A
Artwalk
Attracting more annual visitors than The Louvre and The Met combined, Dallas’ NorthPark Center is an unrivaled shopping destination—but did you know it’s also a hub for world-renowned art-work? Standout pieces include Andy Warhol’s Campbell’s Soup Can series (unassumingly displayed outside of Dillard’s), Mark di Suvero’s 48-foot-tall steel sculpture Ad Astra, and Jonathan Borofsky’s Five Hammering Men, which features giant silhouettes of workers complete with motorized arms. To pick up a map with locations and descriptions of its art collection, stop by the mall’s concierge area.
Mark di Suvero’s towering Ad Astra is just one noteworthy piece of art in Dallas’ NorthPark Center. Photo by Mark di Suvero, Ad Astra, 2005/NorthPark Center.
B
Bison
In the late 1800s, when the American bison was close to extinction, famed cattle rancher Charles Goodnight and his wife, Mary Ann, embarked on a mission to save the animals after raising two orphaned calves. Their herd was eventually donated to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department in 1997, and now visitors can see its descendants roam free at Caprock Canyons State Park in the Panhandle city of Quitaque. Bison encounters are possible by car or on the trail; just maintain a distance of 50 yards for safety.
C
Constellations
If you want a stellar view of the Milky Way, grab your binoculars and head west. Recognized as one of only 11 International Dark Sky Parks in America, Big Bend National Park has almost no light pollution, allowing for breathtaking views of constellations and planets. See if you can spot the mysterious Marfa Lights (glowing orbs that are said to dance along the town’s horizon), then make the 40-minute drive to the McDonald Observatory, where star parties are a tradition on most Tuesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. Travelers can also stargaze from bed in Basecamp Terlingua’s inflatable “bubble rooms” with transparent roofs.
D
Detour
The truth is out there—and it’s worth exploring in Aurora, Texas. The small town located 30 minutes from Fort Worth was home to an unexplained UFO accident in 1897, where a mysterious spacecraft crashed into a windmill and fatally injured the pilot. Head to the cemetery to pay your respects to the fallen man, whose “Martian” body was said to be buried within the gravesite. Although his headstone was stolen, a Texas state historical marker in the cemetery acknowledges the peculiar incident.
E
Exhibits
Feast your eyes on these picturesque summer museum exhibitions:
POMPEII: The Exhibition (Through Sept. 6)
This public display lets viewers examine the lives of Pompeii residents before the eruption of Mount Vesuvius wiped out the ancient city in 79 AD. Featuring more than 150 artifacts on loan from the Naples National Archaeological Museum, it shows how the community loved, worked, worshipped, and entertained themselves. Houston Museum of Natural Science, Houston, hmns.org
Limitless! Five Women Reshape Contemporary Art
(Through Sept. 19)
See multimedia works from five trailblazing female artists, including photographer Sandy Skoglund, visual artist Martine Gutierrez, and sculptor and installation guru Yayoi Kusama, whose “All the Eternal Love I Have for the Pumpkins” piece is on display within the exhibit. McNay Museum, San Antonio, mcnayart.org
Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience (Starts Aug. 12)
Ready to step into Starry Night? Similar to the interactive spectacle featured on the Netflix show Emily in Paris, this virtual reality experience dazzles museumgoers with two-story, 360-degree projections of Vincent van Gogh’s most famous paintings. Secret location, Dallas, vangoghexpo.com
Enter a colorful world where Vincent van Gogh’s artwork comes to life at this Dallas exhibit. Photo courtesy Van Gogh The Immersive Experience.
F
Fishing
For both seasoned anglers and first timers, summer is a great time of year to cast a line. To experience superior lake and river fishing, Van Zandt Fly Fishing Co. owner JT Van Zandt (a Rockport-based guide available for hire) recommends Hill Country spots like the Llano River, Pedernales River, Lake LBJ, Lake Buchanan, and Inks Lake. Rivers feature freshwater species such as bass, sunfish, catfish, gar, and carp, he says, while lakes also have striped bass and white bass. “The streams are for light tackle and fly fishing, and on the lakes generally you’re going to use heavier tackle and fish deeper water with bait or heavier lures,” Van Zandt says. Head to the Texas coast from Galveston to all the way down to South Padre Island to catch saltwater fish like redfish, flounder, black drum, and speckled trout. Wherever you go, just be mindful of conservation, he says: “Pack out what you pack in and try not to leave a trace in any of these areas.”
Photo courtesy Megan McHatten/Shutterstock.
G
Glamp
You don’t have to venture far to unwind at Udoscape, an adults-only glamping resort in Lago Vista. The tucked-away site, located just 35 miles from Austin, features four luxe pods with king-size beds and en-suite bathrooms. Guests can grill out, stargaze by the fire pit, lounge in hammocks, and enjoy Hill Country views on the property. Insider tip: Book out in advance to secure one of the two domes that have their own private hot tubs.
Photo by Shutterbug Studios Austin Texas.
H
Hitch a Ride
Whether you bring your own mounts or book a guided ride, Big Bend country is best explored on horseback. Traverse the rocky outcrops, canyons, high-desert vistas, and lush riverine habitat by day or sign up for an overnight excursion with Lajitas Stables. To access the Mexican hamlet of Boquillas, you’ll need to take a rowboat ($5) and a ride (horse or burro, $5 to $8), as well as your passport and cash for tipping. Sip sotol at Park Bar, the only dedicated watering hole in town, and enjoy lunch overlooking the Rio Grande at one of Boquillas’ two excellent restaurants.
Experience West Texas’ scenic terrain during a guided horseback ride. Photo by Chris Parker/Axiom.
I
Ice Houses
In the time before refrigerators, overheated Houstonians visited their neighborhood ice house to purchase (you guessed it!) big blocks of the cold stuff in order to cool their perishables. Eventually, its namesake product took a backseat to icy beers served in a communal environment that provided shade and a convenient place to gossip. Many of those original standard-bearers are still alive today, such as the West Alabama Ice House, which was first opened in 1928 and has become a Houston institution with its variety of diversions (ping-pong, basketball) and a sprawling backyard filled with picnic tables. To experience the more pronoun-
ced Cajun side of the Bayou City, The Boot in The Heights has become a destination for boiled crawfish, zydeco music, and cheap Abita beer. Modern versions of these dive bar classics are now starting to sprout among Houston’s trendier neighborhoods, but they’ll never be able to capture the color and timelessness
of its more rustic predecessors.
Photo courtesy Joe Wolf/Flickr.
J
Just Relax
We all deserve some pampering after last year. Reopened in February after a 12-month renovation, Trellis inside the Houstonian Hotel is now the largest spa in the state with a whopping 26,500 square feet of space. Luxuriate in the spa’s calming new Soaking Pools and Garden area, sign up for its popular sea glow scrub service, or try one of its new high-tech touchless treatments like the MLX i³ Dome, which uses far infrared, plasma, and light therapies to boost metabolism and facial rejuvenation.
K
Kolache Trail
Ranking with barbecue and Dr Pepper in the pantheon of hallowed Texas foods is the kolache. Brought here by an influx of Czech immigrants in the late 1800s, the pastry is a staple of road trips with its gas station ubiquity. But there’s more to the sweet yeasted dough than your typical fruit-stuffed variety. With its range of fillings, it tells the tale of Texas itself.
Koffeteria (Houston)
Chef Vanarin Kuch showcases the Vietnamese influence on Houston cuisine with a unique pho iteration that pops with salty beef brisket and meatballs.
Original Kountry Bakery (Schulenburg)
For those going between San Antonio and Houston, the Besetsny family’s poppyseed and apricot varieties inspire a detour.
Little Brother (Austin)
At this coffee bar’s newer South Congress location, pastry chef Lindsay O’Rourke wows with elevated kolaches like her beef cheek carnitas with Oaxaca cheese.
Gerik’s Ole’ Czech Bakery (West)
The kolache hub of the state, West is spoiled with several famous destinations, including the wildly popular Czech Stop. But just two blocks further is this real insider gem.
L
Lavender
No need to fly to the French countryside to see stunning fields of lavender: With row after row of purple blooms across its landscape, Blanco mimics Provence in the summer. At its annual lavender festival (June 11-13), visitors can listen to live music at Bindseil Park, sample regional wines and local beers, and celebrate the fragrant flower as speakers offer expert tips for its growth and usage. The event also features a virtual market online with vendors selling lavender soaps, candles, teas, and even margarita mix.
M
Movie History
In 1970, when director Peter Bogdanovich was scouting for places to shoot Larry McMurtry’s famous coming-of-age novel, The Last Picture Show, he turned to the source material itself. Archer City—the one-stoplight North Texas town where the legendary author was raised—possessed both the stark aesthetic and old-fashioned theater he craved. Today, The Royal Theater no longer shows movies, but visitors can partake of concerts and theatrical productions—no small feat after a lengthy restoration project helped resurrect the space starting in 1996. Bonus: McMurtry fans can hunt for a first-edition of the original novel at the late author’s rare bookstore, Booked Up, which is located just two blocks away.
Photo courtesy Movie Stills Database.
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Newman’s Castle
Ladies and lords of the high court, your presence is requested! Located in a bucolic countryside west of Houston, this quirky castle is the ultimate day trip destination for architecture lovers. The structure has all the makings of a medieval fortress, including a 3,000-pound drawbridge over a gator-infested moat, five round corner turrets, a 62-foot-tall bell tower, and a central keep where you can take in the surrounding area. When you go, stop by the famed Newman’s Bakery in nearby Bellville for an enticing array of cinnamon buns, croissants, and pigs in a blanket.
Photo courtesy Thao Lam/Shutterstock.
O
Overeat
Test your mettle—and try not to get sick—with these oh-so-daring gastronomical feats.
72-Ounce Steak
At the Big Texan Steak Ranch in Amarillo, beef is what’s for dinner. But those who attempt to consume this 4.5-pound slab of meat must also take down a baked potato, shrimp cocktail, salad, and roll with butter, all in one hour or less. If you fail, the meal is $72; if you succeed, you walk away with a full wallet (and an even fuller belly).
The 4 Horsemen
Those who laugh in the face of the Scoville scale must sign a waiver to even order this fiery burger topped with jalapeño, serrano, and ghost peppers and a habanero sauce at Chunky’s Burgers & More in San Antonio. But the brave souls who finish it within 25 minutes get their picture hung up on its “Wall of Flame.”
The Zellagabetsky
Hope you’re hungry. You’ll need to be when tackling this eight-decker sandwich on rye piled high with corned beef, pastrami, turkey, roast beef, and more. If you manage to devour the meaty monstrosity at Houston’s Kenny & Ziggy’s New York Delicatessen, they’ll “reward” you with a free slice of cheesecake.
Pho Challenge
It takes liquid courage to slurp this pho with 6 pounds of noodles and 3 pounds of meat at Dallas’ Bistro B. Contestants get 90 minutes to polish off the hearty bowl of Vietnamese soup, but to the victors go the spoils: namely, a free meal, a spot on the wall of fame, and a $200 gift card.
P
Peaches
Get your fill of the Hill Country’s famously delicious peaches—including beloved regional varieties like Dixieland, Red Globe, and Loring—while they are in season from mid-May through August. Pick your own at Jenschke Orchards, a seventh-generation farm with nearly 30 peach varieties. At Vogel Orchard, a Fredericksburg staple since the 1950s, there are two dozen types of peaches as well as jam, syrups, and other treats. The peach ice cream is the biggest draw at Engel Farms, located just outside of Fredericksburg, but you can also pick up preserves and organic fruit and vegetables here. It’s easy to miss Studebaker Farms’ barn/peach stand along Highway 290 East in Fredericksburg, but it’s worth making a U-turn for some of the area’s most luscious fruit, including their own Sweet Loriann, a sweet white variety.
Peaches: Malachi Jacobs/Shutterstock.
Q
Quirky Festivals
Celebrate ripe fruit, pesky insects, and Czech culture at these oddball gatherings.
Luling Watermelon Thump (June 24-27)
Since 1954, the last full weekend of June has been reserved to honor this southeastern Texas town’s most famous agricultural crop. In addition to a parade celebrating the newly crowned Watermelon Queen, the event features adult and kid’s watermelon-growing competitions, a seed-spitting contest, a carnival, and car show.
The Great Texas Mosquito Festival (July 29-31)
Conceived as a marketing ploy to boost tourism to Brazoria County, southeast of Houston, this celebration of skeeters is now in its 40th year. Under the gaze of a 26-foot-tall, cowboy hat–wearing inflatable mosquito named Willie-Man-Chew, thousands of festivalgoers gather in Clute, Texas, to enjoy barbecue and grilling cookoffs, a 5K Mosquito Chase, cornhole and double washer pitching competitions, and a carnival.
WestFest (Sept. 3-5)
Known as Texas’ Czech Heritage Capital, the tiny town of West (population 2,892) goes big every Labor Day weekend honoring all things skvělé (awesome). Highlights include traditional music and polka dancing, a parade, and tournaments for dominoes and horseshoe pitching.
R
Roadtrip
What better way to explore the Lone Star State this summer than via a festive camper? Locally based recreational vehicle rideshare company Outdoorsy has flourished during the pandemic, with 100 percent year-over-year booking growth in 2020 alone. Hit the road in one of its cleverly named vehicles such as Janis, a burnt-orange 1984 Volkswagen Westfalia Vanagon, or the spacious Jeff GoldVroom!, a 2020 Ram Promaster 2500 that’s big enough to sleep three.
Photo courtesy Outdoorsy.
S
Saltwater
During the steamy summer months, a trip to the coast is a must. See adorable (and critically endangered) Kemp’s ridley sea turtle hatchlings released at Malaquite Beach on North Padre Island from mid-June to August. (Call the National Park Service’s Hatchling Hotline for updates at (361) 949-7163.) The vehicle-free stretch of sand and dunes is also ideal for camping, with 49 semi-primitive sites. Mustang Island near Corpus Christi boasts a 20-mile State Park Paddling Trail and superb shallow water for fishing, birding, and surfing. Just 24 miles from Brownsville, Boca Chica Beach sits on a spit less than 3 miles from Mexico and the mouth of the Rio Grande. The region’s dunes, marshes, and tidal flats are part of the Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge, making it a haven for birding. Other contemplative pastimes include shelling, swimming, fishing, and snorkeling.
Build a sandcastle at Mustang Island. Photo by E. Dan Klepper/Shutterstock.
T
Tubing
If you’re headed to float the San Marcos, Guadalupe, or Comal rivers this summer, here are four simple rules to follow. 1) Wear cheap sunglasses. It’s a truth universally acknowledged: Your $150 designer shades will get cracked or lost within 30 minutes on the water, but you couldn’t destroy or misplace a $10 pair if you tried. 2) Pack waterproof sunscreen. Even if you don’t usually fry, you will get sunburned during this hours-long experience in direct sunlight. 3) Get a tube with a covered bottom. When floating through bumpy waters, it’s easy to slam into a rock and end up with a black-and-blue mark. Rent a covered tube and lift up your backside during all waterfalls and rapids. 4) Book a safe ride. If you’re going to drink while tubing, it’s crucial to plan your ride ahead of time. Tour groups like ATXcursions provide easy transportation to and from the river, so you can imbibe with peace of mind.
Photo courtesy Regan Bender/Shutterstock.
U
Unplug
Take a welcome break from technology—and talking!—with a restorative stay at a Siddhayatan Spiritual Silent Retreat in Windom, Texas, near Dallas. Guests wear “I’m in silence” buttons as they read, write in journals, listen to mantras, and walk around in its 60-acre meditation park, which features hills, two lakes, and several trails. The experience includes vegetarian meals with fresh produce and herbs from the garden as well as homemade chai. Each retreat is a minimum of three days and two nights.
V
Vino
Take time to wine down with these newcomers on the Hill Country scene.
Ab Astris (Stonewall)
Austin couple Tony and Erin Smith employ land that once belonged to the Lyndon B. Johnson ranch to push unexplored boundaries in Texas grape-growing. Varietals like a dark, rich tannat and a sprightly clairette blanche help define the duo’s category-shattering mission.
Crowson (Johnson City)
Through his non-interventionist ethos, winemaker Henry Crowson looks to capture the essence of true Texas terroir. Native yeasts, plied from the vineyard, distinguish offerings like his minerally, unfiltered sangiovese rosé and a Malvasia Bianca that was barrel-aged for 18 months to bring out more nuance and complexity.
Southold Farm + Cellar (Johnson City)
Dubbed The Parlour, this new tasting room from Regan and Carey Meador is a model of modernity. Outfitted with Edison bulbs and pouring a host of natural wines such as its “The Lovers & The Dreamers,” a blend of viognier and Portuguese touriga nacional, it embodies the best in contemporary winemaking.
Photo by Enrique Macías.
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World Birding Center
Ask any birdwatcher worth their salt, and they’ll tell you: The Rio Grande Valley is among the top birding destinations in the country. While the World Birding Center is spread across a network of nine sites that span 120 miles of prime wildlife viewing, it’s centered in Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park, which sits at the heart of one of North America’s most vibrant and beautiful migratory paths. Grab a perch atop its Rio Grande River–adjacent watching tower to take in breathtaking views accented by green jays, hook-billed kites, and gray hawks.
Photo by bshumaker17/Shutterstock.
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XL Boot
Everything’s bigger in Texas, including this towering pair of faux ostrich-and-calfskin boots at North Star Mall in San Antonio. The 35-foot roadside attraction was constructed by the late Austin artist Bob “Daddy O” Wade and was shipped to the retail site in January 1980. After traversing the ultra-hip Pearl Brewery area for a few hours, head to North Star to get a selfie with the cool kicks, which won the Guinness World Record for Tallest Cowboy Boot Sculpture in 2014.
Photo by MACH Photos/Shutterstock.
Y
Your Car = Your Theater
After providing a safe and nostalgic entertainment option last year, drive-ins have made a massive comeback, and their renewed popularity shows no sign of slowing down. Order a Blue Bell ice cream float or Frito pie before catching a double feature at Brazos Drive-In in Granbury, a family-owned destination that has continuously operated since 1952. Moviegoers can bring their own food and drinks to Abilene’s Town & Country Drive-In Theatre, the largest drive-in in Texas, while the family-friendly Last Drive-In Picture Show in Gatesville draws visitors with its retro-priced snack bar—hot dogs and pickles are only $1—and on-site mini golf course.
Z
Ziplines and More
It’s been six decades since San Antonio’s Natural Bridge Caverns were first discovered. To commemorate the 60th anniversary last year, the Wuest family (who have owned the attraction since 1964) debuted Twisted Trails, the world’s largest outdoor sky trail. The interconnected trail includes a 60-foot-high ropes and obstacle course and seven ziplines with more than 685 feet of track above the tree canopy. It also has climbing walls and a Tykes version of Twisted Trails, so you can introduce the little ones to adventure early on.
Photo courtesy Natural Bridge Caverns.
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