About Diann

I’m Diann Bayes and I’m not your average blogger. In fact, according to statistics I’ve read, only around 7% of bloggers are over the age of 51. I’m a traveler, amateur photographer, road warrior, a lover of karaoke, and a proud Native Texan. Apparently, I’m considered ancient in the blogging world in my upper 50’s. (Every southern woman reading this just passed out. What kind of woman tells people her age?)

I’ve spent more than 25 years working in the travel and tourism industry. Travel is my love, particularly on the open road. In 2016, I took a year off to experience the southwest in an RV along with my husband, Dan, living as Eccentric Nomads. Dan and I have a blended family. All three of our adult children are grown and we have six grandchildren, all girls. We await the seventh.

We have adopted black dogs from shelters for nearly 20 years, as they are the first to be put down. We always tell people that our girls rescued us.

My quest is to discover the vast size of Texas. I’ll enjoy great food, meet interesting people, and share my stories along the way and take a few friends and family with me on my adventures.

About Dan

Dan Bayes married Diann in 1999 after only five months of dating. It was the second marriage for both of them and no one was sure it would last after such a short courtship. Dan is a Vietnam Veteran and a former Colorado police officer. He worked for the sheriff’s office in Kansas, where he also worked as a bounty hunter, bail bondsman, and private detective. Dan and Diann met in Kansas, married, and moved to Texas a few years later. While Diann is a native Texan, Dan is certainly one who identifies with the saying “he got to Texas as fast as he could.” After working for the Attorney General’s Office in Dallas, he permanently retired and now is a man of leisure…and the building of projects. He built the Official World Headquarters of How Big Is Texas and also serves as the driver when he and Diann take the RV and the dogs on a trip.

About Darla

Native Texan Darla Belt Dear started her school days in Woodville in the Piney Woods of east Texas. Her family moved to Livingston, where she graduated from Livingston High School. She went on to play for the Apache Ladies basketball team at Tyler Junior College and then graduated from Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches. She is married to Wales “Bubba” Dear and they have two grown children, Cambria and Trey. Darla is passionate about Texas History and is a descendent from the Republic of Texas. It’s no wonder she loves all things Texas!

About Debbie

Debbie Gomez is my beautiful daughter-in-law. Born in the valley, she also lived in the Dallas/Fort Worth area for a number of years before relocating to west Texas with her husband, my wonderful son, Trevor. Debbie is a talented amateur photographer and continues to hone her craft. Aside from her photography, she loves watching movies, reading, playing video games, and traveling.

About Sarah

Sarah Page has worked in tourism and economic development for the last 30 years.  In her current position as the Heritage Tourism Program Coordinator for the Texas Historical Commission, Sarah leads the heritage tourism outreach and development efforts, including the award-winning Texas Heritage Trails Program. Previous industry experience includes CEO of the Texas Association of Convention and Visitor Bureaus, Principal of Sarah T. Page Consulting, LLC, Senior Economic Development Specialist at the Lower Colorado River Authority, and Tourism Development Director with the Texas State Tourism Office.  Sarah also frequently presents at regional, state, and national conferences on various tourism-related topics.

Sarah got her start in 1990 with a degree in Tourism from Texas A&M University. Whoop! She is very active in tourism and economic development efforts, and has served on several state and local boards and commissions. Her professional memberships include the Texas Travel Alliance, Texas Economic Development Council, and the Texas Downtown Association.

Sarah enjoys spending her free time with her family – husband Brian, daughter Jordan, and son Jackson. And on any given Saturday in the Fall, she can be found in front of her TV cheering on her beloved Fighting Texas Aggie football team.

About Jill

Jill has served as the Executive Director of the Texas Lakes Trail Region since 2005. She is also a contributor to Authentic Texas Magazine. In addition to that, she is vice president of the French/American Creative Exchange (FACE). The American side of this non-profit operates in a historic site in Santo. Jill is a proud 5th generation Texan and the owner of the land her ancestors settled back in 1874 in Oglesby, Texas. Jill and her family live near the Brazos River in Palo Pinto County at a place that they call Fish Camp.

She loves spending time outdoors fishing and clearing. Jill has Texas in her blood and under her nails. She loves to travel around Texas, enjoying the beautiful landscape and experiencing the people and places that make this state unique. Promoting history and culture is what she does, and she feels so blessed to be able to do what she loves.

About Morgan

In March of 2018, Morgan joined the TaxFree Shopping team as Director of Marketing and Communications after a fun filled tenure as a Marketing Specialist for Travel Texas with the Office of the Governor’s Economic Development and Tourism Division. Morgan’s roots run deep in the heart of Texas, growing up in Port Isabel, a lovely coastal fishing community on the Southernmost tip of the state. Morgan’s passion for international travel began when she was only 8 years old with her first trip to London and continued on with a foreign exchange program to Australia during high school. Morgan went on to work in the corporate medical sector for some 15 years while living in Chicago and later Raleigh, she knew her roots were firmly planted in Texas and in tourism so she made a major career change and returned to Texas. She has a true passion for tourism and loves sharing all the wonderful treasures Texas has to offer with the world.