Welcome to
The Texas Porch
Pull up a chair, y’all. We’re your front-porch guide to small towns, good eating, weekend road trips and the everyday stories that make Texas feel like home.
Fresh Off the Porch
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Santa’s Wonderland 2026 in College Station: Dates, Tickets and What to Expect
Santa’s Wonderland opens Nov. 13, 2026, in College Station. Here are the dates, ticket prices and what’s included this season.
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Prairie Lights 2026 in Grand Prairie: Dates, Tickets and Tips for the Drive-Through Show
Prairie Lights runs nightly Nov. 26 to Dec. 31, 2026, at Lynn Creek Park. Here’s what to know about tickets, Fast Pass…
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Buc-ee’s: How a Lake Jackson Gas Station Became a Texas Road-Trip Legend
From a 1982 convenience store in Lake Jackson to giant highway travel centers, here’s how Buc-ee’s won over Texas road-trippers.
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Guadalupe Mountains National Park: Hiking Texas’ Highest Peak and McKittrick Canyon
How to hike Guadalupe Peak, the top of Texas, and McKittrick Canyon, plus fees, parking, camping and what to pack for this…
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Visiting the Alamo Today: What’s New, What’s Free and How to Plan Your Trip
The Alamo Church is still free, but you need a timed ticket. What’s new on Alamo Plaza, what costs extra, and when…
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How Texas Saved Its Historic Courthouses, and Which Restored Ones to See
How a state program rescued Texas’ historic county courthouses, plus restored courthouse squares worth a road trip, from Waxahachie to Albany.
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Texas Pie Company in Kyle: Homemade Pies in the ‘Pie Capital of Texas’
Southern pecan, buttermilk and lemon chess pies from a downtown bakery that helped make Kyle the official Pie Capital of Texas.
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Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center in Athens: Aquariums, Hatchery Talks and Fishing With Loaner Gear
The renovated Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center in Athens offers aquariums, a working hatchery and fishing ponds with gear provided.
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Cattleman’s Steakhouse at Indian Cliffs Ranch: A Desert Steak Dinner Outside El Paso
A working ranch, movie sets and a desert sunset come with dinner at Cattleman’s Steakhouse near Fabens, about 35 minutes from downtown…
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Port Isabel Lighthouse and the Laguna Madre: A Coastal Day Trip at the Southern Tip of Texas
Climb the 1852 Port Isabel Lighthouse, look out over the Laguna Madre and spend a slow coastal day at the bottom of…
Plan Your Texas Weekend
Day Trips
Scenic drives, hidden swimming holes and getaways within a tank of gas.
Events
Festivals, rodeos, fairs and what is happening around Texas this weekend.
Texas Life
News, history and everyday living for folks who call the Lone Star State home.