s seat of my car and head south. I pull onto the highway, a map of Texas in the passenger seat, like an ancient rune from a time before GPS, and I watch as the billboards turn unfamiliar and disappear. Big-box stores and strip malls turn to metal silos, oil refineries, and wheat fields. Every human deserves to know they can make their own way—especially women, who are often told the opposite. I wonder if my longheld insistence that I can travel alone isn’t partly the influence of Texas. I wonder if such a small act of freedom will be unfathomable to future generations. You know, when robots have taken over and no one actually drives…

Recent major snowfalls in the Lone Star State: Dec. 7-8, 2017 A wintry mix combined with a strong cold front creeps across South and Central Texas, depositing an inch of snow in Corpus Christi and 2 inches in Victoria. Dec. 26-28, 2015 A West Texas blizzard blankets nearly half the Lone Star State in snow, devastating cattle and dairy operators in the Panhandle. Feb. 23-24, 2010 Widespread snow falls mostly east of I-35. Feb. 11-12, 2010 Several inches of snow blanket the northern half of the state. Dec. 24-25, 2009 Over a foot of snow falls in many areas between Dallas and Lubbock. Dec. 24-25, 2004 The Victoria Christmas snowstorm produces 12.5 inches of snow—a historic record. The only Texas city ever to receive more snow in a single holiday…

Remember Goliad? It’s one of the oldest towns in Texas, originating in 1749 as a Spanish colonial mission and presidio where the San Antonio River flows through gently rolling coastal plains a little more than 45 miles inland from San Antonio Bay. People still come to Goliad to pay their respects to the hundreds of Texian rebels who surrendered in battle during the Texas Revolution in 1836 and were executed on Palm Sunday, a day of infamy rivaled only by the fall of the Alamo. But Goliad is far from stuck in the past. Visitors who venture off the main highways will find a bustling downtown centered around an idyllic courthouse square with more restaurants, nightlife options, and shopping than one might expect for a town of less than 2,000…

The Texas badlands east of the Pecos River and along the state’s border with Mexico bristle in thorn-covered plateaus and jagged limestone canyons. But after spring rains, the country often reveals a softer side, blushing with Texas sage blooms. The sage grows on both sides of the Rio Grande, clinging to crevices, thriving among the flats, and populating the rocky shores of Amistad Reservoir, home to Amistad National Recreation Area and ground zero for the most important shared resource in badlands territory—water. Amistad—“friendship” in Spanish—blurs the two countries together, submerging the border beneath several hundred feet of water, a uniformity replicated by nearby Del Rio and its sister city, Acuña. Like Amistad’s natural world, the two communities meld into one. “There’s no boundary here because things come and go in…

It’s the week before Christmas, and lines of people snake around a nondescript building in McAllen. Security guards direct traffic and monitor the throng, keeping a watchful eye out for any trouble. The crowd buzzes with excitement and impatience as it waits for one of the most important ingredients of Christmas in the Rio Grande Valley: tamales. And everyone knows you can’t go wrong with Delia’s. Delia Lubin, the namesake of this holiday season staple, started her tamale empire—which includes six restaurants, a food truck, and a mail-order business—with just 5 pounds of masa and the need to provide for her young family. Along with her husband and three daughters, Delia moved from Chicago to McAllen in the 1980s to be closer to family. Though the cost of living was…

When visiting Tejas Chocolate + Barbecue, take some time to check out Tomball’s historic downtown. Tejas owner Scott Moore Jr. shares his recommendations. 1 Grab a beer at Tomball’s newest craft brewery, Fire Ant Brew Pub. 2 Go antique shopping at stores like Granny’s Korner and Vintage Station that sell everything from lighting to furniture and quilts. 3 Visit The Railroad Depot, Plaza & Gazebo to learn about railroad history and view the new model train on display. 4 Attend the free German Heritage Festival, which takes place in the spring (March 29-31) and includes beer, sausage, and entertainment. 5 Stop into Caroline’s Kitchen for tamales, including the brisket and barbacoa tamales made with Tejas’ meats. 6 Shop the Tomball Farmers Market, Tejas’ former stomping grounds, on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.…

Take a tour of El Paso literature and song: Rosa’s Cantina, 3454 Doniphan Drive. 915-833-0402; facebook.com/pg/OriginalRosasCantina. Hotel Paso Del Norte (formerly the Camino Real), 101 S. El Paso St. Under renovation, the hotel is expected to reopen in February. 915-534-3000; hotelpdn.com. Gardner Hotel, 311 E. Franklin Ave. 915-532-3661; gardnerhotel.com. Have other ideas for places to visit on a tour of El Paso-inspired literature and song? Chime in on social media: @texashighways.…

Known for being stuck between a rock and a weird place (Round Rock and Austin), Pflugerville may seem like just another suburb. But hidden among the urban sprawl is a small town full of budding entrepreneurs working to make this pfunnily named community a deluxe daytripper destination. 1 Brotherton’s Black Iron Barbecue The only thing that’s traditional about this barbecue joint is the wood they use to smoke their meats (post oak). Everything else is way outside the fire box. Skip the three-meat plate and order one of its Texas-inspired sandwiches, such as the Reuben with smoked brisket pastrami and housemade sauerkraut, or the Vietnamese brisket bahn mi with housemade kimchi. 15608 Spring Hill Lane, Suite 105. 512-547-4766; blackironeats.com 2 Central Texas BMX This public bicycle motocross track is a…