February is time for Mardi Gras, Valentine’s Day, and the first spring flowers.
The hillsides at Mrs. Lee’s Garden outside of Gladewater bloom with yellow daffodils for four to six weeks beginning in mid-February. Helen Lee ordered a box of daffodil bulbs, but received a boxcar load. (Photo by Gerald E. McLeod)
Flower bucket list. When the hills at Helen Lee Estate Daffodil Gardens between Tyler and Gladewater are glowing with yellow daffodils, you know that spring is right around the corner. Acres and acres of blossoms shine among the trees. The only problem is that only Mother Nature knows exactly when the flowers will bloom and for how long.
Mrs. Lee’s Daffodil Garden isn’t your normal botanical garden. The rural property was purchased in the 1930s by T.W. Lee, who made his fortune in the East Texas oil fields. The land is rugged, heavily wooded, and raw. According to Susan Ceglia, the new property manager, T.W.’s wife Helen ordered a box of daffodil bulbs and received a boxcar load.
A narrow dirt road winds through a portion of the 1,000-acre natural garden. Small streams feed two ponds, and a replica log cabin adds a pioneer aesthetic. There are several parking areas along the 4-mile double-track road where visitors can get out and walk among the flowers. Take as many pictures as you want, but don’t pick the flowers.
The phenomenal blooms are a bucket-list item for many visitors, much like seeing the bats emerge from the Congress Avenue Bridge, attending a turtle hatchling release on Padre Island, or seeing the dogwood trees blooming around Palestine. Like so many things in nature, the blooms don’t happen according to a man-made schedule.
And so it is with the daffodils of Mrs. Lee’s Daffodil Garden. Ceglia says the best guess as to when the daffodils will put on their show is mid-February to mid-March. Volunteers with the nonprofit Helen Lee Foundation open the property free of charge to the public only when the daffodils are blooming. The best way to get updates on the open dates is on Facebook. (The site can be found by searching for “The New Mrs. Lee’s Daffodil Garden Facebook page”; the garden’s former Facebook page is woefully out of date.) The hotline number is 903/845-5780, and the Gladewater Chamber of Commerce can be reached at 903/845-5501.
Ceglia says this is already shaping up to be a good year for the daffodils. Several flowers had already bloomed in late January. Daffodils need a cold winter and prefer a dry period leading into the four-to-six-week blooming season. The garden might open a week early this year, but who knows how long it will last, she says.
Mid-February to mid-March, Helen Lee Estate Daffodil Garden, Gladewater, 903/845-5780, Facebook link
Travel Notes:
The Texas Surf Museum in Corpus Christi has closed. (Photo by Gerald E. McLeod)
Waves of change. The Texas Surf Museum has closed its doors. One of Texas’ quirky history depositories, the museum in downtown Corpus Christi was always a fun side trip with its rows of vintage surfboards and history lessons on the sport along the Texas coast. The museum was founded in 2005 by Brad Lomax and Pat Magee. Over the years the institution brought many interesting exhibits to the hall on Water Street. According to a Facebook post, the organization will transition into the Texas Surf Conservancy with the mission of responding to “relevant and timely issues that threaten Texas’ beaches and coast habitats.” The conservancy will also operate Sink Your Shucks, an oyster shell recycling program. Many of the treasures collected by the museum will go to the History Department at Texas A&M Corpus Christi. A new Texas Surf Museum is being considered for Galveston.
Be a Kerrvivor. The good folks out at the Quiet Valley Ranch south of Kerrville have been busy getting ready for this summer’s Kerrville Folk Festival. In January they announced two rounds of artists added to the lineup. Soon they will announce the complete lineup and the schedule for three weekends of music and good vibes May 25-June 11. Now is the time to get the best ticket prices.
Anchors away. The Tall Ships Challenge comes to Galveston April 13-16 as part of its three-port tour around the Gulf of Mexico. During the dockside festival, each ship offers exhibits, tours, and educational programs on the age of sailing ships. While in port, the tall ships When and If and Glenn L. Swetman are offering day sailing trips and twilight excursions. Tickets are selling fast, so book your passage soon.
Tiptoe through the tulips. You know spring is right around the corner when the tulips are blooming at Texas Tulips outside of Pilot Point in North Texas. The farm expects to open in mid- to late February. Visitors pay a $5 entry fee and then $2.50 per stem for the flowers picked. Pilot Point is 27 miles northeast of Denton or four hours from Austin. Look for pick-your-own tulips closer to home at Sweet Berry Farm outside of Marble Falls.
A favorite shopping spot in Port Aransas, the Mexican import Casa A Mano will close for good on April 1. (Photo by Gerald E. McLeod)
Port A style. For many folks, Casa A Mano in Port Aransas was better than going across the border to a Mexican mercado. Deb Trumpy announced to longtime customers that she is closing the boutique of colorful Mexican import goods, handcrafted margarita glasses, and a long list of handmade items on April 1. She will reopen the shop in scenic Madrid, New Mexico. (Pronounced Mad-drid, it is on the Turquoise Trail highway between Albuquerque and Santa Fe and was a filming location for the John Travolta and Tim Allen movie Wild Hogs.)
Mobile bar. The first section of Shorty’s Place in Port Aransas made the short trip from Tarpon Street it had occupied since 1946 to the corner of Beach and Alister streets on Thursday, Jan. 26. The second and last section of the oldest bar in Port A made the journey three days later. Edwin Myers, the owner of Shorty’s, told the Port Aransas South Jetty newspaper that he hopes to reopen the iconic music and billiards venue by the end of April. Myers is accepting donations on his Facebook page to offset the cost of moving the building. A $100 gift will get the donor a T-shirt that says “I helped move Shorty’s,” along with an invitation to the pre-reopening party.
Weathered Souls Brewery in San Antonio was recognized for its contribution to the community and their good food by the James Beard Awards. (Photo by Gerald E. McLeod)
Beard awards. It used to be that Texas barbecue joints were run by pitmasters. These days they’re “chefs” and eight of them have been nominated as semifinalists for the 2023 James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards. As usual, Texas is well represented in the prestigious national awards. Here’s a shout-out to Weathered Souls Brewing, the originator of Black Is Beautiful, an open-source beer recipe picked up by more than 1,200 other breweries to raise funds for social justice organizations: The San Antonio craft brewery was nominated in the Outstanding Bar category. The diverse list of eateries around the state is a great place to start a future day trip. Restaurant and chef awards will be announced on June 5. Bon appétit, y’all.
Other February Events:
Guided Tours, Canyon Lake Gorge
Feb. 1-28, Canyon Lake, canyongorgetours.com/public_tour
Mandela: The Official Exhibition
Feb. 1-April 23, College Station, www.bush41.org/exhibits/current
Hopefully the weather is nice for South Padre Island Kite Fest, Feb. 2-4
SPI Kite Fest
Feb. 2-4, South Padre Island, www.spikitefest.com
The Day the Music Died
Feb. 3, Lubbock, ci.lubbock.tx.us/departments/buddy-holly-center/home
Pearl Bluegrass Jam
Feb. 4, Gatesville, www.pearlbluegrassjam.org
Austin Lounge Lizards in Concert
Feb. 4, La Grange, www.thebugleboy.org
Little Sit Bird Count
Feb. 4, Sherman, www.friendsofhagerman.com/LittleSit
Kerrville Renaissance Festival
Feb. 4-5, Kerrville, www.kerrvillerenfest.com
Dog Days at the Botanical Gardens
Feb. 4-5, Fort Worth, fwbg.ticketapp.org/portal/product/31/events
Clay Expo
Feb. 4-5, Rockport, www.rockportartcenter.com/clay-expo
Floore’s Country Store Dine and Dance
Feb. 5, 19, Helotes, www.liveatfloores.com
Doris Kearns Goodwin
Feb. 7, Tyler, www.cowancenter.org
Planetarium Show
Feb. 7, 14, 21, 28, Clute, www.brazosportcenter.org
National Pizza Day
Feb. 9, Various locations
Hug-In and Valentine Ball
Feb. 10-11, Luckenbach, www.luckenbachtexas.com
La Mardi Gras
Feb. 10-11, Rockport, www.lamarvfd.com
11th Street Mardi Gras and Main Street Parade
Feb. 10-12, Bandera, www.11thstreetcowboybar.com
Mardi Gras! Galveston
Feb. 10-21, Galveston, www.mardigrasgalveston.com
Chocolate Fantasia
Feb. 11, Silver City, N.M., www.chocolatefantasia.org
Mardi Gras Southeast Texas
Feb. 16-19, Beaumont, www.mardigrastx.com
North Texas Auto Show
Feb. 16-19, Dallas, www.northtexasautoshow.com
Lone Star Cowboy Gathering
Feb. 17-18, Alpine, www.lonestarcowboypoetry.com
Greater Houston Train Show
Feb. 18, Houston, www.sanjacmodeltrains.org
Bird Banding
Feb. 18, Lake Jackson, www.gcbo.org
Mardi Gras Parade
Feb. 18, San Marcos, www.visitsanmarcos.com/event/mistick-krewe-of-okeanos-carnival-parade/3055
Eastside Market
Feb. 18, Waco, www.eastsidemarketwtx.com
Behind-the-Scenes Raptor Tours
Feb. 18, 25, Houston, houstonaudubon.org/sanctuaries/raptor-center.html
Emily Jumes Oskins, harp in concert
Feb. 19, Fredericksburg, www.fredericksburgmusicclub.com
Valentine’s Day Beer and Cheese Pairing
Feb. 19, Houston, www.saintarnold.com/beer-cheese-pairing
Carouse with canines at the Krewe of Barkus Dog Parade in McKinney, Feb. 19
Krewe of Barkus Dog Parade
Feb. 19, McKinney, www.artinstituteofmckinney.com
Writer at Large: The Creative Journeys of William Broyles
Feb. 19, San Marcos, www.thewittliffcollections.txst.edu
None Whatsoever: Zen Paintings from the Gitter-Yelen Collection
Feb. 19-May 14, Houston, www.mfah.com
National Margarita Day
Feb. 22, Various locations, www.laharanch.com
Whooping Crane Festival
Feb. 23-26, Port Aransas, www.portaransas.org/whooping-crane-festival/the-2023-festival
Fly Fishing Film Festival
Feb. 24-25, Galveston, www.moodygardens.com/fly-fishing-event
Trees & Seeds Volunteer Day
Feb. 25, Fredericksburg, roamranch.com
Prison City Crawfish and Music Festival
Feb. 25, Huntsville, www.huntsvilledba.com
Spring Antique Show
Feb. 25-26, Boerne, www.texasantiqueshows.com
Texas Independence Day Celebration
Feb. 25-26, Washington-on-the Brazos, www.thc.texas.gov/news-events/events/texas-independence-celebration
Dallas Blooms: Great Contributors
Feb. 25-April 16, Dallas, www.dallasarboretum.org
Buffalo Soldier Heritage Day
Feb. 26, San Angelo, www.fortconcho.com
Gerald McLeod has been traveling around Texas and beyond for his “Day Trips” column for more than 25 years. Keep up to date with his journeys on his archive page and follow him on Facebook.
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