Texas Celebrity Travel News

Every two weeks we take a look at celebrity travel throughout the Lone Star State. See if any of these stellar visits give you an idea for your next getaway…

Bastrop

The bright lights of Tinseltown are currently shining on the town of Bastrop, where America’s favorite “Pretty Woman” Julia Roberts is filming the cinematic drama “Fireflies In The Garden.” “Heroes” star Hayden Panettiere, Carrie-Anne Moss of “Matrix” fame, Ryan Reynolds and Ioan Gruffudd, who round out the cast, can also be spotted this spring in the community, which is located approximately 30 miles from Austin. Known as the “Most Historic Small Town in Texas,” Bastrop is dotted with a number of architectural gems, including the “Old Town” Visitors Center, which led a previous existence as a Victorian era bank, and the Bastrop Opera House, built in 1889, where the town’s residents gather annually to celebrate the Yesteryear pioneer festival.

Austin

Movie buffs had the chance to hobnob with Hollywood’s elite in early April when Rose McGowan, Rosario Dawson and Kurt Russell returned to the capital city to premiere Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino’s homage to B movies, “Grindhouse” at the Paramount Theatre. Fans unable to attend can still experience a bit of Hollywood magic at The Texas Chili Parlor on Lavaca Street, one of the movie’s filming locales, where customers can sample a mild “X” version of the caliente concoction or burn their tastebuds with the “XXX” variety.

Ray Wylie Hubbard, Omar Dykes, Joe Ely and Kelly Willis are among the musical menagerie who, thanks to artist Aaron Sacco, peer out from the exterior wall of South Austin Music at 1402 S. Lamar. Austin favorite Charlie Sexton, whose face is among the group of 30 to now grace the music store’s facade, was among the throng of 1,000 admirers of the artist’s work who gathered for its official unveiling in mid-March 2007.

In close proximity to South Austin Music’s homage to the performers who have made the city the Live Music Capital of the World lies the South Austin Speed Shop, a virtual Valhalla for vintage vehicle buffs where “Premonition” star and honorary Texan Sandra Bullock and her husband Jesse James congratulated Garage Magazine’s Girl of the Year Kat Von D at a party held in the centerfold’s honor.

Following his onstage appearance at SXSW, rock icon Iggy Pop indulged his “Lust For Life” at The Sheraton Austin Hotel, the 365-room retreat featuring a view of the state Capitol where the singer, along with the other founding members of The Stooges Ron and Don Ashton, were spotted granting an interview.

San Antonio

San Antonio-born star Ricardo Chavira, known to fans of the ABC hit “Desperate Housewives” as Gabrielle’s former husband Carlos Solis, returned to the Alamo City in mid-April to celebrate the grand opening of Museo Alameda which, at 20,000 square feet, is the largest museum dedicated to Hispanic heritage in the United States. Grammy Award winner Linda Ronstadt was on hand to perform tunes from her ode to her Latin roots “Canciones de Mi Padre,” during the three-day event, which saw the first of an estimated 400,000 annual visitors tour the 11 galleries housed inside a former movie theater which once showed films featuring such classic stars of Latin cinema as Pedro Infante and Maria Felix.

Dallas

Actor Jude Law was among the guests invited to the preview of British artist Polly Morgan’s latest exhibition at Kristy Stubbs Gallery on Fairmount Street. A noted taxidermist, Polly Morgan’s work can be viewed by appointment along with masterpieces by Picasso, Andy Warhol and Jasper Johns.

At Al Biernat’s Restaurant actress Jane Seymour and her husband, director James Keach, who will celebrate 24 years of wedded bliss in May 2007, perused a menu offering such delectable dishes as caramelized salmon, pan seared bass over lobster risotto and chick piccata with capers and linguini after unveiling the Keach-directed indie flick “Blind Dating” at the Dallas AFI Film festival.

Fort Worth

While former NASCAR winner Matt Kenseth is accustomed to flying past the finish line behind the wheel of a race car, now the recent champion of the Auto Club 500 at California Speedway can also start the engine of a Boeing 737. The stock car driver, who made his debut lap around a track at the Winston Cup series almost 10 years ago, just completed flying lessons at the American Airlines Training Academy and Conference Center in Fort Worth.