Innholdsfortegnelse for March 2024 i Texas Highways Magazine

New Wave Horace Caldwell Pier in Port Aransas is one of many vacation destinations along the 367 miles of our state’s coastline. Though better known as a fishing location, it’s also a popular spot for all levels of surfers, according to Morgan Faulkner, director of Texas Surf Camps in Port A. “The T-head at the end of the pier is for advanced surfers who have experience in busy lineups, while the inside break on either side is great for beginner and intermediate surfers,” he says. In March, expect water temperatures to hover around 65 degrees. For families heading to the area for spring break, Texas Surf Camps offers lessons for kids 6 and up. “It’s a lot of fun, and they learn about the ocean and build confidence in themselves,”…

I’m maybe 10 miles from Baldy Peak in the Davis Mountains of farWest Texas, looking down at an undulating fog bank that completely obscures the valley below. It’s like a mysterious sea with a forest-blanketed peak to the rear on a landmass ascending out of it. I don’t know what’s below the gray waves. Whatever is down there, it’s a different place from up here. I’m on a sky island, another name for the Chisos, Davis, and Guadalupe mountains that rise out of the surrounding Chihuahuan Desert and have their own distinct ecosystems. “About 20,000 years ago, we were in an ice age. The Trans-Pecos plant communities looked completely different,” says Kaylee French, West Texas education and outreach coordinator for The Nature Conservancy, which manages the 33,000-acre Davis Mountains Preserve.…

Theresa DiMenno became enamored with photography when she bought her first 35 mm camera in 1977. An avid outdoorswoman with a conservationist’s heart, DiMenno specializes in nature and wildlife photography. She started by taking pictures of the plants inside a greenhouse set up by her boyfriend (now husband) in 2001. She got the hang of it quickly and later that decade began supplying Houston Methodist Hospital with abstract floral prints and Texas wildflower art. She has contributed to Texas Highways since 2013, and the photos featured here are a snapshot of her diligent work over the past decade. In capturing bloom-blanketed vistas, DiMenno says she hopes to evoke a feeling of connection to the land and every weird and wonderful creature that inhabits it. DiMenno notes that the seven featured…

A Collecting Parks typically require permits to remove plants. Take care not to displace rare plants. “Make sure you have permission, and keep conservation in mind,” says Tiana Rehman, herbarium director at the Fort Worth Botanic Garden. Photograph a plant before you remove it to assist with identification—the iNaturalist app can be useful. Document the collector, date, location, and surrounding habitat. When digging up a plant, include the roots and bulbs. Collect plants when they’re flowering or fruiting for visual appeal. B Pressing To create a plant press, layer absorbent material, such as paper towels or folded newspapers, on top of a piece of cardboard. Place the clipped plant between either paper, arranging it carefully to show all parts of the plant including both sides of a flower or leaf.…

Musician Jim Dugan grabs a Seagull acoustic guitar from his Ford F-250 diesel pickup in the gravel parking lot at Shorty’s Place, ready to play his standing Sunday gig at the new location of the wood-frame bar that has been a local institution in Port Aransas for almost eight decades. He chats with loyalists who gather on its deck, shielded from the bright afternoon sun by a mesh awning. They sip cheap bottles of Lone Star or partake of the bar’s signature “Golf Shot”—an invigorating concoction of whiskey, coconut rum, banana liqueur, and Red Bull. Without a formal introduction, Dugan launches into “Bloody Mary Morning,” substituting “Port Aransas” for “Houston” in the lyrics of the Willie Nelson standard, bringing chuckles and applause from the flip-flop-clad crowd. It’s good the attraction…

Horsin’ Around 1957 This photo from the Texas Highways archives shows a handsome couple—and their handlers—frolicking in a bumper crop of bluebonnets at Fort Parker State Park. Located in Limestone County, east of Waco, the park was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps from 1935 to 1942 and is steeped in Texas history. Texas Highways covered the park for its May 1957 issue, which is likely why this photo was taken. The fellow wearing a grin and a pressed Stetson is Jack Forrest, from just down the road in Mexia. His gaze falls on Mary Ann Osburn, from nearby Dawson, who looks past the flowers to the horizon. Forrest has a fistful of reins—he’s holding his horses—but they’ll saddle up and ride again once the perfect pose is struck. The…

For decades, our annual Wildflower Issue has tapped into the expertise of the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center for guidance on Texas blooms. “Wildflowers play critical roles in our fragile ecosystems,” executive director Lee Clippard says. “It’s been our mission since 1982 to inspire people to protect, appreciate, and plant native wildflowers.” Now also the University of Texas’ botanic garden, the center offers educational programs and boasts a robust research arm. “Our guests can experience one thing or another blooming almost any month of the year,” Clippard says. He hopes the family-friendly venue allows kids to “first experience the beauty of wildflowers and realize they may one day play a critical role in protecting them.” BRITTANY CONERLY The food and travel photographer explored Dallas’ doughnut offerings for “Rising to the…

The only downside to wildflower wandering is leaving the blooms behind. Why not build some overnights into your springtime jaunt and hunker down into cozy digs amid seas of bluebonnets, Indian blankets, and Mexican hats? These cabins and guesthouses in wildflower country provide temporary homes near bounties of seasonal color. Each is far from city life, so it’s just you and the flowers, with a big night sky to keep you company after dark. Texas Ranch Life CHAPPELL HILL This low-key resort about an hour northwest of Houston sits on the 1,600-acre Lonesome Pine Ranch. Guests come to ride horses, admire the longhorn cattle, fish in a 7-acre or 13-acre pond, or simply sit in a rocking chair on a guesthouse porch. Owner John Elick’s wife, Taunia, spent a few…

CENTRAL TEXAS Wildseed Farms A working wildflower farm and winery in the Hill Country, this Fredericksburg locale promises more than 200 acres of evening primrose, bluebonnets, lemon mint, and firewheels to enjoy. 100 Legacy Drive, Fredericksburg. wildseedfarms.com The San Antonio Botanical Garden Regarded as a 38-acre “living museum,” San Antonio’s Botanical Garden has grounds full of succulents, roses, and wildflowers. Plus, the 11-acre Texas Native Trail lets you explore plants from three distinct regions of the state. 555 Funston Place, San Antonio. sabot.org WEST TEXAS Chihuahuan Desert Nature Center For 50 years, this 507-acre sanctuary has worked to preserve native plants and educate the public about their importance. A botanical garden with trails and paths winds through fields of nearly 165 species of Trans-Pecos Region native plants like chocolate daisy…

NOT FAR FROM WHERE MEXICAN WOLVES LOUNGE among the boulders and shrubs in their enclosure at the El Paso Zoo, young children lean over a table, carefully examining plant specimens and dried seeds. They take turns using plastic magnifying glasses and trace their fingers over the globe mallow and desert unicorn n plants, pondering the shapes and functions of their stems and leaves. Even amid the excitement of the surroundings, the novel sight of plants that have been dried, d, pressed, and preserved on sheets of paper captures the kids’ curiosity. That’s the goal of the versity of Texas at El Paso’s Biodiversity Collections, Uniwhich organized the display of its herbarium specimens for Chihuahuan Desert Fiesta, an annual event held in September. “Plants can sink into the background because e…

1 Botanical Research Institute of Texas, located in the Fort Worth Botanic Garden, displays plant specimens and artworks inspired by the herbarium collection. Philecology Herbarium tours are offered by appointment. 3220 Botanic Garden Blvd., Fort Worth. 817-332-4441; fwbg.org/research/herbarium 2 Mercer Botanic Gardens is open daily except for Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas, and New Year’s Day. Tours of the herbarium, which includes a botanical reference library and an art collection, are offered by appointment. Free admission. 22306 Aldine Westfield Road, Humble. 713-274-4160; pct3.com/mbg 3 UTEP Herbarium, located in the Biodiversity Collections at UTEP, offers tours based on staff availability. Herbarium specimens are on display in April at the El Paso Zoo’s Eggstravaganzoo and at UTEP Centennial Museum’s Florafest Native Plant Sale in October. 500 W. University Ave., 915-747-5479; utep.edu/biodiversity…

THEN… Letters from the archive 50 YEARS ON THE ROAD We would have exhausted our supply of runners-up ribbons had Texas Highways offered prizes for the best educated guesses at identifying this flower. Mrs. Albert H. Pollard called in the winning entry. It’s a Gaillardia lanceolata, flower lovers, and we thank those among you who came close to calling it like it is. TEXAS HIGHWAYS STAFF, AUGUST 1974 NOW… Empty Nest As the mom of an 18-year-old son who started college last fall in a state halfway across the country, I particularly enjoyed “The Infinite Worlds of Yesterday” by Antonio Ruiz-Camacho [January/February]. While the entire story about how quickly time passes when you are raising children really hit home, I wholeheartedly agree with his suggestion to send your child “half…

Located on the tip of South Texas, the quiet town of Port Isabel has long charmed visitors looking for a relaxing seaside getaway. With a population under 6,000, the community is ideal for anyone looking for a change of pace from the touristy bustle of its neighbor across the Queen Isabella Memorial Bridge, South Padre Island. Incorporated in 1928, the city is still dotted with signs of a history that dates to Spanish explorers, pirate treasure, and the Mexican-American War. Though the town stays lively most of the year as travelers make their way to SPI, the busiest time for the region is August, when anglers come in for some of the best fishing in the country during the annual Texas International Fishing Tournament. Decompress while visiting seaside shops and…

Life’s a little brighter in Beaumont, the southeast Texas community of 113,000 people where the buildings are adorned with vivid renderings of mermaids, Frida Kahlo, cattail marshes, and geometric shrimp. The murals are part of a beautification effort that began in 2022, led by local artists and business owners who wanted to transform Beaumont’s buildings from boring to breathtaking. In the years since, local and international artists have taken to the city’s streets each spring to paint the town red—and lots of other colors. Attendees get a front-row seat to the public art demonstration, where visiting and local artists create new downtown murals, some depicting scenes of South Texas history and culture. Participating artists aren’t given much direction before picking up a paintbrush. “We want them to be inspired and…

Acclaimed author Tim O’Brien made his highly anticipated return with his first novel in 20 years, America Fantastica, last October. The rollicking satire follows chameleon-like protagonist Boyd Halverson and his road trip sidekick, Angie Bing, a born-again Christian intent on saving Boyd’s soul. The high-speed, highwire narrative begins with Boyd’s decision to rob a bank in the fictional town of Fulda, California, and then to kidnap Angie, who works as a teller there. “Hunter S. Thompson meets Sacha Baron Cohen,” praised Publishers Weekly in a starred review. This new book is a significant departure from O’Brien’s 1990 novel-in-stories classic, The Things They Carried, a series of fictional portraits of American soldiers fighting in the jungle of Vietnam and their lives upon returning to the states. America Fantastica revolves on the…