Texas Bucket List

Texas Bucket List

The Texas Bucket List – The State Fair of Texas

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Texas Bucket List – Maniac’s Mansion in Wichita Falls

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Wichita Falls – Downtown Wichita Falls is full of fantastic stops on The Texas Bucket List. Progress and Provisions, the World’s Littlest Skyscraper, Gidget’s, and the Elvis Always store are a few of the places we’ve checked off the list. But I got all shook up when I heard about an arcade in the Falls that’s fond of another great time in history, the 80’s and 90’s.

Marcus McGee grew up in Wichita Falls. Marcus has an obvious obsession with arcades, and that’s why he opened Maniac’s Mansion. Instead of going back in time, Marcus decided to bring the past back to the present with his unique arcade for kids of all ages.

Over the years Marcus has worked at game stores, arcades, and even the ancient video rental store. In 2010, he bought his first arcade game and started collecting these machines that made so many memories. So Marcus took his nickname from school, Maniac McGee, which happened to be one of his favorite books and combined it with one of his favorite games, Maniac Mansion, to create, well, Maniac’s Mansion.

When dealing with machines this old, it’s inevitable that something’s going to break. Marcus says that each game has its own personality, and it takes a special kind of tender love and care to keep each one running. On the other hand, sometimes all it takes is simply turning them off and back on again.

Now we’ve seen our fair share of old arcades around Texas, but Marcus wanted to make his standout, so he added a snack bar unlike any other we’ve seen. A cereal bar, complete with all sorts of collectible boxes, different sorts of milk, syrups and toppings.

Marcus had his mind set on creating a cereal concoction dedicated to The Texas Bucket List, and decided to go with a red, white and blue theme. Strawberry milkshake frosted flakes and waffle crisps are the cereal base, and those get a pour over of blue milk. That gets topped with whipped cream, strawberries, fruity pebbles syrup and blue sprinkles, and one spoon later you’re ready to chow down on the sweet taste of Texas.

Playing the games of our youth, surrounded by the signs of those times, while chowing down on some seriously sweet cereal definitely takes you back in time. It provides a nostalgic feel that Marcus is happy to manifest.

 

The Texas Bucket List – National Ranching Heritage Center in Lubbock

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Lubbock – It doesn’t matter where you find yourself in Texas, you’ll always come across cattle grazing in a field. Ranching and raising livestock have been part of the state’s identity since before we were even a state. In fact, it was the Spanish that first raised cattle down in the Rio Grande Valley sometime around the 16th and 17th centuries. Today it’s a 15-billion-dollar business. With so much history and lore about this little business of beef raising, it’s no wonder that you’ll find the National Ranching Heritage Center smackdab in the South Plains in Lubbock. “We really strive to tell the real story, and it has its own magic of its own,” said Jim Bret Campbell.

Jim is the executive director of the center and he’s been in association management his entire career. “The biggest challenge is always struggling with weather,” said Jim. “And the markets as well as just all the challenges associated with ranching.”

Born in Hereford and a Texas Tech grad, Jim Bret loves telling this tale of Texas since it’s been a part of him his whole life. “Well, it really is the story of us,” said Jim. “Lubbock and the South Plains and really Texas and the West. It was a fascinating period in history. And we wouldn’t exist as a community, as a place here on the South Plains, if those folks hadn’t come before us. We are still an agriculturally supported town and region. A state, a nation that, if we can’t produce food, we’re going to go offshore for that or depend on somebody else. And so for us to be able to produce beef and all of the food and fiber that we do, it’s really critical for us as consumers, but also for people to understand the culture and where they came from. So we think it’s really critical that we tell that story.”

This massive complex has all sorts of incredible exhibits including the costumes from 1883, a show that’s a part of the massively popular Yellowstone series. But what really brings people here is the real story of Texas ranching told through the buildings that were a part of it. “It’s about all I can do to maintain many of these structures,” said Jim. “We have 55 historic ranching structures now and many of which are approaching 200 years old. In fact, I always say I could keep two guys painting all year round because as soon as they finish, they’d have to start over again.”

Started in 1966, the center was the idea of Dr. Grover Murray, the former president of Texas Tech, to preserve a part of the past. “We were really going through a phase,” said Jim. “This was in the mid-1960s. And we were losing so much of the architecture and the history that had originally been developed by the early pioneers that came in to this part of the world. And so there became this really kind of swell of support within the ranching community.”

The ranching industry in Texas as a whole really had to come together to make this project work. “They actually had to establish a committee that began to select which structures would actually be able to be donated,” said Jim. “Because the word started getting around and offers for ranch buildings, houses, pens, barns, came from all over the state. The ranches that donated the structures also donated the funds to actually move and restore it here at the National Ranching Heritage Center, so it really has been a passion project for the ranching industry.”

Moving some of these massive structures was a monstrous task. “This is Los Escobates that originally was on the XIT Ranch,” said Jim. “There were seven main division headquarters of the XIT, and this was one of those. But they all had very similar architecture and served the same function. It would have been built in the late 1880s, and we actually used up until the 1930s.”

As one of the first structures moved to the center, getting it up in one piece was quite the challenge. “It was one of the original structures that was here as part of the National Ranching Heritage Center,” said Jim. “You can see, it’s obviously several hundred tons of rock that really had fallen down. It really was a pile of rubble. Out there when it’s original location. So this one, they kind of had to guess, and so they brought all this quarried limestone back from Deaf Smith County and reassembled it here at the National Ranching Heritage Center.”

This old building even has signs of cowboy life embedded in the walls all these years later. “So apparently somebody had some guns at one time and it probably bore out of entertainment, the cowboys would shoot up the smokestacks on occasion,” said Jim. “But yeah.”

One of the more popular barns has a very famous façade. “This is probably one of the most photographed and videoed ranching structures anywhere in the country,” said Jim. “So this is the original Four Sixes El Barn. It actually housed the ranch horses for many years. It was built in 1908. And it was here, or on the ranch until 1980 when Mrs. Marion, who was the owner of the ranch, donated it to us.”

If you’re especially fond of the exaggerated tales of Texas’ past, you may want to skim over this next part. “Her great-grandfather, Samuel Burt Burnett, was the progenitor of the Four Sixes ranch,” said Jim. “We actually don’t know where the Four Sixes came from. He bought 100 head of cattle when he was 19 years old that already carried the Four Sixes brand. Of course, the legend is that he won them in a poker game with four sixes, but it’s not true. We always hate to tell people that.”

“The Four Sixes really only had one heir per generation,” said Jim. “So it was Samuel Burt Burnett, and then his son Tom, his daughter Ann, and then her daughter Ann. And then obviously when she passed away in 2020, her wish was that the ranch would be sold. Even though she has one daughter. And it was sold to Taylor Sheridan and a group of investors. And obviously Taylor does Yellowstone and 1883 and 1923, many of which have been filmed at the ranch, even before they purchasedit.”

These structures have seen all sorts of people live out their lives in the fields and farms of our state and each one has a unique story. But for Jim Bret, the Pitchfork Ranch Cookhouse has a special place in his heart because he actually got to be part of its story. “So yeah, in an earlier career, I was a writer for the American Quarter Horse Journal, and so I would go out to the Pitchfork ranch, which was just located in Guthrie, Texas, east of here,” said Jim. “And actually, it was doing stories there on the ranch, and I’d get to eat in the Pitchfork cookhouse on a regular basis. These cookhouses were originally built because you’re isolated, you can’t run into Alsups to grab something, or Dairy Queen to grab something to eat. And so, just to keep a workforce, they had to feed their cowboys, in a lot of cases three times a day. But it was also kind of the central gathering place, and that’s where you had community and that’s where family reunions happened and birthdays and Christmas celebrations. And so there’s a lot of history in these old cookhouses. This one was actually built in 1900, and it was in continuous use until 2010, when it was moved here to the Ranching Heritage Center.”

Everything was done deliberately back in those days, from the way you ate to the way you sat. “The ranch manager, who was Bob Moorehouse at the time, he had his seat, and then you went by seniority until the least senior, youngest cowboy was on the far end of the table,” said Jim. “There was a very prescribed way for the way you ate and what order you got to eat. And then you cleaned your own plate and you put it in the sink so that the cook could do the dishes afterwards, and then you went to get to work. Because I was a guest, I got to sit by Bob. But I probably displaced somebody, so I’ll probably hear about it one of these days. Typical chuck wagon cookhouse. But there was always desserts and lots of beef.”

Seeing what life on the range was like during a time when settlers only had themselves to depend on really puts our incredibly easy lives in perspective. It also spurs your appreciation of the path that was paved by the people who made Texas what it is today. “My friend Red Stegall puts it, I think, best is that the struggles of cow country really built its own set of values,” said Jim. “And there was no place for a shirker or a liar at the campfire. So it built integrity, hard work, determination, and grit. That I think are really important today, and I think those are values that we see families searching for all the time. And so if we can help show, this is how our ancestors did it. And those are values that we can take forward too. I think that that’s a really great story for us to share.”

The Texas Bucket List – Beth Marie’s Old Fashioned Ice Cream in Denton

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Denton – Since 1896, the Courthouse on the square in Denton has seen all sorts of things sprout up around it. Education is the cornerstone of this town, as it’s home to the University of North Texas, Texas Woman’s University, and North Central Texas College. But these kids need a study break and what’s better than ice cream? Fortunately, folks in this town don’t need to fret because right on the square you’ll find Beth Marie’s Old Fashioned Ice Cream.

Margaret Rich has been a part of Beth Marie’s for 20 years, and her responsibilities involve more than just the ice cream. “I am the area supervisor,” said Margaret. “Slash babysitter. All of these kiddos every day. I have thousands of children in this town by now. I can tell you that.”

Of course anyone who’s worked in ice cream before knows all about the forearm of fire. “I tell every one of the kids the first two weeks that you work here, you’re going to feel some pain in your arm,” said Margaret. “I don’t care if you play softball, baseball, basketball, volleyball, all them balls. You don’t use this one until you scoop ice cream.”

Well if it’s gonna burn, it better be worth scooping and at Beth Marie’s, it is. Since 1998, Beth Maries has been a fixture for ice cream thanks to their assortment of insane ingredients that make up 276 different flavors. “Yes, because we keep creating these crazy flavors,” said Margaret. “There’s not many ice creams that I don’t have.”

Some of these flavors go well beyond your wildest imagination. “We did an heirloom tomato ice cream one time and that one did really well, I would say,” said Margaret. “The corn one was a flop, unfortunately.”

Beth Marie can experiment as much as they want because they make it all themselves. “I truly believe it’s the fresh cream,” said Margaret. “I know we don’t have the big machines either, that a lot of your large companies have. It’s more fresh, it’s more quality. When we’re producing it, it is produced four boxes at a time, which equals up to a five gallon batch.”

This small batch made ice cream is made with 14 percent butter fat and when they add ingredients to the ice cream, they’re all made here too. “This morning though, we did make our apple pie, so you have to bake this,” said Margaret. “We bake everything fresh. Except Oreos. I don’t bake apple pies. I bake my own little creation of an apple pie ice cream. So, we put all this stuff together, we bake it, and then it comes out. We got to let it cool down before we can put it into the cream, and the apples into the cream, so we have apple pie ice cream.”

Ice cream is always a visual experience between all the different kinds, but this selection is crazy. You’ve got the full spectrum of the rainbow here. “We’re going to try the Baa-Baa Blackberry, which is a blackberry swirl with goat cheese and thyme,” said Margaret. “Yes, that is the thyme on top. And I would barely touch that just so you don’t get too much, because you just want that little bit to make it taste.”

That’s a good, not overly sweet, but nice and creamy. And that thyme right at the end, just a nice little hint. That’s really good. I was worried about that one, but that’s good. I feel like I need to finish the book.

The next flavor up got even crazier. “We do have a Hatch Green Chili ice cream,” said Margaret. “We did it with a prickly pear background, and I can say that it’s pretty tasty. It’s got a little bit of a bite to it, but it is pretty tasty. Hatch Green Chili and Prickly Pear. Something a little different here at Beth Marie’s.”

The hot and cold combo of pepper and ice cream works well here with that pear flavor. “You get a little bit of spice in there,” said Margaret. “I have a lot of people talk about how at the end the chilies have a little bit of crunch to them and they like that flavor. I try to stay away from the iciness in the ice cream, but they like that part, so I’m like, all right, we’ll keep it.”

There was one last fantastic flavor to try out of the lineup. “The Texas Honey Whiskey ice cream,” said Margaret. “It is a local made honey whiskey ice cream. The honey is local as well. It’s very popular right now. I have customers say ‘I’m going to get drunk off of that bite.’ And I’m like, oh no, it’s not going to happen. I won’t let you do that.”

Now if you want to get crazy with Beth Marie’s they have a sundae that is too much for most sweet tooths but like they say, everything is bigger in Texas. “We do a crazy Sunday, the K.W. Extreme. So it’s eight big scoops of ice cream,” explained Margaret. “Eight large scoops of ice cream, two brownies, a banana, two cookies, eight toppings, and it comes in this bowl that your whole head can fit into. And I do have people challenge each other to eat this ice cream. And I’ve seen them do it too. When they get the syrup at the bottom and all, I’m like, ‘oh boy.’ There are people out there that can eat a lot of ice cream.”

So if you’re the adventurous type looking a crazy ice cream creation or just looking to cool off with a classic treat in the summer heat, this is the stop to make. “Oh, you find a lot of different kinds of ice creams at Beth Marie’s, which you thought you would never find anywhere else,” said Margaret.

 

The Texas Bucket List – Licon Dairy in San Elizario

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San Elizario – Many Texans think of El Paso as a city in the middle of the dessert with a mountain smack dab in the middle of it, and they aren’t entirely wrong. But if you venture toward the border and head Southeast of town, you’ll find a few farms and ranches making use of every drop of the Rio Grande that they can. That includes the Licon Dairy, which has been sitting in San Elizario since the 60’s.

Angel Licon and his family are continuing a tradition that started with his grandmother, Isabell Martinez, making asadero cheese on the stove back in the 50’s. “Well, back then there was more agriculture here, a lot of farms, and they planted a lot of alfalfa,” said Licon. “The farming was a lot more than what you see now.”

Asadero cheese is a light, easy-melting cheese that originated in Mexico. “A Mexican string cheese similar to mozzarella is the best that we can kind of explain to customers of what it is, and the tendency, the texture is a lot different than other cheese,” said Licon. “It’s not as strong and bitter as cheddar cheese and other cheese. Asadero is really big in Villamar, Mexico. It’s only a few hours from El Paso in Mexico, so it’s really known for the asadero, which is a Mennonite cheese.”

In the 60’s, Licon’s grandfather Eugenio Licon Sr. got the cheese wheels turning by starting the Licon Dairy. “We’d like to say it’s a taste of history because we’ve been here for so long,” said Licon. “They started off with only, I think it was about 10 cows, and they would milk them by hand. Just enough milk to produce enough to make enough cheese just to sell within that day. Slowly and gradually, my grandfather started growing his herd, purchasing a little bit more of the cattle, a little bit more, to where at the end he was milking about 125 here in San Elizario.”

Today, the cows are gone and in their place is a petting zoo that’s very popular with El Pasoans.  But the cheese making is still their bread and butter. “Every day they got to pasteurize all the milk because it’s all raw milk,” said Licon. ”Roughly, we’re processing anywhere from 400 to 500 pounds of cheese daily.”

Today, the Licon family is led by Angel’s father Gene.  They both fondly reminisce about their time working with Eugene Sr., and so does another employee named Hector who’s practically part of the family. “Not many people that are going to work like him and he doesn’t miss a day. It’s very rare that he calls in,” said Licon. “My grandfather would help him out and he would actually live on the property. He had his own little space that he used to stay at, and he’s been able now to put his kids through college and they’re all successful. They all have their own businesses and their own jobs. But it was good to see him actually survive through here and prosper on his own. My grandfather made sure that he tried helping everybody that was supporting him.”

The cheese making process goes quickly once it’s all cooked down, as the next step is dividing the cheese into even portions. “They got to make sure that each ball comes to about one ounce,” said Licon. “Each package contains 10 slices, So it’s 10 to 12 ounces roughly is what we’re trying to get at each package.”

Licon Dairy’s cheese is mostly sold in slices, but there actually isn’t any slicing involved in their process. Instead, they use a machine that was built for pressing tortillas. “A lot of the time they look in and they think we’re making corn tortillas,” said Licon. “And that’s what initially this machine was made for. We converted it to try and make the asadero.”

The Licon’s have been making cheese for a long while, and today they have the process down to a science. “We’ve kept the same recipe for 75 years, so we haven’t changed anything, and we find out that it’s probably the best way to keep it simple, and that’s how we’re able to have our doors open,” said Licon. “They’re making 500 packages and there’s 10 slices in each one, so you can imagine doing the math. They do it seven days a week.”

Making asadero isn’t always easy cheesy, but continuing the tradition that’s been a part of their family for so long is what keeps the Licon’s coming back every day.

“For us, it’s just exciting to see that the legacy is continuing through generations,” said Licon. “Even though it’s a lot of work and it changes through each generation, but we’re trying to each instill our mark on the business as the generations pass.”

The Texas Bucket List – Flying Horses Carousel in Brenham

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When it comes to springtime in Brenham, baseball is usually the first thing on folk’s minds. But through the sounds of the game, you’ll hear another distinct tone that’s been coming from Fireman’s Park for nearly 100 years. “The carousel is a staple in Fireman’s Park,” said Crystal Locke, the Recreation Specialist for the carousel. “Here, you’re able to ride a piece of history. It is a fun job,” said Crystal.

And that fun includes promoting Brenham’s historic carousel, which is an easy sell. “The golden ages of carousels were back from 1880 to 1930. And almost 4,000 carousels existed in the United States. And that number has dwindled to about 150,” explained Crystal. “We are one of five classic wooden carousels in the state of Texas, and the oldest.”

“Just part of growing up. I did it when I was a little kid, and it was obviously a big thrill. There was a pavilion here, and the baseball game was always going on. But to ride the horses was a big, big treat,” said Atwood Kenjura, a 4th generation Brenham resident.

“You don’t see these operating hardly anywhere anymore. And to find one in this good a condition and just to do what it is, it’s part of Brenham,” said resident Kyle Branham.

Since 1932, kids and kids at heart have been saddling up at this colorful carousel that was once put out to pasture.  At least that’s where it was found a few years earlier. “So in 1930, a gentleman by the name of Hugh Durden discovered our carousel in a pasture down the road in Clay, Texas, about 20 miles down the road,” said Crystal. “Just came upon it, sitting in a pasture. The carousel was part of a traveling carnival. And the traveling carnival, mind you, this is 1930s, so around the time of the Depression, and this traveling carnival couldn’t afford rent at the pasture. And so the carousel was abandoned in the field. Mr. Durden had this vision of how this carousel could serve our community and brought that back to board members for the Washington County Fair Association,” said Crystal.  “They had purchased the carousel for somewhere around $30, which is great, because he also mentioned how expensive it was to restore the horses.”

These carved caballos were originally created sometime between 1867 and 1901.  They’ve been galloping through time ever since.  Creating memories for kids throughout the generations. “Had a conversation with my grandma who was talking about how she rode the carousel as a little girl, and she was able to take her daughter and her granddaughter, and now great-granddaughter to ride the carousel,” said Crystal.

“To know that they’re riding some of these same horses that I’ve rode on my entire life, and even sitting on the bench with them when they’re little infants to now riding on the horses, you couldn’t ask for nothing better,” said resident Kyle Branham.

“I always wanted to go faster, of course. Luckily, they hadn’t done that,” said resident Atwood Kenjura.  “It’s the same speed, I think, today as it was back when 1950s.”

The best part about this piece of history is the price! It’ll only set you back one whole dollar to take a ride. “You can ride all you want for a dollar,” said Crystal. “I can’t tell you the last time the prices went up.”

“It’s a heck of a deal in this day and time,” said resident Atwood Kenjura.

“It might’ve always been a dollar. I don’t really know. Sometimes I feel like we snuck on, but it was whatever horse was open, you just jumped on it and then you stayed on as long as you could,” said resident Kyle Branham.

The memories this merry go round makes are cherished by all including my family. My oldest still savors spending time on this timeless attraction, as does my boy. But my youngest, she’ll never get off her high horse because to her this is pure joy. “To see the smile on the kids’ faces, I think that’s what it’s all about,” said resident Atwood Kenjura.

So, if life’s got you spinning your wheels, take a ride on the oldest carousel in the Lone Star State.  It’ll put you in a great place on The Texas Bucket List.

The Texas Bucket List – Monarch Trophy Studio in San Antonio

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Texas Bucket List – PB&J with Tay in San Antonio

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San Antonio – On the edge of Olmos Park on the north side of the Alamo City, you’ll find a place that serves a particular type of meal.  Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. “This was a staple in my household, man,” said Jeremiah Burns, owner of PB&J with Tay. “I grew up with this sandwich.”

Jeremiah is the man who spreads joy around San Antonio by spreading the peanut butter. “It reminds me of these old memories, old school after school snacks and soccer games,” said Jeremiah. “You know what I mean? After grandma makes your PB&J after school, and then into my twenties and thirties. It was just like, ‘I’m broke.’ It is a good sandwich to eat. Midnight snack. It was a staple.”

Only open for lunch Tuesday through Sunday, Jermiah named his sandwich shop dedicated to the old classic, PB&J with Tay, in honor his of daughter Taylyn and his wife Taylor.

“I named it that because I love peanut butter jelly, but I also love my daughter, so I named it,” said Jeremiah. “And then she grew up and she was like, ‘Daddy, I don’t like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.’ So she’ll do Nutella and peanut butter. But no, she’s not a fan. It’s pretty ironic.”

A message therapist by day, Jeremiah needed to work the kinks out of a side hustle but he couldn’t figure out what else he should do to make ends meet. “I prayed a lot. I hit my knees and I was like, ‘What is it? What is it?’” said Jeremiah. “And I came up with, I was just talking to my wife one day and I was like, ‘What about a peanut butter and jelly restaurant?’ And I have all these wild ideas anyway, and we laughed it off and then it just wouldn’t leave me.”

Like the tried-and-true combination of a PB&J, Jeremiah’s plan came together. “I created 12 signature sandwiches and we have bacon, bananas, walnuts, double-decker, Texas toast, and then we have five jalapeno flavored jellies, strawberry, blackberry, raspberry, peach, and pineapple,” said Jeremiah. “Old Corelle plates, mason jar milk, and just making you feel like you’re at home, at grandma’s house. Get away from what’s going on in the world out there and just come and relax for a bit.”

Back in the shop behind the counter, Jeremiah is putting together one of his proudest creations. “Today we’re going to do the double-decker delight,” said Jeremiah. “It has almond butter, creamy peanut butter, walnuts, bananas, cream cheese, bacon and Nutella. It seems like a lot. It flows really well together, and it’s a big seller in our restaurant, so people like it.”

Like any sandwich, this sizable snack starts off with the bread. “We use the old school white bread,” said Jeremiah. “That’s what you get. Give too many options, it gets confusing. So it’ll be a double-decker. We have three pieces of bread.”

With the foundation of the sandwich in place, Jeremiah begins piling on the temptatious toppings. “We start with creamy on the bottom. And then we go with the almond butter,” said Jeremiah. “So we have walnuts and then we go with bananas. We have this nifty – Yeah. I get more comments on the slicer than I do the sandwiches. Then we’re going to use our strawberry jalapeno jelly on the bottom. Fresh jalapenos, cutups, fresh strawberries. We go crunchy on top. And then the last spread is going to be a whipped cream cheese, So it’s real light and fluffy. It’s like when you’re at those parties and people have the block of cream cheese and they put the jelly on top and eat it with crackers. It’s that kind of concept and it works really well together.”

The sandwich is grilled to perfection and oozes the various butters and jellies that make up the double-decker delight. Right off the bat, you pick it up and it’s till warm, soft, beautiful. Every corner you turn, there’s a new taste. The cream cheese definitely adds another layer of salty goodness that just comes out of left field, but it’s pillowy soft. Well, that bite was a ton of blackberry jalapeno jelly, which was fantastic. But then you get a little banana and then you get a little creamy peanut butter. Then you get a little crunchy peanut butter. It’s just a smorgasbord of peanut butter flavors. And then the bacon just kicks your tongue with some extra salt for the fun of it, and it’s fantastic.

Well, if you’re looking for an exquisite peanut butter and jelly experience, coming to San Antonio and visiting PB&J with Tay is definitely well worth a stop on The Texas Bucket List. “If you do anything with passion and love and kindness, it’s going to thrive no matter what you go through,” said Jeremiah.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Texas Bucket List – Cowgirls and Cowboys in the West in Amarillo

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Amarillo – If you’ve never seen the Panhandle Plains of Texas, you really are missing out on some of the most serene scenery in the Lone Star State. Palo Duro Canyon alone is worth the drive to this part of Texas. But right on the edge of the second largest canyon system in the United States, you’ll find Los Cedros Ranch, Home to some beautiful horses. “All of our horses, we let them free-range, so this is their ranch,” said Phyllis Nickum Golden. “We just get to come visit.”

Phyllis owns this 1000-acre ranch that happens to be her happy place. “Oh, it’s heaven,” said Phyllis. “It’s my ranch, my rules.”

Phyllis didn’t grow up on this piece of property, nor is she a native Texan. She made her way to Amarillo through her former career in the hospitality industry. “A man who I used to work for asked me if I’d come to Amarillo to take over four hotels that he bought,” said Phyllis. “And I said, ‘Where?’”

When she arrived, she found out ranching is such a way of life you can’t help but get a whiff of it in the whipping winds of the panhandle. “That’s the smell of money around here,” said Phyllis.

Now Phyllis has always had a love for horses and would always talk about her passion to people at the hotel.  Eventually, it took a Beatle to make her saddle up on this adventure. “Matter of fact, Paul McCartney gave me the idea for this,” said Phyllis. “Yeah, our hotel was the only one with private concierge. It was one of the top 100 in the nation for seven years. And Paul McCartney came through here and he was going down Route 66 with his then girlfriend, now wife, and he was coming out to the ranch to ride and he said, ‘You need to start a business like that.’ And that was 2008. And I sat on it for three years, just the thought.”

In 2011, she created Cowgirls and Cowboys in the West, a riding outfit that takes folks from all over the world through some of the most majestic Texas scenery you’ll find. “You talk about the Texas bucket list,” said Phyllis. “This is the world’s bucket list is to ride a horse in Texas.”

These incredible animals traverse the Texas terrain with ease. “Our horses are incredible,” said Phyllis. “They are sons and grandsons of American quarter horses. They’re working cattle horses. This is a cattle ranch, and we allow guests to come out here and experience what it’s like to ride a horse in Texas, but also experience the western way of life.”

But it’s not just the horses that deserve the credit for this incredibly relaxing and easy experience, it’s also the cowgirls leading the way. “Our horses are incredible, but the cowgirls make them feel so, so comfortable, and they take care of them too,” said Phyllis.

You won’t find one cowboy taking lead on this little adventure because, well… “Because girls rock,” said Phyllis. “Most of my wranglers are students at West Texas A&M University. And the deal is they can work here while they’re going to school. I will let them work so many hours, but not enough to get into their studies, so it doesn’t compromise their education at all. When they graduate, they’re expected to go get a big girl job. And it’s kind of sad because I love them. They’re like second daughters to me.”

These ladies in denim and leather aren’t all full-time cowgirls, in fact they come from all sorts of incredible backgrounds with a few common characteristics. “I have girls who are dancers, who are actors, who are veterinarians, who are dentists, who are business owners, who are accountants, who just do so many things, but the common thread that they have is that they love horses, and they love people, and they love the western way of life,” said Phyllis.

Phyllis cuts right to the chase as to why cowgirls are in charge at her ranch. “They’re very hospitable, number one,” said Phyllis. “They’re good eye candy, but they’re more tender with the horses. I notice the different nuances with male and female, and all of our horses are boys, so they’re Goldings. But women are just more gentle and tender. And when you’re riding a horse, you want to make sure that a horse does not have any kind of traumatic imprint.”

Of course, one has to point out that cowboys still make an appearance on her riding outfit’s name. “We had some guys who had to come out and do some heavy lifting, so I thought to honor them, we needed to put their name in there,” said Phyllis.

Whether you’re a cowboy or cowgirl or don’t consider yourself a cow person at all, getting to ride these magnificent horses is well worth a stop on The Texas Bucket List. “We love what we do,” said Phyllis. “We don’t need to do this business. We have others, but we just love showing people our home, our culture, our horses, and the west.”

 

The Texas Bucket List – Candies by Vletas in Abilene

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Abilene – In a small kitchen along the train tracks in Abilene, you’ll find Pam McCombs and her daughter Paatan carrying on a long-standing tradition in the Key City, Candies by Vletas. “We were one of the first businesses,” said Pam. “There was the post office, the bank, a couple of other things, and then we were one of the first businesses ever in town, and we’ve been here ever since.”

Since 1912, these sweet morsels filled with pecans and pralines have been a part of the reason Abilene is known as the Friendly Frontier, as folks have been flocking here for years to get them. “We are still doing the recipes, still making the recipes that are over 100 years old,” said Paatan. “We still do things by hand and it’s a little taste of heaven.”

Pam bought this candy store in 2000 after working with the family that established it all those years ago. “People ask me all the time, ‘How did you get into it?’ I was very blessed,” said Pam. “I say, ‘God sent me there.’ Because I wasn’t looking for a job when Mr. Vletas hired me.”

Back in 1990, Pam cleaned houses for a living and would head to Vletas for a Friday pick me up.  There she met Pete Vletas, and the two struck up a sweet friendship. “So Mr. Vletas, I don’t know why, he just took a liking to me,” said Pam. “So I mean, we just became friends, really, and so we started visiting, every time when we would go in there and visit.”

Before Pam knew it, she was helping at the candy shop. “I started packaging the candy and weighing it out and all that kind of stuff,” said Pam. “Then eventually he would let me watch him cook. He would let me oil the pans and all that, but we didn’t have any recipes written down anywhere. None.”

As the years went by, Vletas moved to the old train depot and business started rolling in even faster.  Pete was at the end of the line and wanted to sell, but everyone who showed interest wanted to change how Pete’s family had been doing things all those years. “Everybody wanted to mechanize it,” said Pam. “They wanted to bring in machines and do conveyor belts and do like other big companies do. To make our candy, it just wouldn’t be what it was anymore.”

Eventually Pam took a leap of faith. “One day I asked him, ‘Mr. Vletas, would you let me just try to get the business?’” said Pam. “He said ‘It’s too much for you, Pam. It’ll hurt you. It’s too much work.’ I said ‘Well, I can get somebody to help me. Would you just let me try?’ So he said okay. Between the SBA and a personal loan that he did himself, and I lacked one payment having my house paid for, and I mortgaged my home. I bought it. One of the first things I did whenever I bought it was I made it cuter.”

After owning the business for a few months, Pete paid a visit to Pam and paid her some sweet compliments. “Pete told me ‘Pam, the store looks awesome. Why didn’t you do this stuff when I had it?’ I said ‘Mr. Vletas, you wouldn’t let me,’” Said Pam. “I made suggestions the whole time I was working for him. Said, ‘You wouldn’t let me do anything like that.’ And anyway, he said, ‘I am so proud of you.’ And I couldn’t have had a bigger compliment paid to me ever.”

As for the candy itself, there are plenty of options to choose from, and pecan brittle is one of their signatures. “It’s so different from peanut brittle just altogether,” said Paatan. “It’s a different flavor.”

The pecan brittle is a fun twist on a nostalgic treat, and it’s been loved by Vletas customers for decades. “It’s something we’re famous for,” said Pam. “I mean, we’re in Texas, so pecans are a biggie.”

The pecan pralines alone are worth the trip out to Abilene, and Vletas mastered this classic sugary goodie a long time ago. Their technique combined with the fresh pecans they use create a truly delightful experience that you just can’t pass up.

Running this classic shop isn’t something that Pam takes lightly, but it’s a lot easier to give it your all when you love what you do. “When you’re a kid and you think, man, there wouldn’t be anything any better than owning your own candy store,” said Pam. “It’s the truth. I mean, it’s the truth.”

The sweet success Pam’s been able to sustain since she took over has been life changing. “I just prayed that if I can make it work and I can take care of my girls, please let everything fall into place,” said Pam. “And it did. Everything that I needed to do, he either showed me the way, or someone else did and just pointed me in the right direction, and it has done nothing but coast. I mean, it’s just heaven. I mean, it just is.”

Deep down Pam can still feel Pete’s presence at the candy shop and that’s more gratifying than the greatest piece of praline. “I swear I feel his spirit and I know he is a happy camper, because he would’ve never, ever, ever thought that this store would be like this,” said Pam. “He would be so, so proud. So that makes me happy.”