Texas Highways Magazine May 2021

After a year of staying close to home, many of our writers got back on the highway for the first time to report the stories for our annual Road Trip Issue. Clayton Maxwell, who has been writing for us for seven years and was recently promoted to senior writer, decided to go big for her first Texas road trip in 11 months and clocked in 1,900 miles on her sojourn from the Panhandle to the Rio Grande Valley. Her first day on the road happened to be her birthday, and she was treated to a celebratory drink at the Cattle Exchange restaurant in Canadian. (Her recommendation if you go? “Steak, steak, steak.”) The small-town hospitality continued the next morning when she stopped in for coffee at The Canadian Restaurant. “Our waitress…

Michael J. Mooney was no stranger to Buc-ee’s before writing “I Do Love Me Some Buc-ee’s” (Page 56). “I think the first time I encountered it was seeing the billboards,” the Dallas-based writer says. “Anything that is advertising something dozens of miles away, I have a very difficult time skipping those. It seemed like an old-timey thing that you’d see on cross-country road trips.” Though the chain started in the 1980s, many aspects of the stores, from the extensive soda fountain options to the buckets of cotton candy, strike Mooney as charmingly dated. “They definitely latch on to that nostalgic feel.” Over the years, he’s visited six or seven locations of the convenience store, but he chose to spotlight the one in the North Texas town of Denton. “It’s not…

Paul Kix Kix formed a strong bond with Dallas as a Dallas Observer reporter in the 2000s. In his essay “Taken for a Ride” (Page 14), he explores how his 1988 Cadillac transported him into adulthood. “It’s been amazing to see Dallas mature in the last two decades into a thriving, international, cosmopolitan city,” the now Connecticut-based writer says. Kix’s work has appeared in The New Yorker, GQ, ESPN, and the Wall Street Journal. His first book, a biography titled The Saboteur, was a bestseller on Amazon and optioned by DreamWorks. He is currently at work on a second book about the civil rights movement. MM Pack The Texas Gulf Coast writer has followed the progress of Barton Springs Mill and the renaissance of Texas heritage grains (“Grain Expectations,” Page 72) since hearing…

No one has to tell me how spending time outdoors strengthens your soul. Just go sit by a river or stream under shade trees and you just know it’s a good thing. Janet Joyce Keel Butler, Kerrville Buried Treasure I love metal detecting when I have time [“TeXas Marks the Spot,” April]. Just remember to get permission, fill your holes, haul out the trash, and obey state and local laws regarding what you can dig up/keep. @roscoeshark Willow House This place is awesome [“Little Boxes on the Hillside,” April]. Our group of 13 had the best time and met new friends. Definitely recommend! @stephtowez Arnosky Family Farms We love to get garden plants here [“From Gloom to Bloom,” March]. They must use magic because their plants always grow great! Chaundel Johnson, San Marcos Happy Camper Thanks for finally taking note of…

Photographer Kenny Braun has been visiting Krause Springs, a family-owned swimming hole and camping area, for more than 25 years. Located west of Austin in the Hill Country community of Spicewood, the property’s springs feed a constructed swimming pool and a natural swimming hole on Little Cypress Creek. Braun used a slow shutter speed to capture the water’s movement, which meant he had to wait for the swimmer to hold still for a moment so her image wouldn't be blurred. "There was something primal about the girl under the waterfall that illustrated the symbiotic relationship between humans and nature," Braun says. Krause Springs offers reservations for RV sites, while day use and tent camping are first come, first served. Day use entry costs $9 for visitors ages 12 and older;…

To understand why Rogelio Nuñez says the world revolves around San Benito, you have to understand his commitment to his hometown’s cultural identity. Nuñez grew up in this deep corner of South Texas and fondly recalls his barrio’s barbershops, meat markets, panaderías, and theaters—all found within a 12-block radius, near the city’s freshwater resaca. Situated on land that was part of a Spanish grant, San Benito developed in the early 20th century as a railroad and agricultural center. After moving away to Kingsville and Austin for college, Nuñez returned and took an active role in supporting San Benito’s Mexican American community. He helped pave the way for a local cultural renaissance as the founder of the nonprofit Narciso Martinez Cultural Arts Center—named for the famed local conjunto accordionist—which promotes Mexican…