LIVING TEXAS | STATEWIDE
Thoroughly Traversing Texas Got a yen to explore the Lone Star state? Pick up a travel guide from the Texas Historical Commission. By Hannah M. Hepfer
Curious where you can find the best antique shopping in East Texas? Or what small Texas town once earned the title “Tomato Capital of the World?” Answers to these questions and other lesser-known facts about Texas and its history can be found in free print and mobile travel guides distributed by the Texas Historical Commission. In January, the organization released the statewide Heritage Travel Guide — over 150 pages of historical descriptions of the state’s booming cities and sleepy towns. A large map, with markers for locations like the Sabine Pass Battleground State Historic site and the Fort McKavett State Historic site, is available in the middle of the guide. “It’s a good option if you’re not especially sure what you’d like to tour or see,” says Teresa Caldwell, state coordinator of the Texas Heritage Trails Program at the Texas Historical Commission.
Q: What industry, along with railroads, forged
the city of Lufkin in the late 1800s?
A: Timber
Q: What was Port Aransas’ original name? A: Mustang Island Q: What Texas museum hosts the Texas
Cowboy Poetry Gathering, which celebrates the working cowboy with poetry, stories and music?
State University
A: The Museum of the Big Bend at Sul Ross
Q: The namesake spring of this town is
believed to have gushed thousands of gallons of water before drying up in the 1920s.
A: Big Spring
22 Texas Lifestyle Magazine | Winter 2016
CREDITS: All images credit Texas Historical Commission
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Travelers can also choose from one of eight guides that focus on a unique theme pertaining to Texas history. Topics include an in-depth look at the role that Texas played in World War II to an overview of the Red River War of the late 1800s. All guides may be downloaded for quick access. For those that want a more interactive experience, six mobile apps are available for use as self-guided tours. Newly released, the apps feature images, videos, first-person interviews, maps, and guidance on how to explore sites. Topics include the La Salle Odyssey and the Historic Bankhead Highway, among others. Two more apps will be released soon: Hispanic Texas history and Town Square Walk-Around. “Feedback has been excellent so far,” says Caldwell. “They really make the stories come alive.” texastimetravel.com