The Perot is a stunner: Designed by architect Thom Mayne, who won a Pritzker Prize in 2005 and is known for “layered architecture” that breaks the rules of traditional form, the building includes a glass-enclosed elevator on the building’s freeway side. Angles of stone and glass, a landscaped roofscape with rock shards and drought-resistant plants, and 11 exhibit halls make the Perot interesting for kids and adults alike. My favorite exhibit: Artist Daniel Rozin’s “Wooden Mirror,” an assemblage of wooden tiles that move when YOU move in front of it. The piece, according to the placard next to the display, uses a microprocessor with a camera to interpret an onlooker’s image in pixels, then tiny motors lift each tile to catch light—mirroring what the camera sees. Fascinating, fun, and I love the comforting “whpp-whpp-whpp” sound that the piece makes when people dance in front of it.

We also took a trip to the Bush Presidential Library, which opened to the public earlier this month. Workers are still putting finishing touches on the building itself, and I took a moment to watch an engraver wield a hammer and chisel to imprint the names of donors on an outside wall. No matter your political leanings, the exhibits here are fascinating, especially the halls dedicated to the terror events of September 11, 2001 and the infamous “hanging chad” drama that kept the country in presidential limbo in 2000.  I will say that the famous “Decisions Point Theater,” which has been lampooned recently in Doonesbury and The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, presented a more-balanced view of events than I’d expected; I certainly got a taste for how the President and his policymakers must weigh the advice of many different experts during a crisis. See for yourself when you visit.

After a picnic at the Klyde Warren Park, where food trucks offer items such as burgers, gourmet hot dogs, and Vietnamese rice bowls, we visited Fair Park, which opened its midway and many of its rides for a pre-State Fair season dubbed “Summer Adventures in Fair Park.” Along with a few other daredevils in the crowd, I rode the rollercoaster and the hilariously scary-kitschy lost mine train ride, rearranged my internal organs on the dragon-boat ride, then took in the view from the famous, 212-foot-tall  Texas Star Ferris wheel (the largest Ferris wheel in North America).

Yes, I have a new view of Dallas. 

The level of Possum Kingdom Lake is down about 10 feet, but there are still two public boat ramps open, says Gayla Chambers, chamber director. Chambers says she’s hopeful when it comes to the summer tourism season.

“We’re beginning to have lots of inquiries regarding camping and lodging for the upcoming holiday,” she says. “We need rain like everybody else, but in a nutshell, we have more water than a lot of Texas lakes do, so we’re hopeful that everything will still work itself out and it will be a good season.”

Two fires in 2011 burned more than 125,000 acres—including part of Possum Kingdom State Park—and destroyed more than 160 homes.

Chambers says the wildfires hurt tourism for a period stretching into spring 2012, but the tourism industry has since recovered. At this point, the drought and lake level are a bigger factor than the 2011 wildfires, Chamber says.

On Tuesday, firefighters battled another Possum Kingdom wildfire, which was reported to have burned more than 130 acres.

“It’s just part of the deal,” Chambers says. “We’re in the drought and there’s wind, and unfortunately we had another little flare-up. We’re just urging everybody to be particularly cautious.”

The next such event takes place tomorrow at the Highland Park Centennial Anniversary Literary Festival. Authors including Lawrence Wright, Kay Bailey Hutchison, Stephen Harrigan, and Joe Nick Patoski will speak.

The free event is at the Highland Park Methodist Church. As its name suggests, the literary festival is part of the 100^th anniversary celebration of the founding of Highland Park, an enclave in Dallas.

Lois Kim, who took over last month as the Texas Book Festival’s executive director, says the festival looks for opportunities to contribute to events that promote community engagement with authors and stimulate intellectual conversation.

In the past, the festival has partnered on events in Houston and Austin. In April, it held the Texas Book Festival/San Antonio Edition in conjunction with the San Antonio Library Foundation, which was celebrating its 30^th anniversary.

The Highland Park event starts at 10 a.m. and includes a 12:30 lunch that requires an RSVP.

“We would just love for people to come out, because it’s free and there are going to be great authors,” Kim says.

Women take a closer look at a piece of pottery at the Rockwall Founders Day Festival, which features all-day live music, gourmet food trucks, children’s activities and a street fair of vendors. This year’s event is on May 18. (Photo courtesy of the City of Rockwall Parks and Recreation)

The Metroplex-area city of Rockwall celebrates its 159^th birthday May 18 with a festival and a chance to get a glimpse of the mysterious formation that gives the town its name.

The Rockwall County Historical Foundation will offer rare access to private land for a presentation about the underground rock formation where it’s been exposed by a small excavation. Experts have speculated on whether the subterranean wall is the work of prehistoric people or simply an unusual geological occurrence. The wall’s mystique recently attracted the attention of cable television’s “America Unearthed” on the H2 (History 2) channel, which filmed an episode last month that’s expected to air late this year.

Shuttles will depart the Rockwall County Historical Foundation Museum, at 901 E. Washington, every half-hour from 1-3 p.m. on May 18. Tickets cost $10 (cash or check only, nonrefundable) and are available at the museum, which is open Wednesdays and Saturdays from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Visitors can call 972-722-1507 to check for availability. Some tickets might still be available the day of the tour, but buying them in advance is recommended, says Debbie Lawhon, curator of the Rockwall County Historical Foundation Museum.

“Most locals have never seen any part of an exposed wall ever, so people are really excited about this,” Lawhon says. “I’m selling tickets left and right.”

The museum also will host demonstrations, a scavenger hunt and other activities  in conjunction with the city’s big birthday bash. Just half a mile away, the Rockwall Founders Day Festival on the downtown square will rock out with a full day of live music, including the Casey Donahew Band, plus a children’s area, food trucks, shopping and a farmers’ market. The festival runs from 10 a.m.-9 p.m., so there’s plenty of time to visit before or after the rock wall tour.

1) The old adage about drinking red wine at room temperature works well in, say, Scotland, when room temperatures are considerably lower than averages in Texas. In Central Texas, especially in summer, room temperature is usually too hot. So cool your red wine in the fridge and take it out about a half hour before serving it. Interestingly, when we drink red wine that’s too warm, our perception of fruit goes down, but our perception of alcohol and tannin (that bitter, inside-of-the-banana-peel taste) go up.  So chill that red wine, y’all.

2) Shrubs are more than pretty plants. In the restaurant and bartending world, shrubs refer to a lively mix of fruit, sugar, and vinegar, which were used in the 1800s to make soft drinks—and lively and refreshing cocktails. Shrubs and drinking vinegars are experiencing a comeback of sorts, and Bill Norris’ Saturday session on the topic was both fascinating and loads of fun.

Bill, the beverage director of the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, demonstrated how to make strawberry and peach shrubs—and how to use them in tasty and refreshing cocktails. Here’s how to make a strawberry shrub: Take a cup of strawberries and dice them. Put them in a bowl with a cup of sugar. Almost immediately, the sugar will start to draw the water from the berries and form syrup. Put the bowl in the fridge and stir a few times over the next two days. After about 48 hours, strain the solids from the syrup and add about a half cup of good-quality white balsamic vinegar. Taste it, and then add more vinegar (up to a cup)–you want the shrub to be taste balanced—sweet, tart, and complex.  To make a delicious anytime drink, add a tablespoon or so of shrub to a glass of water, either still or sparkly. To make what Bill called a “Bitter Berry” cocktail, mix 1.5 ounces of light rum with 1 ounce of Aperol or Campari and ½ ounce shrub. Shake and enjoy.

I fell so in love with shrubs that I went home Saturday and made three—a strawberry shrub, a mango shrub, and a guava shrub. (That’s a photo of my strawberry shrub in a bit of fizzy water.)

3) The Cult of Celebrity Chefs is alive and well. The queues to get into sessions by such of-the-moment chefs as Tim Love, Paul Qui, Marcus Samuellson, and Andrew Zimmern, started forming 45 minutes before their sessions began, which meant you had to really plan your day. Chef Tim Love, in particular—whose Woodshed Smokehouse and Love Shack restaurants in Fort Worth enjoy enthusiastic, carnivorous fans—channeled an odd mix of rock star and evangelist preacher, grilling rib-eyes and encouraging 11 a.m tequila shots while blasting a soundtrack heavy with ZZ Top. I couldn’t get into any of his three hands-on grilling sessions, but I lurked on the outskirts behind the barricade at his raucous “It’s Tailgaiting Time in Texas” grilling demo, and willingly accepted nibbles of steak offered by boisterous strangers. Best. Rib-eye. Ever.

The United States and Mexican governments opened the Boquillas port of entry on April 10, reestablishing local tourist access between the two countries for the first time since 2002.

Local officials estimate that more than 500 tourists have visited Mexico since opening day, most of them on a jonboat operated by Boquillas International Ferry, the company awarded the permit to operate the ferry.

“We’re seeing a great response,” says David Elkowitz, chief information officer for Big Bend. “Lots of visitors. Folks are enjoying Boquillas. We really don’t have any negatives.”

A ferry boat lands this week on the Mexican side of the Rio Grande at the Boquillas border crossing. Tourists can take a horse ride for the mile trip to the village of Boquillas del Carmen. Photo Courtesy of National Park Service.

I talked with Elkowitz and Mike Davidson, director of the Brewster County Tourism Council, this week about the tourism experience for those interested in visiting Boquillas.

The tourism economy in the village of Boquillas del Carmen, on the Mexican side of the crossing, is just starting to take shape, says Davidson, who also is CEO of Boquillas International Ferry.

The town’s population dwindled considerably since 2002, when the U.S. shut down the crossing in the aftermath of 9/11. About 130 people live in Boquillas now, Davidson estimates, or about half of what it used to be.

In the old days, Boquillas had a reputation as a “Wild West” getaway, a place to drink tequila beyond the border. Such activity has declined, especially with no overnight lodging available, Davidson says.

“For some people it may not be as raunchy or free-swinging as they want it to be, but for most people it will be like stepping back in a time machine,” he says. “And it will be different in a year. People on the Mexican side didn’t have the confidence to invest time and money before. Now that the proof is there, and there’s some money starting to trickle into the economy, there’s no telling what will happen in three to five years.”

Round-trip ferry tickets are available for $5 at the Rio Grande Village Store; children age 7 or younger are free.  The ferry runs 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. Visitors can also wade across the Rio Grande or take their own boat.

After crossing the river, visitors can rent a burro, horse, or car ride for the one-mile trip to town, or they can walk. Upon arrival, visitors first need to check in with the local Mexican customs office. Visitors should bring a passport, because they’ll need one to return to the U.S. anyway.

Davidson says the Mexicans have also established a visitor center that sells local handmade crafts, and where tourists can hire a guide to show them around town. Boquillas is home to two restaurants and a bar with a pool table. As mentioned earlier, there is no overnight lodging available.

“A lot of people are going over there to ride the ponies up to town, walk around town, and go to the restaurant,” Davidson says.

For hikers, the current options are limited. You can walk a short road to the entrance of Boquillas Canyon, or rent a truck to give you a lift. But Davidson says the tourist infrastructure is not yet in place to transport hikers who want to venture further into the national parks on the Mexican side.

The hot springs on the Mexican side of Boquillas Canyon have fallen into disrepair. Davidson says he expects them to be rebuilt as tourist traffic increases.

Returning to Big Bend National Park, crossers must check in at the National Park Service Visitor Center, about a five-minute walk from the river on the Texas side. At the visitor center, tourists place their documents on a scanner and conduct a short customs interview via telephone with Border Patrol officials based in El Paso. People re-entering the U.S. must arrive to the visitor center by 6 p.m.

Davidson and Elkowitz say crossing to Boquillas has been a safe activity so far.

“We’re trying minimize the risk of (visitors) getting hurt getting on or off the boat, which is statistically the biggest risk of getting hurt,” Davidson says. “Our border is pretty quiet down here. We don’t have too many problems. This is putting 15 more security people right down in this area.”

Elkowitz says there have been no incidents that he’s heard about, though he cautions that visitors are entering another country.

“The town is welcoming. There is staff from the Mexican immigration and parks service there,” Elkowitz says. “I do know that Mexico has a great investment in this, as do we, and we’re certainly not anticipating problems.”

Davidson says Boquillas International Ferry has hired Mexican residents to operate the boat and others are in training. The company, which is an offshoot of New Mexico-based Far Flung Adventures, plans to expand into more guiding and tourism services on the Mexican side of the river, he says.

As for the Big Bend tourism economy, the reopening of the crossing gives visitors another reason to spend time in the region.

“At the minimum it would induce them to spend another night in the area, which requires them to buy food and services, etc.,” Davidson says.

A cook-off competitor fries up his best chicken-fried steaks in Lamesa.

The West Texas town of Lamesa, about 60 miles south of Lubbock, serves up its annual Chicken-Fried Steak Festival this weekend in celebration of the town’s claim as the birthplace of the Texas delicacy. According to local legend, short-order cook James Donald Perkins accidentally made the first dish of its kind in 1911 when he misinterpreted an order for chicken and fried steak at a small restaurant called Ethel’s Home Cooking. Instead of making two separate items, he thought the customer wanted a steak battered and fried like a chicken—and what a delicious mistake it turned out to be.

One hundred years later, the Texas Legislature gave Lamesa official recognition in 2011 as the “Legendary Home of the Chicken-Fried Steak,” and the first Chicken-Fried Steak Festival launched the same year. Now held annually on the last weekend in April, the event features a Friday-night CFS dinner, the chicken-fried cook-off Saturday, a classic car show, live music and lots of food. The Crossroads Hot-Air Balloon Rally helps turn up the heat with a “fire concert” (accompanied by the balloons’ burners) Saturday night, plus balloon lift-offs Saturday and Sunday mornings.

Also on the events menu this weekend are major annual events in Houston, San Antonio Corpus Christi and Port Aransas. The final weekend of the Houston International Festival, April 27-28, celebrates this year’s Brazil theme with cultural performances, food, music, arts and crafts, and concerts by Los Lobos and Aaron Neville.

Fiesta San Antonio offers one last chance to revel in the diverse cultures of San Antonio and get confetti in your hair at NIOSA (Night in Old San Antonio), which takes over La Villita from April 23-26.

In Port Aransas, art takes shape right before your eyes this weekend at the Texas SandFest sand-scupting competition, April 26-28. The event includes master and amateur contests, as well as live music, children’s activities and food for spectators–and, of course, the opportunity to spend the day at Mustang Island Beach.

And just across the bay in Corpus Christi, there’s still time to swing by the Buc Days festival and carnival (pronounced “caarrrrnival” if you’re truly in the buccaneer spirit), which runs through May 5. Next weekend’s events include an Art  Walk on May 3 and the Illuminated Night Parade on May 4.

Other events this weekend include:

Mesquite: Real. Texas. Festival., April 26-27

Waxahachie: Scarborough Renaissance Festival, through May 27

Bastrop: Yesterfest, April 26-28

Muenster: Germanfest, April 26-28

Hallettsville: Texas State Championship Fiddlers Frolics, April 25-28

A quick internet search of plane fares reveals that flights to, say, Rio de Janeiro run around $1,000. And while we’d never argue that it wouldn’t be worth it, Texans can enjoy a taste of Brazil without leaving the Lone Star State during Central Market’s two-week-long Passaporte Brasil event, presented at stores in Austin, Dallas, Plano, Southlake, Fort Worth, Houston, and San Antonio. Passaporte Brasil kicks off today (April 24) and continues through May 7.

Along with foods, wines, coffees, flowers, textiles, and housewares from Brazil, the event also features cooking classes taught by Brazilian chefs, Brazilian music, and demonstrations throughout the stores. Of special interest to oenophiles, the country’s burgeoning wine industry receives the spotlight: The southern tip of the country, where topography and climate resemble that of the Piedmont region of Italy, was settled by Italian immigrants who imported their love of wine. A recent sampling of Brazilian bubbles from Casa Valduga and Don Guerino vineyards makes me think that Brazilian sparkling wine may be the next Big Thing. See www.centralmarket.com for a schedule of activities, classes, and events at the store near you.

Rolled in chocolate shavings, coconut, cocoa, and other ingredients, these chewy candies are Brazil’s national dessert

The Governor’s Mansion began public tours on Tuesday, nearly a year after Gov. and Mrs. Perry returned to the home last summer. Anita Perry remarked on the first public tours and posted a couple of photos on her blog.

The Governor’s Mansion first opened as home to Texas’ top elected official in 1856. The Perrys moved out of the mansion in 2007 to make way for an extensive maintenance project. While that project was taking place, arsonists set fire to the mansion on June 8, 2008, gutting the building.

Shortly thereafter, the restoration project commenced, backed by a $21.5 million appropriation from the Texas Legislature. The project included the re-creation of the “X-and-Stick” porch railings, the ionic columns on the front porch, and the restoration of all historic rooms to their pre-fire appearance.

Tours are available Tuesdays through Thursdays, and require one-week advance reservations.

Eight of the state’s best young accordionists are traveling to Austin this weekend for the semifinals of the Big Squeeze. The semifinalists, ranging in age from 11 to 18, will perform a free show at Lonestar Plaza of the Bullock Museum from 2 to 5:30 p.m. Saturday

Johnny Ramirez, the 2008 Big Squeeze champ, and Keyun Dickson, the 2010 winner, jam together at a Houston show.

Texas Folklife, an Austin-based nonprofit dedicated to preserving and showcasing Lone Star culture, started the accordion competition in 2007 as an educational arm of its annual Accordion Kings & Queens concert in Houston (June 1 at Miller Outdoor Theatre).

“We’re interested in preserving the traditional music of Texas, and we wanted to make sure the younger generations were picking up the accordion, so we set out to see how many young people we could find,” says Sarah Rucker, program and events manager for Texas Folklife. “We figured the most fun way to do that would be a contest, and through that we found the most talented young players in Texas in a range of musical genres, including conjunto, zydeco, Tejano, polka.”

This year’s competition, which is limited to players 21 and younger, started in February with opening-round performances in Houston, Edinburg, Corpus Christi, San Antonio, Tomball, Dallas, and Los Fresnos. Other interested contestants had the option of sending in videotapes of their playing.

The judging panel that selected eight semifinalists from the field of 33 entries was made up of a big-name list of professional accordionists, including Joel Guzman, Sunny Sauceda, Anthony Trevino and Juan Tejeda.

At the semifinals, Susan Torres, accordionist for the Austin band Susan Torres y Conjunto Clemencia, will help select the four finalists who will compete for the championship at the June 1 Accordion Kings & Queens concert. Torres and her band will also perform at the Saturday show.

So who qualified for the semifinals? The accordionists are Juan Longoria, III (12) and Juan Dueñes (11), both of Brownsville; Yesenia Garcia (17) of Houston; Rito Peña (14) of San Antonio; Michael Ramos (17) of Dallas; Luis Gonzalez (17) of Grand Prairie; Oscar Gomez (14) of Elsa; and Juan Antonio Garcia (18) of Mission.

Ignacio “Nachito” Morales of Dallas, the 2011 Big Squeeze champion, shows how it’s done.

The Big Squeeze has fostered a network of up-and-coming accordion players across Texas. In some cases, competitors have ended up forming groups together.

“We want to create a community of this music,” Rucker says. “When they meet these other kids that are playing in other parts of the state, it’s a bonding experience. … It’s building not only a network of family and friendships, but eventually a network of performing musicians.”

If you’re interested in learning more, check out the Saturday show, or the finals in Houston. There’s also a 2009 documentary by filmmaker Hector Galán about the Big Squeeze, featuring contestants from the 2007 and 2008 Big Squeeze competitions.

The success of past Big Squeeze champions affirms the competition’s purpose of promoting the young accordionists. “I’m proud to say that all of them are performing musicians, and almost all have released CDs of their own at this point,” Rucker says.

No doubt, these young accordionists can play, and it’s a joy to watch them take the spotlight.

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Photos by David Dodd, Courtesy of Texas Folklife.