Texas Bucket List

Texas Bucket List

Simmons Bank

The Texas Bucket List – Rick Fairless Strokers in Dallas

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Dallas – When you first meet Rick Fairless, it doesn’t take long to realize he has a unique flair about him. “I got to be doing other things, I got to be moving around. I can’t be sitting still very much, I got to be moving,” said Rick while moving his arms and hands in a gliding motion.

Rick’s free spirit is a tribute to the generation he’s a part of and his motorcycle shop Strokers is a tribute to that time in American history.  Here it’s all about peace, love, and the Cowboys. “I grew up with the peace, and the love, and all that, and that’s the way I think it still should be,” said Rick.

Born in Big D and raised in Irving, Rick’s childhood is reminiscent of a time gone by, when being outside all day was just a way of life for little ones. “You were never in the house as a kid. Unless you’re eating, or sleeping, or grounded, you were outside. It’s just the way it was. You were riding a bicycle, everybody had a bicycle and you rode your bicycle everywhere, and you knew where all the kids were, because their bicycles were piled up in the yard or on the sidewalk. How many kids are you seeing outside riding bicycles in your neighborhood? You don’t,” said Rick.

That feeling of freedom on wheels turned into an affinity for motorcycles. “If I’m having a bad day, sometimes I’ll just tell my wife or one of my daughters, ‘I’m going to go for a ride before I kill somebody. I’m going for a ride.’ I just want to be able to ride my motorcycle,” explained Rick.

For 20 years, Rick worked at a paint company but in 1996, he had enough and decided to rev up his dream of owning a motorcycle shop. “I just knew that there was something else, and I thought, ‘If I can make this my passion, my livelihood, wouldn’t that be cool?,” explained Rick.

Strokers was born but this wasn’t just going to be a place just to talk shop. “Somebody’s only going to come to a bike shop, well, they hadn’t been in a while, well, they’re looking for a bike, well, they need some parts, well, they need an oil change. But if you have a beer joint next door, they’re going to keep coming back every weekend,” said Rick.

With his daughters by his side, Rick’s little family venture has become a huge hit with bikers, business clients, and just about anybody who enjoys unique people and places. “If a dumbass like me can be successful, anybody can, you just got to have a work ethic,” joked Rick.

Rick’s true calling is custom bike design.  That’s his bread and butter and he’s proud to show off his work. “When I did this, I call it the Psychedelic Chopper, that was a game changer, and that’s when people around the country started to notice, ‘Hey, this tie dyed kid in Dallas is doing some pretty cool stuff.’,” explained Rick. “When we build a bike for you, it’s something that we hope that you treasure forever. It’s an artistic piece for you, but it’s something that you can take out and ride,” stated Rick.

His colorful creations and custom bikes bring out all sorts of customers looking for the perfect cruiser. “Me and all my buddies, when we grew up, we all wanted the Harley. You probably wanted the Harley when you were a kid, we all wanted the Harley. You still want one, I can help you with that, Shane. I can fix that for you, brother,” joked Rick.

Any bike enthusiast will tell you convincing the wife is always the toughest part. “Wives are the big deal killers. You got to get the wife on board. So when somebody brings their wife in, we’re like, ‘Oh no, he’s bringing his wife in. Hey baby, how are you doing? You look good on the back of that motorcycle, I ain’t kidding, get on there, you’re going to look good.’ That’s what I keep telling her,” joked Rick.

So, what is Rick’s favorite ride in Texas?

“It depends if it’s a long ride, or not. I love to ride Alpine, you get no prettier than there, or you get no prettier than the Hill Country is awesome out there, or you get no prettier than riding through East Texas. Just depends where you want to go,” explained Rick.

For a lot of folks, Strokers is that stop because reliving what life was like 50 years ago will always be on their bucket list. “It’s a motorcycle shop, it’s a Bar & Grill, it’s a live music venue, it’s a museum. And it’s not just about motorcycles, it’s about growing up in the ’60s and the ’70s,” expressed Rick.

Passing along the feeling of nostalgia is what Rick enjoys the most and selling the occasional bike too. “I’ve got to meet a lot of really nice people, and some of them are Troy Aikman, and some of them are just hardcore riders, and some of them are guys that come in every weekend and look at bikes, that want one, but their wife won’t let them get one, like you Shane,” joked Rick.

The Texas Bucket List – El Perrito in Austin

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Austin – When it comes to being a food cart that makes the cut in the Capital City, you’ve got to have something creative and that’s exactly the case at El Perrito.  Here they’re not serving up your typical Tex-Mex, it’s more of a west Texas way of doing things. “The first week I ate every day for five days,” said customer John Bomhardt.

“To be honest with you, it’s the most work I’ve ever done,” said owner Ivan Enriquez. Ivan may be dog tired, but his creations are keeping foodies from a particular part of our state extremely happy. Being from El Paso, his creations are homages to that city’s finest offerings. “It’s awesome. Well, I mean, for me at least because I get to bring like a little piece of home,” said Ivan.

“If you want a taste of El Paso, this is a good start,” claimed customer Roman Grijalva.

“What, like 90%? I think my customer base is 90% El Paso, maybe 10% everyone else, for sure,” said Ivan.

“I come, I try it. I cried. I cried. I had found home. That is a God honest truth,” expressed customer Cathy Lowenberg who also hails from El Paso.

Yes, you’ll find tacos with a little twist on the menu but the signature specialty is their ELP Tacos. “ELP tacos, standing in for El Paso or El Perrito tacos, whichever you want to call it,” joked Ivan.

Very similar to Chico’s Tacos in El Paso, a place we featured a few years back on The Texas Bucket List, the ELP tacos tend to have the same cult following as their counterpart’s way out west. “It’s the same style, you’re drowning or already drowning in nice spicy broth, and it just hits home. It just hits like home,” stated Ivan.

If you’ve ever talked with anyone from El Paso, they’re truly unique Texans thanks to their incredible isolation in the far reaches of our state.  And trust me, there’s nothing that people from El Paso like to debate more than the food.

“Being from El Paso, we complain a lot. We like to say, ‘Oh yeah, our food’s the best.’ or we always want to complain about something like, ‘Oh, out here, they don’t have this. Oh, wow. This is missing.’ So it was one of those things I better stop talking and better put up, so I’m like just, ‘You know, I’m going to open up a food truck out here.’ And, yeah. That’s how I just started with that mindset, ‘I’m just going to do it myself. I’ll figure out a truck and just go from there.’,” explained Ivan.

“Not only are people coming here and learning a new way to eat good tacos, but the family of El Pasoans, we have finally found our El Paso people. I’ll tell you,” said Cathy.

Ivan and I squeezed into his trailer to drown some tacos and the Tour of El Paso.

“We’re going to start first with our ELP tacos, which are El Paso tacos, our version of the other guys. So pretty much it’s just our drowned taquitos. People can get them in order of three or they can get them in an order of six,” explained Ivan while preparing the dish.

Ivan pops the taquitos in the fryer and adds in some bonus items. “We’re also going to do some shredded beef flautas. A lot of people don’t do them out here in Central Texas, so this is something I definitely wanted to bring over here. Pretty much what I use is brisket,” said Ivan.

After rolling them up and adding them to the fryer, tacos also got put on the menu. “Old school style crispy tacos, just like if you’re back home in West Texas, like your mom or your grandma was making for you at the house,” joked Ivan.

As those finish up on the flat top and fryer, the ELP Tacos start coming together. Ivan poured the delicious sauce, topped them with Mexican cheese and they were ready to go! And if you like the sauce enough, you may not even need a drink!

The flautas then get topped with red sauce, green sauce, crema, lettuce, tomato, avocado, queso fresco.

Well, when it comes to the tour of El Paso, I start things off with the crispy tacos.They seem to be the least messy of all the offerings, so I guess we’ll just go to town on this taco and it is truly a terrific taco.

From there, we find the flautas. These massive offerings filled with that shredded beef, it’s like the tastiest cigar you’ve ever had. The shredded brisket has a very unique flavor, almost a sweet tinge to it on top of that smokiness, with that incredible tortilla wrapped around there. Delicious and different!

And finally, the star of the show, the ELP tacos. You might have seen these once before on The Texas Bucket List. A little bit different here with the green salsa on top of it. And the first thing you notice is they’re not as soggy as some of the other ones I’ve tried before. They’re actually still crispy. After a few bites, I was back in El Paso but this time, much closer to home. I know it’s a big debate, but I love them.

“It’s a clone. I mean, it’s maybe a little bit thicker sauce, which is really delicious,” said Roman.

“I slept that night like my abuelita was patting my back. That’s how good these are. I’m telling you,” said Cathy.

“It does have a little bit more of a bite, but it has a richer flavor. This has been what I’ve been eating for forever,” explained John.

“It’s like they know me. They looked me up in the book and said, ‘I’m going to make a taco just for Chatty Cathy.’,” joked Cathy.

There’s only one test left for this famous El Paso dish, drinking that amazing sauce and it’s pretty darn good. Not as soupy and much thicker.

“You got to try at least once before you kick the bucket,” stated Roman.

“Everybody always gets close, but just never gets to the king, who I would like to call him back home,” said Ivan.

Well, if you’re looking for a taste of the West Texas town of El Paso and you happen to be stuck in the Central Texas town of Austin, you can find it here at El Perrito. Well worth the stop on The Texas Bucket List!

“You leave and you’re happy. And you go home and you’re like, ‘I’m going back tomorrow.’,” joked Cathy.

The Texas Bucket List – Swimming with Sharks at Texas State Aquarium in Corpus Christi

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Corpus Christi – We’ve done some pretty amazing things on the Texas Bucket List over the years but there’s an adventure in Corpus Christi that ranks right up near the top. You see the Texas State Aquarium is already a great place to visit on our list but now you can do something that had my Mom and my kids all concerned, swimming with sharks!

“Probably the most successful programs we’ve launched,” said Jesse Gilbert, the president and CEO of the Texas State Aquarium. Before I was forced to swim with the fishes, I had to know how all of this came to be. Since 2003 Jesse has been part of this place and that includes the introduction of their swim with the sharks experience.

Now the Texas State Aquarium didn’t build its reputation on this unique experience but rather the years of fun and educational programs that they’ve had since the aquarium opened in 1990.  Back then the entire exhibit was dedicated to the Gulf of Mexico but today there’s a boatload more thanks to the recent Caribbean Ocean addition. “We doubled the size of the aquarium in 2017 when it opened, and from there, we went to the wildlife rescue center. So that pattern has just continued to go,” explained Jesse.

Seeing these sizable exhibits is quite exhilarating but then you realize, someone has to take care of all these fish. “There’s about 70 individuals alone that make sure that the animals are safe, the water’s good to go, the bay is in good shape. We use natural seawater from Corpus Christi Bay, and so we have to make sure that the Bay’s doing well. So there’s a lot of data that’s collected and a lot of operations that go on around the clock,” explained Jesse.

“My whole life. I have wanted to work with Marine animals, specifically sharks,” stated Jordan Campbell, an instructor here at the aquarium. Jordan took me on a behind the scenes tour of the Texas State Aquarium and that’s when you really get a scope of how big this ocean operation is.

“It’s like a small city. We have to generate our own power. When we have hurricanes and freezes, we have to make our own water, we have our own hospital for the animals, we have our own commissaries and kitchens. And so it’s really kind of a neat way to take people behind the scenes and they can see all the different facets of what it takes to operate an organization with us,” said Jesse.

Jordan then took me to the Islands of Steel exhibit, their largest exhibit that mimics just what we would see in the Gulf of Mexico. “So we’ve got some larger shark species. We have two nurse sharks.Their names are Luna and Soul. We’ve got a few larger game fish in here as well, we’ve got some crevalle jacks, we have a sheepshead, a northern red snapper, we have some tarpon. We have one barracuda kind of right there in the middle. And then of course we have Tiki who’s our loggerhead sea turtle,” explained Jordan while showing us the exhibit.Here you get to feed the fish, and they sure do go crazy for it!

Now if I can prevent myself from becoming food, we’ll be okay, so Shannon Hunt got me prepared. Shannon took me to the Caribbean Sea exhibit where I will be snorkeling with the sharks! “Yeah. There’s sharks, eels, stingrays, all kinds of really cool marine life that we’re going to get a nice close look at,” said Shannon Hunt, a staff member of the aquarium.

Fortunately, I spotted the cage I will be in. “Yes, we will be in that shark cage in just a few minutes. And when we’re in there, we’re going to be able to see our animals up really, really closely. All of the animals, the sandbar sharks, our stingrays, even our eels, aren’t shy about swimming right past the cage for an awesome view,” explained Shannon.

“Our sharks all have a nice balanced diet. It does not include any of our snorkelers or any nice, tasty snacks that you might have brought along with you today,” joked Shannon.

“So by getting up close and personal, we can remove the stigma around sharks and give people a better appreciation for the ocean. As the aquarium here, we are trying to get people to care about these animals and the quality of our ocean. And by seeing all the incredible stuff nice up and close, then you care a little bit more,” explained Shannon.

Now what I am worried about is the water being ice cold. “However, this water is right around 72 degrees Fahrenheit and that’s the optimal temperature for all of the different species in this exhibit,” said Shannon. “We’re going to get you in the water with some sharks today,” stated Cassie Gunter, a three-year employee at The Texas State Aquarium.

Cassie got me ready for the dive.  Fortunately, I love snorkeling so passing the quick swimming test wasn’t a problem, the 72-degree water on the other hand was a bit chilly. The salinity of the water was surprisingly strong, keeping me more afloat than I am used to but keeping my legs up in the water was a good thing, especially when you see sharks swimming right in front of you. “The sharks here are pretty friendly, so we get in there every day with them, so they’re really used to human interaction, but we don’t touch them unless we absolutely have to, this is their home so we make sure to respect that,” explained Cassie.

Once you settle in, watching these huge animals glide gracefully in the water is exhilarating while knowing there’s a cage around you is comforting. “A lot of people are pretty surprised, I know that sharks get a bad rep in the media sometimes. Everyone’s seen Jaws and all the scary sharks, but the whole purpose of this snorkel here is so people can get up close with sharks and say, ‘Hey, that shark wasn’t so scary, maybe they’re pretty awesome and an important part of the ecosystem.’,” explained Shannon.

“There’s that wow factor of being with sharks. Sharks aren’t dangerous, we want to make sure that people understand that. And so we were trying to come up with a way that people could get in there. It was safe, but it also kind of kept this mystique about sharks,” said Jesse.

Swimming with the sharks comes highly recommended but if just visiting the aquarium is enough to float your boat, we’ll that’s well worth a stop as well. “The Texas State Aquarium has something special, the people here have something special. Everyone, as soon as you walk in the doors, they want to share what we know about the animals, about the environment, and it’s really something you have to see and experience firsthand,” expressed Jordan.

“That’s what’s so special about Texas is that Texans love the outdoors and they love their wildlife. And so it makes telling that story easier and impactful. We’re just not saying it, Texans really understand it and go out there and do it,” said Jesse.

The Texas Bucket List – Nana’s Taqueria in Weslaco

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Weslaco – Considering the countless number of cultural cuisine stops we have in the Lone Star State, it’s not often I run into something I’ve never heard of before. But over at Nana’s Taqueria, that was exactly the case with the lonches. “It’s like an everyday thing for us here in the valley. You say ‘lonches’, where at,” said customer Christy Flores.

“Lonche is not a hamburger. Lonche is not a hot dog. Lonche is not a taco, lonches is lonches,” said Alfredo Trevino, co-owner and the one behind the infamous lonches.

“At the beginning, they were like, ‘What’s lonches? What’s lonches?’ Now a lot of people here in the valley know what lonches are. Yes, it’s very original from Progresso,” explained co-owner Roxanna Trevino.

Roxanna and her husband Alfredo have been together 30 years and started Nana’s Taqueria back in 2010. “He’s a very good cook. So his love for tacos and then my love for lonches, click together,” stated Roxanna.

The couple used to own a pottery business in Progresso, unfortunately the perpetual problems in the border town forced them to make the move to Weslaco. “Since a lot of people didn’t go to Progresso anymore, because of the violence during that time, everyone was like, ‘Oh wow, you have the lonches here!’ So we started getting famous because of our lonches,” explained Roxanna.

“We have a hard start, but it’s more beautiful,” expressed Alfredo.

“It was very hard to start from the bottom again, but nothing is impossible,” expressed Roxanna.

Now their thriving restaurant brings that taste of Mexico into Texas thanks to their fantastico food and asombrosa atmosphere. “If it wasn’t for the family, they wouldn’t have this, a dream. And it’s a beautiful dream. Just look around,” said Christy.

“Everything’s really sensational about the place,” stated customer Derek Alanis.

“Total experience of the food, the beautiful environment, the fresh air,” said another customer Jacque Webb.

As if starting over wasn’t hard enough, Roxanna recently battled breast cancer and finally returned to work after a year of treatment.  “I had a lot of support from my family, from my husband, and from my daughters. So thank God that helped me go through it too, because it was very hard. Those treatments are devastating. They’re very hard. And here I am. Here I am, back to work. It feels great. It feels great. The moment I came back, I was like, ‘Oh, thank God. I’m back to work. Another opportunity. Thank you, God,” expressed Roxanna.

Alfredo is also happy to have his wife back in the building. “In this wonderful country. The boss is the woman. You know, I am a strategic associate,” joked Alfredo.

Well I was ready to get a whiff of something new so Alfredo took me to the back to give me the lowdown on lonches. My first question, what goes into making the lonches? “The most important is the bread,” stated Alfredo.

Similar to the bread I had in east Texas with the pistolettes, the little loaves are fried up to get it all warm inside. “Not too long, because remember we need to protect the skin,” stated Alfredo.

Alfredo pulls them out before any oil can sneak inside. Then comes the uncomplicated ingredients. “The next step is the vegetables. We use cabbage, some tomatoes, and some cilantro. And this part, well in Mexico, is very important, the avocado. And then finally we need to fill Mexican cheese. This is a typical order, the lonches,” explained Alfredo while putting the lonche together.

Now when you dig into one of these, you can smell that fried bread on top of all those incredible ingredients.  I’m told putting Nana’s homemade green salsa on each lonche is the way to go. After one bite it’s safe to say that they are dreamy.

The flavor is on point. The ground beef has got great seasoning and then you put in those fresh veggies on top of it. And then once you take a couple bites that steamed bread just rolls on in, that’s pretty good. “The way they fry and puff up that bread is delish,” said Jacque.

On to lonche number two. This time I try the spicy sauce, another homemade salsa made at Nana’s and this one is supposed to be extremely spicy. After taking bite, the flavor of the salsa is fantastic but after a while, the heat kicks in.  This salsa even gave me the heat hiccups! “I like a little spicy. I’m a spicy person,” stated Derek.

Each one of those sauces definitely brings up something different in each lonche and I’m a glutton for punishment! “Everyone should try a lonches. They’re really good. They’re really, really, really good,” said Roxanna.

Well, you may have to go way down to Weslaco to get a little lunch of lonches. but if you happen to be in the area, Nana’s Taqueria, it’s well worth the stop on The Texas Bucket List. “Always trusting in God that we’re going to make it, and we’re going to get this going. And I thank God that we’ve been together, and all of this has been possible because we’re together,” expressed Roxanna.

The Texas Bucket List – The Coming King Sculpture Prayer Gardens in Kerrville

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Kerrville – Max Greiner is an accomplished artist. “I always dreamed to be an artist, and that’s what God made me,” expressed Max. He’s also an unapologetic Baptist. “Boy, God put a passion in me after I got that and I couldn’t let go of it then,” said Max.

Since 1978, Max has been creating all sorts of art here in the Lone Star State but one piece has given him a divine purpose throughout his life. It’s also been the inspiration to complete The Coming King Sculpture Prayer Garden in Kerrville. “The Divine Servant,” sculpture is the one that, kind of, started this whole venture for Max.

Max’s story starts in the 1970’s, after marrying his wife Sherry in 1975, he started his fine art business and had major success. But when the market crashed in 1986, his world came tumbling down. “We didn’t have any money. We were losing the land, losing the mobile home, losing the business, and that’s when I cried out and said, ‘God, help. I need help, please.’ And He spoke and said, ‘I want you to do a sculpture of Jesus washing Peter’s feet.’ and I heard it. I said, ‘Okay.’,” explained Max. “Many consider it my masterpiece, hopefully each one of them has that character to them, but that’s how it began. God was teaching me about humility. That’s what this is about. You can see Jesus washing the feet of the disciple, Peter, right before he went to the cross the next day. That’s what God wants us to do. He wants to help keep us clean and walk through this life, and if we get dirty, he’ll forgive us and wash our feet again,” explained Max. “That took off, and then God… I waited. I learned He could give me ideas, so I just waited on Him. Then He gave me other ideas. I wouldn’t just work a month like an artist or an architect and say, ‘What’ll I do today?’ I’d just say, ‘God, tell me what you want.’,” said Max.

Several religious sculptures followed and one day Max thought he had completed his divine duty. “When I finished “The Coming King” I said, ‘Well, God, I guess we’re done. That’s the end of the book, Revelation. I guess I can quit now.’ I thought I was through, but then He gave me this vision to do a sculpture prayer garden,” said Max.

That’s when get got a call he wasn’t expecting. “A stranger out of Beaumont, Texas, named Marlon Quibodeaux, called up, and he said, ‘I’m Marlon Quibodeaux. I’m a businessman and an evangelist in Beaumont. And God says you’re supposed to build a 77′ 7″ cross on Interstate 10.’ I said, “What?,” explained Max.

Max prayed about and felt called to do it. Now he just needed a place to put it. He was drawn to this hilltop in Kerrville and contacted the owner. “Hey, this is Max Greiner, in Kerrville, Texas. I’m an artist and evangelist and I believe God wants to use your property to build a sculpture garden to honor Jesus Christ. Would you give me your land? If not, what would you sell it for? He didn’t answer my… He didn’t return my call,” joked Max.

But with prayer and incredible generosity, somehow this massive project miraculously came together. “God brought in other people and contractors and lots of volunteers. It was a work of the Body of Christ. It’s not just the Baptists, the Methodists, the Presbyterians, the Pentecostals; it’s the Catholics, it’s the whole Body of Christ. Everybody that claimed Jesus as Lord and Savior, they wanted to do this,” expressed Max.

“For me, it was like it resembled how big God is,” said visitor Jen Case. Jen felt called to come here from Nashville. “I literally felt just peace and everything that I had been carrying just fell off me,” expressed Jen.

“See, most people don’t know, God still works miracles,” expressed Max.

“The peace and the serenity here is amazing,” stated Jen.

“If you love God, it will be one of the most amazing experiences of your life. If you don’t like God, it could be one of the most amazing experiences of your life,” said Max.

The cross and sculptures are inspiring, but even more uplifting are their prayers placed on rocks around the scripture garden, thousands of them. “It’s one of the favorite aspects of the garden for a lot of the visitors. They’re thanking God for answering their prayers and they’re also asking God to answer their prayers,” explained Max.

Prayers for the sick, for family, for service members, and for healing.  Walking along this path, you can’t help but to say a prayer for those who need it most. “That’s what this kind of illustrates is the effect and power of prayers. That’s why people have canceled suicide here. They’ve been healed of drug addiction, abuse, and all kinds of stuff. Sometimes people leave their problems right here at the cross. They dump them off at the cross, let Jesus worry about them and they go away free,” expressed Max.

“I just felt super led to write my name and his name on this rock. I just put, “beautifully broken.” Then I wanted to do another rock. I thought, well, I don’t know if I was going to put my kids names, or whatever, but all of a sudden, God just put it on my heart. “All for your glory” came to my mind,” said Jen.

“God is a mystery, I don’t understand it, but we know you got to come to God and to get your prayers answered,” expressed Max.

So if experiencing a little spirituality is something that your soul seeks, a stop at The Cross in Kerrville is well worth a stop on The Texas Bucket List. “Bring all the people that are your friends and family to the garden, and also bring all the people you don’t like and just drop them off at the entrance and pick them up in a couple of hours and they’ll be a lot better,” said Max.

“This is so beautifully overwhelming, everybody needs to see this,” said Jen.

“This is God showing off on this mountain,” stated Max.

The Texas Bucket List – Gelman Stained Glass Museum in San Juan

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San Juan – The painted churches of central Texas are some of the most serene and sacred spots in our state. The sun piercing through the windows of these old shrines fills the spirit of your soul.  These works of art tell a story and it’s easy to find yourself staring at the colorful accounts of biblical stories for what feels like an eternity.

Well, if seeing stained glass like the kind you find in these charming chapels is what brings you joy, there’s a museum in Rio Grande Valley that will light up your life. “We are the largest and most comprehensive stained glass exhibit and collection in the United States,” said Miriam Cepeda, the director of the Gelman Stained Glass Museum in San Juan.

“I enjoy seeing individuals come in here and they’re just like, ‘Wow.’ Everyone, as soon as they open the door, they’re just amazed,” said Miriam.

Now why is this magnificent museum down in the Rio Grande Valley?  “The patron, which is Dr. Lawrence Gelman, is an anesthesiologist here in the Rio Grande Valley and due to the location here in San Juan, Mrs. Gelman chose this spot,” explained Miriam.

This spot in San Juan feels like a spiritual sanctuary and that’s exactly how they wanted it. “The whole idea, the whole goal here at the Gelman Stained Glass Museum is to provide a transcendental experience for our visitors that can only be achieved in the replication of a sacred environment. And so, that’s how come when you pass by us, you think we’re a cathedral. We replicate everything from the exterior to the interior of a cathedral,” explained Miriam.

From the outside, you’ll notice there isn’t one window. That’s because the Gelman Stained Glass Museum wanted every single stained glass to be protected from the elements and look impeccable with the perfect amount of light behind each and every window.  Artificially of course. “We have something that’s very unique and different because all of our stained glass is illuminated by LED replication of sunlight,” stated Miriam.

Miriam then took us behind the scenes to see just what it takes to illuminate this place. “People appreciate something as simple as sunlight. And it’s something that we talk about here at the museum in the replication of the sunlight. So, it’s not just yellow, it’s not just white. It’s soft white, bright yellow, light yellow, green, red. The whole spectrum,” explained Miriam.

Dr. Gelman has been collecting these stained-glass windows for over 30 years, in all there’s 174 sets in the museum. “Everything except two is original antiques that date back to the late 19th century, early 20th century,” said Miriam.

Miriam took us to the European section of windows and we were not disappointed. “One of the windows that’s very famous that we have on display is our Cox/Buckley window of Christ knocking at the door. And this window, Tiffany Studios, Louis Comfort Tiffany, he made a copy off of this window. And so, this one is an English artist Cox/Buckley, however, in the Munich-Mayer style, which is the painted style window,” explained Miram.

“We have to remind ourselves that during the late 19th century, early 20th century, there was the Industrial Revolution, and this is the era of Art Nouveau where, in these industrialized cities, people wanted to see something that looked naturalistic versus the railroad versus the booming skyscrapers. And so, when you go into a church in the Northeast Coast, for example, where predominantly most of these windows are from, you see these illustrations of something that looks very real in the natural world. Something heavenly as well and when you look at the windows, you’ll get that sentiment,” explained Miriam.

Looking at each window with a particular year on it or a name of someone the window was dedicated to makes you start to think off all the things these windowns have seen over the past one hundred plus years. “They’ve gone through a lot. Honestly, I think some of these windows are alive at night, but that’s another story. But yeah, they’ve seen so many things. They’ve seen so many baptismals, weddings, Christmas masses, funerals. They’ve all been a memory to someone,” expressed Miriam.

As a child, I still remember staring at the stained-glass windows of our church. Seeing the light reflected on the imperfections of the glass all the while learning a story of a Saint or a story in the Bible. Here you can relive some of those stories or just sit in awe of some amazing artwork making the Gelman Stained Glass Museum a great place to reflect on The Texas Bucket List. “We want to preserve all of these windows for centuries to come,” stated Miriam.

The Texas Bucket List – Hatch in Bulverde

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Bulverde – In the central Texas town of Bulverde, Hatch is a happening hot spot. “This is my home away from home right here. It’s my little happy place,” said customer Susan Smith.

Catalina Ortiz owns Hatch. “It is important that it’s good because I like good and I like food,” said owner Catalina Ortiz. Originally from Monterey, Mexico Catalina came to Texas after living in California for a few years with her family. It’s safe to say she likes Texas. “We came to Texas all the time and California is too far. I don’t want to say too much about California, but it’s too far,” said Catalina.

Catalina came across an opportunity when her family moved to Bulverde and hatched a plan to become a baroness of brunch. “I bought the business. The business was called Hatch 5 because the former owner had five kids. I just have four, so I didn’t want to move it to Hatch 4, so right now it’s Hatch,” explained Catalina. “It’s unbelievable to me that I have something on my own. Never thought,” stated Catalina.

Catalina also never thought about how much work owning her business would be. I mean this ain’t no wine mixer. “Well, it was very exciting, but then I didn’t realize how much work it could bring in. Sometimes I just have two people, I just have two hands. Whatever I can do with these two, I’ll do,” stated Catalina.

Well, those hands have created some amazing flavors including a sandwich that’s stacked with ham and brie. “I love cheeses and I like brie, and so I start just browsing around, things here and there, and I put it together,” explained Catalina.

Catalina got things started with some fresh bread that is freshly baked in house. Once mayo is added, Catalina spreads on a unique pesto made out of jalapenos. “The traditional pesto is with basil, but there’s one, it just came, we roast our jalapeno, fresh jalapeno, and then we blend them with olive oil and walnuts and garlic and spices, and then we spread that on the sandwich,” explained Catalina.  “Then I’m going to add a few apples. Oh, you’ll see it. It’s very nice. And then this is the jelly that we make in house. It’s a pineapple jalapeno jelly,” explained Catalina as she put together the sandwich. As the sandwich starts to toast, you can’t help but notice the brei begs for mercy under the heat.

The first thing you notice when you sit down with a ham and brie is the brie just filling up the air, along with that warmed up ham.  For my first taste, I want to make sure that I get bite full of brie and I did!  As you bite down into that ham and brie sandwich, the flavors just start to explode. From the brie to the pineapple jalapeno jelly, the ham, the bread, it all just explodes. And then you have the apple on top of it. Just amazing flavors!

“There’s a whole cornucopia of flavors going on there,” said customer Alan Whiting.

It’s awesome, as you get into that soft cheese and you get that brie flavor and then out of nowhere, you’ll bite into that apple and it’ll be crunchy, and just add a little bit of sweetness. And then there’s the jalapeno pesto. There are so many flavors in this sandwich.

“You always just expect sweet with ham and brie, and then that kick just comes in and slaps you,” said customer Anna Hepp.

Well, if you’re a big fan of big flavors, the ham and brie sandwich is right up your alley. The jalapeno pesto, that jalapeno pineapple jam makes such an incredible, big flavor, and that’s well worth a stop on The Texas Bucket List.

“You’re not going to get any better food anywhere. I don’t care what you pay for it,” said Susan.

“More than proud, I’m happy, because at the end of life it was given to me, this opportunity,” expressed Catalina.

The Texas Bucket List – Blue Moon Drive-In in El Paso

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El Paso – Out in the west Texas town of El Paso, we’ve met all sorts of characters and one of the most memorable has been Gary Montelone. His Italian restaurant Montelone’s was our first stop on The Texas Bucket List back in 2019.  While the food was fantastic, it was the phantasms that put this place on the map thanks to eerie feelings, unreal changes in room temperatures, and the occasional unexplainable twisting and bouncing beer cap. So of course, we had to come back for more! But this time, Gary has a new venture, an outdoor drive-in inspired movie theater.

Gary used to work in Hollywood as set designer and now he’s bringing the old school stars of Tinseltown to the sun city at the Blue Moon Drive- In. “I’ve always liked drive-in theaters. And then with my background in Hollywood and stuff, I just really wanted to make it,” said Gary.

“To see something like this coming back into El Paso was awesome,” said customer Michael Hallberg. “I don’t know. Driving down the freeway you imagine to find a drive-in theater, but I think it’s fun,” said customer Lorena Ramos.

Instead of the Hollywood sign, you get to watch under the bright lights of the El Paso star. “The evenings here in El Paso are beautiful,” stated Gary. And the nostalgic feel thrives with old school movies. “We show all the old Bela Lugosi, the Dracula’s, all the old sci-fi. Tonight we’re going to show The Alligator People. It’s a classic,” said Gary.

Now technically you can’t drive your car into the small theater lot, but you can get the feeling of being at a drive-in thanks to its outdoor setting, speakers, and snack food. “It’s got that kind of open-air feel. You’re not stuck in a building. And the speakers themselves, that in and of itself, really brings back the nostalgia,” said Michael.

Going into the snack bar is an experience in itself thanks to Gary and his incredible artistic talents. Painted on the walls are some of your favorite classic movie characters, from E.T, to Gremlins.

Turns out Gary got artistic in the bathroom too! The bathroom has some life size statues of even more infamous movie characters, like Dracula, The Invisible Man, Frankenstein, and the Wolfman. “That was a little too life sized for me, but that’s pretty cool. Pretty cool bathroom. Best bathroom I’ve been in in a while. I’d say,” said Lorena.

So I just had to ask Gary, why El Paso? “Because we don’t have anything like it…I kind of follow them like Walt Disney. He was there to make people feel good and do good for the community and stuff, and that’s what I like to do,” expressed Gary.

So if you want to experience one of Gary’s great stops but don’t like spirits, only the ghostly reflection off the silver screen, the Blue Moon Drive-in is a stop for you. “That’s exactly what we are all about in El Paso. We’re always trying to do something different that speaks of us here in El Paso,” stated Lorena.

“I’m a kid at heart. Really, I am. Yeah. I enjoy it. And I like to make people happy and have them enjoy it as well,” said Gary.

“You drive to Texas, see the Alamo. You drive to the Corpus, get hot and sweaty. Stop by through El Paso and see a movie,” said customer Joe Rodriguez.

The Texas Bucket List – Green Chile Willy’s in Amarillo

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Amarillo – Over the years in the Panhandle we’ve met all sorts of colorful characters like Bob Lile at the Lile Art Gallery, Angela Corpening at the Golden Light, or the Oliver family at the Oliver Saddle Shop. Well now you can add Margaret Glasscock, owner of Green Chile Willy’s to that list. “You get over 70 and you go to thinking, ‘God I’m falling apart.’,” joked Margaret.

Margaret has lived in Amarillo for over 50 years and back in 2007, she opened Green Chile Willy’s with William Douglass and Scooter Jeffers. “Every nail in the place we put in here ourselves. Every board, everything in here, we did ourselves,” said Margaret.

William and Scooter moved on but Margaret has been making sure the Green Chile Willy’s continues to crank out some of the finest chicken fried steaks in the state. “That’s what we’re famous for,” stated Margaret. “This place is the number one place to eat chicken fried steak,” said customer Cody White. “Good home cooking. Good atmosphere, great food,” said customer Jack Lewis.

But it’s not just the chicken fried steaks that have one heck of a reputation, so does Margaret! “When they know I come in the back door, they know it’s heads up time,” said Margaret. “She keeps this place together. She keeps it going,” said customer Brittney Flatt.

Jim Robinson is the GM and Margaret’s son and not always the ultimate bad cop. “I can come in, I can yell, I can put the pressure on and say, look, if you don’t fix this, she’s going to show up. So it helps a lot,” said Jim.

“My kids all maintain my business. So if they don’t do something right, they’re your kids. You can pop them upside the head,” joked Margaret. “She is one tough, tough lady. Tough lady,” joked Cody.

“When she started building this place, I thought she was crazy. I told her that. I said, there’s nothing out here. Why would you want to build a restaurant in the middle of nowhere? I ate my words,” joked Jim.

Speaking of eating, I was extremely excited to try a chicken fried steak, because green chile is what they’re known for. “Our green chili chicken fry is one of our main deals. Everybody loves it. It’s why they come here,” stated Jim.  “Everybody’s partial to the green chili because that’s our name. Everybody wants to try the green chili,” said Margaret.

Turns out they also have a jalapeno gravy that’s also extremely popular. “Puts that warmth in your belly and gets you going,” said Jack.

My only problem, how do I pick? “We have what you call a sampler plate… You can just pick and choose which one you like the best,” said Margaret.

Jim got started on the sampler by throwing three small freshly breaded inside round steaks in the fryer. “We probably sell, like I said, two to 300 chicken fries a day,” stated Jim. That’s a lot of chicken fried steaks!

Once they’re fried up to a tender perfection, Jim slabs on three different and distinct gravies. He the tops them with jalapenos and green chili, throws in some green chili mac and cheese and some green beans.  That officially makes my dish the most green I’ve ever seen on a chicken fried steak plate!

For my first bite, I stuck with the traditional gravy and right off the bite I notice that this has got to be one of the meatiest chicken fried steaks I’ve ever had! “Up here is beef country. I mean you can’t beat it,” stated Cody.

Next up, the green chile gravy. The flavor of the green chili gravy is warm and delicious with some incredible spice thanks to those fresh green chilies on there. It definitely kicks things up a notch “The green chili is not as spicy as the jalapeno, but it’s got a little warmth and it’s kind of a different, unique flavor,” said Jack.

And finally, the most popular one, the jalapeno cream gravy. “It’s got all the jalapeno flavor, but we make it with cream cheese so it doesn’t have all the bite and it’s really good,” said Jim. That jalapeno cream gravy is rich and spicy. That is definitely not diet food, but still absolutely delicious! “The flavor of the jalapeno and the tenderness of the chicken fried steak. It melts in your mouth, you just have to use your fork. It just falls apart, it is so good,” said Brittney.

Well, if you’re looking for a chicken fried steak that packs a punch in the panhandle, come into Green Chile Willy’s in Amarillo to sample the sampler.  Its incredible selection of gravies is definitely well worth a stop on The Texas Bucket List!

“It’s a great little place. We stay very busy and I’ve been blessed. That’s all I can say,” expressed Margaret. “Number one in my book, best in Texas,” stated Cody.

The Texas Bucket List – The Orange Show in Houston

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Houston – The hustle and bustle of the city streets in Houston can always be a bit bananas but there’s no reason to gripe about sour grapes.  Just take a little detour on the side of Interstate 45 for a fruity lesson about the Orange and the one and only Orange Show.

“Thank God, Jeff bought this property right by the freeway. He really did us a favor,” said Pete Gershon. Gershon is the Curator of Programs for the Orange Show Center for Visionary Art. “What we do at the Orange Show is to celebrate the artist in everyone,” stated Pete.

The Orange Show Center for Visionary Art celebrates the Space City’s unique art scene with places like the Beer Can House and its name sake, The Orange Show.  “The Orange Show means so much to us. It’s a symbol,” said Pete.

This odd and interesting homage to the orange was built by one man who had a fondness for one particular fruit.  “So the Orange Show was built between 1955 and 1979 by a retired postal worker named Jefferson Davis McKissick. He moved into this neighborhood when it was pretty new, and bought this as vacant property,” explained Pete while walking us through the installation. “This is a place where information is communicated. Jeff really wanted you to know about the nutritional value of the orange. So he’s made some signs here that explain where the nutrients come from. So it’s kind of like an art exhibit and lesson in health, according to Jeff,” explained Pete. “He felt like the orange was the perfect food. He wrote a whole book about this. It was called, “How You Can Live to be a 100 Years old and Still Be Spry.” And he wrote this in 1960 and it was like the 1960 version of a blog. It was stapled together, mimeograph pages, information that he had gleaned from his visits to the public library. And he thought if you really took care of your body and you ate the right things and you exercised right you could live to be a 100 years old. Jeff only lived to be 78. But his message survives,” said Pete.

While Jeff’s allegiance to oranges is the message, the architecture, art, and design of his palace to produce is what makes this place really stick out. “As his ideas evolved, the space began to ramble on and on and expand and grow,” said Pete. “Engaging with art does not necessarily mean an afternoon in a quiet museum, where you’re very seriously walking through and studying the artwork,” stated Pete.

While this art installation is a part of the community now, when Jeff built it the reception was a little sour. “There was some resentment and some confusion, I think, with the neighbors. But Jeff was not really a chook. This is somebody who graduated from college, went off to grad school. He worked in a bank. He had a good head on his shoulders,” explained Pete.

From upbeat signs, sizable steamboat models, to things that just don’t make a lot of sense, there’s all sorts of stuff to see here but for Jeff, a tiny ledge filled with a funky assortment of tiles is what squeezes the artist juices from his soul. “Yeah. It’s a weird little part that nobody ever notices, but it’s a hodgepodge tile that… Obviously Jeff never wanted to throw anything away. He wanted to decorate every surface. It’s just something I noticed and always wondered, why did he do it like that? Why did he use this strange assortment of hearts and fish and geometric tiles? It’s really one of the most abstract pieces of the Orange Show. It’s a minor detail, but it’s always caught my eye.” And what’s unique is, it’s hidden back here in the back in the corner against the stairs,” explained Pete while showing us the ledge.

So if you want to be a star in the Orange Show, just stop by The Orange Show, and see why peeling away the layers of the art exhibit is well worth a stop on The Texas Bucket List. “You can think differently. You can think differently about art and creativity. Everybody’s an artist deep down, and you can work with what’s close at hand and make something special and unique. And we can inspire people to do that with this place,” expressed Pete.