Hidden gems

Copyrighted material.

World Travel: A Guide to International Ecojourneys 

Today's featured title is something from the "G" section. For those of you dying to know, "G" is the Library of Congress' letter designating books covering geography, anthropology, and recreation.

This title is chock full of travel information and is pretty to look at with its many full-color photographs. Destinations include all continents and terrains, featuring trips for just about anyone.

It is only one of many titles we have covering the world and its countries, people, sights, flora, and fauna. Find it on the lower level at G 155 .A1 W68 1996.




About our book collection

The library is constantly working to select and purchase hard-copy books to support the Richland College curriculum and students' needs.

Not only does this mean the librarians are putting new items on the shelves, but it means that we are regularly working to relabel and repair our older titles or send away books that are no longer used.

This process, much like weeding and feeding a lawn, helps us to highlight what is relevant, fresh, and fun. When we see hidden gems in the stacks, we would like our students, faculty, and staff to come check them out.

The Richland College Library has some 75,000 books for checking out, so there are plenty to go around. Come on over to the library and head to the lowest level to see what treasure you might discover.

Refuge from the heat

This hot weather has me contemplating where I can find a piece of marble on which to cool my heels. The Dallas Museum of Art or the Kimbell come to mind, but it is too hot on the DART rail or in my car to want to go to either. However, thinking of marble puts me in mind of a trip a colleague and I made to Washington D.C. during which we visited our fair share of museums and attractions. I'm tempted to go again right now, since Weather.com reports 81-degree temperatures there.

The first place I would stop is actually two museums in one. The National Portrait Gallery and the Smithsonian American Art Museum share a stately Greek Revival building where Abraham Lincoln's second inaugural ball was held. They are both part of the Smithsonian and are housed in the same building, which I know would be a cool haven after this streak of 110-degree temps.

While in Washington, I visited the museums three times. Each visit was a true educational experience, and here are a few things that have stayed with me.

Most of us know Georgia O'Keeffe for her flora and skull paintings, but I tend to like her paintings of buildings better. Her museum is in Santa Fe; but her pastel-colored city scape Manhattan is on display in D.C. When I saw it, I had just been to Manhattan for the first time, and the seven-foot-tall painting reminded me of how the ornate buildings fill the sky. 

George Catlin created American Indian portraits and landscapes while documenting some of the last great Native American warriors and leaders. The Smithsonian owns the majority of his vibrant work.

The Smithsonian also has James Hampton's Throne of the Third Heaven, largely composed of aluminum foil, displayed in the folk art collection. Hampton took some 14 years to build it, and one could sit for hours and contemplate the various materials he used. A Scottish couple and I - after some observation and discussion - decided that he incorporated light bulbs and empty toilet paper rolls (we were correct) into the shiny monument.

Now thinking of empty toilet paper rolls (or cylindrical cardboard rolls, as the Smithsonian calls them) puts me in mind of a big bag of recycling that I need to put outside. But just in case you haven't noticed, it is oppressively hot outside, and I can barely bring myself to walk to the curb. How in the world am I going to take a trip if I am reluctant to walk out of my door?

You, too, may feel the heat is too oppressive for traveling even if a cool slab of marble is at the end of the drive or plane flight. Instead, stay near your computer and check out the Smithsonian American Art Museum's blog. If you're on our campus, visit the Richland College Library's "N" shelves for information on art & architecture. We have a large selection of books that are lovely to behold and cool to the touch.

Happy heat wave,
R.D.

 

 

Wildflower time in Texas

Forget your weekend chores - forget that long "To Do" list - it's time for a springtime Texas road trip. This won't be the same old interstate scenery. Get ready to get off the "beaten path" and try out the U.S. Highways, Texas state highways, Farm to Market Roads (FM), and even some Ranch Roads (RR).

If you have only an afternoon, just hop into the car and head south on I45 for some bluebonnet sightings in nearby Ennis. A couple of years ago, they were prolific and spectacular in the Ennis area and all around its small neighbor, Bristol. Never heard of Bristol? According to the Memorial and Biographical History of Ellis County, Bristol was almost our state capital. It missed being chosen as the capital by only one vote in the Texas Legislature. Find Bristol by heading east out of Ennis on Texas hwy 34, and turn north on FM 660. The fields of bluebonnets and wildflowers here can be amazing.
If you are prepared to spend a day or two, or even three or four days on the road, take out south on U.S. hwy 67 to Glenrose. From there, follow Texas hwy 220 to Hico (High- co with a long o) where you'll find the famous Koffee Kup cafe at the junction of U.S. 281 & Texas 6. You may see lots of Harleys and bikers there, but this is a good sign. If it's lunchtime, be sure to get your chicken fried steak fix, but leave room for a big slice of one of their outstanding pies - try the coconut cream with the sky-high meringue.

After taking this break, continue south on U.S. 281. At Evant, go west on U.S. 84 to Goldthwaithe, where you will be turning south on Texas hwy 16. Follow 16 through San Saba and down to Llano (Lan- o with another long o). On this drive you'll begin seeing larger and larger bluebonnets. For some of the most scenic routes, full of photo-ops, be sure to drive RR 152 and FM 2323 (the old Prairie Mt. School road) just outside the south side of Llano.

Back in Llano, you should not be expecting to find the Llano winery - it's way across the state out in far west texas - in Lubbock. But, you will find Cooper's Barbeque, and don't leave town without treating yourself to a taste of this Texas legend.

At this point, you can choose to stay in the area and spend one night and return to the Dallas area in the morning. If you aren't too picky about your accommodations, you can usually take pot luck on finding a hotel/motel room, and you'll probably come out just fine. Even if you have to drive to the next town to find one, it's not that far.

But....if you want to continue your adventure, go south out of Llano toward Frederisksburg on Texas hwy 16. You'll pass Enchanted Rock State Natural Area, where you may want to stop and climb and explore. However, just down the road a few more miles, you'll find the Willow City Loop, accessible on farm road #1323. Look carefully, or you may miss it. This loop makes a horseshoe loop back onto Texas hwy 16. There is no real town here, but you will see why this loop is renowned for its scenic rustic vistas and bountiful bluebonnets. It is a "must see" for all bluebonnet hunters. Be sure you have your camera!

Once you've seen the Willow City Loop, you must drive on into Fredericksburg (still going south on Texas 16) where most of the original architecture still remains in the central business district of this charming German community. If you love to shop and/or eat German food, you'll love it here.

Now that you are this far south, you can explore Kerrville (still south down Texas hwy 16). Just outside of Kerville, you'll want to take the drive following the Guadalupe River through Ingram and Hunt. Also, in this area, you can drive "The Three Twisted Sisters" - Ranch roads 335, 336, & 337 where you will have such magnificent "Hill Country" views that you won't be able to believe that you are still in Texas. These three curvy, winding, hilly roads are a favorite of sports car drivers and bikers!

Just down the road at Texas hwy 173 and RR 337 is Bandera, "The Cowboy Capital of the World." Here you'll find lots of dude ranches and the famous Arkey Blue's Silver Dollar Nightclub.

If you take this trip in the fall, you'll not want to miss Lost Maples State Natural Area. You can follow RR 337 (this is one of the "sisters") to Vanderpool and go north on FM 187 to find the park with its grove of red maple trees, which are not found elsewhere in Texas.

Hungry again? Grab a burger or a bite to eat at the quaint Lost Maples Cafe in Utopia, just a few miles south of the park on FM 187. You may see bikers, here, too. They know all the scenic routes and all the best cafes in the state.

Once you discover the Texas state highways, FM roads and ranch roads in Central Texas, you will want to return. So, get off the interstate and out of the major cities to discover the "real Texas."

Texas abounds with opportunities for interesting road trips. Find more Texas adventures at TexasOutside.com and in the Texas Highways monthly magazine, available on newsstands and at the Richland College Library.

Also, at the Richland Library, you'll find The Back Roads of Texas by Earl Thollander in the main collection at NC139.T47.A4 and the Handbook of Texas, 6 volumes, available online, or in print in the reference collection at F384.N48. It's always handy to have a copy of the Roads of Texas Atlas by Texas A&M Univireity and Cartographics (our Richland copy is missing).

For recent Texas wildflower sightings, check the web at Wildflowerhaven.com. Become an expert on the wildflowers of Texas using Texas Wildflowers: a Fieldguide by Campbell and Lynn Loughmiller (reference QK188.L68). Find it and 10 other wildflower books in our library, including a Net Library book, available for reading on the web, titled A Field Guide to Southwestern and Texas Wildflowers by Theodore F Niehaus.

Happy trails to you!
Alice Fulbright