Innholdsfortegnelse for March 2019 i Texas Highways Magazine

If there’s one thing Texans can agree on, it’s their love of wildflowers. A field of native blooms graced the second-ever cover of Texas Highways, and readers’ enthusiasm for the bluebonnet and its springtime companions hasn’t dampened since. The June 1974 cover (below) featured “a field strewn with pink evening primrose and Indian paintbrush showing why the ‘primrose path’ has always been associated with beauty, tranquility and happiness.” This year marks our 45th anniversary, and as with any milestone, it gives us an opportunity to pause and reflect on where we came from. Though Texas Highways was founded in 1953 when the Texas Highway Department changed the name of its employee publication from Maintenance and Construction Bulletin, it didn’t become a travel magazine until enterprising editor Frank Lively began adding…

Dear Carlisle, Now that you are 13 and taller than I am, there are a few things I’m compelled to tell you before you someday take off on one of the greatest thrills of your growing freedom—the road trip. As a Texan, it is your birthright. With 858 miles to cover, from Orange to El Paso, and varied terrain from the Gulf Coast Prairies to the High Plains, this state is built for traversing. I can already see you: belting out tunes to the car radio as you wind through East Texas’ Piney Woods, rolling down your windows to smell the salty air while crossing the causeway to Padre Island, and pulling over to sink your teeth into freshpicked peaches at a farm stand in the Hill Country. As your…

ENCHANTED ROCK STATE NATURAL AREA 16710 Ranch Road 965, Fredericksburg. 830-685-3636; tpwd.texas.gov Don’t splash in the puddles that form atop Enchanted Rock: Tiny fairies are dancing there. Shallow pools that form after rains on the massive granite dome north of Fredericksburg are among the few places where fairy shrimp are found in Texas. Growing about a centimeter long, the translucent freshwater crustaceans exist on the constant edge of survival, laying eggs that endure the dry season only to hatch when the pools refill with rainwater. When the pools are full, fairy hunters crouch down to peer at the tiny swimmers that almost look like mosquito larvae. The shrimp disappear in the shadows, but sunlight unveils their tiny little world. “Some people hear about the fairy shrimp and come to Enchanted…

“IT’S CALLED DRIPPING SPRINGS for a reason,” says Meryl Sager, the sparkly-eyed bartender at the Desert Door tasting room as she spoons a glob of honeycomb into the Yaupon Palmer, a sotol-based version of an Arnold Palmer made with yaupon tea. “Everything here is dripping.” Sager’s right. When you drive the back roads around Dripping Springs and Driftwood, you are meandering through Central Texas’ distillery motherland. Although not visible from these pretty, tree-lined roads, barnfulls of stills are near at hand, all bubbling away to create small-batch spirits—from gin to sotol to whiskey—ready for you to swill, preferably while sitting outdoors on a breezy day with friends. These springs drip the good stuff. Some might think spring break is just a student perk, a lucky gift bequeathed to kiddos by…

A SAN ANTONIO spring break may conjure images of theme parks and a barge ride along the Paseo del Río, and certainly, those are a few options for family fun, but the city’s new attractions and hidden treasures offer alternative adventures worth exploring. Some are decidedly urban—museums and chef-driven restaurants—while others bring you right into a natural oasis just south of downtown. But all dot the banks of the San Antonio River, the city’s lifeblood for centuries. Yanaguana Garden Nowhere is San Antonio’s ability to reinvent itself more evident than at Yanaguana Garden, the epic playground located in the heart of the city at Hemisfair. Originally the site of the 1968 World’s Fair, this enchanted park celebrates the city’s Spanish and Native American roots with a climbable mosaic blue panther…

Marsha Milam describes her Bourbon Smash (see photo, left) cocktail recipe as “delicious, flexible, and forgiving.” Mix one up at home to celebrate Texas Independence Day on March 2—or head to the distillery for its second anniversary bash—and toast to the spirit of Ben Milam and other brave Texas revolutionaries. INGREDIENTS ½ cup ice2 tablespoons raspberry preserves or jam2 tablespoons Ben Milam bourbon1 tablespoon triple sec2-3 tablespoons orange juiceClub sodaOrange slices DIRECTIONS Add ice, preserves, bourbon, triple sec, and orange juice to a shaker and shake vigorously for 15 seconds. Then pour into a glass with a few ice cubes and top it with a splash of club soda. Garnish with orange slices.…

While mineral-water resorts have gone the way of the foxtrot and the interurban railroad in Texas, for those who seek, the water still flows. Crazy Water from Mineral Wells is available at grocery stores, but nothing beats a pilgrimage to the antique Famous Water pavilion in Mineral Wells to taste the Crazy beverage at its source. Famous Water Co., which sells Crazy Water, recently restored the Crazy bottling plant and opened a Crazy Bath House, where guests can bathe in the waters and spend the night. Both of the town’s grand hotels, the Baker and the Crazy, are closed. Local investors are in the early stages of restoring the Crazy Hotel as a mixed-use development, while renovation plans come and go for the Baker. In San Antonio, Bexar County is…

Texas is already known for being big. But in our beloved “Big Country,” things are taken to another level. When visiting Sweetwater, the history seems a little richer, the stories a little grander, and the snakes a little longer. If you find yourself in this Big Country town, don’t miss these spots. 1 National WASP WWII Museum Sitting on the old taxiways of Avenger Field, this museum marks the spot where, during World War II, an all-female air base trained—the only all-female military base then and now. While this may not seem like a big deal nowadays, until the 1940s, females had never flown military planes. Yet these brave women stepped up to form the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) and to serve the country by ferrying planes across the…

This year marks the 50th anniversary of President Lyndon B. Johnson’s return to the LBJ Ranch in Stonewall after serving five-and-a-half years in the White House. Having decided not to seek a second full term as president, Johnson spent his retirement in the Hill Country where he grew up, largely out of the public eye. Accounts of Johnson’s final years recall him as a hands-on ranch manager who also dedicated himself to the LBJ Presidential Library and Museum at UT-Austin; writing his presidential memoir, The Vantage Point; and entertaining friends. This photo, taken one year before his retirement, shows Johnson at the ranch with his grandson, Patrick Lyndon Nugent, and dog, Yuki. Johnson died four years after moving back to Texas and was buried in the family graveyard on the…

The Daytripper’s 100th Column This issue’s “The Daytripper” on Sweetwater (Page 97) marks Chet Garner’s 100th column in Texas Highways. Garner, who’s hosted his Lone Star Emmy Awardwinning travel show The Daytripper on PBS since 2009, started writing for the magazine in 2010 after then-editor-in-chief Charles Lorhman offered him a gig. “It’s been an amazing ride,” Garner says. “The best part is working with people who share my passion and fascination with the Lone Star State—folks you can chat with for hours about the best stretches of tubing on the Guadalupe, the tastiest back road cafés, and the weirdest roadside markers. Back when I started The Daytrip per, Texas Highways was my go-to magazine for research and inspiration. I hope that by being a part of it for 100 columns,…

PETERS BROTHERS HATS 909 Houston St., Fort Worth. 817-335-1715; pbhats.com Willie Dedmon calls himself a walking billboard for Peters Brothers Hats, the historic Fort Worth haberdashery. His collection numbers around 60, with headwear stored in various closets around the house and under his bed. Every day, the 65-year-old retiree dons a hat that fits his mood and attire before making his rounds about town. “I just wear a hat like a gentleman should: You clean up and you put your hat on,” Dedmon explains. “I went to get some food the other day and a young man said, ‘Mister, where’d you get that hat? That’s a nice hat.’ I tell a lot of the younger guys, ‘That’s a taste of the old school. Y’all don’t know nothing about that. It’s…

Hueco Tanks is considered a world-class rock-climbing destination. Restrictions in place since the early 2000s balance climbers’ and hikers’ interests with protection for the pictographs and the park’s delicate ecosystem. Because the number of daily visitors is limited, arrive early or call the park in advance to reserve a permit—especially when visiting on a weekend or holiday. For guided hiking and rock art tours in restricted areas, which are offered Wednesday-Sunday, call the park at least a week in advance to reserve a space.…

If the thought of vegan food conjures images of a giant plate of alfalfa sprouts, it’s time to revisit the concept. These days, vegan restaurants in Texas tend more toward soul food than rabbit food, and they use creative stand-ins for beef (proteinrich seitan, made from vital wheat gluten), cheese (soaked and pureed nuts), and pork (the shredded flesh of the giant Asian jackfruit) that can satisfy even die-hard carnivores. While Austin has long been considered the capital of Texas’ vegan scene, other cities now offer stiff competition in the way of veggie-forward, animal-free fare. These five eateries around the state break the mold while putting plants first. Señor Veggie San Antonio After selling mouthwatering falafel at farmers markets, José Cruz and Tiffany Sotelo opened vegan restaurant Señor Veggie in…

FIRE STREET PIZZA 10310 FM 439, Belton. 512-910-4676; firestreetpizza.com The road to Fire Street Pizza seems more likely to lead to nowhere. As you wind around cedar trees and open, mostly empty ranch land on FM 439 near Belton, you might think you’ve gotten lost. But the red laser-cut sign hanging over the restaurant’s driveway will put hungry travelers at ease: “There’s no place, quite like this place, anywhere near this place, so, this must be the place.” Sitting on 2 acres about 7 miles west of Belton, a town of nearly 20,000 an hour north of Austin, Fire Street serves up wood-fired Neapolitan-style pizza in a convivial atmosphere. While the location might be a little out of the way, it was convenient for first-time restaurant owners Jason and Alis…

Arts & Culture CENTRAL TEXAS Austin International Series: Bandini-Chiacchiaretta Tango Duo March 2 Experience the joy, sincerity, and passion of tango. Austin ISD Performing Arts Center, 1500 Barbara Jordan Blvd. 512-300-2247; austinclassicalguitar.org Austin South by Southwest March 8-17 Noted filmmakers, musicians, and multimedia artists from around the world converge to showcase music, film, and interactive media across more than 50 venues during this internationally recognized event. Various locations. sxsw.com Austin Crime and Punishment March 21-April 6 As a police inspector investigates a gruesome murder, audience members journey through the mind of a criminal. What did he do? Why did he do it? And what would you be capable of in certain circumstances? Before “Law & Order,” there was Crime and Punishment. Performed in 90 minutes with only three actors, this…

MEET OUR MAKERS Son of a Sailor AS PARTNERS IN MARRIAGE and merchandising, William and Jessica Knopp founded Son of a Sailor in Austin in 2011. Their combined skills and interests manifest in a variety of handmade jewelry, personal accessories, and home goods, including beaded necklaces and earrings, key fobs, bottle openers, and leather wallets and bracelets. Their products all share a similar aesthetic: clean lines and bold geometric shapes, sometimes with a splash of color. It wasn’t hard for the pair to become business partners. “William and I have always been creative together,” she says. “We’ve designed entire collections around road trips we’ve taken and places we’ve explored.” Shop more Son of a Sailor products at shop.texashighways.com Order Online SHOP.TEXASHIGHWAYS.COM…

When Lindy Chambers drives along the backroads of her hometown of Bellville, she often pulls over to take photos of dilapidated trailer homes or to collect the detrits that many people would pass off as junk—later to be resurrected in her artwork. A self-taught oil painter and sculptor known for colorful depictions of country life, Chambers moved from Hockley to this historic seat of Austin County about 20 years ago. She and her twin sister, Lee Lee Brazeal, taught art classes in a downtown frame shop and studio for two years before closing the business so Chambers could focus on making her own artwork. Over the years, Chambers has seen subtle changes in her adopted hometown, such as the recent opening of a barre and yoga studio downtown. While Chambers…

Travel to any corner of Texas, and you’re bound to see at least a few locals sporting full-brimmed hats. Whether it’s a cowboy-hatted auctioneer rattling off weights and prices at a weekly stock sale or a doting abuelo in a crisp new fedora for his granddaughter’s quinceañera, hat wearers find their styles at a variety of Texas shops that make hats by hand, refurbish old headwear, and sell the latest styles off the rack. Paris Hatters Around the corner from the Alamo, follow the vintage red-and-white sign to find all styles and hat services at this traditional institution, which opened in 1917 and claims to be “the oldest surviving retail business in downtown San Antonio.” 119 Broadway St., San Antonio. 210-223-3453; parishatters.com Limpia Creek Hats The selection of straw and…

Less than a mile south of Lost Maples State Natural Area, the Lone Star Motorcycle Museum displays machines dating to the 1910s, including a red 1917 Indian Model O. 36517 FM 187, Vanderpool. 830-966-6103; lonestarmotorcyclemuseum.com The South Texas Motorcycle Museum preserves dozens of motorcycles; the showstopper is a four-cylinder bike manufactured by Henderson, which operated from 1912 to 1931. 4403 E. Richardson Road, Edinburg. 956-292-0770; stxmm.net The Haas Moto Museum immerses visitors in more than a century of motorcycle history and displays more than 180 bikes, including a late 1920s-era Majestic, one of just 100 produced. 1201 Oak Lawn Ave, Suite 110, Dallas. 972-685 3051; haasmotomuseum.com…

Texarkana is the northern terminus of the Boogie Woogie Highway, but the city’s most famous musical son found his voice in a different style of late-19th century piano. Scott Joplin didn’t invent ragtime—a direct precursor of jazz—but he was certainly its most accomplished and prolific composer. Joplin’s 1899 sheet music for “Maple Leaf Rag” was the archetype for many a piano composition in the next century. Although ragtime contains some of the melodic properties of boogie woogie, it’s a more structured style that has no use for improvisation. Boogie woogie is all about those pulsing bass lines, while ragtime is defined by syncopated melodies that dislocate the expected beat. Boogie woogie flourished in Texarkana’s Swampoodle neighborhood, but Joplin said he learned to play piano at a house his mother, Florence,…

WITH 18 MILES OF hiking trails—13 of them open to mountain bikes and horses, along with plenty of flora and fauna along the Colorado River—McKinney Roughs Nature Park lives up to the “nature” in its name. Adding the word “adventure” seems more appropriate though, given the current offerings of zip lining, universal terrain vehicle tours, survival skill classes, and more. All of the above makes this Lower Colorado River Authority property an excellent destination for a family spring break adventure. The Zip Lost Pines complex explores the east side of the park, with six zip lines strung over the wooded slopes and valleys, bearing names like Piney Plunge, Loblolly Landing, and River Run. The longest stretches 1,315 feet, and according to Director Sarah Linden McBee, “It depends on the wind,…

When it comes to food trucks, you may think cities like Portland and Los Angeles have the market cornered, but on March 16, Waco plans to give them a run for their money. Since 2015, foodies have flocked to the heart of the Lone Star State to sink their teeth into the signature dishes of various truck cuisines—from Italian and Mexican to Mediterranean—at the annual Texas Food Truck Showdown. Up to 40 trucks and a crowd of approximately 25,000 is expected to chow down and witness the crowning of the next Texas Food Truck Champion. In addition to celebrity judges and a beer and wine garden, festivities include live music, family-friendly activities such as petting zoos and ponies, and, of course, a cornucopia of Texas’ finest street food. THE TEXAS…