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Texas Drive Locations
By Rita Cook and Russell Dandridge

For some travelers, the joke about driving through Texas is that it can take as long as driving through the rest of the United States. While it might not take quite that long, there certainly is a lot to see and do in Texas beginning right in the D/FW area and heading east, west, north or south.

Just a short 45-minute drive south of the area will begin a Texas drive trip right in Waxahachie. The charm of a night or two spent in Waxahachie will be picture perfect with a bed & breakfast stay near the historic downtown. Waxahachie is an old town, designated in the early 1900s as the Queen of the Cotton Belt. That said, it is now the Gingerbread City with ornately decorated woodworked homes and, if that's not enough it is also known as the Crape Myrtle Capital of Texas. A tour of Waxahachie will offer a glimpse of the rich heritage that still lives there today found in the preserved buildings and homes, yet the thoroughly modern feel. A walking tour of the downtown area will include the Old Rogers Hotel, the Masonic Lodge Hall, and the Ellis County Courthouse built in 1895, notice the carved faces at the four entrances, and ask a local about the legend and the lore from that time.

Keep driving south and you will come to the lively city of San Antonio and find yourself right in the heart of the Central Texas Hills and Rivers region. Remember the Alamo! - that's just one of the many phrases that will come to mind in this part of Texas, as San Antonio also offers an excellent Riverwalk area with food and nightlife, Seaworld Adventure Park and a number of museums and rich cultural areas. At RiverCenter visit the IMAX Theatre and experience "Alamo…the Price of Freedom" then head to San Pedro Springs Park, which many historians say is the second oldest park in the nation and where San Antonio began. In the evening head over to Cowboy San Antonio and dance the night away to the best country music in the Lone Star State.

Just outside of San Antonio is the Central Texas Hills and River area. Only a short drive to the 5,300-acre park, Colorado Bend State Park, the Heart of Texas Historical Museum with a jail built back in 1909 and the Heart of Texas Country Music Museum.
For food lovers, stop in at the Alamosa Wine Cellars and the Oliver Pecan Company in San Saba before heading toward another Texas favorite, the Germantown known as Fredericksburg. Fredericksburg was founded in 1846 by 120 German immigrants who arrived in the area under the auspices of the Society for the Protection of German Immigrants in Texas. In the area there are three state parks, a great wine trail and one of the best war museums around; the National Museum of the Pacific War. Admiral Chester W. Nimitz was from Fredericksburg and visitors can visit some of the original buildings founded by his ancestors. In the museum, interactive displays and original tanks, guns, aircraft and artifacts are on display.

The wine trail in the Fredericksburg area boasts many excellent wineries, my favorite being the Torre Di Pietna just 10 miles east of the city. Not only are the owners the nicest in the region, but the wine is the best as well. After a day on the wine trail check out the Rockbox Theater production - a golden era of rock & roll.

Overall, when in Fredericksburg take the time to enjoy the amazing historic buildings in the downtown area walking tour and especially look for the White Elephant Saloon Building, the Nimitz Hotel, and the Old Gillespie County Courthouse.

After all the Texas history, keep driving south until you get to the Gulf of Mexico and Galveston. While there is a lot of history in this old city, the beach also awaits. Galveston Island has actually been through some major storms and survived, in 1900 and 1915, but the city was actually chartered way back in 1786 along with the entire Texas Gulf Coast.
These days take the time to visit Stewart Beach, the Galveston County Historical Museum or take in some culture at the 1894 Grand Opera House. After a long day in the sun, the San Luis Resort and Spa is perfect for an after sun treatment, massage or facial. Located right at 25th Street and Seawall Blvd., there is also an entertainment complex next door to spend some indoor time.

Indeed, no matter what you want to do in Texas, from history, to outdoors, to wineries to beach time, a drive through the Lone Star State offers just about everything.

F1 Malaysia & Its Life-force In Kuala Lumpur
By Tim Wassberg

The burning rubber. The hot sweat. The machinery. As two blood red cars go supersonic around the track, their engines rev up to ear-shattering decibels. The lush palm forests around the asphalt play host. Welcome to F1 Malaysia at Sepang.
The green covered mountains melt in the distance. The city of Kuala Lumpur is literally half way around the world. A different time. A different feeling. The dual spires of the Petronas Towers dominate the skyline of the metropolis. Malaysia and its largest city are a combination of Muslim theology, shopping heavy mentalities and ample food.
Checking into the Park Royal Kuala Lumpur

(www.parkroyalhotels.com/hotels/malaysia/kuala_lumpur/parkroyal/index.html), the bustle of the cars and the energy of the race is the rage. After shrimp mixed with tangy vegetables and curry, the local Tiger beer at the hotel's Klix Lounge permeates the soul. The bustling nightlife gives way to the hidden Oasis Bar where karaoke revelers ring out against the ears and Guinness and tequila paint the vision.

At Thean Hou Kung Temple, the plateau blinding the sun into the city was eclipsed by the smoke offerings of locals as the dawn subsided and the shutterbugs clicked. The fluttering of butterflies cascaded as thousands congregated within an netted concave at Butterfly Park while fish swam in the lagoons below. At the Kuala Lumpur Bird Park, peacocks and lovebirds assembled on their perches as the hot sun drove the monkeys on the netting above.

The Petronas Towers (www.petronastwintowers.com.my) showed brightly as the landscape, tropical and beautiful, reached out from the adjoining KL Tower (www.menarakl.com.my) which is ranked as one of the tallest structures in the world. The view gives a requisite impression of the area from a camel imprinted on the side of a building to a former military airport laid out in the center of town. From below the Twin Towers, the view is immense, although a large flag with a star predominates the entire proceedings. Heading to Central Market, women in headscarves pass us smiling as the food continues with spicy hot soup, silken noodles, and a potpourri of eel and stingray sautéed in a brisk curry sauce. Watermelon juice offers solace from the humidity as a foot massage at a nearby spa relaxes the muscles. An antique shop speaks to the shopper as hand carved sculptures trip the artistic fantastic.

Shopping is a way of life in Kuala Lumpur. (over 66 malls in the metro area alone). A Shopping Run (a spree of sorts) was organized whereby 130 teams of two raced through the downtown district into various stores of diversified wares to pick up everything from books to hats to electronics on a set budget with the quest to find the best deal in a finite amount of time. With a 3 to 1 ratio to the US dollar, there is more bang for the buck in Kuala Lumpur.

The Sepang Circuit (malaysiangp.com.my) and its track, located about an hour outside of Kuala Lumpur, sits among hills where weather changes from paddock to paddock. The qualifying race was graced with rain as the souped-up automotive gods tested its minions. Near us, one of the racers nearly went flying into the nearby stands spilling up sand as its competitors blasted away down the straightaway like rockets heading for the moon. Ferrari dominated the qualifying proceedings with MacLaren following close behind. Breakfast always started the morning in the Chatz Brasserie at the Park Royal with a bit of spice from the mouth watering Kway Teow with spicy noodles, corn and wild mushrooms to the chocolate filled pastries to the chicken curry and omelets which were complimented by guava juice and miso soup. Walking off this intoxicating food was never a challenge as the Batu Caves provided straight-up intensity with its nearly vertical 272 steps. A gigantic golden Hindi statue overlooks the horizon as monkeys tackle each other up and down the steps and bats screech overhead. A nearby Batik factory, known for its hand painted and comfortable garments, offered a green silken robe embroidered with an orange and red dragon was unveiled and proved too hard to resist

The street dinner that night along Jalan Alor in a brisk rain was enrapturing with the aroma of freshly prepared seafood wowing the senses. We were led to Cafe Charn Kee where delicacies of chicken fish (eaten off the bone), lusciously prepared snails in a spicy broth (sucked out from their very shells), oversized prawns (filled with chewy and succulent meat) and mud crab (cracked and dipped in butter) assaulted the taste buds for those adventurous at heart.

The masses packed into Sepang Circuit as race day arrived. With Ferrari in the lead, the deafening roar of the engines elicited cheers from the amped-up crowd who screamed their approval. As the pace heightened over 52 laps, the first blow out cleared around lap three as one of the cars disappeared into a plume of sand on the far side of the track. Ferrari's lead driver Felipe Massa, ahead at times by one full lap on certain cars, spun out around lap 46 on a straightaway and was unable to save his lead. His teammate Kimi Raikkonen however sped forth and captured the checkered flag to bring the team up in the rankings. In the stands, the locals dressed in bright red trumpeted their pleasure. As the sun started to set, the fans waved gigantic flags to signify the dominance of their winning tea.
After the intensity of the F1, lying in the rooftop pool at the Park Royal soaking in the budding metropolis soothes the savage beast. The evening gave way to vibrant and lightning-filled thunderstorms booming throughout the asphalt jungle like engines revving up to full throttle. Kuala Lumpur teases the vision while providing both cultural stimulus and world-class racing. From the wondrous food to the neon-filled nightlife to the unheard-of bargains and hospitality, this Malaysia is a jewel of Southern Asia.

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