Commemorating America250 

Get Outdoor in 2026: Exploring Texas Heritage by Foot—and by Map

(Photo credit: https://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/garner)

This winter break, I had the chance to visit several incredible Texas state parks near Austin and San Antonio: Pedernales Falls, Lost Maples, Enchanted Rock, and Garner State Park. Last winter, I explored Longhorn Cavern and McKinney Falls. Each landscape told a unique story—rivers carving limestone, ancient granite domes rising from the plains, and seasonal changes shaping both ecology and human activity. Hiking and visiting these parks is not just recreation—it’s a powerful way to learn about Texas history, geology, and culture firsthand.

Maps are more than navigation tools—they are gateways to understanding place. Long before these areas became parks, they appeared on early survey maps, military routes, and geological charts that documented Texas’s transformation over time. Trails often follow paths shaped by Indigenous communities, early settlers, and natural forces, connecting present-day exploration with centuries of history.

As a library department managing over 50,000 print maps, we see maps as essential tools for discovery, learning, and research. For those who cannot visit these parks soon—or are planning their next adventure—we invite you to explore our small on-site display in the Map Room, featuring official Texas Travel Guide, Texas State Parks guides, including Your Guide to Texas Public Campgrounds, Texas Wildflowers, and detailed park maps of trails, facilities, and activities.

In today’s digital and AI-driven world, print maps offer a refreshing, tactile escape. Visitors can touch, feel, unfold, and even smell the maps, enjoy quiet time alone, bring friends, or visit as a family. Engaging with print materials supports slower, more reflective exploration while developing spatial thinking and curiosity.

Print maps can also be used in combination with other official government publications, scientific and historical maps from different periods, reference books like large print Atlases and How-To books, and even large 3D globe at Kelley Center. This allows for side-by-side comparison, deeper investigation, and immersive engagement for learning, teaching, research, getting inspiration and creating. Trails, rivers, and landscapes come alive when paired with historical maps, geological charts, and scientific data—making print maps not just a tool, but an experience.

Whether you’re visiting individually, with a group, or for a class session, Kelley Center staff are happy to help. Plan your visit, stop by the Kelley Center Information Desk, or schedule an appointment by emailing govhelp@rice.edu. A limited number of print copies of Texas State Parks guides are available for free, so come explore, plan your next trip, or dive into a multi-sensory, map-based journey through Texas history and landscapes.

You may also be interested in the new America250@Fondren program, which offers year-long opportunities in 2026 to explore American and Texas history through Fondren Library. Click here to learn more.

About the Author:
Anna Xiong, Head of Kelley Center and Sociology Librarian

Harvest Time

Fall is in the air bringing thoughts of state fairs and harvest fruits and vegetables. At the annual State Fair of Texas in Dallas, events at the Food and Fiber Pavilion sponsored by the Texas Agriculture Department are always a big draw. Have you grown the biggest tomato or pumpkin in Texas? If so, enter the Everything's Bigger in Texas competition. Is your homemade ice cream to die for? If so, enter the fair's Get the Scoop contest.

If the State Fair is not in your travel plans, though, the Texas Agriculture Department has made available online abundant harvest information. If you would like to find where to buy pecans, tree-ripened apples, or 1015 onions grown in Texas, access the Go Texan Produce Directory. If flowers are more to your liking, visit the Go Texan Horticulture Directory to view gorgeous flower pictures and learn about what type of plants, soils, and aquatics are suitable for Texas.

Leaf Reports: Fall Colors for 2006

Thanks to the USDA Forest Service for publishing the Fall Colors for 2006 report including a link to the Lost Maples State Natural Area 2006 Foliage Color Change Report from Texas Parks and Wildlife.