Texas Highways Magazine June 2021

While many beach towns across the country can become indistinguishable in our minds, there’s no place quite like Galveston. That’s due partly to the city’s deep history—its first-known human visitors were the Karankawas, who hunted and fished on the island. It’s also the presumed location of the 1528 shipwreck of the state’s first historian, Ávar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca. Galvestonians’ indefatigable spirit is equally compelling. Their resilience saw the port city through the devastation of the 1900 hurricane following its glory days in the late 1800s, and countless booms and busts over the ensuing century. In our cover story, contributing writer John Nova Lomax paints a definitive portrait of the town while illuminating its current renaissance. Lomax has an intimate knowledge of the coastal haven, which he calls an extension of…

As you explore, you’ll find an amazing range of relaxation and adventure, natural beauty and urban culture, fine art, fine dining, small-town charm and big-city amenities… but what you will remember most is the warm, West Texas hospitality. O ODESSA–Known for breathtaking sunsets, wide-open spaces and warm West Texas hospitality; you’ll enjoy shopping, dining, unique cultural attractions and events. Discover Odessa! discoverodessa.org Jun 5 - Caveman Invitational PBR Event Jun 26 - Silver Spur Trade Show FS FORT STOCKTON–Lodging, Dining, Entertainment and History. Experience our Visitor Center, Historic Sites, Museum, Fort Grounds, Golf Course, and Unique Shopping, West Texas style. historicfortstocktontx.com July 17 - Reunion Festival Aug 14 - Main Street Dance A ALPINE–Natural beauty, unique nightlife and shopping, and a grand array of hotels and guest lodging make this the perfect staging grounds for your West Texas…

In 2013, after a stint as a TV news reporter in Dallas and 24 years as the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department communications director, Lydia Saldaña began her current role as the communications director for the TPW Foundation. These jobs have given her a holistic view of the environment, which helped her write “Remnants of the Rio Grande” (Page 54), about South Texas’ distinctive resacas. “Everything I do and write about, and any assignment I have that’s not necessarily about conservation, I’m hardwired to talk about it,” the Fort Worth-based writer says. “It’s more than just the water you see, it’s everything that’s connected to it—its wildlife, its birds.” She sees the resacas, some of which formed 10,000 years ago and have since been harnessed by humans for agriculture and…

King Vidor Met him a couple of times around 1981 [“From Galveston to Hollywood,” April]. He was surprisingly sharp in his old age. Jennifer Daniels-LaBonte, Brackettville Mudbugs My dad was half Cajun; I grew up eating crawfish [“Snug as a Bug in the Mud,” April]. In about 2nd grade, my schoolmates laughed at me for eating “bugs.” I told them they didn’t know what’s good. @retired_in_tx Outdoor Opportunities Being in nature is so important [“Reclaiming the Outdoors,” April]. I’m glad organizations like those in this article are connecting more young people to it and helping them feel safe. @wldct1998 King of Conjunto What a wonderful story on Flaco Jiménez [“El Rey de Tejas,” May]. You make me feel proud to be a fifth-generation Mexican American. I would love to see more stories of musical artists such as Sam the Sham…

“I’ve tried to take this photo at different times over the years,” says Kathy Adams Clark of her picture of the Galveston Fishing Pier. “Sea fog, high winds, and other conditions can prevent it.” But on this night in April 2016, the setting was just right. Clark, who’s based in The Woodlands, says she used a small lens aperture of f/22, which sharpened the lights and created the starburst effect. Along with fishing, the pier at 9001 Seawall Boulevard is home to Jimmy’s on the Pier restaurant, an espresso and ice cream bar, a bait and tackle shop, and bike and surfboard rentals.…

The swath of land between Beaumont, Port Arthur, and Orange became known as “the Golden Triangle” after the 1901 discovery of oil at Spindletop created an influx of wealth. These days, visitors might assume the nickname comes from the port and refinery lights that glitter at night along Sabine Lake and the Neches River. But amid the industrial activity, there are glimmers of the area’s agricultural past. In the town of Nederland, wedged between Beaumont and Port Arthur, the Dutch Windmill Museum, constructed in 1969 to look like one of Holland’s traditional windmills, pays tribute to the Dutch settlers who established rice and dairy farms here in the late 19th century. Their history is often retold by Carol Culp, the curator of the museum for the last six years. A…