Begin 2024 well-caffeinated in Paint Rock on the way in which to the northwest.
About 3.5 hours northwest of Austin, Paint Rock Espresso Firm is a superb potty and pastry cease in your solution to the ski slopes. (Photograph by Gerald E. McLeod)
Sweeten your experience. On the lengthy drive to the northwest, whether or not it’s a ski journey or simply to go to northern New Mexico and all factors past, the route from Austin by means of Llano, Brady, and Sweetwater isn’t a foul solution to go. The trail additionally goes by means of the tiny settlement of Paint Rock, about 3.5 hours out of Austin. Which is simply in regards to the excellent time for a potty break, and the Paint Rock Espresso Firm is a superb consolation cease. Within the former financial institution constructing throughout the road from the Concho County Courthouse, the small espresso store serves cold and warm espresso drinks, ready-made tacos, and every kind of pastries with counter and drive-through service. Order the Friday Particular meal by Thursday at 4pm for pickup anytime on Friday. Or order an entire pie or cake to take with you. The supervisor, Celeste, mentioned they just lately painted over the cool previous financial institution signal on the entrance of the constructing with a pink “Espresso” as a result of individuals had been stopping on the lookout for a financial institution. Subsequent door to the espresso store is a small park with picnic tables with swings as seats and clear restrooms. The espresso firm additionally has a location in Lubbock at 2002 Broadway.
Paint Rock Espresso Firm, 112 San Saba St., Paint Rock, Day by day 8am-7pm, 325/977-8222, www.fb.com/p/Paint-Rock-Espresso-Co-PR
Visiting Balanced Rock in Huge Bend Nationwide Park shall be free for six days in 2024. (Photograph by Gerald E. McLeod)
Plan your go to. The Nationwide Park Service has introduced six free entrance days for 2024:
- • Jan. 15: Birthday of Martin Luther King Jr.
- • April 20: First day of Nationwide Park Week
- • June 19: Juneteenth
- • Aug. 4: Anniversary of the Nice American Outside Act
- • Sept. 28: Nationwide Public Lands Day
- • Nov. 11: Veterans Day
Of the 428 Nationwide Park Service websites, 17 are in Texas. Solely two are precise Nationwide Parks: Huge Bend and Guadalupe Mountains. The others are:
Reservations to go to nationwide parks in 2024 shall be open on Jan. 5, at www.recreation.gov. Park officers plan to carry a restricted variety of spots till one week prior to every entry date. A number of the hottest parks similar to Yosemite and Glacier would require advance reservation throughout peak durations.
Free entrance days, Nationwide Park Service,
www.nps.gov/planyourvisit/fee-free-parks.htm
Journey Notes:
Image this. A selfie of the Holm household leaping for pleasure in Palo Duro Canyon State Park was the grand prize winner of the Texas Parks and Wildlife photograph contest. TPWD has revealed the 17 different finalists and honorable point out images. The competition was a part of the State Parks’ a hundredth Anniversary Celebration in 2023.
Aggieland music. Proper earlier than Christmas, Michael Hearne introduced the lineup for the Bryan model of his fashionable Huge Barn Dance Music Competition held in Taos, N.M., for greater than 20 years. The Texas rendition occurs Could 3 and 4 with a Songwriter Sequence on Sunday, Could 5. The inaugural music pageant options the standard suspects together with Asleep on the Wheel, Gary P. Nunn, Rick Trevino, Shinyribs, and plenty of others. The Huge Barn Dance in Taos occurs on the weekend after Labor Day, Sept. 5-7.
Merry recollections. In 2024, the Texas Renaissance Competition celebrates its fiftieth anniversary. The annual recreation of Victorian England needs you to ship images of your visits to the fantasy village outdoors of Todd Mission. Together with digital copies of your favourite images ship your title and a favourite reminiscence of the pageant. The gathering shall be revealed later within the 12 months.
Allow them to eat cake. Many Christian religions around the globe have a good time the twelfth day of Christmas or the Epiphany with cake. This 12 months the holy day is widely known on Jan. 6. In French society it’s referred to as King Cake, however in Mexican tradition it’s Rosca de Reyes. Historically it’s a ring cake with a child figurine baked into the batter, topped with fruit within the colours of the Mexican flag. Getting the slice with the figurine is taken into account good luck. That particular person is anticipated to supply the tamales for Dia de la Candelaria on Feb. 2. Get your Rosca de Reyes recent from La Very best Bakery in Lockhart, however don’t wait till Jan. 6, as a result of they at all times promote out.
Different January Occasions:
Bounce to a area: Huge Bend | Gulf Coast | Hill Nation | Panhandle | Piney Woods | Prairies & Lakes | South Texas | Out of State
BIG BEND
The White Shaman pictograph taken on 2004 tour. (Photograph by Gerald E. McLeod)
White Shaman Protect Excursions
Jan. 6, 13, 20, 27, Comstock, www.wittemuseum.org/white-shaman-preserve
GULF COAST
Cistern Illuminated, Houston, by means of Jan. 7
Polar Plunge
Jan. 1, Surfside Seashore, www.visitsurfsidebeachtx.org
Cistern Illuminated
Jan. 1-Jan. 7, Houston, www.buffalobayou.org
Radiant Nature: See the Backyard Glow
Jan. 1-Feb. 29, Houston, www.hbg.org
Gospel Music Competition
Jan. 5-6, Rockport, www.gospelforce.org
Second Saturday within the District
Jan. 13, Rockport, www.rockportculturalartsdistrict.com
MLK Grande Parade
Jan. 15, Houston, www.mlkgrandeparade.org
Port Aransas Restaurant Week
Jan. 19-28, Port Aransas, www.portaransas.org/restaurant-week
Fowl Banding
Jan. 20, Lake Jackson, www.gcbo.org
HILL COUNTRY
Renewable Ramble – a New 12 months’s Day guided hike on the Colorado River Refuge
Jan. 1, Bastrop, pplt.org/preserves
Hair of the Canine Day
Jan. 1, Gruene, www.gruenehall.com
Jacob’s Properly outdoors of Wimberley has had points with the drought this 12 months, however is open for guided excursions. (Photograph by Gerald E. McLeod)
Guided Morning Excursions of Jacob’s Properly Pure Space
Jan. 7, 14, Wimberley, hayscountytx.com
Hill Nation Indian Artifact Present
Jan. 13, Fredericksburg, www.hillcountryindianartifacts.com
People Competition
Jan. 13, New Braunfels, texashandmadefurniture.com/livinghistory
Susanna’s Kitchen Coffeehouse Concert events
Jan. 18, Wimberley, www.wimberleyumc.org
An Night with Ottmar Liebert & Luna Negra
Jan. 19, New Braunfels, brauntex.org
Hill Nation Gem and Mineral Present
Jan. 20-21, Fredericksburg, www.fredericksburgrockhounds.wordpress.com
Kerrville Renaissance Competition
Jan. 20-21, 27-28, Feb. 3-4, Kerrville, www.kerrvillerenfest.com
Texas Kids’s Choir in Live performance
Jan. 21, Fredericksburg, www.fredericksburgmusicclub.com
Acoustic Eidolon Expertise
Jan. 27, Boerne, www.cavewithoutaname.com
Nebgen Historic Faculty Open Home
Jan. 27, Fredericksburg, historicschools.org
Texas Indian Heritage Affiliation Winter Powwow
Jan. 27, Llano, www.llanochamber.org
PANHANDLE
N.C. Wyeth and the Golden Age of American Illustration
Jan. 19-March 31, San Angelo, www.samfa.org
PINEY WOODS
Sam Rayburn Day
Jan. 6, Bonham, www.thc.texas.gov
Winter Fantasy Faire at Faire of Champions
Jan. 6-Feb.11, Palestine, www.faireofchampions.com
Artist Sequence continues at Caddo Mounds State Historic Web site on Jan. 19. (Photograph by Gerald E. McLeod)
Caddo Artist Sequence – Michael Sheyahshe – Workshop
Jan. 19, Caddo Mounds State Historic Web site, www.thc.texas.gov/news-events/calendar
PRAIRIES & LAKES
Dinosaurs Reside!
Jan. 1-Feb. 19, McKinney, www.heardmuseum.org
Central Monitor: Crossroads of Deep Ellum
Jan. 1-Could 31, Dallas, aamdallas.org
Pearl Bluegrass Jam
Jan. 6, Gatesville, www.pearlbluegrassjam.org
Ray Wylie Hubbard in Live performance
Jan. 12-13, La Grange, www.thebugleboy.org
Practice Present
Jan. 19-21, Plano, www.fb.com/dfwtrainshows
Lunar New 12 months
Jan. 26-28, Feb. 2-4, 10-11, Grand Prairie, www.asiatimessquare.com
SOUTH TEXAS
Washington’s Birthday Celebration
Jan. 25-March 2, Laredo, www.wbcalaredo.org
Robert Burns Night time
Jan. 27, San Antonio, scottishsociety-sa.org/annual-burns-nicht
OUT OF STATE
Mardi Gras Twelfth Night time
Jan. 6, Lake Charles, www.visitlakecharles.org/swlamardigras
Gerald McLeod has been touring round Texas and past for his “Day Journeys” column for greater than 25 years. Preserve updated together with his journeys on his archive web page and observe him on Fb.
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