Category: All Things Texas

Travelling tips for the state of Texas.
Discover Texas back roads and hide-away spots.
Learn about famous Texans.

2022 – Are You Traveling Again?

airplane in blue sky and clouds with text: Are you traveling again? Return to the road. Traveling tips for 2022 & Beyond.

After the shut-down of Covid of 2020 . . . After the closures and work shortages of 2021 . . . And after the multiple versions & cautions of new virus strains, climbing fuel prices, and racing inflation . . . Are you traveling again? If so, what should you expect? Be prepared for a few givens in this new travel age: Gas prices are higher – substantially – in certain parts of the country, Gouging the travel consumer on gas prices is more obvious than in years past, Expect to pay higher prices for rooms (this applies whether your choice is a hotel room, a cabin by the lake or in the mountain, or […]

July 4th – Where to Celebrate!

black night sky with multi-colored exploding fireworks

Fireworks, food, and 4th of July fun. Here’s where to go in 2022. North Dallas – Where to Celebrate Frisco Freedom Fest! Plan on a visit to the Frisco Square for fun & fireworks. This festival will be held around the Frisco Public Library @ 6101 Frisco Square Blvd, Frisco, TX 75034. (For the general vicinity, click on this mapping link.) This is a 2-day party, starting on July 3 and ending with a flash-boom-bang of fireworks @ 10pm (approx) on July 4th, 2022. July 3rd is an evening of races (come on, folks, you know there’s no running in this daytime Summer heat.) Races include: Cornhole Tournament Dachshund Races Hotter ‘n Firecrackers 5K Glow […]

Festival Your Way Across Texas – September 2021

Festivals Across Texas

When September temperatures start to – consistently – hover in the 90s, and evenings dip into the 60s, Texans call that a COLD front. Meaning: September is FESTIVAL TIME in Texas. NORTH TEXAS AREA State Fair of Texas will return this year. September 24th – October 17th. Plan your day to include rides on the Midway, plenty of ‘snacking’ stops through the food booths, visit the showroom floors filled with vintage & new car releases, plan for musical entertainment along with the way, with big shows culminating nightly under open Texas skies. Details revealed & tickets purchased at Howdy Folks – State Fair 2021! With a massive Ferris Wheel – 212ft & 6 inches looming […]

Texas Summer Activities – Sizzling to the END!

Texas Summer Fun

The Dallas/Fort Worth area offers an array of end-of-summer fun. Just because the school bell is ringing in the distance, doesn’t mean that happy indoor and outdoor activities shouldn’t be enjoyed. Give the family some final summer memories to keep them warm through the upcoming winter months. Grapevine – Going back in Time. Nash Farms Nash Farm hosts First Fridays each month. August 6th, 2021 – Meme’s Pickles – an experience to delight the taste buds on making pickles. Most activities are free to the public, but check out the specific details in case tickets are needed. Guests are encouraged to pack a picnic lunch and feast while in the great outdoors. Visit the Nash […]

Galivanting Texas-Style: Granbury for a day trip or weekend.

photo of Lake Granbury

In Texas, there’s a joke about seasons: Almost Summer, Summer, Still Summer, Christmas. Texans learn early in life to take advantage of that ‘almost summer’ season. Trees bloom quickly and leaf to provide sidewalk cover. Temps can range from the balmy mid-70s to a bit of early summer scorch in the 90s: all in one week. When temps allow – Texans are ready for outside adventures. March, April, & May are prime months for small town exploration. Granbury, Texas from Dallas is a short hour & half drive – depending on traffic escaping from Dallas, and an even shorter drive – generally less than an hour, from Fort Worth. And once explorers hit US Hwy […]

Nat’l Homemade Cookie Day

Texas Mansion cookies, looks like a chocolate chip cookie

October 1st celebrates HOMEMADE cookies. Hailing from Texas, I naturally looked for what is considered the true TEXAS cookie. Cranberry Pecan Cookie Ranger Cookie Texas Sheet Cake Cookie Texas Cowboy Cookies Cranberry Pecan Cookie The Cranberry Pecan Cookie was selected as the Reader’s Digest favorite best TEXAS cookie. While this cookie contains pecans, which are certainly a Texas staple, the cranberries seemed an odd Texas choice. As cranberries are grown in Northern states: Wisconsin, Massachusetts, Oregon, Washington – just to name a few – these cookies don’t seem to easily trace their roots to Texas. They sure sound mighty tasty, though. Recipe link below: Recipe – Supplied by Louise Hawkins, Lubbock, TX. Ranger Cookie Then […]

Remembering Texan, Mac Davis!

black and white photo of Mac Davis in bluejean jacket and guitar

‘With my favorite jeans and a cheap guitar I ran off chasing a distant starIf Buddy Holly could make it that far then I figured I could tooI thought happiness was Lubbock Texas in my rearview mirrorMy mama kept calling me home but I just did not want to hear her’ – lyrics to Texas in My Rearview Mirror. Legendary musician, Mac Davis, a shining country & pop star, finally comes home to Texas. Teenage years spent in the 70s: meant Mac Davis was one of my favorites. I Believe in Music – 1971 Baby Don’t Get Hooked on Me – 1972 Everybody Loves a Love Song – 1972 Your Side of the Bed Stop […]

Bring Texas Museums into your home.

Feeling trapped??? Let ART soothe your restlessness. Loads of virtual tours currently available. Enjoy the eye-candy! National Cowgirl Museum Here’s something fun for the young at heart (and the young for real). Cowgirl Story Time Click on the link to hear this week’s latest story time tale. The Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth Virtual Tour Tuesday Evening stroll through The Modern. Click on this link to set up an automated reminder for this week’s tour. Currently, Mark Bradford: End Papers‘ exhibit is on display. Blanton Museum of Art This links provides a work-by-work tour inside the Blanton Museum of Art. Once on the site, visitors can choose their favorite art style, then region, and […]

Beautiful Botanical Gardens – Texas-Styled

garden of river stones with large ceramic water pot being fed by bamboo shoot from spring

Do flowers still bloom if no one is around to see them? Absolutely! Just because the Fort Worth Botanical Garden is currently closed doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a stroll through the grounds. Touring the FTW Botanical Gardens doesn’t require a plan . . . strolling, gazing, sniffing the flowers . . . are all perfect ways to spend an afternoon. But for overachievers, here’s a map to ‘plot’ out a strategy for your next in-person visit. There’s loads of shade, but this is Texas, fellow visitors. Keep in mind: afternoon heat, intensely-bright sun, and a fair level of humidity. Wear sunblock. Hats–especially light-weight or loosely-woven–are always a good idea. Water bottles are permitted (except […]

Learning to Talk Texas Slang

Every region of the country has its own colorful sayings. Texas is NO exception. Texas folks don’t mind newcomers . . . and in lots of small Texas towns, if you’ve moved in during the last 50 years or so, you might still be considered a newcomer. Learning Texas slang helps ease the transition. Remember, that the slang is based off history. Texas Saying . . . Faster than you can shake a stick. Meaning . . . pretty darn quick. The ‘tighter than Dick’s hatband’ was one of my mother’s favorite expression. She referred to folks who squeezed a nickel harder than she could as tight-fisted, cheap, or just plain old mean money-spirited. I […]