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There’s almost no better way to break up a road trip than popping into a strange, offbeat roadside attraction. But this famous destination on Interstate 35 north of San Antonio is the king cobra of them all. I don’t suffer from ophidiophobia (the fear of snakes), but even I was nervous stepping into a building full of the world’s most venomous vipers.

Like many young boys, I grew up pretending to be a medieval knight fighting dragons and rescuing damsels in distress. My castle was usually a cardboard box or a pile of couch cushions. Mike Newman had the same boyhood fantasies but was brave enough to turn them into a royal reality.

In most circles, asking someone if they prefer "The Munsters" or "The Addams Family" can make for fun dinner conversation. But in Waxahachie, there’s only one right answer. Because even though "The Munsters’" beloved sitcom wrapped in 1966, the family’s iconic mansion on 1313 Mockingbird Lane lives on in this growing town south of Dallas.

Katie Phillips is old enough to remember the dark ages-when nightfall at her family’s farm outside Coleman meant navigating by the shadowy illumination offered by carbide and coal-oil lamps and lanterns. When much of the work on her dad’s dairy farm-the milking, separating and bottling-happened before sunrise and without the benefit of electricity.

I like zoos. The cages and fences offer comfort when staring into the eyes of an apex predator. But there’s something exhilarating about stepping into a natural habitat and encountering a wild creature in its element. And that’s the draw of Brazos Bend State Park, which comprises nearly 5,000 acres of wetland marsh and coastal prairie in Fort Bend County. Visit on a sunny day and you’re almost ...

A group of workers near the East Texas town of Malakoff made an unusual discovery near the Trinity River in 1929. They were digging out a gravel pit when they unearthed a round stone about the size of a basketball lying 20 feet below ground level. As they looked at its smooth surface, the stone seemed to be looking back at them through two carved eyes. Was this a prehistoric sculpture? And how ...

While Dale Blasingame was waiting in the car line to enter Hamilton Pool Preserve in July 2014, a ranger walked over with bad news-the popular Hill Country swimming hole was full. Sensing his disappointment, the ranger suggested an alternative, the nearby Pedernales Falls State Park. “Would you like a day pass or an annual pass?” A simple question at the entrance to Pedernales Falls prompted Bl...

In my line of work, it’s normal to pass through a small town with ailing buildings and few visible signs of life. It isn’t normal for one of those old wooden storefronts to have a line 150 Texans long, stretching clear into the next parking lot. I pulled over to find out what was happening at the Leona General Store, and after someone told me it was steak night, I had no choice but to get in line.

If you were to envision a day trip to the Pie Capital of Texas, you might picture homey cafés, cozy cups of coffee and buttery crusts filled with sugary happiness. And you can certainly find those things in Kyle, south of Austin. But you can also smash pie plates into tiny bits and shatter coffee cups into smithereens-legally (and safely)-at Unchartered Adventures, a unique indoor entertainment...

This is the experience of visiting the World’s Largest Flea Market, which happens every month in the town of Canton, midway between Dallas and Tyler. My legs, wallet and stomach were not prepared.

Nestled on the banks of the Brazos River, this charming site was once the headquarters for Stephen F. Austin’s colony and is now a fascinating glimpse into the lives of early Texians. I stepped into the museum and was amazed at the interactive exhibits, artifacts and displays that told the story of how Austin led 297 families-the Old Three Hundred-here and established the unofficial capital of ...

Things got especially interesting, and spooky, when I crossed the street and stepped inside the old jail. This citadel of servitude opened in 1903 and served Brown County until the 1980s. The smell of stone and rusted metal permeates every room. The ground floor, which was once the sheriff’s private residence, is now an incredible museum about Texas rule of law and includes stories of famous ou...

Traveling to downtown Laredo feels like visiting a different country. Maybe that’s because it was at one point in history! I’m not talking about the fact that Laredo was once part of Mexico (all of Texas was). I’m talking about the lesser-known Republic of the Rio Grande that existed for 11 short months in 1840 with Laredo as its capital.

David Getman plays banjo

Barbies and other toys Become art in this Central Texas yard

Did Billy the Kid live out his days in Hico? Chet investigates

Chet can’t resist trying puffy tacos at Ray’s Drive Inn

Chet finds the largest collection of ancient pictographs in North America

Chet visits a schoolhouse turned brewhouse in Eola

Jamaica Beach Snapper

Chet finds weird and wonder at Austin’s Cathedral of Junk

This treasured Hill Country summer camp changes lives with love

See the History of America’s First Drill Team at the Rangerette Museum

Meet Texas Co-op Power’s new food editor: Vianney Rodriguez

Texas German Is a Dying Dialect, But UT Researchers Are Preserving It

The Attractions at Mammoth Lake Texas Are Under 35 Feet of Water

The Odessa meteor crater is full of explosive history … and dirt

Chet explores the Lonesome Dove Collection at Texas State University

Secondhand treasures at this Hill Country store pay for college degrees