Texas Bucket List

Texas Bucket List

Simmons Bank

The Texas Bucket List – Little Graceland in Los Fresnos

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LOS FRESNOS, Texas – It’s hard to beat south Texas during the not so wintery days of January. The warmer weather brings in people from all over the country for sun, sand, and some serious sideburns. This week we start things off down in the Valley at a celebration fit for a king – well, the king of rock & roll, that is. You see, a personal friend of Presley’s puts on this Presley-sized party every few years, and it leaves people saying thank you, thank you very much.

Every January, close to the King of rock and roll’s birthday, people flock to Los Fresnos for a celebration at Little Graceland.

Just why is the tiny tribute to Elvis sitting here in South Texas? Well it’s all because of this man, Simon Vega.

“I was nine months younger than Elvis,” Vega said. “I was born in a two-room house, a two-room shed just like Elvis.”

He too was born in 1935, just a few miles from his little manor dedicated to the musical act of the millennia. But what was Simon’s special connection to the King?  He actually got to hang with one of the most influential singers of all time.

“I took my basic training at Fort Hood and was there for six weeks at the same time Elvis got there,” said Vega.

Simon was drafted into the Army in 1958 and while waiting for chow, Mr. Vega approached Presley.

“So when I patted him on the back, he turned around and said, ‘Hi, Vega You know me…?” And I said, ‘Hi, Elvis. Hey Elvis, what can I do for you? I want to be your friend.’ We shook hands. He said, ‘Okay, let’s be friends.’ And that’s, we were friends for a long time,” Vega said.

The duo was stationed in Germany and Simon was part of the crew that included Joe Esposito, Elvis’s eventual longtime bodyguard.  Simon fondly recalls their time together hanging out in the hot spots of Frieberg.

“You know at the end of the month in the Army. Everybody’s broke. Guys shoot dice and play cards and lose their money and on weekends he would say, ‘Hey guys, come with me.’ He would pick up some snacks at the bar and he would feed us hamburgers and stuff, and he’d pay for it,” said Vega.

Perhaps another interesting side to Elvis Simon witnessed was writing habits – not devoted to lyrics, but to letters.

“His company had two mail clerks,” Vega said. “Every day he would bring a big sack full of letters and throw them to the guys. Our company had two mail clerks. One for us, and one for Elvis.”

Elvis was a good friend to have and when their time together in the service came to an end, Elvis had a proposal for Simon, the same proposal that the King made to Joe Esposito.

“Told Elvis I had to go back to my wife and family, and he pointed at me, and he said, ‘Look Vega, go back to Texas, and if you can’t find a job right away, come to Graceland and I’ll put you on the payroll,” said Vega.

That was the last time Simon got to talk with Elvis, but Pressley made such an impression on Simon that he started his collection to the King and built Little Graceland.

“Many people haven’t been to Graceland because it’s too far or something. They come here, they get a pre-Graceland, you know, and they become friends and they become friends and all that, and they help keep Elvis’s name going,” Vega said.

Once a year, the big bash brings in the Elvis faithful and now a former schoolteacher is the one people want their pictures with. Danny Lee is Corpus Christi native who happens to be an Elvis impersonator.

“I wouldn’t have a job if it wasn’t for Elvis,” said Lee.

Being a native son of south Texas, Danny is a big draw at the Little Graceland Elvis Festival and he understands Simon’s connection to the King.

“You know, he also wrote a song about Elvis. Have you heard that? It was called ‘Hail to Elvis Presley,’ and that just goes to show you how much of an influence Elvis had over everybody in the United States and rock and roll,” Lee said.

So Simon keeps the King’s memory alive in South Texas with his royal tribute full of memorabilia, pictures, and every Elvis album ever made.

“Hope it never dies, because he was a, I don’t think there’s going to be another Elvis. Never,” said Vega.

The Texas Bucket List – Tomball German Christmas Market

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TOMBALL, Texas – If you happen to find yourself just northwest of Houston, the Space City, during the second week of December, you might want to make the turn to Tomball.  Here you’ll find a huge Christmas market that will make you think it’s still October.

Grady Martin is the founder of this festive festival that started in the 90’s. It brings together two things we can’t get enough of, Christmas and Christmas cheer.

“We tell people, it’s Weihnachtsmarkt, Texas style,” Grady said.

Turns out this Christmas market celebrates the holidays and the heavy population of Germans you’ll find here in the Lone Star State, because Octberfest was simply too long ago.

“In Germany everybody likes to get together and just, for family and friends and, so that’s what Christmas is and that’s kind of what Oktoberfest is,” Laura King of Magnolia said.

With an enormously European feel, the Tomball Weihnachtsmarkt is a chance to celebrate the holidays and heritage.

“Weihnachtsmarkt is just another way for the Germans to get together, celebrate the harvest, and reconnect with the extended family and the community,” said Duke Johann.

The day officially starts with a huge parade featuring everyone in their Christmas best, but you won’t find Santa on his sleigh to close out this procession. Instead this parade ends by tapping a Christmas keg. Once the official Christmas keg is tapped, the holiday celebration officially begins lederhosen and all.

As Krista Kuykendall points out, “Who doesn’t like drinking beer in December?”

With gifts, food, and all sorts of duetch diversions, you almost forget its Christmas time while enjoying the atmosphere of the Tomball Weihnachtsmarkt. Then you see that jolly old Saint Nicholas, the original big man in a red suite, and all of a sudden we are back to the holidays.

This Christmas celebration just happens to also be a cultural celebration; a chance to raise a glass to one of the many nationalities that has made Texas what it is today.

“Texas is made up of a diverse collection of ethnic backgrounds and I think everyone here in Texas should try to sample as much of the different ethnicities that make this state as great as it is,” Duke Johann Von Cleves said.

So toast to Texas with a trip to Tomball for the Weihnachtsmarkt. Well worth a stop on the Texas eimer liste, that’s German for Texas bucket list.

“You know, people might not know anything about German culture or Texas Germans, but they know a good German festival is fun, and they come. They experience the fun and they go away saying, ‘Well, you know, maybe those Germans aren’t so bad after all,” Grady said.

The Texas Bucket List – Austin Trail of Lights

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AUSTIN, Texas – In the weeks leading up to the holiday season hundreds of volunteers have been putting the finishing touches on a massive merry celebration in Austin that has been burning bright since 1965.

Once the final log lands on the Yule Log and the sun sets in Downtown Austin, the lights that line Lou Neff Road start to sparkle. With the flip of a switch, The Trail of Lights officially becomes the beacon of Christmas spirit in the live music capital of the world.

“It’s extremely cool to combine Christmas and Austin, I think,” President of the Trail of Lights Foundation Leah Davies says.

The Trail of Lights Foundation is a non-profit group that took over the operation of the trail of lights from the city of Austin back in 2012.

“A few years ago they came to a point where this event was expanding at such a pretty incredible capacity that they thought it would be great to have a non-profit take the reigns over and let it thrive and grow, so the Trail of Lights Foundation was born for that specific purpose, to sustain the Trail and keep it open for generations to enjoy,” Leah said.

Originally called Santa’s Village in 1965, the Trail has been a tradition to tons of Texas families over the years.

“Coming down here and watching families and kids enjoy it so thoroughly, it’s unlike anything else. It’s kind of, to me it’s one of the things that makes Austin really Austin,” Leah said.

With 2 million lights and 41 displays dedicated to the season, you’ll find some story time favorites, Texas themed treasures, and the true meaning of Christmas.  You’ll also find some far out favorites that represent what this town is all about.

During the mile long walk, you get a chance to immerse yourself in Lone Star State light, a Christmas club and a few food trucks that are fondly found with frequency in Austin, but it’s the displays that bring in the masses.  With so much history here, everyone has their favorite and some of these have been gracing the trail for decades.

“There are some that you can tell when you walk past have a little more vintage than others, but we try really actively to do a mixture of innovative, cool new stuff plus maintain some of the expected displays that people are really familiar with and looking for,” Leah said.

The crown jewel at the park is the Zilker Tree.  At 155 feet tall, it’s said to be the world’s tallest manmade Christmas tree.  This tall tree has been a tradition since 1967 and one of folks’ favorite things about this fake fluorescent fir is taking a spin under its lengthy lights.

What this Trail of Lights truly illuminates is the heart of Texans in the heart of Texas.

“It’s near and dear to my heart. It’s part of what makes, Austin for me, and it’s part of what makes Christmas, Christmas for me,” Leah said.

For many who take the mile walk The Trail of Lights is all about spending time with those they love.

“It makes me realize more about the Christmas spirit where I can spend time with my family and stuff like that,” Victor Rosorao of Austin said.

Bringing people together is what the trail is all about according to Leah.

“The Trail represents what we’re really about. It’s about family, it’s about community, it’s about gathering together, common purpose, common cause, enjoying the spirit of the holidays,” Leah said.

The Texas Bucket List – Willy Burger in Beaumont Christmas Edition

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BEAUMONT, Texas – Back in our second season we crowned Willy Burger our Burger of the Season with the incredibly delicious Hee Haw Burger. Colburn McClelland was the man behind this masterful mess of meat, and is the concoctor of The Texas Bucket List Burger of the Week Christmas Edition this season with his newest Christmas creation.

“He’s been cooking up a little something special for Christmas preparation, getting ready for our big, you know, big holiday. Getting our hearts right, we’ve got to get our food right,” Colburn’s wife Angie informed us.

So what does a Christmas burger that captures the holiday spirit in our hearts look and taste like? According to Angie it’s a flavorful creation that captures the depth of the holiday season with a unique flavor profile.

“It is Colburn’s Christmas Carol. Of course, the ‘CCC.’ So, burger is, got some cornbread dressing on it, it’s got some fresh cranberries, it’s got a secret red pepper jelly, goat cheese and fresh spinach, yeah. I think it’s an interesting burger. It’s got a lot of flavor profile when you bite into it altogether,” Colburn’s wife Angie said.

Cooking the burger starts by forming a half pound patty made fresh every day. The patty is seasoned up for the holiday season, and cooked to beefy perfection. A bun is buttered and topped with the patty that is then sprinkled with goat cheese. The CCC burger is finished off with the rest of Christmas dinner, including the stuffing.

As a rich mixture of everything that puts you in the holiday spirit, this burger is sure to put the holidays in your heart.

“Kind of like an advent season. Get your heart right, get your food right. You get all the good stuff ready and so that’s what the CCC burger is. It’s all the good stuff. All the good ingredients for a good ole’ burger,” Angie said.

The Texas Bucket List – Sacred Springs Powwow in San Marcos

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SAN MARCOS, Texas – In the first part of October, people with a tribal connection to Texas along with those interested in our Native American past, descend up San Marcos to celebrate the way of life way before Columbus sailed across the Atlantic.

Dr. Mario Garza starts the Sacred Springs Powwow with a prayer next to one of the most important sites in Native American culture.

“Of all our sacred sites, this is our most sacred site. To us, this is our Garden of Eden,” said Garza. “We have been coming here to this area doing the parade and doing ceremonies for quite a while, because we consider this our birth site. We believe this is where we came out into this plane.”

What most of us remember as Aquarena Springs actually has more history to it than that.  Before the swimming pig and mermaids of the 50’s, 60’s, 70’s and 80’s, the site was one of the most important to the native tribes and people have been coming here for nearly 20,000 years.

“According to our creation story, this is where we originated. We were created in the underworld, we followed the deer, and then we came out here at the springs. That’s why we call it the Sacred Springs,” Garza explained.

To celebrate the spring being restored to its natural state, The Indigenous Cultures Institute decided to throw a big ol’ party.

“So, see the dancers? You know, to hear the drum, because I feel it wakes a lot of the spirits in this area and they come out and dance with us, and of course I love the food,” said Garza.

The Sacred Springs powwow has only been around for a few years but each year gets bigger and more tribes come to celebrate from all over the country and world.

“It’s not about being a Texan, it’s not about being an American, it’s not about being Canadian or anything, it’s about being a human being, and so we come together and celebrate with our human family,” Tiffany Al-Anzi, San Marcos native, said.

The perpetual beat of the drums, ceaseless dancing, and rhythmic chanting are thrilling to watch and help you imagine what the Lone Star State was like, well, before it was called Texas.

As you look around at this proud community, you start to notice something even deeper.  Another part of their past these people embrace, despite the history and conflicts between Native Americans and the settlers who expanded west, patriotism is strong here.

“When I was in Vietnam, one percent – native people were one percent of the total population in the United States, but we were two percent of the soldiers in Vietnam,” said Garza.

Dr. Garza served two tours in Vietnam.

“Native people have always honored veterans, and native people, part of our culture is to protect our family, and then that translated into protecting our land, protecting our country. So, whenever the United States had been involved in some conflict or war, native people have had a high grade of volunteering, you know, for the service,” Garza said. “We had to defend ourselves against you know, what became the United States government, but now we serve in the armed forces for that government. It’s just part of protecting the family, protecting the country, so we would not have somebody come and invade us again.”

In a sense the Sacred Springs powwow is layered with a multitude of celebrations.  From remembering the ancient people who used this spring to sustain life to the generations of tribes who roamed the prairies we now call Texas, and honoring today’s Native Americans who serve the country we call home.

“We need for our culture to continue with our heritage and all this stuff, so we work with kids and try to teach them about our contributions, about our history, about our culture, and what it means to be an indigenous person,” said Garza.

The Texas Bucket List – Blanco Lavender Festival

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BLANCO, Texas – Out in the Texas Hill Country along the banks of the Blanco, you’ll find fields that are pleasing to the pupil thanks to a plethora of purple. The color of royalty runs rampant here, and if you stay a while you’ll find fields, festivals – even a few drinks – dedicated to lavender.
“There are not very many places in the world, let alone the United States, or in Texas, that you can find lavender,” said Tasha Brieger, owner and operator of Hill Country Lavender since 2005.
Her farm was the first of nine in the Lavander Capital of Texas. It’s an impressive statistic considering this plant is not native to the Lone Star State, but thanks to a few Texan attributes, they’re doing pretty well in our part of the world.
“They can handle a lot. They’re tough little plants. You just have to get them in the ground and get their roots established and then they handle it,” said Brieger.
From mid-May to July these plants put on an amazing display for the eyes and a sweet sensation for the senses. People flock from all around to make their own cut of a few of the fragrant flora.
“So, what you do when you come out and cut your own, you’re going to take the scissors and you’re going to go down to the base right before the leaves,” Brieger said.
The buds are used to make the lavender beauty products that customers love. Blooms lower on the stem are used for oil, and higher blooms are cut to be dried. But, if you’re cutting for yourself, you can cut at any point.
When you have such a unique and beautiful plant that smells like a fancy French perfume prospering in a small town, it’s no surprise that it’s led to a little celebration for this pretty plum perennial.
Libbey Aly showed us around the annual Lavender Festival, held every June in Blanco.  Here you’ll find out all sorts of interesting uses for the flower, which happens to be related to the mint leaf.
“Oh, gosh, it’s used for everything. You can cook with it, you can infuse it and make tea out of it, they make wine out of it, you can spritz it on your body, they make body products, you can use it for your pet, you can repel bugs, you can sanitize your home, you can make your home smell good, you can put it on your temples if you have a headache – it’s ancient.  They used to use it, Cleopatra and Marc Antony used lavender,” said Aly.
The profusion of uses for this mauve-colored flower might help explain the craze that folks have for the festival, especially in the case of Robert Hall, who covered himself in every shade of lavender imaginable for the big day.
“It’s always been a pleasant color for me, so it’s one of my favorite colors,” said Hall. “I do blues and that, but I really like lavender.”
He then led the way to one provocative purple potion, a little mixed drink made out of – you guessed it – lavender. The Lavender Lizzie is a sweet libation made out of lavender margarita mix and some bubbly to bring you good cheer while you’re celebrating at the festival.
The smiles, laughter, and love that the residents and visitors of Blanco have for this aromatic plant makes all of the effort put into planning such a big day worth it.
“That’s why I love my business. The joy people see,” said Brieger.
So start your summer with a sensational stroll through the fields of purple flowers in Blanco County at the annual Lavander Festival, well worth a stop on The Texas Bucket List.

The Texas Bucket List – Messina Hof Winery and Resort

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BRYAN – In the fertile soil of the Brazos Valley, you’ll find a field of vines with a Lenoir linage dedicated to a Lone Star State libation.

No matter what quarter of the state you go to, Texans are always willing to raise a glass to their favorite vino. But we wanted to get the whole process, so we went down to Bryan to the Messina Hof vineyard to harvest some of this heart-healthy concoction.

Paul Bonarrigo is the CEO of Messina Hof, a Texas wine tradition that was founded by another Paul Bonnarigo and his wife Merrill back before Paul was even born.  You could say the vineyard is his kind of an older sibling.

“Messina Hof was officially started in 1977. That’s when the vineyard went in the ground,” said Bonarrigo. “I was working in the vineyard since I was incredibly young, so I mean, my first official social security year was when I was 8 years old.”

Growing up around grapes was a constant learning experience for Paul, but before leading the family’s vineyard, he followed another calling and, like his father before him, served our country.  Paul joined the Marines and was deployed to Iraq twice.

“You know, it makes you appreciate everything. Life in general, the things that some people may consider to be big deals, I don’t, you know, it’s humbling, it modifies your viewpoint on life,” Bonnarigo said.

These days you’ll always find Paul raising a glass to life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness while teaching thousands of visitors about the joy of winemaking at a special celebration they call, the harvest festival.

“Harvest Festival is when we get a chance to share what we do with the public,” Bonnarigo said. “To understand the process, to be a part of it, is a lot of fun and it’s something your memories will last a lifetime here because it’s so unique. You can’t do this very often.”

Every August, with the vines sagging from the full weight of the fine Texas fruit, folks line up to work the fields.

“We, as winemakers, get to do this on a daily basis and we experience the wine and we see the art and science involved with it. It’s a great opportunity to share knowledge, but there’s also our motto of ‘Join the family,’ that’s what it’s kind of all about,” said Bonnarigo.

Before the harvest begins, the vines are blessed.

“Being faith-based and focused on that is big for both our family and for the winery,” Bonnarigo said. “So, we always give it up to God.”

Well, water won’t turn into wine here, so the grapes have to be harvested. With a collection of clusters, it’s not hard to find the fortuitous fruit. You’ll even find the Paul senior with his trademark beret pulling his boisterous weight.

It’s not often you’ll see people smile while performing manual labor, but this is one of those exceptions. And that might be because in the end, you know there’s a payoff. Before uncorking a fine vintage, stomping on some grapes leaves a lasting impression.

“Most people are fine with it. You know, we have some people who get that little bit of the tippy toes when they start to get in there, like oh, this is a little bit different, but mostly everybody, they’ll jump in and just have a fun time,” Bonnarigo said.

This old school way of making spirits takes you back to European way of wine making, but all in the heart of Aggieland.

Then it was time to experience the wine. That’s when we met Michael Broussard, the man who knows his wine. After a few lessons, it was time to toast to Texas.

The evening is closed out with diner, drinks, and a chance to talk life with follow lovers of the vine.  To connect with something that’s been bringing people together long before the wedding in Cana.

“There’s something that just makes it so magical to know that when the next bottle when the crop comes up, like that could be your pick, what you picked off the vine,” said Jellica Thomassen, Bryan-College station resident.

Whether you’re here for a drink and relaxation or to be a part of the winemaking process, Messina Hof makes for a great stop on The Texas Bucket List.

“We think that letting people be involved not only gives you a new viewpoint, but also lets you experience something that you can’t experience anywhere else,” said Bonnarigo. “No matter where you go in the world, a Texan is proud of Texas. They still understand and appreciate the value of Texas Ag, and Texas wine.”

The Texas Bucket List – Galveston Island Beach Revue

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GALVESTON, Texas – Down on Galveston Island in the shadows of historic Hotel Galvez, you’ll find an annual celebration dedicated to a bygone era of American history.

You know there’s nothing better in the summer than going to the beach here in Texas, and every May a group of ladies gets together to celebrate our heritage with a little Bathing Beauties Contest.

The Galveston Island Beach Revue has a long history on the Gulf Coast. Will Wright is part of the IBC coalition, short for ‘Islander By Choice.’  In 2009, they decided to revive the saucy extravaganza with a storied past that started in the roaring ‘20s.

“We didn’t know how people would respond to it, and boy they just took off and ran with it,” said Wright. “Yeah, they say that the population would just triple when it came time for the ‘Pageant of Pulchritude’ is what they called it at that time.”

The Revue was renowned for years until the Great Depression put a stop to the celebration. Thankfully happy days are here again as lovely ladies from every corner of the Lone Star State descend upon the island every May.

In this bountiful bunch of beautiful ladies we met Beth Rogers. Representing Beaumont, this mother, wife, and entrepreneur gets a chance to let loose and have a little fun. Turns out, reviving the past takes a lot of work for each of these contestants.

“If this contest was in my hometown, I’m not sure if I would have been as eager to participate,” said Rogers. “There’s something kind of alluring about getting to play dress-up even as an adult woman.”

Rogers routinely takes part in the revue. Being able to celebrate a different time in style, fashion, and attitude makes doing all this work well worth it.

“What I actually like about ‘40s and ‘50s and why I feel comfortable participating being, you know, a 35 year-old mom, is that women in the ‘40s, especially in the ‘50s, ‘60s, the look was a little more voluptuous, a little more full-figured and, so you don’t have to be this like, stick-thin 20 year-old,” Rogers said. “You know, most of the women actually that participate I would think the average age is somewhere in their thirties. And a lot of us, most of us are moms and, you know, we come from all different walks of life and…so that’s neat.”

Each brush stroke, each curl, each step brings a new era back to life. You see this contest isn’t just about beauty, it’s a about celebrating life. But Rogers doesn’t just do this for herself, she also does it for her family.

“So I think [my son] thinks it’s kind of neat that his mom does something weird. Different!” said Rogers.

Then it’s time to compete. With thousand on hand, a most incredible gang of gals struts their stuff.

With different themes, different eras, and all different ages represented, the Galveston Beach Revue is a spectacle for the eyes and connects us to the way of life our parents, grandparents or even great grandparents got to celebrate all those years ago.

“I like seeing people connect to that history that is very important to Galveston and that we get to do something contemporary but still have kind of a historic, fun bend to it is really special,” said Wright.

The Texas Bucket List – Burton Cotton Gin Festival

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With everything bigger and better in Texas, it’s no surprise that Burton houses the oldest cotton gin in the world in its city limits. The ground starts shaking, your heart starts pounding, and out pops a bale of cotton every year at the Cotton Gin Festival. A celebration that brings in thousands, you won’t want to miss this piece of Texas heritage on The Texas Bucket List!

The Texas Bucket List – Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtle Release

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During the peak of nesting season, sea turtle hatchlings propel their way across the sand to make their way into the deep blue sea. Down on the South Padre National Seashore, you can view this journey that begins their lives at an annual Kemp’s Ridley sea turtle release. The plucky spirit and — we admit it — cuteness of these baby sea turtles makes this well worth a stop on The Texas Bucket List!