Wild Texas Newsletter
Your Guide to Texas Parks, Nature & Travel

IN THIS ISSUE

1. From the Editor
2. Searching for Texas Parks Just Got Easier
3. Fall Foliage Watch
4. About the Newsletter

*** FROM THE EDITOR

I appreciate the overwhelming response I received to the request for feedback in September's issue. The vast majority of subscribers supported continuing to publish the Wild Texas Newsletter, either with a reduced frequency of distribution, incorporation of reader- submissions, or both. Your responses were well-reasoned, supportive and much-appreciated -- exactly the caliber of feedback I have come to expect from those who frequent wildtexas.com. Good Job!

We have another milestone to celebrate -- in just the past month, we have gained 100 new subscribers to the newsletter, putting us over the 1,000 subscribers mark (1,053). While I have not yet decided exactly how I will implement your suggestions, I have heard your voices loud and clear and will keep the newsletters coming! As always, your suggestions and input are encouraged.

Sincerely,

Shannon Moore
wildtexas.com

*** SEARCHING FOR TEXAS PARKS JUST GOT EASIER

It is with great pleasure that I announce the Wild Texas Parks Directory is finally searchable not only by park location (city) and nearest metropolitan area, but also by the various ratings we assign to featured parks. For instance, nature lovers can now search for featured parks that we've assigned a rating of 3 or better for on wildlife observation, and families with children can search for parks we have ranked highly for picnicking and playground availability.

The default search does not require you to make any selections on the search page, and will return a list of ALL the Texas state and national parks, natural areas, wildlife refuges and other recreation areas. Parks we have personally visited and reviewed are highlighted with a red arrow; all other parks link to offsite links to official park websites (such as Guadalupe Mountains National Park's website run by the National Park Service).

We hope this feature will be of great use to you. Additional improvements to the search capabilities will be made as time permits. If you have any suggestions on criteria you'd find very useful to search against (like availability of cabins, RV campsites or other facilities), please let me know by writing: Shannon Moore

- Wild Texas Parks Directory

*** FALL FOLIAGE WATCH

While fall foliage in Texas can't compete with the likes of Vermont or Maine, Texans know there's a beauty as pure as Texas waiting to make an appearance each fall. October 1 of each year mark's the Texas Park's and Wildlife's start of its fall foliage watch at Lost Maples State Natural Area in Vanderpool. Every year, updates on the park's foliage showing are posted weekly from October 1 through November. Don't get discouraged if the reports sound grim -- they have been known to take a quick turn for the better when a good cold snap followed by sunny, calm conditions (heavy winds sweep the turning leaves off the branches too soon for peak color.)

- Lost Maples Fall Foliage Reports

Also, be sure to make use of the growing Texas Web Guide. We have a category under "Travel -> Attractions" for "Fall Foliage & Wildflowers" that has some great resources!

*** ABOUT THE NEWSLETTER

This newsletter is a free monthly email publication of the Wild Texas: Parks, Nature & Travel Guide located at: http://wildtexas.com/

Feel free to email a copy to your friends!

To unsubscribe to the newsletter at any time, visit http://wildtexas.com/subs.php and follow the directions.