Old Baldy
Day trips like the 30-mile drive to Blanco underscore the calmness and rugged beauty of this part of the Hill Country. First, check off Wimberley’s Old Baldy from your list by making an early-morning ascent up its 218 stone steps to the tabletop summit for a 360-degree view of the surrounding hillsides and treetops. Read More »
Scale Five Peaks in One Week on This Epic West Texas Road Trip
A mile or two into my hike to the top of Mount Livermore in the Davis Mountains, I stepped to the side of the trail as two speedsters overtook me on the uphill slope. “I guess that’s where we’re headed,” I said, nodding to a rocky outcrop on the horizon far above. “Nope,” one of them responded. “Baldy Peak is beyond that—you can’t see it yet.” Read More »
Take 3 History-Packed Hikes in the Davis Mountains
The Davis Mountains have long attracted people seeking respite from the surrounding deserts of West Texas. Delivered as magma from volcanic activity some 35 million years ago, the mountains harbor patches of “sky island” known for relatively moist forested hillsides, cooler temperatures, and spartan beauty. To explore the Davis range’s cultural past and natural marvels, head to the highest town in Texas—Fort Davis, at 5,050 feet—and hit the trail. Or better yet, hit three trails. Read More »
Find History and Romance on the Bridges of McLennan County
Despite its title, this story is not a parody of a famous novel with a similar name. It is about a love affair, however, one that endures between the people of Waco and their bridges. And this love story begins with a tortilla. Read More »
Dive into Classic Summer Activities at Daingerfield State Park
Summer fun awaits at Daingerfield State Park, located a couple of miles southeast of the city of Daingerfield in Northeast Texas. The 507-acre park offers plenty of classic summer diversions from camping to swimming, fishing, hiking, dancing, canoeing, kayaking, and pedal boating. Read More »
The Ultimate Texas Summer Bucket List
Some Texans aren’t content with a life well lived, they want hard evidence: the family vacation photos, a souvenir to stick on the shelf, their name in a register at the highest point in Texas. To help you achieve those goals, we’ve compiled a list of only-in-our-state pursuits you need to check off before another summer speeds by. Read More »
Exploring the Devils River State Natural Area by Foot
Bumping along an isolated dirt road in Southwest Texas, we spotted a group of tan spots on a distant hillside striated by limestone ridges. At first glance it looked like nothing but a scattering of rocks among the ocotillo and creosote bushes. In the focus of binoculars, however, the figures took shape as a herd of aoudads. Read More »
The Daytripper Goes to Big Bend National Park
It’s a near-mythical destination where distances stretch and time slows down, a place that can be as dry as a scorching desert or as wet as a raging river. Those who seek great adventures need look no farther than Big Bend National Park. Read More »
Bicycle the Texas Hill Country with Texas Bike Tours
The narrow Hill Country road drops toward a low bridge over a small creek. I coast on my bicycle, faster than ... Read More »
Explore the Lone Star Hiking Trail in East Texas
The sun crested over the tops of the tall pines, taking the chill out of the winter air as my partner and I set out from our campsite at Double Lake Recreation Area in East Texas’ Sam Houston National Forest. Our goal was to explore an 8-mile segment of the Lone Star Hiking Trail. The needles of loblolly and shortleaf pine trees crunched softly beneath our feet, and we listened to woodpeckers tapping in the canopy above as we looped through the forest on a part of the trail known as the Magnolia section. Encountering some of the namesake magnolias, we stopped to marvel at the towering, untamed trees—so unlike their manicured city cousins that it took me a moment to recognize them. Read More »
Texas’ Top Natural Wonders: Big Bend
“Vast is just too small a word. It is a world apart from the flat, sprawling suburbs and plains of North Texas, where I was raised. For me, Big Bend is a cruel mistress. Her raw beauty is intoxicating—and she’ll kill you if you’re not careful.” – Andrew R. Slaton Read More »
Biking with Birds
Not a half-hour into my daylong adventure, in the middle of a prairie of sea lavender and leatherleaf, I stopped my bike in wonder. A few dozen yards from the pavement, dozens of sandhill cranes comingled with a flock of ivory snow geese, completely ignoring my entrance into this unspoiled coastal scene. Read More »
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