Driving through Texas can feel like the ultimate road trip experience. Wide highways, open skies, and long stretches of road invite travelers to settle in and enjoy the journey. Whether you are passing through major cities like Frisco or exploring quieter routes, Texas often feels built for driving.

Yet those same features can hide risks many travelers do not expect. Texas roads can be demanding, especially for those unfamiliar with them. Truck accidents, sudden weather changes, and long distances are more common than people expect. That’s why being prepared does not take away from the adventure. It helps protect it.

To help you get started, this article covers three unexpected road hazards travelers face and shares practical ways to prepare so you can focus on the journey ahead.

Keep reading!

1. Truck Accidents on Texas Highways

Truck accidents often feel like a distant concern. Most drivers never expect to be involved in one and assume they only happen in rare or extreme situations. In Texas, however, large commercial trucks are a constant presence on highways and major routes. For travelers, sharing the road with these vehicles can feel routine at first, until traffic tightens or conditions suddenly change.

Trucks require longer stopping distances, have wide blind spots, and are often driven for extended hours. On busy highways, even a brief slowdown, an unexpected lane change, or a moment of distraction can escalate quickly when large vehicles are involved. In fact, Texas leads the nation in truck crashes, with record highs of 35,000 to 38,000 crashes each year in recent years.

That is why preparation matters. Taking a few simple steps before hitting the road can make a stressful situation far easier to handle if something goes wrong. For example, it helps to keep a few essentials in your car, such as:

• A first-aid kit for minor injuries
• Reflective triangles or flares to stay visible on the roadside
• A flashlight in case an incident happens at night
• A fully charged phone or car charger for emergencies

Saving roadside assistance contacts ahead of time is also a smart move. Having quick access to help can make the immediate aftermath safer and more manageable, allowing you to focus on getting yourself and others out of harm’s way.

It is also smart to research and save the contact information for a truck accident lawyer in Frisco before traveling. Firms like McCraw Law Group help guide people through complex situations by pushing back against unfair blame and working directly with insurers to seek fair outcomes. When negotiations stall or responsibility is disputed, they are also prepared to take the case to court if needed. This added support helps ensure the situation is handled seriously from start to finish.

2. Long, Isolated Stretches of Road and Driver Fatigue

One of the most overlooked hazards in Texas is distance itself. Roads can stretch for miles with few exits, rest stops, or towns in between. For travelers used to shorter drives, this can create a false sense of ease. The road feels smooth, traffic thins out, and time passes quietly.

Fatigue often builds without warning. Long hours behind the wheel slow reaction times and reduce awareness, even for experienced drivers. Heat adds another layer of strain, especially during warmer months when temperatures regularly climb above 90 degrees. Dehydration and mental fatigue make it harder to stay alert, particularly when sharing the road with fast-moving traffic or heavy trucks.

Travelers often push through fatigue because the destination feels close, even when it is still hours away. This is when mistakes happen. Missing a sign, drifting slightly within a lane, or reacting late to traffic changes can have serious consequences. Taking planned breaks, rotating drivers when possible, and listening to early signs of tiredness are some of the simplest ways to reduce this risk on Texas roads.

3. Sudden Weather Shifts and Road Conditions

Texas weather is known for changing quickly, and this often surprises travelers who expect steady driving conditions. Clear skies can turn into heavy rain with little warning, especially during spring and early summer. Weather data shows that Texas experiences some of the highest rates of sudden downpours in the country, which can quickly make roads slick and reduce visibility.

And rain is not the only weather-related challenge drivers face in Texas. Travelers may also encounter:

• Strong crosswinds across open plains and bridges
• Sudden gusts that affect vehicle stability, especially for taller vehicles or those towing trailers
• Construction zones that appear with limited warning and require quick lane changes

Preparing for these conditions starts before the road trip. Checking the weather forecast along your route, not just at your destination, helps you anticipate sudden changes. Keeping windshield wipers, tires, and headlights in good condition also improves safety when visibility drops unexpectedly.

Once on the road, small adjustments make a big difference. Slowing down, increasing following distance, and staying alert to road signs and weather shifts can help reduce risk. Knowing that Texas weather can change rapidly encourages drivers to stay cautious, even when the road initially appears calm and clear.

Closing Lines

Texas offers incredible road-trip opportunities, but it also presents unique driving challenges that many travelers do not expect. Heavy truck traffic, long stretches of isolated highways, and sudden weather changes all increase risk in ways that are easy to underestimate. By understanding these hazards ahead of time, you can stay alert to changing conditions and respond calmly if the unexpected happens.

Every Day Is Veteran’s Day at this Rosebud Cafe

by George Fery

On TX77 in east Texas, the late spring’s low green hills are beautiful and at times, full of surprises. Take the pink 1960s crowned VW in a field of weeds, in the middle of nowhere. How did it land here of all places? It is carefully set off the ground, doors and windows tightly closed, as if to keep the twenty-first century at bay. Was it left perhaps at the end of a night-long “weed-trip” to say goodbye? Bet it’s a heck of a story, especially the way things were back then. We waved goodbye to the 1960s relic and kept heading north, looking for another unusual eye-opener.

On the outskirts of Rosebud, we stumbled on a great café. You can’t miss it; it’s at left on the northbound side of TX77 (not US77), 36 miles south of Waco. The Hwy77 Cafe stands on the shoulder of the road, surrounded by a vast hay field. We thought it would address our past-noon grumblings so, in we went and found ourselves in a fine family restaurant that blends, Texas home cooking and American military history with great charm. What a place! Very nicely done, clean and folksy, with tables covered with checkered red- and-white tablecloth and comfortable country chairs and bar stools.

What catches the eye right away are the 566 mostly black-and-white photos on the Veteran Wall of Honor, that commands the four walls of the room. There are photos of service men and women, from all five branches of the military, going all the way back to the Civil War, WWI, WWII, Korea and Vietnam, to today’s conflicts in the Middle East and Afghanistan. The list grows as anyone may add their name, always framed together with a photo in the uniform of their service.

On the wall are a number of military figures, including Audie Murphy (#199) from Kingston, TX, Army WWII, Medal of Honor, the most decorated soldier in WWII; Walter Light (#448), WWII POW, Purple Heart, Operation Market Garden, invasion of Holland; Justin Brown (#258) USN, USS Hopper, grandson of Barbara Hungerford (#92) WAC, and her husband Norman (#94), USN Vietnam, USS Enterprise; William T. Warford III (#266) Operation Iraqi Freedom, KIA; Tony Herrera (#242) USN, and son Maximo Herrera (#243), Vietnam. Others are no less dear to our flag, such as H.F Westerman, Jr. (#46), Korea, Vietnam (4 tours), USS Hornet – uncle of the café’s founder. All present stand for the fifty states and U.S. territories.

Martha Westerman, who café in 2001, started the Veteran Wall of Honor with pictures of relatives and patrons. The wall grew rapidly with the new owners, Bill and Sue Sturrock, thanks to visiting service members adding their own photos as well as those of their loved ones and friends. Sue and Bill are a hardworking couple, attentive to their clients, who often span generations, with grandparents and grandchildren enjoying food and time together.

Beside military history, the café offers excellent food, which was our main reason for stopping over in the first place. A quick look at the menu will make you forget about your diet in a heartbeat. Just look at the café’s hallmark, the Bar-B-Q, served Thursday to Saturday. You had Bar-B- Q before? I don’t think so! Not until you’ve tried this one, smoked with locally grown honey mesquite wood. The sauce and rub recipes are Uncle Harold’s you can see him, he’s # 204 on the Veteran Wall of Honor. The German slaw recipe is Momma’s, and the potato salad recipe comes from Sue’s cousin Billie. All are made from scratch right in the café’s kitchen, with Sue and Bill keeping a sharp eye on everything.

The locally made Westphalia Sausage ($10.95) or Baby-Back Rib Plate ($11.95) are exceptional too. But why be shy? Go for the Combo Sausage and Rib Plate, with local coleslaw and German potato salad, excellent, and at $13.95 you can’t afford to pass the experience. You don’t have to take my word for it, the dish is featured in “The Prophets of Smoked Meat: A Journey Through Texas Barbecue” by Daniel Vaughn (an Anthony Bourdain Book at Harper Collins Publishers,  pages 247 through 249).

Other days are superbly attended too with such offerings as the Texas Patty Melt, burgers ($5.75 to 6.49) that range from double meat (with or without cheese) to, listen to this, the Texas Sausage Burger (a must!) They are all served with potato chips, sauce, pickles and onions. The liver and onions is worth the detour all the way from Chicago, as are the chicken fried steaks ($8.25) and the Queso Chopped Steak ($7.75). You ask for sides? Great thought since, among delectable others, try the Shoestring or the Steak Fries and, if fries are not your style, you’ve got to go for Skin-on Mashed Potatoes. You’ve got to, period.

And dessert, you ask? Now that’s a hard one, because it’s difficult to choose between the Chocolate Lover’s Cake, the Peach Cobbler, the German Chocolate Pie and other finger-licking treasures. You can’t leave without trying one or more! And you cannot miss Aunt Evelyn’s Banana Bread Pudding with Vanilla Sauce. Good you ask? So good that when I got back to Dallas that evening, I was ready to turn right back south for seconds. It is that good!

All of the above will happily pairs with great drinks such as the Shiner Bocks, the Buds, the Coors, and the Millers, the Lone Stars and the Coronas. If beer is not your pick, there are good wines to suit your taste: Merlot, Moscato, and others from Texas and beyond. And, for great or not so great celebrations: Champagne. Good coffee? Of course!

This remarkable place features great service and warm ambiance. Bill or Sue will be happy to tell you about the café’s history and talk about the men and women on the Veteran Wall of Honor. “Where Every Day is Veteran’s Day.”

For More Information:

Hwy 77 Cafe
1101 U.S. Hwy 77 South
Rosebud, TX 76570
(254) 583 4444
Check out their Facebook page

Brazos River Historical Cruise in Waco

About the author:

Freelance writer, researcher, and photographer, Georges Fery (georgefery.com) addresses topics, from history, culture, and beliefs to daily living of ancient and today’s indigenous communities of the Americas. His articles are published online in the U.S. at travelthruhistory.com, popular-archaeology.com, and ancient-origins.net, as well as in the quarterly magazine Ancient American (ancientamerican.com). In the U.K. his articles are found in mexicolore.co.uk.

The author is a fellow of the Institute of Maya Studies instituteofmayastudies.org  Miami, FL, and The Royal Geographical Society, London, U.K. rgs.org. As well as a member in good standing of the   Maya Exploration Center, Austin, TX mayaexploration.org, the Archaeological Institute of America, Boston, MA archaeological.org, NFAA-Non Fiction Authors Association nonfictionauthrosassociation.com, and the National Museum of the American Indian, Washington, DC. americanindian.si.edu.

Photo credits:
All photos are by George Fery.

by Paul Norton

Remember when then Vice President Dick Cheney shot his hunting buddy in Texas? That took place a couple of days before I first visited Austin, in early 2006. I thought to myself ‘I’d better watch what I say. This is the land of George W. Bush, and the socialist views of this Canuck might be mis-interpreted.’

I was delighted at how alternative Austin was – not just the music, but the food, the businesses and the general attitude of the residents in general. And I heard more jokes about Bush and Cheney that week than I ever had, before or since!

It wasn’t my choice to go there that first time. I was attending the annual Folk Alliance International conference. It wasn’t until 2012 when I returned. I wanted to see more of what made Austin so different, and to show it to my partner Sue Malcolm.

The Live Music Capital of the World

The 1970s brought about the Austin music scene as it is now. Recording artist Willie Nelson was prominent among the artists that helped bring it to life. PBS’s Austin City Limits show is the longest running live performance TV show in US history, and it produces a massive music festival there each September.

We took full advantage of the lively and unique music scene, and hit the clubs just about every night during our visit in April 2012. We experienced the great roots rocker Dale Watson along with the “you-gotta-see-it-to-believe it” ‘Chicken Shit Bingo’ held on Sunday afternoons at Ginny’s Little Longhorn. Just a few other venues worthy of mention are the Austin Music Hall, Stubb’s Bar-B-Q, La Zona Rosa, Antone’s, The Broken Spoke and Threadgill’s. Of special note is the Cactus Café at the University of Texas. You get the idea – Austin is a VERY musical city! Pick yourself up a copy of the thoroughly awesome Austin Chronicle and let it be your guide.

Our hands-down favourite? That’s easy. The Continental Club on South Congress Avenue. Great country and roots music artists like Junior Brown, The Hot Club of Cowtown, Redd Volkaert and Toni Price appear there each and every week in the 6:30 to 9:00pm slot. Later in the evening artists like Alejandro Escovedo, James McMurtry, The Red Elvises and Southern Culture on the Skids appear. And that was just in the week we were there!

South Congress Avenue

Just a short walk from downtown over the Colorado River, the South Congress area is one of the most interesting in Austin. And with all the city has to offer, that’s saying something! We found ourselves returning there over and over to browse. Block after block is full of great vintage clothing stores, restaurants, and shops crammed full of folk art curios.

Some of our favourite places were Allen’s Boots, Tesoros Trading Company, Amy’s Ice Cream, Mi Casa and the Lucy in Disguise with Diamonds costume shop. There are lots of food trailers everywhere serving a wide variety of great grub. While you’re there, don’t miss the legendary and decidedly retro Austin Motel, still pretty much the same as it was when it was built in 1938.

North of the Colorado River

There’s a plethora of great stuff to see in the downtown core. Here are just five of our faves.

Above all else, make sure that you check out the exquisite Driskill Hotel on Brazos Street. Excellently preserved and maintained, the polished panelling, wrought iron, massive pillars, stained glass and tile floors will take your breath away. Their rates are probably beyond many people’s price range, but you could stop in for lunch or even just a drink in the bar.

As you are leaving the Driskill, walk across East 6th Street and check out Wild About Music. This store describes itself as dealing in “Art, Gifts and Apparel for your Music Lifestyle”. Whether you’ve always yearned for a set of coasters fashioned as little Beatles album covers, a pair of DayGlo cowboy boots, or a toilet seat that’s the spittin’ image of a Fender Telecaster guitar, this is the place for you.

Not too far down 6th at North Lamar is Waterloo Records. Their slogan once again pretty much sums it all up – “Where Music Matters”. Aside from seemingly every CD ever made, they have serious sections devoted to vinyl, DVDs and used items. They average two free in-store performances a week, too.

In 1960, the Colorado River, which runs through the centre of Austin, was dammed to create a huge reservoir originally called Town Lake, recently renamed Lady Bird Lake in honour of celebrated Austin patron Lady Bird Johnson. There is a well-appointed trail (approx. 16 km, or 10 miles long) all around the lake, complete with pedestrian-only bridges at either end. A walk around it is a great remedy for the excesses of the night before in the local watering holes. Try and get an early start to avoid the mid-day heat.

Last but not least is the Black Star Co-op Brew Pub. A bit of a hike from town centre, it is “the world’s first co-operatively owned and worker self-managed brewpub”. The staff is paid a decent wage and tipping isn’t allowed. You don’t have to be a member to attend, but it’s cheaper if you are. There are typically 16 beers on the menu, from basic to exotic, and they often brew up a special small batch of something unique. Members can vote on which of those get produced. The food’s great too.

Wine and Guitar Making

Just a forty minute drive west of downtown Austin is the world-famous Collings Guitar Factory. We were expecting something a bit short and superficial, but were pleasantly surprised to discover it was an extremely comprehensive look at every phase of instrument building. The 90 minute journey took us from a climate-controlled warehouse full of blocks of exotic wood to the final room where the guitars, mandolins and so on were shipped out. There is only one tour a week, so it’s best to book ahead by phone or email.

If you are like us, probably the first image that pops into your head when you think of Texas isn’t wine. But in fact the hill country just west of Austin has many vineyards producing world-class vino. We spent a very enjoyable afternoon with friends visiting five wineries. They all had tasting rooms where you could buy a sampler of several small glasses of wine. The buildings were beautiful, and you could usually buy a whole bottle and go for a picnic on the grounds if you wished. Some of the establishments, like Saltlick Cellars, had restaurants as part of the operation. There are bus tours available out of Austin.

Austin is a State Of Mind

More than one resident proclaimed to us “I’m not from Texas … I’m from Austin”. It gradually dawned on me that this is more than a cute turn of phrase. The reason why we love Austin so much is because it’s so different from the rest of Texas. It’s like a little Democrat island in the middle of a great big Republican sea. There’s a very vibrant “Buy Local” movement in the city that seems to be embraced by merchants and customers alike. The city has an unofficial slogan … “Keep Austin Weird”. You see it all over. There’s a sense that its residents feel that they are part of something special – something that they are striving to keep. They are fighting the good fight against big chain stores and high-rise developments that most of us view as inevitable. They are regrettably losing some ground here and there. There was noticeable gentrification since my last visit six years ago. But that spirit of independence that some call weirdness still prevails. And hopefully it will remain so. Long live Austin!

Austin Live Music & Brewery Tour

If You Go:

♦ Austin Chronicle – www.austinchronicle.com
♦ Austin Motel – www.austinmotel.com
♦ Black Star Co-op Brew Pub – www.blackstar.coop
♦ Cactus Café – www.cactuscafe.org
♦ Collings Guitar Factory – www.collingsguitars.com
♦ Continental Club – www.continentalclub.com/Austin.html
♦ Driskill Hotel – www.driskillhotel.com
♦ Saltlick Cellars Winery – www.saltlickcellars.com
♦ Waterloo Records – www.waterloorecords.com
♦ Wild About Music – www.wildaboutmusic.com

About the author:
Paul Norton does many things – Radio show host/producer, graphic artist and web designer to name just a few. He’d love to be able to travel more. Visit www.paulnorton.ca.

All photographs are by Paul Norton or Sue Malcolm:
Congress Avenue Bridge and Lady Bird Lake
Hot Club of Cowtown at the Continental Club
Fran’s Burgers Drive-in on South Congress
The lobby of the Driskill Hotel
The Duchman Family Winery
Guitars nearing completion at Collings Guitars

by Laura Roberts

Located in Austin, Texas, the O. Henry Museum is an unassuming bungalow situated just a short walk from the city’s modern glass convention center and its shiny new metro rail service. The cream-colored Queen Anne style cottage at 409 East 5th Street resembles many of Austin’s quaint and cozy historic homes, but the major difference is that a famous writer once lived here.

The house itself has been moved twice from its original location at 308 East 4th Street , where it served as a rental property during William Sidney Porter’s time. The man that would come to be best known as the writer O. Henry rented the property where he lived with his family, working first as a draftsman in the Texas General Land Office and later as an ill-fated teller at the First National Bank of Austin. Porter also produced his own humorous paper, The Rolling Stone, and participated in local theatrical and musical events in his free time.

Before moving to Houston to work full-time as a writer for the Houston Post, Porter collected some unique information and experiences in the Texas capital, which later appeared in his works Bexar Scrip No. 2692, Georgia’s Ruling and Gifts of the Magi. Inspired by his work in the Texas General Land Office, Bexar Scrip No. 2692 takes its name from a land grant file that Porter accessed during his daily duties, which had somehow gone astray. In O. Henry’s fictional story, the file goes missing because a rich railroad owner steals it in order to illegally obtain a poor homesteader’s land. Porter’s real-life boss, however, was adamant that such a crime could never have actually occurred, based on the office’s own rules and regulations. Whether you are interested in the historical angle of the document or the writer’s literary take on ordinary events, the original land grant can be viewed online at the Portal to Texas History at texashistory.unt.edu while O. Henry’s short story can be read at www.literaturecollection.com. For those visiting Austin, the Capitol Visitors Center at 112 East 11th Street maintains a permanent exhibit dedicated to the writer called the O. Henry Room, where visitors can tread the spiral staircase described in the story and enjoy listening to a condensed version through old-fashioned telephones.

Returning to the O. Henry Museum, visitors can glimpse two more objects that provided inspiration for Porter’s writing. The home showcases two wicker chairs, which were allegedly the inspiration for O. Henry’s best known story, Gifts of the Magi. The author’s wife, Athol, apparently bought him the chairs as a present to decorate their rented home, using money he had saved to purchase her tickets to attend the World’s Fair. Inspired by his wife’s generous act, he wrote the ironic Christmas story in which two lovers buy each other gifts that neither can use, having sold off their most prized worldly possessions in order to pay for the other’s gift. Though the moral is that it’s better to give than to receive, O. Henry’s infamous twist ending provides a bit of dark humor amidst more typical seasonal tales of sharing and caring.

Though the museum itself is quite small, containing just one bedroom along with a sitting room, dining room, kitchen and gift shop, visitors can enjoy free admission as well as friendly docent-led tours given from noon to 5 PM on Wednesdays through Sundays. Since the space is small and visitors tend to come and go quickly, there’s plenty of opportunity to ask lots of questions about the famous writer and his life in Austin.

Two O. Henry Houses?

While you’re visiting the O. Henry Museum, be sure to ask the docents about the rival San Antonio O. Henry House. It may not quite get their blood boiling, since the other house is set up as part of a local probation program, but I find it funny that Texas so desperately wants to claim O. Henry for its own that it’s got not one but two of his houses listed as historic sites. If you can’t make the trip down San Antonio way, their website hosts a virtual tour, as well as an audio tour that you can check out from the comfort of your desk chair.

If You Go:

3-Hour Austin Beer and Brewery Guided Tour with Snacks

Austin Events

Austin’s museum is home to the fun and funny yearly Pun-Off event, which offers pun-lovers the chance to spar with words in an effort to be crowned Punster of the Year. Held each May, this year’s winner was Jerzy Gwiazdowski of Queens, whom you can see in action in the video below:

In addition, the museum also hosts a monthly “Lunchtime Lit” series, with readings and discussions of a different O. Henry story led by docent emeritus J.C. Elkins. The September story will be By Courier, to be discussed at 1 PM on September 28, while the aforementioned Bexar Scrip No. 2692 will be discussed on October 26.

Finally, 2012 marks O. Henry’s 150th birthday, which means the museum is gearing up for a special birthday celebration. Though William Sidney Porter was born on September 11, 1862 in North Carolina, his birthday will be commemorated this year on September 15 with a Birthday Crawl from the O. Henry Museum to the Capitol Visitors Center and the Austin History Center. At the museum, featured events include the unveiling of the U.S. Post Office’s new O. Henry stamp, a group reading of Buried Treasure at 2 PM, plus a presentation of a new exhibit, co-produced by Richard Linklater, entitled “O. Henry: Original Slacker.” The Capitol Visitors Center will host dramatic presentations of Bexar Scrip No. 2692 at 11 AM and noon, in addition to offering a 10% discount on items at the gift shop. The Austin History Center will round out the festivities, hosting a mock appeals trial to reverse Porter’s embezzlement conviction at 4 PM. Audience members will have a chance to serve as the jury and decide O. Henry’s fate!

Additional Events

The nearby HandleBar (121 East 5th Street) boasts an excellent O. Henry mural on the brick exterior of the building. Inside, O. Henry enthusiasts will find bartenders and wait staff sporting handlebar mustaches, serving local beers and craft cocktails, and hosting events such as the annual Mustache Competition (held this year on August 29, 2012).
An exhibit entitled O. Henry: A Short Story is currently on display at the Austin History Center (810 Guadalupe Street) and runs through October 21, 2012.

About the author:
Laura Roberts is the author of Rebels of the 512, a satirical ninja novel set in Austin, Texas. The founding editor of upstart literary magazine, Black Heart, she is currently completing her novel, The Vixen Files: Naughty Notes from a Montreal Sex Columnist by Laura Roberts (2013-04-15), based on her days as a sex columnist in the Sin City of the North.

Photos by Laura Robert