I live in Austin, TX and wanted to find out where I could take my dogs and let them really run. Well, not only did this guidebook tell me what areas allow leash-free dogs (and it turns out the Austin area has a lot more than I ever knew!), but it gave great anecdotal descriptions of the various trails, facilities, etc. I've taken the pups on four walks so far (I've had the book a month) based on recommendations in this book and the descriptions were dead on accurate.

Dogs, Larry D. Hodge has concluded, are like American Express Cards. "Some people won't leave home without them," says the Mason free-lance writer. That's the idea behind Hodge's new book, "The Texas Dog Lover's Companion" (Foghorn Press, $20.95). Hodge has "the inside scoop on where to take your dog" in the Lone Star State. It's the seventh "Dog Lover's Companion" volume from the California publisher. Hodge, who writes about travel and the outdoors for a number of Texas publications, including the San Antonio Express-News, says a guide for dog lovers didn't initially set his tail to wagging. He writes in the book's introduction: "Traveling dogs are a common sight in Texas ... What's the big deal? In Texas we just tell the dog to get in the back of the truck with the kids." Editors at Foghorn Press pressed him. They wanted listings of Rover-friendly restaurants, festivals, hotels and motels. They wanted to know where pet owners can walk a dog without a leash. Hodge approaches the subject matter with humor and humility. To conduct research, Hodge traveled mostly with Sport, a Rhodesian Ridgeback/handsome stranger mix, and sometimes with Samantha, an Australian blue heeler mix. The author, who confesses to sneaking both dogs into a Corpus Christi motel that doesn't allow pets ("We spent the entire time keeping them quiet"), was "surprised at how many motels openly welcome dogs." At more than 600 pages, "The Texas Dog Lover's Companion" is well-researched. You can bet Hodge did his homework, ranking park areas by a system of paws - four paws being the, er, cat's meow. The lowest rating is a fire hydrant, or as Hodge writes, "That means the park is just worth a squat." Two parks in San Antonio got 31/2 paws - Martin Luther King Park and Southside Lions Park. The latter "is as good as it gets for a dog in Texas," Hodge says. Another South Texas favorite is Dwight D. Eisenhower Park. "It has great walking trails and great views of the San Antonio skyline," Hodge says. The biggest surprise in researching the book was "how many closet dog people are out there who keep a dog at their place of business all day ... everything from book stores to dress shops to restaurants to motels. "The minute I said something about doing a guide book for dogs they would turn and get real friendly," Hodge says. In all, the book lists more than 400 places to chow down, hundreds of places to stay the night and nearly 500 parks, beaches, forests and wildlife areas, as well as doggy do's and don'ts, safety tips, rules of dining etiquette and hints on avoiding pooper- scooper faux "paws." Plus, "The Texas Dog Lover's Companion" is illustrated with delightful cartoons by Phil Frank.

The carpet in the back of my sport utility vehicle is still full of coarse, reddish hair, and I'm in no hurry to clean it out. That's where Rosie, our six-year-old Golden Retriever, used to ride. We took her to parks and beaches when we could, which in retrospect was not anywhere near often enough. Rosie was part of our family. She was our first "child" and later, Deputy Mom and Big Sister to our daughter Hallie. Like all good dogs, for her the term "unconditional love" was redundant. Last summer, as Hallie played in our front yard, someone driving a blue pickup truck ran over Rosie when she ran out in the street. The person who did it--Hallie says it was a man (only in the sense of his gender)--kept driving. Rosie was left writhing on the pavement with a broken back. Using a blanket, Linda and I got her into my truck and rushed her to an emergency veterinary clinic. After looking at an X-ray, the vet said there was nothing we could do for her but put her down. So, with the wisdom that only sad hindsight brings, if you have a beloved family pet, do things with it as frequently as you can, while you can. And buy a copy of a book funny enough to dry the tears from my eyes when I think about Rosie and the kind of person who would hit a 75-pound dog and not stop, while a little girl watched: "The Texas Dog Lover's Companion" by Larry D. Hodge (Foghorn Press, 656 pages, $20.95). The book is the first-ever Texas travel guide for people with dogs. It lists places where dogs are welcome, rating them on a scale of a fireplug (suitable only for "dewatering" your dog) to one to four paws, depending on the dog-friendliness factor. A good book offers more than its title suggests, and "The Texas Dog Lover's Companion" is a good book. What makes it good is that Hodge has personalized it, crafting it as something of a Texas-only version of "Travels with Charlie." Unlike John Steinbeck, whose faithful canine companion was Charlie, Hodge traveled with two dogs, Sport and Samantha.

Hodge could have written a simple, to-the-point guidebook, but his Steinbeck-like opus is full of observation and insight into Texas as well as the human and canine condition. Writing about a park in Houston, for instance, he mentions that he went to a nearby branch library to re-read a passage from the classic novel, "Old Yeller," by the late Mason writer Fred Gipson. Hodge and his two dogs put 25,000 miles on his sport utility vehicle (Hodge says his Sport appreciates the fact that Detroit bestowed her name on a whole vehicular genre) in researching "The Texas Dog Lover's Companion." Following a 20-page, philosophy-filled introductory overview on traveling with dogs (and in which Sport and Samantha are brought on stage), Hodge covers the state region by region. He and his co-researchers sniffed their way across the state, checking parks, places to eat and sleep and even places where you can take your pet shopping. Hodge found most of Texas pretty accommodating when it comes to dogs, but it's clear that he didn't mind leaving Lubbock in his rearview mirror. "Unfortunately, for dogs there are few positives," Hodge writes of Lubbock. "Dogs must be leashed everywhere, and we could find few places that actually welcomed them. For dogs, anyway, Lubbock seems destined to remain a stop on the way to someplace better." One "someplace better," he wrote, is Amarillo. Hodge likes its climate and friendliness -- to people and their pooches. Hodge's guidebook is a sometimes funny and always entertaining and useful travel reference even if you aren't traveling with Rover. If a hotel, eating place or park won't accept dogs, who would want to go there anyway? As Hodge writes, "Texas is going to the dogs. And it's about time." Hodge's book is a delightful salute to Texas and to dogs, from Old Yeller to Sport, Samantha and -- in sentiment, to Rosie. "It's the land that brings out what's inside us," Hodge quotes one savvy Big Bend resident as saying about her corner of Texas. "There's a beauty and clarity I believe you find only in open spaces." And, Hodge adds, "in the eyes of a dog."

Fans who remember Dale Fry's feature stories in The Highlander will be delighted to rediscover their favorites in "Goddess of Mystery and Other Central Texas Stories," a collection of his works edited by Ralph Baber. New readers are in for a real treat.

During his years at The Highlander, Fry roamed the Texas Hill Country like a latter-day prospector, finding treasure among its people and its stories.

Digging meticulously into the background detail of his subjects, Fry manages to extract delightful nuggets to intrigue, entertain and sometimes mystify his readers. He often reintroduces familiar people and places, adding new facets to stories we thought we already knew.

This anthology is a gem, offering a delectable sample of an often-overlooked part of Texas--its history, its legends and its unique character that are often as rugged and enduring as its granite. It should be on every bookshelf in the Hill Country.

Sara Wartes, Editor, Marble Falls Picayune

Dale Fry loves Llano and the Central Texas Hill Country! His anthology of historical events and insights into the people and places of this land are compelling reading...And you can't read just one!

With the ability of a great storyteller Fry pulls his reader into the lives and times he writes about so beautifully. You'll see the Texas Hill Country through new eyes after spending a few hours absorbed in GODDESS OF MYSTERY AND OTHER CENTRAL TEXAS STORIES.

Diana Collins, Marble Falls City Librarian

It is very satisfying to researchers and history buffs to find Mr. Fry's writing compiled in book form. His many articles have been read, enjoyed, and probably clipped out and carefully filed or passed on to a friend. Now we can keep reading, with each story simply whetting the appetite for the next one!

Mr. Fry is akin to top-notch private eye. He is tenacious in his search for the facts and follows each clue to its depths. "Goddess of Mystery" is an example of this.

In addition to his "detective" skills, Mr. Fry also has that ability to spot those among us who seem like ordinary friends and neighbors and shows us just how extraordinary they really are. His insight and sincere love of people and the Hill Country glistens from each story.
Byrna Dean Moore, English Teacher, Member of Burnet County Historical Commission

This is the best travel book, I have come across. I have used it for one year and it has not failed me. The restaurant, lodging and daytrip sections have been particularly helpful. You can't go wrong with this book.

Thank you Hilary and Cam. I hope the 3rd Edition is on its way.

This book is full of details and descriptions. Everything you could want to know about Austin. Great for travellers as well as prospective residents (has chapters about neighborhoods and schools). The CitySmart guide is a good supplement, but not nearly as thorough.

This book is not dry like many guidebooks can be. The authors give enough history and background to put their topics in context, but not so much that it becomes boring. I bought this book because I am considering moving to Austin from Northern California, and every question I have is answered in this book. Specific descriptions of individual neighborhoods, indoor and outdoor activities, annual events, arts and music, food, and the list goes on.

I cannot reccommend this book strongly enough.

These ten inspiring biographical accounts of 19th century Texas women who changed history are straightforward, well-researched, and so well-written that I would recommend the book even to young readers, though there is more than enough here to engage a curious adult. Of particular interest are the stories of Cynthia Ann Parker, raised by Comanches, Sara Estela Ramirez, a Mexican-born poet, and "Texas" Guinan, a nightclub owner and silent film star. Andersen's admiration and compassion for her subjects is evident, though she is careful to present the facts of their lives in an unbiased and impartial manner. More Than Petticoats is an important contribution to the existing literature on women's history and a must-read for anyone interested in Texas, feminism, women's suffrage, civil rights and pioneer history.

Greta Anderson provides a glimpse into the lives of ten women that possessed a true pioneering spirit in pre 1900 Texas.As opposed to some historical accounts that can get bogged down in facts, this book represents history in short stories that make for an enjoyable read. It is wonderful to find a book like this that can tell the tale of history through the eyes of a woman.Greta successfully puts flesh on the bare bones of history.I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the role of women in history, particularly women of the south. I was inspired by this book and would love to see a second book containing more stories about the women of Texas.

I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend it to others. For me it was a quick, refreshing, and interesting read. I still think about the characters and stories months after finishing the book. For my 12-year-old daughter, the book was inspiring. Of the many stories, the most inspirational for her was Sophie's refusal to be fired as the railway doctor because she was a women. The book tells the stories of many strong women, and I was struck by the variety of ways in which women can become leaders and role models. I hope more books like this will be written so that women's history can be preserved.

Texas Food Companies: A Tasty Guide by Texas author Rhonda Cloos is a unique and impressive, encyclopedia-style reference to over one hundred food companies located within the confines of the Lone Star State. Each entry contains a brief history of the company, information on food factory tours, and buying and ordering information in order to get hold of company foodstuffs. A web guide to ordering favorite foods online make the mouth-watering ingredients listed in Texas Food Companies effectively available to all. Whether as a specialized travel guide reference for visitors or for gourmet cooks seeking direct order ingredients for Texas ethnic cuisines, Texas Food Companies is a welcome and highly recommended reference.

This is a cover to cover must-read for any "foodie", from the serious food historian to chefs, to serious or amateur home cooks, Texans, Texas travellers, and on and on...
The author captures the essence of culinary company history, proving that the Texas heart is as big as its lore. From chocolate to bar-b-q, settle in for a mouth-watering ride across the Lone Star State. You'll be wanting to fill your chuckwagon along the way!

This is one of the finest books(non fiction ) that I have ever read. The mouth-watering contents are truly revealing and the writing is concise and very informative. Rhonda Cloos has the gift of making one almost taste the scrumptious contents of thisbook. I recommend this Texas Food Company guide to anyone who appreciates the culinary arts. Reviewer: Bob Cohen Evanston,Il.

I used this book last year when I visited Dallas/Fort Worth and I plan on using it again this year. Since I only make one week trips to see my family, I'm sure that I'll be using this book for several years to come! (Or until the next edition comes out!)

Have used book to find unique attractions in the DFW area. Has help find places we never would have uncovered without the aid of the book. Great resource!

Our Texas Hill Country is indeed a little-known source of beauty to outsiders. Because of its depressed condition for decades in the past it was overlook even by Texans. Today, however, we are able to see this area for what it is: rolling hills, tumbling streams and rivers, and a great view around so many curves in its small secondary roads. Though West Texas is well-known for Big Bend, the sheer area of this part of our State, combined with sparse population, means all of us can enjoy peace and solitude--this is where the South turns into the Southwest.

Mr. Ford's book reflects a love of the area, combined with excellent directions and documentation of sights. The book is divided into geographic areas, and within those areas, into tours of a day or longer. He has also done an excellent job of rating the difficulty of the tours, and why he has come to those conclusions.

Though I have only cycled a small amount of this area, I would also recommend this book for those who would like to tour by car. I've traveled almost this entire area by car and wish I'd had this guide then. Additionally, I found the photography very well-done--particularly in view of the price of the book.

This book is a valuable resource, and a terrific buy for the price!

I have cycled only a few of the book's listed road rides in the Hill Country but I am familiar with portions of several other roads in the Hill Country and West Texas via automobile. These are truly great rides with well-thought directions and information. It's so good that when Mr. Ford says you will have to "shoo" sheep and livestock from the road, it really must be done! I eagerly await even more rides with the next edition of the book.

Wow. I've been in Dallas/Irving area fifty years (since 6 mo. old) and when I picked up this book to take a look, I was amazed at all the places to go I didn't know about! I bought a copy and have enjoyed browsing its offerings! What a great gift for anyone new to the area. What am I talking about? I'm not new! It'll make a great gift - period! A must though for newcomers - hey, real estate people, what an idea for new home buyers coming into the area! And there's so many different great tid bits of info. Thanks to the author for all her work making the Metroplex a breeze to enjoy!

I picked this book up as a gift for a client who was staying a week in Dallas and had never been to Texas before. He went through the book and picked places he wanted to go, and apparently had a grand time, because he still raves about his trip.

As I didn't get the book back, I had to purchase another copy and was surprised to see how many interesting places there are in the Metroplex that even I didn't know about (and I've lived here for nearly forever.) I've since recommended this book to my company for future visiting clients and trainees.

Great source of information, excellent organization and primo insight on "must sees".

Gone for the Day, as it is titled, would lead one to believe that it is simply a book about day trips. Naturally, I made the same assumption, purchased the book, and found a wonderfully written,humerous,folk tale of central Texas. This is a book that should be bought for the read, and not the road.

Take this enjoyable book along while exploring some of Texas' most outstanding yet least known family fun spots. Full of humorous history and highlights about small towns, state parks, trail rides, boat excursions and swimming holes. Includes Enchanted Rock, Bandera, Lost Maples, Westcave Preserve, Fredericksburg and much more!

I truly enjoyed the book and wish I had bought it earlier as I visit Fredericksburg, San Antonio, Boerne, etc. every year doing family research. The shopping in Fredericksburg is superb but changes so quickly that a book would need to be updated every year to keep up with the changes! BUT, as a book of this type is bought more often for the historical, cultural and natural beauties of the region, shopping is generally not the most important aspect of the trip. I have been to and through many of the places listed in Llano, Gillespie, Kendall, and Blanco Counties but this is a much more interesting way of doing the trip. I recommend this to anyone who wishes to see the small towns and historical sites of the region.

If you enjoy driving through the Texas Hill Country, this book has plenty of roads mapped out, starting from Austin, Fredericksburg, and San Antonio. Every scalping, shoot-out, ghost town, abandoned schoolhouse and old church along the way is described with its own history. If you're looking for Oatmeal, TX or Nameless, TX, or just the best bbq out there, this is your book.