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Cultural Events in Houston Texas

July 2, 2011 By

Texas has many great arts and culture venues for locals and visitors to experience. Whether you want to take in an opera, Broadway musical or ballet, you’ll be sure to find something to enjoy in Texas.

If you’re looking to enjoy the cultural side of Houston, Texas, here’s a look at some of the things you can experience and see.

The Houston Grand Opera

The Houston Grand Opera is based out of the city of Houston. It is known for its elaborate opera productions. Founded in 1955, the Houston Grand Opera is also famous for putting on many world and American premier opera shows.

The Houston Ballet

Texas is the home to one of the largest ballet companies in the United States. The Houston Ballet company is based out of the Wortham Theatre Center. It is the fourth largest ballet company and is known for putting on over 80 productions and performances every year. Occasionally the Houston Ballet will provide the dance and choreography segments for the Houston Grand Opera.

The Houston Symphony Orchestra

If you’re looking to enjoy classical, jazz or movie soundtracks than the Houston Symphony Orchestra will have a performance for you. Located in the heart of Houston and performing in the Jesse H. Jones Hall for the Performing Arts, the Houston Symphony Orchestra puts on a half dozen productions for the public.

If you’re looking for a cultural event to enjoy while on vacation to Texas, then there is plenty to experience in this wonderful state. Everything from ballet, opera, music and Broadway musicals are available right at your fingertips.

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Presidential Libraries in Texas

June 8, 2011 By
George H.W. Bush Presidential Library - Colleg... 

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The presidential library system began in 1939.  So far, the United States has 13 such libraries.  Presidential libraries are the repository for photographs (official and familial), memorabilia, letters, speeches, and documents collected during the presidency.  That Texas is home to three presidential libraries is a huge windfall for the touring history buff.  Two are currently open for visitors.

Lyndon Baines Johnson (LBJ) Library and Museum

The LBJ library is located in Austin Texas.  LBJ began his presidency on the night President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. The library covers the years 1961 through 1969.  Included in the collection are the photographs, speeches, journals and documents surrounding the passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, the Vietnam War, and the War on Poverty.

George Bush Presidential Library and Museum

Located in College Station, Texas, the George Bush Presidential Library’s collection includes documents, speeches and photos around the first conflict in Iraq: Desert Storm, Iraq War, the capturing of General Manuel Noriega, and President Bush’s call for a new volunteerism in America: A Thousand Points of Light.  In addition, the library offers a summer day camp from June through August for children ages 7-12.

George W. Bush Presidential Library

Lewiston, Texas is the temporary home of the George W. Bush Presidential Library.  The permanent location will be on the campus of Southern Methodist University and is scheduled to be open to the public in 2013.  Look for documents, letters, journals and speeches surrounding September 11, 2001, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, along with his pivotal education policy: No Child Left Behind.

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The Wild, Wild Flowers of Texas

June 4, 2011 By
Closeup of lupines in bloom along trail, Lady ... 

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Texas is known for a lot of things, cowboys and cattle, oil wells, and country music.  It also has one of the most beautiful displays of wild flowers in the U.S.  The richest display of these jewels of nature is in the central hill country just northwest of Austin, in Llano country.  The most resplendent displays are seen in Spring through early summer.

Bluebonnets are by far the most popular Texas wild flower.  Typically they are an early Spring flower and have usually bloomed out by early May. The common name “bluebonnet” came from the similarity of the shapes of the petals to the bonnets pioneer women used to protect themselves from the sun.

Texas Paintbrush bloom alongside Bluebonnets.  It is often described by horticulturists as a hairy upright biennial herb.  It has an orange-red flower, loves direct sun, and blooms in early Spring.  Texas Paintbrush is self-seeding and while technically an annual, it returns to same fields year after year.

Indian Blanket is another very popular and prolific Texas wild flower. Its blooms are circular, with a deep red center, an orange mid-section, and sweet yellow tips.  The bloom ranges in size from 1 to 2-1/2 inches in size.

In honor of the Texas Wild Flowers and native plants throughout the United States, Lady Bird Johnson has created a Wildflower Center in Austin.  If you are unable to see the wildflowers in Spring and early summer, a trip to the Wildflower Center in Austin is an excellent substitute.  The Wildflower Center has developed a native plant information network that catalogues more than 7,200 native species.

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Nine Flags of Nacogdoches

June 1, 2011 By
Part of historic downtown Nacogdoches, Texas

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Located in east central Texas, Nacogdoches is officially, the oldest town in Texas.  The area between LaNana and Banita Creeks in what is now downtown Nacogdoches was the home a Paleolithic settlement  dating back to approximately 10,000 B.C.  Over time it evolved into the a settlement for Caddoan Indian tribe.

Because of its antiquity, nine flags have flown over the city Nacogdoches.  The first that we know of, is the French flag which flew in the years 1685-1689. The French influence was short lived and ultimately they were  pushed aside by the Spaniards.  The second flag was the Spanish flag which flew for almost 300 years (1510 to 1821).

The third and fourth flags are less well known.  The third flag was that of Gutierrez-Magee and flew for just one year  from 1812 to 1813.  It was Bernardo Gutierrez and Augustus Magee who made the first attempt to make Texas a republic.  The fourth flag was that of Dr. James Long and flew from 1819 through 1821.  Long led a failed expedition to claim Texas for the United States.

The fifth flag was the Mexican flag which flew from 1821 through most of the years until 1836.  However for a brief period, the sixth flag, that of the Fredonia Rebellion also flew. The Fredonia Rebellion was one of several attempts for Texans to free themselves from Mexican rule.

The seventh flag, Lone Star, commemorated the Battle of Nacogdoches which freed parts of Texas from Mexican rule in 1836.  The eighth flag was the Confederate Flag which flew during the Civil War period.

Finally, the ninth and lasting flag is the United States of America.

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Texas History, Family Fun

May 19, 2011 By
Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum

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It is an assumption of wild acres: the endless sprawls of a frontier, the sweeps of lonely hills and rivers. The notion of Texas is often larger than the state itself (which is no easy feat, with the boundaries swelling over 268,820 square miles). It is a world of its own, conjuring images of American cowboys and their lonely treks, the romantic quests for freedom. Such thoughts, perhaps, lean toward the cliches, but their power still remains.

And no attraction captures the wonder of them more than the Bob Bullock Texas History Museum.

Future residents (after obtaining a moving company quote) are urged to find this unique institution. Established in 1999 which makes it one of the newest buildings of its kind within Texas the Bob Bullock Museum seeks to explore the origins of both the country and the state. Guests first arriving to the building are met by a 35 foot Lone Star: which symbolizes the philosophy of less is never more and more is always better. Those entering the structure will have three stories to explore, each filled with one of kind artifacts and archival information.

Individuals can now walk among the past. Encounters on the Land (which dominates the first floor) chronicles Native American tribes and European settlers.Building the Lone Star Identity (which is contained within the second floor) details the many battles and border skirmishes that shaped the territory. And Creating Opportunity enables guests to see how the notion of ranchers is truly limiting, offering validation for science, medicine and more.

The Bob Bullock Texas History Museum is a cannot-miss attraction.

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Take a Fun Family Vacation to Arlington, Texas

March 1, 2011 By
Main entrance of Arlington Hall, a residence h...

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If you’re ready to take a family vacation to an area brimming with fun activities, then you might want to consider taking a trip to Arlington, Texas. The climate rarely gets very cold, and there are a plethora of options for family entertainment ranging from the exciting roller coaster rides and water park at Six Flags Over Texas to the retail outlets at Parks Mall. You can even take in an exhibit at the Arlington Museum of Art.

If you love theater, you might want to take a trip to Theatre Arlington, which is one of the nation’s largest community theaters. It offers live theater throughout the year. Or, you can take in a completely different type of show when you attend the Stockyards Championship Rodeo in nearby Forth Worth.  Arlington is filled with all sorts of family-fun activities.

Of course, no vacation is complete without sampling some fabulous food offerings. Step on over to the Mercado Juarez restaurant for some authentic Mexican cuisine or try some family-style Italian fare at the Piccolo Mondo Italian Restaurant before you head back to one of Arlington’s fine hotels. When you choose your hotel, look for one like the Homewood Suites Dallas Arlington, which offers plenty of space for everyone (plus a pool for the kids and a hot tub for the parents).

Before you make reservations at a place like this or like theTownePlace Suites by Marriott Arlington near Six Flags, consider consulting Arlington property management. You want to carefully assess the hotel property upkeep for both grounds and building. A vacation can be completely ruined when hotel rooms are dirty and falling apart.

Traveling with your family can create memories that last a lifetime. Plan your trip to Arlington so that there is a healthy balance of activities and relaxation. Take advantage of Arlington property management to surround yourself in an environment conducive to optimal relaxation and family enjoyment.

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The Rich History of Austin Texas

December 22, 2010 By

Before Austin, Texas became the metropolis it is today, it was a wilderness area home to the Comanches, Tonkawas, and Lipian Apaches. During the 1700s, The Spanish arrived and established mission areas, which became the first permanent settlement of Waterloo in the 1830s. Waterloo became a populated, growing town and was eventually chosen to be the Capital of Texas. To honor a prominent and active member of the community, the new Capital of the New Republic of Texas was renamed Austin, after Stephen F. Austin.

The city of Austin grew, and the construction boom of the 1850s brought the first permanent Capital building and a Governor’s Mansion. The railroad arrived in the 1870s and the town continued to prosper and Austin’s population grew. In 1888, a new Capital building was built and this building still stands as the largest and tallest Capital building in the United States.

The population of Austin is a diverse mix of cultures and ethnicities. Beginning in the late 1800s, with the immigrant settlers from Mexico, Africa, Sweden, and Germany the city became a hub of new development and enterprise. Construction continued to boom, and the city continued to grow its population and real estate. Of the buildings established during this time period, the Driskill Hotel continues to be a cherished Austin landmark.

Always a hotbed of technological advancement, environmental activism, education reform, and political activity, Austin began to establish itself as the center of an art and music renaissance. Brought to the forefront in the 1970s by artists like Willie Nelson, the city of Austin began to embrace a new identity; Live Music capital of the United States. Cultural life within the city beats and blooms, as nightclubs, museums, and galleries showcase the best of Austin’s local artists and musicians. At any time of the day or night, residents and visitors will find venues showcasing Austin’s rich history and culture.

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The University of Texas at Austin

December 3, 2010 By
The main building of the University of Texas a...
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With over seventeen colleges and schools, The University of Texas at Austin is a diverse community of academics seeking to improve the world through the arts, sciences, and humanities. For over a century, the UT campus has dedicated itself to providing opportunities for all individuals, and prides itself on programs such as Women in Engineering, the Recruiting and Retaining Men in Nursing, and Women in Natural Sciences. Always looking to bridge the gaps related to ethnicity and gender, UT is an educational leader in awarding undergraduate degrees to minority students in the United States.

The University of Texas at Austin understands the importance of international travel and study. Believing that all students should have the opportunity to study in Texas, the University actively accepts international students seeking educational, research, and teaching opportunities at UT. Alongside Harvard University, Columbia University, and the University of Southern California UT is rated among the top ten Universities enrolling international students. With over 5,700 students from over 100 countries, the UT campus is growing a rich and diverse student population.

In an effort to work with global communities, the University of Texas at Austin’s Cockrell School of Engineering developed the Projects for Under-served Communities initiative. Recruiting its own engineering students, the program focuses on providing students with real world projects and experience, while contributing to the development of rural communities in Ghana, Angola, and Peru. This project based learning system operates as part of the school’s curriculum, with students enrolling in classes to plan, budget, schedule, design, and implement projects that will improve the chosen community and the world. The PUC’s pilot program established new water distribution system in Ghana, and the Peruvian residents of Santa Cruz benefited from a water conservation system.

At the University of Texas at Austin, the academic community is working towards building a better world through education, philanthropy, and diversity.

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