Last April I set out to experience the Granbury Wine Walk, an annual wine and food celebration that not only showcases more than a dozen Texas wineries but also highlights one of the most interesting little towns in Texas.

Far enough from DFW to feel like small-town Texas but close enough to draw on the Metroplex’s economic vitality, Granbury offers a slate of enticing options for tourists.

On a stormy night last May, a tornado packing winds of up to 200 mph cut through the North Texas city of Granbury, destroying dozens of homes and killing six people. When that tragic news reached me the next day, I had no doubt that Granbury would recover and come back even stronger. I had traveled to Granbury for the first time the month before the tornado, and it had taken only one visit to grow fond of the place, its people, and its spirit.

Last fall, we asked Texas Highways readers to share their favorite places in the state for our Texas Top-40 Travel Destinations. And share you did—by phone, email, Facebook, and through many amazingly detailed letters. Thousands of TH readers helped to shape the final list, which we will divulge throughout 2014, Texas Highways’ 40th-anniversary year