The days of being beholden to big-chain hotels are long gone. As tourism has risen, so have creative places to stay. Travelers can go from a bustling city to a small town or from the Gulf Coast beaches to the West Texas mountains
From the coast to the canyons, there's going to be even more land for Texans to explore. In 2023, the Texas State Parks system celebrated its 100-year anniversary with the exciting announcement of the upcoming opening of North Texas
The marbled, fatty ridges of Texas's famous brisket are a strong reminder of the state's history of making great barbecue, but young pitmasters are pushing the limits with new ethnic ideas.
Traditional icehouses, which are Texas's first garden bars and grocery shops, aren't as easy to find as they used to be. However, there are some new places that feel like they've been around for decades.
The wine area of Texas, which is the second-largest in the United States, has sneakily used grapes from Napa Valley. But now there are determined winemakers who say they will only make wine from fruit grown in their own state.
Even though there aren't as many cowboys in Texas as there used to be, you can still see a lot of belt buckles and boots, and not just on people from the city who are getting martinis.
The truth is, it will never be as pleasing to grab a book from a generic big-box store as from a charming local spot. The independently owned bookshops of Texas today are delightfully diverse, both in selection and function.