Texas Bucket List

Texas Bucket List

Simmons Bank

The Texas Bucket List – Bruno Steel House in Lubbock

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Lubbock – In the South Plains of Texas, the small lakeside town of Ransom Canyon is a refuge from the miles and miles of farmland. Just a few miles east of Lubbock, this lush little hideaway has some beautiful homes but there’s one dwelling that sticks out like a steel beam.

Since 1974, The Bruno Steel House has been a reliable relic here in Ransom Canyon because there simply is nothing else like it. “This particular house was built by Robert Richard Bruno. Started in 1974. He worked on it for about 34 years before his demise on December the 9th of 2008,” said caretaker Henry Martinez.

Henry took me on a tour of this mansion made from metal but first we had to iron out some details. “It’s been a structure known worldwide for its uniqueness. It’s hard to explain until you see it for yourself,” explained Henry.

Henry came to work for Bruno in 1986 and he inherited Robert’s businesses, a successful irrigation company. “To somehow end up owning a company is quite an honor. I don’t brag about it. I am very privileged and it’s because of Robert Richard Bruno. That’s why I feel that he’s an important part of my life,” expressed Henry.

While working with water brought them together, their joint love of art forged a friendship. “Art is like a hobby to me because of Robert. He taught me that. I love art. I enjoy painting. I enjoy drawing. Every time I walk in here, I see something different and that’s a long time, but it’s drilled on me, the importance of art,” said Henry.

Every nook and cranny of the incredible work of art has a unique angle, a precious pitch, and curious corners. From the wild welds to stunning stained-glass fixtures, there’s all sorts of interesting aspects to the home. “It’s like trying to explain to you different pieces of paintings. They all have their unique qualities,” said Henry.

So do you measure this house in square footage? “There’s nothing square about this house,” stated Henry.

According to Henry, the Bruno Steel House consists of 2200 feet of space and 110 tons of steel.  Despite the metal being cold and hard, there’s something about the rust-colored creation. “There’s almost life to the metal. I don’t know how to explain it. It’s maybe sound kind of loony but to me it feels like there’s some life to it,” expressed Henry.

Seeing the people light up when touring this art installation that happens to be a home has been Henry’s biggest joy. “It’s so gratifying seeing the faces of different people. You got art people, you got welding people, you got architects, you got normal people, you got kids; youth, and they all have a different expression, that it’s hard to explain to you the differences on the different faces, and that’s been part of the fun,” said Henry.

Henry has been giving tours of the home since Robert passed away in 2008.  Robert did get a chance to live in the home he built for about 7 months. But in the Fall of 2021, the Bruno Steel House was sold with plans of making it and a place for visitors to rent and stay for the night.  Our tour with Henry was one of the last opportunities he had to walk around the home that reminded him so much of his old friend. “He won’t be forgotten because to me, he lived a very beautiful work of art, he cared about education. He cared about art. He cared about people,” expressed Henry.

So if you happen to make your way to the south plains of Texas and you randomly find your way to Ransom Canyon, stop by the Bruno Steel House to see what 110 tons of art looks like because it’s an extremely unique stop on The Texas Bucket List. “You explain to me where in the world you’re going to see something like this. There is not,” stated Henry.

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 – The Chainsaw Chick in Dickinson

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Dickinson – Just an oyster shell throw from Galveston Bay, you’ll find a palapa palace known for putting together a tropical feeling for folk’s backyard landscapes. With the sound of a chainsaw churning out it’s daily duties a constant around here, you’d be surprised to see that on most days, it’s not palm trees or bamboo being cut.

“I mostly use cedar because it’s a softer wood and it has like a fine sand sawdust to it and you can get a lot of detail out of it,” stated Della Meredith, a chainsaw artist with a love for art that a cut above the rest..

Della is usually in pinch to get orders put out for customers who really like carved art. “I’m from the woods, I love carving. Well, I’m from Tarkington Prairie so it’s pretty much in the woods,” joked Della.

This mother of 4 has always been enamored by art. She majored in it, she taught it and now she creates it. “I’ve just always had a passion for art since I was a little kid, I love to draw and paint. And my mother’s an artist and my grandmother was an artist… Well, I did wood shop in college and metal smithing, so I had the shop backgrounds, but we didn’t use chainsaws,” explained Della.

Originally a painter of murals, it dawned on Della that she wanted to create some three-dimensional designs. “I feel like I learned it pretty fast. I watched a couple of videos on YouTube,” stated Della.

Now there was a learning curve to using a chainsaw.  It’s sort of like working with a stubborn mule, you never know when it’s going to kickback. “You just like hit the wrong spot and it’ll fly at you,” said Della.

Being so close to the coast, the most carved items include things you’d find close to the bay. “This community is a big fishing community, we’re out by the coast so I get a lot of orders for pelicans and fish of different types and fishing rod racks, tikis, just the beach type stuff. People order the same thing over and over so I’ve been making a lot of flamingos lately and pelicans, and that gets a little bit redundant, but it’s still fun,” said Della.

From superheroes to superstar athletes, there’s not much Della can’t do and that includes making some magnificent pieces of art made out of hurricane damaged trees. “Art is not perfect so just try to make it the best that I can. Whenever you get out there and hustle and you have that drive, you just keep pushing forward and keep moving forward. And I just get a little bit of success and then it would just keep going and keep going and it’s like that now too. I mean, I have a lot of orders, but I know like I could still grow more too and I’m working on that,” explained Della.

It turns out that taking some off the top of the timber is more than just an income for Della, it’s an escape for her and for those who appreciate her art.“I love making art every day. It makes me happy and other people say it makes them happy, which I didn’t anticipate going into this, that’s just like a bonus for me like that they’re like, ‘Oh, we love looking at your work.’ It’s exciting to see everything. So I enjoy that part of it,” expressed Della.

So drive on down to Dickinson to get down with Della as just chisels out here coastal creations while carving out a unique stop on The Texas Bucket List.  “It makes people happy and when people are making art, they get into this space that is, it’s really a good place to be and it’s good to see and it makes the world a better place, I feel like,” said Della.

The Texas Bucket List – Ragland Piano Company in Texarkana

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Texarkana—Though you may not know the term Ragtime, chances are you’ve heard The Entertainer, a tune with roots right here the Lone Star State. The Entertainer is one of 44 original ragtime pieces penned by Scott Joplin, a composer born in Texarkana in 1868.

Howard Gustafson III is piano technician and owner of the Ragland Piano Company in downtown Texarkana. He understands and appreciates the legacy Joplin left behind. “Scott Joplin gave us an entire genre of music that it crosses racial barriers, age barriers, time barriers. It’s wide appeal. So, certainly being a part of his formative years, Texarkana can lay claim to bringing the world that style of music,” said Howard.

It’s fitting to find Howard in this old piano store doing things with pianos Joplin would never believe. What’s crazy about Howard’s piano pursuit is that there’s no strings attached. “It’s kind of interesting. What we do here is kind of two extremes. A hundred year old technology, cutting edge technology, very little in the middle,” he explained. 90% of Howard’s business at the Ragland Piano store doesn’t involve tuning or tightening strings, but rather replacing them all together. “Here’s an example of a high end digital mechanism that we’ll incorporate in some of our custom built… This will actually be put inside a piano shell, whether an upright or a grand piano,” he said.

 

“We went through this phase where we’re like, we have all these pianos nobody wants. Let’s make other stuff out of them, and that has transitioned into, hey, we can still make them musical instruments. So, now let’s repurpose them as digitals,” Howard explained. Hitting the right note doesn’t take precise measurements with ears anymore, which is a good thing for Howard. “I tell people, as you see me shuffling around right here, I can’t really sit still long enough to tune a piano. I have to be taking something apart or putting something together,” he admitted.

This is somewhat new to this piano technician that got his start with his father back in 1985. “There’s always been piano players in the family, instrument players in the family. My father is probably most responsible for me being a piano technician today because we took the family piano apart. He had an interest in how pianos worked and so I helped him do that. We vacuumed it out and kind of peeked inside of it, found some old coins underneath the keys,” said Howard. “Between what I learned with him in the shop behind the house for a dollar an hour, I kid you not, and then working at that music store, it kind of built the foundation to move to Texarkana and then open a piano store.” Howard honed his ability to repair pianos because for him, it wasn’t too tough. “One real benefit of working on pianos is if you know how to fix one note, you can fix the other 87,” he said.

Playing the instrument was a whole other ballgame. His parents weren’t sure it was the right path for Howard so he started teaching himself and you’ll never guess the first piece he picked up. “First song I ever learned was by Scott Joplin,” said Howard. “As a 14-year-old kid wanting to learn piano lessons to convince his parents, I picked up a book of the collected works of Scott Joplin, picked out a song and played it. That’s in Memphis, Tennessee, 300 miles away. I had no idea what Texarkana was.”

“Over the summer, I learned how to play the first part of Scott Joplin’s Entertainer….” he said. “I had enough musical knowledge that I would count up the staff and say, okay, that’s an A and I put my finger on the A. I’d count and find the next note and I would learn what chord that was and then I’d just progress through the first movement or two of The Entertainer. That persuaded my parents to let me take piano lessons and get some degree of education, which of course has benefits me today.”

The legacy that Joplin left behind and Howard’s love for music, push him to keep his hankering for harmony and plead to parents to never let their children refrain themselves from learning a refrain. “That’s where part of the music business has gone is parents don’t give them that little nudge and say, yeah, you’re going to take a year of piano lessons. We’re all like letting little Johnny and little Susie pick out what they want to do. Oh, we don’t want to crowd them any,” claimed Howard. “People need to encourage their children to take a step that’s uncomfortable and they’re going to expand their boundaries and music is part of that.”

This piano man practices what he preaches by passing along his passion to his three boys. “They are actually in college. Did not cost dad one penny. Thank you boys,” he continued, “…When I would drop them off at their mom’s house and I’d be getting their instruments out of the car, I would hand one of them an instrument. I’d say, ‘What is this?’ The proper answer was not my trombone or my saxophone. The proper answer was my ticket to college and it worked… Music has some real benefits and piano was the foundation for that for them.”

Howard keeps plugging away on the pianos with the knowledge that history and technology are behind him. “Anytime a family comes in and they’re buying a child a starter instrument, I think somebody showed Scott Joplin his first piano. What if that had never happened? Arguably would we have jazz because that’s kind of a derivative from ragtime,” he said. “I’m very conscious of what I’m part of…It’s an honor to be part of that progression in that person’s life and their musical journey.”

The Texas Bucket List – David Adickes Art Studio in Houston

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On an overcast Houston morning, the towering skyscrapers of the space city seem to reach for the stars, through the clouds, as the rush hour commute commences.  In a town where bigger and bolder go together, the skyline has some amazing architecture and it pairs perfectly with some huge works of art that are hard to hide. History is a huge part of the Lone Star State’s pride and culture, and for those who also subscribe to the adage that everything’s bigger in Texas, David Adickes’s art studio in Houston is the perfect destination. Showcasing some of the most massive sculptures in all of America, the studio is an outdoor exhibition comprised of hand-sculpted busts of some of America’s most iconic former presidents. “It’s hard to get rid of them. Yeah. Can’t bury them, got to have a big hole”, joked Adickes.  Texas artist David Adickes created these huge heads of state and has them stored at his studio which happens to be completely surrounded by superhighways, making it feel like you’re in a fish bowl.  “I feel like that also. It’s the noise that gets me, but inside you don’t hear it that much”, said Adickes as we moved into his building.

Born in Huntsville in 1927, David’s art has been around the block for a while and we’re not just talking heads. David’s talents have taken him all over the world and even earned him a personal friendship with President George H.W. Bush.  “I spent the night in the Lincoln bedroom as president Bush 41’s guest”, reminisced David. “Oh yeah. I saw him a lot, a lot of letters exchanged back and forth”, he said fondly.  David created the bronze of former President Bush that sits in the airport, but his art is not all about the biggest office in the land. He likes to create all sorts of sculptures, which has kept his long career busy and eclectic.  “Well, I have a condition called ‘bitimus chewicus’. Means biting off more than you can chew”, he joked.

If you’ve ever explored H-Town you’ve probably come across David’s art. The Virtuoso in downtown, the Big Ol’ Beatles at the 8th Wonder Brewery, as well as the “We Love Houston” sign are all signature Adickes’ pieces and are also some of the most instagramed sites in the city. “Are you on Instagram at 93,” I asked him during the interview.  “I don’t think so. I don’t know what it is”, David replied with laugh.

 

David’s biggest accomplishment, is just that. BIG. In his hometown of Huntsville stands a 687-foot-tall statue of Sam Houston, staring down the constant stream of SUVs on Interstate 45. It’s the tallest statue of an American anywhere, and it’s the tallest standing sculpture in the United States of a real person. “Why was it important for you to make Sam so big? Just because he’s bigger than Texas, I joked. “That’s part of it”, he said. “Plus we wanted to be impressive. We wanted to be iconic, so it is an icon”.

David graduated with a degree in mathematics and physics from the Sam Houston State Teachers College, now known as Sam Houston State University. He served in the Army Air Corps at the tail end of World War II and spent two years in France from 1948 to 1950.  It wasn’t until he spent this time abroad and saw the incredible art and architecture there that he knew he just had to try his hand at sculpting.  “That changed everything. I learned to speak French and chase French girls and caught a few”, he said with a reminiscing smile.  “Sounds like a horrible way to live”, I joked. “Terrible”, he responded quickly.  “How far out is your schedule right now? How many years in advance are you having work”, I asked considering his age. “From now? Oh, 10 or 15 years”, he said.  “So you’ll finally be done when you’re 108″, I joked. “I don’t do the math, but yeah”, he said with a smile.

Despite being 93 years young, David still makes his way up the stairs of his home to his artist studio to paint every day.  His sculpture work has slowed down significantly, and eventually his collection of heads will head to Huntsville for a permanent display. But for as long as he can, David plans on keeping his studio open, free of charge, to curious crowds looking to walk amongst his king-sized Commander-in-Chiefs.

“I’m flattered when people come and look at them. The whole point in doing them is that they are to be seen. If they were hidden someplace, there would be no point in doing them. Same with art, painting. As long as it’s in your closet at home, what good is it to anybody? You’ve got to get it out and be seen”, he said.  “It’s like reading a good book or hearing a good joke or hearing good music, it gives you pleasure. The pleasure is mine”.

So if you’re meandering around Houston anytime soon, make sure to check out the David Adickes Art Studio, and keep your eyes peeled for the rest of his iconic creations around town. As always, tune in with us next week for more must-see places, people, art, and music right here on The Texas Bucket List.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Texas Bucket List – Eiffel Tower in Paris

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Paris—In the town of Paris, the Lone Star State’s version of the city of love, the square reminds you of it’s distant cousin to the east. Such a peaceful part of town with fragrant flowers and a subdued fountain spraying into a dry Texas day. That European feel continues on the southwest side of town at tower dedicated to the namesake of this city in the Lone Star State.

“Welcome to Paris, Texas. This is our Eiffel Tower,” said the town’s Chamber of Commerce President, Paul Allen.

Paul was born and raised in Paris, TX, so he understands the importance of embracing their connection to the town that sits 4,833 miles to the east.  (That’s like driving across Texas six times!)

Fittingly you can find the tower at the Love Civic Center. 

“It all works. It’s perfect,” he said.

Now we always boast that everything is bigger in Texas, but this version of the Eiffel Tower checks in at 65 feet tall, nearly 1000 feet smaller than the one in France. On American soil however, Paris has the second largest version of the tower with Las Vegas taking the top spot and Paris, Tennessee taking third.

“At one point in time theirs [Tennessee] was taller and when the cowboy hat was added, we surpassed Paris, Tennessee… And we became number two,” said Paul.

Built in 1994, the tower was donated by local welders and pipefitters who thought it was fit for the city of blinding lights in the lone star state to have its own towering tower.

“A lot of it was done at BMW and then those pieces were brought out here, but a lot of that welding was done here as well… Volunteered their time and volunteered the pipe, material and [built it] piece by piece,” explained Paul.

“I have been to Paris, France. I’ll tell you, I’d rather be in Paris, Texas than Paris, France any day of the week. Because I’ve seen it and I’ve been there, I’ll take this one,” he said.

While it may not be the biggest in the world, the Eiffel Tower in Paris, Texas can put a big ol’ feather in its hat for one big reason—it’s in the town with the biggest heart!

“It means a lot to me and it means a lot to a lot of people that have grown up here and don’t want to be anywhere else,” concluded Paul.

The Texas Bucket List – Oliver Saddle Shop in Amarillo

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Amarillo—Up in Amarillo there is a saddle shop that does things the old fashioned, all while passing along their family traditions.

Early every morning Richard Oliver is busying hammering out his latest saddle.

“Quality and maintaining what we stand for,” said Richard.

It takes about a week for Richard to create a basic saddle and he’s got years of experience.

“Our customers take pride in owning something that’s made here,” he said.

For Richard, making saddles is more than a job, it is a family legacy. It all started in Vernon, Texas when his grandfather C.W. Oliver opened the family’s first saddle shop in 1917.  Richard’s father, Bill, followed in those footsteps and today Richard is carrying along the rich tradition of tack.

“A lot of these old tools that I still use are some that my dad and granddad had,” he said.

Bill brought the business to Amarillo in 1960 and Richard joined in after college in 1970.

“Every one of our saddles is done by hand, it’s all drawn off. This fellow, being from New Mexico, he said, ‘Can you put something on there a little bit different?’ I put a yucca and some prickly pear on there for him. It’s fun to dress these things up and customize them for somebody,” Richard said.

The craftsmanship and quality of Oliver Saddle Shop keeps his customers coming back.

“So many of our customers are third and fourth generation customers. I’ve built saddles for grandkids of guys that I built their saddles. I’ve built three generations saddles before, some instances, even four,” he said.

That goes for the Oliver Saddle Shop as well. Richard’s two sons, Bryan and Zeb, make up the 4th generation of saddle makers in their family.

“There’s something about the shop that draws us in, and we enjoy, part of our lives, part of the DNA, I guess,” said Richard.

“I actually grew up in this room,” confessed Bryan.

“From an early age, dad would bring me down here. Grandma would babysit Bryan and I. We’d take naps down here, play down here, play with the leather, do it all,” recalled Zeb.

“It’s just a wonderful feeling to see the boys this close and being there for them too,” said Richard.

The Olivers are always hard at work, making sure the family name keeps its reputation among the cowboys and cowgirls of cattle country.

“Most working cowboys want something that’s a little more durable than a factory-made saddle, and that’s where we come into play,” explained Bryan.

“The Western heritage is still alive in Texas. That’s our roots, that’s our base. Cowboys are still out there working just as hard as they ever did. Proud to be a part of it, proud to be a Texan, proud that we’re still in Texas,” expressed Richard.

There is even another generation getting lessons on what it takes to sit tall in the saddle. Richard’s grandson, Andrew, is one of those potential keepers of the flame.

“Having both of them here and my grandkids able to come down in this shop, and work in the shop just as I did and grow up and start understanding small business…the values that a small business can give family, the work ethic and the values and everything, very important,” said Richard.

“Watching him develop and showing an interest in certain aspects of it, it’s a great joy… it’s just so great and knowing my dad’s values that he’s passing down to my son is just phenomenal,” said Zeb.

“If my kids want the opportunity to work in here, then I want them to know that it was handed down. This is how we did this, this is how we do this,” explained Bryan.

For now, the family focuses on the day to day task of saddling up as many ropers, riders, and ranch hands as possible with the hope that Oliver made saddles with be sitting on steeds for some time.

“I can’t even imagine down the road, how many years this shop will be in business, and if he went into it, another 40 or 50 years at least…. We’re unusual to have made it a hundred years. For him to go into it, that’d be wonderful. My granddad and dad would be amazed and thrilled, I think, to know that it’s still going, what they started,” said Richard.

“There is some preservation to the craftsmanship that I feel obligated to. I’m doing the same things that my great-grandfather did, there’s something to that,” said Bryan.

Richard knows that he can’t stay in the saddle forever, but he doesn’t plan on giving up the reigns any time soon.  These times together is what this ride is all about because his field and his family are too important.

“I enjoy my customers, I still enjoy making saddles. I still enjoy my work. I still enjoy the comradery of the shop…I’m still productive, and I just don’t want to retire. I still haven’t made my best saddle yet,” said Richard.

The Texas Bucket List – The Wilson House in Temple

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Temple⁠—In a historic neighborhood that’s surprisingly a stone’s throw from interstate 35, sits a dead-end street with a few typical looking house from the late 50’s; but one of these old homes will bring you back to a bygone era when laminate was king.

Our tour was led by Grace Jeffers, an expert on the material many used to lament but not anymore.

“I actually wrote my master’s thesis on decorative plastic laminate from 1947 to 1964…Which some consider the golden age of laminate,” she explained, “that’s when it was new and it was very expensive, really a prestige material.”

When she first came across this historic home full of the facade she was familiar with, she was flabbergasted.

“So I literally walked in… the back door, looked at the kitchen and my jaw dropped because, according to the Smithsonian, I was the expert and everything in this house predated all of my research by at least five years,” she said, “so I knew this house was super important.”

Built by Ralph Wilson, the founder of WilsonArt, this home was his private residence, a model home for his laminate company, and a test lab for his latest creations. That’s why Wilsonart bought and restored the home back to its original glory in 1997.

“To have a perfect encapsulation of the late 50s, early 60s, you are hard-pressed to find that,” said Grace.

Although the house seems dated now, in its time, it was so innovative it impacted future styles.

“So one of the more popular details in the house is the happy kitchen… It looks a lot like the Brady Bunch, doesn’t it? And yet, it predates the Brady Bunch,” she said.

Things that are the norm in today’s homes were groundbreaking when built back in 1959.

“This is where you are seeing certain details that had never been seen before in architecture…One is the very first kitchen island in the state of Texas… The second is the all-laminate clad cabinetry. Now, you and I are like, ‘Oh, I see this in every doctor’s office, every dental office, every school,’ but it had not been done before,” said Grace.

It’s been said the colors effect people’s moods and in here you can test that theory.

“They come in here, they see the colors…And actually, there are designers that are now designing more colorful kitchens because they’ve seen this house,” she explained.

The theme continues in the bathroom.

“One of people’s favorite details in the house is the pink bathroom,” she commented, “and you really see that he was experimenting with some very new things. This is one of the first sunken tubs in the state of Texas.”

One can only imagine how far out this house was in the late 50’s, but in all her years of researching the reaches of design, Grace believes this style could have only been done in the Lone Star State.

“This was made in the spirit of Texas, and we’re going to maintain this and keep this going. And I really feel like that this house encapsulates that energy and that spirit. But it happened here in Texas because so many people had that ‘can do, let’s innovate’ spirit.”

So if you’re looking for a laminate lair that still looks like the day is was laid down, the Wilson House is the home of your dreams on The Texas Bucket List.

Grace confirms, “It’s a perfect time capsule of a moment in history.”

Texas Bucket List – Wimberley Glassworks in San Marcos

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San Marcos – It is time to heat things up. How else are you supposed to make incredible pieces of glass art?  That’s how they do things at Wimberley Glassworks in San Marcos.  That’s were you can find vases, paperweights, and even some really big plates.  The most interesting part of this place is the person that makes most of this stuff.

“Well, do you want the history of glass or what?,” owner Tim DeJong said. “Okay. In the beginning, not that much history,” he joked.

Tim DeJong is very young at heart, especially when it comes to his fragile form of art.

“That’s called wagging the noodle, it’s a technical term,” Tim said.

Everyday, you’ll find him at the Wimberley Glassworks creating incredible pieces of art that take some serious heat and some serious skills to shape.

“This is clear glass at 2110 degrees Fahrenheit,” Tim said. “At this temperature, it moves like honey. If I stop turning the pipe, it’s gonna drip right off the end like honey would off a spoon.”

Since 1992, he’s called Wimberley home. It’s a far cry from his birthplace of some crazy place called Canada.

“Born in Saskatoon, but I got here as soon as I could,” Tim said.

The son of a Methodist minister, Tim’s family moved to the East coast where he got a bug for the arts early on.

“Yeah, yeah,” Tim said. “I went to art school, every parent’s nightmare.”

When it came to college, Tim had other ideas. Ideas his college educated father clearly didn’t agree with. Tim’s father was the first in his family to get a college degree, so he put Tim to the test and it made him into the man he is today.

”He knew what life was like without a college education, whereas I didn’t,” Tim said. “The next day he gave me $300 cash and a one way ticket to Seattle and he said ‘Work your way home. If you don’t wanna go to college, we’ll talk,’” Tim said. “He didn’t tell me until three weeks before he passed away that he cried coming all the way back from the airport because he never thought I’d take him up in the challenge, but once I did, he couldn’t back down. Four and a half months, it took. Yep, I went through the $300 in four days and thought I was being thrifty. Ended up on the street. I actually hitchhiked all the way down the California coast and across to Austin, lived under the Congress Avenue Bridge for six weeks, I still pick up change walking across AGB’s parking lot because I can’t just leave it there. It was really the best thing the guy ever did for me. It taught me where absolute bottom was, but most importantly how far can you push it until you fall, but if I fell it was no big deal, I knew how to get out.”

Once Tim made it back to the East coast, he had a calling to come back to Texas.

“I was just like what in God’s name am I doing in Philadelphia?,” Time said. “And I looked at real estate all week, found a nice little piece of property, and moved in 11 months.”

When he started his glassworks gallery in the early 90’s, Tim didn’t exactly break the bank.

“I opened up my first full year of business, i grossed $2000,” Time said. “Not netted, grossed. Most people would have closed the doors and walked away. I was like well, this isn’t working, so I closed it during the week. I went to Austin, I fixed houses during the week, and came down, blew glass on the weekend.”

With perseverance and surrounding himself with other artists who shared his passion and shared their knowledge, Tim took his business to places he never imagined including the corporate world.

“We have a plethora of pieces in Houston and Dallas, and we also have in L.A. and Baltimore,” Tim said. “We also decided to do one here, right here in our own entryway. If you look up here, you can see that we have 224 ribbons of glass.”

The first time Tim dipped his foot into making gargantuan glass for the corporate world, it almost broke him.  Fortunately, the friendly Texas business he frantically worked for saw the finished product and Tim’s fortitude in his fine work.

“The first commercial piece I did, I had to make three of these 14 foot diameter chandeliers,” Tim said. “I’d never really bid a job like this, I didn’t really know what I was doing, so I bid $200000 on these three chandeliers, I thought I was just gonna make out like a bandit. Well, they cost me $295000 to build. I remortgaged the house and I borrowed from everyone I knew because I had to keep my word. My contract was that long, that’s my word. Without your word, you’re nothing. The owner of the building comes up to me and he looks at me and he- ‘Now I have a feeling you under bid this. I have a feeling you under bid it a lot.’ I was like yeah. He goes, ‘Invoice me the difference.’ And I cried. Literally, I bawled on the spot. It took me about five minutes to get myself together. He goes, ‘The reason why we’re doing this is we want you to succeed because we wanna hire you again.’ And I’m telling you, there’s not a place on this planet that that’s gonna happen other than Texas.”

The colorful pieces in Tim’s gallery are also a part of this incredible story. The hot, labor intensive work yields such amazing beauty, but it all started somewhere.

“The first piece I ever made is in the front entry,” Tim said. “Yeah. It’s in a little silver frame, it’s about this big, it’s got my 1979 college ID above it, which is really funny, and a little quote underneath it that says ‘Every dream starts somewhere.’ When my mom passed away three years ago, I found it rolling around in her nightstand, and I took it out and I went, I know where this needs to go. And I stuck it out there because people walk in here and they don’t realize, everyone’s first piece is butt ugly.”

Luckily, there are lots of pretty pieces to choose from making Wimberley Glassworks an beautiful stop on the Texas Bucket List.

“There are so many quality artisans in this valley that I personally think, I say ‘Wimberley makes and the world takes,’” Tim said.