Indholdsfortegnelse for May 2025 i Texas Highways Magazine

As a journalist, Matt Joyce was first interested in pigeons for their history carrying news dispatches. “Then I learned that humans have been using pigeons to deliver messages long before newspapers,” says the Wimberley-based writer who worked at Texas Highways for 10 years. “Exploring pigeon racing was a way for me to get a glimpse of an ancient tradition.” He wrote “Gone in Seven Seconds” (Page 74) about the birds, their history, and the people keeping their homing skills active. “Watching them make loops to get their bearings, you can’t help but marvel at their instinctual ability,” he says. Joyce also wrote about biking through the historic JA Ranch in the Panhandle for “Joy Rides” (Page 54).…

Power Trip AS YOU MIGHT IMAGINE, many of our stories are inspired by trips our staff members have taken across the state. In January 2024, Digital Product Manager Tyson Bird boarded Amtrak’s Texas Eagle train in Chicago after visiting family for the holidays. He found the journey back to Austin a relaxing and pleasant way to see the country—and popular, too, as the train was fully booked. His excursion sparked a discussion about all the ways to experience the state beyond the standard road trip. Bird is normally busy behind his laptop handling all aspects of our website, including a 2024 redesign that was recognized in March by the Society of Publication Designers alongside national publications like The Wall Street Journal, The New Yorker, and National Geographic. But he climbed…

DURING TYSON BIRD’S Big Bend adventure, he kept the Kia’s battery percentage above 10% but below 80% to maximize the charging speed. This window gave him about 100 miles of comfortable driving distance at 80 mph, which was enough to make it between chargers on Interstate 10. Fast chargers take 30-60 minutes, so he advises to build that time into your trip. DC FAST CHARGING There are three type of public chargers along Texas highways and in Austin SAE Combo/Combined Charging System (CCS) Used for: Most EVs, including BMW, Volkswagen, Audi, Hyundai, Porsche, Kia, and Chevrolet. CHAdeMO Used for: Select Nissan, Mitsubishi, and Kia models. North American Charging Standard (NACS) Used for: Tesla (at Superchargers), and 2025 models from Ford, General Motors, Rivian, Volvo, Polestar, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, and Honda. LEVEL…

BIG BEND COUNTRY DEL RIO Birding the Border May 1-4 This unique birding experience gives visitors the opportunity to bird-watch and find all kinds of bird species on private and restricted-access properties. Amistad National Recreation Area, 10477 US 90. 830-997-3452; wildlife.tamu.edu/birding/birding-the-border-2025 EL PASO Downtown Treasures Tour May 3 Learn the history of downtown sculptures, buildings, and murals, and compare styles of old and new artwork. Old Federal Courthouse Building., 511 E. San Antonio Ave. 915-533-0048; tomlea.com/events/tours EL PASO Mighty Mujer Triathlon May 3 At this all-female race, participants can choose to enter a super sprint triathlon, a sprint triathlon, a bike-run, a run/walk, or the two- and three-woman relay team event. Memorial Pool, 3251 Copper Ave. mightymujertriathlon.com/elpaso FORT STOCKTON Summer Off the Patio May 15-July 24 The Annie…

HILL COUNTRY: SAN MARCOS Mermaid Capital of Texas Fest May 9-18 THE TEXAS LEGISLATURE designated San Marcos the Mermaid Capital of Texas in 2021, and to celebrate the city hosts this annual event. Festivities include the Mermaid Promenade, with over 100 parade entries, and the Downtown Street Faire, featuring live music, food courts, and 140-plus vendors selling art and handcrafted goods. Downtown, 111 E. San Antonio St. mermaidsocietysmtx.com GALVESTON Yaga’s Wild Game and Barbecue Cookoff May 9-10 Celebrating 28 years, this family event features live music, a Friday night party, a silent auction, a 5K run, a kids area, and vendors. Moody Gardens, 1 Hope Blvd. 409-770-0999; ycfgalveston.org HOUSTON Private Lives May 23-June 15 Alley Theatre presents Noel Coward’s timeless romantic comedy with a fresh twist: Audiences are transported from 1930s…

AT 24 YEARS OLD, A.J. High took off from A Houston as a copilot on the first flight of the newly formed Trans-Texas Airways. It was Oct. 11, 1947, and the former World War II bomber pilot from Cleburne flew a DC-3, a propeller-driven military-style airliner. He knew it as the “Gooney Bird”—an iconic design resembling an Airstream trailer with wings. The plane’s rear landing gear consisted of a small, fixed wheel beneath the tail fin, making it a tail dragger. The plane, filled with local dignitaries, stopped in Palestine, Dallas, and Fort Worth before landing in San Angelo for a barbecue luncheon. On its return trip, a hydraulic line burst near the plane’s cockpit, soaking High’s double-breasted uniform. “As co-pilot, I knew enough about hydraulics to know that we…

I’M THIS CLOSE TO MY DREAM of flying private when I board a JSX public charter flight from Houston to Dallas. Headquartered in Dallas, JSX is a hop-on air carrier with flights in nine states, including Texas, and Mexico. As I stroll across the tarmac and climb the stairs of the small aircraft, I can’t help feeling a bit like Matthew McConaughey or Selena Gomez. It’s the ultimate in luxury and convenience. It starts before I even leave the house. I have a second cup of coffee—there’s no need to be at JSX’s dedicated hangar until 20 minutes before my flight. Once I arrive, there are no crowds. After a quick ID check, I hand over my bag, take a seat in the quiet lounge, and watch as my fellow flyers relax in…

DAVE LINK LIFTS THE BINOCULARS from his patio table and scans the deep blue sky eastward over his Canyon neighborhood in the Panhandle. Two Eurasian collared doves alight on a nearby utility line. In the gusty wind, a red-tailed hawk soars over the backyard. Link is looking for something else, though—his racing pigeons. “The key question is, ‘Will mine break from the group?’” Link wonders. “If they go to Amarillo, I’m screwed. They really need to break away at Shamrock.” Link is president of the Amarillo Pigeon Racing Club and has played this waiting game many times, going back to his childhood in suburban Chicago. But the stakes are high on this Saturday in September. It’s the first race of the “young bird” season, featuring an untested group of pigeons…

AARON FRANKLIN HAS BEEN ON FIRE since ushering in Texas’ new era of craft barbecue when he opened his eponymous East Austin trailer in 2009, followed by a brick-and-mortar in 2011. In 2015, his heartfelt, rustic fare, slow-cooked in post-oak smoke, earned him a James Beard Award. And in 2017, he co-founded the Austin food festival Hot Luck Fest in the style of his laid-back personality. “The feeling is that you’re hanging out in your best friend’s backyard, grilling steaks, drinking cold beer, and your best friend just happens to be one of the best chefs in the country,” Franklin says. While steak might seem special at a cookout, Franklin admits it’s a bit “basic” for Hot Luck. Instead, dozens of locally beloved and nationally renowned chefs have served up…

1962 THE VAST, painted landscapes of West Texas are best appreciated from great heights. This tramway, photographed in 1970, was installed in 1959 by a local radio station for its technicians to service a transmitter antenna. It was subsequently gifted to the state, and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department opened the Wyler Aerial Tramway to the public in 2001. A dizzying 900-foot ascent out of the Franklin Mountains to the top of Ranger’s Peak took four minutes on a clear day, leading visitors to the windswept viewing platform to revel in a scene of rugged slopes; steep canyons; and a vista encompassing three states, two countries, and 7,000 square miles of stark southwestern desert. Despite its local popularity—about 45,000 visitors per year took it for a spin—concerns regarding the…

Turtle-y Awesome Did you know there are five species of sea turtles in the U.S., and all of them can be found here in Texas? Our coast is crucial to the survival of our adorable reptilian friends, as are the Texans who’ve made it their mission to help them. That’s why on March 1, Sea Turtle Inc., a nonprofit sea turtle rescue on South Padre Island, debuted a new sea turtle hospital—the largest of its kind in the world. Crowd Pleaser Be a part of Texas music history by attending a live taping of Austin City Limits. On Oct. 17, 1974, the show taped its pilot episode, featuring none other than the Red Headed Stranger: Willie Nelson. As the show kicks off its 51st year, we offer tips and tricks…

A WEEK BEFORE CHRISTMAS IN 2023, my family took a trolley tour through Waco’s light-adorned neighborhoods, sipping hot chocolate while our expert guide, Lori Davidson, shared local history with a sprinkle of holiday cheer. The Waco Trolley is a passion project for Davidson, a former teacher and lifelong history buff. We answered trivia questions; stopped and explored elaborate light displays; and befriended the 20 other trolley riders, who ranged from elementary school kids to great-grandparents. The trolley—really, a climate-controlled bus retrofitted to look like one—is reminiscent of the electric streetcars that once crossed more than 20 miles of Waco starting in the 1890s. Outside of the holiday season, the Waco Trolley hosts tours exploring local history, street art, and attractions like Cameron Park and the bustling downtown. Trolley To It…

IT’S POSSIBLE TO CAPTURE the romance of traversing the country by rail without ever leaving the station: book a stay in a hotel built in the golden age of train travel. The city of Palestine owes much of its existence to the railroad. The International Railroad and the Houston and Great Northern Railroad converged in the town in the late 1870s. The community features about 1,800 historical markers and buildings, many from rail’s heyday—and The Redlands Hotel is at the center of that history. Constructed downtown in 1914, the five-story brick building was a popular high-end hotel until the economic downturn that accompanied World War I. After serving as railroad company offices for nearly 40 years, the building stood empty for about 20 years until Jean Mollard and her late…

ESTSELLING AUTHOR KATHERINE Center B is practically Houston royalty. Her mother’s maiden name, Detering, graces a street in the Rice Military neighborhood; her younger sister, Lizzie Fletcher, is a U.S. Representative for southwestern Houston and Harris County; and her uncle Herman owned and operated Detering Book Gallery for 30 years. Center knew from a young age the literary life was for her. She wrote her first novel in the sixth grade at St. John’s School and went on to attend Vassar College in New York, where she won the College Fiction Prize. She returned to Houston to get her master’s in fiction at the University of Houston and stayed to raise a family. Center spent many years working on “serious” short stories, essays, and poems. But it wasn’t until she…

WHEN HOUSTON NATIVES Kim and Sean Ballesteros purchased a second home 465 miles away in the West Texas community of Sanderson, they wanted their vacation to begin the moment they walked out the door. “We didn’t want the hassle of driving,” Kim says. “We live close to the train station in Houston—we literally listen to the chug of the train every day. And we thought, instead of just listening to it, why don’t we experience it?” Their first journey on the Sunset Limited turned a trip to their vacation home into an adventure, and they’ve since made it a tradition. For them, the allure of the rails, combined with convenience, beats any alternative. The couple always upgrades to a roomette, a private room that converts to a sleeping car, for…

AS I STEP UP into the 55-passenger McKeever train, volunteer David Cenova offers some advice: “Don’t let the mannequins startle you.” It’s a tip I come to deeply appreciate about six seconds into our tour, when I peek into the first section of the 83-foot McKeever and encounter a mannequin outfitted with a long blonde wig, a blue-and-white polka-dot dress, blood red lipstick, and a painted-on expression that seems on the verge of panic. Despite Cenova’s warning, the mannequin puts me in a similar state of unease. Long before mannequins populated the train, the McKeever, built by the Pullman Company, started traveling between San Antonio and New York in 1924. It’s one of many restored train cars, tractors, buses, and model trains on display at the Texas Transportation Museum in…

DAYS BEFORE DÍA de los Muertos, an ultramarine ofrenda hugs the concrete blocks and a riot of marigold streamers flutters over the yard of Austin’s Mercado Sin Nombre. The modest café doesn’t yet have the budget for a proper sign—and only the buzzing line of customers snaking down the alley announces this is a place of business—but inside, chef Julian Maltby is quietly producing some of the city’s most innovative fare. What’s surprising about his cutting-edge perspective is that it’s built almost exclusively on the versatile foundation of corn. Though handmade masa is now widely used in Texas restaurants, a new generation of Mexican American chefs and bakers is looking beyond the tortilla. Instead of relying upon traditional steamed milk in his array of coffee drinks, Maltby uses atole, a…