Gerald McLeod

Austin

Columnist at The Austin Chronicle

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Articles

Day Trips: Lake Mineral Wells State Park & Trailway, Mineral Wells

1 week ago | austinchronicle.com | Gerald McLeod

Lake Mineral Wells State Park and Trailway offers a diverse list of outdoor activities in a wooded setting. In the hills of the Cross Timbers region outside of Mineral Wells, the 646-acre lake attracts anglers, boaters, and swimmers. Cliffs in the park challenge rock climbers. The park has hiking trails open to mountain bikers and horseback riders. The Trailway is a 20-mile hike-and-bike trail between Mineral Wells and Weatherford that is also open to equestrians.
Day Trips: Sunny Hill Flower Farm, Luling

1 week ago | austinchronicle.com | Gerald McLeod

Central Texas farm offers a blooming good time Sunny Hill Flower Farm sits on an idyllic high point between Lockhart and Luling, surrounded by woods and pastures. A well-tended garden of greenery with splashes of floral color occupies a corner of the property. On Friday afternoons from 5pm to 7pm, Kathryn Deladurantey opens her garden for pick-your-own flower harvesting. The flower-picking season goes from late April into July, depending on the weather.
Day Trips & Beyond: May Events Roundup

2 weeks ago | austinchronicle.com | Gerald McLeod

Warm up for summer with frozen margs and fests around Texas May means it’s time to take mom on a day trip to celebrate the birth of the frozen margarita. The last touches are made to the new Harbor Bridge in Corpus Christi before its grand opening on May 10. Corpus Christi bridge. The last of the cranes are coming down as the construction of the new Harbor Bridge in Corpus Christi enters the home stretch.
Day Trips: SandFest, Port Aransas

3 weeks ago | austinchronicle.com | Gerald McLeod

Gulf Coast sand sculpture competition is the place to see some sandy feats SandFest1: 2024 Texas SandFest, Master Solo Fourth Place, “The Dude of Vibes” by Damon Langlois The Texas SandFest in Port Aransas mixes sandcastles, carnival food, and island music for a one-of-a-kind weekend on the beach. With all that is happening, the sand art is the star attraction. Much of the weekend is watching the sculptures, from the sublime to the weird, take shape.
Day Trips: Statue of Union, Sugar Land

4 weeks ago | austinchronicle.com | Gerald McLeod

Houston-area statue rises to third-tallest in the U.S. The Statue of Union towers over the flat urban landscape of Sugar Land. At 90 feet tall and 90 tons, the bronze monument to Lord Hanuman is the third-tallest statue in the U.S., and the tallest of the Hindu deity in North America. In Hindu mythology, Hanuman is half-human, half-monkey, and a devoted follower of Prince Rama, considered an incarnation of Vishnu, one of the main deities in Hinduism.
Day Trips: Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum, Canyon

1 month ago | austinchronicle.com | Gerald McLeod

The history attic of the Texas Panhandle closes for the foreseeable future The Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum in Canyon is the attic of Texas. Not because it’s near the top of the Panhandle just 20 miles south of Amarillo, but because it contains the old trunks filled with our collective memories. Unfortunately, the museum closed to the public at the end of March until further notice, according to a statement issued by Walter V.
Day Trips: Vernon L. Richards Riverbend Park, Smithville

1 month ago | austinchronicle.com | Gerald McLeod

Vernon L. Richards Riverbend Park in Smithville offers a nice outdoor destination whether you’re looking for an afternoon getaway or a quiet campground. Situated on the wooded banks of the Colorado River, the city park was dedicated in 1994 and named for a former mayor. Smithville is quaint little town an hour east of Austin that hasn’t been totally corrupted by the area’s growth. Downtown retains its small-town charm while offering dining and shopping opportunities.
Day Trips & Beyond: April Events Roundup

1 month ago | austinchronicle.com | Gerald McLeod

All of Texas' best fests, fairs, fandangos, and fiestas April means it’s time for art made with sand, crazy cars parading, and other once-a-year events. Since the altar at Goliad's Mission Espiritu Santo was moved to a more historic location in the reconstructed chapel, the cross becomes illuminated by sunlight one day a year through a round window above the main entrance. Goliad “Illumination.” It happens but once a year.
Day Trips: Sam Houston Memorial Museum, Huntsville

1 month ago | austinchronicle.com | Gerald McLeod

The Republic of Texas Presidential Library tells the story of the man and the legend The Sam Houston Memorial Museum and Republic of Texas Presidential Library in Huntsville provides a unique and in-depth look at the Texas hero and the Republic of Texas executive office. After being governor of Tennessee and living with the Cherokees in Arkansas Territory, Houston arrived in Texas in 1832, just as unrest was growing against the Mexican government.
Day Trips: Molina’s Cantina, Houston

1 month ago | austinchronicle.com | Gerald McLeod

Third generation manages Houston’s oldest Mexican food restaurant Molina’s Cantina lays claim to being the oldest Tex-Mex restaurant run by the same family in Houston. Through three generations, the eatery has provided Space City with a consistent supply of enchiladas. It was a sunny and chilly weekday when my wife and I visited the Molina’s on Westheimer for a late lunch. There are three Molina’s Cantinas around the Space City metro area.