Best East Texas State Parks

No matter your level of camping experience, or even your interest in the great outdoors, there's a state park in the region for you to enjoy. East Texas: land of towering loblollies and rust-red clay roads, moss-draped swamps and cypress forests, peace and quiet and—yes—the mysterious unknown. Despite the fact that it's our own neck of the woods, for many Houstonians, the region remains sequestered behind that famous Pine Curtain.

In this issue:

Arts & Culture

On the Town

Forget May Flowers: This Month Brings Mayhem at the CAMH

Infamous punk-rock artist Mark Flood trashes the past with his “gratest,” gutsiest hits.

04/28/2016 By Steve Jansen

Scandal

Party Time: Sex, Lies and 1950s River Oaks

New novel The After Party explores what went on behind the thick, silk curtains.

04/28/2016 By Nick Esquer

Eat & Drink

By the Cask

Harold's Tap Room Opens May 19th

Harold's in the Heights adds a locally focused downstairs bar.

05/17/2016 By Alice Levitt

Where to Eat Right Now in Sharpstown

From Ethiopian to halal fried chicken to the best mall food court you've ever seen, Sharpstown's culinary offerings shouldn't be overlooked.

04/29/2016 By Katharine Shilcutt

The 10 Greatest Greek Restaurants in Houston

Go beyond the gyro and delve into the city's pan-Hellenic offerings with our top picks.

04/28/2016 By Alice Levitt

Rice, Ice, Baby

Move Over, Margaritas, and Make Room for Sake—Yes, Frozen Sake

A surprising spot for an icy sake cocktail.

04/28/2016 By Mai Pham

Restaurant Review

Do Nice Service and Atmosphere Make a Restaurant Important?

Whether dining Uptown at La Table or in Chinatown at Mein, sometimes the ambience matters as much—if not more—than the food.

04/28/2016 By Alice Levitt

Editor’s Note

Editor's Note

Taking the Scenic Route with Park Ranger Joel

Sometimes you want to go where everybody chants Joel's name.

04/28/2016 By Catherine Matusow

Health & Wellness

Top Dentists 2016

You–Tube: International Toothpaste Edition

Tracking down—and trying—new (for us) toothpastes from across the globe.

04/28/2016 By Katharine Shilcutt

News & City Life

Big Business

In the City with the World's Largest Medical Center, There's Still No Biotech—Yet

Houston has everything it needs to create thriving biotech and pharmaceutical industries. Now, if only its research and business communities can learn to work together.

05/01/2016 By Roxanna Asgarian

Best East Texas State Parks

The Flora of the Piney Woods

Did you know? Spanish moss is neither a moss nor a lichen.

04/28/2016 By Roxanna Asgarian

H-Town Diary

Hooked: Green Water All the Way to Galveston Beach

When Galveston Island hooks you, all you can do is buy a boat.

04/28/2016 By Robb Walsh

Bayougraphy

How Life Feels for Best-Selling Author Justin Cronin

A Houston author, and a trilogy of books about much more than vampires.

04/28/2016 By Daniel Carlson

Intersections

The Fresh Strip of Bellaire

The busy stretch of Bellaire Boulevard just inside the 610 Loop boasts a vibrant mix of shops, restaurants and community-oriented spaces.

04/28/2016 By Sarah Rufca Nielsen

Final Act

At Rice University, a Legend Retires

Famously energetic English professor J. Dennis Huston exits the stage after 50 years of teaching.

04/28/2016 By Sarah Rufca Nielsen

Public Art

What's Behind the Big Burp in Buffalo Bayou

Who fixes the Big Bubble when it breaks, and other important questions.

04/28/2016 By Marianella Orlando

One Life at a Time

Inside Houston's First Animal Blood Bank

The hospital keeps blood, plasma and red blood cells in stock to aid animals suffering from trauma, anemia, heatstroke and rat-bait poisoning.

04/28/2016 By Marianella Orlando

And On Your Left

Did You Know? The Professional Tour Guides Association of Houston Is a Thing That Exists

Guides must dispel the stubborn myth that all locals “wear cowboy hats, have belt buckles, listen to country music and drive trucks.”

04/28/2016 By Adam Doster

Ice House

May's Perfect Party

The exclamation-point-happy edition.

04/28/2016 By Catherine Matusow

Pranktown

How to Get Buried in a Casket Full of Shipley Do-Nuts

In which we discover that Shipley Do-Nuts' Stacey Michel is the best company spokesperson in town.

04/28/2016 By Jonathan Lippert

Poughkeepsie to Polunsky

In Texas, Death Row Inmates Through the Eyes of a New York Artist

A supermax prison isn't the best place to sit for a portrait, but Peter Charlap's subjects have no other choice.

04/28/2016 By Roxanna Asgarian

Economy

This Ain't the '80s: Why the Bust is Different This Time Around

"The biggest thing, amongst the other issues, is fear," says Marvy Finger. "Fear of the unknown.”

04/28/2016 By Roxanna Asgarian

Style & Shopping

Elements of Style

Jill Reno: Jewelry Designer, Houstonian, Rock Star

Reno's colorful pieces have quite a fan club: Felicity Huffman, Kristen Bell, Hayden Panettiere and Olivia Munn all have worn them on the red carpet.

04/28/2016 By Sarah Rufca Nielsen

Travel & Outdoors

The Great Outdoors

The Best State Parks in East Texas

Pristine forests, inviting campsites, well-marked trails and fish-stocked lakes await for all Texans to enjoy.

05/01/2016

Best East Texas State Parks

For the Gung-Ho Glampers: Daingerfield State Park

For those times when you just can't camp without a hot shower at end of the day.

04/28/2016 By Sarah Rufca Nielsen

Best East Texas State Parks

For the Fishermen (And the Wannabe Fishermen): Lake Livingston State Park

Think you can beat the record catch at Lake Livingston? You'll have to hook a 115-pound catfish first.

04/28/2016 By Catherine Matusow

Best State Parks

For the City Slickers: Huntsville State Park

Horse stable? Check. Spec's for champagne? Also check.

04/28/2016 By Marianella Orlando

Best East Texas State Parks

Cowboy Coffee & Chili: Campfire Cooking 101

Need tips for cooking in the wild? Ask a cowgirl.

04/28/2016 By Alice Levitt

Best East Texas State Parks

For the Happy Hikers: Martin Dies Jr. State Park

Don't mind the alligators—no, seriously.

04/28/2016 By Nick Esquer

Best East Texas State Parks

The Fauna of the Piney Woods

From water moccasins to woodpeckers, what to watch for—and what to watch out for—in East Texas.

04/28/2016 By Roxanna Asgarian

Best East Texas State Parks

For the Canoers and Kayakers: Caddo Lake State Park

A potential Bigfoot sighting is far from the only reason to visit Texas's largest—and only—natural lake.

04/28/2016 By Roxanna Asgarian

Best State Parks

For the History Hounds: Mission Tejas State Park

More than mounds abound in this part of Texas, where the Caddo Indians once reigned.

04/28/2016 By Alice Levitt

Best East Texas State Parks

For the Casual Campers: Martin Creek Lake State Park

It may be the loudest state park in Texas, but it's still one of our favorites—and here's why.

04/28/2016 By Katharine Shilcutt

Best East Texas State Parks

Another Excuse to Go Hiking: Geocaching

The upside of camping with a cell phone? The resurgence of geocaching.

04/28/2016 By Katharine Shilcutt