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.

The Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth.

All of the above mentioned museums are located in the Cultural District, within walking distance of one another. The Cultural District is also home to Casa Mañana, a Texas-sized venue for Broadway style shoes, children’s theater, concerts, and more. The Fort Worth Botanic Garden and the Log Cabin Village, a living history museum, are located elsewhere in town.

There is never a bad time to visit a Fort Worth museum. The exhibits are always interesting, always worth a look. Check out the Modern Art Museum in the spring, while in town to witness a student graduate from one of the many universities in Fort Worth. Check out the Amon Carter Museum of American Art while enjoying a Fort Worth, Texas Bed and Breakfast getaway in the winter.

Current Fort Worth Exhibits:

The Kimbell Art Museum is exhibiting Caravaggio: A Life Sacred and Profane, through January 8, 2012.

The Amon Carter Museum of American Art is exhibiting John Marin: Modernism at Midcentury through January 8, 2012.

The Fort Worth Museum of Science and History has great permanent exhibits on Dinosaurs and Energy; the Cattle Raisers Museum is also located in this museum.

People travel from all over the state – and indeed the country and the world – to witness the graduation of their son, daughter, sister, brother, grandchild, and friend. It is a celebratory time for all.

Dallas Texas Bed and Breakfasts, Fort Worth Texas Bed and Breakfasts, and Denton Texas Bed and Breakfasts welcome families who’ve come to see their students graduate from one of the many universities in the area.

Read on for a list of North Texas Commencement dates:

Congratulations 2011 Graduates!

• The University of Texas, Dallas: May 13 and 14, 2011
• Southern Methodist University, Dallas: May 13 and 14, 2011

• University of North Texas, Fort Worth: May 14, 2011
• Texas Christian University, Fort Worth: May 7, 2011
• Texas Wesleyan University, Fort Worth: May 13, 2011

• University of North Texas, Denton: May 13 and 14, 2011
• Texas Woman’s University, Denton: May 13 and 14, 2011

Holiday lights along San Antonio's Riverwalk.

Watch Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer on stage at the Casa Mañana Theatre in Fort Worth, and visit a magical Christmas wonderland at Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington. See Santa Claus VS The Martians at the KD Studio in Dallas, or take in a more traditional holiday show with Kelly Willis and Bruce Robinson at Dallas’ Wyly Theatre.

There are Christmas celebrations at Sea World in San Antonio, a fabulous display of holiday lights along the Riverwalk, and 40′ tall Christmas trees in the parks. Guests of Austin TX Bed and Breakfasts may see the Radio City Christmas Spectacular at the Bass Concert Hall or the Nutcracker at the Michael and Susan Dell Hall on  December 17, 2010; On December 20, The Company Theatre presents Bah Humbug!, a one-man adaptation of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol.

In Houston, one can Skate Under Falling Snow at the ice rink in the Galleria or listen to the Houston Symphony perform Handel’s Messiah (December 21 – 23, 2010). Guests of Fredericksburg TX Bed and Breakfasts may complete any last-minute holiday shopping at the Fredericksburg Trade Days at Sunday Farms (December 17-18), which features more than 300 vendors and everything from ranch furniture to jewelry and clothing.

Texas Bed and Breakfasts welcome guests over the holidays. This year let them welcome you.

Stockyard and Ft. Worth Skyline, originally uploaded by Erik Pronske.

Fort Worth, Texas is a place of fascinating juxtapositions. On one hand, it is a modern city with excellent museums, a wide selection of restaurants featuring all types of cuisine, and important industry. On the other hand, it is a city where cowboys herd cattle down the streets twice daily. Fascinating.

Guests of Fort Worth bed and breakfasts should reserve some time to visit the Stockyard Historic District. The Stockyards of Forth Worth were at one time home to the second largest cattle market in the world, earning Fort Worth the moniker Cowtown. As a tribute to that past, real cowherds drive a herd of Texas Longhorns down the streets of the Stockyard Historic District at 11:30 and 4pm each day. Witnesses experience history in the flesh.

The Stockyard Historic District has much to offer in addition to live cattle. Walking tours provide an overview of the district’s past. The Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame will teach you about the hardworking men and women who shaped cattle industry, excelled in rodeos, and strove to preserve their heritage. Stand on the ground where millions of cattle were bought and sold – the 1902 Livestock Exchange Building.

When you’re hungry, consider a trip to Risky’s BBQ, which serves tender ribs, tasty BBQ sandwiches, and the cowboy staple of calf-fries (ask the innkeepers of your bed and breakfast Fort Worth). Sit on the patio of Trailboss Burgers and enjoy a terrific view of the Cattle Drive as you sink your teeth into a Texas-style burger. Or cool off with some spicy food at Habanero’s Mexican Restaurant.

The entertainment calendar of the Stockyard Historic District is always full; you’ll probably want to visit this happening neighborhood many times during your stay in Fort Worth. Happy trails.

Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth

Fort Worth is a city worth visiting. Stay in a Texas bed and breakfast and plan to pass your days absorbing a little culture in Fort Worth Texas. The heat of summer is a great motivator for ducking into a cool museum.

The Texas Civil War Museum is a fascinating place, housing as it does the largest assortment of Civil War artifacts west of the Mississippi River. More than 90,000 men from Texas fought in the Civil War, most of them in the Confederate army, but in the Union army as well; this museum tells their story in a unique theater presentation. There is also an impressive exhibit of flags, weaponry and uniforms, and many other period artifacts. You can even taste hardtack, one of the staples for soldiers during the war.

For an entirely different experience, check out the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth. Designed by Japanese architect Tadao Ando, the building is an art piece worth visiting in and of itself. Inside, you will find European and American art created from 1945 to the present. This summer, from July 12 through September 27, there is an exhibit of the work of William Kentridge entitled “Five Themes”. According to the museum website, “Five Themes features the most comprehensive survey to date of the films, drawings, books, prints, sculptures, and stage designs by this influential contemporary South African artist.” Sounds phenomenal.

When you have finished exploring the exhibits, settle yourself in to a cafe that overlooks an enormous reflecting pond. You will feel cool and refreshed by the end of your visit to the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth.