Photographer Sean Fitzgerald on the Secrets of Capturing Big Bend’s Majesty
Photographer Sean Fitzgerald shares Big Bend photography tips and a time-lapse video documenting his hike to shoot the Window pour-off
The Science Mill in Johnson City Celebrates its 4th Birthday With a New Exhibit
The Science Mill, Johnson City’s flagship science museum and education center, is debuting a 1,000-square-foot Aquaponics Greenhouse, which explores how fish and plants growing together in a symbiotic relationship can create healthy food that doesn’t deplete the environment.
Big Squeeze Contest Shines Spotlight on Young Texas Accordionists
Texas Folklife’s annual contest seeks young players in the genres of conjunto, zydeco, Cajun, and polka. You’re sure to encounter a few in the halls of any Texas high school: shaggy-haired teens with rock ‘n’ roll dreams, a guitar case or drum sticks in hand. But an accordion? Those might be a little harder to find.
Texas State Parks Unveils New Website for Booking Campsites and Day Passes
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department unveiled a new reservation website today that allows visitors to book specific campsites and reserve day-use passes online—features designed to make reserving a site and checking into a park more efficient for both visitors and park employees.
Devils River State Natural Area Recognized as ‘Dark Sky Sanctuary’
If you’ve ventured out to Devils River State Natural Area in Southwest Texas, you know the skies can be awfully dark at night. Now the International Dark Sky Association is recognizing the 37,000-acre property for its relatively unspoiled skies with designation as a “dark sky sanctuary.”
“As Texas’ first International dark-sky sanctuary, Devils River SNA enjoys some of the clearest and starriest night skies in the continental United States,” says Adam Dalton, a program manager with the Arizona-based nonprofit association. “Owing to the area’s commitment to mitigating light pollution, the Devils River serves as a model for dark-sky conservation within the Texas State Parks system.”
Dress up as Chuck Norris, then Run with the Man Himself
We’ve all had that dream. You know, the one where you dress up as Chuck Norris to run a 5-kilometer race and then celebrate your achievement with “Walker, Texas Ranger” himself.
Well, the BCS (Bryan-College Station) Marathon is giving us the chance to live our dream with the CForce Chuck Norris 5K on May 4. Norris will be on hand for the race, both to give an encouraging speech before the starting whistle and to high-five runners as they cross the finish line.
Dreaming of a Texas Summer at The Texas Pool in Plano
Texans are known for their appetite for all things Texan. In Plano, serious Lone Star lovers can take their devotion a leap further by literally diving into Texas—a Texas-shaped swimming pool, that is.
Jan. 20 Marks 50 Years Since LBJ’s Return to Texas
Fifty years ago this Sunday, a crowd gathered at Austin’s Bergstrom Air Force Base with handwritten signs displaying messages like “Nation’s Loss is Texas’ Gain!” The University of Texas Longhorn band played as Director Vincent DiNino waved his baton in the chilly air.
Big Bend and Other National Parks Feel the Pinch as Federal Shutdown Persists
The government shutdown is limiting operations at Big Bend National Park and other Texas national parks, while some National Park Service properties in are closed because of the shutdown.
A Big Bend Backup
A few weeks ago, my husband, Alex, and I were preparing to backpack the Outer Mountain Loop in Big Bend National Park—a rugged 30-mile trail that crosses the Chisos Mountains and dips into the Chihuahuan Desert—when, only three days before our departure to West Texas, the federal government shut down, meaning no backcountry permits were unavailable. We were forced to come up with a new plan for our Christmas break.
New Bullock Museum Exhibit Explores Early Texas History
With the completion of a ground-floor renovation, the Bullock Texas State History Museum in Austin recently unveiled a new exhibit exploring more than 16,000 years of Texas history.
Santa Claus Tells All
Here’s a scoop we just couldn’t ignore: Rob Curran, a writer in Denton who has contributed to Texas Highways in the past, recently scored an interview with Santa Claus himself, the one who’s been greeting children at Dallas’ NorthPark Center for 30 years.
In Terlingua, Sleep in a Bubble
West Texas landscapes attract visitors from all over the globe, and an unusual new lodging in Terlingua capitalizes on that beauty with bubble rooms that reveal those vistas from the comfort of bed.
Do Millennials Take Baths?
It appears millennials prefer showers over baths, at least when they’re staying at a hotel. And to please this growing demographic of travelers, some hotel companies in Texas and beyond are renovating their bathrooms to replace bathtubs with showers.
