W.F. Strong Tells Unbelievable Tales of Texas’ Past in His New Book
You might recognize W.F. Strong’s booming, theatrical voice from his Stories from Texas segment on public radio show Texas Standard. And as evidenced in his new book, Stories from Texas: Some of Them Are True, his signature storytelling style translates very well on paper. Read More »
There’s Nothing but a Beach on St. Jo Island, but What More Do You Need?
With miles of undeveloped shoreline, San José Island offers room to roam. When Hurricane Harvey struck last summer, it made landfall on San José Island, a coastal retreat where U.S. presidents have come to fish and fundraise, and everything but a broad and empty beach is owned by a family of billionaires. Read More »
Why Mattress Mack Means so Much to Houston
Jim McIngvale moved to Houston in 1981 with $5,000 and a dream to build a furniture empire. Within a few years, the founder of Gallery Furniture had become a local household name as “Mattress Mack,” the pitchman featured in the retailer’s zany low-budget commercials. Read More »
The Daytripper Ventures to the Wilder and Quieter North Padre Island
Few know that the longest stretch of undeveloped barrier island in the world is just beyond Corpus Christi. And while its southern counterpart may get more attention, North Padre Island provides the perfect mix of fun and middle-of-nowhere abandon. I followed the sun in search of a little bit of both. Read More »
5 Texas Cities Where You Can Discover Your Inner Science Geek
The Texas Gulf Coast, where the North American continent descends into the Gulf of Mexico’s salty waters, harbors a steamy mix of marshes, bays, beaches, and ocean. Over the years, scientific institutions and conservation groups gravitated to this rich environment to establish laboratories, preserves, rescues, and aquariums dedicated to studying and protecting its diversity of life. We know most travelers escape to the coast to while away time on the beach, but we also know that such experiences take on greater meaning with a little educational insight. Here we’ve put together a science-by-the-sea road trip—a syllabus for discovering the most scintillating of salty facts. Read More »
How Houston’s Art Scene Bounced Back from Harvey After the Storm Collided with Its Season Openings
Harvey struck when Houston’s world-class arts scene was gearing up for a new season, devastating venues and upending plans. But creativity and courage go hand in hand: “This city came together in a way I’ve never seen,” says Eileen J. Morris, artistic director of the Ensemble Theatre. Read More »
This Houston Brewery Made Headlines with Its Heroic Harvey Rescues
Just as you’d expect of the fourth-largest city in America, the vibe is delightfully diverse—a 20-something couple canoodles in a seating area made from a retrofitted shipping container; a group of coworkers roll up their sleeves, setting newly freed elbows on a picnic table; and a trio of pals stare up at a television watching the tense last moments of a basketball game. Different races, ethnicities, and age groups have come together, cradling amber and coffee-colored pints of beer, carrying on the centuries-old tradition of breweries, pubs, and taverns as centers of their communities. Read More »
You’ll Find Great Comfort Food and a Few Friends at Rockport Seafood Standout GLOW
“This has always been a gathering spot, a place to make memories,” Karey said of the 32-seat eatery, designed to be intimate but also social, like a European bistro. The tables are so close, conversations spill over and friendships develop. If you’d like a little room and a nice view of Little Bay, there are six well-spaced picnic tables outside, in addition to patio seating. Read More »
3 Places to Eat Barbecued Crab in Texas This Summer
Barbecued crab, a coastal delicacy born in a tiny corner of Southeast Texas, is tender, juicy, and laced with spice. This misnamed meal isn’t barbecue, though, which I realized some years ago when my friend Carolyn invited me home from college to visit her family in Beaumont, promising we’d eat something not found anywhere else. Read More »
Galveston’s Star Drug Store Cures What Ails You with Mardi Gras Masks and Milkshakes
Customers once came to the Star Drug Store for their medicinal needs, but today they come for a different kind of pick-me-up: meals and merchandise. For more than a century, the Star has been a fixture in Galveston’s historic downtown. A glowing neon-lit Coca-Cola sign shines like a beacon above its sidewalk awning on 23rd Street, a few blocks south of the Strand, the island’s main commercial artery. This vintage porcelain sign, which dates from the late 1940s, is said to be one of the last of its kind. Read More »
Dive Deep into the Water Cycle at the Laredo Water Museum
What do I look like?” my 5-year-old daughter, Ana, asked when she emerged from her bedroom dressed in blue stretch pants and a sparkly violet T-shirt. I shrugged my shoulders, and she crinkled her brow in disapproval at her father’s lack of with-it-ness. “I’m a water droplet!” she proclaimed. “Now let’s go to the water museum.” Read More »
Explore South Padre Island with a Drive up State Park Road 100
I get my first clear view of South Padre Island from the summit of the Queen Isabella Memorial Causeway. At 85 feet above Laguna Madre, the bridge reveals the island stretching majestically on a north-south line, like a thin ribbon of sand floating in a cobalt sea. Read More »
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