Texas travel

These 2 Texas state parks are among the best in the U.S., new survey says

Travel to state parks has been incredibly popular in this summer of social distancing — and lucky Texans have two of the best right here in the Lone Star State.

HomeToGo has unveiled its 2020 US State Park Index, which ranks and scores 20 state parks across the U.S. Palo Duro Canyon State Park (near Amarillo) lands at No. 2 on the list, while the Houston-area Brazos Bend State Park follows at No. 3.

And this is no small feat considering there are a staggering 8,565 state parks nationwide.

The website based its ranking on four factors deemed important to visitors and that help find the best state park. Those factors are:

Solitude: Annual park visitors / size of the park
Wildlife: Diversity of plants and animals
Activities: Types of activities permitted
Accommodations: Number of vacation rentals nearby

Palo Duro Canyon State Park scored 9.90 for solitude (ahhh), 6.00 for activities, 8.37 for wildlife, and 9.21 for accommodations — for a total score of 33.48.

Meanwhile, Brazos Bend State Park scored 9.57 for solitude, 6.67 for activities, 7.28 for wildlife, and 9.46 or accommodations — for a total score of 32.73.

Nestled in the Texas Panhandle close to Amarillo, Palo Duro (dubbed the “Grand Canyon of Texas”) is the second largest canyon in the country, just after the Grand Canyon. The natural wonder is 20 miles wide and almost 1,000 feet deep, and boasts dozens of hiking trails, “mind-blowing vistas,” says the survey, adding that “this underrated beauty will impress even the most discerning guest.”

About 45 miles outside of Houston, Brazos Bend State Park offers numerous ponds and lakes — many, however, that contain hungry alligators, so watching signs is a must. Fortunately, the survey notes, the park features 5,000 acres of space — “plenty of room for visitors and wildlife to coexist happily together.”

And for travelers who’d like to visit the top-ranked park in the country, according to HomeToGo? They should plan a trek to Letchworth State Park in Upstate New York.

Rounding out the top 10 are: Blue Spring State Park in Florida (No. 4), Valley of Fire State Park (No. 5), Rainbow Springs State Park in Florida (No. 6), Tettegouche State Park in Minnesota (No. 7), Baxter State Park in Maine (No. 8), Bear Mountain State Park in New York (No. 9), and Devil's Lake State Park in Wisconsin (No. 10).

Palo Duro Canyon is known as "the Grand Canyon of Texas."

Palo Duro Canyon State Park

Palo Duro Canyon is known as "the Grand Canyon of Texas."

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Cobbler News

Peach cobbler concept to open 2 locations at Dallas-Fort Worth Airport

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Up close and personal with peach cobbler at Peach Cobbler Factory.

Southern desserts are coming to Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW): The Peach Cobbler Factory, a chain based in North Carolina, will open not one but two locations at the airport, in partnership with concessionaire M2 Concepts, a minority-owned airport dining and hospitality company that operates in DFW, Houston (IAH), and San Antonio (SAT) airports.

According to a release, the first DFW location will open in Terminal D in late 2025; a second location will open in the new Terminal C Pier in 2026.

They'll serve the signature peach cobbler, banana pudding, and cobbler shakes, impressing the nearly 90 million travelers from all over the world who pass through DFW every year.

The concept started out as a food truck in Nashville in 2013, then began franchising in 2022. The company is co-owned by Larry Johnston (former Chairman & CEO of Albertsons Inc.) and Greg George, a franchising veteran with 25 years of industry experience. They've grown to 115 locations across 22 states. Those include traditional restaurants but also mobile trailers, stadiums — and now airports.

Cobber is the centerpiece of the menu, served warm with ice cream, in 12 flavors including peach, strawberry peach, blackberry peach, and cinnamon praline peach. Non-peach flavors include cherry, caramel-apple, honey-apple, apple-walnut-raisin, and sweet potato-pecan.

They also offer 12 varieties of banana pudding with additions like Nutella, Oreo cookies, and Butterfingers. Red velvet banana pudding features red velvet cake with cream cheese icing layered into the banana pudding.

In a statement, CEO Greg George reiterates that thought, noting that "DFW is one of the world's busiest airports, and we are honored to bring a taste of Southern hospitality to its travelers. Whether someone is craving our classic fruit cobblers or one of our 12 flavors of banana pudding, we want every bite to feel like a sweet escape—no matter where their journey takes them."

In 2024, DFW served 87.8 million passengers, ranking it as the second-busiest airport in the U.S. and the third-busiest globally, making it a perfect stage for increasing brand awareness as The Peach Cobbler Factory continues its rapid expansion across America.

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