Cowboys, Coast, and Culture: Discover the Real Texas on Vacation" is a captivating and comprehensive book that takes readers on an exciting journey through the second-largest state in the USA. With a blend of rich cultural influences, breathtaking natural beauty, and a deep history, Texas offers a wealth of adventures and experiences. In this book, readers will be guided through the diverse facets of Texas, from vibrant cities to vast landscapes and the unique cowboy culture. Chapter by chapter, you'll explore the highlights of Texas, from the bustling metropolises of Austin and Houston to the picturesque Hill Country regions and legendary BBQ restaurants. Learn about the history of Texas, from the Texan Independence battles to the cultural influences of Mexican, German, and African American communities. Immerse yourself in Austin's vibrant music scene, savor delicious Tex-Mex cuisine, and embark on journeys to impressive national parks and historic sites. The book also provides practical information on the best road trips through Texas and the state's international airports, making trip planning a breeze. "Cowboys, Coast, and Culture: Discover the Real Texas on Vacation" is an essential companion for anyone looking to explore Texas, whether as a travel destination or as a source of inspiration. Dive into the fascinating world of Texas and let this comprehensive travel guide ignite your wanderlust.
"I come from Des Moines. Somebody had to." And, as soon as Bill Bryson was old enough, he left. Des Moines couldn't hold him, but it did lure him back. After ten years in England he returned to the land of his youth, and drove almost 14,000 miles in search of a mythical small town called Amalgam, the kind of smiling village where the movies from his youth were set. Instead he drove through a series of horrific burgs, which he renamed Smellville, Fartville, Coleslaw, Coma, and Doldrum. At best his search led him to Anywhere, USA, a lookalike strip of gas stations, motels and hamburger outlets populated by obese and slow-witted hicks with a partiality for synthetic fibres. He discovered a continent that was doubly lost: lost to itself because he found it blighted by greed, pollution, mobile homes and television; lost to him because he had become a foreigner in his own country.
With grit, poetry, and humor, Peter Heller, acclaimed author of The River and The Whale Warriors recounts his remarkable journey of discovery—of surfing, an entirely new challenge; of the ocean’s beauty and power; of the strange surf subculture; of love; and, most of all, of how to seek adventure while crafting a meaningful life. Author of the New York Times bestselling novel The Dog Stars Winner of the National Outdoor Book Award for Literature Having resolved to master a big-hollow wave—that is, to go from kook (surfese for beginner) to shredder—in a single year, Heller travels from Southern California down the coast of Mexico in the company of his girlfriend and the eccentric surfers they meet. Exuberant and fearless, Heller explores the technique and science of surfing the secrets of its culture, and the environmental ravages to the stunning coastline he visits. As Heller plumbs the working of his own heart and finds joy in both love and surfing, he affords readers vivid insight into this fascinating world, with all of its perils and pleasures, its absurdity and wonder. Exhilarating, entertaining, and moving, Kook is a love story between a man and his surfboard, a man and his girlfriend, a not-so-old man and the sea.
NATIONAL BOOK CRITICS CIRCLE AWARD FINALIST • The Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Looming Tower—and a Texas native—takes us on a journey through the most controversial state in America. • “Beautifully written…. Essential reading [for] anyone who wants to understand how one state changed the trajectory of the country.” —NPR Texas is a red state, but the cities are blue and among the most diverse in the nation. Oil is still king, but Texas now leads California in technology exports. Low taxes and minimal regulation have produced extraordinary growth, but also striking income disparities. Texas looks a lot like the America that Donald Trump wants to create. Bringing together the historical and the contemporary, the political and the personal, Texas native Lawrence Wright gives us a colorful, wide-ranging portrait of a state that not only reflects our country as it is, but as it may become—and shows how the battle for Texas’s soul encompasses us all.
Get to know the fiery spirit, Southern hospitality, and big personality of the Lone Star State. Inside Moon Texas you'll find: Strategic itineraries for every budget and timeline, from a Route 66 road trip to quick getaways to the Hill Country, Big Bend National Park, and more Unique ideas and can't-miss activities: Learn the meaning of Texas pride at the Alamo, marvel at the original Mission Control at the NASA Space Center, or explore JFK's legacy at the Sixth Floor Museum in Dallas. Sample authentic, smoky barbecue, classic Tex-Mex staples, and down-home Southern cooking. Catch a show in the "Live Music Capital of the World," or learn the moves at a honky-tonk in Hill Country. See the striking sunset over the Palo Duro Canyon, stroll along the Padre Island National Seashore, or watch a genuine cowboy cattle heard at a classic Texas ranch Honest advice from Austin local Andy Rhodes on when to go, where to stay, and how to get around Thorough background information on the state's culture, history, geography, and regional vernacular Full-color photos and detailed, easy-to-use maps throughout Focused coverage of Dallas and Fort Worth, Austin and the Hill Country, San Antonio and South Texas, Houston and East Texas, the Gulf Coast, El Paso and West Texas, the Big Bend Region, and the Panhandle Plains With Moon Texas' practical tips and local insight, you can plan your trip your way. Exploring more of Texas? Try Moon Austin, San Antonio & The Hill Country or Moon Dallas & Fort Worth. If you're hitting the road, check out Moon Southwest Road Trip.
With the warmth and humor we've come to know, the creator and host of A Prairie Home Companion shares his own remarkable story. In That Time of Year, Garrison Keillor looks back on his life and recounts how a Brethren boy with writerly ambitions grew up in a small town on the Mississippi in the 1950s and, seeing three good friends die young, turned to comedy and radio. Through a series of unreasonable lucky breaks, he founded A Prairie Home Companion and put himself in line for a good life, including mistakes, regrets, and a few medical adventures. PHC lasted forty-two years, 1,557 shows, and enjoyed the freedom to do as it pleased for three or four million listeners every Saturday at 5 p.m. Central. He got to sing with Emmylou Harris and Renée Fleming and once sang two songs to the U.S. Supreme Court. He played a private eye and a cowboy, gave the news from his hometown, Lake Wobegon, and met Somali cabdrivers who’d learned English from listening to the show. He wrote bestselling novels, won a Grammy and a National Humanities Medal, and made a movie with Robert Altman with an alarming amount of improvisation. He says, “I was unemployable and managed to invent work for myself that I loved all my life, and on top of that I married well. That’s the secret, work and love. And I chose the right ancestors, impoverished Scots and Yorkshire farmers, good workers. I’m heading for eighty, and I still get up to write before dawn every day.”
Inside Lonely Planet's Route 66 Road Trips: Up-to-date information - all businesses were rechecked before publication to ensure they are still open after 2020's COVID-19 outbreak Lavish color and gorgeous photography throughout Itineraries and planning advice to pick the right tailored routes for your needs and interests Get around easily - easy-to-read, full-color route maps, detailed directions Insider tips to get around like a local, avoid trouble spots and be safe on the road - local driving rules, parking, toll roads Essential infoat your fingertips - hours of operation, phone numbers, websites, prices Honest reviews for all budgets - eating, sleeping, sightseeing, hidden gems that most guidebooks miss Useful features - including Stretch Your Legs,Detours, Link Your Trip Covers Los Angeles, Chicago, St Louis, Kansas, California, Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Illinois and more The Perfect Choice: Lonely Planet Route 66 Road Trips is perfect for exploring Route 66 in the classic American way - by road trip! Planning a Route 66 trip sans a car? Lonely Planet's USA guide, our most comprehensive guide to the USA, is perfect for exploring both top sights and lesser-known gems. Looking for a guide focused on a specific Route 66 city? Check out the Lonely Planet Chicago guide or the Los Angeles, San Diego & Southern California guide for a comprehensive look at all that these cities have to offer, or Pocket Chicago and Pocket Lose Angeles, handy-sized guides focused on the can't-miss sights for a quick trip. There's More in Store for You: For more road-tripping ideas, check out Lonely Planet's USABest Trips guides to Southwest USA, Florida & the South or New York & the Mid-Atlantic's Best Trips guide or Road Trips guides to Pacific Coast Highways, to San Antonio, Austin & Texas Backcountry or the Civil War Trail Also, check out Lonely Planet's European Best Trips guides to Europe or Road Trips guides to Iceland's Ring Road, Normandy & D-Day Beaches, or the Amalfi Coast eBook Features: (Best viewed on tablet devices and smartphones) Downloadable PDF and offline maps prevent roaming and data charges Effortlessly navigate and jump between maps and reviews Add notes to personalize your guidebook experience Seamlessly flip between pages Bookmarksand speedy search capabilities get you to key pages in a flash Embedded links to recommendations' websites Zoom-in maps and images Inbuilt dictionary for quick referencing About Lonely Planet: Lonely Planet is a leading travel media company, providing both inspiring and trustworthy information for every kind of traveler since 1973. Over the past four decades, we've printed over 145 million guidebooks and phrasebooks for 120 languages, and grown a dedicated, passionate global community of travelers. You'll also find our content online, and in mobile apps, videos, 14 languages, armchair and lifestyle books, ebooks, and more, enabling you to explore every day. 'Lonely Planet guides are, quite simply, like no other.' New York Times 'Lonely Planet. It's on everyone's bookshelves; it's in every traveler's hands. It's on mobile phones. It's on the Internet. It's everywhere, and it's telling entire generations of people how to travel the world.' Fairfax Media (Australia)
"Immensely illuminating and enjoyable account of a road trip along Highway 83 ... Books like [Reynold's] prove that good travel writing remains not only very much alive, but essential."--The Bookseller In Slow Road to Brownsville, David Reynolds embarks on a road trip along Highway 83, a little-known two-lane highway built in 1926 that runs from Swan River, Manitoba, to the Mexican border at Brownsville, Texas, on the Gulf of Mexico. Growing up in a small town in England, Reynolds was enthralled by both the myth of the Wild West and the myth of the open road. This road trip is his exploration of the reality behind these myths as he makes his way from small town to small town, gas station to gas station, and motel to motel, hanging out in bars, drinking with the locals, and observing their sometimes-peculiar customs. Reynolds also wanted to see the country where the Sioux, the Cheyenne, the Comanches, the Apaches, and other native groups lived and died and to look at how their descendants live now. He describes the forced location of the Cheyenne people, discovers the true story of the Alamo, and finds similarities between Sitting Bull's tours and those of the Black
Get to know the fiery spirit, Southern hospitality, and larger-than-life personality of the Lone Star State. Inside Moon Texas you'll find: Strategic itineraries, from a Route 66 road trip to quick getaways to the Hill Country, Big Bend National Park, and more The top sights and unique activities: Learn the meaning of Texas pride at the Alamo, marvel at the original Mission Control at the NASA Space Center, or explore JFK's legacy at the Sixth Floor Museum in Dallas. Catch a show in the "Live Music Capital of the World," or learn the moves at a honky-tonk in Hill Country. See the striking sunset over the Palo Duro Canyon, stroll along the Padre Island National Seashore, or watch a genuine cowboy herd cattle at a classic Texas ranch The best local flavors: Dig in to authentic, smoky barbecue, classic Tex-Mex staples, and down-home Southern cooking Honest advice from Austin local Andy Rhodes on when to go, where to stay, and how to get around Thorough background on the state's culture, history, geography, and regional vernacular Full-color photos and detailed, easy-to-use maps throughout Focused coverage of Dallas and Fort Worth, Austin and the Hill Country, San Antonio and South Texas, Houston and East Texas, the Gulf Coast, El Paso and West Texas, the Big Bend Region, and the Panhandle Plains With Moon Texas' practical tips and local insight, you can plan your trip your way. Exploring more of Texas? Try Moon Austin, San Antonio & The Hill Country or Moon Dallas & Fort Worth. If you're hitting the road, check out Moon Southwest Road Trip.
