April-June 2017 Issue

Texans just can’t get enough of good classic Country and Western music – they drive to it, work to it, laugh and cry along to it and, especially dance to it. And, in a state where two-stepping is true-stepping those talented individuals who provide the same to avid audiences eager for a little sawdust shuffling are definitely held to the highest standards – standards like “Faded Love,” “Crazy Arms” and “Yo ...

You will not forget the taste of Round Rock Donuts. In fact, eating one of these distinctive glazed doughnuts may spoil you and you will not want to settle for anything less. Why? The only way to know is to go to Round Rock and try one. I guarantee you will not limit yourself to just one when you taste it.

 Most people know Waco as home to Baylor University. But it’s more than that. Much more. The city, located about halfway between Austin and Dallas, has 18 museums, an excellent zoo, expansive outdoor recreation, several fine restaurants and cafes, and some unusual shopping. Tourism has skyrocketed here recently. Estimates are that about 35,000 people visit Waco every week and the city is seeing more and more people from out-of-state who are staying longer and se ...

From the smiles and expressions of hope on the faces of the Meeks family that owns tourist cabins and event facilities on the banks of the Blanco River in Wimberley you would never know the devastation they faced two years ago when a wall of water more than 44 feet high rushed down that river and devoured nearly everything in sight. They are rebuilding.

Almost 100 years ago, after World War I had ended in 1918, an American woman, Moina Michael, having just re-read the poem, In Flanders Fields, which was already known around the world, pledged to wear a red poppy as a sign of remembrance.  And she wrote a response to that poem entitled, We Shall Keep the Faith.

You’re hungry. You’re craving pizza. Dirt Road Cookers will bake up a pizza for you, but you’d better be very hungry because it’s eight feet across. Yes, this pizza will feed you and your friends. It will feed your birthday party or church group or wedding party or neighborhood gathering or family reunion. It’s all done in a mobile, wood-fired pizza oven nearly the size of some modern s ...

You've probably already heard the bad news: honeybees are dying like flies.  And if they disappear our diets will change drastically.  These helpful insects pollinate a list of food plants as long as your uncle's arm.  It includes such favorites as apples, plums, peaches, Brussels sprouts, pears, okra, chocolate, broccoli, onions, coffee, apricots, beets, avocados, all sorts of beans, celery, figs, carrots, and on and on and on -- for another yard or two.   ...

 Savor the thought of a juicy ¼ lb. all beef hot dog on a pretzel bun, piled with chili, onions, cheese and jalapeños. You can order that dog by the name of “Bad Hombre” at Maui Shaved Ice & Dogz at the new food park in Fredericksburg, Texas. Or you might want to try their “Hot Red Neck” slathered in chili, coleslaw and jalapeños.

HAUTE FOODS By Heather Wagner If you’re like most Texans, then likely your first experience with food trucks was picking up breakfast tacos from the local taco truck in town. (And if you call them ‘tacos’, then you’re most certainly from ‘round here.) The best tasting tacos, I’d argue, are those that are made from fresh ingredients, rolled into a homemade tortilla and ser ...

 San Saba, home of the Armadillos and Harry’s and pecans, needs to be on your list of places to go this year. The small town, located on Hwy 16, just 36 miles to the north west of Lampasas, boasts an astonishing 64 events held throughout the year, according to Tony Guidroz, the Director for San Saba Economic Development & Tourism. In May, a new event will feature 13 performers, dances and more. San Saba Sounds of Shopping, scheduled for May 19-2 ...