Day Trips & Beyond: January Events Roundup

Watch eagles from your computer or chase whooping cranes on the Texas coast.

The wetland eagles have landed. The John Bunker Sands Wetland Center outside of Seagoville in Northeast Texas aims a video camera on the eagles' nest in anticipation of the hatching of the eggs that arrived in December. Beware, watching the video feed of the eagles can be addictive. Historically, the eggs come in late January, hatch the first week of March, and the birds fledge mid- to late May. This year’s brood is a little early.
January to May, Wetland Eagle Video Cam, 972/474-9100, www.wetlandcenter.com/eagles.html

While he was president, Lyndon B. Johnson often retreated to his Hill Country ranch. The house on the Pedernales River was a home, an office away from Washington, and a spot for barbecue picnics. The National Park Service has temporarily closed the Texas White House and adjacent buildings due to structural issues. All other park facilities are open to the public. Visitors can still enjoy ranger-led tours of the grounds, the museum in the hangar visitor center, and the ranch driving tour. State park facilities at the ranch are unaffected.
Stonewall, 830/868-7128, www.nps.gov/lyjo

Travel Notes:

Registration has begun for the 23rd Annual Whooping Crane Festival, Feb. 21-24 in Port Aransas. The festival is open to anyone who loves the outdoors and nature-related activities. The best tours and workshops fill quickly, so don’t delay in registering at www.whoopingcranefestival.org.

Texas has more than its share of quirky travel destinations. The quest to find the hidden gems around the state got a little easier with Atlas Obscura’s online Guide of Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Texas. The Texas map has 218 hot spots while the Southwestern United States has more than 800. There are thousands of off-the-beaten-path attractions around the world included in the Atlas. Take the map for a test drive at www.atlasobscura.com/things-to-do/texas.

Start your planning now for a road trip to West Texas in April for the Marfa Myths Festival from April 25 to 28. Tickets have gone on sale for the multidiscipline cultural program and nearly interplanetary music fest. Only Marfa could host a festival with such a diverse range of artists showcasing their work in music, film, visual arts, and for the first time, comedy. Go bust some myths and create some new ones. For information, go to www.marfamyths.com.

Operation Full Steam Ahead has completed major repairs to the Battleship Texas allowing visitors to return to the third deck. The second round of major repairs, cleaning, and safety upgrades to the battleship that served in both World Wars opens most of the ship to the public. The remaining repairs to the hull will have to be done with the ship in dry dock. Decommissioned in 1948, the first U.S. battleship to become a floating museum is operated by Texas Parks & Wildlife beside the San Jacinto Battleground Monument in LaPorte.

Do you remember that episode of the Cheers television show where Norm gets his dream job as the taster for a local brewery? Now you can have your dream job at Karbach Brewery in Houston as quality assurance manager, according to Brewbound Newsletter. The job requires a Bachelor of Science degree; sorry, Norm. Or you can just tour the new brewery and taste the beer during the week at 3pm, 5pm, or 7pm or on the hour in the afternoons on weekends.

Other January Events:

Hair of the Dog Day
Jan. 1, Gruene, www.gruenehall.com

Polar Bear Dip
Jan. 1, South Padre Island, www.claytonsbeachbar.com/polar-bear-dip

Polar Bear Plunge
Jan. 1, Wimberley, www.fb.com/events/2236792639936348

First Day Hike
Jan. 1, Various State Parks, www.tpwd.texas.gov/calendar/first-day-hikes

First Friday Art Walk
Jan. 4, Fredericksburg, www.fredericksburgtexas-online.com/firstfridayartwalk

Mason County Livestock Show and Expo
Jan. 4-5, Mason, www.fb.com/masonstockshowexpo

Sam Rayburn’s Birthday Open House
Jan. 5, Bonham, www.visitsamrayburnhouse.com

Mardi Gras Season Kickoff (Twelfth Night)
Jan. 6, New Orleans, www.louisianatravel.com/articles/new-orleans-mardi-gras-201

Second Saturday Gallery Trail
Jan. 8-9, Wimberley, www.gallerytrail.com

Planetarium Show
Jan. 8, 15, 22, 29, Clute, www.brazosportcenter.org

Tours of the Gault Archaeological Site
Jan. 12, Florence, www.williamsonmuseum.org

Second Saturday Art Center Market
Jan. 12, Rockport, www.rockportartcenter.com

Boerne Market Days
Jan. 12-13, Boerne, www.boernemarketdays.com

Bloodless Bullfights
Jan. 12, 26, La Gloria, www.fredrenk.com

Buffalo Soldier Day
Jan. 13, San Antonio, www.texancultures.com

Bastrop County MLK Walk and Program
Jan. 14, Elgin, www.elgintx.com

Cocktail Conference
Jan. 14-20, San Antonio, www.sacocktailconference.com

Houston Money Show
Jan. 18-19, Conroe, www.houstoncoinshow.org

Turkish Music Festival
Jan. 18-19, Houston, www.hoppaproject.com/tmf2019

Trade Days
Jan. 18-20, Fredericksburg, www.fbgtradedays.com

Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo
Jan. 18-Feb. 9, Fort Worth, www.fwssr.com

Neo Camerata – A Journey of Mind and Emotion Concert
Jan. 19, Boerne, www.cavewithoutaname.com

Rains County Eagle Fest
Jan. 19, Emory, www.emorytx.com/eagle-fest

Open House Nebgen School
Jan. 19, Gillespie County, www.historicschools.org

MLK Youth Parade – Midtown Houston
Jan. 19, Houston, www.mlkgrandeparade.org

Bird Banding
Jan. 19, Lake Jackson, www.gcbo.org

Luckenbach Blues Festival
Jan. 19, Luckenbach, www.luckenbachtexas.com

Krewe of Sobek Parade
Jan. 19, Shreveport, La., www.sbfunguide.com/event/krewe-of-sobek-parade/5551

Hill Country Gem and Mineral Show
Jan. 19-20, Fredericksburg, www.fredericksburgrockhounds.org

Windsync Woodwind Quartet Concert
Jan. 20, Fredericksburg, www.fredericksburgmusicclub.com

MLK Grande Parade
Jan. 21, Houston, www.mlkgrandeparade.org

The Original MLK Day Parade
Jan. 21, Houston, www.blackheritagesociety.org

Krewe of Harambee MLK Jr. Day Mardi Gras Parade
Jan. 21, Shreveport, La., www.sbfunguide.com/event/krewe-of-harambee-martin-luther-king-jr-day-mardi-gras-parade/5554

Free Entrance Day in National Parks
Jan. 21, Various, www.nps.gov/planyourvisit/fee-free-parks.htm

Denton Black Film Festival
Jan. 23-27, Denton, www.dentonbff.com

Bar-b-que Cook-off and Festival
Jan. 25-26, San Antonio, www.sarodeo.com/about/bar-b-que-cook-off-festival

Renaissance Festival
Jan. 25-27, Feb. 1-3, Kerrville, www.kerrvillerenfest.com

Lunar New Year
Jan. 25-27, Feb. 1-3, Grand Prairie, www.asiatimessquare.com

El Soldado de Mexico
Jan. 26-27, Goliad, www.presidiolabahia.org

Mid-Tex Farm, Ranch, and Garden Show
Jan. 31, Waco, www.wacochamber.com/community/sports-special-events/mid-tex-farm-ranch

SPI Kitefest
Jan. 31-Feb. 3, South Padre Island, www.spikitefest.com

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Gerald E. McLeod has been traveling around Texas and beyond for his "Day Trips" column for more than 25 years. Keep up to date with his journeys on his archive page.