Texas Off the Beaten Path: A Guide to Unique Places [Paperback]

June Naylor (Author)

Book Description

Series: Off the Beaten Path Series | Publication Date: October 1, 1999

From Sweetwater's annual Rattlesnake Roundup and Marfa's mysterious Ghost Lights to Moscow's Dinosaur Gardens and the Gulf Coast's whooping crane tours, Texas offers travelers a breadth of out-of-the-way attractions and events that liven up a week's vacation, a day trip, or an afternoon.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Naylor introduces the uncommon, the bizarre, and the just plain fun." --Houston Chronicle (Praise for a previous edition)

"If you want to discover Texas, the popular, the eccentric, and offbeat, this is the book to buy." --Travel Books Review (Praise for a previous edition)

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From the Back Cover

Whatever you do when you travel, get off the highway. Who needs more bland rest stops and fast food? Get into the heart of things with Globe Pequot's Off the Beaten Path series. Devoted to travelers with a taste for the unique, this easy-to-use guide helps you discover the hidden places in Texas that most tourists miss - unsung, unspoiled, and out-of-the-way finds that liven up a week's vacation, a day trip, or an afternoon.
"Texas Highway 4 leads east from Brownsville to the Gulf of Mexico. Boca Chica is the name given to the end of the road, where motorists will find a stop sign at the point that the road ends, meeting the sand. There's the beach, period. Apparently the stop sign is meant to keep you from driving straight into the ocean."

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Globe Pequot; 3rd edition (October 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0762705345
• ISBN-13: 978-0762705344
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,326,422 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Native Texan and cowboy-turned-chef Grady Spears has created cowboy menus for his own restaurants in Fort Worth and Beverly Hills, as well as for the Bush family at the Texas governor's mansion. He has authored two other cookbooks, and has been featured on Good Morning America and on The Cowboy's Kitchen on the Food Network. Grady lives in Fort Worth, Texas.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

34 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Traveling in Texas? Don't leave home without this book., January 2, 1999

By 

Donna Perkins (Mineral Wells, Texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Texas Off the Beaten Path (Paperback)

June Naylor Rodriguez's 2nd Edition of Texas: Off the Beaten Path is not only a book of travel excursions, but also includes Texas trivia and tidbits of Texas history. My favorite part of the book is a chapter called Wildest West Texas. Using the recommendations in the book, my husband and I enjoyed a part of Texas we had always wanted to see and probably would not have known of all the local places to visit had it not been for Rodriguez's suggestions. We boarded a plane at Dallas-Ft. Worth International Airport and flew to Midland-Odessa. From there we went to Ft. Stockton. We took the books advice and visited the Annie Riggs Memorial Museum on South Main Street. Paisano Pete was there on Main Street to welcome us. We almost didn't eat at Sarah's, the oldest restaurant in town because it didn't lookvery inviting. But since it was in the book we decided to give it a try. It was great! Mexican food at its finest. The owners were so nice and let us take a picture with them. Then we went on down to Marathon and stayed at the recommended Gage Hotel. After the shock of no T.V. wore off we were able to enjoy the atmosphere. Marathon has a population of 800. In the morning we were on our way to Big Bend National Park. Without the book we would not have known to go to Hot Springs, Boquillas, Dagger Flat, Dugout Wells, and the Chisos Basin where we stayed the night at the Chisos Mountain Lodge. Our winding, up and down road, took us to Study Butte and the Roadrunner Deli. My favorite was our stop in Terlingua. I didn't know this was a ghost town. I always thought it was jumping because of the chili cook-off held there every year. An old movie house called the Starlight Theatre Restaurant offered dinner and entertainment. We drove on and looked for the lights of Marfa. In Marfa we visited the El Paisano Hotel which boasted guests such as Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry Truman, and John F. Kennedy. It was also the home of Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson, James Dean, and Dennis Hopper while they were making the film Giant. Texas trivia from the book stated that in 1996 Martha Stewart was in Marfa for five days working out a barbecue layout for her magazine. Next we traveled on to Ft. Worth and the McDonald Observatory. Everything was more fun because we stayed at the 100-year old Limpia Hotel. We drove from Ft. Davis to the airport and home. If we had done the Big Bend without the guidance of Texas: Off the Beaten Path, we would not have seen all that we did. Hats off to June Naylor Rodriguez.

30 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars In Texas, Some Roadrunners are Eleven Feet Tall..., March 27, 2000

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Texas Off the Beaten Path: A Guide to Unique Places (Paperback)

If you're planning to travel at all throughout the Lone Star State, this book will be an indispensable guide for your travels.

Sure, we can all find Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio, but what about the 11 foot roadrunner in Fort Stockton? Or the statue of Popeye in Crystal City? During the winter you can see migrating bald eagles on Lake Buchanan (where?), and the Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge is the only place in the United States where you can see a Chachalaca.

If you have a destination in mind, this book will tell you about the attractions and oddities nearby (and Texas has oddities!). If you're undecided about where to go, the book can provide a fun and informative itinerary.

Being Texans by choice, my wife and I frequently take trips around the state. Texas is full of natural beauty and interesting sights. This book helps you fully use and enjoy your time with Texas.

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is not only a book of travel excursions..., January 18, 1999

By 

Donna Perkins (Mineral Wells, Texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Texas Off the Beaten Path (Paperback)

June Naylor Rodriguez's 2nd Edition of Texas: Off the beaten Path is not only a book of travel excursions, but also includes Texas trivia and tidbits of Texas history. My favorite part of the book is a chapter called Wildest West Texas. Using the recommendations in the book, my husband and I enjoyed a part of Texas we had always wanted to see and probably would not have known of all the local places to visit had it not been for Rodriguez's suggestions. Without the book we would not have known where to go or what to see. If we had done the Big Bend without this book, I doubt that we would have seen all that we did. Hats off to June Naylor Rodriguez.