Innholdsfortegnelse for March 2016 i Texas Highways Magazine

ZIPPED UP Fashioned from leather, vintage canvas, and other sturdy materials, these stylish bags make traveling a breeze. A fan of one-of-a-kind pieces, Wright makes some of his products from vintage mailbags and military goods. W DURABLE GOODS is at 901 Foch St. in Fort Worth. Hours: Tue-Sat 11-7. Closed Mon and Sun. Call 925/272-8465; www.wdurablegoods.com. I DO A LOT OF TRAVELING AND HAVE DEVELOPED A SYSTEM OVER the years. I keep a kit packed with toiletries, a backpack stocked with such essentials as binoculars and sunscreen, and I carry my passport and emergency-contact information in a small case. All I have to do is toss these into the car or a suitcase whenever the travel opportunity arises. However, I remain on the lookout for improvements to my system. On…

FORT LONESOME takes custom-order inquiries, posts upcoming events, and sells accessories on its website, www.ftlonesome.com. Custom embroidered garments start at $400 depending on the amount of embroidery involved. Kathie Sever of Fort Lonesome FOR AUSTIN-BASED CLOTHING company Fort Lonesome, the classic Western pearl-snap shirt is all about wearing your heart on your sleeve—or at least around your shoulders. Proprietor Kathie Sever and her fellow tailors practice what she calls “thread-based storytelling,” creating one-of-a-kind embroidered garments inspired by her clients’ lives, passions, families, and influences. Based in Sever’s home studio, Fort Lonesome stitches colorful imagery—from fowl to flowers, portraits, maps, and guitars—all with a flavor of classic Western wear. Sever and her four employees achieve the classic look with a careful eye and the help of a stable of vintage machines…

From fiercely guarded family recipes to chili restaurants and competition cookoffs across the state, Texans take their chili very seriously. Native son and President Lyndon B. Johnson famously once said, “Chili concocted outside of Texas is usually a weak, apologetic imitation of the real thing. One of the first things I do when I get home to Texas is to have a bowl of red. There is simply nothing better.” DESTINATION: Original Terlingua International Championship Chili Cookoff Each year hundreds of chili-heads descend on the Big Bend ghost town of Terlingua for the largest chili competition in the world. Now in its 50th year, the event takes place November 2-5, 2016. www.abowlofred.com.…

Texas is home to about 20 species of prickly pear—a thick-skinned cactus fortified with large needlesharp spines as well as smaller, nearly invisible spines called glochids. Despite their tough exterior, the cactus pads and pears were prized as an important food source for native peoples and remain a component of Mexican and Southwestern cooking. Ranchers burn the spines off to use the cactus for cattle feed during times of drought. The cactus has also seen a surge in contemporary cuisine in recent decades with prickly pear jellies, sodas, margaritas, salad dressings, sauces, and more. DESTINATION: Texas Jack Wild West Outfitters Just off Fredericksburg’s main drag, Texas Jack’s is a Western wear, gear, and gun store named for John Burwell “Texas Jack” Omohundro, a legendary Civil War scout and frontier cowboy.…

Our state’s name originates from a Spanish variation of the Caddo Indian word “tejas,” meaning friendship. Native peoples and Spanish explorers greeted each other with “tejas”—and the name stuck. DESTINATION: La Antorcha de la Amistad La Antorcha de la Amistad, Spanish for The Torch of Friendship, is a prominent abstract sculpture located on a roundabout median at the intersection of Commerce and Losoya streets in downtown San Antonio. Mexican sculptor Sebastián created the reddish-orange ribbon of steel and presented it as a gift from the Mexican government to the City of San Antonio in 2002.…

Western-style cowboy boots were cemented in Texas culture during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Boot makers like Salvatore Lucchese in San Antonio, H.J. Justin in Spanish Fort and then Nocona, and Tony Lama in El Paso began producing riding boots designed for function and style with a higher heel and more rounded toe—thus the Western-style cowboy boot was born. DESTINATION: Texas Junk Company in Houston Famous for its used footwear, Texas Junk Company boasts a selection of “over 1,000 used cowboy boots from $30.” The shop, located at 215 Welch St., opens most Fridays and Saturdays. Call first, 713/524-6257.…

From March through October, droves of Texans gather to watch columns of swirling bats emerge from cavernous roosts, like the Congress Avenue Bridge in Austin and Bracken Cave near San Antonio. During the summer, Central Texas is home to an estimated 100 million Mexican free-tailed bats, making up one of the world’s largest concentrations of mammals, according to Austin-based Bat Conservation International. DESTINATION: Old Tunnel State Park Located between Fredericksburg and Comfort, Old Tunnel State Park’s abandoned railroad tunnel is the summer home to some 3 million Mexican free-tailed bats. Visitors can watch the bats’ nightly emergence free of charge from the upper viewing area, or from the up-close perspective of the lower viewing area ($5). www.tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/old-tunnel.…

Known for its soft, silvery foliage and showy purple blooms that peak in summer and continue through fall, Texas purple sage (also known as cenizo) is a hardy, medium-sized shrub native to the Rio Grande Plains, Trans-Pecos, and Edwards Plateau regions of Texas. Purple sage is as resilient as it is rugged: It is drought tolerant, heatresistant, and can withstand temperatures as low as five degrees. DESTINATION: Pennybacker Bridge— Lake Austin, Loop 360 Overlook This popular scenic overlook in northwest Austin provides commanding views of Lake Austin and the undulating hills that surround it. The overlook’s steep terraces are lined with wonderful purple sage plants that bloom summer through fall, especially about two weeks after a rainfall. The overlook, located at 5300 North Capital of Texas Highway, is open to…

Beloved for their creeping yet undeniable burn, jalapeño peppers are used to fire up dishes, strengthen salsa, and challenge competitive eaters. Some like them best stuff ed with cheese, wrapped in bacon, and then fried or grilled. Texans’ affinity for the jalapeño helps make the state one of the largest producers and consumers of the peppers in the world. DESTINATION: Texas Hill Country Distillers; Cuero Turkeyfest Texas Hill Country Distillers in Comfort produces a handcrafted Texas Jalapeño Moonshine, which is fermented with Fredericksburg-grown peppers and makes a zingy Bloody Mary. www.hillcountrytxdistillers.com. In Cuero, the annual Turkeyfest (October 7-9, 2016) features one of the state’s many jalapeño-eating contests. The winner is the eater who finishes 12 jalapeños first or the most in 60 seconds. Aye Yai Yai! www.turkeyfest.org.…

Beauty is all around. You just need to pause long enough to notice. ANN PARKS, Canton OUR FAVORITE SOCIAL MEDIA OF THE MONTH... As a student reporter at Abilene High School in the mid-’50s, I interviewed Elvis at Thornton’s Store. He was doing an autograph party there. I still have the autographed picture he gave me. Precious memory. Jan Jonas Corpus Christi The @Texas Highways tale of a US 90 road trip across southwest Texas [January] will make you want to hop in the car & hit the road. @texastourism Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram Pull of the Parks Reading the National Parks issue [February] evoked memories of when my family and I moved to Dallas in 1989. We wanted our children to experience Big Bend and Guadalupe…

THE TEXAS HILL COUNTRY HAS long attracted visitors for its combination of outdoor recreation and historic towns, and in recent years it has developed into one of the most visited wine regions in the country. The Fredericksburg area and its “Wine Road 290” trail—a string of more than a dozen wineries along a 45-mile stretch of US 290—enjoys the lion’s share of attention, but there’s much to be found off the beaten track. North of Fredericksburg along US 281 is the “Top of the Hill Country Wine Trail,” a collaboration of seven wineries in San Saba, Llano, Burnet, and Lampasas counties. These wineries, including Wedding Oak Winery, Pilot Knob Vineyard, Fall Creek Vineyards, Perissos Vineyard and Winery, Pillar Bluff Vineyard, Fiesta Winery, and Texas Legato Winery, draw wine tourists to…

WHAT ARE YOU DOING FOR FUN? The DISTANCE to MONAHANS THE FIRST TIME I SAW THE MONAHANS sandhills, I thought I had been taken in by a mirage. What else would explain the presence of beautiful rolling dunes out here in the middle of West Texas, with no ocean within 500 miles? That first trip to Monahans Sandhills State Park was a quick one, just an hourlong stop during a trip to Midland (located about 60 miles east of the park). Though it was a brief visit, the park made a big impression. I thought often of my heart-pumping slog to the top of a 30-foot mountain of sand, where I watched giddy children ride plastic toboggans down the white slopes, practically like snow sledding. And then, of course, there…

There’s hardly a more beloved symbol in Texas than the bluebonnet. Texas historian and author Jack Maguire once wrote, “The bluebonnet is to Texas what the shamrock is to Ireland … and the tulip to Holland.” DESTINATION: The Chappell Hill Bluebonnet Festival Located in the lush hills and prairies of Washington County near Brenham, the Chappell Hill area offers some of the best bluebonnet viewing in Texas, as well as the official state bluebonnet festival. The Chappell Hill Historical Society puts on the 52nd Annual Bluebonnet Festival April 9-10, featuring arts-and-crafts vendors, live entertainment, historical tours, children’s activities, and more. www.chappellhillmuseum.org/bluebonnet.…

The state domino game comes to us from two young boys who invented it in 1887 in their North Texas hometown of Garner, then known as Trapp Spring. According to a 1985 article by Christopher Evans in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, the 12- and 14-year-old got in big trouble for playing cards—forbidden by their devout Baptist parents—and so they made up a similar game using dominos. Played by two teams of two, 42 is a bidding game that revolves around winning tricks. During World War II, enlisted Texans spread the game and 42 became an internationally popular pastime. DESTINATION: Hallettsville Hallettsville is home to two prestigious domino tournaments—the Texas State Partners Domino Championship, held annually on the third Sunday in January; and during the first weekend in March, the Texas…

Native to the rich river and creek bottoms of Central and East Texas, pecan trees produce highly prized sweet nuts and are popular landscaping trees because of their shady foliage. Even the wood is valuable— for furniture, flooring, and smoking meats. Texas is among the nation’s largest producers of pecans, including native and improved varieties. DESTINATION: Berdoll Pecan Farms Berdoll Pecan Candy & Gift Company is a family-owned operation in Cedar Creek (between Austin and Bastrop), a couple of miles from the Berdoll pecan orchard. Along with souvenirs and sweets, its retail location features Ms. Pearl—a 14-foot squirrel sculpture—and a pecan vending machine that’s open 24 hours per day, seven days a week. www.berdollpecanfarm.com.…

John B. Stetson first popularized wide-brimmed felt hats designed to provide protection from the elements in the 1860s, giving rise to the iconic Western cowboy hat. In Texas, range-riding ranch hands embraced the hats early on, and ever since, the cowboy hat has symbolized the state’s Western culture and spirit. DESTINATION: Ben’s Texas Hat Museum; The Hatco Factory In the South Texas town of Cotulla, Ben’s Western Wear features a Hat Museum that has grown to include hundreds of hats from local ranchers, cowboys, and even public figures like Nolan Ryan and George Strait. www.benswesternwear.com. In Garland, Hatco carries on the tradition of John B. Stetson with a factory that makes both felt and straw hats under the brand names of Stetson, Resistol, and others. Call 972/494-0511 for tours.…

A true Texas original, the ruby red grapefruit came about by accident. In 1929, a McAllen grower named A.E. Henninger discovered a mutated grapefruit that was red in color and much sweeter than the typical pink and white varieties. Henninger’s mutant grapefruit strain, along with mutated citrus from other regional growers, were cultivated, perfected over the years, and eventually marketed under the name “Ruby Red.” Today, ruby reds are widely considered the world’s best grapefruit variety. DESTINATION: Mission Citrus Fiesta Mission celebrates its agricultural roots each January with the annual Texas Citrus Fiesta. Highlights include the Product Costume Contest, in which costumes must be decorated with citrus or citrus-based coloring, and the Parade of Oranges, which has a contest category that requires floats to be at least 85 percent covered…

Found only on the western Gulf Coast, the lightning whelk’s name comes from the radiating, lightning-like stripes that adorn the shell. Its large and cone-like shape—unlike most shells, it spirals counter-clockwise—make it one of the most attractive and easily identifiable shells on Texas beaches. DESTINATION: Padre Island National Seashore Beachgoers are welcome to comb the sandy beaches of Padre Island National Seashore for the state shell. Big Shell Beach, located about halfway down the island and requiring a four-wheel-drive vehicle to access, is a particularly good spot for shelling, park rangers say. www.nps.gov/pais/planyourvisit/beachcombing.htm.…

Many folks currently residing in Texas arrived only in the past few decades. And while those of us who go much farther back make every effort to educate these newcomers on important aspects of being a Texan, some things must be learned through experience. Take the tradition of the road trip. A state with 80,323 miles of centerline naturally holds the road trip in high regard. Hearing about such trips taken by others, while also an important tradition, simply can’t substitute for the real thing. Nor does barreling down the interstate, moving from point A to point B, qualify as a road trip. That, my friend, requires meandering two-lane roads, passing through small towns, pulling over to read historical markers, and eating at places run by the folks who own…

REAL TEXAS STORIES BORN AND BRED FOLLOW THE RIDE FOR TEXAS INDEPENDENCE To follow “The Ride for Texas Independence” journey February 24-March 5, check the couriers’ status and GPS updates online at www.facebook.com/ridefortexas independence. REMEMBER THE ALAMO? IT WAS there that William B. Travis penned his famous letter, signed “Victory or Death,” on February 24, 1836. In command of Texas forces besieged by the Mexican army, Travis sent the missive by courier east to San Felipe de Austin, addressed “To the People of Texas and All Americans.” In it, he declared, “I will never surrender or retreat.” Yet he also pleaded for reinforcements “to come to our aid, with all dispatch.” Eight days later, Travis revised this request in a letter sent to Washington-on-the-Brazos, where delegates were meeting to declare…

Hill Country The Pennybacker Bridge along Loop 360 (Capital of Texas Highway) spans Lake Austin in northwest Austin. Its steel arch was designed to weather over time, gradually changing color. Opened in 1982, the bridge is part of a scenic urban drive along the nearly 14-mile loop. Some of the most picturesque photographs (like this one) come from the cliffs on the north side of the bridge. A boat ramp and parking area are on the south side for those who want to enjoy a view from below the bridge. For more places to see while in Austin, visit www.austintexas.org.…

THE LONE STAR STATE. As far as nicknames go, it could be one of the most famous in the world—or at least us Texans like to think so. Far beyond the meandering borders of the Red and Rio Grande rivers, those four little words conjure a larger-than-life mental image of tougher-than-nails cowboys, dusty Longhorn cattle drives, and heroic Alamo defenders. It’s an enduring moniker, symbolic of Texans’ unwavering independent spirit. Texian rebels adopted the Lone Star symbol during the Texas Revolution, and in the 180 years since, their descendants have embraced a slew of other symbols to represent the state. Some of these symbols, such as the cowboy hat, Longhorn, and jalapeño pepper, represent our vibrant cultural heritage. Other symbols point to Texas’ natural diversity—the pecan tree, mockingbird, and Guadalupe…

This unassuming gray, white, and black bird sings all across Texas in every habitat, from the desert to the woodlands and the beach. Mockingbirds are remarkable vocalists, singing their own songs and mimicking other birds—the inspiration for their name. They are also fiercely territorial and will fight to protect their homes. DESTINATION: South Llano River State Park The 2,650-acre park, just southwest of Junction in the western Hill Country, features four birding blinds in a variety of habitats, from rocky uplands to the river bottom. Mockingbirds can be seen— and heard—year-round. www.tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/south-llano-river.…

Native to the Hill Country streams of Central Texas, Guadalupe bass are treasured by fly fishermen for the beautiful Edwards Plateau habitats they occupy and their spunky fight. Guadalupe bass are relatively small—the state record is about 3.5 pounds—and distinguished by the diamond-shaped pattern on their sides. DESTINATION: Guadalupe River State Park The Guadalupe River is home to abundant populations and pure strains of the state fish. Fishing is included in the entry fee at Guadalupe River State Park, located 30 miles north of San Antonio, and no fishing license is required. www.tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/guadalupe-river.…

Bob Wills and Milton Brown—known as the “king” and “father” of Western swing, respectively—pioneered this blend of fiddle music with jazz, blues, and folk in the 1920s and ’30s. Their bands developed a distinctive genre that’s carried on today by popular acts like Asleep at the Wheel and the Hot Texas Swing Band. DESTINATION: Bob Wills Fiddle Festival & Contest; Bob Wills Day Festivals across the state celebrate Western swing music, drawing fiddlers, fans, and dancers in tribute to the state’s official music. In Greenville, the Bob Wills Fiddle Festival & Contest celebrates all things Wills October 6-9, 2016, while the Panhandle town of Turkey fetes its hometown hero with Bob Wills Day April 27-30, 2016. www.greenvillechamber.com; www.bobwillsday.com.…

March’s travel spotlights: PRAIRIES AND LAKES >Parker Dallas Does Elvis Elvis Presley never performed at Southfork Ranch, but the King’s dramatic flair surely influenced the fictional Ewing family and its glitzy North Texas estate. While Elvis and the Ewings are gone, Southfork lives on as a tourist destination and event center. March 4-6, Southfork will host Texas’ Tribute to Elvis, featuring 18 Elvis impersonators vying for the chance to represent Texas at the Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest in Memphis. Along with contestant showcases, the weekend features various Elvis tribute shows, memorabilia sales, and discussions with Elvis associates, including his bodyguard, Sam Thompson; tour producer, Charles Stone; and backup singers The Holladay Sisters. www.texaselvisfestival.com. GULF COAST >Houston Art Deco Autos With its emergence in the 1920s, Art Deco design inspired…