Small Towns
Main streets, courthouse squares and the Texas towns worth the drive.
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Archer City, Texas: Larry McMurtry’s Hometown and the Real-Life Setting of ‘The Last Picture Show’
Visit Larry McMurtry’s hometown, where his old Booked Up store is now a literary center and the Royal Theater from the film…
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Shamrock, Texas: The Art Deco U-Drop Inn and a Route 66 Stop Worth Making
Shamrock’s 1936 U-Drop Inn is one of Route 66’s great landmarks. Here’s what to see in this Panhandle town just off I-40.
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Kilgore, Texas: Oil Derricks Downtown, the Rangerettes and an East Texas Boom Town Story
Kilgore keeps its 1930s oil boom on display with derricks downtown, an oil museum and the Rangerettes. Here’s how to plan a…
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Turkey, Texas: The Panhandle Town That Keeps Bob Wills’ Western Swing Alive
Tiny Turkey honors Bob Wills, the King of Western Swing, with a museum, a 1927 hotel with live music and a big…
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Sulphur Springs, Texas: A Courthouse Square, a See-Through Restroom and Small-Town Charm
Sulphur Springs pairs a castle-like 1895 courthouse with famous mirrored-glass restrooms and a walkable square, about 80 miles east of Dallas.
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Marfa, Texas: Art, Mystery Lights and the Tiny West Texas Town That Draws the World
Minimalist art, a pink 1886 courthouse and the famous Marfa Lights: how to plan a visit to the little West Texas town…
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Jacksonville, Texas: Love’s Lookout, Lake Jacksonville and the Story of the Tomato Capital
Take in the Piney Woods from Love’s Lookout and learn how Jacksonville, Texas, became the Tomato Capital of the World.
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Dublin Bottling Works and Dublin, Texas: What to Know Before You Go for Cane-Sugar Sodas
Dublin has bottled soda since 1891. The tours and soda shop have closed, but the store is open. Here’s how to plan…
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Gainesville, Texas: A Grand Courthouse Square and the Zoo Named for “Bring ’Em Back Alive” Frank Buck
Gainesville pairs a Beaux-Arts courthouse square with a small, friendly zoo named for a hometown adventurer. Here’s how to plan a Cooke…
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City Market in Luling: How to Order at This 1958 Barbecue Joint and What Else to See in Town
Luling’s City Market has served brisket and sausage on butcher paper since 1958. How ordering works, plus pump jacks and more in…