Armando Vera’s stoic face lights up with a smile when customers mention how far they’ve traveled to eat at his restaurant, Vera’s Backyard Bar-B-Que. AdThe tacos you’ll find on Southmost come in three varieties: breakfast tacos, fried tacos, and beef tacos. These seven taquerias—vetted from many days of repeat visits—are great places to start your grand tour of this South Texas taco haven. Although Marcelo’s serves typical Southmost tacos, its guisados, or home-style stews, are truly spectacular. 956-579-7983At the end of La Southmost taco district, a truly outstanding taqueria awaits.

This article first appeared on Texas Highways. Rather than the term “roadkill,” road ecologists prefer “wildlife-vehicle conflict” (WVC) or “dead-on-road” (DOR) animal. Stirling Robertson, lead biologist for the department’s Environmental Affairs Division, says staff members routinely examine the iNaturalist entries to identify affected wildlife species on Texas highways. “With the continued development of state and national road infrastructure, we have more and more of wildlife conflicts,” Robertson says. Millions of monarchs die each autumn in collisions with vehicles while fluttering across Texas highways en route to their mountain sanctuaries in Mexico.

Over the years, Phil Hardberger Park in San Antonio has welcomed visitors from across the city and beyond. Now, with the addition of a land bridge, locals, visitors, and even wildlife have a new reason to appreciate this natural sanctuary in the heart of the city. Tobin Land Bridge opened in north-central San Antonio, officially becoming the largest wildlife crossing constructed in the United States. Many different options were considered, from an underground passage to a simple walkway, but a land bridge won out. Tobin Land Bridge makes the sanctuary an even more special place to get away from the daily stress we all face.

Discovery Green, a 12-acre urban park in downtown Houston, welcomes skaters to its ice rink until Jan. 31. The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion in The Woodlands transforms into an ice rink through Jan. 18. Brazos Bend State Park has a variety of wildflowers: ten petal anemone, Texas frogfruit, coreopsis, Mexican hat, plains wild indigo, wine cup, and showy primrose. East Texas’ state parks at Daingerfield, Atlanta, and Caddo Lake are filled with red maple, sugar maple, and sweetgum trees that generally show their colors in late October. Resaca de la Palma State Park and Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park are great places to observe the golden yellow fall color of cedar elm and sugarberry, and the orange-red color of anacua.

The year 2020 has been far from ordinary, so why not do something equally unexpected this holiday season? New destinations and novel attractions offer ways to break from tradition and try something different. Open Dec. 4-20, the show features more than 70 life-size animatronic dinosaurs roaming the parking lot of Katy Mills Mall. If you enjoy light shows but have had enough Christmas lights, head to Bee Cave just west of Austin for the inaugural Bee Cave Buzzfest, a free light spectacular presented by the Bee Cave Arts Foundation at Hill Country Galleria. The show runs Dec. 17-19 from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., and unlike typical holiday light shows, this one takes its inspiration from the glowing creatures of the deep sea.

Many folks think of McKinney as just another DFW suburb, but no matter how close McKinney is to Big D, it’s worthy of a day trip all its own. McKinney has history, a lively square, and plenty of personality to keep a traveler entertained and well-fed all day long. Collin County History MuseumPioneer Collin McKinney was such a pivotal figure that the county took his first name and the town took his last name—an accolade not even Sam Houston or Davy Crockett can claim. This museum sits inside the old 1911 post office and mixes new technology with treasured artifacts to create an interactive history lesson. Heritage Village at Chestnut SquareOn two city blocks sit more than half a dozen historic homes and buildings, including the 1854 Faires House, the oldest house in McKinney.

What do the billboards that remain have to say about Houston? To fully ponder the impact and meaning of billboards in my hometown, what better way than to drive its length east to west? One of the first things I noticed was that billboards were relatively few compared to the days of my youth. This seems to bear more than a little truth, especially in a car-besotted city like Houston. As for the second question, what emerged after four or five hours of driving was a dichotomy dividing (broadly speaking) blue-collar industrial east Houston and white-collar residential west.

One such place is Eishbahn Skating Rink in Fredericksburg. “It’s one of the only outdoor skating rinks set up in North Texas,” says Wesley Lucas with Visit Frisco. In Fort Worth, ice skaters can pirouette around a rink at the Coyote Drive-In complex on Fourth Street. The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion in The Woodlands will be transformed into an ice rink from Nov. 20 to Jan. 18. This year, they’re adding an outdoor ice skating rink.

It’s a late October morning in the Davis Mountains of West Texas, and Molly Cummings is atop a scaffold, foraging alligator juniper berries from a wild tree. The spirits company produces two gins, WildBark and WildJune, which are both distilled from rye and malted barley and infused with juniper berries native to the Davis Mountains. A fellow scientist told her where to find alligator juniper, also known as checkerbark, which grows above approximately 6,000 feet in the Davis Mountains. While she was collecting alligator juniper berries, she found another type of juniper that wouldserve as the backbone for WildJune. The plant, red berry juniper, is a rare species mainly found in parts of West Texas and the Panhandle, with the richest concentration in the Davis Mountains.

It takes tenacity to live on the Texas coast, and perhaps nobody knows that more than the people of Palacios (pronounced Puh-lash-iss). This bay front town, halfway between Houston and Corpus Christi, has weathered many storms in its day. When you’re finished, grab a cone of Blue Bell ice cream for the road and visit the neighboring shops on Main Street. My favorite spot to fish is the public pier of South Bay Park in front of the Luther Hotel. To view the Taylor episode visit thedaytripper.com.

When we all went indoors in March, Suzanne Koett went outside. A canceled vacation meant the Austin-based photographer and artist had a bunch of film and time on her hands. “I just decided to pop in on my friends and see how they were dealing with everything,” she says. They just love being together.”Koett’s pandemic portrait of the Chiezas, titled “Day 11,” is one of 173 photographs from 15 countries in Togethering, a virtual exhibition by the Houston Center for Photography. Like, what are we going to do today?”Visit the ExhibitionTogethering can be viewed on the Houston Center for Photography’s website, where the collection will live in perpetuity.

“That’s the tiny town in the middle of the desert with a Prada store, right?” Well, yes and no. Prada Marfa is not in Marfa proper, but instead a 40-minute drive west, outside Valentine. Built 15 years ago, Prada Marfa borrows elements from pop art, minimalism, and land art. “Pre-social media, it was left to its own devices for a long time,” Elmgreen told Ballroom Marfa in an interview celebrating the piece’s 15th anniversary. Instead of collapsing back into dust, Prada Marfa became a destination in its own right.

If pondering whether to head to the renowned Round Top Antiques Show, which is currently underway, and wondering what you might find there, the answer is pretty simple: Little has changed in the age of COVID-19, other than the obvious. There’s a similar gathering in the spring, but this year’s event was canceled with the pandemic’s onset. Scattered across roughly 65 venues around Round Top, a burg measuring some 610 acres and famously boasting a permanent population of fewer than 100 people, the antiques fair also casts its net over other towns and communities such as Fayetteville, Carmine, Burton, and Warrenton. All venues agreed upon adjustments with an eye toward “putting together a show that feels safe and healthy to everyone—and there’s a lot of fresh air at all the venues,” says Katie Stavinoha, publisher of The Round Top Antiques Show Guide and Round Top Register. The antiques fair doesn’t have a way to police the landscape, leaving everyone to mind the honor system of being a good neighbor, Plant explains.

That’s the inspiration behind Saddle Up, Cowboy!, an exhibit at The Bryan Museum in Galveston. The assorted saddles on view—some dating back nearly 200 years—come from a larger collection amassed by museum founder, J.P. Bryan, a collector, historian, and businessman. Bryan grew up helping his grandfather and uncle, who were Texas cattlemen. As his collection of artifacts relevant to the settlement of the West grew, his quest for saddles expanded as well. For the exhibit spotlight, the museum is spotlighting a handful of saddles from among the nearly 40 at the museum.

With COVID-19 pushing many people to seek respite in the outdoors, state parks across Texas are more popular than ever. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department has worked to control crowds by limiting capacity and requiring advance bookings. If you’re looking to steer clear of the most popular parks and find an outdoors escape, consider these seven state parks, which according to TPWD are some of the least-visited in the system. Annual visitors: 5,929Located near Devil’s Sinkhole is Kickapoo Cavern State Park, characterized by scrub-covered limestone hills and plenty of wildlife. At the edge of the Big Thicket just 10 miles north of Beaumont, the state park features fishing, biking, birding, and camping opportunities along the free-flowing creek.

Back in its heyday between the 1960s and ’80s, pumpkin farming in the region yielded millions of pumpkins on 30-plus farms. “It gets in your blood.”The history of the Assister Punkin Ranch begins with the wife of a close family friend and farmer named “Uncle Slim” Robertson. Robertson, considered the founder of pumpkin farming in Floydada, taught Assiter’s father everything he knew about the squash. “It’s been twice as much as usual.”Assiter Punkin Ranch, like most pumpkin patch destinations, is still open for visitors this year, despite the pandemic. Assiter Punkin Ranch Visit the ranch to see pumpkin varieties in all shapes and colors, tour the farm, and learn how the crops are grown.

The Texas Kolache Trail has made these Czech treats destination-worthy, but outside of towns such as West and Ellinger, you can still find some excellent eats, say along the Austin-to-San Antonio Interstate 35 corridor. Dos Gatos Kolache Bakery in San Marcos divides its menu into “Texas Kolaches” (the ones with meat or savory veggies) and “Czech Kolaches,” those with fruit, cream, or cheeses. While some bakeries serve klobasnek that look like pigs in a blanket, they are more like puffy pastry rolls. There will be no powdered sugar spilled, no grease from a fast-food burger, no unseemly shirt stains, unless you somehow topple a blueberry kolache onto yourself. Appreciate the travel-worthiness of road kolaches.

The fall foliage season is upon us, providing colorful scenery in every region of Texas. The latter park’s website notes fall color is coming slightly earlier this year because of cold weather in September. East Texas provides plenty of opportunities for fall foliage lovers, with its heavily wooded areas. David Creech, director of SFA Gardens, notes the best time to see the Japanese maples in fall color is the end of November and early December. Finally, fall foliage in the Lower Rio Grande Valley usually doesn’t arrive until December and goes into January.

A trip to Taylor provides the essentials of any Lone Star diet: slow-smoked bar­becue and cold local beer. Louie Mueller BarbecueKnown as the “Cathedral of Smoke,” this spot is one of Texas' most beloved barbecue joints. Since Louie Mueller first started serving barbecue in 1949, it’s been a no-frills kind of place. The separate bars and jukeboxes tell the story of segregation in Taylor, but also how the community found common ground in great local barbecue. Davis Grocery and BarbecueCheck out this under-the-radar grocery store and barbecue stop if you’re still in the mood for a snack.

Fairchild, an Austin school teacher, is hooked on carp fishing. But some wrongly believed carp threatened native species, and the commission was abolished four years later, according to Aaron Reed’s book, Fly Fishing Austin & Central Texas. Today non-native common carp are ubiquitous in lakes and rivers across the state, and carp fishing has grown in popularity. Both Fairchild and Fenner, who works as a fishing guide, practice what’s called Euro-style carp fishing. If you’re looking for a guide, check with Austin Carp Angler, whose members can show you the basics.

With autumn a prime season for road tripping, we decided to put together a companion list of Ten Commandments, but one with Texas roads in mind. Thou shalt take the scenic routes, and stop where it looks interesting. V. Thou shalt assemble a music playlist for all trips of more than 150 miles. Thou shalt not slowpoke it in the fast lane, for it is called that for a reason. X. Thou shalt not mess with Texas.

Pasadena resident Debbie Trainor wasn’t able to visit Italy this summer like she had planned. Even though COVID-19 made international travel unlikely this year, she still wanted to take a fun, safe trip with European flair. “I’ve got to do something.”That’s when she got the idea to take a trip around Texas visiting cities with European names. Among the cities she planned to visit were Moscow, Paris, Dublin, Berlin, and Vienna. “The people that we met along the way were amused that we were doing [the trip],” Trainor says.

It’s a drive-through experience.” Bingo! The San Antonio Zoo launched its Drive Thru Zoo tours in early May, intending it to be a one-weekend diversion for guests. Even after the zoo reopened to foot traffic, the drive-through option continues as a popular draw on weekends. Texas drive-through safarisDrive-through safari parks across Texas are seeing big crowds as visitors seek activities with the built-in social distancing that comes from staying in their cars. “We actually set attendance records this year,” says Tye Chandler, a marketer at Fossil Rim Wildlife Center near Glen Rose.

Since 1971, the nondenominational Rothko Chapel has served as a quiet oasis for contemplation amid Houston’s bustling Montrose neighborhood. Visitors can witness the new transformations when the chapel reopens to the public on Sept. 24. When the chapel opened in 1971, it had a skylight, but the light was too intense and washed out the paintings. What do you hope visitors take away from their experience at the chapel? The chapel is a statement about the power of contemplation and action, about interior transformation and social transformation.

If you grew up in Texas, you’ve probably eaten at Luby’s. And if you’ve eaten at Luby’s, your feelings about the restaurant may run surprisingly deep. When I asked friends and family what springs to mind when they think of Luby’s, sweet tea, yeast rolls, and Papaw’s liver and onions came up a lot. Another Tyler friend, now in Houston, shared a treasured memory of her grandmother: “She would pick me up from kindergarten and we headed straight to Luby’s. Apparently, the Tyler Luby’s closed a few years ago.

Now three companies have given the trend a Texas twist with canned ranch water. Canned ranch water, unlike mass market spiked seltzer, avoids the cloying, too-sweet taste while still packing a refreshing punch. Owner Katie Beal Brown, a West Texas native, remembers folks in her ranching family drinking ranch water all her life. This fall, new flavors like Spicy Ranch Water, made with jalapeño, and Rio Red Grapefruit Ranch Water, will join the line. Whether ranch water will become a national phenomenon like spiked seltzer remains to be seen.

I’ve backpacked the John Muir Trail—a 200-mile route through California’s Sierra Nevada—along with routes in Montana, and of course, my home state of Texas. But Texas also offers scenic backpacking opportunities in centrally located parks like Lost Maples State Natural and Pedernales Falls State Park. Your list of essentials should include cookware, a campstove (I use one a Snow Peak Gigapower the size of a Snickers bar) and fuel; a filtration system to purify water; water bottles or bladders; a headlamp; matches; first-aid; hand sanitizer; small knife; toilet paper; and sunscreen. Freeze-dried meals are light and packed with the calories and sodium you need if you’re hiking all day. Colorado Bend State Park has walk-in sites .6 miles from a parking lot, and Pedernales Falls State Park has spots a 2-mile hike in.

If you went to high school in Texas, you’ve seen them: extravagant faux chrysanthemums done up in glitter, lights, and stuffed mascots, with ribbons and braids trickling down. Mums—and garters, their male counterparts—are homecoming staples all over the state and a rite of passage for high schoolers. Homecoming mums are said to have appeared in Texas during the 1930s, but the first known homecoming mums were worn in Missouri, which also hosted the first-ever homecoming football game in 1911. Mums, IncorporatedKisha Clark has made mums since high school, and her passion for the art has only increased with time. When do you start prepping for homecoming season?

Its establishment 300 years ago changed San Antonios culture forever.From the day I was born until I moved away in the 80s, Mission San Jos was a constant in my life. Many stories connect neighbors and descendants over the three centuries since the establishment of Mission San Jos in 1720. Mission San Jos y San Miguel de Aguayo was established by Fray Antonio Margil de Jesus, two years after the Alamo was established. The Mission San Jos mural project is sponsored by the San Antonio non-profit Mission Heritage Partners and Luminaria. In a unique partnership with the National Park Service, the San Antonio Food Bank harvests the 45 acres.

My trip to Garner State Park and Lost Maples State Natural Area in the fall of 2019 proved I was wrong on all counts. In the afternoon, we made the short drive to use our day pass at Lost Maples. Yet all of this was eclipsed by an even more breathtaking place: the Lost Maples gift shop. Texas Parks and Wildlife has a number of excellent gift shops, many run by volunteer groups, but nothing could have prepared us for the fashion finds at Lost Maples. This gift shop had a collection of T-shirts with a delightfully 90s logo reading LOST MAPLES with colorful embroidered leaves.

To experience the best stargazing on a campout, Katie Raney, a regional interpretive specialist with Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, recommends getting away from any kind of light—such as lanterns, restrooms, or street lights—and finding an open area. Good options include South Llano River and Guadalupe River state parks, which are relatively near San Antonio and Austin; Lake Ray Roberts and Lake Mineral Wells state parks in the DFW area; and Brazos Bend and Lake Somerville state parks near Houston. Eakins says her favorites Enchanted Rock, Pedernales Falls, Garner, and Davis Mountains state parks. Texas Parks & Wildlife Department Dark Skies: A website about the agency’s efforts to control light pollution and preserve night skies. EarthSky Tonight: A daily guide to what you can see in the night sky.

Blasting Ariana Grandes Sweetener, we always wanted to make the short drive worthwhile, but what we were truly interested in was the destinationour local H-E-B. As wed sing along, the glowing lights of UTs campus would dim, and the tower would fade from sight. Thats how we knew we were in Austins Hancock neighborhood, seemingly worlds away from the student-filled streets of West Campus. On a normal trip, Selam and I could stay up to three hours in the store just hanging out. Recently, Selam and I havent been able to take part in our joint trips to H-E-B because of the pandemic.

HAMILTON, Texas This article first appeared on Texas Highways. So it is with Hamiltonset in the northern Hill Country, equidistant between Fort Worth and Austinhome to Wenzel LoneStar Meat Co. Fans make 200-mile round trips from their big-city homes for owner Kent Wenzels smoked pulled pork, featured on Pork Butt Fridays. The seat of Hamilton County, Hamilton is rooted in ranching, farming, and hunting. A 2012 restoration of the celebrated limestone courthouse sparked a downtown revitalization, including the expansion of the Hamilton County Historical Museum.

During these challenging times, the denizens of Texas small towns are protecting their health while improvising new ways to sustain their economies. Heres how 10 small towns in Texas have adapted and flourished according to Texas Highways:MasonPopulation 2,300Consider Mason, a town of about 2,300 residents nestled on the edge of the Hill Country, 9 miles north of the Llano River. Although the number of Texans living in small towns has dwindledaccording to the Texas Demographic Center, only 15% of us live in non-urban areasthe spirits of towns like Mason persevere. Small armies of steadfast locals keep Texas towns moving. Anticipation centers around whats to come for this North Texas town, which rose to fame in the 1920s as a health resort drawing on its alkaline well water.

It took a few decades for me to realize that the most meaningful road trip of my life was a mere 15 miles long, and right outside my door. More than any other place, Montrose loomed large on that list. I discovered Houstons then-bohemian Montrose neighborhood that year, which also coincided with the first time I fell in love. I bought incense and stained glass at the Westheimer Art Festival each year, and paints and charcoals at Texas Art Supply. Its not always a yearlong RV trip or the summer you drove 2,000 miles hitting up every national park in your van.

Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day, commemorates the enforced end of slavery in Galveston on June 19, 1865, three years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed. Texas Highways, an online travel magazine published by the Texas Department of Transportation, compiled a list of socially-distanced Juneteenth celebrations happening across the state. HoustonJune 19 - Dec. 31Discover the rich history of Houstons African American community. Juneteenth Jubilee in Edinburg includes live music streaming of several bands, keynote speakers, performances, and a serving of soul food. WacoJune 20Cen-Tex African American Chamber of Commerce organizes this annual parade, which is approved to take place this year.