Last week I took some time off to host my dad while he visits from out of state, which means I got to play tour guide. In his previous visits, we already explored most of the sights around my home in Austin, so this time I made plans to get out and stretch our legs in the surrounding area.

I let dad rest up on his first evening here, but the next day, we were off to explore downtown Bastrop and Bastrop State Park. Among the downtown shops and eateries on Main Street, we especially enjoyed the sign to the right (which, naturally, points to a door that can’t be opened). In the park, the loblolly pine trees still bear scorch marks as a reminder of the Labor Day fires that burned the area more than a year ago, but the trails were all open. Newly built wood bridges span many of the creek beds. More sun gets through the sparse canopy than it used to, but there’s plenty of healthy, green growth underneath.

After our six-mile morning hike, we jumped in the car again to head out to Round Top. For a little country town, a lot of events happen here, and this weekend was no exception. The beautiful concert hall at Festival Hill was hosting a chamber orchestra performance, but unfortunately, we were too late to attend, so we browsed the cute shops in historic buildings at Henkel Square instead. At dinnertime, we found an Oktoberfest celebration at Scotty & Friends Restaurant, complete with lederhosen, accordions and German tunes by Das Ist Lustig (“That’s Fun”). I enjoyed a huge cheeseburger and dad had a plate of tender sauerbraten and sauerkraut at one of several tables on their outside deck beneath a huge oak tree. It was pretty much perfect except for a few yellowjackets that seemed to really like hanging out with dad, too–one of them eventually drowned itself in what was left of his beer. Prost!

Last Saturday, we gathered more of the family together to head down to Boerne for the Harvest Moon Celebration. We overshot the location at the Boerne Visitor Center at first, not expecting it to be essentially in the parking lot of a Walmart. But once on the grounds, encompassed by the historic Menger-Kingsbury-Shumard House, we lost track of our surroundings and found ourselves immersed in a fascinating birds-of-prey demonstration by Last Chance Forever. Founding falconer John Karger and volunteers led an engaging hourlong presentation that featured hawks and falcons  flying over the audience; a juvenile (but huge) bald eagle; insights into raptors’ roles in the environment; and how to tell birds apart by their colors and shapes from afar. One of the hawks decided to hunker down in a tree directly over my head rather than swooping in for a proffered treat—luckily he didn’t do any decorating on me. An owl presentation later in the evening, plus belly dancing, a children’s costume contest and henna tattoos, made this little fall festival a real treat.

Though dad has already headed home, the fall weather is so lovely that I might keep this going and venture out somewhere else this weekend…I have my eye on Wurstfest in New Braunfels. What are your plans for this weekend?

A friendly passerby offered to take our photo at last year’s fair with Big Tex and (because of our woeful skill at midway games) the most expensive stuffed animal I’ve ever owned.

There’s a little more than a week left to visit the State Fair of Texas, that grand showcase of food, entertainment, amusements, exhibits and Texas hospitality that lights up Dallas’ Fair Park each fall.

This year, be sure to look for Texas Highways at the Texas Historical Commission’s Heritage Trails table in the Food and Fiber Pavilion, where you can enter a daily drawing for a free subscription to the magazine. They also have some copies of the November issue to give away (while supplies last), along with plenty of information on exploring the state’s 10 scenic driving trails.

After that, there’s enough to do at the fair to fill a day or a whole weekend. When my husband and I made the trip last year, we made it our mission to try all the food finalists in the Big Tex Choice Awards. My favorite was the fried guacamole, while he savored the buffalo chicken in a flapjack, which took the fair’s top award for 2011. There’s a new roster of deep-fried delicacies to lure adventurous eaters back each year–among the 2012 awards, “Best Taste” honors went to Deep Fried Jambalaya, and the Fried Bacon Cinnamon Rolls were deemed “Most Creative.” (Can you tell I’m trying to convince him that we should make the drive again this year?)

Other fair favorites include games and rides on the massive midway, pig races, museum exhibits, headliner concerts, and the nightly parade and light show. Don’t miss out–the fair runs until Oct. 21.

It’s said that you can’t get blood from a stone, but how about getting a horny toad out of one?

That’s what’s said to have happened in Eastland, Texas, when the old courthouse was being torn down in 1928. A time capsule in the courthouse’s cornerstone since 1897 was opened, and to the surprise of thousands of people gathered for the event, a horned lizard sealed up in the box 31 years ago was still alive. Named “Old Rip,” after Rip Van Winkle, the horny toad was taken on a national tour before dying less than a year later. (According to the story, that wasn’t the end of his adventures.)

Today, Old Rip lies in state in a casket at the Eastland County Courthouse, and the city celebrates this legendary lizard at RipFest each October.  This year’s event on Saturday, Oct. 6, features a full day of activities, including a parade, car show, bull riding, live entertainment.

If you’d prefer to make some weekend plans that aren’t reptile-related, don’t fret — there are lots of options. It’s officially fall, which means Texas is buzzing with big events to choose from:

Gonzales: Come and Take It Festival, Oct. 5-7

Gruene: Music and Wine Festival, Oct. 4-7

Huntsville: Fair on the Square, Oct. 5-6

Rockport: Seafair, Oct. 5-7

Southlake: Southlake Oktoberfest, Oct. 4-6

Waco: Heart O’ Texas Fair and Rodeo, Oct. 4-13

Victoria: Bootfest, Oct. 5-6