Traveling around Texas seems to get better each year, but along with the
encouraging news comes a mixture of not-so-good and downright sad happenings.
In no particular order, here is a list of ten events in 1995 that did or could
affect day trippers:
1. Aquarena Springs (pictured above) completed a full year of operation under
the control of Southwest Texas University. The university has upgraded the
facilities and added natural history exhibits. Ralph the swimming pig and the
glass-bottom boats are still at the theme park, but the visitors they attract
help to pay for research on the San Marcos River.
2. Day tripping on the Internet is a reality. Several Texas towns now have
Web sites with travel information, and even guidebooks can be accessed; to read
this column on the Internet go to /.
3. Great Scots, there’s a 250-foot statue of Sam Houston looking over I-45 in
Huntsville! More than one late-night trucker must have thought he was having a
religious experience with he came upon the illuminated giant.
4. The population of whooping cranes spending the winter along the Texas
coast increased to 149 this year. The previous record of 146 was set in 1990;
the 1994 count was 132.
5. The Hartman Bridge, the largest cable-span bridge in the U.S., opened
in September, connecting Baytown with Houston. Three years late and over
budget, the 40-story bridge was delayed because the contractor tried to use
steel from South Africa while that country was under a U.S. embargo because of
apartheid.
6. San Angelo State Park, Texas’ newest state park, opened in October at
O.C. Fisher Reservoir. Four ecological zones overlap in the 7,032-acre park
that attracts over 300 species of birds and 50 mammals. The park offers water
sports and camping, as well as 15-mile hiking-biking-equestrian trail, Indian
rock art, and dinosaur tracks.
7. On December 29, 1995, Texas celebrated its 150th year of statehood —
though more hoopla happened for the sesquicentennial of independence from
Mexico in 1986.
8. The dog track in Harlingen closed. The horse track at Bandera closed,
saying the lottery and Retama Park in San Antonio took away its customers. Then
Retama closed, saying they didn’t have enough customers.
9. The speed limit on some highways was increased to 70mph from 65mph.
Evidence suggests that with an increase of only five miles-per-hour, highway
fatalities will substantially increase.
10. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department announced another increase in
usage fees. Beginning Sept. 1, 1996, costs for hunting and fishing licenses
will increase, and on May 1, 1996, most parks will begin charging a per-person
entry fee. Discount packages such as a combination fishing and hunting license
or the new Gold Conservation Passport (which doubles in cost to $50) will
become even better bargains.
Coming up this weekend…
Dallas Video Festival features the work of pioneering filmmaker Spencer
Williams at the Dallas Museum of Art, Jan. 4-7. Williams, best known for his
work as half of the Amos `n Andy TV show, was a leader in the black
cinema during the segregation of the 1920s and ’30s. 214/823-8909.
Coming up…
Janis Joplin Birthday Bash in her hometown of Port Arthur attracts a variety
of musical styles to honor the late blues singer, Jan. 13. n
This article appears in January 5 • 1996 and January 5 • 1996 (Cover).
