As we wind down 2025, I’ve been reflecting on this past year at How Big Is Texas. My hobby blog, photography, and social media posts are now my full-time job, along with consulting work I’m doing across the state. It’s exciting for me because now I can spend even more time sharing Texas with all y’all, as we say.

In 2025, I traveled to more than 70 towns and cities from Abilene to Zephyr. I also used my annual state park pass to visit 17 Texas state parks. More on that later.

I spent time at McKinney Roughs Nature Park near Bastrop, Aransas National Wildlife Refuge in Austwell, and my husband Dan and I enjoyed our 26th wedding anniversary taking in beautiful views of the Gulf in Rockport. I love the diversity of Texas!

My How Big Is Texas Top 5 for 2025! 

While I love the Lone Star State and my many visits to cities and towns across Texas, I couldn’t choose one that stood out more than the others. Instead, I created my own How Big Is Texas Top 5 for 2025 based on things I accomplished this year. Thankful!

Number 5

I relaunched my How Big Is Texas Podcast after a two-year hiatus, and next year, I plan to add other voices to the mix. While they may not be celebrities to anyone, they have great Texas stories to tell, and I can hardly wait to share them. Take a minute to check out past recordings of the How Big Is Texas podcast on your favorite podcast stations, including Apple, YouTube, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Podbean. And make sure to follow along as I upload more content so you can listen as you travel the Texas roads.

Number 4

I started working more diligently on my How Big Is Texas Cookbook, which is made up of recipes from social media followers, friends, and family from across Texas. Here’s hoping that in 2026, I can finally complete it. It will include Indian Fry Bread from a friend from the Alabama Coushatta Tribe of Texas near Livingston, Hopkins County Stew from a colleague in the panhandle, and more dessert recipes from my own family, who apparently were all born with a sweet tooth. I get hungry thinking about it.

Number 3

I made the decision this fall that in January 2026, I’m sending out a monthly newsletter to my subscribers. The Lone Star Lowdown is written and produced at the Official International World Headquarters of How Big Is Texas in Northeast Texas. (If you didn’t know already, the headquarters is called “International” because it’s located somewhere between Paris, Athens, Carthage, Geneva, and Palestine, Texas, of course.) The newsletter will include Texas itineraries and routes I’ve driven and/or created, favorite restaurants and recipes, heritage spotlights, Texas quotes, and more. To sign up, click on the image below.

Number 2

While I didn’t get to complete my quest to visit all 89 of the Texas State Parks this year, I did scratch seven off the list. I only have 12 to go. Surely, I can hit a park a month in 2026 before they build more. I was even fortunate enough to get a sneak peek at Palo Pinto Mountains State Park this year. I’m looking forward to returning again to explore it further. Do you have a favorite state park in Texas? Do you have your annual Texas State Park pass? If not, you can purchase it here. I encourage you to explore and GET OUTSIDE!!!

Number 1

At the beginning of 2025, I shared a goal of finally seeing three more counties and then I would have visited all 254 in the great state of Texas. I’m happy to share that in early October, I traveled south from San Antonio to the counties of McMullen, Duvall, and Jim Hogg.  This quest had been a long time coming, and it felt like such an accomplishment. Some on social media asked me, “Why?” My answer is, “because I could.” Bless their hearts!

Honorable Mention

I’ve never been a practical joker, but I couldn’t resist this post on my How Big Is Texas social media accounts on April Fool’s Day. While the Official International World Headquarters of How Big Is Texas was NOT named the Official Tiny House of Texas, I would love to see that happen someday. Who can help me? 🙂

I am blessed to share the great things to see and do across Texas, based on my own travel experiences. I visited some wonderful places this year and I hope you were able to do the same.

I know it’s not quite over yet, as we still have the Official How Big Is Texas New Year’s Eve Ball Drop coming on December 31. Here’s a screenshot from last year’s event.

While it may seem silly to some of you, we liked to keep up this tradition of dropping our lighted plastic solo cup NYE ball. It started on December 31, 2020, the year I created How Big Is Texas. That ball drop was featured on NBC News as we rang in 2021.

Want to hear more about my past year’s adventures and what I have coming in 2026, check out my How Big Is Texas podcast. Here’s the latest episode.

I’m not sure what 2026 will bring, but I’m excited to explore more of the Lone Star State. Stay tuned and follow along. It’s going to be epic!

Until next time from Texas…safe travels!