LUFKIN – The April issue of Texas Highways is bursting with beauty as “The Spectacular Wow!” guides readers to four stunning wildflower drives. Featuring lesser-known places across Texas with potential for wonderful photographs and memories, each wildflower tour is comprised of helpful maps, text and astonishing images of the region.

 

From April 25 through May 31, the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in southwest Austin will feature a Texas Highways photo exhibit showcasing the springtime images in the April issue along with highlights from previous years. Stay tuned to TexasHighways.com and social media for more details.

 

Also in the April issue, visit modern and historic fusion along the Llano River where big-city commodities have been added to this 19^th century ranching community. Readers will discover the South Llano River State Park, Eckert James River Bat Preserve and the downtown Sandstone Cellars Winery.

 

Readers also learn “the ropes” at Milton Reimers Ranch Park, located 30 miles west of Austin. Offering rock-climbing routes for all skill levels, the park covers more than 2,000 acres along the Pedernales River and truly is an outdoor paradise, complete with mountain biking trails, swimming or paddling in the river, and birding and fishing opportunities.

Long-known for its wealth of innovative chefs, Dallas is now making a name for itself in the world of true Texas barbecue. Restaurants including Pecan Lodge, Lockhart Smokehouse, The Slow Bone and Ten 50 BBQ are opening in what some call an “underserved” area, the DFW Metroplex. 

 

There’s much more in the April issue, including a special tour of Space Center Houston’s Level 9; the Grand Masonic Lodge in Waco; the “Daytripper’s” guide to Johnson City; the revival of downtown Houston; as well as the rare beauty of Concho River pearls.

Throughout 2015, readers are invited to submit nominations for their favorite Texas comfort food dining establishments. Nominations will be collected over a period of several months and the Top 40 dining destinations will be revealed in a single Texas Highways issue this fall. Votes and suggestions can be submitted at texashighways.com/comfort or letters@texashighways.com. Submissions also may be mailed to P.O. Box 141009, Austin, TX 78714-1009.

 

Subscribers began receiving the April issue on March 10; the digital edition was released on March 12; and the hard-copy issue is on sale today at hundreds of newsstands statewide, including H-E-B, Target, Walmart, Randall’s and Barnes & Noble.

 

About Texas Highways magazine
Founded as a travel magazine in 1974, Texas Highways has been inspiring travel in Texas for 40 years. Today, Texas Highways has 200,000 subscribers and 400,000 monthly readers across the United States and around the world.

 

According to a 2014 economic impact study conducted by Strategic Marketing & Research Insights, approximately 54,000 trips by Texas Highways subscribers can be directly attributed to the magazine over the past two years. In addition, subscribers who already planned to take trips were influenced to extend their visits as a result of reading the magazine. For every dollar spent on operating costs, Texas Highways magazine returns $63 in travel revenue and $3.47 in tax revenue.

 

Texas Highways’ mission is to encourage travel to and within the state. According to estimates from the Texas Office of the Governor, Economic Development and Tourism division, travelers to and within Texas in 2013 spent more than $67.5 billion, an increase of 3 percent over 2012. This directly supported 601,000 jobs and generated $4.7 billion in state and local taxes.

 

To learn more about Texas Highways, visit www.texashighways.com. Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/texashighways and follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/texashighways.