Cover Story
The Fall’s Exciting Lineup of Live Performance Transports Audiences
With summer vacation a distant memory and the holidays far from sight, the daily doldrums of life may seem endless. Luckily, with the release of the local performing arts centers’ new seasons, escape can happen in 90 minutes or less. With world-class performances of theater, dance and music, you’ll be left wondering just where you…
4 State Parks To Visit In Texas
Scorching 100-degree plus days in South Texas are waning. As dangerous heat subsides, the urge to go outdoors grows as summer turns to fall. The Lone Star State is vast and opportunities to spend time outside are plentiful. The state’s beauty is as large as the distances it encompasses. Luckily, Bexar County residents are not…
The Geologic Wonders of the Guadalupe Mountains National Park
As a New England expatriate in Texas, a trip to the desert seems like a visit to another planet. At the Guadalupe Mountains National Park, that otherworldly feeling is quite real, achieved through a travel in time, if not through space. Just below the flat line where New Mexico perches over Texas, the park is…
Migratory Monarch Decline Highlights Larger Problem of Pollination
Just two years ago, the number of monarch butterflies reaching the southern-most migratory destination in Mexico was the lowest since scientists began measuring the population 22 years ago. A combination of deforestation in Michoacán, Mexico; the use of genetically modified herbicide-resistant crops, which resulted in the loss of the monarch’s host plant, milkweed; Manifest Destiny-like…
Turning Hive Problems into Bee Solutions
Raise your hand if you love fruits, veggies and most other produce? If you don’t want to see your favorite type of berry or apple or squash go away, you may want to help honey bees do their job of pollinating said crops. Though learning about colony collapse disorder (or the reason bees keep disappearing)…
Underground Delights: Subterranean Fun Found Beneath the Earth’s Surface
Summer is giving way to fall and, still, visiting a cave is literally and figuratively one of the coolest things to do in South Texas. First off, there are the “show caves” – those open to the public and, in some cases, tourist attractions. Such spots closer to town are: Cascade Caverns and Cave Without…
Will Climate Change Impact Bird-Watching in South Texas? Some Say It Already Is
One of the country’s premier birding destinations is right in our own backyard. The Rio Grande Valley is a bird-watching mecca for many reasons: The region’s tropical climate brings in birds that might otherwise require an overseas trip to see. It’s a major north-south migration flyway for hundreds of species. And the mild winter allows…
Fall Fishing: Opportunities for Anglers Abound Around Town
Fall has arrived and, if you’re up for fishing, autumn holds plenty of opportunities for positive experiences even in not-so-popular fishing holes. After all, fish require good eating before winter, and meteorologists are predicting a wetter, colder winter than usual thanks to El Niño. “Fish will bite a little earlier as temperatures start to cool…
