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Marshall is a small city in northeast Texas with a population of Marshall of about 23,935.  Marshall’s past has included: a political center for the Confederacy during the Civil War, a major railroad center,  as well as a center of the civil rights movement in the American South. The city is also known for holding one of the largest light festivals in the United States, the Wonderland of Lights and a Fireant Festival which includes a 5K and the Tour de Fireant.  Based on the music first developed in the Marshall area in the early 1870s, Marshall was declared to be "the Birthplace of Boogie Woogie” in 2010.

South Padre Island is a small town of 2,816 located on South Padre Island, a barrier island along the Texas Gulf Coast accessible via a causeway from the town of Port Isabel.  South Padre Island is named after Padre José Nicolás Ballí a Catholic priest and settler.  South Padre Island makes up the southern part of the longest barrier island in the world and is home to a thriving and varied coastal habitat.  This barrier reef plays a vital role in protecting the Texas coast from hurricanes and other storms.  The island is popular spring break destination for college students and other tourists and has many activities including fishing, dolphin watches, horseback riding on the beach and ecological tours that explore Padre Island National Seashore. 

Burnet is a small town with a population of only 4,735 and is located about 50 northwest of Austin.  Both the city and the county were named for David Gouverneur Burnet, the first provisional president of the Republic of Texas.  In 1847 the Texas Rangers established a station at the site of present-day Burnet for the protection of frontier settlers from Indian raids. Attractions in the Burnet area include Longhorn Cavern, Inks Lake State Park, the Historic Burnet Square, and the Austin Steam Train Association's Hill Country Flyer.  The Historic Square features buildings from as early as the 1880s.  Burnet is officially recognized by the Texas Legislature as the “Bluebonnet Capital of Texas.  Each year, during the second weekend of April, Burnet celebrates the blooming of the wildflowers with a Bluebonnet Festival.