FL O WERS Wild
WILDFLOWER SEASON The peak season is from mid-March to mid-April. Where blooms pop up varies, depending on rainfall, the timing of freezes and mowing. But there are a some tried-and-true areas to see the local color. You also can track user- reported wildflower sightings across the state at
www.drivetexas.org and
texas.wildflowersightings.org.
BLUEBONNETS It’s a rite of passage here to have your photo taken in a field of bluebonnets. If you decide to stop for snapshots, pull your car a safe distance off the road and respect private property. Con- trary to popular myth, it’s not illegal to pick the state flower, but it is against the law to damage road right-of-ways. Just don’t dig up flowers or drive through them—other wildflower lovers will appreciate your efforts.
ENNIS AREA Bluebonnets have long been known to blanket the prairies south of Dallas. The Ennis area is known as the site of the Official Texas Bluebonnet Trails, as well as a small festival (April 16-17, 2016) when the flowers are usually in full bloom. The Ennis Convention and Visitors Bureau offers a map featuring more than 40 miles of scenic routes.
www.visitennis.org
WASHINGTON COUNTY BRENHAM, CHAPPELL HILL AND BURTON
The Brenham Chamber of Commerce offers a free Bluebonnet Trails map that outlines scenic routes. Chappell Hill hosts the Official State of Texas Bluebonnet festival, set for April 9-10, 2016 For current information, visit Wildflower Watch at
www.visitbrenhamtexas.com.
GRIMES AND FAYETTE COUNTIES Continuing northeast up through Navasota and Anderson may yield impressive views, as well. About an hour farther south, there are some- times notable stands of flowers around Schulenburg and Fayetteville.
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The Waco Mammoth Site is now a National Monument.
park in the state). Between Dallas and Fort Worth, Arlington is packed with fami- ly-friendly attractions such as the original Six Flags Over Texas, Six Flags Hurricane Harbor and the International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame. During baseball season, the major league Texas Rangers play in their classic ballpark. Football fans flock to the state-of-the-art AT&T Stadium to see the Dallas Cowboys play, or take a tour to explore the field and locker rooms. In nearby Grapevine, visitors can leave the
driving up to the conductor of a vintage steam engine, which offers excursions and leisurely rides to the historic Fort Worth Stockyards. Tis town offers museums, galleries and the Grapevine Glockenspiel, which comes alive four times a day with larger-than-life charac- ters. Children also enjoy visits to LEGOLAND Discovery Center and Sea Life Aquarium, both conveniently located at Grapevine Mills Mall. Or make a splash at Great Wolf Lodge, a unique resort with an indoor water park. Grown-ups can appreciate the allure of live
music, dining and art in Dallas’ Deep Ellum, a former industrial area known as an incuba- tor for jazz and blues that has found new life as a hip entertainment district. Another pop- ular area for nightlife in Dallas is the Lower Greenville area, which offers a diverse array
of local bars, boutiques and restaurants. In Fort Worth, Sundance Square is the place to go for dining and entertainment amid theaters, shopping and hotels. Contact the visitors’ bureau at your Metroplex destina- tions for other hubs of activity. ★
A SLOWER PACE Outside the hustle and bustle of the Metro-
plex, there’s plenty more to see and do. South- west of Fort Worth, Glen Rose is home to the popular Dinosaur Valley State Park, where visitors can see dinosaur tracks along the Paluxy River. Te nearby Fossil Rim Wildlife Center features tours and a ranch that houses many exotic and endangered animals. And Dino- saur World offers photo opportunities with more than 150 life-sized dinosaur models. Waco, roughly in the center of the Prairies
and Lakes region, boasts a variety of interest- ing attractions. Get a fascinating look at the Waco Mammoth Site, where exposed mam- moth bones can be viewed at a covered dig area. Tree museums that focus on a variety of subjects are clustered with the tourist infor- mation center. Te Mayborn Museum Com- plex at Baylor University features science and cultural exhibits, plus an extensive array of “discovery rooms” for children. Te Texas PHOTO: WILL VAN OVERBEEK/TXDOT
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