Texas Highways •

See Texas’ First Airplane at Midland International Airport

The small crowd that witnessed the first flight of John Valentine Pliska’s airplane likely held its collective breath. It was 1912—nine years after the Wright brothers’ groundbreaking flight—when the Austrian blacksmith’s plane became the first ever built and flown in Texas. His creation exhibited jury-rigged yet sturdy construction, incorporating wood, piano wire, and tin. Windmill parts formed much of the structure, and its wings, stretching 33 feet, were made of shellacked canvas.
Texas Highways •

My Hometown: Resilient Rockport-Fulton Restaurants Put Community First During COVID-19 Pandemic

“I love this town. I was born and raised here. We know our customers. I love the fact that they can come in and we already know what they want. It just feels like family. The community—the way that everybody came together after Harvey and helped us out—I want to be a part of that. I would never want to be away from that.” “Binh and I were in the same grade, and we had the same friends. We were in eighth grade when we actually hung out, and for some reason he was able to drive his dad’s shrimper
Texas Highways •

My Favorite Texas Trip: Growin' a Beard and Heading to Shamrock

“People that grow beards grow ‘em because they think they’ve got character.” – Roy Wardlow, competitive beard-grower, Growin’ a Beard. It began, as my adventures often do, at the Game Xchange in my hometown of Temple. Browsing the aisles with no money to spare, visiting home from college just months shy of my 20th birthday, my friends and I spot what we now know to be a gem: a 2003 short documentary entitled Growin’ a Beard.
Texas Highways •

Your Guide to the Perfect Texas Road Trip

Jetting off on vacation by plane has its advantages, like efficiency and built-in downtime. But the disadvantages can outweigh the upsides: Air travel means missing out on the freedom and sense of adventure that come with road-tripping. The open road affords unplanned discoveries and cultural oddities, taking in the view at a scenic overlook for however long you like, and the feeling of satisfaction when you stop and stretch your legs out in the fresh air.
Texas Parks and Wildlife Magazine •

Huntsville, Old and New

I’m no stranger to the town of Huntsville, population 40,000. My fiancé Jack attends Sam Houston State University, so I spend a lot of weekends there, but I know only how to find the grocery store and nothing of the hidden quirks and gems. For once, I want to see the city for what it is: a place full of rich Texas history, surprising art pieces and small-town charm. So, I set off on a familiar drive to see parts of Huntsville that are unfamiliar.
Texas Highways •

Fixer Upper Stars Chip and Joanna Gaines Unveil Plans to Open Downtown Waco Hotel

Chip and Joanna Gaines, stars of HGTV’s Fixer Upper and founders of popular shopping destination Magnolia Market at the Silos, are expanding their empire. On Oct. 3, the couple announced plans to open a hotel in downtown Waco’s historic Grand Karem Shrine, according to an article published in Architectural Digest. The former Masonic building is 91 years old and remains relatively unchanged since its construction, so the Gaineses have some fixing up to do.
Texas Monthly •

What the Writer Notes for ‘Urban Cowboy’ Teach Us About The Making of the Film

The first time Aaron Latham saw the uncut version of Urban Cowboy, the film based on an Esquire piece he wrote in 1978, he was worried. “I thought we had made a bad movie,” says Latham, who also co-wrote the screenplay. It was five hours long and began with a montage of John Travolta shaving, complete with closeups from every angle imaginable. They had gone overboard, even with an actor who Latham says was, at the time, “Elvis Presley famous.”
Texas Monthly •

Here’s How Asian American Texans Could Affect Next Week’s Election

Minority voter engagement in Texas is often viewed as an effort to get Hispanic and African Americans to the polls. But Asian Americans are now the fastest growing minority group in the country—accounting for an estimated 5 percent of Texans, according to U.S. Census data—and several observers believe they could have an impact on the November 6 election. That could have positive implications for Beto O’Rourke’s campaign, since most Asian Americans vote Democrat.
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