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Fall Is Here - Get Outdoors
 | | Fall at Lake Bob Sandlin |
Finally, we made it through the record heat and the fires! Now we'll have something else to talk about besides the heat and fires.
Fall is finally here and it's time to get out and go hiking, biking, camping, hunting, fishing, golfing, and all that other fun stuff we can do in Texas when it cools down! This newsletter will have some suggestions on fun things to do over the next couple of months.
We still need to conserve water and pray for some rain to help the farmers and ranchers, fill the lakes, allow us to water the landscaping and cook marshmallows over the campfire, green up the golf course conditions, cut down on the fires, and bring back some of the businesses impacted by the Texas drought.
Our hearts and prayers go out to everyone that was impacted by the fires and drought and a special thanks to the firefighters. The economic impact to Texas has been over five billion and businesses ranging from fishing guides to tubing rental outfitters to golf courses to farmers to restaurants to gardeners to cattle barons and lots more have had a tough go for the last several months. |
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DON'T MISS THIS!!!!!!!!!
Wow, it doesn't get much better than two days of music with some of the best Texas singer
songwriters at the 1st Annual Songwriter Rendezvous on November 11th and 12th. What a fantastic lineup which includes: Jimmy LaFave, Sam Baker,Slaid Cleaves, Kevin Welch, Malcolm Holcombe, Gretchen Peters, John Fullbright, Ray Bonneville, and Will Kimbrough. This may turn out to be the best festival of the year - hope to see you there!
 | | Jimmy LaFave |
And to make it even better it's held in the stunning outdoor amphitheater at the fantastic Lajitas Golf Resort & Spa in the heart of Big Bend. During the day you can hike, bike, swim, ride ATVs or horses, raft the Rio Grande, play golf on the newly opened Black Jack's Crossing Golf Course and then get a massage at the Spa to work out the kinks and after the concert a good nights sleep in some unique and upscale lodging at Lajitas Resort & Spa.
Across the street from the Resort is Maverick Ranch RV Park if you would rather camp. Start making your plans to attend now! Read our review of Lajitas Golf Resort & Spa to learn more. We also have some coupons on our coupon page to save you some money on lodging, camping, and the use of the amenities You don't need to stay at the Resort to attend the concert.
Check our Upcoming Events Calendar for more fun things to see and do over the next three months, some of which include: Wurstfest, Texas Renaissance Festival, Sand Castle Days, or Dickens on the Strand. |
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WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING
It's been a really busy last few months and we've found and enjoyed a lot of fun stuff, some of which includes:
 | | Trunk Bay in St John. |
- a week on St John in the US Virgin Islands snorkeling, checking out all of the stunningly beautiful beaches, drinking lots of Pina Coladas, exploring the island to find the best beach bars, sailing in the clear blue waters, and more - here is a link to our St John Vacation Article
- attended two of our favorite Texas music festivals and each of them was outstanding - read our review of Tommy Alverson's Family Gathering and Larry Joe Taylor's Rhymes & Vines - add both of these to your calendar for next year. We met our goal of attending some new music festivals - Thomas Michael Riley's festival in Luckenbach and Michael Blakley's Fundango festival in Llano as well as Richardson's Wildflower Arts & Music Festival and Grapevine's Lakefest plus 4 days at the infamous Kerrville Folk Festival - all of which are fantastic. If any of
 | | Paa-Ko Ridge Golf Course |
you aware of any good music festivals coming up, let us know. - spent a week golfing the Santa Fe Golf Trail - 171 holes of golf on 8 eight stunning courses (two were perfect 10s), not enough sleep in the beds of five New Mexico resorts, lost way 5 sleeves of golf balls and ate and drank way too much, lost all my golf bets and enough money in 3 different casinos to pay for another vacation on St John
- played several new Texas golf courses as well as some ones we played years ago, enjoyed some new State Parks and RV parks, did a stay and play with the Westin Stonebriar, played and reviewed the courses on the new Azalea Golf Trail in east Texas, and spent some time exploring Lake Tawakoni - all of which you can find on our What's New Page
Texas Outside's What's New Page will keep you up to date on lots of new stuff that we have added to Texas Outside based on our discoveries, adventures, or Texas Outside fans suggestions. You'll find some new zip lines, campgrounds, lodges and cabins, golf courses, hunting lodges, fishing guides, and lots more. |
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PUMP UP THE TIRES AND HIT THE TRAILS
This is the best time of the year to bike in Texas - it's cool, not as windy as in the spring, and the leaves are turning - so get that bike off the rack and find a place to go biking for a few hours or a weekend.
Here are some ideas on where to go:
- in Dallas try the White Rock Trail or the Katy Trail and take a break at Dick's Last Resort or stop in for some music
 at House of Blues - most of the State Parks have some excellent trails both paved and mountain bike trails - some of our favorites include Tyler State Park, Isle Du Bois Park on Ray Roberts lake, Mineral Wells State Park, or Brazos Bend State Park
- Austin is loaded with trails but our favorites are the Barton Creek Greenbelt or the trail around Lady Bird Lake with a stop a Shady Grove for food and music
- Houston has miles of trails in Memorial Park with lots of places to stop and enjoy like the museums, the zoo, restaurants, and more
- the Fort Worth Trinity Trail system is outstanding and you can visit the arts district, ride along the river for miles, stop by the zoo, or have some food and drinks in Sundance Square
San Antonio deserves special mention because they are one of the first cities to launch a large
 | | Check a bike out at a kiosk |
scale Bike Share system in the United States - way to go San Antonio! The Bike Share program has 20 locations with around 200 bikes throughout San Antonio. You find a convenient bike kiosks, check out a bike, and start exploring San Antonio. Then you check the bike back in to any of the kiosks when you're done. Biking in and around San Antonio is a blast and the best way to explore the city. You can take any of five trails that twist and turn through San Antonio or blaze your trail to visit the Alamo or Hemisfair Park, to spend money shopping, to enjoy some great restaurants and fun bars, to check out the historic Missions, to ride the Riverwalk, or to just explore the city. The cost is $10 for 24 hours, $24 for a week, or $60 for a year for the bikes that are part of the Bike Share program. The bikes are 3 speed city/comfort heavy duty bikes with a basket and lock and adjustable seat to fit anyone from 4' 9" to 6'8". If you don't have a bike or don't want to lug yours around, this is perfect - check out San Antonio Bike Share.
If none of those are convenient, check out our Biking Trails Page for a more comprehensive list of biking trails. |
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PITCH A TENT
Fall is the perfect time to camp in Texas - warm during the day and cool and crisp at night and perfect for sitting around a campfire (hopefully the burn bans will be gone), cooking hot dogs or roasting marshmallows, and telling tale tales or playing games. Everybody loves to go camping and you'll create some memories that will last forever!
All of the Texas State Parks are fantastic and there is bound to be one within 100 miles of where you live. Their rates are inexpensive, they have great sites, and there is always something else to do - hiking, biking, golfing, boating, swimming, horseshoes, volleyball, etc.
For the big rigs or for camping with some resort type amenities try any of the Texas RV Parks. They are usually close to big cities, have great amenities, full hook-ups, cabins for non campers, and pools, activities, and more.
Here is a link to our favorite RV Parks and Texas State Parks and a way to find a park by name or near your city.
No excuses, if you don't have a tent or an RV, make friends with someone who does or there are several places that rent RV, pop-ups, or trailers at a reasonable rate. Or give Free Spirit Adventures a call and sign up for one of their camping trips.
Check our Camping Coupon Page before you head out, you may find a coupon to save you some money. |
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GRAB YOUR HIKING STICK & LACE UP THE BOOTS
What a fantastic time of the year to go hiking - it's cool and the leaves are starting to turn. Try any of the Texas State Parks or any of the East Texas National Forests like Sam Houston, Davy
 | | Enchanted Rock |
Crockett, Angelina or Sabine National Forest (you'll find them on this East Texas Map). Some of our favorite places to hike include:
- Big Bend National Park - Terlingua
- Dinosaur Valley State Park - Glen Rose
- Enchanted Rock - Fredericksburg
- Palo Duro Canyon - Amarillo
- Canyon of the Eagles - Burnet
Check out our Hiking Page for more info and links as well as our Hiking, Biking, and Equestrian Trails Page. |
 FALL IS HERE - ENJOY THE FALL FOLIAGE
It's that time of year to get in the car and take a drive to enjoy the fall foliage as the leaves start to display some dazzling colors! One of the best places to enjoy this vibrant display is in some of the Texas State Parks - here is a link to the parks with some of the best fall views.
The East Texas Fall Foliage Trail is alive with colors as bright as paints on an artists canvas, ranging from the light yellow shades of the oak trees, deep oranges of the sweet gums to the deep reds of maple trees - all on a backdrop of the evergreen pines.
Here's a link to a map of Fall Foliage from Texas Department of Transportation. Enjoy. |
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HITS THE LINK
Break out the sticks and hit the golf links - the weather is perfect, a little bit of rain helped green up some of the fairways, and Texas is home to some fantastic choices. In fact, Golf Digest listed the Dallas Fort Worth Metroplex as the "Best City for Golf in America" based on climate (did they really play during the record heat of 2011?), cost, number of public courses, quality, and accessibility! Houston was ranked 8th. How did the miss the excellent courses in the Hill Country!
 | | The new Black Jack's Crossing in Lajitas |
It's been a tough year for golf courses - they had to suffer though snow and multiple freezes, a scorching summer with a record number of days over 100, fire damage, a severe drought and water rationing or very expensive water prices, plus some tough economic times.
Tell your non-golfing partner that they need our support and that you need to go golfing!
Set some goals this fall to:
Some courses have been forced to close, some new ones have opened, and several have been renovated. Some closures include Pecan Hollow and Chase Oaks which are closed for renovation; Shadow Glen had to close due to water restrictions; Bastrop, The Cliffs, and some other courses had nearby fires; Stevens Park and Black Jack's Crossing have reopened after renovations to rave reviews as have a couple other courses.
Check out our Golf Coupon Page before you head out. |
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TEXAS OUTSIDE COUPONS & SPECIALS
Before you head out for an adventure, check our Coupon Page to see if there is a coupon that will save you some money. We have coupons for all sorts of fun things including camping, fishing, golfing, tubing, resorts, and more. |
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Have fun and let us know about your fun adventures - send us an email.
Sincerely,
Mike
Mike Sharp
Texas Outside
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