Find romance in Texas.

Whisk your Valentine to Texas for a romantic getaway this February. Sip wine in the Texas Hill Country or walk on the beach by the Gulf Coast. Spend a night at the Opera in Dallas or linger over dinner at an outdoor cafe in San Antonio.

Texas Bed and Breakfasts offer romantic lodging throughout the state. They’re in the big cities and they’re in the small towns. They’re up in Lubbock and they’re down in Galveston. Some are historic, some are modern, all are charming.

Whether you’re escaping cold winds in the north or simply looking for a change of scenery a few hours from home, this Valentine’s Day, find romance in a Texas Bed and Breakfast.

The Paris, Texas Eiffel Tower. It simply has to be seen.

Under different circumstances, it would be troubling to hear that men and women armed with bows and arrows were headed to Paris, Texas. In reality, it’s fun.

As it has for the past couple of years, Paris, Texas will once again host the annual Delta Southwest Shoot Out on March 23-25, 2012. Archers are encouraged to make their lodging plans soon; we hope archers will consider staying in Paris, Texas Bed and Breakfasts.

Archer or not, Paris, Texas is worth a visit. Main Street is hopping these days, with quirky shops, tasty eateries, and interesting art galleries. The architecture is historic and attractive, and it’s a pleasure to stroll down the street, window shopping or shopping for real.

Then there’s the Eiffel Tower. You can spend thousands of dollars to fly to France and see the “real” thing, or you can spend considerably less, drive to Paris, Texas, and see the next best thing. We may be biased, but we like ours; the cowboy hat is a nice touch.

Tournament information is available at Archery Shooters Association.

The Menil Collection

Houston is a large city with many museums. All are worth a visit. Some are quite extraordinary.

Tutahnkhamun, The Golden King and the Great Pharaohs, is currently on exhibit at the Museum of Fine Arts Houston (through April 15, 2012). This is just one of the reasons to visit this impressive museum.

The Menil Collection is housed in a modern space that highlights the art and encourages viewers to have a personal experience with each piece. John and Dominique de Menil had a vast and varied collection of art. For years, they loaned many of their pieces to museums. Eventually, they decided to build their own.

Delving into the history of funerals may not be the first thing that leaps to mind, but it makes the short list of things to do when in Houston. The National Museum of Funeral History explores one of the most ancient customs known to humankind. Learn about ancient mourning rituals and the history of embalming. See a wide array of hearses, coffins, and caskets. Learn what happens to popes and presidents after death. This museum is utterly fascinating.

What would happen if your eccentric uncle could share his eclectic collection of found objects with the world? It would look something like The Orange Show. Jeff McKissack spent 25 years creating an architectural collage from just such materials. It is definitely worth a look.

People from all over the world travel to Houston to see the Houston Museum of Natural Science. They are not wrong to do so. Upcoming and current exhibits include Discovering the Civil War, and Warriors, Tombs, and Temples,newly discovered artifacts from China’s First Emperor.

Houston is filled with fascinating museums. It’s worth making time to visit at least one of them while in Houston.

Looking for a good lodging option? Try a Texas Bed and Breakfast. Several good Texas B&Bs are located on the outskirts of Houston.

If you have never been to a rodeo, check out SandHills in Odessa.

The SandHills Stock Show and Rodeo starts tomorrow, January 5, 2012, at the Ector County Coliseum in Odessa, Texas. We hope you’re already settling in to an Odessa, Texas Bed and Breakfast.

The big event begins with Steer and Heifer weigh ins and concludes January 14 with an evening Rodeo in the Coliseum. In between, there are lamb shows, horse shows, and goat shows. There are Kids Rodeos and Steer Roping Slacks. See the amazing Dusty Tuckness, bullfighter extraordinaire, and Cory Wall, the 2009 Bullfighter of the year.

There is also plenty of entertainment at SandHills Rodeo. Among others, see:

• Roz Beaton (who toured with the Cirque du Soleil “Cavalia” show) and Sally Bishop in the SureShot Acts Amazing Trick Riding.

• The Cooper Brothers

• Trevor Brazile

• The Peek Brothers

• JW Harris

If you’re not already in Odessa, we hope you’re on your way there. Once you arrive, you’ll be comfortable in an Odessa, Texas Bed and Breakfast.

Holiday lights in San Antonio.

What we have in common is our desire to offer our guests the finest lodging experience possible. Our guests travel for pleasure, business, and family. Guests come from all over the world, including the town next door. Our guests stay in Texas Bed and Breakfasts because the inns are romantic, and comfortable, and inviting. Guests stay in our inns because we serve amazing breakfasts, and often offer evening refreshments as well. Guests stay with us because we understand what they want, and we do our best to provide it.

Across the state, we love what we do. We love it because of you, our wonderful guests. Thank you for staying with us. Without you, what we do would be meaningless.

Happy New Year!

Look for D.S. Metal Works at the Armadillo Christmas Bazaar.

We’ve blogged about the Armadillo Christmas Bazaar in the past. What we neglected to include was the fact that one of our Texas Bed and Breakfast innkeepers is an acclaimed artist who has had a booth at the Armadillo Christmas Bazaar for years.

Wayne and Kathy Rossi run the Star House Bed and Breakfast in Dripping Springs. In addition to being an innkeeper, Wayne is also an experienced metal sculptor; for more than 20 years, he has created his art at his studio, D.S. Iron Works, which is on the grounds of the Star House Texas Bed and Breakfast. Guests are invited to visit the studio and watch him at work.

Wayne and D.S. Iron Works have been featured on the Diane Sawyer Nightly News Segment on “Made In America“. Wayne hand-cuts his metal, using only his hands (not computers) to free-draw and cut each and every part of his artwork. While Wayne does import some gift items from other countries for the large Armadillo Show, the rest of the year he sells only items made 100% in America.

D.S. Iron Works is offering a $30.00 booth credit for potential Texas Bed and Breakfast customers who attend the Armadillo Christmas Bazaar and stop by the D.S. Iron Works booth. Wayne will include a $2.00 nail puzzle in each Texas Bed and Breakfast swag bag, as well.

The Armadillo Christmas Bazaar takes place each year at the Palmer Events Center in Austin, Texas. It is more than just a craft show; it features an almost non-stop line-up of live music, and great food to boot. It is a fantastic place to pick up unique holiday gifts. It is also a fun experience.

The Armadillo Christmas Bazaar runs through December 24, 2011. Don’t miss it!

Fireworks will light the sky in San Antonio on New Year's Eve.

Texas is a large, diverse state. It has big, cosmopolitan cities and small, historic towns. It has vast stretches of open land, and miles of coastline on the Gulf of Mexico. Texas Bed and Breakfasts are located all over the state, in the big cities, the small towns, and the countryside.

Make New Year’s Eve special this year, no mater where or how you like to celebrate it, by spending it in a Texas Bed and Breakfast.

Stay close to home or go away for a night or two. If you enjoy all big cities have to offer, spend New Year’s Eve in Fort Worth, San Antonio, or Dallas. If you’d like to wake up on January 1, 2012 and go for a walk on the beach, head to a Texas Bed and Breakfast on the Gulf Coast. If you’d like to spend a romantic evening sipping wine in a quaint, historic town, head to one of our member Bed and Breakfasts in the Texas Hill Country.

Special events are happening all over the state. There is a Midnight Volksport Walk in Fredericksburg, for anyone interested in walking in the new year. There are numerous concerts and galas all over Dallas and Houston. San Antonio hosts a huge, free celebration with live music on six stages, food, and fireworks.

New Year’s Eve should be spent however you feel comfortable spending it. We’re certain you’ll be comfortable in a Texas Bed and Breakfast.

When you get to the end of the road, look for a Texas Bed and Breakfast.

There are many good reasons to stay in one of our member Texas Bed and Breakfasts rather than at the home of your friends or family. This is especially true during the holidays, when stress levels tend to spike in even the most steadfast individuals.

The benefits of having separate lodging during the holidays:

• More space. As Virginia Woolfe so wisely wrote, everyone needs “a room of one’s own.” Even if you will only be visiting for a few days, it’s best to have a place to go each evening so everyone can have a little down time. When you reconnect in the morning, everyone will be in a better mood.

• Less cooking. Since you’ll be fed delicious breakfasts each morning at your inn, your hosts will have one less meal to prepare each day.

• Less laundry. Your hosts will undoubtedly be preparing many meals and washing many dishes. Why add your sheets and towels to their laundry load, too?

• Less is more. While it is wonderful to reconnect with the people you love, it’s best not to have to share a bathroom.

Staying at a Texas Bed and Breakfast is a delightful experience. You’ll feel like you’ve had a real vacation in addition to seeing your beloved friends and family. You’ll return home pampered and refreshed.

Dance and shop at Austin's Armadillo Christmas Bazaar.

Settle in an Austin, Texas Bed and Breakfast and prepare for a startlingly unique holiday shopping experience. In fact, it’s more like a shopping party than anything else. Peruse affordable gifts and admire high-end art. Need a break? Grab a drink and dance.

Performers include Kyle Park, Brian Keane, Band of Heathens, Sarah Smith, Del Castillo, and Eliza Gilkyson. For a complete schedule and list of performers, please see Armadillo Bazaar.

As of this writing, it’s sunny and 70 degrees in Austin. That’s good enough reason to book a room in an Austin Bed and Breakfast right there. The Armadillo Christmas Bazaar is just cream in the coffee, frosting on the cake.

The Armadillo Christmas Bazaar runs December 14 – 24, 2011 at the Palmer Events Center. Doors open at 11 a.m. and close at 11 p.m, daily. Come on down and shop with pizazz!

The Marble Falls Walkway of Lights.

The weather is lovely–not too hot, not too cold. German, Czechoslovakian, and Mexican roots make for eclectic cultural, dining, and shopping experiences. And charming towns, such as Boerne, New Braunfels, Bastrop, Fredericksburg, and La Grange, have a host of festive activities. November and December are wonderful months to stay in Texas Bed and Breakfasts throughout Central Texas and the Texas Hill Country.

Festive Events Abound:

• Stop by Fredericksburg for the Yuletide Celebration on November 25, 2011, which features a 26 foot tall German Christmas Pyramid, a 30 foot Christmas tree with locally made German-style ornaments, and a whole Gingerbread Village.

• Skate outdoors on real ice in at the Eisbahn in Fredericksburg, November 25, 2011 through Jaunuary 1, 2012.

• Shop St. Nicolausmarkt, a traditional German Christmas Market in Fredericksburg, December 2 and 3, 2011.

• Experience Dickens on Main in downtown Boerne the two weekends after Thanksgiving. There will be live music, horse-drawn carriage rides, and even snow. It’s magical.

• Watch the Weihnachts Parade in Boerne on December 3, 2011, from 6 to 9 p.m.

• Head to Boerne Market Days, December 10 and 11, 2011. A fun outdoor crafts fair with antiques, jewelry, and bargains. Shop to outstanding live music.

• Browse the amazing Weihnachsmarkt, or Christmas market, of New Braunfels, November 18-20, 2011.

• Enjoy Wassailfest in New Braunfels, when all are invited to drink wassail and celebrate the holidays. December 1, 2011 at the Main Plaza.

• Visit Gruene Market Days, held the third weekend of November and the first weekend of December. Since all products sold are created by the vendors themselves, it’s a fabulous place to find unique gifts.

• Early December in La Grange is filled with special events such as the German Christmas and Trail of Lights at Monument HIll State Park, the Main Street Christmas Schmekenfest on the Square (say that three times fast), and the Czech Christmas Choral Concert. More information may be found at Monument Hill State Park.

Don’t just stay home this holiday season. Explore Central Texas and the Texas Hill Country. Enjoy hospitality at various Texas Bed and Breakfasts throughout the region. It’s a gift worth giving yourself.