Texas Travel News

Photo of the Day (POTD) for TexasTripper

Today we're launching an all-new section on TexasTripper.com: Photo of the Day (POTD). We'll be sharing some of the 50,000+ photos we've taken around the Lone Star State in this column!

Today's photo is a shot of the Post Office in Luckenbach (pronouced loo-kin-bok), the town made famous by the country and western song. Today there's still plenty of boot scootin' in Luckenbach, located just a short distance from Fredericksburg. The post office (and bar and general store...all in one) is adjacent to the dance hall which stays busy just about every weekend.

Labels: Hill Country, Photo of the Day

posted by Paris and John @ 3:59 PM 0 comments links to this post

Reader Question: Border for the Weekend?

Dear TexasTripper,

I am planning my first visit to Texas for November; I'll be attending a convention in San Antonio. The conference has a lot of San Antonio and area activities planned for the evenings (plus I'm coming in a day early) but when the conference wraps up on Friday I'd like to visit the border over the weekend (I fly out late Sunday). I'd like to visit Mexico (I've never been), do a little shopping, and some sightseeing. Do you have any suggestions? Thanks! Alice, Vancouver, BC, Canada

Dear Alice,

Thanks for your email! From San Antonio, you have several options for a weekend getaway to Mexico: Laredo/Nuevo Laredo, Eagle Pass/Piedras Negras, and Del Rio/Ciudad Acuña.

In the past, Laredo and its sister city, Nuevo Laredo, were the top choice for shoppers; however, due to recent violence in Nuevo Laredo, we recommend you wait on this visit for another time. Eagle Pass/Piedras Negras is fun but it's a more limited stop if you're looking for shopping and sightseeing (although if you were looking for a casino, we'd point you there...a Kickapoo-operated casino is located outside Eagle Pass.)

We'd recommend Del Rio as the best choice. It's the closest of the border cities; the drive is due west from San Antonio on US 90 into Del Rio, Texas. The city has several historic attractions ranging from museums to the state's first winery (and even ancient pictographs if you have time to include a visit to Seminole Canyon). Del Rio's sister city is Ciudad Acuña; there's shopping and dining across the border.

Happy travels! Paris and John

Labels: Big Bend Country

posted by Paris and John @ 5:09 PM 0 comments links to this post

Schlitterbahn Galveston Island Named Nation's Top Indoor Water Park

Schlitterbahn Galveston Island Waterpark's Wasserfest indoor waterpark was recently ranked as the best indoor waterpark in the nation during the 2007 Golden Ticket Award ceremony at Dollywood amusement park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.

Nicknamed the "Academy Awards of the Amusement Park Industry," the Golden Ticket Awards are presented annually by Amusement Today, an industry trade magazine based in Arlington, Texas. The winners are determined by the results of an international survey conducted among hundreds of amusement park enthusiasts.

The fun of the summer continues as Galveston slowly moves into the cooler months of the year and the Wasserfest indoor season begins Saturday, Sept. 29.

Inside, visitors find a 70,000 square-foot indoor waterpark that offers more than a dozen heated waterpark attractions including four tube slides, three speed slides, three kids' activity areas containing a variety of children's play elements and pint-sized slides, a secluded beach, a hot tub and the Torrent(R) tidal wave river.

Admission: Wasserfest tickets are available at the discounted rate of $25.99 for adult all-day admission and $21.99 for children, ages 3 - 11, and seniors, 55 years or older. Afternoon (3 p.m.) admission tickets are available for $17.99 for adults and $14.50 for children and seniors. Two-day tickets are $41.49 for adults and $34.74 for children and seniors. Taxes are not included in the ticket price. Hours and prices are subject to change without notice.

Hours: Wasserfest is scheduled to operate 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. on weekends (Saturday and Sunday) and select holidays now through January 6, 2008. Wasserfest will also be open the day after Thanksgiving, Friday, November 23, and the week after Christmas, December 26 though January 6, 2008.

For More Information:
• visit schlitterbahn.com for the complete 2008 operating dates and hours.

Photo courtesy Schlitterbahn

Labels: Gulf Coast

posted by Paris and John @ 4:19 PM 0 comments links to this post

Austin "Keeps It Weird" During the Holidays

It might seem like a while until the holidays but Austin's getting ready for over a month of special activities. In true Austin style, the city has plenty of live music and unique events that "keep Austin weird."

Nov. 14-18
The Junior League of Austin's A Christmas Affair presents "The Gift of the Magi" at the Palmer Events Center. You'll find over 200 national merchants selling original art, jewelry and crafts during the four-day holiday market. Receptions, tea parties and private shopping events also highlight the schedule. Ticket prices vary.

Nov. 18
As part of a year-long celebration of Israel's 60th anniversary as an independent state, the Jewish Community Association holds its Annual Chanukah Bazaar on Nov. 18 at the Dell JCC Community Hall. Other events continue through May 2008 in commemoration of Israeli independence.

Nov. 25-Dec. 11
Five Latino theater groups combine their creative talents to present a Latin Christmas story with La Pastorela: A Shepherd’s Story, Nov. 25-Dec. 11, at Tillery Street Theatre.

Dec. 1-2
Art aficionados celebrate the season early with Austin Museum of Art's Holiday Arts Festival, December 1-2. Guests stroll the elaborately decorated gardens of Laguna Gloria to view sculpture and art while enjoying holiday cuisine.

Nov. 30-Dec. 30
Zachary Scott Theatre presents three special shows. Plaid Tidings brings the cast of hit the musical "Forever Plaid" back to the stage, November 30-December 30, for heavenly holiday harmonies that include tributes to the Chipmunks, Ed Sullivan and the Rockettes. Hilarity ensues with David Sedaris' The Santaland Diaries, November 23- January 6. Rockin' Christmas Party puts a big hair, rock 'n roll edge on the traditional "Christmas Carol" story in this hit musical at Zach's intimate Kleberg stage at 1510 Toomey Rd., November 23-January 3.

Nov. 30-Dec. 22
Kids and parents build a candy-covered holiday tradition at the Austin Children's Museum's Gingerbread House workshops, November 30-December 22. Real gingerbread, icing, gumdrops and candy canes provide the building blocks for this fun family event. Dates and times vary; more information is available at www.austinkids.org.

December
The 37th Street Lights (pictured) twinkle throughout Central Austin during the month of December. Neighbors work together for months stringing up lights to create a funky holiday display along 37th Street from Guadalupe Street to Home Lane. The street is open to vehicular traffic. But for the full, environmentally friendly effect, it's best to park and walk.

Dec. 1
Experience a traditional German-Texan Christmas market and visit with St. Niklaus at the annual German Christmas Market in the historic German Free School at 507 E. 10th Street on Saturday, December 1. The German-Texan Heritage Society offers handmade and imported wooden and blown-glass German ornaments and other gifts. Enjoy refreshments, live music and German carols.

December
Even in Texas, it wouldn't be the holiday season without ice skating on the Whole Foods Market Ice Rink. Skaters show off their skills—or hang on to the railing—throughout the month of December. Whole Foods also offers holiday cooking classes and chef demonstrations in the Culinary Center, located at the world headquarters store at Sixth Street and Lamar Boulevard. Check the website for schedule and details.

Dec. 1
The annual State Capitol Tree Lighting and KUT Holiday Stroll takes place on December 1 from 6-7 p.m. John Aielli, host of NPR affiliate KUT's "Eklektikos," leads the audience gathered around the tree at 11th Street and Congress Avenue in traditional carols. Festivities continue along Congress Avenue with entertainment, and merchants remain open late. More information is available at www.downtownaustin.com.

December
In yet another Austin tradition, the month-long Zilker Trail of Lights begins with lighting of the soaring Zilker Christmas Tree on December 2. The pedestrian Trail of Lights, featuring live music and Santa visits, transforms a mile-long stretch of Zilker Park into a twinkling wonderland from December 9-31.

Dec. 4
Noche de Fiesta Navidena celebrates Mexican Christmas traditions with folk art, flavorful foods and seasonal music at the Mexic-Arte Museum, 419 Congress Avenue.

Dec. 8-9
The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center commemorates its 25th anniversary with Luminations: A Winter Celebration. Soft light glows from thousands of luminarias, torches and lanterns while music fills the night air. Children’s activities include storytellers and holiday crafts in the Little House. The gift shop is open for holiday shopping. Shoppers can check items off their list at the Wild Ideas gift shop.

Dec. 14-24
The Armadillo Christmas Bazaar keeps Austin weird with distinctive jewelry, fabrics, handmade goods, blown glass, paintings and prints from local and national artists. Relocated this year to the Austin Convention Center, the bazaar also features live music from some of Austin's best local musicians and food vendors.

Dec. 1-23
Choreographed by Ballet Austin Artistic Director Stephen Mills, The Nutcracker pairs classic dance with a classic performance by the Austin Symphony Orchestra of Tchaikovsky’s timeless score. Clara and friends captivate audiences with an evening of magic in the Land of Sweets. The show runs December 1-23 at the Paramount Theatre.

Dec. 4
Austin Symphony teams up with Chorus Austin to ring in the season with the masterpiece Handel's Messiah. Riverbend Center provides a traditional Hill Country setting for the concert.

Dec. 11
At Riverbend Centre, Austin Symphony invites families and friends to sing holiday favorites with a full orchestra during its annual Christmas Sing-a-long. The event is free, but tickets are still required to join in the fun.

Dec. 22, 29
Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum presents Musical Favorites in the Dog Trot Cabin, December 22 and 29. Local musicians perform toe-tapping Texas fiddle music on the porch of a dog trot cabin in the first floor exhibit gallery.

Dec. 31
The humor of the holidays is perhaps best captured by Esther's Follies Christmas and New Year's shows. The over-the-top Christmas Show features Esther's classics as well as holiday specials and magic tricks by Ray Anderson, dubbed the best magician in the Southwest. The New Year's Eve performance also includes a full buffet with a champagne toast at midnight. Esther's Follies is located at 525 E. Sixth St. Check the website for dates and details.

Dec. 31
New Year's Eve invites families to come downtown and welcome 2008 with First Night Austin. This alcohol-free festival encourages "out with the old, and in with the new," with art, ritual and festivity. The city's plazas, storefronts and parks serve as a background for dance, music, film/video, poetry and visual art.

Jan. 8-13
The merriment keeps on going with Joe Sears, Jaston Williams and their zany cast of much-loved characters from Tuna, Texas when they present A Tuna Christmas at the Paramount Theatre.

For More Information:
• call the Austin Convention & Visitors Bureau at (866) GO-AUSTIN
• visit www.austintexas.org

Photos courtesy Austin Convention and Visitors Bureau
37th Street Lights, photo: Barton Wilder
Ballet Austin’s The Nutcracker, photo: Amitava Sarkar

Labels: Austin, Festivals

posted by Paris and John @ 10:30 AM 0 comments links to this post

Getting Ready for Halloween

October is just around the corner and that means Halloween...and all the celebrations it brings...is not far behind. We've just updated our Halloween coverage to provide the latest 2007 dates on Texas's top haunted houses and spooky events!

Photo courtesy of Screams, Waxahachie

Labels: Festivals

posted by Paris and John @ 2:01 PM 0 comments links to this post

San Antonio Hotels Restoring and Renovating

Always a top getaway in the Lone Star State, San Antonio is giving visitors plenty of new reasons to schedule a visit in the Alamo City: lots of newly renovated projects. Now with over 35,000 hotel rooms across the city, there's a lot underway right now including:

• San Antonio’s 1000-room Marriott Rivercenter and 514-room Marriott Riverwalk are undergoing a $45 million renovation to be completed early to mid-2008. These hotels will undergo renovations to dramatically change the look and feel of the lobbies, restaurants, and seating areas.

• The St. Anthony Hotel, a Wyndham Historic Hotel in downtown San Antonio, has a $12 million restoration program underway; it will public spaces, the 352 guest rooms, and more. Completion is scheduled for the first quarter of 2008.

• The 632-room Hyatt Regency Riverwalk (which completed a $16 million renovation in 2004) has added some new features: high-tech kiosks for checking in/out and printing boarding passes, and Wi-Fi access in most guest rooms, lobbies and public areas. Last year the Hyatt added a 2,700 square foot spa featuring relaxing massages, facials, manicures and pedicures. This year the Hyatt renovated the Lone Star Palace, a rooftop penthouse with a 1,200 square foot outdoor terrace, full-catering kitchen and oversized outdoor grill overlooking the Alamo and downtown—great for hosting groups up to 150 people.

• The El Tropicano Hotel finished its restoration in the first quarter of 2007. The multi-million dollar restoration transformed this 306-room property to the look of a Mexican resort, complete with Mexican folk art, exotic birds, a winding staircase and mosaic artwork of tropical colors.

• The Westin La Cantera Resort has added its exclusive Casita Village, bringing their room count up to 508. This $1 million plus addition completed in the first quarter of 2007 is nestled among mesquite and oak trees where 38 casitas with separate entries and private patios entertain guests with fireplaces and elaborate bathrooms that include marble floors, oversized European bathtubs and large showers.

• The 169-room Hampton Inn Downtown completed a $6 million renovation in the fourth quarter of 2006, upgrading each guest room and adding complimentary wireless high-speed Internet service.

• The 305-room Holiday Inn Downtown – Market Square will complete a $4 million renovation by the end of the year.

• The Sheraton Gunter Hotel has completed a $7 million renovation, now offering Sheraton’s Sweet Sleeper Bed, updated urban spaces, a fitness center and pool facility.

Labels: San Antonio

posted by Paris and John @ 3:45 PM 0 comments links to this post

San Antonio's Emily Morgan Hotel Getting Ready for Holiday Parties

Looking for a unique venue for your holiday parties? The Emily Morgan Hotel is putting the word about about its unique party options; event planners at the hotel and Oro restaurant have developed a menu of more daring holiday party themes.

Just how unique and daring? The Emily Morgan party planning staff can arrange a "Dancing with the Stars" theme, complete with dance music and professional dance instructors giving lessons to guests -- or even staging a dance-off, pairing guests with their own professional instructor for a brief training period before hitting the stage.

With a nod to the Mediterranean-flavored cuisine at Oro, the hotel's upscale restaurant, another option is the "Mediterranean Holiday" themed party, with guided wine tastings and samplings of Italian, Spanish and French cuisine. The hotel can even add a cooking demonstration for guests.

According to Bill Brendel, general manager. "Our goal is to create outrageous and fun alternatives to the traditional and often boring corporate holiday party and make these occasions something that guests will really look forward to."

The hotel's event planners are offering other party packages as well:

· Viva Las Holidays, a Vegas-style party complete with Elvis impersonators, showgirls and Vegas-style games of chance.

· Magical Holidays, with a professional magician entertaining the crowd

· Sweet Holidays, a dessert-themed party with chocolate fountains, piles of holiday goodies and seasonal drinks like cider, hot chocolate and eggnog, with entertainment options ranging from a strolling choir to a visit from Santa. Set against a backdrop of gingerbread houses and colorful lollipops.

· The Feliz Navidad Holiday Party, a tribute to San Antonio's Latin heritage, with candle-lit luminarias lighting the way to the party. On the menu is San Antonio's famous Tex-Mex cuisine, served with holiday-themed tequila drinks. The package includes Latin-style dance music from a live band or DJ, along with holiday tunes set to a Latin beat. Options include salsa, mambo or tango dance lessons for guests.

About the Hotel: The hotel, located in downtown San Antonio across from the historic Alamo at 705 East Houston Street, is now booking holiday parties. The Emily Morgan Hotel has earned the AAA four-diamond rating.

For more information about parties:
• call Jackie Gawlik at 210-244-0124
* visit www.emilymorganhotel.com

Labels: San Antonio

posted by Paris and John @ 2:33 PM 0 comments links to this post

TexasTripper.com Newsletter, September 2007

TexasTripper.com's Travel News

Sept. 17, 2007

Dear Readers,

Can you believe autumn is just days away? Although the days are still pretty toasty, the light now has a warm glow, a hint of the special season that's just around the corner. With this summer's bountiful rains, hopefully this will be a colorful fall across the Lone Star State!

Just a few weeks ago, we took part in a true summer activity, though: we were judges at the annual Taylor International Barbecue Cookoff. We judged the beef category, a true challenge with so many good competitors!

We've posted a photo gallery of the event so you can have a look at this popular cookoff.

Happy travels!

Paris and John

Enter the TexasTripper Contest!

Waller County Fair, Hempstead, Sept. 28-Oct. 6

State Fair of Texas, Dallas, Sept. 28-Oct. 21

Up the Chisholm Trail Event and Chuckwagon Cook-off, Georgetown,
Sept. 29

Texas Rice Festival, Winnie, Oct. 3-6

Come and Take It Festival, Gonzales, Oct. 5-7

Cottonwood Art Festival, Richardson, Oct. 6-7

Floresville Peanut Festival, Oct. 9-13

Conroe Cajun Catfish Festival, Oct. 12-14

FireAnt Festival, Marshall, Oct. 13-14

Texas Jazz Festival, Corpus Christi, Oct. 19-21

Texas Stampede, Dallas, Nov. 9-11

Heritage Syrup Festival, Henderson, Nov. 10

Texas Travel News

Lake Tawakoni State Park Becomes a Star Thanks to Spiders

Austin Booming with Austin City Limits Festival This Weekend

Upcoming Texas Cattle Drives

Texas Celebrity Travel

Reader Question: Fredericksburg for Non-Shoppers?

Texas Parks & Wildlife Expo Set for October

The Stoneleigh Hotel & Spa to Open in Dallas in Late Fall

San Antonio to Add Hotel Indigo

Houston Zoo Expanding exhibit

Labels: TexasTripper News

posted by Paris and John @ 6:50 PM 0 comments links to this post

Lake Tawakoni State Park Becomes a Star Thanks to Spiders

You may not have heard of Lake Tawakoni State Park, located near Wills Point, before now but since late August the state park has been a media star.

National news coverage--on everything from CNN to FoxNews to the Discovery Channel. The coverage brought over 3,300 visitors to this 376-acre park on the shore of Lake Tawakoni, 50 miles east of Dallas, over the Labor Day Weekend.

Why all the attention? Spiders...or, more specifically, spider webs. Not just any web but a truly Texas-sized web that spanned several acres.

"When I first saw it," said Park Superintendent Donna Garde, "I was totally amazed. What ran through my mind was that this looked like something out of a low-budget
horror movie, but I was looking at something five times as big as what you'd see on a Hollywood set."

Stumped as to the web's origin, the initial consensus of arachnologists and entomologists who saw an online photo of the web sent by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department biologist Mike Quinn was that it may have resulted from a "mass dispersal" event. In such an event, millions of tiny spiders or spiderlings spin out silk filaments to ride air currents in a phenomenon known as "ballooning."

Quinn collected a sample of spiders August 31 from in and around the gigantic web and took them to Texas A&M University in College Station for analysis. Entomology Department researcher Allen Dean identified 11 spider families from the sample.

Quinn described the Lake Tawakoni web as "sheet webbing" since it covers a large area of trees, which is more typical of a web spun by a funnel web spider rather than the classic Charlotte's web, or orb web, like that produced by long-jawed spiders. He speculates that the park's spider population exploded due to wet conditions this summer that resulted in an abundance of midges and other a small insects upon which the spiders feed.

Those wet conditions brought about the end of the web phenomena, however; a heavy rainstorm knocked down much of the huge web.

"So far," Horner said, "we have been informed of webs of this nature occurring in Florida, California, Canada, Italy, Ohio and now Texas. In all cases, they appear to have been produced by tetragnathids, but have other species associated with them."
Superintendent Garde said Sept. 5 that the crowds coming to see the wondrous creation had slowed to a trickle, and that they were not being allowed to access the nature trail due to the sloppy conditions.

"It was fun, but we were really tired," Garde said. "The spiders are great little guys. They put our park on the map."

For More Information:
• visit
http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/findadest/parks/lake_tawakoni/
• visit http://www.Texasento.net

Photo © Joe Pase, Texas Forest Service

Labels: Prairies and Lakes, State Parks

posted by Paris and John @ 3:34 PM 0 comments links to this post

Austin Booming with ACL Festival This Weekend

Planning a trip to Austin this weekend? Be prepared for plenty of company during your visit to the capital city: this is the weekend of the sixth annual Austin City Limits Music Festival, September 14-16.

Sold-out crowds are expected to descend upon Zilker Park and generate more than $27 million economic impact for the city. Event organizer C3 Presents reports that music fans from outside of Austin purchased more than 50% of the three-day passes and as much as 65% of one-day tickets to this year’s event.

The festival is recognized as one of the top outdoor music concerts in the country, bringing in nearly 60,000 visitors to the city.

Labels: Austin, Festivals

posted by Paris and John @ 11:31 AM 0 comments links to this post

Enter Our New TexasTripper Contest!

We've got a new contest on TexasTripper; enter to win t-shirts, caps, guidebooks and more! The contest will be running through the end of September.

Check out our contest page for all the details!

And congratulations to Sharon in Grapevine, Texas; she's the winner of our August contest!

Labels: TexasTripper News

posted by Paris and John @ 4:10 PM 0 comments links to this post

Austin Names Official Drink in Honor of Urban Bat Colony

As the home of the country's largest urban bat colony, it's no surprise that the capital city also has an official drink to honor the over one million Mexican free-tailed bats here.

The city combines the bats and Austin’s own Tito’s Handmade Vodka (founded, fittingly, by a man named Tito Beveridge) – to inspire local bartenders to create recipes and compete for exclusive rights to serve the “Batini: The Official Drink of Austin.”

The “Batini” contest, sponsored by Austin Convention & Visitors Bureau and Tito’s Handmade Vodka, commemorates the bats and captures the flavors of Austin. The winner of this fourth annual contest, Lamberts Downtown Barbecue, combines spicy south-of-the-border flavors with Tito’s Handmade Vodka to create a unique “Batini” recipe.

The Batini: 2007 Official Drink of Austin

1.5 oz Tito’s Handmade Vodka
1 Dash Olive Juice
1 Dash Jalapeño Juice
3 Caperberries
Juice of 1 Fresh Lime

Add ingredients to shaker; shake. Pour over cracked ice.
Garnish with pimento-stuffed olives and a pickled jalapeño.

Lamberts’ homage to Austin’s nocturnal friends offers a perfect opportunity for visitors to combine the official drink of Austin with the unofficial food of Austin – barbecue (and, fittingly enough for Austin, live music as well). Located in downtown’s 2nd Street District, Lamberts puts a modern spin on barbecue with dishes such as Pesto-rubbed Lamb Chops, Brown Sugar- and Coffee-rubbed Brisket and Beef Porterhouse with Lemon Chimichurri.

Viewing the Bats: Austin’s bats make up the largest urban bat colony in North America and are one of the city’s most popular tourist attractions. A great spot to view the nightly flight is from the Austin American-Statesman’s observation area at 305 S. Congress Avenue, along the southeast corner of the bridge. Educational kiosks, manned by interpreters from Bat Conservation International (BCI), are positioned throughout the viewing area, Thursday through Sunday through the end of bat season.

Bat-watching cruises on Town Lake are also available. Capital Cruises and Lone Star Riverboat both depart approximately 30 minutes before sunset from the boat dock located behind the Hyatt Regency Hotel. Other prime vantage points are from the Lady Bird Lake hike-and-bike trail, Shoreline Grill, TGI Fridays at the Radisson Austin Hotel & Suites and the lakeside patio of Four Seasons Hotel.

To find out flight times, call the Austin American-Statesman’s Bat Hotline at 512-416-5700, ext. 3636.

More information about the Congress Avenue colony is available from BCI:
• P.O. Box 162603, Austin, TX 78716
• toll-free 800-538-BATS
• www.batcon.org

Labels: Austin

posted by Paris and John @ 5:29 PM 0 comments links to this post

Upcoming Texas Cattle Drives

There must be something about the approaching cooler weather and cattle drives...we've got word of two upcoming cattle drives that both sound fun!

Big Bend State Park Cattle Drive

In West Texas, Big Bend Ranch State Park will be hosting the park's fall cattle drive from October 4 through 6. They invite guests to participate and see cattle in the ranch's rugged and remote cattle pastures, learn how the herd is moved with horses and drive the park's historic Texas Longhorn Herd to stock pens at the ranch headquarters. Participants can take part in branding and vaccinating calves, recording lineages and experiencing the traditions of the Spanish, Mexican and Anglo-American cowboy culture.

The longhorn cattle drive program is Big Bend Ranch State Park's most popular event, allowing up to 25 visitors to participate and experience a part of the state's Western heritage. The three-day event allows one to experience life as a cowboy and gain a lifetime of memories. Guests have come from as far away as New York, Australia, Canada and England.

"If you're looking for a genuine taste of the wild, western range life, the Big Bend Ranch cattle drive is about as real as it gets," Colorado travel writer Christine Loomis said of her recent cattle drive experience in the vast and beautiful high country of the Chihuahuan Desert.

Cowhands end their days with a chuck wagon meal served on range, listening to cowboy music and poetry to make the outing an authentic and memorable experience. Participants can choose to sleep on the range or return to the ranch bunkhouse for the night.

The cost of the three-day event is $975, which includes horse and tack, park entry fee, lodging/camping fees, meals and the assistance of park wrangler guides. Big Bend Ranch is located northeast of Presidio off Texas Highway 170.

To find out more or to reserve a spot on the cattle drive, call Big Bend Ranch State Park at (432) 229-3416 or the Sauceda Ranch Headquarters at (432) 358-4444. Also, visit the park website for more information.

Georgetown Cattle Drive

If you'd like something a little more leisurely, Georgetown is hosting the Up the Chisholm Trail Event and Chuckwagon Cook-off on September 29. Along with the cattle drive, you'll find a cookoff and plenty of other family fun. For more information, see our article in the festival section.

Labels: Big Bend Country, Festivals

posted by Paris and John @ 4:31 PM 0 comments links to this post