Texas Highways

3 days ago | texashighways.com | Tyson Bird

Texans know that in the summer, you should never be too far from a body of water. If you’re not lucky enough to have a pool or live near a lake or ocean, booking a room at a hotel with a pool is the next best option. These lodgings across the state offer swimming amenities that are far from your average hotel pool. Less than an hour outside of Austin in the Hill Country, Horseshoe Bay Resort unveiled its waterfront floating pool—the only one of its kind in North America—last Memorial Day.

4 days ago | texashighways.com | Sarah Thurmond

“It didn’t just appear in Groom,” Vince Britten says of thewater tower that reads “Britten U.S.A” along Interstate 40’s westbound frontage road. Also known as the Leaning Tower of Texas, the structure rests at a seemingly precarious angle, and has been catching travelers’ attention since the late Ralph Britten installed it in the early 1980s. I-40 U.S. Rte. 66, Groom, TXMap itThe tower isn’t the tallest or most popular roadside attraction in Groom, a town of 549 in the Texas Panhandle.

5 days ago | texashighways.com | Tyson Bird

Open RoadA son of civil unrest finds equilibrium in the pool halls of AustinThe Grand is a deceptive place, more spacious on the inside than anyone imagines before entering. Open its doors in North Austin and the room rolls out for you, magically, like it didn’t exist before you crossed its threshold. A long hallway divides the room, and as you walk toward the bar at the end of the space like a billiards Moses, a sea of pool tables parts to both sides.

1 week ago | texashighways.com | Tyson Bird

Candy-colored houses, bait shops, and fishing piers dot the landscape of Rockport, located on Aransas Bay, about 30 miles northeast of Corpus Christi. Named for the rock ledge beneath its shore, the town began development as a cattle processing and shipping port in 1865 and was incorporated five years later. In the 1920s, the shrimping and tourism industries took off, making the town a thriving coastal vacation spot. But Rockport is perhaps best known for its resilience.

1 week ago | texashighways.com | Tyson Bird

Last July, I finally had the opportunity to visit Balmorhea State Park, which has been on my summer to-do list since I started in this position more than eight years ago. As high as my anticipation was to finally experience the beloved West Texas oasis, the 1.3-acre spring-fed pool, with its crystal-clear waters, easily exceeded my expectations.