A canoeist in a wide-brimmed hat paddles through Santa Elena Canyon on the Rio Grande, with towering tan and orange limestone cliffs rising on either side and two more canoes visible ahead on the calm green water.

One Row at a Time

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After a couple of failed attempts — one year the Rio Grande ran too low to float a canoe, another year it moved too fast to be safe — we finally made it into Santa Elena Canyon by canoe in … Read More

Fall foliage at Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge, with Prairie Flameleaf Sumac in shades of red, orange, and yellow and the white, feathery plumes of Roosevelt Weed rising in the background.

Yellow Hues at Balcones Canyonlands

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Whether you go on a long hike or a short walk, the sights at Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge will always please you. In the fall, you have vibrant colors from the Prairie Flameleaf Sumac (Rhus lanceolata) and Roosevelt Weed … Read More

A three-image collage of flowers: a cluster of hooded yellow Jerusalem Sage blooms, two magenta Trailing Ratany flowers with fringed petals, and a spiny purple Leavenworth's Eryngo flower head resembling a small pineapple.

JKLoriously Floral

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The time has come for another edition of Floral ABCs. This week, Terri’s Flower Hour #42 reaches the letters J, K, and L. I wasn’t sure I’d have an example for every letter. My photo archive and a quick internet … Read More

Port Isabel Lighthouse silhouetted against a fiery orange and pink sunset sky, with children playing on the steps and families relaxing on the grassy hill below, Port Isabel, Texas.

A Beacon Above the Bridge

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We used to spend time at South Padre Island a few years ago. The beaches there are clean and inviting, though the six-to-seven-hour drive from Austin can wear you down by the time you arrive. Anyone making that drive will … Read More

Panoramic view from the Cinco Tinajas lookout in Big Bend Ranch State Park, with a sandy creek wash winding through green desert scrub toward distant mesas under a blue sky.

An Oasis on the Other Side of Nowhere

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Whenever I visit Big Bend Ranch State Park, just west of Big Bend National Park, one of my favorite hikes is the one to Cinco Tinajas. The trailhead sits about 1.3 miles (2.1 km) from the Sauceda Ranger Station, and … Read More

Close-up of Grosvenor Arch, a golden sandstone double arch glowing in warm light against a blue sky, framed by a juniper on the right and evergreens below, in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Utah.

Unprotected Views and Values

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You may wonder why I am reposting this article. On July 13, 2026, there was a new executive order reducing Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument from about 1.87 million acres to roughly 182,000 acres. That is a cut of about 90 … Read More

Vertical close-up of a Texas Skeleton Plant flower atop its thin, leafless stem, showing deep purple veins and curled white stamens.

Bare Bones, Bold Bloom: The Texas Skeleton Plant

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I can never seem to get enough of this flower. Whether biking or hiking, I literally stop in my tracks when I spot a Texas Skeleton Plant in bloom. I photographed these two photos on a hike at Doeskin Ranch, … Read More

Cobblestone boardwalk trail winding beneath a dense green forest canopy in Parque do Cocó, Fortaleza, Brazil.

An Urban Oasis: Fortaleza’s Parque do Cocó

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When we were in Fortaleza in June 2026, one of the things we wanted to do after spending time with family was explore parts of the city we hadn’t visited before. Since this is my hometown, there wasn’t much left … Read More

Wide view of Texas bluebonnets and Indian paintbrush blooming together in a wildflower field at Inks Lake State Park, forming a natural red, white, and blue palette.

Saturated in Red, White, and Blue

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Inks Lake State Park turns into a wildflower paradise most every spring, though not every year is as saturated with color as 2024 was. The 1,200-acre (486-hectare) park sits in the Texas Hill Country’s Highland Lakes region. Its granite-and-gneiss shoreline … Read More

A tall, sunlit red rock formation with jagged columns rises above a hillside of golden grass and scattered juniper at the start of the Indian Lodge Trail, Davis Mountains State Park, Texas.

Island in the Sky

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Davis Mountains State Park is one of the most scenic parks in Texas. Tucked into the Davis Mountains and close to The University of Texas McDonald Observatory, the Nature Conservancy’s Davis Mountains Preserve, and the Fort Davis National Historic Site, … Read More

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