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 2008 San Antonio Rock "n" Roll Marathon.

Marathon runners aren’t like everyone else. Lots of people run for fitness and health, but most stick to a distance of a few miles. Those who embark upon a race of more than 26 miles – and those who do this more than once in a lifetime – are quite simply a breed apart.

Just as marathon runners aren’t like other people, San Antonio’s Rock “n” Roll Mararthon isn’t like other marathons. Runners will be encouraged by music and cheered by fans who take cheering seriously. Is it possible to dance at mile 18? Find out during the San Antonio Marathon.

The big event takes place Sunday, November 13, 2011. The marathon starts at 7:30 a.m., and bands will be playing until the last runners cross the finish line. San Antonio Rock “n” Roll Marathon entertainment includes:

• 4FTJ
• A Variety of Bands from San Antonio
• Vince Neil

San Antonio Texas Bed and Breakfasts welcome marathon runners, marathon walkers, and supportive friends and family. Spend a few days exploring San Antonio before the race, when you can still walk without limping. Indulge in gourmet breakfasts in San Antonio Bed and Breakfasts during your stay; you’re sure to want a few extra stored calories during the race. If you can, stay a day or two after the race, and let yourself be pampered.

Please see our San Antonio Bed and Breakfasts for a list of lodging in the area.

Please Rock “n” Roll Marathon for additional information.

Enjoy San Antonio after the sun sets.

When the mercury is as high as it has been lately in Texas, it’s best to focus on activities that take place after the heat of day has subsided. Fortunately, the arts are strong in San Antonio, and there are dozens of evening activities in San Antonio on any given night. Guests of San Antonio, Texas Bed and Breakfasts have time to enjoy many of them.

The arts in San Antonio reflect the diverse population. There’s a symphony and classical ballet, but also Indian Dance, Japanese Folk Dance, and Classical Country Music. San Antonio is said to be the American capital of Tejano music, a lively blend of northern Mexican ranchero, German polka, and pop music. The Alameda Theater is dedicated to Spanish language entertainment, opportunities to dance the Tango are frequent at Rincon del Tango, and cross-cultural concerts featuring ethnic folk, classical, and jazz musicians take place at Musical Bridges.

Read on for a list of upcoming evening entertainment in San Antonio:

• Fiesta Noche del Rio at Arneson River Theatre. A great outdoor musical review. Ends 8.13.11.

• The King and I at San Pedro Playhouse. Ends August 8.21.11.

• Sunday Jazz at the Witte Museum. Outdoors, August 14, 2011.

• Beethoven Gardenkonzert at the King William Area. German entertainment, German food,  and a beer garden. 8.19.11.

• Free Concerts on Wednesday nights at the County Line BBQ.

• Jazz in the Streets at The Shops at La Cantera. Saturdays through 9.3.11.

Guests of San Antonio Texas Bed and Breakfasts have an advantage over many travelers. The innkeepers are local, they love their home town, and they love to share what they know about it. Ask them for up-to-date entertainment tips, and for good restaurants near venues.

Don't leave Seguin without pecans.

By the end of February, wildflowers in the Guadelupe Valley will be peaking. Birds such as Scissor-tailed Flycatchers, Green Kingfishers, and Crested Caracaras will be looking for mates. The temperature will be just right – not too hot, not too cold.

Plan a Seguin Texas Bed and Breakfast vacation for early spring, when the community blossoms along with wildflowers. Festivals such as the Noche de Gala, Main Street Trade Days, and the Cajun Jamboree fill the calendar. Enjoy walking tours that highlight the historic limestone architecture of Seguin and feast on locally grown pecans. Wonderful.

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.

San Antonio Riverwalk, originally uploaded by cbcastro.

San Antonio is one of the most glorious cities in the United States. Come see for yourself, and stay in a San Antonio bed and breakfast.

The next time you are planning a getaway to a San Antonio bed and breakfast, bring your camera. The historic buildings in and around the city, like the Mission pictured here, make lovely subjects.

Come to San Antonio for the Texas Folklife Festival

The Texas Folklife Festival is in it’s 39th year, and it is by far the biggest celebration of the Texas cultures in the state. It runs June 11-13, 2010, at the Institute of Texan Cultures on the UTSA HemisFair Park Campus. Friday from 5pm – 11pm, Saturday from 11am – 11om, and Sunday from noon – 7pm.

Expect to find food, music, dance, arts, and crafts from 40 different cultural groups found in Texas. The festival is spread out over 22 acres, and therefore has ample room for 50 dance troupes, 65 music groups, and 150 ethnic food stalls. There is even a carnival.

You may think you know Texas, but you will be surprised by the diversity of this great state. Eat empanadas the way they do in the Canary Islands (with a little Texas flair). Taste a cactus tuna cup, born of American Indian traditions. Lebanese falafel sandwiches, German sausage on a stick, and of course, Texas barbecue. Spend all your time nibbling your way through the food stalls, or take a walk in search of The Astonishing Mr. Pitts Medicine Show. Then find some music, for music is essential to culture and to this celebration.

If you can’t make the Texas Folklife Festival, come to a bed and breakfast San Antonio anyway, any time of year.

623_Cypress on the river Castroville TX_web, originally uploaded by stone_singer48.

You’ll find the little slice of heaven pictured above just north of Castroville, in South Texas.

Spring is an excellent time to hop in the car and meander about, with no particular destination in mind. If you live in – or are visiting – San Antonio, you’ll find many lovely towns to explore. Throw an overnight bag in the car, have a list of South Texas bed and breakfasts in hand, and away you go.

Castroville is about a thirty minute drive west of San Antonio. The town is nestled in the Medina River Valley, and is known as the Little Alsace of Texas.

There is a festive air to this little town. Stop by on the first Friday night of each month for Fiorella Fridays, where you’ll encounter live music in September Square, wine tasting, and artisans selling their wares. If you are in town on April 22, 2010, you may want to check out the 5th Annual Fiesta on London Street’s Spring Mixer. Saturday April 24, 2010 is the Renaissance Fair – come in costume!

Quaint shops abound. In need of some French antiques? Try Chateau Lafayette. European and Mexican antiques can be found at Albros Casa y Garden.

Stop by Haby’s Alsatian Bakery when you feel your tummy rumbling, and don’t leave town without stopping at one of several outstanding meat markets /delis for Alsatian sausages.

In fact, why leave town at all? Stay a night or two at a Castroville bed and breakfast, and enjoy yourself to the fullest.

The St. Louis Cathedral in Castroville is a great example of the fantastic architecture you’ll find around the Little Alsace of Texas, as Castroville is affectionately called thanks to the Alsatian settlers who founded it.

Check out the annual Castroville Old Fashion Christmas, Saturday December 5. There will be arts and crafts as well as a variety of tasty foods to tempt the palate.

While in town, be sure to visit Castroville Regional Park, where majestic trees grow out of the Medina River.

D’Hanis, not far to the north of Castroville, is another charming town with Alsatian roots. Visitors will enjoy the old Fort Lincoln, along with the lovely ruins of St. Dominicus Church.

St Louis, Castroville TX, originally uploaded by dallasbear.