depository library x e ff e ?pr2n/67531/metapth...certs and sporting activities. the...
Post on 07-Oct-2020
3 Views
Preview:
TRANSCRIPT
fl 1:11
'J o
DEPOSITORY LIBRARY
FF E ?Pr2n(T
E X
OOPS!
We don't know what happened to the August figures. We saw 'em, we proofed 'em and we thought we printed 'em. They were supposed to show up on the back page of last month's issue of Travel Log, but the old July figures showed up instead. We'd like to blame it on the computer. We wish we could say we weren't here that day. Perhaps ghosts and goblins were playing an early Halloween trick. If you're interested in a copy of the correct August tabulations, call editor
7 Ann Kelton at 512/486-5874. Or send her an e-mail at akelton @mailgw.dot.state.tx.us. She'll mail 'em or FAX 'em. (Those darn ghosts, anyway.)
CO M I N G UP
In 1898, the city of Laredo staged its first Washington's Birthday Celebration in honor of the first Western Hemisphere leader to free a New World country from the dominion of European rule. Since then the fiesta has been celebrated on both sides of the border with parades, fireworks, dances and an elaborate coronation. For years festival officials have considered opening a museum to showcase the history of one of the state's longest-running events. The dream will become a reality with the opening of the Washington's Birthday Celebration Museum around the end of this year. Besides festival memorabilia, the museum will include exhibits on our country's first president, Native American culture and the contributions of area leaders. The 2,000-squarefoot attraction will be housed in
La Posada Hotel/Suites at the corner of Zaragoza Street and San Agustin Avenue. For more information, call 956/722-0589.
Dirt is flying at the construction site of the new Lone Star Convention and Expo Center in Conroe. The complex will stand adjacent to the Montgomery County Fairgrounds in Montgomery County Park. The Expo Center, with its 5,000-seat covered arena, will showcase rodeo, equestrian and livestock events. An additional 2,500 seats can be added to the arena floor to accommodate concerts and sporting activities. The 58,000-square-foot convention center will include a large ballroom, three luxurious meeting rooms and a 5,000-square-foot special events room. Grand opening is slated for the middle of next year. Call 409/538-8000 for more info.
gers will board a DC 10-30 aircraft, equipped with 38 business/first class seats and 204 seats in economy. The service awaits approval from the Brazilian government.
Owners of the Houston Rockets and Comets have reached a funding agreement with the city of Houston and the Harris County/Houston Sports Authority that will bring a new basketball and hockey arena to downtown. Plans include a seating capacity of 18,500 for basketball events and a seating capacity recommended by the National Hockey League in the range of 17,500 to 19,200.
Over the next five years, Austin will build, expand or renovate at least eight public art facilities. The Austin-American Statesman reports the city's 5.2 million art objects have fallen in the shadow of Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston
most people realize. By 2004 long-range plans will be in place. The Blanton Museum of Art and Austin Museum of Art will move to new facilities. Expansion projects at the Carver Museum and the Jones Center for Contemporary Art will make way for larger holdings and expanded focus. New exhibits will blend with current collections at the renovated Ransom Center and Mexic-Arte Museum. The new Mexican
American Cultural Center will
complement the Mexic-Arte's Mexican and the Blanton's South American strengths by spotlighting local arts. Solo and group
shows at the Center For Women and Their Work will serve as a bridge between the commercial and museum worlds. When all is
complete, Austin will decide which artistic markets it wishes to fill.
Continental Airlines hopes to and San Antonio museums. A P L A C E S launch nonstop flights from survey of holdings, curating goals Houston's Bush Interconti- and missions of major art venues For years, "The Tower" at nental Airport to Sio Paulo, show Austin's combined art re- The University of Texas at Brazil, on November 30. Passen- sources go well beyond what Austin has shone as a beacon for
THE WRITE STUFF The small frame
house in Kyle, where author Katherine Anne
[ Porter spent a large portion of her childhood,
was sold in 1904 for $10. In September 2000,
Southwest Texas State University in San
Marcos will open the house at 508 W. Center
Street as a million-dollar writing Center.
Organizers hope to attract well-known writers to teach classes
and hold lectures for students and the community. Barnes & Noble
will endow a library of classic literature, including rare early edi
tions of Porter's works. Porter, known for her critically acclaimed
short fiction, wrote the 1962 best-selling novel "Ship of Fools."
I A N E W S L E T T E R F O R T H E T E X A S T R A V E L I N D U S T R Y
.1 .. ti
academics, residents and visitors, standing as a symbol for both
hometown and Longhorn pride.
There was a time when folks
could climb the stairs to an obser
vation deck below the tower clock
and gaze out over the rolling city
scape. Access to the top of the
edifice was shut down in 1974
after nine suicide jumps. Last
month U.T. officials reopened the
tower for guided tours, after guard
rails were installed to ensure visi
tor security. Though the trek
still includes a three-story climb
up a stairwell, an elevator is
available for those with disabili
ties. Weekday tours, at 6, 7 and
8 p.m., through October 29;
Saturday and Sunday tours, 10
a.m. to 5 p.m., year-round. Call
512/475-6633 for reservations.
A Tuscany-style structure over
looks misty hills ladened with
evergreens and hidden streams.
Therein lies Austin's newest arts
venue, nestled in an Old World
setting 20 minutes from down
town. One World Theatre, which just ended a successful first
season, is a nonprofit organiza
tion dedicated to nurturing multi
cultural awareness in the Austin
community. Music and dance
from throughout the world are
staged in an intimate 300-seat
theater described as "elegant, eccentric and whimsical." At
TEXAS TRAVEL LOG is published monthly by the Texas
Department of Transportation, Travel Division. Please send news items of interest to the Texas travel industry to Texas Travel Log, P.O.
Box 141009, Austin, Texas 787141009. (512) 486-5874, FAX (512) 486-5879. Deadline for each newsletter is the 20th of the month preceding the issue date.
Ann Kelton, Editor
Contributing Editors: Jane McNally, John Russell, Mike Talley
Layout: Jane Sharpe/Sharpe Design
LAREDO TIC A gentleman
stopped in the center one sultry
day looking for the closest place
to buy ice cream. He said his dog
was hot, and he was trying to cool
him down. Counselor Grace
Villanueva quickly gave him a list
of nearby shops and handed him a
Texas Official Travel Map. "I'll
need a second map for my dog,"
7701 Bee Caves Road, west of
Loop 360. For info on upcoming
performances, call 512/330-9878.
On March 30, 1997, solemn
members of the Ala bamaCoushatta Tribe of Texas watched helplessly as the muse
um and gift shop on their reserva
tion near Livingston turned into a charred heap of wreckage
and memories. Now, two and a
half years after the fire, the tribe
has temporarily closed their tourist
facilities to rebuild the museum
and gift shop and renovate the
reservation's restaurant and
attractions. Meanwhile, visitors
are still welcome to Lake Tombig
bee Campgrounds, which offers
tepee, tent and RV camping and
cabin facilities on a beautiful
26-acre lake. Completion of all
work is tentatively scheduled for
May 2000. For updates, call
409/563-4391.
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TP&WD) has hired
a team of rock art specialists to
conduct a comprehensive archae
ological site survey at Hueco Tanks State Historical Park, east of El Paso. So far dozens of pictographs that have
faded over the centuries from the walls of two desert mountains
have been revealed using digital
techniques. The findings, some
of which were kachina-like masks, solidify Hueco Tanks' reputation
as having the largest collection of
painted mask drawings in North
he said, explaining his four
legged companion had the better
eyesight of the two.
WASKOM TIC It was a fishy
deal. Officially marked vehicles
from the states of Texas and
Louisiana met in the center's
parking lot. Soon uniformed per
sonnel filed past the counselors to
America. The new discoveries
reemphasize the park's impor
tance as a sacred place for Native
American tribes and support
TP&WD's recent implementation of a public use plan that subordi
nates recreational use to cultural
resource protection. For more
info, call the park at 915/857-1135.
Houston's downtown is evolving from a weekday city into a 24-hour urban neighbor
hood and entertainment venue where people live, work and play.
The Austin American-Statesman
reports more than five dozen
projects totaling $2.6 billion have
SCORE A BIRDIE Arlinc
ton's new Tierra Verde
golf course is slated tc
become one of the firs
Audubon-sanctioned fa
ities in Texas. The cit
owned and operated
course was designed
and constructed using
guidelines from Audub
International, which in
make the exchange. Texas Parks
and Wildlife officials handed over
a school of captives dressed in
stripes. A surplus of striped bass
from the state hatchery at Possum
Kingdom Lake were escorted by
the Louisiana Department of
Wildlife and Fisheries to Toledo Bend Reservoir, a joint project of
the two states.
recently been completed, are
under way or are planned. In the
early 1990s, a political visionary, risk-taking entrepreneurs and an
enthusiastic populace came
together to rebuild the city's
downtown. Long-vacant build
ings have been given new life, and major employers, who once
flocked to the suburbs, are return
ing to the central part of town.
Enron Field, a $265 million base
ball stadium on downtown's east
ern edge, is rapidly taking shape.
When the park opens in April as
home to the Astros, 43,000 peo
ple will come downtown 81 times
a year to see ball games.
I-
- -
I'
clude wildlife conservation and habitat
enhancement, water quality management
and water conservation. To reserve a
tee time, call 8171478-8500.
TRAVEL TALES OVERHEARD
F A C E S
Andrea Earle joined the Arlington C&VB as Tourism Sales Manager on September 13. Her role includes developing opportunities in the motor coach market and expanding programs geared toward leisure travelers. Give her a call at 817/265-7721, ext. 21; e-mail address andrea @acvb.org.
WORLD T R A V E L
Create your own travel guide at Fodor's Travel Online, a Web site for domestic and international travelers. The site lists the lowest airfares to major cities at home and abroad, details the best-loved national parks in North America, and allows motorists to create maps with driving directions to U.S. destinations. Travelers can select their ideal bed and breakfast inn from a list of amenities, or pick from an assortment of sports and adventure vacations. More than 500 essential phrases in French, German, Italian and Spanish include translations, phonetics and recorded pronunciations. To plan a trip to Dallas, Baltimore, Bangkok or Rome, key in www.fodors.com.
N A T U R E T O U R I S M
In the midst of the south central plains near the tiny community of Mineral lies the KC Ranch, a traditional family-run business on 630 acres of gently rolling hills. Here herds of Angus share the landscape with about 180 bird species and other wildlife. For just $20 a day, bird-watchers are invited to scour the brush, grasslands, oak groves and caliche mounds in search of green jays, cuckoos, hawks, herons and cranes. More than six miles of trails lead the way. The ranch
also provides the perfect setting for hayrides, astronomy groups and equestrian clubs. For reservations, call toll free at 877-2401665. Or e-mail questions and requests to kcranch@eden.com.
MUSEUMS
For the past several years, the Tex Ritter Museum in Carthage
I I
TEXAS
" TRIVIA
Who was "The
Yellow Rose of
Texas"?
8s8 I isntu qaags sp paluud 'Duos
filaamutuo u agle 10n 'pp Il Suos >Io e
Iou SPM , sPxa[ Jo aso) MOll1A aqI4,, oi~ust
ur.S o 11 oi 01 aDu1 9 Xue punoj Janau eAeq
suadxa' uos 391 1oJ s ~,aa!oga 0
q Ion 19
lual s,euuv elups Lut uaaq aneg ,CeulaS -tunl
-aA Adm r Xpraolu ssapgnop 'Xaum uratxow
aqi Xurdcloom oi p1ai5o sam ,hug3,,' alom1
tmuosiq auo LstUm s.uo1snoH 011U1[pl 01
jj0 apoJ uau1 siq pur uu elIuS 'Dugool pup
Duisaa o Shp aalt aagv sIuapIsXI aago
gi~M 51u011 -Ai ug paztas s131plos unoixON
9 81 '91 IpdV Uo sexal' uiod sur.Dsi0oW
Ut jadoopsnoq e seaeax e >JOM 01 sE81
us X113 lJoA MON LI! U01N lit. laJ 1 1l1uo1
I p0U0S is UqSudibOA sauUlf JO aeA[S e .108
patunsald oqm asoX l q ue.oI I4tug pll ea
seam'Iarlq g a n'lsaM .Q it -asla azagm -'ue .io 's11a1al suoisnoH LIt do paw1nI a11au
alopaaup aqp ",Jpstulq tu13S P1o Luu~ /GOis
ag5 11D114 p.tulp 0 e114og i nogi puy -s p
suxaJlo aggnd0al &[ Uunp apetu suoU
-enaasgo Jo uollaa11oa 3 ,sexo1saismlg
eIl!M,, JO uornanqld paXr1(np 13 s >Ilooq
agt41uMOUyun nIIMOIIA sim Pu41 ag1l 961
u! paluud yooq r ui do pamo4s kois a14 I4un
in ollulllf uLs Jo 111118 aq1 Le' 4ellp si
pauupjd uolsnoH uwS lUJa1ag aI414 quUv
elueS Ieaaua!) ueaixoW paanpas oqm anels o111n5u11 ' 41.1e51 N U1C I!LuA Xq pa05dsui sum
Duos agl legI0 '(IoWH '( p OIu aeq aM
SVX3
LOCAL COLOR One of Texas'
best known salutes to fall
NO, foliage awaits visitors in
Winnsboro, a town of 3,201
friendly people tucked
away in the Piney Woods.
The 41 st Annual Autumn
Trails Festival, slated for October 2-30,
features specially mapped routes of East
Texas forestland and five weekends of fun
filled events. The lineup includes parades,
children's activities, a swap meet, chili cook
off, barn dance, rodeo, bicycle race and a
host of other activities. For a schedule, call
903/342-3666, or key in www.winnsboro.com.
has been housed in the chamber of commerce office at 300 W. Panola. City commissioners voted last month to issue $1.58 million in bonds to finance construction of a new museum. The facility will be built adjacent to the chamber, and will include the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame, as well as memorabilia of the legendary country/Western star. For more info, call Tommie Ritter Smith at 903/693-6634.
Work continues on the design phase of Discovery Hall, the latest addition to the Corpus Christi Museum of Science and History. The new exhibit area will focus on the impact of' discovery, exploration and settlement, with tales of Christopher Columbus, Rene Robert Cavelier, Sieur de la Salle, Alonso Alvarez de Pineda and other early explorers. With its 1535 Spanish muddjar ceiling, fine tile work and timbered hallways, the hall will project the feel of 16th-Century Spain. Work is scheduled for completion by summer 2000. Open daily at 1900 N. Chaparral. Call 361/883-2862 for details.
Three years ago a major expansion at The Science Place in Dallas paved the way for the TI Founders IMAX theater, and additional space for classrooms and guest services. Permanent exhibits were upgraded and new exhibits were installed. Since then the museum has entertained and educated 2.7 million people, was named by the Dallas Business Journal as the city's top year-round cultural attraction, and voted best attraction for kids and families
by readers of local publications. The expansion and new hightech exhibits translated into increased interest and visitation. Membership grew a whopping 44 percent. Now the board, staff and volunteers find themselves once again looking for more space. With drawings in hand for the next building phase and long-range plans well under way, the folks at The Science Place stand ready to share the excitement of science for generations to come. Open daily in Fair Park. Call 214/428-5555 for details.
Month Percent Visitors Percent TRAVEL CENTER Visitors Variation* Year-to-date Variation*
Amarillo 11,748 -2.12 113,709 +4.86
Anthony 13,038 +26.45 96,849 -18.78
Denison 21,579 +29.63 193,383 +12.83
Gainesville 24,336 -9.49 277,521 +4.52
Langtry 4,836 -33.42 67,503 -14.98
Laredo 5,481 -15.49 74,139 -29.57
Orange 31,458 -14.60 378,963 -8.50
Texarkana 35,535 +15.95 335,181 +8.43
Valley 8,493 -40.49 247,287 -3.78
Waskom 40,212 -7.84 351,804 -17.91
Wichita Falls 16,482 -15.62 162,567 -2.54
Capitol Complex 4,617 -39.72 80,655 -1.70
CENTER TOTALS 217,815 -6.19 2,379,561 -5.08
Dial toll-free 1-800-452-9292 for travel assistance from TxDOT's Texas Travel Information Centers
(8 a.m.-6 p.m. daily, Central Time)
Internet address: http://traveltex.com
http://www.texashighways.com http://www.dontmesswithtexas.org
Data as of September 30, 1999 *Compared to last year
ai~sal&Tai NOI1IUxOD SsgxQUcV
U1INV1VrfO HOVISOd NxnflI GNV DNIGRVM)nOd
6tZ6-IzL8L SVX9JL 'NIILSf1V 61tZ6tI XOtI''1 NOISIAIG I3AVHL
uoqeuodsueui jo juew edea sexei
This Mo. Y-T-D
Mail Services 30,580 960,643
Literature Distributed 0 12,600 at Trade Shows
Automated Attendant Road Condition Calls 3,436 122,125
top related