Tag Archives: Texas

RAINY DAY IN AUSTIN

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Austin4395

Sometimes the weather just doesn’t cooperate.

Austin is an outdoors city.  There are so many hike and bike trails, kayaking, boating, swimming, fishing; pretty much any outdoors activity you can think of is represented in the Austin area.  But what do you do when it’s raining?

There was a 90 percent chance of rain in the forecast when I set out to answer that question.

First I stopped by the Bob Bullock State History Museum.  This is a fabulous museum that chronicles the full history of Texas.  It also has an IMAX theater and a beautiful terrazzo floor depicting a campfire scene in the entry way.

Austin4277

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GONZALES

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AL1_2059

If you haven’t noticed, I love my state!  Texas is in my blood.  My family has been here for over six generations – on both sides.

I’ve heard a tale or two about Texas history, and I thought I knew all about the Battle of Gonzales and the “Come and Take It” mantra.  Turns out there’s always more to learn about the toughness of Texans. Read more →

BALMORHEA STATE PARK

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It’s a true oasis in the middle of the west Texas desert.

When planning my trip out to west, I had a whole list of places I wanted to go.  Balmorhea wasn’t one of them.

I looked at the map, studying small towns along I-10 on the way to Marfa.  I saw Fort Davis and Fort Stockton and a few others on my wish list, but then I saw Balmorhea State Park.

Hmm…how do you even pronounce that?  I looked it up on the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department web site and, much to my surprise, Balmorhea moved up to the top of my list.

It’s a tiny town about an hour north of Marfa in west Texas.  It’s in the middle of the desert, surrounded by mountains, and home to San Solomon Springs and the world’s largest spring-fed swimming pool.  (Among other surprises.)

Balmorhea is the perfect place to make a refreshing stop for the night on your way to or from Big Bend Ranch State Park or Big Bend National Park.

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STATE FAIR OF TEXAS

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AL3_0623How could I do a travel blog in Texas and not include the biggest Texan of them all?

Big Tex made his comeback this year after a horrific fire during the 2012 fair.  I don’t know about you, but watching videos of Big Tex burning was like watching a family member in a car accident.

When I was a kid growing up in the Dallas area, we received free fair tickets at school and districts were closed on opening day for Fair Day.  Big Tex was just as much an icon to me as fireworks on the 4th of July or turkey on Thanksgiving.

Don’t worry, Big Tex is back!

I recruited my my friend (and WFAA photojournalist) Taylor and uncle (and family fair expert) Jeff to help me with lots of fair food, fun and photography.

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MARFA

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AL1_3113

Marfa!  What a quirky little town!  I live near Austin and let me tell you, Marfa could show Austin a thing or two about being weird.

In fact, the majority of people I met in Marfa were from Austin.  So much so that if you were from Austin, you didn’t need any further explanation about what brought you out west.

One of the main attractions in Marfa is art.  Art galleries outnumber restaurants in this little town, and in the past few years Marfa has been known for it’s large, outdoor installments.  The most famous of those is Prada Marfa, a “storefront” situated out of town in the middle of nowhere.

It was my first stop of many on my 24-hour trip, mostly because it was about a half hour out of town.  Take Hwy 90 west from Marfa, through Valentine and it should be about 2 miles out, on your left.  You can’t miss it.  (The drive through the desert is worth it!) Read more →