Texas Highways Magazine September 2015

Some of us find cities irresistible—whether it’s the pulsating energy, endless entertainment, or that “If I can make it there…” air (cue the Sinatra). And some of us deliberately bypass the bustle and buzz, avoiding freeways and frenzy at all costs. If you can identify with either of the above, or even if, like me, you fall somewhere in between, we hope you find inspiration in this issue’s salute to Texas’ metropolises and their “People, Places, and Wide-Open Spaces.” Starting on page 52, our writers distill an abundance of urban diversions with their insider travel tips, and on page 60, our photographers capture city parks and other places to play. We also announce the sta. ’s selection of 2015’s Extraordinary Texans, among them a 10-year-old lemonade magnate from Austin and a…

In days gone by, I flipped through Texas Highways as a country gal’s overview, but today your wonderful magazine has climbed the ladder to become a serious “must read.” DORIS RICHESON, Possum Kingdom Lake OUR FAVORITE SOCIAL MEDIA OF THE MONTH... Kudos to @Texas Highways for not only putting a neon Sasquatch on the cover of its latest issue, but also [running] a short article about Bigfoot in Texas. @SoFriedBigfoot It’s a battle as I drive by Susie’s South 40 Confections daily. The Texas trash is my fave. Cheryl Miskell, Midland Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram Food For Thought In response to a letter in the August issue, readers were eager to chime in on the topic of Texas Highways’ food coverage. We value the feedback. Here’s a sampling of the comments: I have eaten at…

32º 42’ 12.70” N 96º 42’ 18.86” W In southeast Dallas between I-45 and US 175 off Loop 12 (Great Trinity Forest Way), turn south into the entrance to the Trinity River Audubon Center. Stop at the center to pay admission and view exhibits, then set out to explore the center’s five miles of trails and nine ponds. The cattails tend to grow in the wetland ponds to the northeast of the building. Great egrets—one of the 220 bird species found at the center— often congregate around the Great Egret Pond. For more information, visit the Trinity River Audubon Center, http://trinityriver.audubon.org.…

Catering to birders, the refuge has a bird blind on its “bird pond” and clears brush in certain areas to create views of the basins and polders. SARA BEESLEY, DIRECTOR OF THE MITCHELL LAKE AUDUBON Center in San Antonio, thought she might have fallen prey to some strange trick when she first started working at the center two years ago and didn’t see any American white pelicans for a few weeks. “Aft er all,” she explains, “the pelican is our signature bird, and Mitchell Lake is one of the few places in North America where you can see them year-round.” Beesley’s first weeks were an anomaly, however, and her exploration of the refuge’s lake, mudflats, and shallow wetlands soon coincided with the presence of the white pelicans, characterized by large throat pouches…

KEVIN FOWLER GOES FOR A GOOD love song as much as the next redblooded country music singer-songwriter, but you need only look at his song titles to understand the brand of country he likes best: “Beer, Bait and Ammo,” “Loose, Loud and Crazy,” “Girl in a Truck.” Fowler has made his name in the contemporary sub-genre known as Texas Country with catchy, good-timin’ anthems that celebrate huntin’ and fishin’, country girls, and cold beer. A native of Amarillo, Fowler studied guitar and songwriting on the West Coast before arriving in Austin in 1991. He first played guitar in the popular hard-rock band Dangerous Toys, then fronted his own Southernrock group Thunderfoot. But in 1998, he returned to the country music he’d grown up with, which he plays with a rock edge. Dance…

A SMALL BELL TINKLES AS I PUSH open the door and enter the store, worn wooden floorboards creaking beneath my feet. A tall ceiling soars overhead, and dust motes dance in the light streaming through large windows as I walk between stacks of rugs. I flip through the variety of patt erns and muted shades, then run my fingers across several thick, colorful saddle blankets draped across a rack. On a shelf nearby, a pile of brightly striped placemats ($15-$30) catches my eye, and I know I’ve found my Paint Rock souvenir. This tiny town, about 30 miles due east of San Angelo, owes its name to an impressive collection of rock pictographs on a bluff near the Concho River. Early artists created pictographs by applying minerals and dyes to rock,…