Texas Bucket List

Texas Bucket List

Simmons Bank

The Texas Bucket List – Quenchies in Beaumont

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BEAUMONT – Southeast Texas always has a unique blend of Texas and Louisiana culture, and you can clearly see it in the food. Here I’ve had burgers with bountiful toppings, sandwiches filled with crawfish etouffee, fried up crabs, and even Cajun grilled cheese sandwiches.

With the blend of cultures on our eastern border, you’ll also find snowballs, which are like snow cones but just a little bit different. “People ask me all the time, ‘what’s the difference between a snowball and a snow cone?’ Because we have both people. Well, I said, ‘Well, New Orleans calls it snowball. Texas calls it snow cone.’ And the difference is in the ice. It’s a shaved, not the crunchy, crunchy, but a shaved smooth ice,” explains Donna Harris, the owner of Quenchies in Beaumont.

Back when she was a child, her parents had a small snowball shack and it’s where Donna became fond of frozen snacks. “My parents had one of the first machines like we use in Texas, and it was just little mom and pop place, little bitty building you might could get two people in there,” Donna said. “When I first started, I was 11. I didn’t work there by myself, but I would help my other brothers and mom there, and then as I got older, 13 and 14, I started working by myself there.

Donna has a desire to get back to providing folks with simple sweet treats that always got people to smile, so in 2017 she opened Quinches with her husband Ed. “I always dreamed of a place like this where you could come in, sit down. So, after me and my husband got married, and we had been married several years, I got a little mom and pop place like my parents had,” Donna said. “This is definitely a fun place. Everybody that comes here is happy.”

Quenchies signature is gummy bears.  On top of all the sweet snowballs you’ll find gelatinous grizzlies greeting you to this sugary, cold, and crunchy desert. “If you forget their gummy bear, it’s like, ‘where’s my gummy bear?’ I mean, the adults are like, “Where’s my gummy?” Donna said.

But there’s another snowball that doesn’t come with a gummy, oh no.  It comes with a pickle—an Eskimo pickle to be exact. “A lot of people say, ‘what is the Eskimo Pickle?’ And I tell them, I say, ‘it’s a lot of pickle,’” Donna explained. “It is a pickle snow cone with straight pickle juice, that’s the juice instead of a flavor. We do straight pickle juice over our pickle snow cones and this is an actual pickle inside the snow cone.”

Now I didn’t want to end things on a sour note, but Donna was adamant about putting me in pickle, so she put together one of her signature Eskimo Kisses. “It (The ice shaver) hums because it shaves that block as you push it through here, and that’s why your ice has to be tempered and at a good temperature because that’s what’s going to make it,” Donna explained. “[My husband] makes sure our ice is tempered the way it’s supposed to be. But snow consistency, it can’t be too wet, it can’t be too dry. If it’s too dry, you can’t form it. But if it’s too wet then its water locked.”

Then, we built the snow cone. Donna starts with filling the cup of shaved ice half way with pickle juice, then put a pickle in the middle, and topping it off with more pickle juice.

I took a bite, and my mouth was puckering. It’s weird because you get that consistency of snow cone and your mouth’s like ‘yeah, something sweet!’ Then it goes, ‘oh no it’s not.” But this interesting treat was very good and tasted like a frozen pickle.

“Eskimo Pickle’s a big thing,” Donna explained. “We sell tons of it, tons of the pickle juice. It’s hard to keep it.”

The pickle compliments it great, imagine that! “Once you take a bite of that perfect snow cone, then there’s nothing like it,” Donna said.

If you’re super into sour, the Eskimo Pickle is the perfect item for your igloo but if you prefer a sweet snowball, they’re plenty of those options as well and they’re all well worth a stop on The Texas Bucket List.

The Texas Bucket List – Republic of Texas International Boundary Marker in Carthage

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Carthage – This stop is one of simplest and smallest historical sites we’ve seen in the Lone Star State but it’s definitely one of the coolest.  And it didn’t hurt having one Texas’ most honored historians along for the ride, Bill O’Neal.

Most days you can find Bill sitting in his Carthage home researching or writing about things that happened long ago. This former football coach still has his booming voice and presence but back in 1970, Bill’s life forever changed when he decided to take a job at Panola College. Over his lifetime, Bill has published 53 books and in 2011 he called it a career at Panola.  His first plan for retirement was to write some more books but then Governor Rick Perry had another idea for Bill.

So when you got the call from Governor Perry to be the official State Historian of Texas, what’d that make you feel? “Well, my goodness, I was just simply delighted to serve in that. I’d been a Texas history nut all my life and now I could really get into it. Basically, I turned myself in ambassador for Texas history,” said Bill.

For six years, Bill served as the State Historian of Texas thanks to his wealth of knowledge about the Lone Star State. Being an expert at anything is tough but Bill has a method to making sure he understands the whole story when it comes to history. “My feeling is I can’t write about it until I see it, experience it, see what the place looks like, really looks like, what the wind feels like, what the sounds are like, and so forth. So I always go everywhere I write about,” said Bill.

That includes a small marker in the middle of the woods that not many folks know about out. This curious stone that sits on the border of Louisiana and Texas isn’t a big mystery, but it is one of kind. “It is the only international boundary marker that is in the contiguous United States of the 48-state area,” said Bill.

Now if you’re asking yourself, why is there an international border marker between Texas and Louisiana?  Because any proud, card-carrying Texan can tell you that we were a country once.  But this border dispute started back when it was an issue between Spain and France. Once Texas won its independence from Mexico, it came time to establish the state’s eastern border, that took a little work between Texas and the United States. “When the Republic of Texas began to work that out with the United States of America, the United States had made the Louisiana Purchase, the Republic of Texas joined a commission with the United States and they came up the Sabine River and these commissioners had surveyors with them,” Bill told me.

This marker on the side of Farm to Market Road 31 South was set on April 23, 1841.  From here you can see Louisiana and you can see Texas.  Facing east on the marker, you find U.S. engraved on the stone, making the United States side.  On the west side of the marker you’ll see an RT for the Republic of Texas.

While the Republic of Texas ceased to be nearly 180 years ago, that chapter in our state’s history seems to stick with us through the years proving once again that Texas history is one of kind. So if you’re adamant at seeing all the history that the Lone Star State has to offer, a stop at the very last Republic of Texas international border marker is well worth a stop on The Texas Bucket List!

The Texas Bucket List – Country Burger in Dallas

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Dallas – On the southwest side of Dallas, on the outskirts of Oak Cliff, you’ll find Country Burger. From the outside, this yellow and red brick building boisterously advertising bacon cheeseburgers with windmills and wagon wheels looks like your typical easygoing greasy spoon, but it’s got a little more flare than that.

Rafael Jimenez is the manager of Country Burger and he’s been working there for 26 years. With such a long tenure at this timeless burger joint, Rafael sort of has the run of the place. So when it came time to decorate this diner, Rafael had the final say. He didn’t go with what you’d likely expect.

Given its name and outward appearance, you’d expect to look around and see pictures of John Wayne. But it turns out, Rafael is a super-sized fan of Selena. “Some people don’t say Country Burger, they say Selena’s Burger,” Rafael said.

In pretty much every corner of Country Burger, you’ll find some sort of painting, picture, or portrait of the late Latino singer that took Texas by storm. And from the moment Rafael arrives to work, it’s all about Selena. “In the morning, when I’m coming over here, I put on Selena songs. Every morning,” Rafael said.

With so much memorabilia on hand, Rafael has to store some of it in his office. But even with the vast amount he currently has, he’s always looking for more.

There’s even a Selena special. The Selena special is a spicy grilled chicken sandwich served with large fries and a large drink. The people love it and it’s one of their most popular dishes.

When Selena was tragically murdered in March of 1995, she was only 23 years old. It’s a moment Rafael will never forget. When he heard the news, he was with his wife and couldn’t stop crying. Even today, he still gets emotional about it. His devotion to the star turned into décor. The owner allowed him to put up some Selena things and then it spread to everywhere in the restaurant.

Today, folks come from all over to get a taste of the terrific burgers at Country Burger. Rafael is a reliable professional who keeps Country Burger up to par with its perfect patties.

So if you happen to find yourself in Dallas and are looking for a unique burger joint with a terrific tribute to the sensational Selena, Country Burger is well worth a stop on The Texas Bucket List!

“Anything for Selena,” joked Rafael, with just a hint of honesty.

The Texas Bucket List – Be Blessed BBQ in Nacogdoches

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Nacogdoches – When it comes to BBQ in the Lone Star State, you can find fantastic offerings in all sorts of places. But for folks just getting started in the restaurant industry, food trucks are a great first step to see if your food has what it takes. At Be Blessed BBQ in Nacogdoches, they shouldn’t be in a trailer for too long.

Jeremiah Moss is the owner of Be Blessed, but BBQ isn’t all he does. Jeremiah is also a pastor. He believes that Be Blessed BBQ is blessed to be a blessing, and barbecue has given him a way to be able to do that.  “There’s only two things that I know, that’s Jesus and barbecue.”

Jeremiah started his BBQ venture to raise funds for a mission project and he was divinely pointed to his first pit.  “Man, I was carrying a group to Nicaragua, and we were doing a mission trip there and prayed and said, “God, we need the funds to do this.” And I felt like the Lord told me, “I already gave it to you.” And what I saw was, over at our building, there was this old barbecue pit, man. It was broken, bust, disgusting. It had a tree grow up to the fire box. And I felt like the Lord said, “I gave it to you.” I said, “If this is coming for you, it’ll be gold plated, angel singers, not this.” And we yanked it out. I had never barbecued before then. Didn’t know anything,” said Moss.

The ol’ BBQ pit pulled through and helped with several mission projects before Jeremiah got a surprise donation. “Eight months after doing that, I got a new pit to deliver to me. Now it did look like it come from God. It was brand new; it was nice. Had a sign on it that said, “Be blessed, love God.” And that’s when Be Blessed started. And they’ve been barbecuing ever since

“Anybody that puts Be Blessed on their sign and has a business, then you know it’s going to be a good business and going for something good,” said customer John.

Pit master Joshua Henderson has been working with Jeremiah since 2020. He helps smoke the brisket for 15-16 hours and it is incredible. The brisket has a great bark and flavor, but Jeremiah wanted to make a signature sandwich. That’s when a friend recommended that he make a brisket sandwich with peanut butter and jelly. Jeremiah wasn’t sold on this idea, but one night, he decided to go ahead and taste the forbidden fruit, and it was like being born again. He put it on the menu the very next day!

I love peanut butter, so I wanted to see what this sweet and savory concoction was all about, so Joshua got started by toasting the bun. Grape jelly is added, a chopped brisket on top of that, and then comes the peanut butter, which is more like a peanut butter sauce.  Sort of like what you get with spring rolls and most Vietnamese restaurants.  The comes barbecue sauce, onions, pickles, and jalapenos, I wasn’t sure what to expect.

After taking a few sniffs my nose didn’t know what to expect but after I took a big ol’ bite, I found out that this sandwich is so good, it almost felt sinful. “If you don’t like peanut butter, you may not like it,” Jeremiah said. “But if you like peanut butter… you’ll probably hug me when we get done with this.” The sweet, the savory, and then those pickles bring in a little sour. This sandwich has got it all.

If you’re looking for a crazy combination in barbecue sandwiches, one with peanut butter, jelly, jalapenos, pickles, onions, and delicious barbecue, coming to Be Blessed BBQ in Nacogdoches is well worth a stop on The Texas Bucket List.

“I just want to live life pleasing to Christ and to be a blessing. And if I die doing that, I’m happy, brother. I’m fulfilling my purpose in life,” said Jeremiah.

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!

The Texas Bucket List – The Munster Mansion in Waxahachie

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Waxahachie – Ellis County continues to grow as a suburb to Big D but that doesn’t mean you can’t find the country feeling out around Waxahachie.  Just northeast of town, that once desolate farmland is starting to turn into neighborhoods but there’s one structure that stands on its own.  A brown, two story mansion that sits on the sits on the side of the road surrounded by a spooky gate.  Some folks tend to avoid this mysterious looking manor but if you’re brave enough to make your way to the front door of this familiar looking façade, you’ll be pleasantly surprised when you meet owner Sandra McKee.

“Come on in. Welcome to the Munster Mansion,” said Sandra as I walked into the mansion.  With cobwebs, spooky stairs, and a fire breathing dragon all in the front foyer to meet you, it sets the tone of the Munster Mansion.

In case you’re not familiar with it, The Munsters is a 1960s TV sitcom that showcased what life was like for a couple of kookie film staples that just happened to be a family. Their small family included Herman, Lily, Eddie, Grandpa, and the family pet, Spot, the fire breathing dragon hiding under the stairs. “Pretty much everything in here is just like the show,” Sandra said. “We reproduce the draperies, the sofa, the coffee table, the electric chair, the clock, things all the way down to the show.”

This house is as impressive as the haunted mansion. Sandra and her husband built this house from the ground up. Sandra said, “I’m an old soul. I liked old Victorian houses and cars and things like that. And the thing about the Munster house to me is you could travel from room to room without turning around having to go back. I love the flow of it.”

The crazy part is Sandra and her husband never even had the house plans. Sandra watched all 70 episodes over and over to see the layout of the rooms. She would watch how many steps it took Lily to get to certain parts of the house and that’s how they determined exactly where to put things to make this house a replica. They lived in this home for 20 years, but now she’s constantly giving tours of her terrific terror trophy house. “It really touches your heart because people come in, they appreciate what you’ve done and they’re living part of their past like you’ve lived,” Sandra said. “I’m at the age where I grew up with it but I have people that come in and they’ve never seen The Munsters before and then they’ll email me and say, ‘I went home and watched The Munsters. It’s really cool. I can’t believe the house is so much like The Munsters.’”

It’s very important to Sandra to have everything they had in the show. From dishes on the table to big furniture, it makes a difference for everyone’s exquisite experience. They even buy a lot of small props that were actually used in the show. But one thing in particular Sandra is missing is the floor Tiffany lamp, so if anyone knows how to make one, be sure to go talk to Sandra!

Of course, our experience would not be complete without something going bump in the middle of the day. Is that the wind? “Could be.” Is the Munster house… haunted? “Could be.” Are there monsters in the Munster house? “Oh, I wish.”

So if seeing this not so scary house dedicated to one of America’s frightening favorite families intrigues you, a trip to the Munster’s House in Waxahachie is well worth a stop on The Texas Bucket List!

The Texas Bucket List – Boot Hill Cemetery in Tilden

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Tilden – The landscape of McMullen County is what you’d expect in south Texas.  It’s a desolate land covered in mesquite, brush, and the occasional cactus. Tilden is the county seat of this sparce part of the state, and it happens to be in the 5th   least populated county in Texas.

“The population’s about 800.” The whole county? “The whole county.” Wow. “Yes, that’s correct.” You’re not kidding. There aren’t- “No, there’s not. And about 1,160 square miles, so it’s a big county with few people,” said McMullen County Judge James Edward Teal.

Teal is a 5th generation Texas who was raised in this rustic region.  James has served as the County Judge since 2010. “Every ounce of soil that’s in this county, I have a huge fondness for,” James said. That includes the old cemetery located right outside of his office in the center of town. Contrary to most historic cemeteries, this graveyard isn’t grandiose or even of great notoriety.

The Boot Hill Cemetery was established in 1858 and has become an odd sight given the town has grown around it. According to James, “McMullen County, and Tilden especially, were on a trade route from San Antonio to Laredo and a lot of shady characters came around. There were a lot of people that were killed under mysterious circumstances, or by murder.”

When asked why it’s called Boot Hill Cemetery, James said that the story he was always told is because men died with their boots on.  Assassinations, gun battles, cholera, and being thrown from a horse were the ways of the west back then. Not so peaceful endings!

“A lot of them were killed on the streets, and one of them killed because he was wearing a top hat and a guy thought that he could shoot a hole in the top hat, and he ended up shooting the guy in his tracks and killing him. He’d had a little too much to drink. So that’s the story that floated around here, anyway,” said Teal with a chuckle.

There are some more established grave sites that are obvious for a reason. “What I’ve been told over my lifetime is that these graves that are covered with concrete and rock were actually graves of people that had died of cholera,” James said. “The residents were definitely afraid of the spread of cholera, so they covered the graves in hopes that the cholera wouldn’t leach through the ground.”

We also saw a grave site that was the most pronounced grave in the site, and it was very different from the rest. With a massive solid slab gravestone surrounded by a rusted iron fence, it’s the most ornate grave on the grounds. “This young man died in a horseback accident. He’d fallen off a horse. And whenever news got back to his family, his family actually shipped this wrought iron fence and the granite covering,” Jim explained. “The young man’s name was Greer. I think he was 25 years old or so when he passed, so this is a permanent monument that his family set up for him. And it’s been right here, of course, since he was buried in 1874.”

Now in their eternal rest, these pioneers have put Tilden on the map in a unique way, by kicking the bucket with their boots on. James noted, “it’d be very, very interesting to know the real truth. What the real truth is, and how accurate our stories have been passed down. It would be great to know that.”

If you’re interested in old lore and tales of Texas, the Boot Hill Cemetery is well worth a stop on The Texas Bucket List!

The Texas Bucket List – Cypress Valley Treehouses in Spicewood

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Spicewood – When it comes to lodging in the Lone Star State, we’ve seen all sorts of interesting ways to spend the night under the big bright stars of Texas. From see through plastic bubbles, teepee’s, top of the line desolate destinations, to yurts you can call your own. While all these locations were unique there’s one thing they didn’t have. A view from the trees.

“Now you know what I mean when I say this is adult comfort in a tree,” said Amy Beilharz, the owner of Cypress Valley, a central Texas hideaway in Spicewood that specializes in shelters that happen to be suspended in century old cypress trees.

“Our whole goal is to get people out in nature, find really unique places that we can share with people and then provide them something like a tree house that’s so enticing,” explained Amy. Living in the trees?  Who could have come up with such an idea?! “I’m from California originally. And I moved to Austin in 1984,” stated Amy.

Amy purchased this property back in 1997 and wanted it to share its unique central Texas topography with the world. “We kept trying to find a way to share it, because it’s like a little state park, but we didn’t want to destroy it in sharing it,” explained Amy.

So in 2005, she opened a zip line adventure course and according to Amy, it was the first in the continental United States. “It was just a zip line. And then the first year we would do the last tour of the day because our guides would be so tired, we got so popular so fast and we’d do the last tour. And everybody kept asking if they could spend the night in the trees. So that winter we built a treehouse,” said Amy.

Today, the tree houses have taken over her property with 5 different spots to stay on site. “We just decided to refocus our energies on providing people a deeper experience in nature,” stated Amy.

Considering Amy used to work in the technology sector in Austin, she gets a kick out of her more recent venture. “My prior life, I was in high tech and building and designing phones, data communications. And at that time I was looking for ways, this is in the eighties, looking for reasons people would want to use these things, right? And now at Cypress Valley, I’m pretty much giving people a way to stop and get off the screen and enjoy each other,” Amy explained.

The seclusion helps. To get to a few of the more private treehouses, a trek across a suspension bridge is required. “We tell people to pack light. You’re going to go over a suspension bridge that moves a little. It’s part of the adventure. You don’t have a hallway and an elevator. This is not your typical hotel,” said Amy as we walked across this suspension bridge.

Once safely across, you see why these treehouses are so sought-after. “That’s actually an interesting dilemma and we’ve worked with it because everybody does want a treehouse in their heart. They have that childhood dream still. Right? So we want to keep it playful while at the same time you want adult creature comfort,” explained Amy.

“When you’re in a tree house, you’re experiencing the tree, right? You’re not just in a hotel box with a pretty landscape. You’re really out in nature,” said Amy.

The solitude and silence of being up in the trees makes you feel peacefully alone yet brings out the childlike instinct of doing something so cool and out of the ordinary. “We don’t play very often. We entertain ourselves. We stay busy, but we don’t have that real joyful playfulness that we did as a kid and a tree house just lets you do that. It’s like you’re already breaking all the rules, you’re up in a tree and it just opens that party back up,” said Amy.

If a family experience is what you’re looking for, the Nest tree house has a bit more space. That is home to the Swiss Family treehouse that is filled with all of the amenities needed to entertain the whole family!

And of course, if getting married in the middle of the woods is the wedding of your dreams, you can do that here too.

This experience is all about being one with the trees and having a tree all to yourself.  A unique feeling that only a few kids got to experience with their own treehouse but now everyone can get that feeling of having your own private hideaway. “ I think people are calmer and kinder the more time they spend in nature. And I really enjoy the fact that we’ve got something so seductive that people will want to come do it. They don’t have to be a nature lover to want to come do it. I think it gives adults a free pass to actually start to find that part of themselves again,” expressed Amy.

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 – Mitchell Spur Collection in Gatesville

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Gatesville – There’s not much more synonymous with our state than the spur.  Heck we’ve even got a professional basketball team named after them. But over in Gatesville they’ve got so many spurs that I’m told a horse won’t step one hoof into town.  After our visit, I can see why!

Coryell County is home to a great deal of Fort Hood. Just north of the massive military base is Gatesville, a small town with a love for spurs. “It means everything to us. It really does,” said Ervin Adams, the President of the Board of Coryell County Museum.

Established in 1985, the Coryell County Museum tells the story of the county that’s been around since 1854. Here you’ll find the county’s original jail that Sam Bass was jailed in in 1878 for disturbing the peace. You’ll see some of the most detailed and decorated doll houses I’ve ever seen. And they happen to have the largest spur collection in the world. “Pretty much the whole museum is centered around the spur collection,” stated Ervin.

The Mitchell Spur Collection is massive and it’s put Gatesville on the map. Local coaching legend Lloyd Mitchell amassed this collection of over 10,000 spurs in his lifetime. “Coach Mitchell was a special man, he did a lot of things in his life and then just did this collecting on the side,” explained Ervin.

How did a small-town football coach get into that? “Well, I married the Mitchell’s youngest daughter,” stated Grayson Wetzel, the son-in-law of Lloyd Mitchell.

Grayson knows this collection well.  He married Charlotte Ann Tootie Mitchel and he first set his sights on the substantial spur collection when he met his future father-in-law in 1965. “They sent me outside with her daddy. Out in the back of their house there were two old wooden buildings. Both of those buildings were crammed full of spurs and other western memorabilia. I spent the afternoon out there in hog heaven,” explained Grayson.

After that first meeting, Grayson knew he was saddling up for a long ride with the family. “As we were finishing up the visit that afternoon he said, ‘Young man, you’re welcome to come back anytime. Just bring a spur.’ So I made it my goal to do that from that time on,” said Grayson.

Grayson took us on a tour of this massive collection, and it sure does live up to its reputation! The museum has around 6,000 of the spurs in the museum. “It’s hard to display all of them,” stated Grayson.

The main exhibit consists of the most unique and storied spurs, even spurs owned by Jackie Kennedy. There’s even a colossal spur in this sizable spur collection. Then there’s spurs that showcase some unique artistry. “One of the display cases shows Gal-Leg spurs. And as I’ve done programs through the years, I say Gal-Leg spur just like that. I find that many people have no clue what I’m talking about. On the shank of the spur, the heel bands got decoration on it. Looks like a lady’s leg. So in history books or other books, you’ll find them called Gal-Leg, or sometimes they’ll say Lady-leg spurs,” explained Grayson.

So just what was it that made a football coach from a small-town start collecting this particular piece of ranching equipment? “As a young man, he was headed out west, headed towards Yellowstone to work, but he was working on a ranch that’s on the way in New Mexico. Says he was riding through the pasture one day and he looked down and saw something shiny. Says he got off his horse, kicked the dirt around, and sure enough there was a spur. He said, ‘I picked it up and I’ve kept it.’ And then said, ‘I’ve been looking for the mate to it ever since.’,” explained Grayson.

Surprisingly the spur collection has spurned interest in a tool that some folks don’t even know what it’s for anymore. “Everybody knew about spurs back then, past my generation I’m not sure how many know about spurs,” stated Grayson.

“A lot of people don’t even know what a spur is and when they walk through the door they just want to know what a spur is and take them and show them what a spur is. What does it do? Why’d they use them? And we’d have to tell a story about what they’re used for. I’m serious. We’ve had people walk in the door and don’t know what a spur is or what it was used for or anything,” explained Ervin.

So if keeping the western heritage and history of Texas is something close to your heart or you’re just looking for a spur of the moment trip, a stop at the Coryell County Museum to see the Mitchell Spur Collection is a surprising stop on The Texas Bucket List.  “If you’re a true Texan, you’ve got to have a little bit of interest in ranching, cowboys, horses, it can just go on and on. You got to have a spur involved somewhere in it,” stated Grayson.