"Take A Hike" at a State Park During National Trails Day
June 6th is National Trails Day, and what better way to celebrate than by enjoying the scenic beauty at one of the nine state parks participating in the American Hiking Society-sponsored event. Happy trails to you!
• Promenade among the pines can call Bastrop State Park home during a guided hike along a portion of the more than 10 miles of trails that dot the area. A trail work party is scheduled to take place, and walkers can wonder at a section of Gotier Pace, a trail once trodden on by settlers of the Texas frontier.
• Alligators and birds will peer back at the binocular-carrying sightseers at Brazos Bend State Park in Needville (southwest of Houston) as they file through the bottomland forests on guided trail hikes scheduled between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.
• Skim along the surface of the lake that snakes through Caddo Lake State Park in a guided canoe tour, traverse the site's trails or sign up for a workshop.
• Novices of nature walks can sign up for "Hiking 101- Discover Hiking!," which will take place at 8:30 p.m. in the amphitheater at Daingerfield State Park in east Texas.
• Take a sunset stroll along Tom Mays Trail at El Paso's Franklin Mountains State Park, America's largest urban wilderness area. Interested parties must reserve a place for the promenade at least one day in advance.
• Witness the sun's ascent and descent during morning and evening hiking tours along Lake Texana State Park in Edna.
• Three miles of woodland trails are a welcome sight for walkers at Mother Neff State Park near the small town of Moody. Hikes are scheduled between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.
• See haunting images of an ancient world as you walk toward the pictographs decorating Flat Bell Shelter at Seminole Canyon State Park and Historic Site near Comstock.
• Guided treks will take place at 10 a.m. (a one-hour ranger-led walk), noon (a 1.5 hour hike) and 2 p.m. (a 2.5 hour journey) at Stephen F. Austin State Park near Sealy.
For more information:• visit
www.americanhiking. orgBastrop State Park: 512/321-1673
Brazos Bend State Park: 979/553-5101
Caddo Lake State Park: 903/679-3351
Daingerfield State Park: 903/645-2921
Franklin Mountain State Park: 915/566-6441
Lake Texana State Park: 361/782-5718
Mother neff State Park: 254/853-2389
Seminole Canyon State Park: 432/292-4464
Stephen F. Austin State Park: 979/885-3613
Labels: Bastrop, Comstock, Edna, El Paso, June Festivals, Moody, Needville, Sealy
posted by Grace Sydney @ 4:19 PM
Texas Celebrity Travel, January 2008
At the start of the new year, TexasTripper takes a look back at some of the stars who celebrated part of the holiday season in the Lone Star state, and looks forward to the celebrities that Texas travelers may be lucky enough to see in the near future.
Austin
Fans of the NBC hit "Friday Night Lights" will have the chance to see their favorite stars go from the football field to the fairway when Kyle Chandler and his Lubbock-born co-star Brad Leland perform hosting duties at the first annual Beyond the Lights Celebrity Golf Classic on March 7, 2007. Held in support of the Spinal Cord Injury Foundation Gridiron Heroes and The Buonicondi Fund, friendly competition will be par for the course as cast members Zach Gilford, Taylor Kitsch, Connie Britton, Gaius Charles, Jesse Plemons and Dana Wheeler-Nicholson tee off at the Wolfdancer Golf Club at the Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort and Spa, located on the outskirts of Austin near Bastrop.
"Miss Congeniality" in real life as well as on screen, the
Austin American-Statesman reported that actress Sandra Bullock provided Christmas cheer for the crew of Bess, her Austin eatery, at another capital city dining staple, the Belmont. The West Sixth Street establishment offers a number of areas for holiday parties, ranging from the intimate confines of The Carlyle room, where up to 30 guests can sample the restaurant's American cuisine beneath the glitter of crystal chandeliers, to the impressive outdoor patio, where oversized umbrellas and swaying palm trees shelter hundreds of patrons from the Lone Star sun as they enjoy their meal.
DallasThe entertainment world's latest dynamic duo, Tony Romo and Jessica Simpson, dined on delectable delicacies from several of The Big D's leading restaurants in December. According to The Dallas Morning News, the Cowboys quarterback and America's sweetheart sampled fajitas during a recent repast at Cantina Laredo, a dining establishment deemed one of the 12 best restaurants in the city. The famished football star and the blonde beauty also satisfied their cravings with French-influenced fare at La Madeleine, where they mulled over a menu featuring such provencal pastries as chocolate-almond croissants and strawberry Napoleon, which offer a sweet treat for patrons after dining on such main course items as chicken crepe riviera and Mediterranean pasta.
Before belting out his biggest hits at the American Airlines Center, Grammy winner Billy Joel checked himself into the Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek, a five-star sanctuary ranked the top hotel in the country by Zagat. As is the case in each of the hotel's 143 guest rooms, fresh flowers decorated the Terrace Suite, where The Piano Man unpacked his luggage during his stay, the Dallas Morning News reports.
Star sightings are frequent at The Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek. Just days after Billy Joel checked out of the regal retreat, the members of Duran Duran dropped by. According to
The Dallas Morning News, the perennial pop group gathered at the Mansion Bar, where patrons sip on spirits as they lounge on leather chairs by a stone hearth and soak up the smooth sounds performed by jazz musicians each Wednesday through Saturday night.
A few weeks before celebrating her first Christmas as Mrs. Mike Modano, singer and former "Dancing with the Stars" contestant Willa Ford helped to ring in the holiday season at a fashion forward charity event held at Forty Five Ten's T Room, the Dallas Morning News reports. The latest collections by Stella McCartney, Givenchy, Alexander McQueen and other doyens of the designing world hang on racks at the McKinney Avenue boutique, which also offers an eclectic array of home decor and apothecary items for the discerning denizens of Dallas.
El PasoWhen the upcoming drama The Burning Plain his theaters in 2009, Southwestern General Hospital will share screen time with actress Charlize Theron. According to El Paso Inc., the Academy Award winner shot scenes at The Sun City's health care facility from December 10 - 13, 2007.
During its three decades in business, actor Tommy Lee Jones, The Eagles' frontman Don Henley and President George W. Bush have been among the famous faces who have traveled far and wide for a taste of The Little Diner's tortillas. In December, the down home dining establishment in Canutillo became a celebrity in its own right, as The Little Diner's south of the border fare was featured as a category in the daytime game show, Jeopardy!, the
El Paso Times reported.
Labels: Austin, Dallas, El Paso, Texas celebrity travel
posted by Paris and John @ 2:26 PM
