Texas State Parks

Posted on July 19, 2023 by admin

We stayed in several Texas state parks in June and July. We bought a yearly pass that gave us a discount on entrance fees and camping sites for all Texas state parks. The sites normally have only water and electric hookups, but a dump station is provided. Since we were only staying a few days at a time in each park, it worked out well for us and saved us money on campgrounds.

San Angelo State Park

Near San Angelo, Texas, is San Angelo State Park. It has wide open views, a lake and a herd of bison. While we were there, we enjoyed the evening sunsets.

Colorado City State Park

Colorado City State Park is less than two hours north of San Angelo. It is situated on a lake also. We had a nice pull-through site which made it easy to get in and out. It is a dark sky park, so I tried a few night-time photos. The Milky Way was really bright.

Caprock Canyons State Park and Trailway

Caprock Canyons State Park and Trailway was one of my favorite parks. It is located in the lower middle part of the Texas panhandle. It has a nice visitor’s center at the entrance. It is home to the official Texas bison herd. It is the only herd in the U.S. that hasn’t been interbred with cattle. They have some impressive bison that have run of the entire park.

The babies were abundant and fun to watch.

The bison liked to hang out in a grassy area near the campsites, but didn’t seem to bother anyone. They also had a lake of their own where they gathered in the evenings.

Caprock Canyon State Park is located in a beautiful red rock canyon that reminded me of Sedona, Arizona.

There’s a scenic drive through the canyon to various scenic areas.

Besides the bison, we saw other wildlife: prairie dogs, a rabbit and a roadrunner carrying something in his mouth.

The prairie dogs didn’t seem to mind the bison resting near their homes.

Growing near the roads were many wild sunflowers.

Another feature of this park is the system of rails-to-trails throughout the park. Rails-to-trails is a program that turns old railways into hiking, biking and horseback riding trails. This trailway spans three counties, has 46 bridges and a tunnel that is home to thousands of bats. We didn’t hike the trails since the weather was too hot and we were only there a couple of days.

Palo Duro Canyon State Park

Called the “Grand Canyon of Texas”, Palo Duro Canyon state park is located at the bottom of a deep canyon. As we approached the park, we saw only flat land until we were practically right at the road going down into the canyon. At the top of the canyon is a nice Visitors’ Center.

From the look out at the Visitors’ Center

The road down into the canyon was narrow, steep and windy. Using lower gears was a must. Once down in the canyon, it was very lush green with lots of trees. The creek runs through the canyon. When it rains, it frequently floods the road in areas. We were glad that there were no storms while we were there, since we did not want to get stuck. There’s only one road in and out of the canyon.

The red rock canyon walls contrasted beautifully with the green trees and bushes.

There are places where the rocks looked like they are only held up by dirt. It looked like they could come tumbling down at any moment.

The last of the late spring flowers were blooming. This is Texas Thistle, I believe. It was everywhere.

One nice thing about camping in state parks is that you can get closer to nature. This was the view across from our campsite. Some of the campers hiked up this rock formation. It was very hot, so we just enjoyed the view instead.

This was the view of our campsite.

We’re very glad to have discovered the Texas state park system. It’s a way to have affordable and scenic campsites when we have to travel across the big state of Texas.

Murals of San Angelo, Texas

Posted on June 30, 2023 by admin

One of our favorite Texas towns to visit was San Angelo. We stayed in San Angelo State Park Campground where we had some great views of the evening sunsets.

The weather was fickle with cloudy skies in the morning and rain and thunderstorms in the afternoons with clearing in between.

We sometimes went for walks in the evenings.

This part of Texas is dry and cactus, especially prickly pear, thrive.

One evening we drove to a lookout in the park where we could see for miles.

We drove into San Angelo to see some sites. Ray wanted to see the telephone museum located at Fort Concho, an historical fort established in 1867 to protect the frontier settlements. Fort Concho is now a National Historic Landmark, so I was able to get a stamp for my National Parks Passport book.

The museum has on display a unit designed and made by Alexander Graham Bell. There were only five made and only two in existence today.

Unit designed and made by Alexander Graham Bell in 1876.

Old phones from Museum of Telephony in San Angelo, Texas

San Angelo is known for their historic murals depicting the history of the area. We went on a search to find as many as we could. The first one we saw was near the Train Museum and depot. It was about all the forms of transportation used throughout their history.

Four murals capture the history of transportation.

Up closer, they look like this.

Stagecoach was a form of transportation in the early days.

The Iron Horse was a vast improvement for transporting goods and people to the west.

The airplane made the vast Texas distances seem much smaller.

One of the things we were told to look for were sheep. They are decorated and found all around town. This one was at the Train Museum and Depot. We wanted to see the train museum, but we were on a mission to find the murals. We decided to save it for another time.

Most of the murals are found near the old downtown area of San Angelo. Since they are painted on the sides of buildings in parking lots, sometimes it was hard to get a clear photo of them. This one is of a local author who writes westerns about the Texas Rangers. His name is Elmer Kelton. I have not read any of his novels, but they sound interesting.

I stumbled across the Blacksmith mural while looking for another mural. This is right across the street from the famous Eggemeyer’s General Store. While taking a photo of Eggemeyer’s from across the street, I came upon another sheep!

This store has so much in it, it could take hours to see it all. I liked the Indian with the lollipops in his headdress.

There were all kinds of candies, chocolates, sweets, jewelry, household goods, teapots, teacups, knickknacks, vintage signs, vintage toys, aprons, hand towels, kitchen items, bandanas, cards, stationery, and even an old car in the men’s section.

The best thing about living in a travel trailer is that you’re not tempted to buy anything because you don’t have room. The worst thing about living in a travel trailer is that you can’t buy anything because you don’t have room.

I enjoyed just looking at all the kitchen items.

I collect photos of street clocks. Here on this same corner was a street clock.

We wanted to find some more murals, and to my surprise, I found three more on the opposite street corner. These three were together and depicted the military history of the area. Ray was stationed in San Angelo for training at Goodfellow Air Force Base. He had a five and a half month long advanced electronic repair training.

San Angelo Army Air Field was only used from 1942-1945 for training bombardiers for combat missions. It was closed after WWII and today is a civil airfield called Mathis Field.

Fort Concho, as mentioned earlier, was a fort established to protect frontier settlers. William “Pecos Bill” Shafter commanded here along with other notables. Also, the 9th and 10th Cavalry Regiments and 24th and 25th Infantry Regiments were all black soldier units known as the Buffalo Soldiers.

Here’s a closer look at some of the details.

By now, we were hot and tired. We managed to find one more mural. This one was not mentioned on the website list of murals. I call it the Dry Goods Mural. There were two or three more that we missed or couldn’t find.

There were many more things we would have liked to see, but there just wasn’t time and energy for them.

We did, however, drive into town to see Lone Wolf Bridge in the evening. It was supposedly lit up at night, but though we stayed for awhile after sunset, we never saw any lights. It looks like a hangout for taggers. The bridge is covered with graffiti, It’s a sketchy area at night. So we left.

You can read about this historic bridge below.

If you ever get to San Angelo, there are lots of things to see. The top of my list is the water lily gardens and the murals. And don’t forget to take a picture of a sheep! They are all over town.

For a photo tour of sheep and their “ewe”-nique names, click on this link:

https://www.downtownsanangelo.com/sheep-gallery

International Water Lily Collection

Posted on June 2, 2023 by admin

San Angelo, Texas

If you ever go to San Angelo, Texas, be sure to see the International Water Lily Collection. The park is open to the public at no charge, and features blooming water lilies from April to October. One man, Kenneth Landon, founded the collection and has been growing, perfecting propagating techniques and hybridizing some of the most beautiful and unusual waterlilies in the world.

The garden has a large main “pond” and six smaller ponds with waterfalls and walkways between them. The lilies are grown in separate groups with signs showing their names.

There are lilies of every color, like pink, purple, yellow and white.

Some have “fiery” centers. These were my favorites

Some float on the water, and others stand above the water.

Some have bright yellow-green leaves, and some have dark leaves.

Some lilies have leaves with colorful patterns.

Some have giant flowers and others have small flowers

Some lilies have ruffly leaves and others have flat leaves.

There are lilies with pointed petals, and others with rounded petals.

Several of the lilies had more than one color of blossom within one grouping.

It looks like two colors from the same stem. But really they are separate stems.

I was amazed at how bright the colors were on these lilies.

This lily below seems to be “on fire.”

Many of the lilies had such delicate colors.

Notice how the petals are light pink in the center and brighter on the outer edges on this next one.

These photos have not been enhanced. The color really is this bright.

In the one below, notice the outer leaves are green on the outside and pink on the inside.

The bees really loved the lilies.

My favorite lilies were the ones with the bright orange centers that looked like they were on fire, and the two-colored ones like the one below that looked like a candle glowing in the middle.

This was such a lovely place, I would love to go there again someday.

“Look at the lilies and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are.” Luke 12:27 NLT

Guadalupe Mountains National Park

Posted on May 25, 2023 by admin

Created in 1966, Guadalupe Mountains National Park contains the highest point in the state of Texas, Guadalupe Peak (8,751′). The park is located near Carlsbad, New Mexico, and just a few miles across the Texas border. In the western “arm” of Texas, this less known national park is well-known for its clean air.

The views of mountains in Guadalupe Mountains National Park with a zoom lens

The Park is intentionally inaccessible. It was created during a time when the environmental movement was in full swing. Ninety-five percent of the park is wilderness. From the eastern border of the park where we were, there are only three short roads into the park. If you like to hike, however, there are numerous trails throughout. For us old people, we had to be content with viewing the mountains from a distance.

There are roads around the outside of the park with various viewpoints. If we had driven several hours more, we might have been able to see more, but we just didn’t have the time.

Like Yosemite National Park, this park also has an “El Capitan.” It is a 1,000′ high limestone cliff. It is visible from the highway as you drive further south. However, we did not go that far.

The wildflowers and cactus were in bloom and we enjoyed seeing the beauty of the desert in bloom.

We visited the historic Frijole Ranch, but the museum was closed. It is only open seasonally when staff or volunteers are available. There was a spring outside the ranch house that flows continually at 5 gallons per minute. A spring house covers the opening and the water flows in a channel through the courtyard.

Outside the Visitors’ Center, we were fascinated with the yucca plants in various states of bloom. The yucca is related to the agave plant.

Indians called yucca “soap weed.” The roots were used for washing. Other parts of the plant were used for medicine and food. The fibers were used for many things and the seeds were used for tea or dried for making beads.

And we also saw century plants in bloom. Century plants and yucca plants look similar, but the century plants have “branches” with blooms on the ends.

Later in the afternoon, the sun finally came out and lit up the mountains.

In the early afternoon, we headed back to our campground. On the way, we were going to pass Carlsbad Caverns National Park, so we decided to stop. We were too late to go on a cave tour, but we looked at the exhibits in the Visitors’ Center. I got my National Parks Passport Book stamped since we had already visited years ago.

The five mile drive into the park was reason enough to visit. The cacti were in bloom everywhere. On our way out of the park, I got a few photos of the blooms. Right at the entrance a huge cholla cactus was in bloom.

This is the view from the Visitors’ Center at Carlsbad Cavers NP. I didn’t remember this from our visit years ago, but it is a beautiful view.

View from Carlsbad Caverns National Park Visitor Center in New Mexico.

More wildflowers decorated the roadside.

I’ve never seen such an abundance of prickly pear cacti, many with bright yellow blooms.

I kept seeing bright pink patches from the rocks on the cliffs. Stopping to check it out, I discovered they were hedgehog cacti in bloom.

Ray was curious about the “green chili peppers” he saw on some of the yucca. I zoomed in and got these photos. The chili peppers are really seed pods of the yucca plant. These are yet another stage of the yucca plant.

Yucca plants take many years to grow.

Our Escapees park had some beautiful specimens of yucca and ocotillo.

Yucca plant in bloom at Escapees campground

I was somewhat disappointed in Guadalupe Mountains National Park. However, it has been years since I have seen Carlsbad Caverns National Park. I would love to go back and re-visit it again. And, who knows, I might just give Guadalupe Mountains National Park another try also.

Space Center Houston

Posted on December 29, 2022 by admin

November 2022

We like to explore areas around the places we stay. Space Center in Houston was just a 90 minute drive from Lake Conroe RV Resort in Willis, Texas, where we stayed in November, so we planned a visit.

When I was a child, the space program was a nationwide interest. Alan Shepard and Gus Grissom, the first two Americans in space, were household names. They were considered American heroes, as were Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong, the first two men to step onto the moon. Seeing the Space Center reminded me of the beginnings of the space race long ago.

We started our tour in the main building of the museum.The day was cold and windy. It was home school day for the local home schoolers, so we felt right at home with everyone, remembering our own days of homeschooling.

The Main building was huge and would have taken more time and energy to see all of it than we had. There were four main areas plus a Kids Space Place which had hands on exhibits for kids.

We watched a demonstration using a mock-up of the International Space Station and learned what it would be like to live there for an extended time. We also watched a short film of the history of space exploration in the Space Center Theater. As we wandered through the exhibits, we learned about the many aspects of space exploration and travel.

Outside the main building were the Falcon 9 Rocket and Space Shuttle exhibits. In addition, there were three NASA tram tours off-site: The Rocket Park, Mission Control and the Astronaut Training Facility. The Rocket Park was the only tour available on the day we visited because of a mission in progress.

The photos below show a few of the items in the main lobby.

Some of you may be old enough to remember the first men to land on the moon. On our visit to the Space Center we got to see up close what it might have looked like on the moon. We could even touch a moon rock.

Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, and Buzz Aldrin, the crew of the first manned moon landing.

The Lunar Rover vehicle used in the moon landing had to have special tires made of a woven mesh of zinc-coated piano wire. The chevron pattern kept the wheels from sinking into the soft soil on the moon surface.

After seeing many of the exhibits, it was time for us to board the tram to the Rocket Park where the Saturn V rocket was housed. You can get an idea of the size of the rocket by the size of the building. The rocket was lying on its side the length of this building.

Rocket Park: Outside Saturn V building was the Mercury Redstone which took the first men into space.

The Saturn V was the rocket that was used to launch the missions to the moon. It had to be massive enough to launch the crew, the lunar lander and the lunar rover all at once. As you can see, it fills the entire building.

Inside Saturn V building showing stages of the rocket

To get an idea of the immense size of the rocket motors on the Saturn V, I took this photo. Notice the man at the bottom of the photo for size reference. The Saturn V had 5 rocket motors on the first stage to launch it into orbit.

Three hours after the Apollo 11 mission was launched, the spacecraft left Earth’s orbit and began its three-day journey to the Moon.

A look inside the cargo area of the Saturn V

The lower stages were jettisoned from the rocket as the fuel burned up. On Apollo 11, the command module, Columbia and its command module pilot Michael Collins, would orbit the moon, while the other two crew members, once in position, would climb into the Eagle (lunar lander) and undock from the main spacecraft. From there, they would descend to the moon’s surface.

The diagram below explains the sections of the Command and Service Module. This shows how the Lunar module separated and got to the moon and back.

NASA’s next mission is to go to Mars. Although this seems ambitious to me, plans are already in progress.

Our visit to the Space Center was very informative. It made me think about the vastness of space. I was reminded of Psalm 8:3-4

“When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers,
The moon and the stars, which You have set in place;
What is man that You think of him,
And a son of man that You are concerned about him?”

And again, Psalm 19:1

“The heavens tell of the glory of God;
And their expanse declares the work of His hands.”

The more we explore the universe, the more it shows the handiwork of God and the finiteness of man. Man has accomplished a lot in learning about our universe, but the knowledge that really matters is knowing the Creator of it all.

Small Towns of Texas

Posted on December 11, 2022 by admin

Smithville, Texas

One of my favorite things to do is to step back in time by visiting historic small towns. Texas has many small towns scattered across the state. They were often established along rivers or railway lines. Such was the case with Smithville, Texas. Although a doctor founded the town and built the first house and store, the town was named after William Smith, who arrived several years later. The town population grew quickly when a local businessman made a deal with a railroad by gifting land to build a depot at a new town site. Almost overnight, the town blossomed and flourished.

Smithville is located just off Highway 71, about halfway between Austin and Columbus, Texas. When we visited there, our first stop was the Railroad Museum at the end of the main street where we learned about the disaster of 1911.

Smithville Visitor Center and Railroad Museum

Smithville town clock at the Railroad Museum, looking down Main Street.

On February 8, 1911, a switch engine’s boiler exploded. The engine was building up steam in preparation to make a run to another town. The explosion sent the roof sheet metal of the firebox hurtling a distance of three blocks where it landed in the street. Smaller pieces flew twice that distance. Four people were killed and twelve more were injured.

Today a Railroad Park surrounds the Museum showcasing railroad cars from the past. In the garden is a sculpture with a piece of the iron from the engine that exploded.

As we drove around the town, we saw many old stately homes. One of the homes had a carriage step by the street. Carriage steps were to help people getting in and out of their carriages or on and off a horse.

There were plenty of old style houses around the town. The ones with columns and covered porches were especially beautiful. While some had neatly kept yards, others looked neglected.

The house shown below is where the movie “Hope Floats”, a 1998 drama starring Sandra Bullock, was filmed. Smithville prides itself on being a film-friendly destination. They even publish a map for tourists showing the locations where dozens of movies were filmed.

Fayetteville, Texas

About halfway between Houston and Austin is the town of Fayetteville in the county of Fayette. It is not, however, the county seat. It was named after Fayetteville, North Carolina, a town which we’ve also passed through in our travels.

The county of Fayette is named after General Lafayette, the Revolutionary War hero. Its county seat, La Grange, is named after General Lafayette’s castle in France, Chateau de la Grange-Bleneau. The Marquis de Lafayette fought with the Americans and aided the cause of the American Revolution. La Grange is where we do most of our grocery shopping when we’re staying in Columbus, Texas.

At the center of Fayetteville is the historical courthouse and town square. The day we visited, the town was getting ready for their chili feed the next day. The courthouse is a two-story structure. The first floor is the original courthouse, while the second floor houses the old jail.

Jury box and witness stand in Fayetteville Courthouse

Much of Fayetteville’s population is from German and Czech ancestors. The Texas BBQ menus almost always offer sausages as well as the usual brisket and ribs. This is from the Czech and German influence.

Large oak in town square. Local businesses line the surrounding streets.

Looking across town square from courthouse.

We wandered into an art gallery off the town square. Fayetteville is kind of an artsy place. They have programs encouraging children of the county and other counties to explore the arts. The featured artist in the gallery at the time was a renowned forensic reconstruction artist. Her paintings and sculptures were on display.

The high school sits at the edge of town. In front of the current high school sits the newly refurbished 110 year old schoolhouse. A new library resides in the downstairs and upstairs houses the district administrative offices.

As we drove out of the town, we saw this pretty church with a silver steeple. It was locked, so we couldn’t see the interior.

We drove on some back roads through some other small towns including Industry and New Ulm. These towns were very small with perhaps a store and a few houses. Ellinger was another small town which was on our way home. It has a very busy Czech restaurant and bakery where we stopped and bought some of their delicious kolatches. (pastries with fruit fillings) It is on the highway between Columbus and La Grange.

I feel at home in small towns, having lived on the outskirts of one for many years in California. The people are usually friendly even if they know you’re not a local. The pace of life is slower. The roads are narrower. The views are peaceful. Cows graze in the fields. Barns and farmhouses bring thoughts and memories to mind of childhood visits to farms of relatives in Indiana. In short, it’s a relaxing way to spend an afternoon.

These are just a few of the small towns we have visited in Texas. With 254 counties, there are many more interesting small towns scattered across the vast state, enough to keep us busy for a long, long time!

The Painted Churches of Texas

Posted on August 21, 2022 by admin

Many Europeans immigrants settled in Texas in the 1800’s, entering through the port of Galvaston. The majority of them were of German or Czech descent. Being full or part-time farmers, most immigrants came to Texas because of the availability of land. They were very proud of their heritage and tended to settle in groups in the hill country and areas in the southern portion of Texas.

These same people built churches and decorated and painted them to emulate the elaborate churches they left behind in Europe. This included stained glass windows, hand-painted sculptures, paintings, stencils and more.

Although there are as many as 20 painted churches, four are located in the vicinity of Schulenburg, Texas. We took a pleasant drive through the countryside to visit these churches in one afternoon. If we had trouble locating any of these churches, we just had to look for the church spire which was visible from a distance above the tree tops.

Saints Cyril and Methodius Catholic Church in Dubina, Texas with iron cross on top

1. Saints Cyril and Methodius Catholic Church

The first church we visited was Saints Cyril and Methodius Catholic Church in Dubina. Dubina means “oak grove” in Czech. Their first church was constructed in 1877 among the oak studded hills, but was destroyed in a hurricane in 1909. The church was re-built and topped by an iron cross found among the rubble of the first church. The cross was made by a freed slave blacksmith. It is still atop the church today.

The original artwork was painted over in white paint in the 1950’s because the artwork was thought to be too distracting. In the 1980’s, however, when other painted churches were being recognized for their beauty and historicity, the church members decided to restore the church to its original beauty. They uncovered old designs and found old stencils stored in the church to repaint the designs. The columns look like marble, but they are actually just painted to look that way.

Star studded ceiling of Saints Cyril and Methodius Catholic church

Inside Saints Cyril and Methodius Catholic Church

2. St. John The Baptist Catholic Church, Ammannsville

It was a short drive to the next church: St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Ammannsville, Texas. It looks similar on the outside to Saints Cyril and Methodius Church. The first church built here was also destroyed by the 1909 hurricane. They rebuilt, but the second church was destroyed by fire. The third and current church is the one standing today.

The peach-colored interior of this church is sometimes referred to as dusty rose. There is a blend of both German and Czech styles. This church has beautiful stained glass windows.

The detail in the painting of this church can be seen in the next photo above the side door and stained glass window.

The windows in this church were really beautiful. The church’s stained glass windows tell the story of the area’s Czech roots and history.

Altar of St. John the Baptist Catholic Church

3. St. Mary’s Catholic Church, High Hill, Texas

Built in 1906, St. Mary’s Catholic Church is the most elaborate of the four churches and is called “The Queen” of the painted churches. The church hierarchy encouraged the community to build in the Spanish mission style. This was rejected by the local church leaders who wanted churches built of brick or stone to be able to weather storms or fires. The exterior of St. Mary’s is built of bricks.

The interior of the church has painted arches creating an illusion of structural beams. The columns are wood, but painted to resemble marble.

The church is dimly lit because of the intricate and beautiful stained glass windows. The windows, imported from Germany portray biblical scenes, designs and symbols.

The elaborate interiors of these churches were painted meticulously by hand.

Graveyard for St. Mary’s Catholic Church

Although each of these churches had a graveyard nearby, this is the only one of which I took a photo.

4. St. Mary’s Church of the Assumption, Praha, Texas

St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Praha, Texas

Built in 1895, St. Mary’s Church of the Assumption is a stone church located in Praha, Texas. It is one of the oldest of the painted churches. The altars are hand-carved, and hand-painted in white and gold leaf.

The ceiling is painted to represent the Garden of Eden and filled with Texas flowers.

Paintings on inside front door of church

After our tour, we stopped and had an ice cream cone at the “Country Store” in Schulenburg. It was a fun day and perfect for shooting photos with the blue sky and white puffy clouds.

I couldn’t help but notice that almost all of the statues of Jesus depicted Him either dying or dead. It’s wonderful to know the Bible promises us that Jesus is alive!

⁷For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin. ⁸And since we died with Christ, we know we will also live with Him. ⁹We are sure of this because Christ was raised from the dead, and He will never die again. Death no longer has any power over Him. ¹⁰When He died, He died once to break the power of sin. But now that He lives, He lives for the glory of God. Romans 6:7-10 NLT

³³Who will bring charges against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies; ³⁴who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, but rather, was ^[a]raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. Romans 8:33-34 NASB

As for the other painted churches in Texas, hopefully we will be able to visit them eventually and add them to this blog.

Five Museums

Posted on June 10, 2022 by admin

One way to get to know the history of an area is to visit local museums. Some museums are carefully curated and others seem to be a hodge-podge collection. Each museum, however, reveals something of our past or has something for us to learn.

This is a small taste of what we experienced at five museums we visited from Texas to Ohio.

1. Dr. Pepper Museum, Waco, Texas

Dr. Pepper has always been my favorite soft drink. I hardly ever drink soft drinks anymore because of the caffeine and sugar, but a chance to see where Dr. Pepper was founded sounded fun.

We learned that Waco was the perfect place for a bottling company. That’s because of the Trinity Aquifer and artesian water from which Waco earned the nickname, “Geyser City”. We learned the first bottled soft drink was made by Jacob Schweppe and bottled in ceramic bottles.

There are several stories as to how Dr. Pepper got it’s name, so I won’t try to explain all of them. A Waco pharmacist named Charles Alderton, experimented with soft drink recipes until he came up with the popular drink then known as the “Waco”. Not being interested in starting a business, Alderton never became rich from his recipe. Instead he allowed the drug store owner where he worked and the owner of a ginger ale company to take over the business of producing it.

It seems the real genius was in marketing the new drink. We saw many examples of ad campaigns and Dr. Pepper paraphernalia. Remember the 10, 2 and 4 ads? If I drank Dr. Pepper at 10 a.m., 2 p.m. and 4 p.m., I would be awake for a week!

My favorite part of the Dr. Pepper Museum was looking down the well. The well had been covered over for many decades. When it was discovered, it was found to be filled with all kinds of debris, including many vintage bottles. Archeology students from Baylor University spent many hours excavating and preserving the items found in the well. Many of them are now displayed inside the museum. As you can see, the bricks lining the walls are very well preserved.

I remember riding my bike to a Circle K store and getting a soda out of a cooler like the one below . I inserted my money and slid the bottle to the opening where I could lift it out. (See instructions on lid) Sometimes these coolers kept drinks so cold, the soda would turn to ice when you popped off the bottle cap.

2. Roadside America Museum

Every small town in Texas is proud of their history. Hillsboro, Texas, is no exception. We visited the Roadside America Museum. This museum is a collection of Americana memorabilia. Tours are by appointment, but we arrived just when another couple was being ushered into the museum by the tour guide.

I have to say, this museum was overwhelming. There were so many items crammed into such a small space, that my eyes hurt. This museum owner is a collector bordering on hoarding. But I think he is very clever to turn his collector’s habit into a museum.

Lots of vintage stuff at Roadside America Museum

I remember going out to eat at Bob’s Big Boy in Scottsdale, Arizona. My sister’s first job was working there as a waitress. A Big Boy icon like the one below was outside every Bob’s Big Boy restaurant.

There were also a lot of old vehicles in this museum that had been restored. My favorite was this peach car with the peach interior.

3. Texas Through Time Fossil Museum

In the same little town of Hillsboro, Texas, was the Texas Through Time Museum. I was interested in the fossil collection that is housed there. Though the museum has fossils from around the world, their main goal is to educate and stimulate appreciation for Texas’ unique fossil record. We got there near closing time, so I only had time to snap a few pictures.

Fossilized skelton of Seymouria, an extinct reptile

4. National Museum of the United States Air Force

While we were in Ohio close to Dayton, Ray, being an Air Force vet, wanted to visit this impressive museum.

The National Museum of the United States Air Force is the official museum of the United States Air Force. It is located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, 6 miles northeast of Dayton, Ohio. This is the world’s largest military aviation museum and also the oldest. It houses and displays more than 360 aircraft and missiles. It is housed in five massive airplane hangers. We only had enough time to see one during our visit.

The museum is more than airplanes. We saw tastefully done dioramas with realistic looking figures in authentic uniforms. There are so many displays that it would take days to read all of them.

I enjoyed the movie about the WW II Memphis Belle. It was one of the first B-17 bombers to complete 25 combat missions, after which the aircrew returned with the bomber to the United States to sell war bonds. Restoration of it began in 2005. As of 2018, it now resides in this museum.

5. Corvette Museum, Bowling Green, Kentucky

One of my all-time favorite cars is the Corvette. I think they are some of the most aesthetically beautiful cars that have been made. We were only a short drive to Bowling Green, Kentucky, where the Corvette Museum is located, so we packed a lunch and went to see it.

When World War 2 soldiers came back from the war, they wanted sports cars like this European roadster. They felt the American made cars were boxy and dull. The first Corvette was produced in 1953 to fill that demand. Since then there have been eight generations of Corvettes produced.

1953 Corvette, first year of Corvette production

Because Corvettes had such high performance engines, they were desirable for racing. Here is one used by Paul Reinhart painted in his special colors.

There was just something about seeing so many Corvettes in one place at one time!

In 2014, a 40 foot sinkhole opened up in the skydome of the Corvette Museum in the early morning hours. Eight Corvettes were swallowed. You can watch the security camera footage at this link: https://www.corvettemuseum.org/explore/exhibits/corvette-cave-in-exhibit/. (Click on link and scroll down.) Two cars were able to be restored back to original condition while the others remain displayed as found.

Display showing sinkhole and where the cars were located

Corvette damaged in the sink hole collapse

We enjoyed our time in each of these museums. We learned much more than I am able to share here. We’re never to old to learn something new! I hope you enjoyed our short mini-tours.

The Silos

Posted on April 22, 2022 by admin

One of the reasons “Fixer Upper” has been so popular, I think, is that Chip and Joanna Gaines like to preserve the old character and history of the homes and structures they renovate. That’s what attracted me to their shows. Plus, they are both very talented at what they do. They’re funny and playful, and they have good old fashioned values.

I heard their restaurant, Magnolia Table, was a popular and busy tourist attraction, but I had no idea that on a Wednesday in March that we would be fighting for a parking spot. I heard that reservations were recommended, but I decided to take a chance. When we arrived, we were told it would be an hour plus wait for a table. Well, we were too hungry. In the same parking lot was Rudy’s BBQ, so we opted to go there to eat instead. It was delicious!

The Silos complex is a few miles away from Magnolia Table restaurant. We drove around for some time before we found a parking spot a few blocks away from the entrance.

The Silos are a prominent landmark feature of the Magnolia complex. The Gaines’ businesses fill an entire city block.

We approached from corner of the block where the bakery sits. I wanted to see the checkerboard patio area. We didn’t buy anything from the bakery as there was already a line out the door. It was an excuse for me not to to eat something sugary.

Magnolia Market was our first stop. It houses displays of home decor, wall decor, seasonal decorations, clothing and more. Their stated purpose is “a place where you find inspiration and a renewed vision for your home”.

I know how much Joanna Gaines likes old doors, so it wasn’t surprising to find some in her store.

Katy Park is a wiffle ball park that provides some fun for families while they are visiting the Silos. It was nice to see a family out there enjoying it.

In one corner of the block is Magnolia Seed and Supply, a gardening supply center and garden. This was one of my favorite spots. This garden not only supplies fresh ingredients for Magnolia Table (the restaurant), but also for the Salvation Army.

I liked the cozy benches made from branches that were tucked away in corners.

My all time favorite flower is the tulip, so I was delighted to see all the beautiful tulips in bloom.

Magnolia Home is a showcase for fully-designed room scenes to help the shopper visualize possibilities for their own home.

This is a large woven wall hanging in Magnolia Home.

Another building nearby housed Magnolia Press, a coffee shop. We just walked inside to take a look.

In another part of the complex there are six little cottage shops. Each of the shops has a specific style and theme such as bath and body, men’s items, leather bags and jewelry, women’s clothing, and books and paper. A new shop that will house children’s items was not open yet.

The books and paper shop had art supplies.

I really wanted to see the old 1894 church that was moved to the Silos site and renovated. It was beautiful on the inside and outside. There was something missing though. See if you notice.

I love the scallops and other detail of the church entrance.

Large wooden doors to old church at the Silos.

The Silos as seen from inside the old church.

Below is Chip and Joanna Gaines’ statement of belief for their business. It seems really nice. But there seems to be something missing. See if you notice what it might be.

Ray was the one who pointed out to me that their statement of belief never mentions God. There is no mention of why the old church is important other than as a renovation project saving an historic building. There is no cross on top of nor inside of the church. There is no pulpit. It’s just a pretty building.

I know they have received attacks from leftists. It’s possible that they are just trying not to offend anyone. They clearly believe in family, friendship and home, but what is glaringly missing is any mention of Christian values or God. I know I may be bursting someone’s bubble by mentioning this. I could be wrong, but after researching their religious beliefs, I came away wondering. Just what do they believe?

I’m really glad we took the time to visit the Silos. It is a very unique and popular place. If you don’t mind fighting through the crowds of people or standing in line, it’s a fun place to see. Though the products are very pricey and I didn’t notice many people with shopping bags, I imagine most people were just there to look–like me. Smile. And I still admire Chip and Joanna’s sense of business and entrepreneurship–it’s amazing!

Big Bend National Park

Posted on April 15, 2022 by admin

From the tip of southern Texas, we traveled northwest along the Texas/Mexico border to the “bulge” of southern Texas. It is appropriately called “Big Bend” because that is where the Rio Grande River makes a huge bend toward the southeast and then bends back to the northeast. In the crook of this huge bend is Big Bend National Park.

Spring was a perfect time of year to visit before the heat set in. It was still chilly at night, and not many cacti or wildflowers were blooming yet except for a few bluebonnets (the Texas state flower) that were starting to bloom by the roadside.

We stayed in an RV park in the town of Terlingua (Ter-ling-gwa), a little town that got its start in the 1880’s when “quicksilver” (mercury) was found in the area.

The first thing I noticed was how vast this area is that Big Bend encompasses. You can see the purple mountains in the far distance, and somewhere beyond those mountains is the Rio Grande, and beyond them is Mexico. Though it is only #15 on the list of the largest national parks, Big Bend National Park is over 800,000 acres, and is larger than Yosemite National Park.

There are plenty of things to do in Big Bend NP including scenic drives, day hikes, river trips, bird watching, fishing, horseback riding and stargazing. Speaking of stargazing, Big Bend has the darkest night skies of any national park in the lower 48 states and is designated an International Dark Sky Park.

The Big Bend NP website has suggestions for scenic drives. We drove on all the paved roads in the park. The Ross Maxwell Scenic drive took us to Sotol Vista where we had a view over the entire valley. The notch in the distant ridge is where the road would end. That is where the Rio Grande cuts through steep cliffs at Santa Elena Canyon.

Santa Elena Canyon at the end of the road.

This is the “notch” in the faraway ridge you were looking at in the last photo. But first, some sites along the way.

We stopped at the Mule Ears Overlook. You don’t have to have much of an imagination to see the “mule ears”.

Tuff Canyon and Castalon Peak were other stops.

Near the end of the road, there is a massive mountain of rock wall that makes a natural barrier at the border of USA and Mexico.This is where the Rio Grande cuts through the rock and becomes Santa Elena Canyon.

Rock walls on the border make a natural barrier.

The Rio Grande is a favorite place for those who like to kayak and canoe down the river. It’s also a favorite spot to watch the sunset, as it sets between the two walls.

We brought a picnic supper with us so we could wait for the sunset. But instead of staying at Santa Elena Canyon, we started making our way back along the same road, stopping to photograph the “golden hour” effect on various mountains and hills.

The sunset did not disappoint.

The next day we packed a lunch and drove to the high country of Big Bend on the Chisos Basin road. In less than 6 miles, this road climbs over 2,000 feet above the desert floor to an elevation of around 4,500 feet. As the road gained elevation, the desert flora soon gave way to drooping junipers, gray oaks and the tall Douglas firs and Arizona pines. The air was notably cooler.

The road ended at the Chisos Mountains Lodge and the Chisos Basin Visitor Center. The parking lot was full, so we turned around and went back home.

Our third day of exploration took us to Panther Junction where we turned onto the road to Rio Grande Village. This 20 mile drive descends nearly 2,000 feet in elevation on its way to the Rio Grande. Along the way we drove through a tunnel, and stopped for a view of the Rio Grande from above.

Looking out across to the Rio Grande, we could see the mountains on the Mexican side of the Rio Grande. Nearby, we saw a spineless prickly pear cactus and other native plants.

Down by the river is a campground, but the sites had no hookups. Even in early March the weather was quite warm. A generator would be a must.

We drove to the Rio Grande river overlook at Boquillas Canyon. Curiously enough, a sketchy-looking man was there selling trinkets and souvenirs to tourists for a high price. I’m not sure if he was from Mexico or the USA. There were three vehicles parked on the other side of the river and a canoe pulled up on the opposite bank. It’s hard to tell why the vehicles were there, and if they had anything to do with the peddler.

Rio Grande River at Boquillas Canyon Overlook

Another day we visited the nearby “ghost town” of Terlingua. The town is now a tourist trap more than a ghost town. A few old buildings and ruins could be seen. We visited a general store next door to the Holiday Hotel and the Starlight Theatre. We strolled through the old cemetery and then bought supper-to-go at the Rustic Iron BBQ.

On the way home, I took a peek in the Quilt store in the town of Terlingua. Two little ladies were sewing away. The owner said she has 14 quilters working for her. When I asked how she ended up in the middle of nowhere, she said, “The warm weather!” “Yep,” I said, “That’s why we’re here.”

Big Bend National Park was better than I anticipated. I found myself wanting to visit again someday because there’s so much more to see.

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