Exploring Texas, One Courthouse at a Time

When I first moved to Texas 20 years ago, I was eager to explore this vast state — so different from my native California. What struck me right away was how much older everything felt here — the buildings, the landmarks, even the trees — all steeped in a rich and often complicated history that echos through every town square and dusty back road.

But it wasn’t just the age or the history that stood out. It was the people. While I’ve found kindness in many places, there’s something uniquely warm and welcoming about Texan hospitality — especially in the smaller towns, where strangers still wave from their porches and conversations with locals often turn into lasting memories. Texas, I quickly learned, doesn’t just invite you in — it makes you feel like you belong.

My adventures began with solo day trips. I found joy in many things: sprawling state parks, historic monuments, legendary Texas barbecue, and — somewhat unexpectedly — the fascinating architecture of Texas courthouses. Each trip uncovered another piece of this unique state’s story.

☀️ 🐾 Summer day trips in Texas can be a challenge — the heat is relentless unless you stick close to the coast. But even on scorching days, I can’t resist the call of the road. So on a particularly beautiful early June mid-morning, I set out to visit and photograph my 38th Texas courthouse. My trusty companion, my dog Gertie, was bouncing with excitement at the sight of her “day-tripping leash.” Though the Texas heat isn’t her favorite, she found refuge in the cool grass while I eagerly snapped photos of the courthouse grounds. At one point, with the temperature hitting 95 degrees, she looked at me like to say, “Are you done yet?”

🍯 🍷 After our courthouse visit, we both needed a cool break, so we headed to Rohan Meadery, a winery and now brewery nearby. I called ahead to confirm their patio welcomed dogs on leashes, and they happily did. Upon arrival, I spotted a couple of proud roosters trying to impress a lone black hen. I wasn’t sure how Gertie would react to the feathery crowd, but we secured the best spot on the spacious patio — a bench right in front of the swamp cooler. I ordered a mead flight and some snacks while Gertie happily soaked up the cool artificial breeze.

🐓 👦  The rooster wandered over, and Gertie didn’t make a sound — just eyed the bold red bird cautiously. Clearly, her refuge was worth defending by staying put. Then, unexpectedly, a 7-year-old boy named Ashton came over to meet Gertie. He was such a thoughtful, curious kid, and we struck up a conversation that lasted the whole visit. As we parted I told him, knowing he wouldn’t understand it, “You are quite the old soul.” Later, a sweet older couple offered to watch Gertie while I settled the bill inside. They asked if the boy was a relative, since they’d been watching our interaction and his parents weren’t nearby (they had moved away from the patio and were seated under a large shady oak tree). I smiled and said, “No, he just took a liking to me… and I took a liking to him.”

🏛️ 🌸 Back to the courthouse: the Fayette County Courthouse in La Grange is just about an hour’s drive from Austin. It’s a stunner — a magnificent Romanesque castle built from four types of native Texas stone, complete with a grand clock tower, an eagle relief, medieval-style gargoyles, and a bright, light-filled inner courtyard. In June, its grounds are among the best-kept I’ve seen, filled with Gerber daisies and Crape Myrtles in full bloom. Against a picture-perfect blue sky with just the right amount of clouds, it was easy to forget the heat — until Gertie’s panting brought me back.

This courthouse, clearly a favorite, marks a milestone in my years-long passion project — photographing Texas Courthouses which you can follow here on my blog.

Cheers, my friends! And a special shout-out to LT, Amy, Jen, Lynn, and Latif — road trip companions through so many corners of Texas. Though courthouse stops were rarely on their agenda, they patiently embraced the detours and extra miles, indulging my not-so-secret habit of “braking for courthouses.”