Inspired by a comment on my last post on dining in McKinney (thanks, Shelly from This Eclectic Life), I paid a visit to Cafe Malaga Mediterranean Tapas Bar for dinner on a weekday evening, after arriving from Austin to help my daughter pack after completing her freshman year at Austin College in Sherman.

A few days ago, I made the one-hour trek up I-35 from Austin to check out the old Santa Fe depot and train museum, and also to revisit the Czech Heritage Museum & Genealogy Center, the latter a repository of fascinating and strange stuff (everything from century-old marionettes to stamp collections) donated to the museum by Texans with Czech heritage.

I just received a phone call from a Tammy Huerta-Mallini from San Benito, who turns out to be the late Freddy Fender's daughter. She called to tell me that on June 6 at 10 a.m., the City of San Benito will host a memorial tribute to her dad, along with a dedication of a headstone at his grave at San Benito Memorial Park. Along with a headstone and six monuments commemorating his long career, the gravesite will also include a replica of his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Tammy says that Latin-country-pop start Rick Trevino will sing Fender's hit "Before the Next Teardrop Falls" after the dedication.

Fender, born Baldemar Huerta in San Benito in 1937, died in Corpus Christi in 2006. Today, most people remember him for his hits "Wasted Days and Wasted Nights" and "Teardrops," as well as his roles in the groups Los Super Seven and The Texas Tornados.

I can't be there for the dedication of his memorial, but it promises to be a heartfelt and joyous occasion. Call the City of San Benito, 956-361-3804 Ex. 301, for details. 

I recently visited Houston on some personal business, and aimed to make the visit more pleasant with some retail therapy. 

I just want to express thanks to everyone who stopped by the Visitors Gallery at the LBJ Wildflower Center this weekend to meet Rick Tolar and check out his incredible flower close-ups on canvas. It was also a great pleasure meeting current and future fans of TH, and to see the faces behind the readership. May y'all keep on reading and traveling about Texas!

Rick Tolar (seated) chats with visitors at his Flowers of Observation exhibit at LBJ Wildflower Center. Managing Editor Jill Lawless is standing at left.

Heading out to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in southwest Austin this morning, where fine-art  photographer Rick Tolar is busily setting up his Flowers of Observation exhibit, which opens tomorrow in the Center’s Visitors Gallery. Cosponsored by the Wildflower Center and Texas Highways, the exhibit features 20-plus of Tolar’s eye-popping wildflower close-ups on canvas, and coincides with the Center’s celebration of National Wildflower Week (May 4-10). Rick will be in the Gallery from 9 to 4 on Saturday, May 9^th, to sign copies of April TH, which features seven of his stunning images.  He’ll also have signed 5x7 prints of his work for sale ($20 each) that day. The exhibit stays up through Mother’s Day (May 10^th), so treat mom to a day at the Center—enjoy a relaxing stroll through the glorious gardens and see the vibrant Tolar show. Better than a bouquet!

Back in August of 2008, my Up Front column included a photograph of the abandoned and derelict Mosheim school, an Alamo-like building located about eight miles west of Valley Mills at the intersection of FM 217 and FM 215. TH reader Elliot Herndon sent us the photograph, and Phil Murphy of the TxDOT Waco Maintenance Office identified it at the request of photo librarian Anne Cook. Now it turns out the building is scheduled for demolition. The April 9, 2009 edition of the Valley Mills Progress (mailed to me anonymously) presents a front page photo of the school building with a story about the proposed demolition, explaining that the owner can't afford to repair or protect the structure.

Everyone who visits the long-shuttered Baker Hotel in Mineral Wells hopes for a revival of this voluptuous landmark that dates back to the Roaring 20s. All lament the empty swimming pool, the broken windows, and the generally forlorn visage of the once-lavish destination for "taking the waters" and generally living the high life. Now there's a glimmer of hope. At last week's Texas Travel Counselors Conference in San Angelo, I spoke with Ninfa Holly of Mineral Wells who shared the news that an investor group has taken an interest in the hotel and has plans to refurbish up to 120 rooms for stage one of a building renovation. Cross your fingers that this project will work. If you'd like more details, email or call 940 / 325 - 2557.

The April issue marks my 14th year designing (and selecting images for) our signature Wildflower feature.  I occasionally get asked if I have a favorite wildflower. Gaillardia pulchella, more commonly known as Indian blanket or Firewheel, has long been one of my favorites.  According to the folks at Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Gaillardia is found throughout Texas and is one of the easiest wildflowers to grow.  I like to think of it as one of the unsung heroes in the Big Bluebonnet Show. Sure, it’s fairly common, but to me the accessibility is part of its beauty.  (For instance, Austin’s Lady Bird Lake Hike-and-Bike Trail has patches of them along the north side)   Gaillardia’s symmetric, daisy-like appearance and bursts of vibrant, distinctive color also appeal to my design sensibilities—instant art direction in the palm of your hand!

Do you have a favorite wildflower—besides the iconic bluebonnet?   Tell us—and include a snapshot, too!

I stopped in at my local Barnes & Noble Saturday evening to say hello to longtime TH contributors Gary Clark and Kathy Adams Clark. The Houston-based author-photographer duo was there to sign copies of their just-released Enjoying Big Bend National Park: A Friendly Guide to Adventures for Everyone (Texas A&M University Press). Gary, a naturalist who has been visiting Big Bend for the last 30 years, wrote the text, and Kathy, who owns the photo agency KAC Productions, shot the photographs. The result: a handy reference that makes planning a trip to this far-flung park a little less overwhelming. Filled with practical information and stunning images, Enjoying Big Bend is sure to make this challenging site more popular than ever. Seeing it made me want to pack up and head for “the Texas outback” immediately.