Texas Bucket List

Texas Bucket List

Simmons Bank

The Texas Bucket List – Monteleone’s Ristorante in El Paso

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El Paso—El Paso is known for being the Sun City but it is what happens when the sun goes down that makes a little restaurant in the center of the city an eerie stop with some really good eats.

Now your curiosity will catapult as soon as you pull up to Monteleone’s Ristorante.  The façade of this not so fancy building is covered with crazy things but until you head inside you have no idea what is in store.

“When I brought them here I’m like, ‘Are you guys ready for this?'” said customer, Armando Ramirez.

The first thing you have to check off the list when visiting Monteleone’s is making sure you come in the right entrance.

“Definitely the back entrance, just because it’s the… spookiest,” said Armando.

“It’s kind of creepy,” added another customer, Crystal Villegas.

“Kind of a speakeasy feel to it,” explained Gary Monteleone.

Gary grew up in El Paso and in 2001 the former Hollywood set designer opened up this eclectic restaurant with his wife, Laura, to carry on his family’s tradition of authentic Italian cuisine.

“My grandparents were from Reggio Calabria, Italy. Real close to Sicily,” he said.

Homemade ravioli, the perfect pizzas, pasta, and flowing red wine bring in foodies from far reaches of the state, but so does the possibility of a frightening experience.

“I was never really a believer, but boy now, let me tell you, there’s no doubt about it. There’s a lot of things out here,” Gary confessed.

It turns on Monteleone’s is known for being a hot spot for folks from the beyond, perhaps hungry for one last meal or meddling with someone else’s.

“To experience for yourself, it’s incredible,” he said.

It all started when Gary expanded his restaurant to the building next door.

“We tore those walls down and then that’s when we found the documents from the spiritualist church that was here at one time,” he explained. “They do healings as well as doing seances. Or if you had a loved one you were trying to contact, that’s what they would do.”

Turns out some of those loved ones might have been left behind.

“We had both side blessed…Right off the bat… We felt comfortable with it. But… once we started doing construction… all this stuff started happening. Then it was a different feeling at that point,” he said.

One spirit in particular seemed to cause the most trouble for Gary.

“This spirit or ghost, whatever you want to call it, was strong enough to throw that one pound canister all the way through the door and end up in the middle of the dining room,” he continued, “so that’s what started to begin with, and that’s when we knew we had an issue going on.”

“He threw hot water on one of the ladies in the kitchen…. He threw a hot pan of lasagna at me. Luckily I was able to get out of the way. But that just tells you the strength of this guy. It was incredible,” admitted Gary.

Things were so bad, he didn’t even want to bring the priest back to the restaurant.

“We didn’t want to bring the monsignor back here because we didn’t want to… In case he was to get hurt or something,” said Gary. “I didn’t really know what to do. This went on for three years. We were just thinking, ‘Maybe we just need to sell it and get out of here.’ It was horrible.”

One night a woman came to eat at Monteleone’s Ristorante and claimed she too could sense the suffering spirit that was wreaking havoc on Gary, so she offered to her psychic service of serving the lost soul his eviction notice.

“They did a cleansing, and she was able to push him out,” said Gary. “We still have four adults here, and a little girl that came in with the gentleman that was giving us all the trouble.”

The five remaining spirits still like to have fun with customers and when it happens, it is for all to see.

“If people order a beer… and they want her to come to the table, we’ll give them the cap with the beer… You’ll see at first it’ll start to turn the cap, and then you’ll see it click. And if she’s comfortable with you, she’ll stay there the whole night… It’s uncomfortable to some people, but some people really enjoy it,” he said.

Despite having things like this happen, people still come for the food, and some for the chance of a spooky experience.

“I’ve come here with my daughter before, and we’ve had an experience where the glass slid across the table. And it was mind blowing to me, and it was mind blowing to her because she’s like, ‘The glass is wet.’ And I’m like, ‘There’s no water,'” recounted Armando.

Everything from our batteries to our microphones had issues, but in the end all we left with was full bellies, great stories, and a few goosebumps, making Monteleone’s a marvelous stop for hunger and hauntings on The Texas Bucket List.

“Even if you don’t see anything scary, the atmosphere is awesome… the food is great, and the people here are always so nice,” said Armando. “If you love creepy stuff and good food, this is the place you want to come to in El Paso. Hands down, no lie.”

The Texas Bucket List – Lucy in Disguise with Diamonds in Austin

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Austin⁠— Lucy in Disguise with Diamonds is a costume shop that does their part to keep Austin weird. The shop’s enormous costume collection includes shoes, accessories, authentic vintage clothing, and masks to name a few. They outfit and rent throughout the year, keeping people prepared for themed parties, plays, conventions, and more.

“There’s so much to see in here. I don’t even know where to look,” said customer, Kate Reynolds.

“Feels very niche,” explained customer, Michael Wharton

“We came in here, and I was in awe,” admitted another customer, Priscilla Tate.

“We will make dreams come true here for sure,” said Jerry Durham, an expert on this crazy costume shop that he has worked for since 2009.

The name of the shop is a tribute to the fab four and a furry friend of the founder.

“It’s definitely a parody of the Beatles song, but she did have a dog named Lucy,” said Jerry.

Ringo, Paul, George and John costumes are just a few of the ones found at this massive costume store that can outfit whatever wacky ensemble imagined.

“We easily have over 10,000 pieces in the store. And that would be kind of ignoring the jewelry department,” commented Jerry.

From space cowboys to superheroes, to vintage clothing and accessories, Lucy in Disguise with Diamonds has been granting costume and wardrobe wishes since April 1st of 1984. It may be the most eclectic costume store in the Lone Star State and customers are always surprised at what they find.

“Things you wouldn’t even expect. And it’s really cool,” said Priscilla.

“That rhinestone cowboy outfit right there is pretty sweet,” commented Michael, “I don’t know if I’d wear it, but I like the bottom.”

“I think what’s great about this store though, just keeps you looking around,” explained Kate.

“One of my favorite sections of the store…is where we’ve got, of course the latex mask wall, but all of our makeup, our wigs, masquerade masks, props, weapons, all of that good stuff…” said Jerry.

The outlandish number of options is for good reason, one never knows what to expect when it comes to a far out festivity in this town.

“The themes get weird. There’ll be a space cowboys theme in the middle of April that we’re like, yeah, we have astronauts and Western wear, so let’s do this,” said Jerry.

“I won’t have a problem finding something, I know,” customer, Priscilla, confirmed.

There’s even a room full of shoes that will help complete your ensemble.

“We, of course, have gogo boots in every color imaginable,” said Jerry. “Sometimes we get a tourist who just needs to rent a pair of cowboy boots while they’re in Austin. So we try to carry those for them.”

To finish off the details of your disguise there is a whole wall filled with fabulous accessories⁠—just plan to be perusing for a while.

“No one is used to shopping for earrings like this. It always makes me laugh because somebody will come in and just stare at this wall and say, ‘Can I see the red ones?’ Can you narrow that down? Do you want to see the cherries? Do you want to see the lips? The gumball machines? Which earrings do you want to see?” Jerry said.

“Everybody needs to come here at least once just to walk through and see what they do have,” continued Priscilla,  “It’s really got a lot of fun stuff.”

“Kind of makes me proud to live in Austin, because you have little tidbits like this [store] that are scattered around the city that you’re pretty confident don’t exist anywhere else,” explained Michael.

“There is no other place like us anywhere in the US, and especially in Texas,” claimed Jerry, “but here we are, right in the center of it.”

The Texas Bucket List – The Republic Steakhouse in College Station

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College Station – The continuously increasing population of Aggieland has turned a once small town situated next to the train tracks into a thriving community, and it is not only on game days.  As the Brazos Valley becomes bigger and bigger, so does the desire for refined dining and The Republic Steakhouse knows how to whoop it up.

“They definitely need to come here before an Aggie kickoff, you know what I’m saying?” said customer, Brandi Reed.

“As a foodie, I love the high end food,” said Kyle Parker, a frequent visitor at The Republic.

“I can go on and on about our food. I’m quite partial,” confessed Wade Barkman, owner of The Republic Steakhouse.

Wade brought big flavor to BCS back in 2007, but it all started in the 90’s when the former JUCO baseball player had to make a decision about his life.

“Well, you can continue to pursue that and get degrees from schools you may not want to get degrees from,” continued Wade, “or you can use your brains, give up baseball, and go play… school.”

He attended Texas A&M and earned his degree in business management and then pursued his dream of owning his own restaurant by the age of 30.

“I made the boastful claim to my parents when I was about 15 or 16 that if baseball doesn’t work out I’ll open my first restaurant by the time I turn 30,” he said.

Wade attended the Culinary Institute of America, and afterwords landed his first job in Las Vegas—but it wasn’t as glamorous as he had hoped.

“You got three degrees and you’re counting kegs in the pump room underneath Caesar’s Palace and it’s very humbling. And then your next job is the Cleopatra’s Barge. It was my first official position,” he explained.

Eventually hard work and consistency paid off as Wade made his way through the ranks for 6 years in Sin City.

“Six years in Las Vegas is about 15 anywhere else,” he said. “To leave Wynn Las Vegas to go back to College Station turns a few heads, when people have no idea where that is. ”

With only six weeks to spare before his 30th birthday, The Republic opened its doors and brought a steakhouse to Bryan College Station unlike any before.

“I spent a lot of time researching what the classic American, timeless steak house is,” he said. “Back to the 1880s to 1920s… the quad Hollywood booths that you’ll see over here, that doesn’t exist anymore. That used to be in almost every supper club in the late 1800s to 1940s… to Hollywood booths over here to… create a bunch of crazy cool pockets of what I’ve always called ‘excuses to come into the restaurant.'”

One of the best excuses to come in is the massive whiskey collection.

“There’s one place I know of, in Chicago, in this entire country that has a better whiskey list,” said Wade.

Wade piloted a flight of fine whiskey and finished things off with a special bottle known as Michter’s Celebration.

“This one is as rare as it gets,” he explained. “It’s unbelievably hard to find it… It’s only been released twice… so there’s only been two barrels ever in the history and that’s 2013 in 2016. So when you find something that rare you have to get it.”

In the kitchen, Wade and chef, Gary, worked up a few fine dishes, starting with a shrimp dish with Cajun roots.

“Refined version of a New Orleans style barbecue shrimp, but we call it Gulf Shrimp Beurre Monté, because in Texas this is not barbecue [but] in New Orleans it is,” said Wade.

This dish is all about the shrimp and the sauce.

“We instruct our servers to make sure that they don’t clear this dish before all the sauce has gone, because it’s worth getting just for the sauce, and the rest of the components are incredible as well,” he commented.

Next up a, steak au poivre.

“It’s a classic way of eating a steak. It’s also a way that not a lot of people are eating steaks these days, and we, like a lot of things, try to bring back some of the classic, old school ways of preparing and eating steaks and crazy cocktails. I’m a bit of an old school guy,” he confessed.

“It’s the best steak you’re going to get in town…” said customer, Brandi.

To top it all off, some Ribeye Tartare.

“Small diced filet mignon mixed with curried red chili paste, medium diced red onions, flash fried capers, extra Virgin olive oil, Nam Pla fish sauce,” Wade continued, “so then you just make sure that you mix all of those flavors thoroughly… This is a dish that was not popular at all… and now it has such a cult-ish following that if we took it off the menu… It would be a problem.”

“I refused to even try it, and my friend said, ‘You know what? I’m going to mix it up, put a potato chip. Try it one time, if you don’t like it spit it out on a napkin…’ And you know what? It’s fantastic,” confessed customer, Kyle.

When eating at The Republic, it feels like you should be in Vegas, or New York, or Chicago, but instead you’ll find this fine dining experience in College Station.

If you’re looking for some of the finest flavors in the Brazos Valley for steak, wine, whiskey, shrimp, and even a little filet mignon tartare, The Republic Steakhouse is well worth a stop.

“This is the best place in College Station to come to,” confirmed customer, Kennedy Jameson.

“Definitely worth the trip to come here and get the experience one time for sure, if not at least twice,” shared Kyle.

The Texas Bucket List – Ponderosa Restaurant & Hotel in Snyder

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Snyder—If you ever find yourself scouring through county seat of Scurry County, head to the west of town for a restaurant in front of a rest stop; because you might just need a room for a nap after eating here. The Texas Bucket List Bite of the Week goes to Ponderosa Restaurant & Motel, a small business known for its savory, sizable portions.

“You get plenty of food,” said customer, Bobby Hernandez. “You leave full, not hungry.”

“It’s not big,” Luis Conteras, Ponderosa’s owner, commented on the portion size. “It’s what you pay for.”

Luis loves making meals memorable and making sure his customers get their money’s worth. Born in Mexico and raised in California, he did not follow his fellow west coasters to the capital city, but opted for the big country instead. Luis was tired of California dreaming and wanted to raise his daughter somewhere simpler.

“L.A. is very hard for kids to grow up in the school; between ten to fifteen years old, sixteen years old—it’s the hardest part of their lives,” he said. “You don’t want that kind of life for your kids.”

Fate was on his side in 2001 when he picked up a classified ad.

“We saw this ad in the thrifty nickel… and we couldn’t believe it, the price,” explained Luis. “A hundred and twenty thousand dollars; twenty-five rooms with one point seventy-five acres. It was unreal.”

He packed up his family and purchased the hotel that needed a heck of a lot of work.

On the topic of moving to Texas, Luis claimed,  “[It] was the best thing that happened to me.”

Once he renovated his hotel, he built a restaurant. Luis and his wife Lucia run this little joint with love, but Lucia knows to leave the cooking to Luis.

“That’s what I fight with my wife [about]. Kitchen is mine, not hers,” he said.

Maybe that’s because his meals are beyond big. Take breakfast for example!

“It’s just only three pancakes, hash browns, bacon, sausage, ham and five eggs with whatever way you want it,” Luis said nonchalantly.

One big smothered burrito caught our eye thanks to its unique combination of carne.

“I call it a mix between barbacoa and birria, ” said Luis. “Birria is one of the most traditional dishes in the state of Jalisco, Mexico. It’s the most common.”

With an unreal amount of meat on the grill, Luis started warming up a massive tortilla made especially for his restaurant. Refried beans, rice, the meat and cheese were tossed on the tortilla. A special sauce consisting of salsa, spices, queso and enchilada sauce along with peppers and onions tops off the inside. Luis then flipped the behemoth burrito and covered it with more sauce!

“That’s eleven ninety-nine,” he said.

A surprisingly small price for a burrito the size of a newborn baby.

“It also comes with a birth certificate. In case, you want it?” Luis joked.

“It’s amazing man, it’s real good,” said customer, Miguel Juarez. “There’s not a lot of places that… fill you up like this, you know?”

“Like I said, you get your money’s worth,” confirmed Bobby Hernandez.

If you are looking for a literal hole in the wall with hefty portions and amazing taste, head to Snyder, Texas to visit the Ponderosa Restaurant & Motel, a perfect stop on The Texas Bucket List.

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.”

The Texas Bucket List – K9 Cinemas in Plano

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Plano⁠ — Every Friday and Saturday evening, Eric Langford and his dog Bear prepare for a party that they hope will go to the dogs. This pup and his owner happen to be in the movie theater business and they work like a dog⁠ until the movie starts.

You’ll find their theater called K9 Cinemas in a peculiar shopping center in Plano.

“Between a theater and Korean BBQ, and there’s a karate place, this is not easy to find,” said Eric.

Somehow it gets sniffed out by people who want to bring their best friend on a movie date.

“Honestly the best part about coming here is probably how happy my dog is,” said Hadar Bernstin.

“You get to meet new people and new dogs, so that’s a great opportunity,” commented Brandon Martin, “plus you get to watch a good movie.”

“We’re the only indoor place in all of DFW for dogs,” Eric explained.

Now he does the majority of the work when it comes to this movie theater dedicated to man’s best friend, but make no mistake, Bear is the star.

“Welcome everybody this is Bear, and I’m Eric, and this is the world’s first dog friendly movie theater. He’s the founder, I’m just the stage hand,” he said.

Eric used to be in pharmaceutical sales but he decided to trade it all in for K9 Cinemas.

“I’ve done the whole money deal, where…that’s all I cared about, but I never felt fulfilled, never felt happy,” he explained, “when I started this and decided I finally want to do something that just makes me happy… I don’t care if anybody shows up, I’ve got a place for me and Bear to watch movies at.”

When it comes to mixed company in the canine world, you can never know what to expect, so a strict leash policy is in effect. If nature should call, there’s no need to worry because intermission happens halfway through the movie.

“Luckily, to my surprise, I thought a lot of male dogs would want to be marking everything,” Eric said, “but it never happens.”

Besides the feature film, what really gets tail wagging is Eric’s policy on parched customers. At K9 Cinemas, the drinks are free and that includes beer, wine and whiskey.  Now you see why intermission is so important.

“I was hoping that people would see that we have free wine and whiskey and want to come and watch a movie and hang out with other dogs, even if they don’t have a dog,” Eric explained.

All Bear asks is you act responsibly because you don’t want to end up needing a little hair of the dog.

What makes this doggy diversion so darn delightful is the smiles⁠—both on the owners and the pooch patrons.

“Going out to dinner with a dog isn’t the same as going and seeing a movie and having place indoors especially in the Texas heat when it’s over 100 degrees outside,” said Hadar, “it’s amazing and I’m so glad it came to Plano.”

“I’d say if you like going to a park during the day, you need to go to a movie at night with a dog,” said Brandon.

“Whether it takes off, and we make a ton of money and it becomes a hit, great,” said Eric, “if it just stays a small little hole in the wall deal, and we can pay our bills and come to a place everyday where we’ve got dogs, and booze, and movies, I’ll be happy.”

“Such a friendly environment, there’s so many cute dogs and it’s just a lot of fun,” commented Hadar.

“Get out here, have some free booze, enjoy some fun loving puppies,” said Eric, “watch a movie and experience something you can’t experience anywhere in the world, except right here in Plano.”

The Texas Bucket List – Monahans Sandhills State Park in Monahans

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Monahans  -West Texas has always been known for being a bit dry, but there’s one sandy spot that seriously seems out of place, even for these parts, the Monahans Sandhills State Park. Park Superintendent Michael Smith understands what it takes to work here.

“My house is covered in sand,” Michael said. “So it’s always sand in everything. Sweep the bed out in the evenings so you can go to bed, ’cause it’s full of sand. To be honest when I drew Monahan Sandhills State Park, I had never seen past the office up there. I was pleasantly surprised, it is a beautiful and unique park. It’s the only place in Texas where this particular type of ecosystem is preserved. And so I’ve been pleasantly surprised ever since.”

This place is literally like a Texas-sized sandbox that provides all sorts of recreation, but playing in it is most popular.

“This is where most families come to play, to dune, what they call duneing, or sliding down the dunes on anything they think might slide,” Michael said. “Children of all ages. There actually used to be a gentleman that lived in Odessa, that came out here regularly, way up into his 70’s, was coming out here and surfing the sand dunes pretty regularly.”

Watching these 60-70 lbs. kids have a hard time going down the hill makes one think what it would be like for grown men to go down.

“I’ve gone down on discs and on boards,” Michael said.“Have not tried the toboggans yet. A long disc.”.

A park since 1957, the sand dunes have been sitting here for very long time.

“So the theory goes that this sand was underneath the last ice age, located in the northern New Mexico, Colorado area, and it was ground under the weight of the ice until it’s much smaller and much closer to perfectly round than most sand is,” Michael said. “And so when the ice melted away, the wind and water was able to blow it this direction, wash it and blow it this direction, until it blew it down into the Permian Basin. So now we’re in a big bowl, and the wind and water can’t have the same effect on it that it had before up on the top. And so it stays down in here, now it blows around a little bit, but doesn’t blow out, and so it moves enough that the vegetation has a very difficult time encroaching on the sand, because it’s moving.”

This sand isn’t your average sand.

“This is the only place in all of Texas where this resource is protected,” Michael said. “So you can go to the beach, you can have your water, but this sand is very unique, it’s different material. It’s quartz, about 97% quartz. It’s almost perfectly round, it’s smaller, and is the only place in all of Texas where this resource is protected. So if you wanna see this type of resource, this is the place to do it. Up is hard, so because of its physical characteristics, the same thing that prevents plants from growing on it, makes it move around quite a bit easier than most other sand. It blows in the wind more, makes it harder to walk on. So I tell people, ‘Down is the easy part. Then you gotta go back up.’”

When you get it in your hands, it just doesn’t feel like going down to the beach.

“That is true,” Michael said. “When visitors are talking to us, one of the most common comments is how good it feels on their feet. Most visitors choose to go barefoot. It’s like getting a pedicure from God. It’s amazing to walk, it feels good on your feet. I’ve never made a reference like that before, that was a first.”

If you want to get the special foot treatment and maybe attempt to sled, summer is usually not the best time.

“When it’s very, very hot, it doesn’t slide as well,” Michael said. “So not only is it just a really, really hot place to be the sun reflects off the sand as well as the direct sunlight, it’s very, very hot in the middle of the summer. Best time to come is gonna be spring or fall. Easter is actually our single busiest day of the year.”

The Monahans Sandhills State park is a great place to see and experience a very unique part of Texas, making it a great stop on The Texas Bucket List.

“…you’re guaranteed to get sand in your stuff,” Michael said.

The Texas Bucket List – J. Lorraine Ghost Town in Manor

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Manor – Texas ghost towns have a lore of their own.  Stories of the Old West and a connection to the past makes these sorts of places the perfect stop to ponder what life was like in the good ole days. In the ghost town of J. Lorraine, just off of 290 in Manor, you won’t find hardcore history because this place is here just for fun.

“Before I retired, I started the ghost town,” George T. Richards said.

George is about as much a cowboy as his town deserves a historical marker.

“I wear a cowboy hat, but I’m afraid of horses,” George said. “ They could step on you.”

For some reason, he really likes old western towns. George’s family moved to San Antonio when he was a young boy, and after getting his degree at Texas State University, he went on to serve in Navy.  

“At one point I was on the flight deck of the USS Independence, we were off the coast of Florida, and we watched one of the Apollo rockets,” George said. “I felt like singing The Star Spangled Banner, or something. So here I’m on an aircraft carrier watching a moon rocket go up.”

Eventually he went on to work for the Texas Attorney General’s office as a system analyst, but before he retired, he took to the town, his own town.  He began building everything on this 15-acre estate.

“My mantra was, at least one more board a day,” George said.  “Every day I would come out, on the weekends. I would come out and just keep adding to it.”

Since he was not a craftsman by trade, there were a few learning curves.

“I will say I wasn’t a carpenter, and whatever I’m doing wrong, I’m really good at it now, ’cause I keep doing it the same way,” George said.

He kept on hammering and gave his retro retirement community a name that was close to his heart.

“I named it after my daughter, Jennifer Lorraine,” George said. “It’s J. Lorraine, Texas.”

20 buildings make up the majority of J. Lorraine, and each little corner has its own unique characteristic about it.  It’s as if each little part of the place could tell a story of its own.

“I thought I was gonna make a big western perimeter, and in the middle would be the bar and the dance hall area,” George said. “Then I started that front façade and I realized that I didn’t know what I was doing.”

All kidding aside, the most common theme you’ll find in these parts is a place to pop a top.

“That just happens to be,” George said. “This is a bar town, I guess. Every other building’s a bar I guess.”

What exactly would convince a man to build his own world, his own reality?  Well, he just wanted his own magical place.

“I remember as a kid, I was watching TV and this guy would come on T.V., and he had built a place that had Adventureland, Tomorrowland, Frontierland … It was Walt Disney,” George said. “And it stunned me as a kid that grownups would build something that was just for fun. I thought, ‘Wow, that’s pretty neat. When I grow up, I’m gonna build something just for fun.’ So this is my little tiny Disney World.”

J. Lorraine is open to the public and has a maze, a theater, and all sorts of places to explore.  What you won’t find here are ticket booths. This small world comes with a small price: Free.

“I always say we’re kind of desolate out here, and we have been,” George said. “It’s hard enough to get people to come out anyhow, so if I charge them to come in, I don’t know if I’d have many people anyhow.”

Walt Disney once said that the real trouble with the world is that too many people grow up.  For a guy like George, well if the boot fits. Exploring J. Lorraine is well worth a stop on the Texas Bucket List.

“Well, I’m glad y’all stopped by, and get anybody else who wants to stop by to an old western town, we’d be glad to have them,” George said.

The Texas Bucket List – Basecamp Terlingua in Terlingua

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Terlingua – The Big Bend is one of the most remote and remarkable regions of the Lone Star State.  Natural, God-given beauty surrounds this desolate destination that draws in people from all over the globe.  When you arrive to this part of the world, it’s good to set up a basecamp and a good place to do that……Basecamp Terlingua.

“Not your average tee pee, and a pretty cool place to hang out, I think” Tony Drewry said.

Tony Drewry is in charge of this 40 acre refuge with all sorts of strange structures. He is the gatekeeper to one of the most picturesque places to stay in these parts.

“This is a lot more work than it probably looks like,” Tony said. “You know, here we are, sitting in the desert by tee pees drinking beer.”

A slower pace of life is what they live by here because there’s really no need to rush.  Enjoying your surroundings and solitude is the main reason to trek to Terlingua. At Basecamp, the accommodations seem native and rustic, but they’re really nice.

“Everything you need,” Tony said. “A king size bed, we’ve got some really heavy comforters for the winter months, we’ve got an electric blanket, we’ve got some supplemental heat. This skirt around the side actually keeps the dust from blowing in and things like that, because it is raised up at the bottom. Then this is also pulls out into a queen size bed, so you can sleep four in here. We get a lot of families that come through. Got a little nook for the books, got a coffee station, fridge. I mean, running water.”

Now if this view still isn’t up close and in your face enough, Basecamp has another option that’ll make you feel like you’re living in a bubble.

“I don’t know, bubble rooms, bubble house,” Tony said. “I don’t know what you want to call it.”

These unique bubble rooms are the only ones of their kind in the country, and they couldn’t be in a better setting.

“Pretty cool to be able to do a tour from the outside in,” Tony said. “Yeah, and it’s marine grade plastic. I mean, it’s tough. You can kind of punch on it.”

Made in France, Basecamp has two of the structures for rent that give you an eye-opening way to experience the outdoors.

“You lay there, you look at the stars, you watch the sunrise right over the mountains,” Tony said. “That’s the Chisos, you know, over in Big Bend National Park, and you can see it. Watch the sunrise in the morning. Man, it’s … You don’t even have to get out of bed. It’s pretty cool.”

Getting into the air bubble is sort of like getting into a spaceship.

“Step in here,” Tony said. “This is the airlock. We’ve got a little mini fridge, got some local books.”

Just like any other hotel room, you’ll find it all here.  

“Then we’ve got a full bathroom in here,” Tony said. “A toilet, a shower, and the sink. I’ve taken a shower in here. It’s actually quite an experience. You got a nice little skylight there. Kind of your own little slice of the mountains there, and a really great place to wake up.”

As the sun sets on Terlingua and the night sky takes over the majestic beauty of the Chisos mountains, Basecamp lights up. However, it only lights up enough to see where you’re staying because the stars are the stars here.

“I’ve had a lot of friends come out here and stargazing, you know, hanging out for the weekend, and he’s like, ‘Man, it sure is cloudy tonight,’” Tony said. “And I’m like, ‘No, that’s the Milky Way, man.’”

A stay at Basecamp Terlingua is well worth getting a good night sleep on The Texas Bucket List.

“I mean, I don’t think I’ll ever get used to this,” Tony said. “I really … It’s almost … You know, you wake up every day and you’re just like, ‘Man, we’re so lucky.’”

The Texas Bucket List – Ugly Christmas Sweater Shop in Dallas

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Dallas – In the Mockingbird Station shopping center, situated steps away from Southern Methodist University, you’ll find a sweater store that’s takes its mission statement seriously:  To provide you with the ugliest Christmas sweater possible, the Ugly Christmas Sweater store in Dallas.

“There’s a lot of variety,” shopper Daisy Orona said “You can’t really find this anywhere else.”

Jeremy Turner is the keeper of the cardigans, and he came up with the idea for the store.

“So about eight years ago, basically I had a mobile vintage clothing store, and basically through that I started selling a few Christmas sweaters and I started seeing how popular they were,” Jeremy said. “At that time, it was really impossible to find Christmas sweaters. You just didn’t come by them, you had to go hunt for them. And I saw that, and I was like, ‘Man, if I could figure out how to find these, I’ll create the first ever Christmas sweater store.’”

Trying to find out where Jeremy turns up all these perfectly repulsive pullovers is part of the wonder of the sweater season.

“You know, I needed to find a lot of sweaters and so I figured that out.,” Jeremy said. “I can’t share that secret, because it’s a trade secret, of course, now. And that’s what I’ll tell the guests, too, because people are so curious because they’ve never seen so many Christmas sweaters. So they’re always like … guests are like, ‘Where did you get all these?’ And I’m like, ‘North Pole area.’”

With over 10,000 sweaters in stock, you can find every Christmas theme imaginable.

“There’s so many unique sweaters here,” Jeremy said. “That’s what blows my mind every year.”

When surrounded by so many sweaters, we have to ask: What exactly makes an Christmas sweater ugly?

“It has to just be something you would never ever wear again, only to an ugly Christmas sweater party,” Maggie Messina said. “It cannot be cute, like it can a little, but it has to have ugly aspects to it. Maybe things sticking off of it, like jewels and pompoms.”

The attraction to the store comes from the incredible quirkiness of its cheerful owner as well as its crazy collection of Christmas sweaters. That love for live and the holiday season is showcased in his commercials which somehow find a way into your soul with some seriously special dance moves. While an ugly Christmas sweater may not be on your holiday wish list, spreading joy, happiness, and the true meaning of Christmas is on Jeremy’s. His emporium is his extension to bring that enthusiasm to the people.

“So Christmas has deeper meaning to me about hope for the world,” Jeremy said.

If you’re looking for a not-so-good looking sweater to celebrate the season, the Ugly Christmas Sweater store in Dallas is a jolly jovial stop on The Texas Bucket List.

“You can for sure to get your Christmas sweater,” Daisy said. “You can’t leave here without one, it’s not possible.”