That romantic notion that little boys get about being cowboys when they grow up? I wonder if they’d all feel that way after watching some real cowboy action, close- up and personal. If you want to see what backbreaking work is like for those who making a living in the saddle, you’ll need to make tracks to Amarillo - pronto. This weekend, it’s the Cowboy Roundup USA, now in its 20th year. Tomorrow, this annual tribute to ranching heritage kicks off with a ranch horse competition and a western gear show and sale. Through the weekend you can see Coors Ranch Rodeo, wherein the Tule Ranch of Tulia will defend its 2006 crown. Top ranch hands compete in actual work duties, such as saddle bronc riding, milking, sorting, doctoring and branding. Visit with the chuck wagon competition cooks, who will be working for ribbons honoring best steak, potatoes, biscuits, beans and cobbler. Saturday tickets cover the Chuck Wagon Feed and rodeo and all entertainment. Learn more HERE.

When I first moved to Austin in 2001, I was skeptical when people would say that the best sausage in the world could be found just a short drive east of town at Southside Market and BBQ in Elgin. For the longest time, I brushed these claims aside (I couldn’t see how anything could top my mom’s Polish kielbasa), but I finally relented three years ago and ate lunch at Southside Market. I can now say that I understand what all the fuss was about.

Southside Market’s pit-smoked sausages really are sublime and tender and juicy and moist and anything else a barbecue connoisseur could ever want. The recipe is actually the same one that William J. Moon, the market’s founder, used when he started selling his sausages door-to-door in 1882. In 1886, Southside Market was born.

Now, 125 years and millions of pounds of sausage later (no lie, they really do sell 1.5 million pounds annually), the market and restaurant is located in the old Security National Bank building on US 290, and it’s still cranking out its famous hot sausages, along with brisket, beef and pork ribs, and chicken.

This year marks its 125th birthday, making it the oldest barbecue joint in Texas—a cause for celebration indeed, which is exactly what’s happening this Saturday (June 2) at Veteran’s Memorial Park when Southside Market holds a special birthday party. The celebration begins at 9:30 a.m. and continues until 2:30 p.m. and includes live music by the South Austin Jug Band, Crop Dusters, and Sons of the Lone Star; an art show; activities for the kids (a moonwalk and petting zoo); and, of course, plenty of free barbecue. If you’ve never been to Southside Market, now’s your chance to try some of the best sausage in the world.

Southside Market & BBQ is at US 290 and Texas 95 in Elgin. The celebration is at Veteran’s Memorial Park at the corner of Main Street and Central Avenue. Call 512/285-3407 or GO HERE for more information.

Better get your dancing shoes on, Martha Jean. Good times are ahead next week with music and fun aplenty. On Wednesday, June 6, the Dennis Quaid Charity Weekend in Austin kicks off with a show by DQ and his band, the Sharks, at La Zona Rosa. The movie star’s fifth annual ‘do benefits local and international children’s charities and includes poker and golf tournaments, through Sunday (learn more HERE).

Friday through Sunday, June 8- 10, the Texas Folklife Festival in San Antonio is the annual throwdown celebrating the cultural heritage of more than 40 groups that make up the Lone Star State’s melting pot - check out the Hawaiian, Brazilian and Arathi Indian dancers! (more HERE).

On Friday and Saturday, June 8- 9, in Addison, Italia 2007 lets you play bocce ball and soccer, sing That’s Amore with strolling musicians, treat the kiddos to puppet shows, eat great food and taste fabulous wines from Tuscany, Umbria and Piedmont. Ah, life in the boot.(more HERE).

When was the last time you celebrated a layover at Houston Hobby? Until recently, I’d never had been excited by the prospect. But that was before I stepped off a plane in the gorgeous new Central Concourse. It wasn’t just that I was happy to be in a sparkling terminal (which is always welcome but not always experienced); it was that I laid eyes upon the Pappas Burger store there. Famished after a long, crowded flight with no lunch, I was thrilled to sit down before one of the best burgers in memory. A haystack of hot, crunchy, freshly-cut fries comes with each burger, which is served straight off the griddle in an old-style paper wrapper. Best is the half-pounder topped with crumbled blue cheese, hickory-smoked bacon and spicy onion rings. Even on a Sunday, an energetic vibe filled the space; sports fans were grooving on the baseball game on the giant TV screen, but I got a kick out of the quotes from famous sports figures covering the walls. My favorite from Mike Ditka: “What’s the difference between a 3-week-old puppy and a sportswriter? In 6 weeks, the puppy will quit whining.” What’s more, there’s table service, and the servers are a) friendly; b) attentive; and c) well-trained. When’s the last time you found that – in an airport?

My favorite time to visit Gruene is during Market Days, a monthly event that showcases arts and crafts by more than 100 artisans from around Texas. I find that it’s the perfect time to pick up western-style souvenirs for my non-Texas relatives. However, this past Saturday, I left with a little something for myself: a jar of pickles.

Now these aren’t just any pickles, mind you, but some of the best I’ve ever tasted. Made by Fickle Pickles, a family-owned company based in Boerne, these crunchy delights go from sweet to hand-me-a-glass-of-water spicy in a single bite. They’re perfectly crisp and juicy, and the combo of salty-sweetness is spot on.

As I purchased a 16-ounce jar, manager Lisa Armstrong filled me in on the company’s history. It turns out that her mom, Billie Shaw, started Fickle Pickles in her home kitchen using an old family recipe. At first Billie would give jars of pickles to friends as gifts, but soon word spread, and the small operation outgrew the kitchen. Fickle Pickles eventually moved into a storefront (Carousel Antiques & Pickles) in Boerne, where Billie would make the pickles to order for customers. This became so labor intensive that the company eventually opened a pickle plant in Boerne that can crank out 40+ gallons of pickles a week. In July of last year, Fickle Pickles opened a second location in Gruene, which, like the Boerne location, sells antiques. A weird combination indeed, but somehow the prominently stacked display of pickle jars works well alongside the shop’s collection of antique school desks, pie cabinets, and an old wooden airplane propeller.

Even if you’re unable to make it to either of the company’s brick-and-mortar stores, you can order by phone and have pickles shipped anywhere in the world. Fickle Pickles make a great finger food, but Lisa also recommends putting them in salads and sandwiches. The leftover pickle juice can also be used as a marinade. Even as I write this, I can feel my mind gravitating toward the kitchen and the leftover egg-salad I made earlier using—you guessed it—Fickle Pickles.

For more information on Fickle Pickles, GO HERE or call 877/249-9306. Fickle Pickles are available at Fickle Pickles Antiques & Pickles in Gruene (1720 Hunter Road) and Carousel Antiques & Pickles (118 S. Main St.) in Boerne.

I really can’t think of a better way to spend a Sunday afternoon than shopping at the outlet malls in San Marcos. I always feel spoiled by all the great bargains I find there. But I do have one gripe: there just aren’t enough good places to eat at the malls. Sure there’s the requisite sandwich shop and pizzeria in the food court, and a few burger chains dotting the parking lot, but all in all some of the best spots to refuel after a hard day of spending money are located a short drive from the outlets. Here are some of my favorites:

Palmer’s Restaurant, Bar, and Courtyard
After giving my Visa card a workout, it’s nice to just sit and relax in Palmer’s courtyard and be serenaded by chirping birds and the wind whistling through the lush canopy of trees and vines that surround the patio. One of my favorite meals is “Le Chateau,” a bowl of soup (tortilla, broccoli and cheese, etc.), salad (the balsamic vinaigrette is the best I’ve ever tasted), and a glass of wine. For a heartier meal, try the “Chicken Palmer,” a sautéed chicken breast covered in melted swiss cheese with avocado, tomato slices, and brown sauce, and served with a side of sautéed mushrooms. The pork chops basted with a habanero honey glaze is also a must. During a recent visit, I deviated from my usual dessert choice of homemade carrot cake and sampled a slice of Key-lime pie drizzled in raspberry sauce. I’m sure glad I did.

Palmer’s is at 218 Moore St. 512/353-3500; GO HERE. From the outlets take I-35 north to Exit 202 (Wonder World Drive). Follow Wonder World Drive west, turning left onto Hunter Drive. Hunter Drive becomes Hopkins Street (RR 12). Palmer’s is at the corner of Hopkins and Moore streets.

Centerpoint Station
If it’s convenience you’re after, this burger joint directly across I-35 from the outlet malls is ideal. Inside, the walls are covered with newspaper clippings and vintage signs, harking back to an old-fashioned gas station. One of my favorite things about Centerpoint is that everything on the menu is available in smaller portions. So instead of attempting to wrap your jaws around a half-pound mushroom-and-swiss burger, you can opt for an easier-on-the-mouth (and waistline) quarter-pounder. Made-to-order malts and milkshakes, and an array of fresh-baked goodies, like brownies and cinnamon buns, round out the selection. Make sure to check out the adjacent gift shop, which rivals some of the stores at the outlet mall with its extensive selection of jewelry, candles, antique signs, and university apparel.

Centerpoint Station is at 3946 Interstate 35. 512/392-1103; GO HERE. From the outlets take Centerpoint Road west, driving under the I-35 overpass. Centerpoint Station is on the northwest corner of the intersection.

San Marcos River Pub and Grill
Located on the banks of the San Marcos River, this hideaway offers some of the best views in San Marcos with a menu that’s sure to please even the most discerning eater (i.e. there’s something for everyone). Choose between pasta plates, chicken platters, tacos, burgers, steaks, salads, and seafood. I’m a big fan of their huge side-item selection, which includes fried corn, garlic mashed potatoes, fried okra, cilantro rice, and spicy borracho beans. Most nights of the week, you can expect to hear live music on the outside deck, making it a hot spot for Texas State University students, professors, and just about anyone, really.

San Marcos River Pub and Grill is at 701 Cheatham St. 512/353-3747; GO HERE. From outlets take I-35 north to Exit 204A (C.M. Allen Parkway). Follow C.M. Allen Parkway west, turning right onto Cheatham Street.

Galveston’s long been known as a place to study extraordinary architecture, but for one warm Saturday each year, there’s a whole ‘nother kind of building design you can ogle on the island. On June 2, it’s the 21st annual AIA Sandcastle Competition (GO HERE), hosted by the Houston Chapter of the American Institute of Architects. Teams of architects, engineers, and contractors from around the state get out of their offices and onto East Beach to sweat for five hours over designs they’ve created on paper for months. At afternoon’s end, they will have constructed some of the most mind-boggling buildings and sculptures you’ve ever seen, wholly from sand, with some teams using ingenious water pump systems and other clever tools. Judges choose winners according to artistic accomplishment, carving technique, technical difficulty, and design originality; notable creations in the past have included creations from movies such as Finding Nemo and Lord of the Rings, while The Barnacles of Narnia and Sandy Warhol: The Marilyn Faces have won their share of fans. Don’t miss it.

Pardon me while I shamelessly toot my own horn for a moment. You’ll be glad I did, should you find yourself wandering, say, through Georgetown or Tyler or Temple or Pampa, wondering what in the heck is good to eat around town. It’s always a good idea to find out where the locals get their grub on, and that’s what you’ll do if you pick up a copy of a new little book I penned. Called Texas Landmark Cafes (The Great Texas Line Press, $5.95), it’s a handy little pocket-size volume that takes up less room than a map in your glove box. I’ve profiled more than 65 cafes in towns in seven regions, such as the Country Inn in Somerville, Village Kitchen in Jacksboro and Big Pines Lodge in Karnack. Unwilling to ignore urban favorites, I picked one classic each in the cities of Austin (Threadgill’s), Dallas (Vern’s Place), Fort Worth (Paris Coffee Shop), El Paso (H&H Car Wash), Houston (Barbecue Inn) and San Antonio (Mi Tierra). Each one offers what I call “a celebration of honest-to-goodness, pure Texas chow.”

Anybody who likes a hootin’, hollerin’ good time at a Texas cook-off event has two pretty dern good choices this weekend. First, there’s the World Championship Rocky Mountain Oyster Festival in Throckmorton (GO HERE), about 70 miles southwest of Wichita Falls, out in for-real West Texas. This event is a dandy, with cook-off action aplenty. On Friday night, there’s the Tastes Like Chicken contest, in which cooks can make anything they like that someone has said “tastes just like chicken,” but officials ask that it be edible. On Saturday, there’s the cooking of mountain oysters — or calf fries, the most famous and delicate by-product of cattle ranching — as well as competition categories for pinto beans, baby back ribs, brisket, chili and cobbler, with an all-important, two-hour beverage break in the middle of the action. You ought not miss it, but if you have to, perhaps it’s because you’re attending the Steak Cook-Off, Beef Symposium and Tourist Trap festivities in Hico on Saturday (GO HERE). You can listen to great Texas music, eat a huge steak dinner, taste regionally made wines and chocolates and watch two steak-cooking competitions – one among professional chefs, another among backyard chefs. Yummers.

Maybe you heard that Texas has become a player in the nation’s wine industry. Yep, there’s something like 85 producing wineries in Texas, and one-third are in the Hill Country/Central Texas region. Of those, a group of eight wineries—with locations from the upper edge of the Hill Country northward to just below the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex—joined forces last year to create a mini-group called Way Out Wineries. More than just a cute name, WOW members in Granbury, Bluff Dale, Comanche, Rising Star, Bend, Lampasas and Meridian have been busy throwing weekend parties for every imaginable occasion in order to attract wine-loving patrons. For instance, Brennan Vineyards at Comanche hosts wine dinners on the second Friday of each month ($59 plus tax) and a Sunday lunch buffet each each ($6.25-$12.50); and Bluffdale Vineyards at Bluff Dale will host live music events on its porch on the occasional Sunday afternoon. On the first weekend in July, it’s the first Way Out Wineries Picnic Road Trip and Scavenger Hunt, with each winery helping you complete a full picnic pack. The first winery you visit will furnish your picnic bag, the next will supply plates, another will have glasses and so on. Wine tastings and picnic food pairings for wines, as well as music, will be offered at each stop, too. Check with each winery to find out what’s on tap when you’re in the area. For more information, go HERE.