texas

The Science—and Luck—of the Two Upcoming Eclipses in Texas

September 27, 2023 | By Asher Elbein

A Decade After the Tragic Explosion, the Central Texas Town of West Rebuilds Community

March 28, 2023 | By Kathleen Kaska

Fast-Growing New Braunfels Holds Onto Its German Heritage and River Recreation

December 29, 2022 | By Omar L. Gallaga

A Guide to the State Symbols of Texas

November 9, 2022 | By John O. Lumpkin

An Ode to the Native Chile Pequin, the ‘Mother of All Peppers’

September 29, 2022 | By Cat Cardenas

Texas Small Towns to Visit Now

July 28, 2022 | By

Beer Salt Is a Texas Tradition, Y’all

May 26, 2022 | By Anthony Head

Where Does the Texas Hill Country Actually End?

April 28, 2022 | By John Nova Lomax

See Texas’ First Airplane at Midland International Airport

March 24, 2022 | By Julia Jones

How to Find Wildflowers Year-Round Across the State

February 24, 2022 | By Joe Nick Patoski

Wildflower season isn’t just a spring thing

How to Start a Vegetable Garden in Texas

December 23, 2021 | By June Naylor

Where to Find Tamales in Texas This Holiday Season

December 6, 2021 | By Laurel Miller

We’ve rounded up the best delivery and take-away tamales and tamale-making classes around the state so you can celebrate Christmas deliciously.

Everything You Need to Know About Texas State Historical Markers

November 24, 2021 | By Julia Jones

How Texas’ Refugee Population Has Enriched Our Culinary Community

October 28, 2021 | By Kayla Stewart

The Texas Travel Industry Is Making A Comeback

October 28, 2021 | By Michael Hardy

The Return of Texas’ Live Music Scene

September 23, 2021 | By

What the Heck is Pickleball?

September 22, 2021 | By Bryan C. Parker

Dreamland will host the league’s inaugural season starting in November, positioning Texas as the heart of the sport’s rapid rise.

The Cowboy Spirit Is a Way of Life for These Texas Jews

August 26, 2021 | By Dina Gachman

Editor’s Note: Horsin’ Around

August 26, 2021 | By Emily Roberts Stone

Once, when Maddie Ferguson was riding her horse at a rodeo in Bowie, she overheard a young girl exclaim to her mom, “Oh my gosh, she’s a real cowgirl!” The 18-year-old Nocona High School graduate, pictured on the cover and above with her horse, Boonie, doesn’t mind the moniker.

When It Comes to Czech Culture, Abbott Native Lauren Gerik Takes the Kolache

August 18, 2021 | By Sarah Thurmond

Wilber, Nebraska, may call itself the “Czech Capital of the U.S.,” but the queen of Czech-American culture makes her home right here in Central Texas.

9 Unusual Ice Cream Flavors to Try in Texas This Summer

August 13, 2021 | By Cynthia J. Drake

The resulting treats create buzz for these brands, and occasionally become long-standing customer favorites.

The Evolution of Texas Film, by Decade

July 29, 2021 | By Morgan O'Neal

5 Small-Town Grocery Stores to Shop During Your Next Road Trip

July 26, 2021 | By Jill Coody Smits

These markets carry everything you might need for a successful stay, whether it’s in a lakeside cabin in East Texas or a rustic teepee in West Texas.

Unveiling the Stories of Black State Senators in Post-Civil War Texas

June 24, 2021 | By Michael Hurd

Roadside Oddity: The Return of Alley Oop Day and Fantasy Land in Iraan

June 2, 2021 | By John Nova Lomax

Back in the spring of 1964, West Texans in towns like Iraan were in something of an existential crisis.

How the Watermelon Queen Cultivated Appreciation for Texas Farmers

May 27, 2021 | By Heather Brand

Round Rock Native Takes City’s Soccer Club Semi-Pro

April 30, 2021 | By Bryan C. Parker

Round Rock Soccer Club, founded in 2017, launched in the United Premier Soccer League, one of many developmental soccer leagues. But after impressing the United Soccer Leagues organization, the team joins USL League Two, a semi-pro league below Major League Soccer, for the upcoming season.

24 Hours in the Life of Buc-ee’s, Texas’ Beloved Gas Station

April 29, 2021 | By Michael J. Mooney

One Travel Writer’s Journey to Get the COVID-19 Vaccine Led to One of Her Most Memorable Texas Trips

April 6, 2021 | By Cynthia J. Drake

Hitting the road from Austin to West Texas in March, my family felt excited and a little nervous—like we were pulling off some tremendous caper. My husband and I were on our way to get our first doses of a COVID-19 vaccine.

A Sixth-Generation Texan Searches for the Meaning of Home

March 25, 2021 | By Dina Gachman

The Hunt for the Lost Treasures of Texas

March 25, 2021 | By Peter Warren

How Farmers Are Responding to the Skyrocketing Demand for Crawfish Across the State

March 25, 2021 | By MM Pack

See the Beauty of Texas in a Kaleidoscope of Colors

March 25, 2021 | By Theresa DiMenno

Spontaneity Often Makes for the Best Texas Trips

December 24, 2020 | By Michael Corcoran, Pam LeBlanc, Sabrina LeBoeuf, Julia Jones

20 Texas Albums for 2020

December 18, 2020 | By E. Ryan Ellis

Will It Snow in Texas This Year? Let’s Examine the History

November 26, 2020 | By Julia Jones

Texas Forever … and Ever … and Ever

November 25, 2020 | By Roberto José Andrade Franco

Buzz Bissinger’s book Friday Night Lights still sells about 30,000 copies a year, making it arguably as popular now as it was when first published.

6 Pumpkin Recipes to Try Now

November 13, 2020 | By June Naylor

Sure, pumpkin pie is tasty, but let’s not limit the bright-orange gourd to a brief appearance at the Thanksgiving table. As these Texas chefs and creators from top restaurants and tourist destinations prove with their innovative recipes, pumpkin can be spicy, savory, crunchy, and deep-fried, too.

Due to a Massive Fire, Greenberg Smoked Turkeys Cancels Remaining 2020 Orders

November 9, 2020 | By Melissa Gaskill

On Friday, Nov. 6, employees at Greenberg Smoked Turkeys in Tyler were spending the busy day fulfilling orders for the company’s famed Thanksgiving turkeys. That night, an explosion in one of the freezer facilities caused a fire and brought the busiest time of year to a halt.

Editor’s Note: Texas Tough

October 29, 2020 | By Emily Roberts Stone

An Austin Walking Tour Sheds Light on America’s First Serial Killer

October 16, 2020 | By Laurel Miller

Miles is a former high school history teacher and the owner of Walking Tours of Austin, which specializes in local history. Miles launched his Murder Walk in April 2019, using his considerable storytelling abilities to relay the gruesome story of America’s first serial killer. Known in the press as the “Midnight Assassin” or “Servant Girl Annihilator” (the latter a nickname coined by the author O. Henry, who lived in Austin at the time), the killer took the lives of four Black servant women, one of the servant’s daughters, a Black man, and two white socialites, using axes and knives to hack and stab his victims before lobotomizing most of them with a steel rod.

ACL Fest through the Eyes of a Cinematographer—The Viewpoint We’re All Getting This Year

October 8, 2020 | By Bryan C. Parker

What we would give to feel streams of sweat running down our cheeks beneath a brutal October sun at ACL Fest.

In Praise of Pecans, Texas’ Favorite Nut

September 24, 2020 | By Laurel Miller

What Do We Really Know About Bonnie and Clyde and Their Legacy in Dallas?

September 24, 2020 | By

How One Woman Took a European Road Trip in Texas

September 14, 2020 | By Kimya Kavehkar

Pasadena resident Debbie Trainor wasn’t able to visit Italy this summer like she had planned. Even though COVID-19 made international travel unlikely this year, she still wanted to take a fun, safe trip with European flair. “There’s just so much to see in this big world,” she says. “I’ve got to do something.” That’s when she got the idea to take a trip around Texas visiting cities with European names. Among the cities she planned to visit were Moscow, Paris, Dublin, Berlin, and Vienna.

Luby’s Long Goodbye

September 11, 2020 | By Jill Coody Smits

If you grew up in Texas, you’ve probably eaten at Luby’s. And if you’ve eaten at Luby’s, your feelings about the restaurant may run surprisingly deep. While it’s been decades since I stepped inside one, my nostalgia for square fish, church clothes, and green Jell-O has been in overdrive since hearing the 73-year old Houston-based cafeteria chain is closing multiple locations and heading toward liquidation.

How 3 Companies Are Putting Ranch Water in a Can

September 5, 2020 | By June Naylor

It’s nearly impossible to escape spiked seltzers. Everyone from frat boys to their moms are devoted to brands like White Claw, Truly, and Bon & Viv, which offer low-calorie, fruity, and bubbly malt beverages in a can. It’s caused such a stir, that big beer companies like Natural Light, Corona, and Bud Light have released their own lines of spiked seltzer. Now three companies have given the trend a Texas twist with canned ranch water.

Austin’s Weird Homes Tour Goes Virtual This Weekend

September 3, 2020 | By Sarah Thurmond

Growing up in Brownsville, Autumn Circé loved animals. She loved animals so much, she was invited to shadow zookeepers at Gladys Porter Zoo when she was in middle school.

How Curandero Don Pedro Jaramillo Became a South Texas Legend

August 27, 2020 | By Wes Ferguson

The burial shrine for saintly South Texan Don Pedro Jaramillo sits beside a dusty farm-to-market road in the brush country near Falfurrias, about 60 miles southwest of Corpus Christi.

How to Make the Best Brisket at Home According to Hutchins BBQ

July 24, 2020 | By Peter Warren

Although the temperatures outside might be nearly equal to those of a post oak-filled pit, summer is still the preferred time of year to hone the barbecue craft—the COVID-19 pandemic has only served as encouragement to give it a shot. Hutchins BBQ, a DFW staple since the 1990s, has simple tips for the home pit master.

My Favorite Texas Trip: To Grandmother’s House We Go

July 22, 2020 | By Amanda Ogle

Seeing that orange “W” logo about a mile before the Colorado River not only meant that we were eating at Whataburger for lunch, but that my grandma was there to meet us and drive me on to South Texas. I looked forward to spending time with my grandma every summer, as our laughs usually started when we got in her truck for the second leg of my trip.

Weatherford Shifts Annual Parker County Peach Festival to Parker County Peach Week

July 3, 2020 | By Amanda Ogle

This year’s festival was canceled due to COVID-19 concerns, but that doesn’t mean the city will stop celebrating its summer bounty. Instead of a one-day affair, Weatherford is hosting an entire week of smaller celebrations from July 11 to 18.

The Texas Book Festival Goes Online for Its 25th Anniversary

June 25, 2020 | By Sabrina LeBoeuf

For its 25th anniversary, the Texas Book Festival will not be taking over the Texas Capitol. Instead, it’s asking readers to curl up with a good book and festival programming from the comfort and safety of their own homes.

The decision to make the festival virtual is due to rising numbers of COVID-19 cases in Texas. However, to make up for the loss of bookworm-to-bookworm interaction, the celebration is being extended to a 16-day digital program starting on October 31.

A Texas-Themed Book Club Connects Readers Virtually

June 12, 2020 | By Gabrielle Pharms

The Big Texas Read, a virtual book club, aims to bring discourse back to reading while paying homage nationally acclaimed and burgeoning writers with Texas roots.

“Plogging” Might Be the Next Outdoorsy Trend in Texas

June 5, 2020 | By Amanda Ogle

“Plogging” has been gaining popularity in the U.S. within the last few years. The term comes from the Swedish word plocka upp, meaning “pick up,” and “jogging.” Plogging isn’t limited to jogging—people can plog while walking, hiking, cycling, and kayaking. Cities such as Galveston, Dallas, Austin, and Houston have already seen organized plogging events over the last couple of years.

Try These 5 Texas Rosés This Summer

May 13, 2020 | By Jill Coody Smits

From frosé to brosé to “rosé all day,” pink wine has moved from fad to favorite among summertime libations. It’s only right—given the light, refreshing wine pairs perfectly with Texas  heat—that our state’s vintners are producing rosés that any oenophile would be proud to pour.

Lone Star Launches Its First-Ever Seasonal Beer

April 24, 2020 | By Jill Coody Smits

“It’s not ideal to launch Rio Jade in a global pandemic,” says Emily Hoyle, Lone Star’s brand manager. “But if we can bring something positive to Texans and give them something to look forward to, then our day is made.”

5 Ways to Watch Texas Zoo Animals at Home

April 15, 2020 | By Amanda Ogle

While Texans remain at home, zoos, aquariums, and wildlife sanctuaries are creating and sharing educational videos and virtual entertainment. Many also offer remote learning opportunities for teachers and parents to use with their students, akin to taking a field trip from the couch.

Small-Town Dispatches: Tyler, an Empty Town in Bloom, Looks Ahead to Better Days

April 9, 2020 | By Jill Coody Smits

In the East Texas town of Tyler, spring is usually a hopping time. Flowers bloom spectacularly throughout the historic district. The annual Azalea and Spring Flower Trail lures thousands of visitors who come to experience the area’s beautiful gardens, elegant homes, local eateries, and quaint brick streets.

Step Up Your Kitchen Game with These Texas Cookbooks

April 8, 2020 | By Amanda Ogle

While it’s more important than ever to support local restaurants, this is also an opportune time to improve your skills in the kitchen. These five cookbooks are by Texans, for Texans, and explore a wide range of cuisine, from barbecue to Tex-Mex to Southern. Not only do these books break down the recipes, they include tips, techniques, and suggested tools, so even beginners can create culinary masterpieces.

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