In the State

Known as the Painted Churches, this collection of quaint wooden and brick structures consists of turn-of-20th-century houses of worship with Gothic Revival windows, facades clad in white frame siding or stone and steeples raised to the heavens.

 After eight days of roughin’ it in her Houston home without electricity—due to Hurricane Ike—photojournalist Debora Smail took off in her beige Volkswagen Beetle. She headed out on a quest to find out why Marathon, a 5-square-mile town in West Texas, lures more than an estimated 30,000 to 40,000 big city folks a year.

This mysterious terra cotta badland, referred to as the "Grand Canyon of Texas," calls out to the adventuresome to be explored. A daylong horseback ride or challenging hike will take you to this home of the famous Lighthouse rock formation. Or drive to the top of the canyon and take in the breathtaking view from the top of the overlook.

Shrimp shacks along the Texas coast draw cars off two-lane, coastal roads with magnetic force. Drivers on their way somewhere else find themselves easing into gravel-strewn parking lots, heading inside, and emerging with an icy pound or two of the Gulf’s richest treasure.

Hidden in the midst of magnificent cypress trees lies a picturesque village that looks almost like a painting. Along the banks of a cool spring-fed creek sits Wimberley, Texas‚ located just north of San Marcos, in between Austin and San Antonio. This is the place where girlfriends take a day-trip for the ultimate shopping experience.