First Taste of Texas

Up until very recently, I’d never had a Dr Pepper. I’m a born-and-raised Texan from Houston, and I’ve lived in this state for most of my life. But somehow the national soda of Texas eluded me until adulthood. To be fair, my brother and I didn’t grow up in a soda house, save for my mom’s daily Tab habit that ended when I was in high school. My excuse for missing out on Dr Pepper for all this time is that I never developed a taste for it in childhood. It’s like how they say learning a language is easier when you’re young. I never learned to crave the taste of a cold Dr Pepper.

I remedied this on a recent trip to the Dr Pepper Museum in Waco, where you can learn about the long history of the soda, see the largest Dr Pepper bottle on Earth, take home a jar of old soda bottle glass, and try the elixir straight from the fountain. After touring the grounds and educating myself on what I was about to drink, I tried my first sip of a classic Dr Pepper. It was a hot, bright May afternoon, and we found a shaded spot for the occasion. I was sold on the first sip.

Afterward, my coworkers and I stopped by Waco Mammoth National Monument, where a tour guide told us about nursery herd of Columbian mammoths that died on the grounds several millennia ago. We ended the day with a trip to the Magnolia Silo grounds for cookies and cupcakes. The drive home to Austin took us right up to sunset, which was one of those gorgeous, early summer showstoppers that turns the sky bright orange.

This is my favorite time of year in Texas, and I felt a bit fonder of my home state by the day’s end. I may have come to it late, but I finally have a taste for Dr Pepper, which tastes especially good in the shade on a hot day, surrounded by friends. To learn when other Texans most like to crack open a Dr Pepper, read the full story on our website. Cheers. —Hannah Smothers, Audience Engagement Editor

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AROUND THE STATE

New Braunfels

No two Texas campgrounds are the same, but only one can say it has an alpine coaster—a self-controlled thrill ride built directly into the topography of a region. That bragging right is reserved for Camp Fimfo Texas Hill Country, whose Cliff Carver weaves through the Ashe junipers and live oaks just outside New Braunfels.

Del Rio

Last October, an old cotton gin house in Del Rio reopened as Gin House Jazz Club, where guests can hear sets of jazz, blues, and easy listening tunes several nights of the week.

San Antonio

After a historic six-season playoff drought, the Spurs have once again defied expectations by making it to the finals to face off against the New York Knicks. Whether you’re a lifelong Spurs fan or are happily hopping on the bandwagon, contributing writer (and diehard Spurs fan) Cat Cardenas offers an insider’s guide to Spurs fandom.

ROADSIDE ODDITY

A faded blue sign with a star on top that reads Stardust Motel on the left side of a deserted road

CAT CARDENAS

The Stardust Motel Sign in Marfa

On US 90, on the western fringes of Marfa, sits the ghost of the Stardust Motel. Its chipped, faded blue sign melts into the washed denim hues of the West Texas sky. And after dark, its neon lights still sometimes glow red, beckoning photographers and far-flung visitors alike. But long before it was known as the Stardust, before it ever became a popular roadside landmark, the property spent its heyday operating under a different name entirely.

Learn Why You’ll Love Weekending Here

Road trip to College Station this summer for an unforgettable I Heart America Fourth of July, summer markets, soccer matches, seriously good food, and much more.

PLAN YOUR TRIP

STAY

An aerial view of a coastal resort surrounded by deep blue water

MATT RYAN

Cool Off at These Refreshing Coastal Resorts

Texans know that in the summer, you should never be too far from a body of water. If you’re not lucky enough to have a pool or live near a lake or ocean, booking a room at a hotel with a pool is the next best option. These lodgings across the state offer swimming amenities that are far from your average hotel pool.

GETAWAY

A person standing and pointing on a wooden bridge with the sun low on the horizon

TIFFANY HOFELDT

Unwind on a Weekend Getaway in Corpus Christi

Bordering Corpus Christi Bay and stretching across the upper Laguna Madre, Corpus Christi offers an open door to the coast. Extending north to Mustang Island and south along Padre Island National Seashore, the sprawling city offers access to the longest stretch of undeveloped barrier island in the world, along with plenty of inland sites.

OPEN ROAD

Illustration of a family with their dog sitting around a fire at a campsite

JASON STOUT

Fostering Family Bonds in the Piney Woods

Contributor Lacy M. Johnson takes us on her family camping trip in “Perfect Day,” an essay that details several perfect days spent in the Piney Woods.

“Over the years, camping has been the way we’ve gained a deeper understanding of the place we live in and of ourselves and one another. When we leave behind all the busyness and distractions of our lives in the city—our work and school obligations, our technologies, our extracurricular activities and errands—all pretense falls away. We become our true selves.”

TRAVEL NEWS

State Park Perks

Nearly 54,000 acres of ranch land in the Hill Country will soon become Silver Lake State Park, the second-largest state park in Texas. (San Antonio Report)

Bus to Buc-ee’s

As Fort Worth gears up to host the World Cup at Dallas Stadium, travelers from near and far can enjoy a shuttle bus that include a stop at a Buc-ee’s near Texas Motor Speedway. (Chron.com)

Schoolhouse Rocks

Liberty School, a one-room schoolhouse dating to the early 1900s, will be restored to its heyday in Carson County, offering visitors a look back at history. (Panhandle Herald)

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VINTAGE

Four women, hand-in-hand running through shallow water on a beach with many people behind them

ROBERT M. STENE/TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Life’s a Beach in Old Galveston

You might not know it if you’re only there to splash in the surf, but Galveston was once one of the wealthiest and most bustling cities in Texas. A magnet for shipping and finance, full of grand buildings and vast potential, the city took a direct hit from a catastrophic hurricane in 1900 that left it largely in ruins. Afterward, businesses, wealth, and status flowed to nearby Houston and stayed there. But the former “Queen City of the Gulf” has something Houston doesn’t: 30 miles of sandy beaches situated right on the Gulf. By 1972, Galveston had reemerged as a resort destination only a few hours from several of the state’s densest urban centers. It’s now a home for deep-sea fishing, nightlife, and the all-important shoreline fun that has drawn tourists, like those pictured here in the mid-20th century, for decades. Life, Galveston knows, can be a beach. Luckily, some time on the sand is something everybody wants. —Asher Elbein