Pack your bags and hop on a train, board a plane, or even mount a bike and ride off into the Texas sunset. There are many ways to travel this great state, and the May issue of Texas Highways is devoted to alternative modes of transportation. In “Joy Rides,” Texas Highways’ Digital Product Manager Tyson Bird climbs into the driver’s seat and takes on the formidable challenge of traveling to Big Bend National Park from Austin in an electric Kia Niro. Planning is paramount for long-distance EV trips, he stresses. Using apps to ensure access to chargers, he kept a two-page list of stops and alternates handy as he traveled. He's joined by writer Rebecca Deurlein, who offers three passenger train routes for a scenic path through Texas and takes to the sky by way of a public charter flight. Former Texas Highways managing editor Matt Joyce also captures his experience weaving his way through the Panhandle by bicycle. And what would a Texas transportation issue be without paying homage to the state’s historical railroads? Writer and native Texan Dina Gachman boards the Texas State Railroad and explores her family’s locomotive legacy in “The Ties That Bind.” Throughout the rest of the issue, you’ll find more ideas for traveling differently, including a picturesque motorcycle ride on Park Road 4 in Burnet County, a trolley tour of Waco, and a life-altering RV journey through West Texas.