State Travel Guide. Each year, the Texas Department of Transportation publishes this magazine-size guide with maps and comprehensive listings of the significant attractions in virtually every town, including all the local history museums in Texas’s tiny communities.
Texas Almanac. Published annually, this handy book includes virtually everything you’d ever need to know about Texas—current and historical information about politics, agriculture, transportation, geography, and culture, along with maps of each county (all 254 of ’em).
Texas Monthly. With an upper-crust subscriber base, this monthly features some of the best writers in the state offering insightful commentary and substantive feature articles about the state’s politics, culture, history, and Texas-ness. It’s available at most bookstores, coffee shops, and grocery stores.
Bissinger, H.G. Friday Night Lights. Boston: Addison-Wesley, 1990. This book will tell you more about Texas than you could ever experience in a visit to the state. It’s not just about football, but the passionate emotions involved with family, religion, and race in Odessa through the eyes of journalist Buzz Bissinger.
Dobie, J. Frank. Tales of Old-Time Texas. Austin: University of Texas press, 1955. Known as the Southwest’s master storyteller, J. Frank Dobie depicts folk life in Texas unlike any other author, with 28 inspiring stories of characters (Jim Bowie) and culture (the legend of the Texas bluebonnet).
Fehrenbach, T.R. Lone Star. Cambridge, MA: Da Capo Press, 2000. Considered the definitive book on Texas history, this enormous book by the highly respected late historian covers Texas’s lengthy and colorful heritage in fascinating and accurate detail.
Harrigan, Stephen. The Gates of the Alamo. London: Penguin Books, 2001. This is gripping historical fiction, with detailed history about the actual people and events associated with the Battle of the Alamo weaved with a dramatic narrative resulting in a completely compelling read.
McCarthy, Cormac. All the Pretty Horses. New York City: Alfred Knopf, 1992. Tracing a young man’s journey to the regions of the unknown (though it technically takes place along the Texas-Mexico border), this novel depicts a classic quest with plenty of good, evil, and Texas mystique.
McMurtry, Larry. Lonesome Dove. New York City: Simon & Schuster, 1985. Beautifully written by Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Larry McMurtry, this period piece (late 1800s) chronicles two ex-Texas Rangers on a cattle drive, leaving readers with a yearning for the compelling characters and the Texas of the past.
Meyer, Philipp. The Son. New York City: Harper Collins, 2013. This incredible story, a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in 2014, chronicles 200 years of Texas history through the fictional account of a powerful Texas family. From tensions with Native Americans to border relations to oil barons, The Son captures Texas’ complicated past in a fascinating novel.
Govenar, Alan. Meeting the Blues: The Rise of the Texas Sound. London: Penguin Books, 1994. This semi-obscure, thoroughly researched book provides fascinating insight about the development of the Texas blues through historical narrative, interviews, and photos.
Marshall, Wes. The Wine Roads of Texas: An Essential Guide to Texas Wines and Wineries. San Antonio: Maverick Books, 2002. Covering more than 400 Texas wines and the top wineries in Texas, this book offers a comprehensive sampling of wines from Big Bend to the bayous.
Porterfield, Bill. The Greatest Honky Tonks of Texas. Houston: Taylor Publishing Company, 1983. You’ll likely have to do some searching to dig up a copy of this book, but it’s worth it for the engaging text about the colorful culture associated with the state’s iconic honky-tonks and historic dance halls.
Walsh, Robb. Legends of Texas Barbecue. San Francisco: Chronicle Books, 2002. This book is as fun to read as it is to use—learn about the fascinating history of the many different styles of Texas barbecue while trying out some of the state’s best recipes and cooking methods.
Walsh, Robb. The Tex-Mex Cookbook. Emeryville, CA: Ten Speed Press, 2004. Well researched and comprehensive in approach, this informative book includes cultural information about classic and unknown Tex-Mex dishes and plenty of authentic recipes.
Tekiela, Stan. Birds of Texas Field Guide, 2004. Designed for amateur birders, this handy guide is color coded (corresponding to the birds’ feathers) with helpful photos, maps, and descriptions.
Tennant, Alan. A Field Guide to Texas Snakes, 2002. This thorough guidebook provides essential information about understanding and appreciating Texas’s venomous and nonvenomous snakes through identification keys and color photos.
Wauer, Roland. Naturalist’s Big Bend, 2002. If you’ve ever wanted to know about the major and minor details of Big Bend’s mammals, reptiles, insects, birds, trees, shrubs, cacti, and other living things, this is the place to find it.
Office of the Governor, Economic Development and Tourism
This indispensable site provides background and contact information for virtually every tourist attraction, major and minor, in the state.
Texas Department of Transportation
Visit this site for information about road conditions and travel resources (maps, travel info center locations, etc.).
Texas Monthly
The site of this award-winning magazine offers samples of feature articles and recommendations for quality dining and lodging options throughout the state.
Texas Historical Commission
The official state agency for historic preservation, the THC provides helpful guidelines about its preservation programs and essential travel information about popular historic properties across the state.
Texas State Historical Association, The Handbook of Texas Online
www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online
The Handbook of Texas has long been considered the definitive source for accurate information about Texas’s historical events, sites, and figures.
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
You can get lost (in a good way) exploring this site, with its comprehensive listings of state parks and detailed information about outdoors activities.
National Parks in Texas
Texas’s national parks are astounding, and this site provides enough information to put these intriguing locales on your must-visit list.
Texas Campgrounds
Use this site to help find a commendable RV park or campground anywhere in the state.
Texas Outside
This site contains helpful info and links to outdoor activities in Texas such as hiking, biking, camping, fishing, hunting, and golfing.