47th Annual Ennis Polka Festival

May 3rd, 2013

The National Polka Festival in Ennis invites everyone to come celebrate forty-seven wonderful years of festivities in honor of Czech heritage Friday through Sunday, May 24-26, 2013. Held annually on Memorial Day Weekend, the National Polka Festival offers activities enjoyed by the entire family, in small-town Texas.

The festival kicks off with an opening dance Friday at 7:00 p.m. Featuring polka music and the King and Queen Dance Contest, everyone is encouraged to wear traditional Czech kroj (costumes).

At 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, floats, bands, and colorful costumes will take place during in downtown Ennis. Polka-Festival-Parade-Ennis-WinnerThe parade traditionally includes polka bands riding on decorated floats and the award winning Ennis High School Marching Band. The Shriners make their annual appearance, as well as celebrities, public officials, motorcycles, horseback riders, clowns, kids, and seniors! This giant parade twists through historic downtown Ennis and is a real crowd pleaser.

You will experience Czech traditions, religious customs, dancing, tastes, sights, sounds, and “a little bit of the Czech Lands” throughout historic downtown and at three spacious air conditioned halls. Enjoy a weekend of polka dancing, Czech foods, and 14 fantastic live polka bands, including Grammy Award winning Brave Combo.

Polka Music at the Festival

Here are some of the performers scheduled for this year’s festival:

  • Czech and Then Some
  • Texas Dutchmen
  • Brave Combo
  • The Dujka Brothers
  • Ennis Czech Boys
  • Jodie Mikula Orchestra
  • Fritz Hodde’s “The Fabulous Six”
  • Czechaholics
  • Jak Se Do
  • Jerry Haisler and the Melody 5
  • Jim Bochnicek Orchestra
  • Mark Halata and Texavia
  • The Moravians
  • Holub Polka Band

North Texas Lodging

Whether you are heading to Ennis for the Polka Festival, Dallas for Dragon Boat Festival or wherever in Texas your travels bring you, remember that the Texas bed and breakfast association has your lodging covered! Support a local business owner by staying in a unique and welcoming Texas Bed and Breakfast!

 

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Caprock Canyons State Park

April 24th, 2013

Located 3.5 miles north of the little town of Quitaque, on FM 1065, Caprock Canyons State Park is a major destination for the Texas Panhandle. Its activities, beauty, history, and facilities are top-notch. Caprock Canyons is about a two hour scenic drive from Lubbock, and considered by many the closest place to that city that offers such a variety of beauty and scenery.

Caprock Canyons State Park opened in 1982. It consists of over 15,000 acres, including the Trailway, a 64 mile Rail-to-Trail conversion, acquired by donation in 1992. The park offers day-use and camping facilities, hiking, horseback riding, mountain biking, boating on a no-wake lake, fishing, swimming, guided tours, and seasonal horse back riding.

90 miles of multi-use trails range from very rugged terrain to trails that are mostly flat. About 25 miles of trails include cliffs and drop-offs, with steep climbs and descents that are recommended only for experienced equestrians and mountain bikers.

You can also rent an audio driving guide to the park. It’s like having a tour guide on in the car with you. The audio guide is available for for free at the park headquarters on tape or CD.

Caprock Canyons Trailway

The Caprock Canyon Trailway – check out those colors!

This acquisition added recreational opportunities for parkgoers. The multi-use trail (hike, bike, and equestrian), opened in 1993, stretches the park through Floyd, Briscoe, and Hall counties crossing 46 bridges and running through Clarity tunnel, one of the last active railroad tunnels in Texas. From June through August, have a once in a lifetime experience watching the bat emergence from the tunnel via a van tour. The 64.25 miles of the Trailway are open to the public from Estelline to South Plains.

Caprock Canyons Wildlife

The park is home to numerous species of wildlife such as African aoudad sheep, mule and white-tailed Deer, raccoons, coyotes, bobcats, opossums, porcupines, foxes, and over 175 species of birds. The pride of Caprock Canyons is the official Texas State Bison Herd (the largest herd of buffalo in the state park system), and the illusive Golden Eagles. There is good fishing in Lake Theo for bass and catfish.

Visiting Caprock Canyons

If you want to spend a day (or several) at Caprock Canyon, you can set up home base at one of our bed and breakfasts in Lubbock. Enjoy all Texas has to offer this summer!

 

 

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Take a “Fit-cation” to San Antonio

April 2nd, 2013

Are you committed to your workout regimen? Getting ready for summer beach time in your bathing suit? If so, you might want to explore the newest trend in vacations: a fit-cation. Vacations don’t have to be an excuse to eat poorly and laze around. Stay sporty and active during your vacation. Enjoy a new place while making your body feel and look great.

The newest, active way to see downtown San Antonio is the River City Run, a 5-K running tour of downtown San Antonio that takes place every Saturday and Sunday at 8:30 a.m. The course is a group oriented jog with 15 stops along the way where guides Tina and Tommy will share interesting and historical information about numerous landmarks with the runners. They run at a pace that´s comfortable for all participants (usually 9-10 miles per hour) and since there are frequent stops, runners of all abilities are encouraged to join! A scenic and healthy way to learn more about this historic Texas city.

And in addition to the run, couple Tina and Tommy are more than happy to provide you with the “local scoop” on the best of San Antonio from restaurants to honky-tonks.

San Antonio Sites Visited on the Tour

  • The Alamo
  • The Emily Morgan Hotel
  •  The Menger Hotel
  •  The Torch of Friendship (Antorcha de Amistad) Statue / Palacio del Rio
  •  Tower of the Americas
  •  La Villita, Arneson River Theatre
  •  Bexar County Court House
  • El Mercado
  •  Spanish Governor’s Palace / City Hall

    The Spanish Governor’s Palace in San Antonio

  •  San Fernando Cathedral
  •  The River Walk
  •  Southwest School of Arts and Crafts / San Antonio Library
  •  The Majestic Theatre
  •  Buckhorn Saloon

Every tour comes with a light weight running t-shirt, online photos from the run, and a bottle water at the end! The public tours are $30 per runner, contact us for private run and group rates. Buy tickets at http://www.rivercityrunsa.com

San Antonio Lodging

If you want to spend some time in the great Texas city of San Antonio, please consider lodging at a Texas bed and breakfast during your stay.

 

 

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Hill Country Bluebonnets are Coming!

March 18th, 2013

“The bluebonnet is to Texas what the shamrock is to Ireland, the cherry blossom to Japan, the lily to France, the rose to England and the tulip to Holland.” – Jack Maguire

Indeed, the bluebonnets of Texas have made their way into the symbolism and lore of our great state. Along with being the state flower, bluebonnets were believed to be messengers from the heavens by the Native American tribes of Texas. Their seeds were strewn throughout missions by early Spanish priests. This lead to the mis-belief that the Spanish brought the flower with them to the New World. However, two different varietals of the flower are native to Texas and found no other place on earth.

Hill Country Bluebonnet Tours

See fields like this during peak Bluebonnet Season in Texas Hill Country, from late March to early April.

Peak bluebonnet season is late March to early April. So make sure to plan your trip soon!
Although there are many driving routes, sometimes called bluebonnet trails, throughout the state, a good place to start is near the city of Burnet, which is known as the Bluebonnet Capital of Texas. Burnet is roughly 40 miles northwest of Austin. Follow Hwy 29 west out of Burnet for 3-1/2 miles, then turn right (north) on Ranch Road (RR) 234 and follow it about 6 miles. Turn left on Graphite Mine Road, which will eventually meet up with Hwy 29 again. Turn left on Hwy 29 to return to Burnet.

A variation of this drive will give you different but equally spectacular views of bluebonnets and a view of Lake Buchanan. Follow TX Hwy 29 west and again turn right on RR 234. If you stay on this road, you’ll have 15 miles of vistas before it finally dead-ends. You can return via the same route or make the turn on Graphite Mine Road.

If you want to see even more of the Hill Country, simply stay on TX Hwy 29 west all the way to Llano, a distance of about 30 miles. In Llano, turn left (south) on TX Hwy 16 and follow it to Fredericksburg (39 miles). In Fredericksburg, turn left (east) on U.S. Hwy 290 and follow it 32 miles to Johnson City, then follow U.S. Hwy 281 north 37 miles to Burnet.

Hill Country Lodging

We have member bed and breakfasts all over Texas Hill Country. Make your bluebonnet tour an overnight or weekend event! Plus, innkeepers can guide you to little known bluebonnet fields or hikes in their region with amazing views.

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Experience a Texas Biker Rally in Jefferson

March 6th, 2013

The second annual Route 49 Biker Rally is taking place March 22-24 in Jefferson Texas. Join in the fun with a Poker Run, Biker Games, Bike Show, Ms. Route 49 Contest, Live Music and Diamond Dons meet and greet bbq. All proceeds go to the Jefferson Railway and Wetlands foundation and the Children’s Medical Center in Dallas. The rally takes place at the Diamond Don & Cypress Bayou RV park, 1602 Hwy 49 east.

Tickets for the Route 49 Biker Rally

Saturday Only Passes

  • Passenger & Rider: $15
  • Rider only: $10

 

Weekend Passes:

  • Rider & Passenger: $40
  • Rider only: $30
  • VIB (Very Important Biker) All-inclusive pass: $100
  • RV Driver Registration: $30
  • RV Passenger Tickets: $10

Get all the details on the Route 49 Rally website.

Entertainment at the Rally

Saturday evening is casino night, with all proceeds going to the Children’s Medical Center in Dallas. Aside from the other events, there will be live music. The bands for the Rally include:

  • Doctor Doctor – Rock ‘n’ Roll cover band
  • The Chris LeBlanc Band
  • The East Texas Garage Band – Classic rock cover band
  • 84 aB Band – artistic rock ‘n’ roll band

See the full schedule online.

Lodging and Transportation for the Biker Rally

In an effort to make sure everyone can enjoy the beer garden and get back to their B&B or hotel safely, the New Route 49 Rally Bus will be in use to transport attendees to and from, each day of the festival.

We have one member bed and breakfast in Jefferson and several in the surrounding area. Explore which Texas bed and breakfast you would like to stay in!

2013 Route 49 Rally Raffle Prize

The prize this year is a 2001 Harley Davidson 883 Sportster. Tickets are $5 each or 5 for $20. The winner will be announced Saturday at 2 p.m. on the main stage of the Diamond Don RV park. Winner need not be present to win.

 

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Rockport – Fulton Oysterfest

February 21st, 2013

Is there anything more delicious than a gulf oyster? In my opinion, not really! Raw, BBQ-ed, baked, fried – however you serve an oyster, there is someone who loves them prepared just like that! My favorite is BBQ-ed or raw, with Tabasco and lemon.

Get your fill of these heavenly shellfish during the 34th annual Fulton Oysterfest, taking place March 7-10.

Come to Fulton or nearby Rockport for a fun filled weekend, where all the proceeds go to the Fulton Volunteer Fire Dept.

The festival includes a carnival, parade, live music and entertainment, arts and crafts, and contests. It sounds like the oyster eating and shucking contests are going to be especially fun. Cash prizes for the contests are as follows: $700 for 1st prize (WOW!) $200 for 2nd and $100 for 3rd.

Oysterfest Event Highlights:

Thursday, March 7th

Charlie Mykals performs from 5-8 p.m.

Friday, March 8th

Decorated Oyster Contest at 7:45 p.m.

Saturday March 9th

Oysterfest Parade at 11 a.m.

Shireen & Mystic Dancers and Drummers at 1:30 p.m.

Men’s Raw Oyster Eating Contest at 4 p.m. at the outside stage

Sunday March 10th

Song of Glory performs from 10:30 – 11:30 a.m.

Women’s Raw Oyster eating contest at 2 p.m. at the outside stage

Oyster Shucking contest at 3 p.m. at the outside stage

See the full lineup of performers and events at the Fulton Oysterfest website.

Oysterfest General Information

The carnival side of the Fulton Oysterfest. Look at those clear beachfront skies!

The festival takes place at Fulton Harbor Park, 400 Fulton Beach Rd.  There will be free Trolly pickup for transportation to the festival grounds at the New Fulton Fire Station at 9th and Chaparral.

The festival grounds are open from:

Thursday ~ 5 – 10 p.m.
Friday ~ 5 – 11 pm.
Saturday ~ 10 a.m. – midnight
Sunday ~ 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Entry fee: $1 Thursday, $3 for Friday, Saturday and Sunday

Lodging in Rockport and Fulton

If this sounds like your kind of good time, come to the gulf coast for the weekend! Stay in one of our lovely member bed and breakfasts in either Fulton or Rockport.

 

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Take a Trip to Big Bend Country!

February 8th, 2013

While Big Bend is a somewhat remote area of our great state, it is truly a gorgeous and pristine section of Texas which deserves a visit. There are many lovely areas of the Big Bend National Park that make it a great destination for someone looking to get away from a congested urban lifestyle or cold and bleary winter weather.

Getting to Big Bend – the First Adventure

The closest commercial airport is El Paso or Midland/Odessa  – which are 300 and 160 miles away, respectively. If you fly into Midland/Odessa, you might want to spend a night at a B&B there before the day of driving that lies ahead. Or, if you fly into El Paso, stop along the way at a Fort Davis bed and breakfast to break the trip up. Part of what makes the park special is that you really have to want to be there – it is remote and that makes it uncrowded and serene. Read the rest of this entry »

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Wynton Marsalis & the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra

January 23rd, 2013

The Ambassador of Jazz returns to Austin for a one-night performance at the Paramount Theater on Wednesday, February 6 at 8 p.m. Marsalis is described as the most outstanding jazz musician and trumpeter of his generation, a brilliant composer and a devoted advocate for the arts. Musicians all over the nation consider him a tireless and inspiring educator. Tickets for the event are $100. Buy tickets online at stubhub.com Read the rest of this entry »

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University of North Texas Basketball

January 8th, 2013

Get in on all the excitement of a home game at the University of North Texas in Denton. We know that Texans are sports-crazy, and in North Texas basketball holds a powerful sway. So here are some upcoming Men and Women’s basketball games that might interest you:

Thursday, January 24th at 7 p.m. (Women’s game at 5 p.m.) Middle Tennessee State comes to the Super Pit for a conference game.

Saturday, January 26th at 7 p.m. (Women’s game at 5 p.m.) University of Arkansas at Little Rock in the Super Pit for a conference game.

Thursday, February 7th at 7 p.m. (Women’s game at 5 p.m.) Western Kentucky in the Super Pit for a conference game.

The University of North Texas men’s basketball team won the Sun Belt Conference twice.

Saturday, February 9th at 7 p.m. (Women’s game at 5 p.m.) Florida International University in the Super Pit for a conference game.

Wednesday, February 20th at 7 p.m. (Women’s game) Florida Atlantic in the Super Pit for a conference game.

Thursday, February 21st at 7 p.m. (Men’s game) Florida Atlantic in the Super Pit for a conference game.

Wednesday February 27th at 7 p.m. (Women’s game) Arkansas State in the Super Pit for a conference game.

Thursday February 28th at 7 p.m. (Men’s game) Arkansas State in the Super Pit for a conference game.

Individual game tickets are $12 for Sideline Reserved seats and $7 for Baseline Reserved seats. You can purchase tickets online at the University of North Texas Athletics website.

Need Lodging in North Texas?

Whether you are visiting Denton to see a sporting event, attending to business in Dallas or visiting family in Fort Worth, we have a Texas bed and breakfast committed to making your stay the best yet. Support a local business owner and enjoy unique accommodations with an innkeeper dedicated to your comfort.

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Lake Mackenzie

December 26th, 2012

Lake Mackenzie, located on Highway 207 between the towns of Silverton and Claude, came into existence in the 1970s when the state dammed Tule Creek Canyon. This is the same region as the infamous Battle of Palo Duro Canyon during the Indian Wars of the mid-19th century. The lake is named after the Colonel that took control of the Canyon from the Comanche, Cheyenne and Kiowa.

Native American artifacts discovered in the area include arrowheads, tools, and animal remains.  Tule Canyon is part of Palo Duro Canyon, the second largest canyon in the United States.  Many people feel this is the most beautiful area in Texas.

Mackenzie Lake is a 2,386-acre park, owned by the Mackenzie Municipal Water Authority. Visitors enjoy fishing, boating, swimming, picnicking and camping here. The park surrounding the lake is also very popular with mountain bike and ATV riders, as many trails surround the lake. Bonus fact: The only quartz quarry in this part of the United States is located near the reservoir.

Parks in the Texas Panhandle

Man-made lake Mackenzie in the Tula Canyon provides year-round ATV and mountain biking, plus seasonal fishing and boating.

Read the rest of this entry »

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