Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail
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Texas Texas . .4 It’s so much more than you think Texas Signature Events . .6 Fruit, flowers and all sorts of fun Prairies & Lakes . .8 8 Town & Country Big Bend Country . .10 The Great Southwest Panhandle Plains . .11 Typically Texan Texas Hill Country . .12 Central Paradise South Texas Plains . .15 Multicultural Mix Gulf Coast . .16 Texas Riviera Piney Woods . .22 16 Southern Charm TEXAS – A SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT TO THE OCTOBER 2006 ISSUE OF CANADIAN TRAVELLER Published 12 times a year by 1104 Hornby Street, Suite 203 Vancouver, British Columbia Canada V6Z 1V8 Tel: (604) 699-9990 THE DESTINATION SALES RESOURCE FOR TRAVEL PROFESSIONALS Contents © 2006 by ACT Communications Inc. Fax: (604) 699-9993 Printed in Canada All Rights Reserved. ISBN 1207-1463 531 Canadian Traveller • October 2006 • TEXAS 3 B V C N I T S U Texas A It's so much more than you think here really is so much to see, do West is Best the state. From Chinese New Year celebrations and experience in Texas it is hard Saddle up and head to one of almost 100 guest to Wurstfest, a celebration of sausage, from to know where to start. There is ranches in Texas that welcome guests, even Hispanic religious festivals to St. Patrick's the fabled western culture alive city slickers. With plenty of Western hospi- Day parades, the different ethnic communities in guest ranches, museums, tality these ranches let you test your cowboy that call Texas home welcome everyone to Trestaurants and music halls across the state. skills and get a taste of authentic cowboy tradi- enjoy their hospitality and traditions. But there are also 26 ethnic cultures in Texas tions. One of the best places to see it all is at the that have left their unique stamp on the way of Dude ranches are sprinkled all over Texas Institute of Texan Cultures in San Antonio. A life here. from the wildflower meadows of the hill rich variety of exhibits highlight all 26 ethnic There is the rough and tumble oil industry country to the rugged canyons and the and cultural groups in the state. Learn about how whose barons have spent their wealth on peaceful shores of local lakes. After a day in immigrants arrived, how they lived, what they exquisite art galleries, unique museums and the saddle, dude ranch guests can lie by the ate and how they contributed to Texas society. elegant performing facilities. There are the pool, spin a tale around a campfire and get gleaming urban areas of Dallas/Fort Worth, their grub from the chuckwagon. Fine Arts, Fine Places San Antonio and Houston, and there are Ranching not quite for you? For a taste of One of the unique things about Texas cities is countless small communities with proudly Western culture visit Billy Bob's Texas in Fort their designated cultural districts. Dallas, restored main streets and town squares. Worth. It's the largest honky tonk in the world. Fort Worth, Houston and San Antonio all have There is riding in the rolling hills, hiking in Or visit the National Cowgirl Museum and special areas in their downtown core that the mountains and lounging on the beach. Hall of Fame in Fort Worth. Experience life in house galleries, museums and performance There is some of the best golf in the world. And the Old West at the Panhandle-Plains spaces along with a lively nightlife. more then 400 species of birds to be watched Historical Museum near Amarillo. Tour the Then there is the music – Texas-style. along the Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail. King Ranch on the Gulf Coast and see where Austin, the state capital, is also known as the Best of all, there is always a warm Texas the Texas ranching legend began. “Live Music Capital of the World” and has welcome, no matter where you go. more than 100 live music venues. It is also the One State, Many Cultures site of the annual South by Southwest and People from all over the world have Austin City Limits music festivals. settled in Texas, adding their own distinct Living up to the reputation of doing things influences to the food, art and customs of big in Texas, the 18-day Kerrville Folk Texas Facts Climate Texas’ climate is varied, but with one predominant characteristic – sunshine. Almost the entire state experiences daytime highs in over 32° C during July and August. Winters are usually mild with daytime high temperature averages ranging from less than 10° C north into the teens to the south. Fall daytime highs average in the mid to upper 20s and lows run between 5° C and 15° C. Springtime (March - June) has daytime high averages that range through the 20s getting warmer moving from the north to the south. Time Texas is on Central Standard Time, the same as Winnipeg and one hour earlier than Eastern Standard Time, except for El Paso which is on Mountain Time. B V C Texas is one of the best places in North I T S Information I R America to go birding. The Great Texas H C Get more Information on travel to Texas by calling 1-888-297-9472,or visit www.TravelTex.com.The Texas S Coastal Birding Trail is an 800-kilometre, U P R Department of Transportation operates 11 visitor information centres throughout the state. Eight are O C self-guided route that features designated viewing areas. located at major highway entrances to Texas; one is in Harlingen; one is in the Judge Roy Bean Visitor Center in Langtry; and one is on the grounds of the Texas State Capitol in Austin.All boast WiFi access. 4 TEXAS • October 2006 • Canadian Traveller 52 With more than 900 courses to play, Surf's Up! Texas is one of the top golf destina- The beaches of the Texas Gulf Coast are tions in the U.S. Choose from a wide warm, scenic and plentiful. So pack your range of layouts that match every swimsuit, snorkel, bucket and shovel, and level of play or take a tour of the head to the white sandy shores of Texas. world’s best at Tour 18 in both On Galveston Island there is always Dallas/Fort Worth and Houston. something going on from volleyball tourna- ments to seaside concerts. In Corpus Christi play on the beach When you visit the South Texas Plains then visit the Texas State Aquarium to see region play The Quarry Golf Club in San life below the Gulf Coast waters. Head over Antonio. Its back nine descends into a lime- to Padre Island and the Padre Island Nat- stone quarry. ional Seashore and see native plants and The Prairies and Lakes region boasts the animals including the endangered Kemp's Robert Trent Jones Jr.-designed course at the Ridley sea turtle. Mill Creek Golf Resort and Country Club Port Aransas is on Mustang Island and is near Salado. one of the few beaches in the U.S. where visitors Down on the Gulf Coast, the beautiful can go horseback riding along the beach. Columbia Lakes Resort outside Houston is set The booming resort town of South on a plantation. Padre Island attracts many "Winter Texans" PGA Tour The ultimate golf tourist attraction is Tour from Canada with its semi-tropical climate 18, located in both Houston and Dallas/Fort and swaying palm trees. d Stops in Texas Worth, where you can take a virtual tour of • The Shell Houston Open, Houston some of the most challenging and famous • The EDS Byron Nelson Classic, Irving holes in the world. Texas culture and history were influ- • The Bank of America Colonial, Fort Worth enced by 26 ethnic and cultural groups • The Valero Texas Open at La Cantera, Texas Outdoors that settled in the state. Discover this San Antonio Birders know that Texas is one of the best rich heritage in festivals, restaurants • The Kinko’s Classic,Austin places in North America to spot more than and heritage sites, or at the Institute • The SBC Championship, San Antonio 400 documented bird species. And the best of Texan Cultures in San Antonio. place to see them is the Great Texas Coastal Festival attracts more than 100 live singer/ Birding Trail, an 800-kilometre self-guided songwriters and their bands. route that has designated viewing areas. Lubbock's lively Depot District is the home There's more than just birding in Texas. of the Buddy Holly Center and the Buddy Deep sea fishing in Gulf Coast waters is Holly Symposium and Music Showcase. some of the finest anywhere. Sport species include sailfish, marlin, king mackerel and Texas Tee Time pompano. On shore, pier fishing and surf With more than 900 courses throughout the fishing are very popular. state, there is huge variety of terrain and Freshwater anglers head to Caddo Lake in every level of play in Texas. Here are some East Texas where record species include large- regional highlights. mouth bass and sunfish. In the Panhandle Plains tee off at the Off the water Big Bend National Park Quicksand Golf Course in San Angelo. is a hiker's paradise with several hundred Big Bend courses include the Painted kilometres of trails along with mountain trail Dunes in El Paso, and Marfa's municipal horseback riding and rafting or kayaking course which at 1,425 metres is the highest through the canyons of the Rio Grande River. in the state. At Big Bend Ranch State Park join a Bandera, in the Texas Hill Country, is home longhorn roundup in the spring and fall, to the Lost Valley Resort Ranch.