I often talk about the expansiveness of the Texas House District we live in; 12 counties covering over 15,000-square miles, and the unique communities and people who make up our slice of Texas. As is often the case, however, we rarely view our home towns through the lens of a tourist, but House District 53 has a wealth of attractions for both visitors and locals alike. With that in mind, I am launching a new section of my website dedicated to the parks, historic sites and recreational opportunities located in our district. To visit this new feature, please go to www.andrewmurr.org/local-attractions, or go to my homepage at www.andrewmurr.org and look for “Local Attractions” in the drop down menu under the District 53 tab. This is by no means meant to be an exhaustive list, but I believe it is a good start. We are blessed to have seven state parks in our district, including the Albert and Bessie Kronkosky, Lost Maples, and Hill Country State Natural Areas in Bandera County, Devil’s Sinkhole near Rocksprings and Kickapoo Cavern State Park in Edwards County, Enchanted Rock in Llano County, and the South Llano River State Park in Kimble County. We also have four other Texas Parks and Wildlife facilities in our district to aid in the preservation of our wildlife. These include the Heart of the Hills Research Station, near Ingram, whose research improves fisheries management; the Kerr Wildlife Management Area at the headwaters of the North Fork of the Guadalupe River, which primarily functions as a wildlife management, research and demonstration site to conduct wildlife related studies; the Mason Mountain Wildlife Management Area, which is a former exotic game ranch just north of Mason that the state acquired in 1997; and the Kerrville Law Enforcement and WL District 4 Office. Our wealth of attractions don’t begin and end with Texas Parks and Wildlife, however. Let us not forget the Caverns of Sonora, the Fort McKavett State Historic Site, the Museum of Western Art and Schreiner Mansion in Kerrville, the Landmark Inn State Historic Site in Castroville, the Davy Crockett Monument in Ozona, and many, many others. As a member of the House Committee on Culture, Recreation & Tourism, one of my jobs as a state representative is to promote our entire state as a destination for tourists. What better way to do that than to start at home in District 53 and promote both our natural wonders and our historic sites? I hope you will take a moment to visit this new section of my website and review the attractions we have listed. I would also welcome your comments and opinions about sites we have missed, and if possible provide links to websites or information about them so that we can incorporate your suggestions. You can contact me through my website at www.AndrewMurr.org or contact our District Office at 715 Water Street in Kerrville at (830) 257-0432 with your comments. I look forward to hearing from you. |