John Nova Lomax

What Makes a Great Old-School Burger Stand?

July 28, 2022

From Bluebonnets to Pecans to 42? Texas Can’t Get Enough of Its State Symbols

July 1, 2022

In Galveston, Reenacting the Famous Order of Juneteenth Has Special Meaning

June 16, 2022

Coast Guard Tall Ship ‘Eagle’ Returns to Galveston for the First Time in 50 Years

June 9, 2022

The old saying about everything being bigger in Texas doesn’t hold up when it comes to the tall ships Elissa and Eagle.

Roadside Oddity: the Metal Art of the Eclectic Menagerie in Houston

June 7, 2022

Karankawa Descendants are Reclaiming Their Heritage After Being Written Off as Extinct

May 26, 2022

Roman Bust Discovered In Texas Dishes On Life As a Famous Antiquity

May 11, 2022

Texas Highways has obtained an exclusive interview with the Roman bust purchased for $34.95 at an Austin Goodwill store in 2018 by local antiques seller Laura Young.

The Wild Extremes Texas Photographers Go To for Thrilling Storm Shots

May 5, 2022

With major contributions to the two most famous tornado movies of all time, Texans loom over the cinematic subgenre of “films featuring tornadoes.” First, we have Galveston native King Vidor, who survived that city’s great hurricane of 1900.

Where Does the Texas Hill Country Actually End?

April 28, 2022

Everything Goes to the Dogs at the Buda Wiener Dog Races

April 20, 2022

After the usual trumpet fanfares, the racers, distinguished by different colored bandanas around their necks, are guided into their posts.

Loud and Invasive, the Monk Parakeet Charmed Its Way Into Texas Almost 50 Years Ago

April 19, 2022

If you live along the coast or in any of the big metros of the Texas Triangle, you have seen or at least heard the cries of a monk parakeet.

Can the Sugar Land Space Cowboys Help Houston Embrace Its True Nickname?

April 12, 2022

Today is the home debut of the Sugar Land Skeeters—correction, the Sugar Land Space Cowboys. Man, that’s going to take some getting used to.

In Houston, Crawfish Season Is The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

April 1, 2022

The late St. Louis Cardinals baseball great Stan Musial once said, “Houston has three seasons: July, followed by August, and then summer.” Since then, Houstonians have invented a new one: crawfish season, which is peaking now and for the next two months.

Relive the Days of Arcades and Rush at the Texas Pinball Festival in Frisco

March 24, 2022

Back in 2001, pinball was in one of its periodic downturns. New machines had dwindled almost to zero and there was only one manufacturer left on the planet.

Written 185 Years Ago, Alamo Commander William B. Travis’ Famous ‘Victory or Death’ Letter Still Resonates

February 24, 2022

Spend a Quiet Coastal Weekend in the Fishing Hub of Matagorda

January 27, 2022

Roadside Oddities: the Legacy of Dan Phillips, Creator of Huntsville’s Boot House

January 19, 2022

Roadside Oddity: Beaumont’s 1901 Lucas Gusher Launched Texas’ Oil Industry

January 7, 2022

Imagine driving down State Highway 69 through south Beaumont and seeing a vintage oil derrick. Suddenly, a geyser of water spews from the top, shooting a full 100 feet in the air.

To Kill a Mockingbird—Why It’s Time for Texas to Ditch Its State Bird

January 7, 2022

Since January 1927, the northern mockingbird has been the state bird of Texas, an honor shared with a whopping four other states.

Actor Jason Lee Seeks Beauty in the Mundane in New Galveston Photo Book

January 4, 2022

Remembering John Henry Faulk, the Texas Radio Star and Storyteller Who Dared to Fight McCarthyism

December 16, 2021

With the exception of podcasts like The Moth or This American Life, the art of audio storytelling has been on life support in recent years.

UT San Antonio’s Football Team Proves It’s Time to Reconsider the Roadrunner

December 3, 2021

Robert Bruno’s Steel House in Lubbock Keeps People Guessing

November 29, 2021

About three weeks ago, a flurry of reports came out from the Lubbock area about the wacky and wild Robert Bruno Steel House.

The Revolutionary Mind of Gail Borden, Early Texas Surveyor and Inventor of Condensed Milk

November 9, 2021

It’s a key ingredient in delectable treats ranging from pumpkin and key lime pies to dulce de leche to Thai iced tea, but few people are aware that condensed milk was invented by a man who played a crucial role in the Texas Revolution.

When Belle Starr Married Outlaw Jim Reed, Her Legend as ‘the Female Jesse James’ Began

November 1, 2021

As with so many figures from the wrong side of the law in the raw days of frontier Texas, it’s difficult to sort the facts from the fiction about Belle Starr. 

Beware the Ghost Fiddler of the San Bernard River

October 30, 2021

The Music of Conjunto Inventor Narciso Martinez Lives on in San Benito and Our Hearts

October 29, 2021

Today marks the 110th anniversary of the birth of Narciso Martinez, the inventor of conjunto music and a man whose sound has spread far and wide, becoming as identifiably a part of the Texan landscape as bluebonnets and Longhorns.

Writers to Pay Tribute to Larry McMurtry This Weekend in Archer City

October 8, 2021

Once an Outlet for Rebels and Outsiders, Zines Are Making a Comeback for Everyone

October 1, 2021

Remember zines, those self-published, photocopied mini-magazines that proliferated among Generation X youth? During their heyday, these periodically produced journals informed readers what was and wasn’t punk in the ’80s and where you could skate and see underground concerts.

All That and a Bag of Chips: The History of Frito Pie

September 16, 2021

What is there not to love about Frito pie? To Texans, it’s something akin to instant cheese enchiladas.

What the Heck Is an Authentic Texas Icehouse?

August 11, 2021

A Tribute to Joe Tex, the Great Soul Singer From East Texas

August 6, 2021

In Navasota, there’s a bronze statue of a guitar-strumming Mance Lipscomb in a park named after the famous bluesman.

History, Memories Sold as ‘Austin City Limits’ Backdrop Goes on the Auction Block

July 27, 2021

The word “iconic” gets thrown around way too much for my liking, but it does exist for good reasons.

Think the Texas Revolution Started in Gonzales? A New Exhibit Will Have You Thinking Again.

July 19, 2021

It tends to be glossed over today, but Brazoria County played a role in Texas Independence.

Gruene Hall’s Frank Schlather Day Celebrates the Man With the Big Thirst and Bigger Heart

June 22, 2021

Houston’s New Heights House Hotel Lets the Good Vibes Roll

June 4, 2021

On a sweaty May evening in a historic-turned-hip neighborhood of Houston, hotel guests and local revelers lounge and sip cocktails poolside as UB40’s “Red Red Wine” spins in the background.

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

June 2, 2021

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

Sprechen Sie Texas Deutsch? How a Variation of German Once Ruled In Fredericksburg

June 1, 2021

Of all the towns where German is still spoken in the state, aka the Texas “German Belt,” that fading ember burns the brightest in Fredericksburg.

Texas Highways Exclusive: The Captured Malaquite Beach Gator Tells All

May 28, 2021

Galveston’s Resilient Spirit Sparks Another Renaissance

May 27, 2021

Restoring Galveston, new restaurants and shops lure tourists to the island once again

Want to Leave a Mark? Apply for a Texas Historical Commission Marker

May 13, 2021

If you’ve ever thought to yourself, “You know, there really should be a historical marker for [insert a beloved or infamous Texas person, place, or thing here],” now is the time to make it happen.

Roadside Oddity: The Giant Longhorn Skull of Bandera

April 26, 2021

Spend a Day in Brazoria County and Discover Women Who Worked on the Railroad

April 17, 2021

Passenger trains are rare in Texas, so it’s easy to forget the paramount importance of railroads in the settlement of this country and the everyday lives of Americans.

In Memoriam: Texas Novelist and Essayist Larry McMurtry (1936-2021)

March 26, 2021

Fine-Feathered Friend or Foe? The Pitfalls of the Pine Siskin

March 25, 2021

One of the things I most eagerly anticipated about moving into my new home on the lower San Bernard River was that finally, after many long years, I would have the opportunity to safely hang a bird feeder.

A Mesquite Artist Sets Out to Capture Every Courthouse Square in Texas

March 10, 2021

When Mesquite artist Tony Delane is not behind the wheel of a truck hauling glass for Trulite Glass and Aluminum Solutions, driving from DFW to deep East Texas to the Cross Timbers and the northern edge of the Hill Country, he most likely can be found with a paintbrush or a pen in the hand.

The Texas State Button Society Shares the Art and Joy of Collecting

March 5, 2021

For as commonly practiced as it is, button collecting has a relatively low profile. Indeed, a great many button collectors are unaware their interest is part of a larger hobby.

The Wittliff Collections’ ‘Lonesome Dove’ Photo Exhibition Rides Again Across Texas

February 26, 2021

Songwriter Guy Clark Takes Center Stage in Filmmaker Tamara Saviano’s New Documentary

February 25, 2021

If you’re talking about Guy Clark, there’s no place better to do so than at the Texas Chili Parlor in Austin.

Roadside Oddity: The Easter Island Heads of Victoria

February 10, 2021

Befitting the enigmatic nature of their inspirations, the five Easter Island heads of Victoria are cloaked in mystery.