09.27.2023

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Today’s Forecast

69º | Rainy | 87% chance of rain | Sunrise 7:28 a.m. | Sunset 5:42 p.m.

🌲 Lose yourself in the “Lost Pines”

Smelling the “Lost Pines” at Bastrop State Park

A closeup of loblolly pine trees, with blue sky in the background.

Bastrop State Park’s stand of loblolly pine trees is the westernmost stand of this species in the US. | Photo by ATXtoday

Turn onto State Highway 71 and drive just a few dozen miles east of Austin, and the landscape changes. When the trees get taller and you see your first loblolly pine, you’re almost there.

As part of our mission to commemorate 100 years of Texas State Parks, we recently spent a morning in Bastrop State Park. Here’s what we saw.

History

This thicket of pines and hardwood trees has sheltered travelers for centuries, even acting as a stop on the El Camino Real de los Tejas, a 1600s-era roadway between Mexico and Texas.

Residents of Bastrop — considered to be the third-oldest settlement in Texas — used these trees to support local building booms during the 1800s.

Overlooking fields of pine trees stands a reddish stone structure on top of a hill. — The structures at Bastrop State Park were designed to incorporate local materials and blend in with the landscape.
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Photo by ATXtoday

When the state acquired this land in the 1930s, Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Civilian Conservation Corps and architect Arthur Fehr built the park structures. Their work eventually earned the park National Historic Landmark status, making Bastrop State Park one of just seven parks of its kind to have the recognition.

In 2011, a devastating wildfire burned through 32,000 acres in the Bastrop area, destroying 1,600+ homes and affecting 96% of the state park. Researchers predict full forest recovery is more than a generation away, but visitors can already see signs of new growth and fresh life among the trees.

What to see

First, look up.

If it seems odd to see pine trees in Central Texas, that’s because it is: these loblolly pines are known as the “Lost Pines” of Texas because they’re isolated as the species’ westernmost stand in the country.

According to pollen records, these pines have been growing in the Bastrop area for 18,000+ years. So, we suggest you listen to reader Steve K.: “Take a deep breath. Smell the pines.”

A path winding through pine trees. — Although 96% of Bastrop State Park was affected by the 2011 wildfire, signs of new life are already peeking through the undergrowth.
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Photo by ATXtoday

What to do

With 6,600 acres to explore, there’s plenty to do at Bastrop State Park, including:

Camping, starting at $15 per night
Hiking and biking
Swimming
Fishing

Make a reservation to visit.

More state parks

Asked

Which state park should we visit next?

A. Lockhart State Park
B. Buescher State Park

Let us know

Events

Wednesday, Sept. 27

aGLIFF Queer Spectrum Screening: “Barrio Boy” | Wednesday, Sept. 27 | 7-9 p.m. | Galaxy Theatres Austin, 6700 Middle Fiskville Rd., Austin | $15 | Watch New York barber Quique go on a journey of self exploration.
Amy Grant Live | Wednesday, Sept. 27 | 8 p.m. | The Paramount Theatre, 713 Congress Ave., Austin | $60-$80 | Journey with Grant through her three-decade career as a singer-songwriter, writer, speaker, and TV host.

Thursday, Sept. 28

Music in the Garden: Aubrey Hays | Thursday, Sept. 28 | 6-7:30 p.m. | Zilker Botanical Garden, 2220 Barton Springs Rd., Austin | Free with registration | The last edition of this summer’s music series features Mississippi-raised Aubrey Hays.
Girls Gotta Eat | Thursday, Sept. 28 | 8 p.m. | The Paramount Theatre, 713 Congress Ave., Austin | $43-$49 | Take in Ashley Hesseltine’s and Rayna Greenberg’s comedy podcast live on their “Snack City” tour.

Friday, Sept. 29

The Austin Record Convention | Friday, Sept. 29-Sunday, Oct. 1 | Times vary | Palmer Events Center, 900 Barton Springs Rd., Austin | $5-$30 | Browse the largest sale of recorded music in the US, featuring more than one million records, CDs, cassettes, and memorabilia.

Saturday, Sept. 30

Texas Craft Brewers Festival | Saturday, Sept. 30 | 12-6:30 p.m. | Fiesta Gardens, 2100 Jessie Segovia St., Austin | $20-$50 | Celebrate all things craft beer at this event featuring 80+ breweries, hundreds of beers, food trucks, and live music.

Events calendar here

Click here to have your event featured.

News Notes

Festival

Fusebox Festival is transitioning its approach from a big, annual festival into year-round programming. The 2024 Fusebox Festival will be the last of its kind, and will be traded for Fusebox Presents programming and a partnership with Texas Performing Arts. (Austin Chronicle)

Coming Soon

A secret new bar called Trona — from the team behind El Tigre Coffee Roasters and Cork & Screw — will open in East Austin next month. Reservations for the Japanese- and Oaxacan-inspired space will be made via a secret phone number, to be shared through word-of-mouth.

Now Open

Drinks Backyard, the newest concept from sibling bars Drinks Lounge and Little Drinks Lounge, opened yesterday in southeast Austin. The space serves a familiar menu, including frozen cocktails and coffees, and offers food from the Smokin’ Brew-B-Q food truck. (Eater Austin)

Transit

CapMetro’s board of directors approved a new contract earlier this week with third-party bus operator Keolis Transit Services. The agreement includes bus operations and maintenance services for three years (with one-year options) at a cost of ~$720 million. (Austin Monitor)

Closing

The Art Institute of Austin — which is actually in Bastrop — will close permanently this week, as part of a national Art Institutes closure affecting sites in Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, and cities outside Texas. School officials said they will attempt to facilitate student transfers. (Austin Business Journal)

Legacy

Lambert Labay, the owner of the recently closed Austin icon Nau’s Enfield Drug Store, died this month at age 83. Labay bought the drugstore with his wife in 1972, and was a beloved fixture at the shop until he retired in 2016. (Austin American-Statesman)

Drink

Love whiskey? Join Vinovest’s exclusive whiskey investing community and own your own casks hassle-free. Sell casks for a profit, or opt to bottle them to drink.*

Art

Shatter your expectations

Broken glass is beautiful at new West Chelsea Contemporary exhibit

Artist Simon Berger created 40+ new works for his exhibit at West Chelsea Contemporary. | Photos by ATXtoday

Broken glass builds complex portraits at West Chelsea Contemporary’s newest exhibit, “Beauty in Destruction: The Art of Simon Berger.”

Berger, who works out of Switzerland but showcases his art worldwide, created 40+ new pieces exclusively for this exhibit.

To create the captivating pieces, Berger carefully and strategically hammers panels of reinforced safety glass. Together, the small fractures and cracks create pointillism-like portraits of human faces, skulls, and eagles.

The Clarksville art gallery will host the unique collection until Sunday, Oct. 15. See the works yourself at 1009 W. 6th St.

Shop

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Drink

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Home

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The Wrap

Today’s edition by:
London

From the editor

If you’re looking for plans this weekend, I hope you’re thirsty... and hungry.

In addition to the annual Texas Craft Brewers Festival, the Austin Coffee Festival and the Austin MedFest are taking place this weekend.

Find more fests happening this fall.

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