Texas Bucket List

Texas Bucket List

The Texas Bucket List – Red River Rivalry

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Dallas – Texas. Oklahoma. They’re like cats and dogs. Oil and water. Mexican food and tight jeans.  Some things just don’t mix well, and that couldn’t be on display in a bigger way than at the State Fair of Texas when the Longhorns take on the Sooners. When it comes to this matchup, Texas tends to let loose on being the friendly state. “Here to watch Texas beat OU’s ass,” remarked one Longhorn.

On the second Saturday of October, the State Fair can get a little crazy as nearly 100,000 football fans, and even a few celebrities, find their way to Fair Park to watch Texas take on Oklahoma. “They’re only our neighbors, right?” said Drew Martin. “But that Red River that divides us, that is the biggest dividing line.”

Drew is the Executive Senior Associate Athletics Director for External Affairs at the University of Texas. “This weekend is the biggest weekend in college football,” said Drew.

Known as the Red River Rivalry, these two teams first faced off back in 1900, and the matchup is usually a high scoring affair between two offensive powerhouses. While words can be sensitive, there’s no compassion when it comes to these competitors. “My favorite memory of the Allstate Red River Rivalry is the 49 to nothing win that Texas had, largest margin of victory in the history of this game, and it goes back to 1900,” said Drew. “So that is my best memory of the Allstate Red River Rivalry in 2022.”

Memories are what make this game so special. Well that, and the fact Texas and Oklahoma take this neighborhood knockaround very seriously. Whether it was Earl Campbell dodging defenders back in the 70’s, Bubba Jaques’ scoop and score in 1991, or Jamaal Charles running for daylight back in ‘05, every generation of Texas fans have fond memories and few not so fond ones. “There’s obviously a lot of pressure felt by both teams,” said Drew. “It doesn’t matter if you’re 0-fer coming in or if you’re undefeated coming in, you throw the record book out the window, and you line up, and you play football. There’s a lot of pressure coming in, but our fans love it.”

The atmosphere of this game is unlike any other as fans pack into a stadium that was built for one purpose. “That line right down the 50, when it’s Crimson on one end and Burnt Orange on the other end, it’s so unique,” said Drew. “And to hear the cheers going back and forth and just the crowd going at each other divided right down the middle, it’s just the electricity. There’s nothing like it. The place comes alive.”

College football has no shortage of rivalries, spirit and pageantry, so it takes a lot for one game in particular to stand out so far from the rest. “I don’t think there’s a bigger game in college football than this one,” said Drew. “Just the unique aspect of this game being played at Cotton Bowl Stadium in the State Fair of Texas. Consider this, they put 150,000 people in the State Fair on average on a Saturday. We add 90,000 more, 92,000 more. It’s about a quarter of a million people on a football Saturday in October. This game is the best game in the country, bar none.”

In 2024 the stakes are raised yet again as both teams are now part of the Southeastern Conference. “The best conference in the country, the conference where it just means more, this game being the biggest game in the country,” said Drew. “Bringing that to the SEC, it’s going to mean even more in 2024.”

Of course this means the Fighting Texas Aggies are back to being conference rivals, and that is a good thing. “We are so excited to have A&M back on our schedule and to put that rivalry back together,” said Drew. “It’s a tremendous game and a lot of history behind both teams and both schools there. That rivalry is different than this one, but I’ll be glad to have both of our big rivals back in the same conference.”

But on this day, it’s all about Oklahoma and Texas squaring off to see which state has a stronger football squad each and every year. “Come out and enjoy the fair, enjoy all the fun and festivities, the midway, the corny dogs, the beer in wax paper cups, Big Tex greeting you at the State Fair,” said Drew. “Come and enjoy the atmosphere in Dallas, Texas.”

The Texas Bucket List – The State Fair of Texas Fair Food

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Dallas – The State Fair of Texas is synonymous with having a hodgepodge of insane eats. You’ll always find good ol’ reliable fair food here like Fletcher’s Corny Dogs, but you can also start with something ludicrous, such as one crazy concoction created by 34-year fair veteran Tom Grace at Pizza By the Giant Slice. “Funnel Cake Bacon Queso Burger,” said Tom. “That’s it.”

For some reason, it’s difficult to wrap your mind around this idea. Just imagine a burger filled with gooey nacho cheese and surrounded by funnel cake, powdered sugar and all. Being presented with this burger was a bit tricky. “Try to hold it together,” said Tom. “It’ll try to fall apart on you, but you got it.”

It didn’t take long to see why this was a Big Tex Choice Awards winner in 2017. It may not seem like queso and funnel cake would go together, but when you combine the two to make a bacon burger you get a mix of sweet and savory that’s as balanced as it is ridiculous.

Next up was Chef Greg Parish from Gourmet Royal. Greg has been working at the fair since 1985. “Big Texas, my babysitter,” said Greg. “I’m a fair baby. Born and raised out here. Just in my blood.”

His Deep Fried Seafood Gumbo Balls took home the Big Tex Choice Award in 2021, and these, too, are amazing. “It’s a rice ball filled with roux, andouille sausage, Gulf Coast shrimp,” said  Greg. “Blue crab, lump crab and stewed chicken.”

Another unique combo can be found at the Delicious Candies Pickles Factory booth, where owner Heather Perkins has one heck of an infatuation. “I’ve been around pickles and candy my entire life,” said Heather.

Heather isn’t afraid to introduce her two love affairs, and one creation that brings them together is her Fruity Pebble Pickle. “So, pretty much you have the Fruity Pebbles and the Fruit Roll-Up all in one,” said Heather. “So we have the pickle, wrap it in Fruit Roll-Up, put sugar drizzle on there, and we shake up the Fruity Pebbles onto the pickle.”

The combination of these flavors is hard to comprehend, even after the fact. “Yeah, it tastes pretty good,” said Heather. “It’s a great combination. Is it breakfast or lunch or what? What is happening?”

From there we get back to the savory offerings at Holy Biscuit with owner Isaac Rousso. “The item that we’re talking about today is our Deep Fried Cheesy Crab Tater Bites,” said Isaac.

The name of this dish tells part of the story, reeling you in with the promise of crab and cheese, but there’s so much more to this fantastic fried food. “We’ve got onions and peppers and garlic, and we saute all those things together and then we throw some crawfish into that, and then from there we marry some cheese in there and kind let it all stew and come together,” said Isaac. “There is a little heat there. And that is our proprietary sauce and seasoning that we’ve worked with to make for the Holy Biscuit and for the Cajun Cowboy that’s outside.”

The Most Creative Winner for the 2023 Big Tex Choice Awards could be found at Texas Holy Fried Ribs and Fusion BBQ, where Lauren Hays introduced the Bourbon Banana Caramel Sopapillas. “We toss in the cinnamon sugar, and then we’re going to top it — it’s a vanilla caramel sauce that we put sliced bananas in,” said Lauren. “On top of that, it’s going to have candied pecans, a little crushed Nilla Wafers. We’re going to drizzle a little bit of our maple bourbon syrup, and then he’s going to top it with our fairy dust, which is also known as powdered sugar.”

Finally, you can’t take a trip to the State Fair of Texas and not stop by Fletcher’s Original Corny Dogs. “After 81 years, we have become a little synonymous with The State Fair of Texas,” said Amber Fletcher.

Amber’s grandfather started this staple of the state fair back in 1942. “I love to tell people it’s so cool because it’s a family tradition for us, getting to serve other families in their tradition of coming out here,” said Amber. “We do everything the old-fashioned way here. Everything is hand stuck, hand dipped, into the fryer for three minutes at 365 degrees. A lot of this can be done mass-produced, but we still want to do it how Papa Neil did it. He always said, ‘If it’s not broke, don’t fix it.’ So we haven’t changed a thing.”

During the fair over half a million corny dogs are consumed. That’s enough for 1,500 gallons of mustard! The classic flavor of these delicious breaded sausages lingers in the memory of anyone who gets a taste, and it’s a must try at the State Fair of Texas. “The iconic thing is to come to Big Tex so you can get your photo of Big Tex and your Corny Dog at the same time,” said Amber.

 

 

 

The Texas Bucket List – The State Fair of Texas

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Dallas – The State Fair of Texas is iconic. Throughout the year, images of Big Tex, Corny Dogs, football, and the fair itself flutter in the minds of Texans ready for the annual fall event. This Texas sized affair wasn’t an overnight success but over the decades it became a destination, and it all started over 100 years ago. “In 1886, a group of businessmen in this area decided they needed to have an exposition, and so it started in 1886 and continued on until what you see at the present time,” said Rusty Fitzgerald.

Rusty is the Senior Vice President of Operations at the State Fair of Texas and he’s been a part of it since 2001. “It’s the most Texan place on earth,” said Rusty. “I always look forward to opening day.”

From making sure all is well in the Midway to maintaining just about every aspect of the fair, Rusty doesn’t let the rust set in during the 24 days of craziness that happen on 277 acres attracting 2.5 million people. “A lot of times, I don’t get in bed before midnight and I’m up at 3:00 AM,” said Rusty.

Only Big Tex is expected to stand taller and longer than Rusty does. One of the major milestones of making your pilgrimage is getting your picture taken in front of this long, tall Texan who happens to say ho, ho, ho before his iconic ‘Howdy!’ “Big Tex started off as Santa Claus in Kerens, Texas,” said Rusty. “Basically, Kerens wanted a gimmick to get people to come to their town instead of going to Corsicana or up to Dallas. So they kind of thought, ‘Hey, we’ll build a giant Santa Claus.’ Well, they did that in ’49 and ’50. They had their big Santa Claus and it worked in 1949. 1950, it kind of worked, but it wasn’t new anymore. And so, in 1951, R.L. Thornton, who was the president of the fair and former Dallas mayor, went down there and purchased Big Tex, or the giant Santa Claus, for $750. He debuted at the fair in 1952, and he didn’t do much. And then in 1953, he started talking.”

In 2012, Big Tex burned down the ground due to an electrical shortage, but he was brought back even bigger and better. “Old Big Tex was made out of chicken wire, baling wire, a little, bitty steel frame,” said Rusty. “Big Tex back then weighed 6,000 pounds. The Big Tex today is an engineered Big Tex. He can withstand a hurricane. Might blow his clothes off, but he’s going to still stand. He weighs 26,000 pounds now. 55-foot-tall.”

With his 95-gallon hat and his size 96 boots, Big Tex is hard to miss. “Now Big Tex, he can wink,” said Rusty. “He can blink. He can close his eyes. He can turn his head back and forth. He can turn his shoulders. His elbow moves so he can point. He can fold these three fingers and he can point at you. So he does a lot more than what the old Big Tex used to.”

Now if you think that’s impressive, wait till you see the Midway. “The atmosphere of the Midway at night, it’s almost like a shot of adrenaline,” said Rusty.

Here you’ll find 74 rides including the Texas Star Ferris Wheel standing at 212 feet, the Texas Skyway transporting folks across the fairgrounds, and the Top O’ Texas Tower that has its own unique distinction. “A world record, most slender, tallest ride of its kind,” said Rusty. “It’s 500 feet tall.”

If you prefer to see things at ground level, not to worry, there’s plenty for you too, including a unique collection of buildings that have been a part of Fair Park for nearly 100 years.

“In terms of Art Deco architecture, this is the largest collection of Art Deco architecture under single ownership anywhere in the world,” said Norman Alston.

Norman, who normally goes by Fred, is a Dallas architect who grew up in Garland. He’s also a Longhorn. “Hook ’em Horns! Yeah,” he said.

The only thing he’s more passionate about is preserving the history of these structures built in 1936 to commemorate Texas’ independence from Mexico. “The Alamo was the place where Texas really found itself and there were a lot of sacrifices made, sacrificed lives to make Texas happen,” said Fred. “The Texas Centennial Exposition, 100 years later, celebrated all the accomplishments, all the freedoms, all the things that had happened because of those sacrifices 100 years earlier. So this is both a celebration and a memorial to those who really gave their all to form Texas, and this was the showplace, in ’36, of Texas. It was one big event.”

Modern, state of the art, and visually stunning, the buildings were central to the celebration. But as the years have gone by, it gets harder and harder to keep Fair Park in peak condition. “When they were built, they weren’t really designed to get much past the centennial, let alone be here for almost another 100 years, so it’s always a challenge to keep those up,” said Rusty.

Fortunately, the fair gives these stucco structures a chance to shine, something chief architect George Dahl wanted to do in a unique way, so he helped create a new sort of style with these projects.

“This is sort of the culmination of a lot of stuff that really weaves into the Texas psyche and the Texas history all the way back,” said Fred. “He refers to this style, this variation on Art Deco as Texanic architecture. That’s a term I like to throw around quite a bit. It is Art Deco, but it is unique to Dallas, it is unique to Texas and reflects a lot of things that he thought were specific for here.”

Symbols of the Lone Star State can be found on every corner mixed in with typical art deco details but the granddaddy of all the buildings is the Hall of State by Texas architect Donald Barthelme. “Everything about it is art,” said Fred. “From the doorknobs and the window hinges to the stone and the light fixtures, everything about that is art.

Surprisingly, Barthelme isn’t credited on the plaque that was placed on the building, but he made sure his name would be associated with the Hall of State in his own unique way.

“So those Texas names you see across the top, he arranged them so that the first letters spell his last name,” said Fred. “Bartholomay. So he worked himself into the building even though he is not on the plaque.”

Now these are only a few of the things that makes the fair so fun and unique, as there’s also a massive car show, where you never know who you’ll run into, and a rodeo of course. But a trip to the State Fair of Texas, ideally for more than a day, is the best way to experience everything this stop has to offer on The Texas Bucket List.

The Texas Bucket List – Santa Rosa Palomino Club in Vernon

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Vernon – In the middle of May, Vernon, Texas anxiously awaits the start of the Santa Rosa Roundup. It kicks off with a parade that pretty much pulls in the whole town. Like a scene from a Norman Rockwell painting, you’ll see your typical small town Texas floats, kids on horseback, and of course one or two tractors. But the biggest draw to the parade is the hometown riding club, the Santa Rosa Palomino Club. “The club was organized in October of 1949, so we’re celebrating this year as the 75th anniversary of the club,” said Jeff Bearden.

Jeff is the President of the Santa Rosa Palamino Club. Jeff grew up here, his dad was also a member of the Club.  After attending Texas A&M and being a part of Parsons Mounted Cavalry, Jeff came right back to Vernon, and he’s been a part of this group of riders for most of their historic trail. “I started riding as a substitute as a senior in high school and then rode as a substitute rider until I moved back home and was voted into the club,” said Bearden. “So I’ve been a member for 42 years and a rider for 52 years, and our drill captain’s been riding about 54 years. We travel together and try to keep each other out of trouble on trips. Sometimes lead the singing after the rodeo and everything.”

It’s all fun and games after the rodeo because keeping the tradition and essence of this tried-and-true crew is something the current members take seriously. “We all enjoy riding horses,” said Bearden. “You’ve got to enjoy it to work this hard, to have a good time.”

The reason these 20 riders of all ages are committed to keeping this tradition alive are the 238 men who rode before them. Making sure the Santa Rosa Riding Club continues to ride means keeping this Texas tradition alive as well. “This is a part of Western heritage that is kind of disappearing,” said Bearden. “Just like a lot of things in rural Texas, it’s harder to have enough people to do what you want to do. We have 20 good riders that show up, and then we’ll invite people to substitute for someone that can’t make a trip, and that’s the way we recruit new members, and they try us out. When it started, naturally, it was a lot of farmers and ranchers and businessmen, but as our drill script says, it’s all walks of life. We’ve had doctors, lawyers. I worked at the state hospital as a mental health program director for a number of years before retiring. We’ve got teachers. We’ve had an undertaker. We’ve had a few members that their professions defied description, but everybody puts all of that aside and gets on the horses and just try to perform.”

The horses play a big role in the riding club because they all must be palomino horses of course and they might be more scrutinized than the actual riders. “We search high and low for good horses that match a certain color description and confirmation to match the club,” said Bearden. “We have a horse committee that approves horses that are brought into the club. Sometimes it takes time to break some of them in. Of course, the opposite is true, too. The horses actually learn the drill, and sometimes we have to fight to get them from anticipating the maneuvers. The horses are probably better behaved, sometimes, than the riders are, but we have a good time wherever we go, but try not to get in any trouble. Never had anybody arrested, that I know of.”

The Santa Rosa Riding Club has performed all over Texas including the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, they’ve ridden in two inaugural parades for Texas governors, they’ve even been a part of the Tournament of Roses Parade and are the official “Ambassadors on Horseback” for the State of Texas. “They won’t see this kind of a riding group outside of somebody like maybe the Royal Canadian Mounted Police,” said Bearden. “We’ve been compared to them. There are some other pretty fine drill teams around, but they won’t see one that has this amount of color, this amount of uniformity, the speed, and the flash that we bring to it.”

With riders of all ages, it’s a commitment to keep to their schedule. There’s practice, there’s parades, and then there’s quite a bit of travel. All while looking good in their iconic riding outfits. “It’s been pretty much the same look, as far as the uniform, since about the mid-1950s,” said Bearden. “They’re hot in the summer. They’re cold in the winter. One of the coldest I’ve ever been in my life was a rodeo parade in Cody, Wyoming on July 3rd, and we had to ride from the rodeo grounds to town wearing those satin shirts, and on the way down there, it started sleeting on us. It got cold, but it’s just a part of the show.”

That’s why riding in their hometown of Vernon means so much to them. It’s where it started all those years ago and it’s where it will continue for as long as the cowboy way of life continues to ride on here in Texas. “The community’s really been good about supporting us, so we want to do a good job for them and represent them well,” said Bearden. “We’re proud to represent Vernon. We’ve got a legacy we have to carry on, and we’re bringing on some younger members and trying to help them know the history of the men that started this, the men that carried it on, and make it something that lasts for a long time.”

 

 

 

 

The Texas Bucket List – Monarch Trophy Studio in San Antonio

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San Antonio – When it comes to the colorful celebration that is Fiesta, one of the things that stands out is the absurd number of medals most people wear. The roots of these trinkets that feature any and every notion of Texan culture can be traced back to 1946, when simple coins were given away by King Antonio. Nearly 80 years later, it’s an obsession. “It’s become quite the craze within San Antonio,” said Charles Drago.

Charles’ family owns Monarch Trophy Studio and they’ve been a part of the Alamo City since 1972. “We are one of the largest award stores in the country,” said Charles.

One of their specialties is Fiesta medals. “Fiesta is obviously a huge celebration for everybody,” said Charles. “It’s a perfect fundraiser for everybody who are nonprofits, who are looking to raise some money and raise awareness for their different organizations. They saw a lot of success with raising money with these medals. There are some people that do medals just to trade, just for fun. But a lot of the collectors, they’re going out and they’re purchasing those medals that they’re looking to get.”

At Monarch, they are constantly creating these small, popular pieces of art. Despite the fact David Durbin has been doing it for over 20 years, he still doesn’t get it. “I don’t know,” said David. “I don’t know why it is such a big deal.”

While he may not totally understand the craze, he does enjoy creating a countless number of these creations. “I took it to a different level than just throwing somebody’s logo on there and putting the maraca on and there’s your Fiesta medal, and I started turning it into an art,” said David. “That’s all I think about. I just wonder when the word Fiesta’s not going to be in my head.”

That’s almost never. David comes up with hundreds of designs every year so it’s pretty much all he does. “I’ll wake up in the middle of the night, ‘Oh, I can do this,’” said David. “Because this year, it’s close to 300 designs that just I did, and they do them also over there. And so coming up with another design and another idea gets…”

“He spends most of his off-season racking his brain on ideas of how he’s going to continue to be creative for Fiesta,” explained Charles. “It’s like being a musical artist who’s looking to put out hit song after hit song, and he’s like, ‘Eventually I’m going to run out of songs to put out. I can’t just keep coming out with original content.’”

David is the George Strait of Fiesta medals, and everything he creates is coveted. “Last year, my personal medal got best, NIOSA got second, and then Battle of Flowers got honorable mention,” said David. “So I can still do it.”

David’s streak of creating the finest of Fiesta medals has earned him some fame around the Alamo City. “He’s definitely a bit a celebrity in town,” said Charles. “We’ve always been very fortunate to have some of the best artists in San Antonio draw on our medals.”

David’s 2023 medal is extremely popular and can be found on websites for as much as $50 to $100 a pop. The devotion people have to these doodads is something I got to personally experience during our 2023 meet and greet with our friends from Toyota at Fiesta Fiesta. We came here last year completely unprepared with no medals, and I got scolded. Fortunately for us, David came up with an incredible solution. “All right, and here it is,” Said David. “The 2024 Texas Bucket List Fiesta Medal. Now you are official.”

That is fantastic. Well, this year we’ll be ready. The excitement David sees in people’s faces does bring him joy and this year, David accomplished something really special by designing the official Fiesta poster. “Finally, I did it,” said David. “I was leaving Battle of Flowers. When it’s done, everybody’s just gone. But the street is just … Everything in the streets. Well, there’s confetti everywhere, the big tissue paper kind of confetti. I’m walking along, I’m like, ‘Confetti. There’s got to be something I can do with this confetti.’ So, I wanted her to be whipping up that dress and that dress is just falling apart to confetti over the city and bringing that party.”

His poster won the contest, and his work is now the official poster of the 2024 Fiesta. Despite years of making medals for the masses, this honor means the most to David. “You know I’ve won awards for all these medals, but medals are tossed,” said David. “Who’s going to remember what won last year? These posters are very important in this city, and they live on. In this whole Fiesta series, there’s my poster, will always live on and that’s what… It’s like, that’s cool. I’m a part of that Fiesta.”

The Texas Bucket List – Grinch’s Lair in Palestine

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Palestine – On the eastern side of the great state of Texas, sits an old jail cell, that’s sort of a nexus.

Jeremy Janz is the owner of this old place, and Palestine, Texas is where he calls homebase.

Getting the daily mail or talking to guests, are things Jeremy enjoys but it’s not the best.

He’d much rather dress up for the Christmas Season, and give folks a good laugh for plenty of reasons.

You see, the Grinch is what Jeremy turns into, and his cell house brings in people for his debut.

While Santa is the star of the holiday week, the Grinch does pretty well for not being so meek.

“I have to say, Santa has a pretty hot trend of scaring some kids,” said Jeremy Janz. Back in 2013, Jeremy bought the jettisoned jail that was built back in 1931, Because who doesn’t want to own a nearly century old slammer? “This historic Anderson County Jail became available and I said, hey, why not restore a piece of history and turn it into a creative space?”

While Halloween is a popular time of year at the former prison, the Christmas season has turned into a bigger draw thanks to his holiday presentation of the Grinch’s Lair. “The Grinch character we felt like really had an opportunity to be this great mashup with a historic jail,” said Jeremy.

Jeremy takes on the job of portraying the Grinch every year, a role he takes great pride in. “It’s full prosthetics, so it is all there,” said Jeremy. “This lovely face that you see, it kind of transforms your personality. I’m sure if you had the privilege of transforming yourself, you might find your whole persona changes as well.”

The Grich here isn’t the mean old green guy hoping to steal Christmas, but rather the Grinch who’s heart swells with love for the holiday season. “We just believe that there’s a great potential for sharing the love that was developed for this literary classy character, but with a little twist,” said Jeremy. “There’s the freak out, maybe, perhaps. I don’t know. We do pretty good, but if you do get scared, we have an opportunity to get close, and I might change my tone, lower my voice, and have a moment with them to show them that I’m not scary. In fact, my heart grew, and I’m here to celebrate and share love with you.”

With is trusty Max by his side, the Grich invites you to his lair allows you to tour the old cell block with all sorts of holiday displays including a nice little homage to most kids favorite spot to stop by during Christmas break back in the day, “For all you littles out there that may or may not know about Blockbuster and the magic of VHS,” said Jeremy.

Unlike many holiday events that try to hold a monopoly on memories, Grinch’s Lair encourages visitors to capture as much as they can. “Santa, you’ve marked the corner on selling pictures, man,” said Jeremy. “We actually let you take pictures. Unlike some events where you have to put away your phones, we want you to take out your phone and we want you to get as many memories as possible.”

Getting folks to grin ear to ear is what this grinch is all about. Too see families share a special memory is what makes his heart grow three times over.

“Santa’s great, but it may not be all the gifts that you are asking for,” said Jeremy. “It’s about you enjoying your family, and if Santa can provide some of that magic, Hey, kudos to you, Santa. Keep doing it. If not, sometimes Santa, he does the best he can. Love the fact that you enjoy the holidays with your loved ones, and that’s what we want to spread. Love your family, love your friends, love each one around us. Recognize that even through the hardest times that there is the spirit of giving and sharing joy, and that it’s not about all the money and the gifts. Christmas means sharing the spirit of love.”

 

The Texas Bucket List – Museum of the American GI in College Station

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College Station – On the southside of Aggieland, Santa’s Wonderland is one of the best-known Christmas attractions in the state. But just a stone’s throw from this huge holiday hotspot is a museum that celebrates those who give throughout the year. A place where honor, sacrifice, and service aren’t just part of being on Santa’s nice list, they’re a part of who these people are. The Museum of the American GI.

Leisha Mullins is one of the founding members of The Museum of the American GI which was founded in 2001. Her husband, Brent, is big on military history and owns a parts company for military jeeps, and on the side, he likes to rebuild military vehicles, especially tanks. The collection exploded, and now these massive machines are the centerpiece of the museum.  “Each of these are fully restored and it takes about two years at least to restore them.” Does he do it himself or does he have help? “He restores most of it himself. Occasionally he has help, but overall, most of it is things he has done.”

These tanks don’t just look immaculate, they also run perfectly. Everything in the museum is fully operational except for the helicopter. But this museum offers an experience you won’t find many places – the chance to ride in a tank. A few times a year, these restored Shermans tromp through the terrain like they did back in the day.  “It gives us a chance to bring history alive to people to actually see it, other than just the static displays,” said Leisha.

Even veterans come to relive what it was like to be in these powerful machines. One of those veterans was George Ruth, who entered the service right before his 15th birthday in 1943. “It was his 93rd birthday. He was in the 93rd division, which was a segregated division in World War II. And his son brought him to the museum to celebrate his birthday,” Leisha said. “We put him on the half track and he rode on the half track. And I might not have done that if he had told me before I put him on the half track that in World War II, he fell off a half track and broke him shoulder. But he loved it.”

The museum also has the only operational French Renault in North America. Other World War I tanks didn’t have a rotating turret, but this one is the first one to have the rotating turret. It also has another unique feature – the front wooden wheel.

Another stunning exhibit is a tribute to Texans who never made it home from Vietnam. “There is one dog tag for every Texas veteran that was either killed in action or missing in action in Vietnam. There’s 3,417 dog tags,” Leisha explained. “It’s meant to be tactile. It’s meant for people to go up and touch it. It’s meant for people to go in and look because it has the person’s name on it. It has their hometown. It has their branch of service, and it has a date. That date is the date that they were either killed or the date that they were missing in action. It’s a very, very special exhibit because again, it helps me when I’m talking to kids and we can look at it and go, “No, not everyone comes home and so we need to honor our veterans and thank them.”

Riding in the tanks and remembering those who served is part of that experience. But it all culminates with a firing salute that rocks the entire region.

Honoring veterans while learning about their incredible contribution to our country and taking a tank ride make the Museum of the American GI a stop to salute on The Texas Bucket List. And, as always, thank a veteran for their service.

The Texas Bucket List – Wurstfest in New Braunfels

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New Braunfels – When the fall winds finally blow across central Texas, people flock to festivals all over the Lone Star State. One of the most popular jubilees you’ll find is Wurstfest in New Braunfels. Starting during the first weekend of November, and for 10 straight days, they party like the cows aren’t coming home. “It’s just one of the coolest festivals you could go to,” said Miles Granzin, the president of Wurstfest.

Since 1961, Wurstfest has been a best way to experience the German culture that New Braunfels was founded on.  But this festival of food, music, dancing, and of course drinking started in 1961 as a salute to sausage by the city meat inspector Ed Grist. “We eat that sausage all year long,” said Jeff Goebel, who comes from a family of serious sausage makers. “We can’t get enough of it.”

Over 40 years later, you’ll still find demonstrations on how to make sausage, But the main attraction might be the music. “We got five different stages,” said Miles. “You can walk around and listen to whatever music. So somebody don’t like that band, just go walk the other one.”

The food could be a big draw too, especially the pork chop on a stick! “Potato pancakes and pork chops, sausage on the stick, and multiple different types of sausage,” said Miles. “It’s something to be proud of even if you’re not even German.”

The German roots of New Braunfels take hold of the city and everyone who visits it every November. “For 10 days, everybody is German,” said Bob DiFonzo, the Grosse Opa of the festival. Bob’s family lineage comes from Italy of course, but he earned the biggest title of all at Wurstfest. “He’s the Grosse Opa,” said Miles. “He is chosen by the president and me and Bobby go back a long time. We’ve gone back for almost 40 years, and we always promised each other whoever made president, the other guy was going to be his Grosse Opa.”

Bob has the unalienable task of making sure everyone is having a blast. “I have a little fun meter and if my fun meter’s not sitting in the red that’s a problem for me,” joked Bob. “We’ll put 200,000 people through here and every one of them will have a good time.”

Trust me, you want to be the Grosse Opa.  It’s definitely a feather in your cap. “He is in charge of the parties,” said Miles. “He is the party master. That’s his job to do is make sure everyone’s having fun. We’ll be out walking around and they see the Grosse Opa. They throw me out of the way to get to the grosse Opa.”

To see this many Texans get together and have a good time is fun to see, but what’s fantastic is all the food and booths are run by local non-profits and this is their biggest fundraiser of the year. “The causes that they can support and the funds that they bring in to be able to give back to the community is a beautiful thing,” said Bob.

“When you buy that pork chop on a stick, that money there is going to help a child who cannot afford to play baseball be able to have a uniform, glove, bats, and man that makes you feel good,” said Miles.

Without a doubt, Wurstfest is one of the most fun fundraisers in the Lone Star State, and it’s and well worth a stop on The Texas Bucket List. “There’s nothing better in my opinion,” said Jeff. “It’s 10 days of Christmas really.”

The Texas Bucket List – The Bandit Run in Texarkana

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The divide between Texas and Arkansas is usually quiet on most days.  State Line Avenue draws its fair share of visitors taking pictures at the post office that’s split between the states. But once every few years, you’ll hear the massive rumbling of muscle cars making their way down this street, all in an effort to recreate the feeling of Smokey and the Bandit. “We started the very first Bandit Run back in 2007. It started right here in Texarkana,” said organizer David Hershey.

Hershey has a serious sweet tooth when it comes to Smokey and The Bandit. The 1977 movie starring Burt Reynolds, Jackie Gleason, Sally Field, and Jerry Reed was smash hit back then, taking second place in ticket sales that year.  The top movie? Star Wars of course. “I saw the movie when I was eight years old, and to this day, I can’t figure out why my dad decided to take me and my younger five year old sister to go see Smokey and the Bandit, but I just remember …I literally remember the day that I saw the movie and I remember the movie theater and I remember seeing the car and thinking how cool that was,” Hershey explained. “My theory is he meant to take us to go see Star Wars and the line was long, and he’s not a very patient man.”

That trip to the movies created a lifelong love for a 1977 Pontiac Trans Am.  “Always wanted one my whole life. Finally got old enough where I could afford one and get the one that I wanted,” said Hershey.

That was in 2006 and little did he know that when he started that engine it would rev up rally he didn’t see coming. “Next year is the 30-year anniversary of this movie. Isn’t that crazy? What we ought to do is get a bunch of people together and just kind of do a cruise somewhere. And then the idea came about, ‘well, what if we actually did the one like they did in the movie, Texarkana to Atlanta?’” Hershey explained.

David and his buddies expect the turnout they got—30 other people and cars! And with every stop, he said that number only grew.  “One of our stops was Talladega, and by the time we got there, we didn’t know it, but there were a lot of people waiting to join us in Talladega. We cracked a hundred cars in Talladega that very first year,” Hershey said.

“It’s so much fun. This is my second time doing it and got my 13-year-old son here with me and just good family trip,” said participant Tom Williams.

“This is the most amazing thing we’re ever going to do. I said, ‘we have to do this every year,’ said participant Lisa Hurd.

This group of Smokey and the Bandit groupies gets together every year but every 5 years they make the run from Texarkana to Atlanta just like The Bandit and Snowman did together in the movie, bootlegging beer across the country. Of course, the law was after Bandit back then, and he still is today. “I’m Sheriff Buford T Justice. Allow me to introduce you to Texas law,” said David Betz impersonating Jackie Gleason’s character from the movie. Betz has been traveling with the group for ten plus years. “First year I did the Bandit Run, everybody was doing Burt, and I went and looked in the mirror and I said, “I think I can pull this off,” Betz explained.  “He’s our Buford. He travels with us. He’s got the car and he’ll stand there … He’s out there right now. He’ll stand there all day taking pictures and he just has a blast doing that. He’s a great guy,” Hershey said. “It’s something I look forward to, mingling with the people and everything in every state and everything. It’s genuine. And in Alabama, I had to kiss some babies. It was like, ‘he’s here, please kiss my baby,’ and I said, ‘okay,’” Betz said. Now that’s better than a Diablo sandwich and Dr. Pepper.

“What I love about the movie is it is this good old fashioned, fun,” Hershey said. “I love that you can—I don’t care who you are, you can watch this movie and by the end of the movie, you got a smile on your face. You just can’t help it. It’s just a good time.”

“It’s iconic, it’s fun. It’s just a fun movie about cars,” said participant Tom Williams.

“My son Randy, he’s a big Bandit fan. He watched it. It’s on TV every couple weeks,” said participant Joe Ford.

For some folks, the get together is all about the movie, for others it’s all about the cars.  Either way it brings people from all over the country together to celebrate a simpler time. “The ’70s, we were coming out of Vietnam. Music was great, cars were great. Muscle cars were great. Everybody was just happy. It wasn’t a big political scene like it is right now, and I think people just want to go back there and just relive those good times,” said participant Lisa Hurd.

“It’s way more than just a bunch of cars hooting and hollering down the highway,” Hershey explained. “The relationships made and the friendships and what it means to people, that’s our inspiration every year.”

The Texas Bucket List – Terlingua Chili Cook-off in Terlingua

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Terlingua – Over the years, I’ve been blessed with bountiful bowls of chili at some incredible places like the Phoenix Saloon in New Braunfels, the Texas Chili Parlor in Austin, and of course, Tolbert’s in Grapevine. Tolbert is a name synonymous with Texas chili thanks to Frank X. Tolbert.

Back in 1967, he helped create the most famous chili cookoff in the Lone Star State, the Original Terlingua Championship Chili Cook-off. “The experience in the desert with the chili out here is just special,” said Patrick Ryan, Frank X. Tolbert’s grandson.

“It’s my middle name. It’s Tolbert.” Really? They gave you his middle name. “Yeah.” Interesting. Had to keep that history going. “Yep. My mom insisted upon it.” And with lineage like that, I can understand why!

Patrick’s grandfather wrote for the Dallas morning news for 40 years, so he knew lots of people and even featured them from all over in his column called Tolbert’s Texas. Sounds familiar! Frank and CV Wood and a New York journalist decided they wanted to have a cook-off between Yankees and Texans to see who could make the best chili.  So in 1967, they came up to desert to hold the event.  In the end, they tied, so they had to do it again, year after year. It became a tradition, and now happens the first weekend of November every year, in one of the most desolate destinations in the whole state. “There’s dancing and there’s a little bit of drinking, a lot of chili tasting. We’re in Texas!” said competitor Steve Gaconnier.

“You’re graded on your aroma, taste, consistency, and color,” Christine Knight said. Christine has been coming to the Terlingua Chili Cook-off since 1998, and in 2010, she took the title. In order to get into the cook-off, you have to have won in the past which gives automatic qualification going forward, or you have to compete at cook-offs year-round in order to rack up enough points so you can qualify to cook. While most cooks compete all year to get this level, Steve Gaconnier doesn’t take your typical path to get to this chili cook-off. “I’m too lazy to do that, so they have what’s called Last Chance Chili, which means, yesterday we could cook, and if we get in or win the top 10, we get in the big show today,” Steve said.

After lots of ladling, sampling, and deliberating, competitors turn their chili, sit, and stew while a team of judges, including yours truly, sample the final entries allowed at the hallowed final table. As the final votes are tallied, a crowd starts to form, eager to hear who will take the title. Steve placed 12th and Christine placed 4th! The first place winner was Gene Moffett with his 48 Volt Maxdale Special Chili from Temple.

As the final night of the Terlingua Chili Cook-off wraps up, Gary P. Nunn takes the stage to put the perfect night cap on a fun-filled weekend. Gary has played at least 40 of the 50 Terlingua Chili Cook-offs, according to Patrick. His iconic chili song really gets the crowd going along with the fun atmosphere with the nice Terlingua sky and delicious chili.

So if you happen to find yourself free the first weekend of November, make your way to Terlingua to experience the largest chili cook-off in the country.

Why do you think so many people have been coming to this for so long? “It’s the camaraderie. It’s the spirit of the people that come out here and run the cook-off. It’s the local community that accepts us with open arms that come out here and drink beer in their desert for a week. And it’s a lot of things,” said Patrick. Viva Terlingua!