Innholdsfortegnelse for December 2020 i Texas Highways Magazine

It was the last fit of Texas winter. The oaks of the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, in Austin, had long since shed their waxy, emerald leaves, and their branches clacked in light wind. Phillip Schulze, the arboretum manager, piloted me on his golf cart through the center’s collection of all 53 oak species native to Texas, which boasts the greatest diversity of oak trees in the nation. “Do this,” he said. “Take a room full of people, ask them to close their eyes and remember an important memory from their childhood. Then say, ‘Raise your hand if there was a tree present.’” We passed Spanish oak and lacey oak, bur oak and Chisos red. There were post oak and chinkapin. Shumard’s. Pin. “You watch,” he continued. “More than half,…

I used to pass small towns and feel sorry for the people who lived in them. What could you do there? Who could you be? Much of modern life was such a race to be exceptional—the biggest house, the most followers—that I felt a hint of sadness staring at those rusty warehouses and abandoned shacks off the highways of rural Texas, a land that time forgot. But something happened as the technology age unfolded, with all its virtual bustle and ambient anxiety—and I became a woman who sniffed around small towns looking for a hit of what they had. A slow-pour pace, a sense of community, something called affordable rent. That’s how I wound up spending time in Corsicana, a town of 25,000 people an hour south of Dallas. The…

Many folks think of McKinney as just another DFW suburb, but no matter how close McKinney is to Big D, it’s worthy of a day trip all its own. McKinney has history, a lively square, and plenty of personality to keep a traveler entertained and well-fed all day long. Collin County History Museum Pioneer Collin McKinney was such a pivotal figure that the county took his first name and the town took his last name—an accolade not even Sam Houston or Davy Crockett can claim. This museum sits inside the old 1911 post office and mixes new technology with treasured artifacts to create an interactive history lesson. With the touch of an iPad, old photos morph into modern landscapes. Be sure to explore the basement, complete with an old boiler…

Withers Ranch, Kent: A hiker’s paradise tucked away in the Davis Mountains, the ranch’s 16,000 acres offer some of the most precipitous mountain views in Texas. A “hosted” experience at the two-bedroom home includes a landowner who will guide you and cook for you. $650 per night, per adult (children under 12 stay for free), sleeps eight Rocker B Ranch, Graford: With tennis courts, baseball diamonds, skeet shooting, and enough room to accommodate a small army, this ranch is ideal for a big family reunion. Nestled in the wilds of Palo Pinto Canyon, the Rocker B is one of Explore Ranches’ “semi-hosted” experiences, which means guests are greeted by a landowner or landowner representative, and catered meals and guided excursions are available upon request. $5,000 a night, sleeps 60 Llano…

The pale light of a summer morning crept in between canopies of sweetgum and water oak, casting dappled shadows over the paths of Big Thicket National Preserve. Beyond a shuttered visitor center, the Kirby Nature Trail wound through bay-gall thickets and flooded cypress sloughs, through explosions of ferns and piles of decaying logs. The air pressed in like wet velvet, heavy with pollen and leaf mold. I’d come to the Big Thicket because, on this August day, American civil society felt like it was splitting at the seams. A viral pandemic had killed 100,000 people; a month later, the number would double. Swaths of the population had spent months cooped up at home, juggling parenting with their jobs, or venturing to workplaces fraught with new dangers. The economy had taken…

Germans immigrating to Texas in the mid-1800s brought much from their homeland that we still enjoy today—sausage, beer, sauerkraut, polka, and Oktoberfest. During the Christmas season, German heritage is often celebrated with glühwein, a warm beverage featuring red wine heated with sugar, citrus, and spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. While glühwein translates to “glow wine,” accounts vary on its etymology. Some say the term “glow wine” comes from the red-hot irons used to heat the wine hundreds of years ago, while others believe it is derived from the glowing feeling brought on by a glass of the hot, spiced beverage. Glühwein’s origin dates to the ancient Egyptians. Around 300 B.C. they made warm, spiced wine and called it “the elixir of the afterlife.” Greek philosopher Hippocrates prescribed spiced wine…

Regina L. Burns The multimedia journalist and editor visited Morrow’s Barber Shop in Terrell for this month’s My Hometown (Page 12). “This is the spot if you want your sides to hurt with laughter while getting a great haircut,” says Burns, who is based in Dallas. In addition to magazines, she has worked for radio and TV stations, newspapers, and The Associated Press, in Mississippi and Texas. She contributed an essay to the book Embracing the Real World: The Black Woman’s Guide to Life After College. Burns is the owner and marketing project manager at her boutique agency, Harvest Reapers Communications. Lucas Loredo For “An Ancient Voice” (Page 14), the Austin-based writer spent time with some of the state’s historic live oak trees searching for relief from anxiety. “Trees calm…

Terrell might be best known for the Terrell State Hospital, a 135-year-old psychiatric ward. Or, as the home of the No. 1 British Flying Training School Museum, which tells the history of the local academy for Royal Air Force pilots during World War II. And, of course, as the hometown of Jamie Foxx, the Grammy and Oscar winner who graduated from Terrell High School. But some visitors know Terrell for a different reason: Morrow’s Barber Shop. Customers travel from as far away as Mexia (85 miles south) for a haircut, a little joshing, and the latest “facts” from barber Edmund Morrow. A Vietnam War veteran, the 77-year-old has cut hair for almost 60 years, including at the Terrell State Hospital and at the shop he built in 1972 with his…

Don’t buy plants from sellers in other countries, especially if the plant is not native to that country. Look for domestic sellers advertising cacti as grown from seed. Find out how long the seller has been in business, since many cacti take years to grow big enough to sell. Avoid purchasing seeds or plants if the seller can’t tell you where they were grown or legally collected. Nursery-grown plants typically look more symmetrical and have a more vibrant color than wild ones. Scruffy plants may have been illegally collected.…

Dec. 7-8, 2017 A wintry mix combined with a strong cold front crept 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 blanketed nearly half the state in snow, devastating cattle and dairy operations in the Panhandle. Feb. 23-24, 2010 Towns east of I-35 saw widespread snowfall. Feb. 11-12, 2010 Several inches of snow blanketed the northern half of the state. Dec. 24-25, 2009 Over a foot of snow fell in many areas between Dallas and Lubbock. Dec. 24-25, 2004 The Victoria Christmas snowstorm produced 12.5 inches of snow.…

Boulderdash, Bandera: With a cabin, five RV spots, and three tent sites, this small property on the Medina River offers the most coveted of qualities: river access. Because of its river views, Hipcamp users named Boulder-dash RV Site No. 2 “Best Hipcamp Camping Spot in Texas” in 2019. $25-$35 a night for tent sites, maximum of eight people per site; $50 a night for RV sites, maximum of six people per site; $165 a night for cabin, sleeps eight 5D Ranch, Navasota: This 400-acre ranch of woodlands and prairies offers 14 miles of trails for hiking, a pond and a lake for fishing, and 18 spacious campsites with fire pits. Turkeys, horses, hogs, miniature ponies, and other animals share the property. $30 per campsite, maximum of 16 guests per site…

Make reservations online: Almost all state parks are open with limited capacity. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department recommends making advance reservations on its website, tpwd.texas.gov. Walk-up entry is allowed, but with the attendance restrictions, many parks may be booked up. National parks, preserves, and wildlife refuges are also open, at least in limited capacity. Most don’t require advance reservations. Plan for shared spaces: Most park restrooms are open, but it’s a good idea to bring along your own soap and hand sanitizer. If you’re going to be making use of picnic tables, consider bringing a table cover. And remember to always wear a mask and maintain a safe distance from other visitors, especially indoors. Hit the trails early and walk quietly: For the best chance of seeing wildlife, try…

All Reyna Royo could think about was the taste of Panamanian corn tortillas. After hearing about the only traditional Panamanian restaurant in Texas from a friend on Facebook, she traveled an hour from her home in Austin to quell her craving at Rincón de Panamá. Her twin brother, Reynaldo Royo, joined her on her sojourn to the hole-in-the-wall restaurant in Killeen. While the state bursts at the seams with taco joints and Tex-Mex restaurants, Royo says Mexican tortillas do not resemble the golden fried corn cakes she grew up eating in Panama. “It’s like a little piece of Panama in Killeen,” owner Isabel Muñoz says. “I try to make everything related to the culture. I want everything to be like in Panama.” While the restaurant is particularly loved by Panamanians,…

Texas music is known for its sense of place, whether it’s Western swing, guitar-powered electric blues, or Dirty South hip-hop. But at least one Texas city, and one specific part of that city, can claim a sound all its own: the Westside Sound of San Antonio. The Westside Sound refers to a specific place and time, beginning in the 1950s, when Mexican American teenagers in San Antonio first heard rock’n’ roll. Budding musicians from across the city formed bands playing music that incorporated rhythm and blues, often with a heavy horn section, and influences of swing, conjunto, and country. Sometimes referred to as “Chicano Soul,” the music drew on the early rock’n’ rollers from New Orleans like Fats Domino and emphasized slow-dance standards known as “bellyrubbers.” But unlike scenes in…