Getting the flavor of ... Bastrop’s bygone Texas, and more

Bastrop’s bygone Texas

“Unlike some other old Texas towns that are fading and decaying, Bastrop is a shiny little gem of preservation and restoration,” said Zofia Smardz in The Washington Post. In town, beautifully restored Victorian homes line the well-groomed streets, while shops and restaurants are housed in original storefronts with “tin-ceilinged awnings and brass moldings.” Located just 30 miles southeast of Austin, this “warmly welcoming little burg” is home to more than 130 historic buildings. You can hardly “stop for a bite without hearing some entertaining” tale, such as how the place came to be named after “Baron de Bastrop,” a Dutchman with a phony title and a taste for embezzlement. True, the veracity of some bits of local lore “is dependent on certain caveats too detailed to go into here—but there’s no denying Bastropians’ pride in their history, their heritage, and their homes.”

Contact: Visitbastrop.org

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The last space shuttle liftoffs

A space shuttle launch is an “unforgettable and intense experience”—and one you won’t be able to enjoy for very much longer, said Kate Murphy in The New York Times. NASA has announced that after 29 years and 134 missions, it will close its space shuttle program. The last liftoff of the Discovery from Florida’s Kennedy Space Center is scheduled for Nov. 1; the last Endeavour launch is Feb. 26, 2011. There are a limited number of tickets available to take in each from the Kennedy Space Center Causeway, the closest public viewing area. Just seven miles from the launch pad, it’s close enough that spectators can hear the “thunderous roar that shakes the ground and vibrates vital organs.” Outside the Space Center, Titusville’s Space View Park offers fine views. Many eager onlookers will sleep out overnight to witness the final shuttle ascend, its boosters “leaving behind a spiraling contrail.”

Contact: Kennedyspacecenter.com