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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

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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

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Mail Services 30,580 960,643

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