Looking for a Haunted Texas Hotel?
If you're looking for a fun way to celebrate Halloween, check out one of Texas's haunted hotels. The folks over at
BedandBreakfast.com have issued their annual press release on haunted hotels and B&Bs throughout the country; don't miss these in Texas:
1888 Linburg House, Goliad, TX: Friendly spirits dwell here but only appear when there's a wedding involved. Sightings have included an older woman in a white nightgown with long gray hair and a bearded man with long gray hair in a three-piece suit. In all cases, these friendly spirits appeared before those involved in the wedding party. Photos of the Linburg family, original owners and namesakes of the B&B, show striking similarities to the apparitions described by guests. Info: 1-866-LINBURG.
Prince Solms Inn Bed & Breakfast, New Braunfels, TX: In the early 1900s, a young women clad in a lacy wedding dress waited for her husband to arrive for their wedding at this inn. He did not appear, and despite a thorough search, he was deemed to have disappeared. The woman vowed to reside at the inn until he came and stayed on the staff for the next 20 years until her death in the late 1920s, still awaiting her true love. In 1930, a man arrived by horseback in search of a woman, and when he climbed the stairs to find her, innkeepers reported seeing the woman waiting in her wedding dress. The couple embraced then slowly disappeared. No one ever came to claim his horse, tied to the hitching post. Since then, there have been numerous sightings of a woman in her wedding dress. Info: 800-625-9169.
posted by Paris and John @ 3:07 PM
Dr Pepper Museum Receiving $2 Million in Artifacts
It looks like the folks at Cadbury Schweppes Americas Beverages, the makers of Dr Pepper, have done a little closet cleaning lately...and Waco's Dr Pepper Museum will soon benefit. The company will soon be sending $2 million worth of Dr Pepper and other soft drink brand artifacts, rarities and memorabilia to the museum including vintage cans and bottles dating back to the 1950s, a 50-year-old vending machine that sold Dr Pepper for 10 cents a bottle, a Dr Pepper syrup dispenser used in the early 1900s, and more, all part of the 70,000+ items that will be on loan to the Dr Pepper museum.
If you can't wait, the museum and Cadbury Schweppes Americas Beverages are displaying a special exhibit on Dr Pepper at the State Fair of Texas in the Texas Department of Agriculture's Food & Fiber Pavilion in Fair Park. The exhibit runs September 29 through October 22.
The State Fair exhibit will feature vintage packaging, photographs, advertising, classic promotional items, and other rarities furnished by the Dr Pepper Museum.
posted by Paris and John @ 8:48 PM
$2 Million of Dr Pepper & Other Soft Drink Artifacts Heading to Dr Pepper Museum
It looks like the folks at Cadbury Schweppes Americas Beverages, the makers of Dr Pepper, have done a little closet cleaning lately...and Waco's Dr Pepper Museum will soon benefit. The company will soon be sending $2 million worth of Dr Pepper and other soft drink brand artifacts, rarities and memorabilia to the museum including vintage cans and bottles dating back to the 1950s, a 50-year-old vending machine that sold Dr Pepper for 10 cents a bottle, a Dr Pepper syrup dispenser used in the early 1900s, and more, all part of the 70,000+ items that will be on loan to the Dr Pepper museum.
If you can't wait, the museum and Cadbury Schweppes Americas Beverages are displaying a special exhibit on Dr Pepper at the State Fair of Texas in the Texas Department of Agriculture's Food & Fiber Pavilion in Fair Park. The exhibit runs September 29 through October 22.
The State Fair exhibit will feature vintage packaging, photographs, advertising, classic promotional items, and other rarities furnished by the Dr Pepper Museum.
posted by Paris and John @ 3:01 PM
Garage Sale at National Cowgirl Museum
Here's an event that combines two favorite pasttimes: shopping and travel. Fort Worth's National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame is having their biannual “Grab It and Get It” Garage Sale. It runs today until 7 p.m., Friday, Sept. 29 from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday, Sept. 30 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The sale features western clothes, boots, jewelry, dishware, furniture and more, all helping the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame.
The Museum is located at 2228 N. Main St. in Fort Worth’s Northside (next door to Joe T. Garcia’s Mexican Restaurant.)
Labels: Fort Worth
posted by Paris and John @ 1:22 PM
Historic Texas Postcards Take a Look Back
We've been sifting through our collection of historic Texas travel postcards, many dating back to the Twenties and Thirties, and have launched a new section in TexasTripper. Check out our growing
Texas Travel Historic Postcards section for a new look at what's not so new in Texas!
Labels: TexasTripper News
posted by Paris and John @ 9:40 AM
Big Tex Returns!
Today's the big day: Big Tex, the symbol of the State Fair of Texas, returns to Fair Park in anticipation of the upcoming fair.
Who is Big Tex? For starters, he's the world's best-known 52-foot-tall talking cowboy. His State Fair debut in 1952 was quiet – originally speechless, a little engineering helped him 'find' his voice in 1953 and he's been talking ever since. A friendly wave was added in '97; three years later, he began turning his head.
The History of Big Tex: Tex did have a 'life' before the State Fair of Texas. Once upon a time, he was Kris Kringle. The Kerens (Texas) Chamber of Commerce installed a giant Santa as a 1949 Christmas promotion, but the gimmick only lasted a couple of years. Ever the visionary, R. L. Thornton, State Fair president and former Dallas Mayor, knew a good thing when he saw it. After a $750 transaction, Tex was sent to 'Big D' where Dallas artist and stage designer Jack Bridges magically transformed St. Nick into a huge cowboy. By 1952, Big Tex was on board for good.
In 1997, an extreme makeover resulted in a buffed-up, more mature Tex, sporting a dash of gray in his sideburns. His earlier armature was tossed, and he was fitted with a new, cage-like skeleton consisting of 4,200 feet of steel rods weighing 3 tons.
Featured in local, regional, national and international news coverage, his resume includes film, too. In 1961, Big Tex 'co-starred' with Ann-Margret in the locally-shot remake of the movie, State Fair.
Big Tex's Clothing: Williamson-Dickie, his clothier of choice, is the creator of his fetching ensemble. The Fort Worth-based manufacturer prides itself on its workwear, altogether fitting for a Big Guy on the job for more than 24 days. His Dickie's jeans are crisp and clean, and his shirt is a classic cowboy design. Red, with a blue yoke and sleeves, it's piped in yellow, and features (faux) pearl snaps, half-moon breast pockets, red cuffs and a collar with Western tips. Two white stars on each sleeve give his shirt a decidedly modern look.
The State Fair of Texas begings Friday, Sept. 29 and runs through Sunday, Oct. 22, 2006.
For More Information:• visit
www.bigtex.comLabels: Dallas
posted by Paris and John @ 8:37 PM
Cowboy Tintype Display Comes to Fort Worth
Fort Worth's National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame will be opening a new exhibit called Revealing Character: Robb Kendrick’s Texas Tintypes starting October 19. The display will feature the images of more than 100 cowboys and their families through tintypes, a 19th-century photographic method, taken by Texas photographer Robb Kendrick. Frost Bank commissioned his tintype project and conceived a multi-city traveling exhibition of his work.
Revealing Character: Robb Kendrick’s Texas Tintypes, includes 66 tintypes of cowboys taken all over the Lone Star State plus 12 enlarged prints of tintype images. Four cowgirls, primarily from West Texas, are also highlighted in the exhibit. Curated by Margaret Blagg, executive director of the Old Jail Art Center in Albany, Texas, Revealing Character: Robb Kendrick’s Texas Tintypes will tour museums across the state through 2009.
In a labor-intensive process, a tintype is made by coating a thin metal plate with emulsion, sensitizing it in silver nitrate, and exposing it in the camera before the emulsion dries. A lavender varnish is flowed onto the tintypes after the photo is taken to preserve the image. Making even a few tintypes requires hours of work.
“Tintypes are a challenging medium because they require the subject to stay still for a number of seconds as the image burns onto the plate, but the process provides so much reward in terms of truly capturing someone’s soul,” said Kendrick. “It’s a perfect medium for exploring a subject matter like character, and there is no better place to find that character than in today’s Texas cowboys. I’ve been privileged to meet so many of these men and women through my travels, and to spend the time with them that this photographic process demands. I hope that Texans will see a little of themselves and their ancestors in this exhibit as it travels across the state. It’s an honor to share these stories and photographs.”
In addition to running at the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame through February 4, 2007, the exhibit will also be presented at the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum in Austin, the Old Jail Art Center in Albany, the Ranching Heritage Center at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, and the Houston Museum of Natural Science in Houston.
The Museum:• Located at 1720 Gendy Street in Fort Worth’s Cultural District
• open seven days a week – 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Sunday.
• Adult admission is $8 and $7 for children ages 3 to 12 and seniors ages 60 and up
• visit
www.cowgirl.net• call 817/336-4475 or 800/476-FAME (3263)
Labels: Fort Worth
posted by Paris and John @ 12:14 PM
Plano to Be Home to a New, Hip Hotel
Plano will soon be home to a new lifestyle hotel brand from NYLO Hotels. Although aimed at business travelers, this hip new property (that will be withing walking distance of two major malls) will appeal to leisure travelers as well.
The 176-room Plano property will be located in Legacy, a 2,665-acre master-planned community and home to world-leading companies.
Allergy-Friendly RoomsHere's a neat feature in the new Plano hotel: allergy-friendly guestrooms from Pure Solutions North America.
NYLO is committed to having at least one Pure Floor, with all guestrooms incorporating the comprehensive purification system, in each of its branded properties. The Plano hotel will have 44 Pure Rooms.
Designed specifically for hotels, the Pure System cuts down on contaminants, irritants, molds, dust and odors. Following a seven-step purification process, each NYLO Pure Room will use a Class 2 medical-grade air purifier, hypoallergenic linens and covers, and other techniques to keep the air fresh and make hotel stays more pleasant for travelers.
NYLO's stringent no-smoking policy aims to further improve indoor air quality. Smoking will be prohibited throughout the hotel, including all guestrooms, employee areas and public spaces. With smoking confined to comfortable, designated outdoor areas, the fee for smoking in a guestroom is set at a hefty $300.
Raising the BarNYLO hotels are designed by Stephane Dupoux, a prominent designer of restaurants and nightclubs around the globe. Dupoux' plans for the high-energy public space called The Loft just off the lobby. The Loft will welcome locals and guests with soaring ceilings and open, expansive layout. The Loft will offer thoughtful amenities, including the 24/7 restaurant, bar, library, sofas, business center, wireless Internet, game room, boutique shop, and lighting and music that will change to create different atmosphere from day to night.
In the boutique shop and on its Web site, the design-driven hotel will offer consumers the Daniel Vosovic Collection for NYLO. This summer, the star of Bravo Television's Emmy-nominated series
"Project Runway, Season 2", signed an agreement to design apparel for the new lifestyle brand. Daniel's collection for NYLO will be for front-line staff, including bartenders, cashiers and front-desk personnel.
"We're creating a style that's hip and cool, with variations in accessories and color, that can mix and match to achieve different looks," Daniel explains. "This project provides a great opportunity to work with people who really understand design."
Prices: NYLO will offer nightly rates of $120 - $140.
For more information:• visit
www.nylohotels.comLabels: Dallas
posted by Paris and John @ 11:13 AM
Win A Luckenbach Prize Package!
We just returned from Luckenbach's Fandango festival last weekend...and brought with us the prize for the latest TexasTripper.com contest! Be sure to check the
contest page for all the details on how to win two Luckenbach t-shirts, two bumper stickers, and two Luckenbach keychains!
posted by Paris and John @ 12:10 PM
Austin City Limits Festival This Weekend
Austin's busy getting ready for weekend visitors--40,000 of them! The city is preparing for the fifth annual Austin City Limits Music Festival, September 15-17. The festival features 130 artists performing on eight stages. They're expecting sold-out crowds in Zilker Park and an estimated $26.3 million economic impact for the city.
Who attends this event? Event organizer Capital Sports and Entertainment (CSE) reports music fans from outside of Austin purchased 60 percent of tickets this year. The festival brings approximately 40,000 visitors to the city, contributing to a sold-out weekend for Austin-area hotels.
Parking: There is no on-site parking for the ACL Music Festival. This year, Capital Metro moves the free shuttle pickup and drop-off from Waterloo Park to Republic Square at Fourth and Guadalupe Streets. Rides start at 10 a.m., and the last shuttle departs the festival grounds at 11 p.m. Capital Metro has also extended the free Starlight ‘Dillo hours and detoured the usual routes to Congress Avenue in order to make catching shuttles convenient and allow visitors to get to hotels and the entertainment districts easily.
Labels: Austin
posted by Paris and John @ 12:02 PM
Texas Headlines for Your Website or Blog
If you have a Texas or travel-related website or blog, we're now making our news headlines available for free use on your site. Check out our
Texas News Syndication page for information on the easy (just one line!) code you can drop into your site to automatically show the latest Texas travel headlines...a neat way to keep your site timely.
Labels: TexasTripper News
posted by Paris and John @ 11:59 AM
Free Luckenbach Wallpapers for Your Computer
Luckenbach, Texas has been a legend ever since the song hit the airwaves and even today travelers come from around the world to have a look at this music hotspot. This weekend, we had the chance to attend Fandango, a music festival now in its fourth year at Luckenbach and shot many photos of the action in the dance hall. We've now got some free wallpapers you may use on your computer; visit our
Texas Wallpapers page to check out the three wallpapers, each available in four screen sizes!
Labels: TexasTripper News
posted by Paris and John @ 11:56 AM
Texas Home to World's Largest Halloween Theme Park
Halloween is just around the corner--and it's closer than that at Waxahachie's Screams®, the World’s Largest Halloween Theme Park. The park opens on September 29 for five weekends. Your admission includes entrance to four haunted houses (you may enter multiple times), the Ghoulish Graveyard, Maze of the Macabre, Spooky Hollow Children’s area (for children 12 & under closes at 10 PM), karaoke stage and roving characters. Additional excitement is provided by the Mythical Monster Museum and Trail of Terror, Screams® Café, Taboo Tavern, Hot Seat Extreme, bungee power jump, mechanical bull, games of skill and rides. The Screams® karaoke contest is back for its second year with a $500 cash prize for the winner.
Price: Tickets are $19.99 per person (tax included) for ages 6 and over (children 5 and under are free). Parking is free compliments of Allen Samuels Autoplex - Ennis. Tickets are available at the gate. Discount coupons are available at GameStop stores and Long John Silver’s Restaurants in the Dallas/Fort Worth area.
Hours: Screams® is open Friday and Saturday nights, September 29 through October 28 from 7 PM to 1:30 AM, as well as Sunday Night, October 29, from 7 PM to 11 PM.
Spooky Stuff: In The Castle of Darkness, the park’s most popular haunted house, guests descend into the dark depths of a medieval castle and venture through twisting corridors encountering monsters and other creatures of the dark. At Terror Visions in 3D visitors don 3D glasses before entering this carnival gone wrong. The inmates have taken over The Arcane Asylum, striking fear into unsuspecting guests. The Black Hole features a journey through time and space that includes Ancient Egypt, Jack the Ripper’s London, cannibals and even a T-Rex. In the end, there is only one escape and it requires the courage to step through the Black Hole.
Location: Screams® is located in Waxahachie, just 30 minutes south of Dallas/Fort Worth off of I-35E at exit 399A.
For more information:• call 972-938-3247
• visit
www.ScreamsPark.com
posted by Paris and John @ 11:41 AM
Grand Opening at Stonewall's Woodrose Winery
Do you have plans for next Saturday? If you'll be in the Hill Country on Saturday, September 16, 2006, check out the grand opening of Woodrose Winery from 5:30 pm -10:30 pm. The event will include live music, you'll have the opportunity to meet the new owner and winemaker, Mike Guilette, and wines will be sold at a 10% discount during the event.
The winery recently completed the construction of multi-level 3,000-square-foot decks to provide additional seating for the tasting room.
Woodrose Winery is located at 662 Woodrose Lane on the south side of Hwy. 290 just west of Stonewall or 14 miles east of Fredericksburg. The winery is open Wednesday through Sunday noon until 6pm.
For More Information:• call 830-644-2539
• visit
www.woodrosewinery.comLabels: Hill Country
posted by Paris and John @ 6:01 PM
International Accordion Festival Comes to San Antonio
Accordions play a big role in Texas music--everything from Conjunto to polka tunes--and they hold center stage at the annual International Accordion Festival at San Antonio's La Villita. The free two-day outdoor music festival will be held October 13-15 and will feature performers from around the globe playing everything from Celtic to Zydeco, Conjunto to Cowboy and so much more.
The event includes informal workshops, jam sessions and performances featuring up-close and personal interactions with master artists and their music--as well as plenty of food and dancing.
For More Information:• visit
www.sanantonio.gov/art/fallart/ • call 1-800-ALAMO-07
Labels: San Antonio
posted by Paris and John @ 4:30 PM
Austin Visitor Center Hosts Tailgate Party
If you'll be in Austin this Saturday, here's an interesting activity that just came across our desks. The Austin Visitor Center will host a special tailgate party throughout the day on Saturday, September 9 to spur on the Longhorns against the Ohio State Buckeyes.
Marcia Williams, creator of the
Bevo Brownie, is the featured guest at the tailgate. Baking aficionados and devout Longhorn fans can discuss sugar rushes and football highs with Williams as she promotes the “Officially Licensed Brownie of the University of Texas” at the center from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
In addition, visitors can enjoy refreshments while browsing among Austin souvenirs and learning about the city’s offerings other than football. The Austin Visitor Center also hosts an end-of-summer sale through September 30. Guests can stop by for special pricing on tee shirts, souvenirs and more. The center is located at 209 E. Sixth Street and is open from 9-5 p.m., Monday-Friday and until 6 p.m. on weekends.
For more information:• call 512-478-0098
• visit
www.austintexas.orgLabels: Austin
posted by Paris and John @ 10:43 AM
Texas Celebrity Travel News
Do you wonder where the stars stay when they come to Texas? TexasTripper.com's Grace Sydney checks on the latest star sightings in the Lone Star State in this month's Texas Celebrity Travel News:
Texas Celebrity News
by Grace Sydney
Texas temptress
Jessica Simpson rolled into Lewisville in August, making an appearance at the Interskate Roller Rink, where 1,000 patrons at once can relive the days of disco as they boogie across the maple floor beneath the sparkle of nine mirror balls.
Jessica's "Dukes of Hazzard" co-star
Willie Nelson will once again step in front of the camera when production begins on "Shoot Out of Luck" in November. The Red-Headed Cowboy will appear on screen with Randall "Tex" Cobb in the feature, which is scheduled to film in Austin and Luck, a 200-acre stretch of land where a recreated saloon, church and jail serve as a permanent filming site for Western-influenced films.
Currently lensing "Grindhouse" in Austin, iconic indie director
Quentin Tarantino took time out to grab a cup of joe at Jo's, a South Congress staple located next to Hotel San Jose on South Congress Avenue, an area of the city which marches to its own bohemian beat.
Justin Timberlake brought sexy back to The Big D in August. After rocking The Gypsy Tea Room with tunes from his latest CD "Futuresex/Lovesounds," the former boy bander checked out the scene at W Hotel's Ghostbar, a lounge lizard's paradise which offers a panoramic view of the city from the rooftop terrace.
Reese Witherspoon, whose portrayal of the late June Carter Cash garnered her an Oscar statuette, has been spotted in the Live Music Capital of The World. The actress has set up a temporary home in Austin while husband Ryan Phillippe films an as-yet untitled movie in the area.
University of Texas students will recognize a familiar sight when they buy a ticket to see "The Hitcher," which is scheduled to hit theaters in April 2007. Portions of the '80's slasher remake, which will star
Sophia Bush of "One Tree Hill" fame and
Sean Bean from "The Lord of The Rings," was filmed in the South Mall area of the campus during the university's summer break.
Dallas native
Luke Wilson returned to his old stomping grounds in August. The Hollywood heartthrob was spotted at Mi Cocina's Monkey Bar, located inside the nation's oldest shopping center, Highland Park Village.
After long hours on the Dallas set of her upcoming Lifetime Network movie, actress
Danica McKellar, better known to TV buffs as Winnie Cooper from "The Wonder Years," indulged in a day of pampering at The Spa at The Crescent, Hotel Crescent Court's 22,000-square-foot sanctuary which offers such therapeutic treatments as the Hotter 'n Texas Summer Rock Massage, Body Brushing and the Texas Crushed Cabernet Body Scrub.
posted by Paris and John @ 11:00 AM
Celebrate Diez y Seis in San Antonio
Mexican Independence Day or Diez y Seis de Septiembre (September 16th) is celebrated across Texas with festivals and special events. In San Antonio, the Alamo City celebrates not just on September 16 but with several weeks of special events.
During the festivities, look for:
• Mariachi music sending an energetic blend of tunes floating down the River Walk as groups of all ages how off their expertise at the guitar and trumpet
• Dancers performing at the beautiful Arneson River Theater
• Children and families checking out dance performances and puppets while enjoying activities and free treats at Festival de Los Niño’s in historic La Villita’s Plaza Juarez
• Streets lined with people enjoying the annual Fiesta Patrias en la Avenida Guadalupe Parade. This year the Grand Marshal is Nicholas Gonzalez from FOX TV’s The OC and Honorary Grand Marshal will be San Antonio’s beloved Spurs Coyote.
For a complete calendar of Diez y Seis events:• visit
www.sanantonio.gov/diezyseisFor information about San Antonio:• call 1-800-ALAMO-07
• visit
www.SanAntonioVisit.comLabels: San Antonio
posted by Paris and John @ 1:58 PM
South Padre to Build Birding Center
South Padre Island received the go-ahead from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission to receive a $1 million grant to develop the South Padre Island Birding and Nature Center. The $1 million in matching funds will be used to develop the South Padre Island site of the World Birding Center, one of nine sites stretching from the northern end of South Padre Island, through the Rio Grande Valley to the westernmost WBC site in Roma. The total estimated cost of the South Padre Island project is $6 million.
The Proposed Center: The City of South Padre Island proposes to construct a 4,500 square foot Visitors Center on Laguna Madre Bay on a 7.5-acre tract of the island’s World Birding Center. The building would serve as an interpretive center and nature education facility. The facility will connect with the existing Laguna Madre Nature Trail, increasing the boardwalks by roughly 3,600 feet and adding five bird blinds. The boardwalks will provide access to the wetlands and shoreline for up-close wildlife viewing.
The center will include a wave tank, bay aquarium and exhibits showing a stratified cross-section of the island and explaining the history of South Padre Island, the Gulf of Mexico and migration habits of turtles and birds. Exhibits also will feature the geology, anthropology and natural history of the area, as well as the island’s many indigenous marine, terrestrial and avian wildlife. There also will be a 60-foot-tall wildlife observation tower offering 360-degree views of Laguna Madre and the Gulf of Mexico.
posted by Paris and John @ 3:52 PM
Snow on the Mountain
It seems like a long time since this spring's wildflowers but a drive through the Texas countryside will reveal late summer and early fall blooms, too. Take a look at these Snow on the Mountain, photographed this week near the TexasTripper.com office. In spite of the drought and 100+ degree temperatures, these wildflowers (a relative of the poinsettia) are as happy as can be!
posted by Paris and John @ 3:39 PM
