The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
r' O V E M B E R 1 99 7
119%i
E'rAsR'Jjctp
T E X A S
rave
T x D OT
TRAX has retired! The
Travel and Information Division
has developed a better service
for the travel industry that
replaces the old TRAX system.
Our new Travel Information
System (TIS) allows you to
electronically access state-level
requests for travel literature. By
using this service you can maxi-
mize your marketing dollars
through targeted mailings to folks
already interested in traveling to
Texas. The number of services
provided through TIS will soon
be included on the back page of
this newsletter. Just another great
free service sent to you by the
Texas Department of Transpor-
tation! For details, call Heidi
Zetty, TIS administrator, at 512/
406-5923. Or contact us by eMail
at tis@mailgw.dot.state.tx.us.
C O M I N G U P
Groundbreaking ceremonies
kicked off a project that promises
to push Houston into the top
ranks of bicycle-friendly cities.
With an extensive network of
bicycle trails already in place,
an additional 360 miles of trails
and on-street routes will allow
bicyclists to pedal the entire length
and breadth of the city. According
to the Houston Chronicle, the path
will include 63 miles of 10-foot-
wide hike-and-bike trails, made of
asphalt or concrete, generally
along bayous and abandoned rail
lines. About 128 miles of bike-
only lanes will be painted along
curbs. And another 169 miles will
become designated bike routes.
With completion of the system by
mid-1999, biking in the city could
increase tenfold.
For more than a century the Old
Blanco County Courthouse
in Blanco has reigned over town
square. After the county seat was
moved to Johnson City in 1890,
the abandoned edifice was used
as a school, bank, bakery, hospi-
tal and Wild West museum.
The townsfolk didn't pay much
attention to the old building. It
was just there, standing proudly
as the center of attention, even in
its state of disrepair. Then in the
mid-'80s, a rancher bought the
courthouse with plans to bull-
doze the faithful old structure.
Citizens rallied to purchase the
town's landmark for $250,000. A
Courthouse Gala, held each May,
along with bake sales and small
grants have raised the cash to
restore the building to its 1886
appearance. The Old Courthouse
will once again serve its public
when it officially reopens in
March. The upstairs courtroom
will become a community center.
The building will host city coun-
cil meetings and house health ser-
vices for the elderly. The Old
Blanco County Courthouse
Preservation Society, the cham-
her of commerce and the LBJ
Heartland Council will join
forces to sponsor a visitor center
with a gift shop and rotating
exhibits. For information, call
Cindy Fest at the chamber at
830/833-5101.
Miller Brewing Company
will construct a 6,000-square-foot
Hospitality Center at its plant
in Fort Worth, where visitors
can get a "taste" of the history
of Miller beer. A memorabilia
museum will include antique
equipment, advertisements and
old signs. A retail shop will offer
novelties of today. Though there
are no plans for brewery tours,
visitors can get a free taste of the
final product in the courtyard and
hospitality room. The hospitality
room will be open free of charge
as meeting space for charitable
organizations. On occasion the
brewery will host special events
with live entertainment. The new
center could open as early as June
1998. At 7001 South Freeway
(1-35W). Call public relations
manager Cliff Amos at 817/551-
3241 for more information.
Work continues on the multimil-
lion-dollar renovation of the
Driskill Hotel, an Austin land-
mark at Brazos and East Sixth
streets. According to the Austin
American-Statesman the project
is part of a five-year program to
return the 111-year-old hotel to
its original grandeur. A hallway
lined with Old World paintings
leads guests to their rooms. The
rooms are appointed with cus-
tom-designed furnishings and
antiques, and include minibars,
new wrought-iron beds, and large
bathrooms with pedestal sinks,
granite counters and oversized
tubs. An antique piano, crystal
chandeliers and eight gold-leaf
mirrors welcome guests to the
Maximilian Room. And Texana
murals by East Texas artist Lee
Jamison adorn walls and ceilings.
The restaurant on East Seventh
Street will reopen this month.
The Driskill has continued to
welcome guests during restora-
tion, with rooms renting for $99
or more in the unrenovated part
and for $155 and up in the reno-
vated areas. Interior restoration
is expected to continue through
EYE CANDY Galveston's Moody Gardens brings you
sugarplum visions in 3-D with the world premiere of
*"*" "The I MAX Nutcracker" on November 28. This new
..
family holiday tradition is the first venture of IMAX
r into the world of classic stories. The non-balletic
retelling of E.T.A. Hoffmann's "The Nutcracker and
the Mouse King" is set to the unforgettable score
of Tchaikovksy. Children of all ages will delight in
the enchanted kingdom of spun sugar ruled by a painted wooden
soldier. Showtimes daily, except Christmas, through January 18.
For information on other holiday events, call 1-800-582-4673.
