Photos shot for the July issue
In this issue, two former summer magazine interns and their supervisor, Managing Editor Russell Roe, take us along on very different journeys.
Landry Allen started out writing about one Texas dead zone for us. Then our great friend Larry McKinney came in for the assist, resulting in a look at all Texas dead zones. Julia Jones spent her summer traveling around like Goldilocks, trying out some of the coolest places to spend that night at our state parks. And Russell introduces us to some of the greatest Texas landscape artists in preparation for a big upcoming state parks anniversary project.
Home Sweet Home
Texas state parks offer places for an overnight stay beyond your tent or RV.
State park visitors who long to extend their stay for more than a day have a variety of options when it comes to sleeping over. If you're not a fan of tent camping, don't despair — options at Texas state parks range from the comfort of Indian Lodge to the still-pretty-primitive screened shelters. What lies in between? Cabins, yurts and more.
My fiancé and I decide to explore state park lodging over one fun-filled summer. Like Goldilocks, we try every kind, looking for the one that was just right. Turns out, they are all "just right" in their own ways.
The Feel of the Place
Texas landscape artists provide windows into our natural world.
Amy Fulkerson, chief curator of San Antonio's Witte Museum, gives some thought to the question of whether Texas landscape painting has any acknowledged masterpieces.
She says different artists at different times rose to prominence and acclaim and may be recognized as masters of their form, such as Julian Onderdonk and José Arpa, both from the early 20th century San Antonio art scene. She points out that art is subjective in style and personal taste.
Finally, she lands on an answer.
Texas Dead Zones
Trapped layers of oxygen-starved water threaten the state's coastal wildlife and coral reefs.
It was early May of 1979, and my dive buddy and I were some four miles off the mouth of the Brazos River near Freeport. Jumping overboard, we allowed our heavy sampling gear to rapidly pull us to the muddy bottom 50 feet below.
We'd made these month sampling dives for two years and expected nothing new. Most of the time the water this close to the shore and the river had limited visibility, one or two feet at best. This dive started the same as all the others.
Twenty feet down, everything changed.
Keep Texas Wild
It's not just for kids. If you like nature-related topics in an easy-to-read format, you can find three years of our popular Keep Texas Wild issues and the teacher resources to go along with them.
