Texas Bucket List

Texas Bucket List

Simmons Bank

The Texas Bucket List – All Star Bar-B-Q in Rusk

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Rusk – Tuesday through Saturday, Russell Turner spends a lot of time serving up some savory smoked meats. He’s the proud owner of All Star Bar-B-Q in Rusk and behind the pines, you can smell his brisket and sausage getting served up five days a week.  “It’s a good, honest way to make a living. And it’s Texas,” said owner Turner.

Since 1993 All Star has been a reliable restaurant in Rusk and while the BBQ is good, what brings in the crowd is his collection. “My whole idea all these years was to put stuff in here for people to just look at and enjoy while they’re eating barbecue,” stated Russell.

Russell is a big fan of Houston’s professional baseball team, hence the reason he has an astronomical amount of Astros gear in his restaurant. “I’m an Astro guy, I always have been. I said, ‘Why don’t I start putting Astro stuff up?’, and it took off,” said Russell. “I don’t think it ever quite got to be an obsession, borderline. I have a problem, my wife says,” joked Russell.

From tins to toy cars, it’s hard to tell if All Star Bar-B-Q is a restaurant or a really cool museum. “Shot glasses, commemorative baseballs, all the playoffs, baseball games, a few beer taps. I think it’s good for baseball to sell stuff like that. I mean, it just brings it closer in to the people. They can actually see it and touch it.”  He even has a game used base! “We don’t discuss price,” joked Russell while walking us through his collection.

Russel’s got hung up on Houston baseball as boy when his father took him to games back when they were still known as the Colt 45’s. “I just thought it was the coolest thing ever. They were building, of course, the Astrodome across the parking lot. You could see this big frame made of steel,” said Russell.

“The year the Dome opened was amazing. We did get to go the first year. We had already heard the word that you bring a sweater with you because it was going to be cool. So, it was a wow when you walked in, of course. Isn’t that something? Because they were showing off their air conditioning. They had it cranked down to like 63, probably,” explained Russell.

Conversations in most Texas BBQ joints center around BBQ.  But here, you can’t help but talk baseball. Even in the middle of an interview Russell started talking to a fellow fan! The much bigger debate in these parts might be which Texas baseball team you’re supporting. “The Mason-Dixon Line of Astros and Rangers right here in Rusk. Used to, the Astros’ line stopped at Lufkin 40 miles south, but I’ve been able to move it up to here, and then Rangers to the north, so we’re advancing. If the Astros would just let me help them market just a little, we’ll take over the whole third of this Eastern part of the state. No problem,” explained Russell.

Russel is definitely doing his part. “Most of my Ranger fans have learned that we serve them at the to-go window. So,” joked Russell.

“Most people get a kick out of it. Because again, it’s just tied into the decorations, to give the customer something to do, something to look at. Can you not look at a baseball card and have to flip it over? You have to,” explained Russell.

The centerpiece to his collection, a hand painted Astros sign that hung in the outfield of Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia that happens to be signed by the whole ’91 squad. “Most people when they come in here and they do, “Hey, would you mind taking our picture?” it’s usually in front of this.” In front of this? “Yeah. So, it’s a good backdrop,” said Russell.

Surprisingly this sign isn’t the most coveted piece in Russel’s collection. “Somebody said, ‘Well, if this place caught on fire, what would you grab?’ My son and I went to Wrigley Field to watch the Astros play, and I’ve got the lineup card for the dugout the day we were there. And I got a picture of us sitting there with Wrigley in the background and I have it framed over there by my desk. I’d probably grab that,” said Russell.

Baseball. There’s just something about it that brings families together. “Grandkids and grandfathers, those are the ones who seem to appreciate baseball the most. Maybe I just say that because I’m a grandfather now. I don’t know,” Russell said.

So if you’re a fan of the right Texas team, a stop at All Star Bar-B-Q in Rusk is right up your alley and well worth a stop on The Texas Bucket List!

The Texas Bucket List – The Tejas Rodeo Company in Bulverde

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Bulverde – At an arena, just north of San Antonio you’ll find a rodeo that puts the bull in Bulverde. The Tejas Rodeo Company offers a regularly occurring rodeo from March to November each year and it herds in people from all over the place.

“If you haven’t seen a rodeo and you’re from Texas, you haven’t lived life,” said Yancey James. James makes up half of the team that put this little show together. “We’re just part of each other’s life on a daily basis,” said Trey Martin. Trey Martin is the other half. “We each bring different things to the table,” stated Trey.

These two Texans came up with an incredible concept, a weekly rodeo that takes place at a venue that takes Texas culture to the extreme. It’s like a Lone Star State theme park. “We really do offer a true taste of Texas here,” said Trey.

Now Trey, grew up in Devine, went to Sul Ross and became a big-time lawyer. In 1993, he bought 71 acres in Bulverde not knowing one day it would turn into one of the most sought-after places on Saturday night.

“I can’t really call it a job, because I’m doing what I love,” expressed Yancey. James is from Kerrville and he was a professional bull rider a few years back. But in 2006, they found themselves in a team event they never expected. “We kind of joined forces, and the next thing I knew, in a big whirlwind, I’m knee deep back in the rodeo business,” joked Yancey.

Watching bulls and blood and the dust and mud and hearing the roar of the Saturday crowd isn’t the only reason to get out to Tejas, they also have one superb steakhouse. “What we’re known for is our KC steak. And that stands for Kansas City. Well, believe it or not, that’s a west Texas method of cooking. They would take a piece of meat, and they would heavily season it, and they’d pan sear it. And it’s that seasoning and the pan searing where you lock in that flavor,” explained Trey.

“When these people come, they want to drink, they want to eat. They want some entertainment, and so that’s what intrigued us to go on and build various different venues inside of the big venue itself,” said Yancey.

There’s even history on the walls of the restaurant. From Winchesters, Colts, to turn of the century chaps. “Most of the stuff was in my house. And so some of it’s my father’s, so I know it all and I like it all or I wouldn’t have had it there, wouldn’t have put it here. So we got a lot of favorites,” explained Trey.

Despite the darn good steak and the amazing mac and cheese, you just can’t come out of the chute and say the Tejas Rodeo Company is an amazing restaurant because it truly is so much more than that. “So everybody looks at us as a rodeo and a steakhouse, but we’re a working ranch. So our day starts at seven in the morning and it doesn’t end until seven at night. We house about 50 head of horses. Probably 20 head of cattle and sheep. The whole nine yards. So it’s a full-time job in itself,” said Yancey.

For the cowboys and cowgirls showcasing their grit and guts, this great venue is also a proving ground to get to the next level. “When you’re a rodeo cowboy, you’re trying to rodeo somewhere every day. That’s your job. That’s your life. That’s what you do. It’s no different going to the office. You miss two or three days, you don’t get paid for two or three days. So it’s a good filler for the pro cowboys. And it’s a good stepping stone for the younger athletes coming up, trying to go into the professional ranks,” explained Yancey.

Keeping things country and keeping up with the traditions we’ve had in Texas all these years is what the Tejas Rodeo Company is truly trying to rein in. “I don’t want to say the Western lifestyle’s a dying breed, but it’s definitely not as prevalent as it was 30, 40, 50 years ago. And so it struggles a little bit, but it’s a true way of life for people still to this day,” said Yancey.

“Keeping the Western heritage alive, I think is important to both Yancey and I, and really just putting on a good show and keeping it all clean,” stated Trey.

The Texas Bucket List – Gator Country in Beaumont

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Beaumont – When it comes to Cajun lineage in the Lone Star State, southeast Texas is a good place to start.  Beaumont has a big assortment of down on the bayou businesses but there is one that will croc your world. Gator Country.

Gary Saurage is the proprietor of Gator Country, a place right on the side of Interstate 10 that’s home to hundreds of gators. Gary risks life and limb daily to deal with these deadly animals that have been around for a millions of years. “People do say I’m crazy all the time, but you know what I say to them? They’re crazy. You know why? They’re sitting at a job in front of a computer all day that they hate. Look what I get to do all day. Who’s really crazy,” said Gary. “When you walk in here, we’re going to hand you a baby alligator, we’re going to hand you a snake. We’re going to teach you a bunch of stuff. This absolutely is on people’s bucket lists.” said Gary.

But it’s not just Gary risking it all to put on a really good show, so does his wife Shannon. Her specialty is snakes but that doesn’t mean she won’t wrangle one of the big gators when needed.  Gary and Shannon’s place is sort of like a zoo, rescue facility, and reptile research center all wrapped into one big park and that’s a lot to chew. “There’s nowhere else in Texas you’re going to go and get this experience. Bar none,” stated Gary.

Shannon has only been working with Gary for a few years but she got in on the gator action as soon as she could.   “People will tell you that alligators have the little pea brains, and they have no thought process. But I can tell you, I have taught him to come. The only thing I haven’t taught him lately is how to sit down and roll over,” explained Shannon.

Now the big gators get a lot of attention.  You’ve got Big Al who’s 88 years old and measures in at 13 feet 4 inches. Then there’s Big Tex. At 13 feet, 11 inches long Gary doesn’t get in the ring with this gator.  That’s why Gary handed me a long grappling stick to feed the gator. “He’s going to come up. When he does, I want you to drop that meat in his mouth. We don’t hand to him. He is a dangerous son of a gun,” explained Gary as we braved feeding the gigantic alligator.

But there’s also little gators that need lots of attention. “There are a lot of injured animals out there. And somebody’s got to take care of them,” said Shannon as we showed me around the injured alligator tank.  “So you see this one right here, that’s missing her top jaw? Her top jaw got bit off by another alligator. Now, because she doesn’t have a top jaw, she can no longer feed by herself. So her only way to stay alive is in a facility where we take tongs, we reach over there, and we have to put it into the back of her palatal valve and feed her. This one right here, this is Tank. He came out of a local refinery tank. He’s missing his bottom jaw. A piece of equipment ripped the whole bottom jaw off. And he, too, has to be fed by tongs. These guys here will be with us for the rest of their life, and they’re going to get tons of food and love,” expressed Shannon.

 

Not into these prehistoric looking creatures?  Well, they got snakes too. “My all-time favorite room, this room belongs to me, and it is the venomous snake room. This right here is a timber rattlesnake. It has two toxins. It has a neurotoxin and a hemotoxin. Meaning that it affects your blood as well as shuts down your organs. You get bit by that sucker, you better find God,” explained Shannon.

Getting a close encounter with a timber rattler was terrifying so why not jump in with the gators?  Shannon brought me into the pin with a huge gator named Cuddles and all I hoped is that I didn’t look like brisket.  My first go around with a gator was a little muffed as I missed Cuddle’s massive mouth by a mile but my second go around was a lot more successful.

Fortunately, I didn’t lose any appendages. “I’ll tell you what though, you would not believe how much you need your thumb. You cannot zip your pants without your thumb. That’s a true story,” joked Gary.

So whenever you want to get down with the gators, use your medulla oblongata and take a trip to Gator County in Beaumont. Well worth a stop on The Texas Bucket List.  “Most of these reptiles are things that most people fear, and it’s been something that’s been taught since we were younger. You walk up on a snake, they go, ‘Oh my gosh, it’s a snake. It’s a poisonous snake. Get away from it.’ Well, until you really go and educate, these reptiles need voices too, and they have a reason for being here. Trust me, when you get educated and you start handling these beautiful creatures, you start falling in love with them,” expressed Shannon.

 

 

 

 

The Texas Bucket List – Seismique in Houston

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Houston – As brick-and-mortar stores continue to struggle across the state, many of these monstrous buildings remain empty as online shopping has become the norm.  But on the west side of Houston, they’ve figured out a unique way to transform a tremendous amount of retail space into something we’ve never seen before called Seismique. “Seismic means groundbreaking, earth shattering, and as you can see, everything we do is with a twist. Seismique with a Q-E-U is seismic groundbreaking with a twist,” said Josh Corley.

Josh and Steve Kopelman partnered up to put together this one of a kind attraction and it’s a far cry from Josh’s Chemical Engineering degree he earned at Texas A&M.  “It wasn’t for me. It was a great learning experience. It was a lot of fun, met a lot of great people. It was very difficult, but it wasn’t for me, ultimately, no.” This seems a lot more fun. “It’s a lot more fun. And I get to see the people, some of the work that I’ve done, I get to be around them, and I get to see the smiles on people’s faces,” explained Josh.

When people walk in here, Josh hears the same thing over and over. “Where are we? What the heck is this place,” quoted Josh. “We started noticing that there was an entirely different genre of art that we see emerging. It’s interactive and immersive. Something that totally removes the velvet rope or the glass case from the Mona Lisa and invites you to be actually part of the art and influence the art,”said Josh. “We didn’t see there was any kind of institution, any kind of museum, any kind of anything else serving that and bringing that together. So we said, “Why not us?’,” explained Josh.

Over 50 craftspeople, artists and technologists worked on this 40,000 square foot space to create this display that feels like you’re in another dimension. “What you see here is almost out of the artist’s minds themselves with a little bit of creative back and forth with Steve and I, just to make sure that it can be realized in a proper way,” expressed Josh.

“We’re walking now into what’s called Brainwasher. Brainwasher, it’s an exhibit done by an artist named Joshua Jest. There are over 200 screens here being projected onto. Everywhere, left, right, up, down, and it’s coordinated with the music, so you can dance in here, there’s a beat to it,” said Josh.

But some exhibits require full faith that the technology will work in tune with the display.

“We’re going into Acid Rain. We’re actually walking in a room with rain pouring down everywhere. Yeah, it’s constantly raining everywhere around you, except for where you stand. If you ever wanted a Houston shower, but you didn’t want to actually get wet, this is the spot to be,” explained Josh.

Of course after such a trippy trip, you have to calm things down, and fortunately there’s a room for that too. “Now, we’re walking through what’s called Eden. Yeah, we’ve got Beatles playing. It’s a relaxing environment. And if you can’t tell, it’s inspired by the movie Avatar. We’ve got benches to sit on. One of the only places you can actually sit in all of Seismique, that’s not in the lobby, and you can just sit and reflect back on everything you’ve seen here, because it’s a wild space in and of itself,” said Josh.

So if you’re looking for one of the most unique art displays in the whole darn state, trust me you’ll be in a trance with a trip to Sismique  and it is off the scale on The Texas Bucket List. “There’s no other place like this, not only in Texas, but in the whole world. It’s one of a kind,” expressed Josh.

 

The Texas Bucket List – Storybook Capital of America in Abilene

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Abilene – It all starts at a young age. Hearing stories of some of the greatest characters in children’s books turns into lifelong memories. When mice, wolf, pigs and even dinosaurs get themselves into life lessons that resonate throughout time.  Those characters come to life in the Story Book Capital of America, which happens to be Abilene. “I think that Abilene is the Texas you don’t expect, because you don’t expect to find the Storybook Capital of America right here in West Texas,” said Sidney Levesque.

Levesque works for the Abilene Cultural Affairs Council and she showed us around the National Center for Children’s Illustrated Literature or NICCL for short. “This was the first museum of its kind in the nation to exclusively exhibit children’s picture book art. It didn’t cost a nickel to come in and tour the museum. It is free,” said Sidney.

Not only will you find some of the great children’s books of all time here, you’ll also find some of the original art from these storied stories. “Mark Teague is an award-winning artist. People might recognize him from the “How Do Dinosaurs Say” series, written by Jane Yolen, illustrated by Mark Teague. I mean, you could just see… The colors just pop off the palette,” explained Sidney.

Now the NCCL Tour doesn’t just include the colorful creations on display, you’ll also find all your favorite storybook staples, showcased with their own unique story. “We have commissioned nearly 40 storybook sculptures. I mean, basically these are characters that have leaped off the pages of beloved storybooks. We work with the artists and the book publishers to make all of these storybooks come to life. That’s what Abilene’s all about is making storybooks come to life,” said Sidney.

Over in Everman Park, just a block away from the NCCIL, you’ll find a stunning amount of statues dedicated to Dr. Suess. “The Seuss books are classics, and they never grow old. Even as an adult, I enjoy them. Today’s children enjoy them, and it’s fun to walk through the garden, and to see all those characters, and you actually give the cat in the hat a high five,” joked Sidney.

Maybe that’s why the park is a popular place for proposals and nuptials. “Our sculptures are here to last. They’re loved. They’re just magical for so many people,” expressed Sidney.

All of this came to be here in Abilene thanks to the story that started in this spot. “‘Santa’s Calls’ this is the book that started it all,” stated Sidney. “‘Santa Calls’ is a story, it’s set in West Texas in 1908, and it’s this little orphaned boy and his sister, and his sister writes a letter to Santa Claus himself, and says, ‘All I want for Christmas is my brother to be my friend.’ Santa sends this mysterious package to their Abilene ranch. They open it, and it’s this giant flying machine. They get in the flying machine, and it takes them up to the North Pole, and they meet Santa Claus. Anyway, the brother and sister bond. At the end of the journey, they’re friends, and her Christmas wish comes true,” explained Sidney.

The unique connection of having Abilene in a book started this whole thing.  “That very first visit with William Joyce, that started us on a 20-year journey to becoming the Storybook Capital of America,” said Sidney. William Joyce wrote and illustrated Santa Calls and the sculpture dedicated to his story was the one that started it all. “It’s called Childhood’s Great Adventure. It was created in 1996 by artists, Rick Jackson,” said Sidney.

No matter your favorite be it Jack Frost, Dino Bob or Duck on a Bike you’ll feel like a kid again around the sculptures thanks to the fact that someone read to you when you were young. “I think storybook reading is a special time with your children. At night, right before bed, when you cuddle up in a lap, and you open that book, and you read together you’re not only sharing a love of reading with that child. You’re just making precious memories,” expressed Sidney.

Precious memories that will last the test of time and take you away to faraway places and in some cases, Abilene to see the story book capital of America. “The storybook sculptures, and the books, that all ties into art, and reading, and creativity. That’s the message we want to get out about Abilene. Start your own childhood adventure right here,” stated Sidney.

The Texas Bucket List – Sand Castle Lessons on South Padre Island

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South Padre Island – The tropical paradise that is South Padre Island is always a perfect place to soak up the Texas sun.  Just hanging out on the beach is a blast near the border but if you really want to have fun, just find a bucket and fill it up with some sand. “Literally, just carve a big A for Andy is awesome,” joked Andy Hancock as he built a big ol’ sandcastle with a young man.

Andy Hancock is from Australia and a friend that we featured on The Texas Bucket List back in 2016 when we showcased the world’s largest permanent sandcastle. “I love it, it makes so many people and I think that’s what makes me happy,” stated Andy.

This trip, we took him up on an offer to learn how to make these works of art out of sand. “We call ourselves the Sandcastle Capital of the World, and we do that for a reason because we built more sandcastles than anybody else easily,” said Andy.

Andy has called south Texas home for the last 20 years and there’s a few words that he doesn’t use too often down in these parts. “There’s only three times we use the words, cold, ice and snow. Snow comes in cones obviously, and then a beer is cold and ice goes in cocktails,” joked Andy.

But he does below what it takes to build big sandcastles thanks to his sandcastle lessons that start off with 1400 pounds of sand standing in at 6 feet tall. “So the easiest way to make a sandcastle is to make a pencil.” I’m amazed at your angles and lines on that thing. It literally looks like a perfectly sharpened pencil. “That’s what you’re aiming for, even though I was corrected by a four year old the other day. She said, ‘That’s not a pencil, Andy.’ I said, ‘Oh I’m sorry. What is it?’ She said, ‘A crayon.’,” explained Andy.

Being able to create this incredible castle starts with the right tools for Andy. “These tools were developed on this very island many, many, many years ago by a man who still makes them. And he worked for 25 years for NASA. So we know we’re in good hands and, yeah.” NASA-engineered sandcastle tools. Yeah, we don’t mess around here,” said Andy.

That is until Andy needs the assistance of a straw. At least I’m good at something. “Blow it all off. There you go. A bit of puff. Oh, now we’re rocking. Boom,” said Andy as I blew all over the roof of the castle.

“There are two types of sandcastle builders, diggers and decorators. You’ve got diggers who just want to dig holes. They’re the guys who fetch the water, and the girls, who fetch the water and then dig the holes and shoveling sand. They love that. Then you get the others who stepped forward when the detailing needs to be done, and they love doing details,” explained Andy.

The reason sandcastles are so easy to stack on South Padre is simple. It’s the sand.“Because our sand comes from the Rio Grande, and it’s got between 30 and 40 different minerals in it. But the sand remains sharp. You can see, obviously for princesses, our sandcastle, when he zooms in we’ll see it’s all sparkly. That’s the flat surfaces of our crystals. They’re able to stick together more effectively with water between them because they’re like this,” explained Andy.

Getting in a good laugh with Andy makes this experience incredibly enjoyable. “An Australian and a Texan walk into a bar. Trouble is they never come out…” joked Andy. But before you know it, you really do get lost in the art of building a sandcastle. “That’s the beauty of it. You empty your head. You can empty your head of anything that you were thinking of and just forget the day is here and just have a good time. That’s the true beauty of it,” said Andy.

The Texas Bucket List – MS Cookie Co. in Dallas

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Dallas – If you even find yourself in Northhaven Park in north Dallas and you happen to get whiff of the heavenly smell of hot fresh cookies, chances are you close to Monek Smith’s house.

“I could talk about cookies all day long,” said Monek Smith. Monek is one smart cookie. She majored in construction at Texas A&M and has designed and created some incredible homes and buildings but today she has a different title. “CEO of Smith Enterprises,” joked Monek.

“People ask what I do and I’m like, ‘Oh, I’m a stay-at-home mom.’ And then if I’m with somebody else, they might say, ‘But you make cookies.’ And I’m like, ‘Well, yes, I make cookies.’ I’m not the mom that makes chocolate chip cookies when my kids come home from school. When my kids go to school, then I go to work, and I make cookies for other people,” explained Monek.

Known as MS Cookie, Monek makes cookie gifts for all her kooky friends but these aren’t classic cookies she’s cranking out, these cookies are much classier. “Who knew that construction and cookie making go together so well,” joked Monek.

It’s going to be hard to eat a work of art!

“Well, I had for years been looking for a side hustle. I like to be creative. I like to do things. I like to have an activity. I’m not just a ‘sit at home and play with the kids’ kind of thing. I wanted to create something,” explained Monek. “There are hundreds of cookiers out there, thousands of cookiers out there, and I never expected it to be what it is now. There’s a word for us. We are cookiers,” stated Monek.

“One cookie can take 30 minutes, it can take two hours. Like I said, it’s building. And so, it can take a course of days,” said Monek. “For The Texas Bucket List, you have to have Texas cookies, right? All the greatest things in Texas. Some of mine too, obviously I’m an Aggie so my heart is with A&M cookie,” said Monek.

And we just had to know if this Aggie has ever had to do any Longhorn cookies!  “I have. And when they ordered these cookies, I told them that it was a true testament to how much I loved cookies that I would make Longhorn cookies. And so, I’ve done it two or three times, but I don’t advertise that very often,” expressed Monek.

Monek’s Texas themed cookies are so cool that she actually took home a blue ribbon for them at the State Fair of Texas.“I won. I was shocked. I was shocked,” stated Monek.

So how hard could it be to make cookies?  Well, I crumbled to the pressure. The Texas Bucket List, live in the kitchen! “Ready to decorate a cookie? All right. So you’ve got two consistencies, this is going to be your outline, that’s what you’re going to fill it in with. I gave you the Texas shape because it’s easy to outline. There’s not very many straight lines,” explained Monek while we attempted the art of decorating. “A cookie can look good, but if it doesn’t taste good, what’s the point,” expressed Monek.

“It’s so fun to know that you are putting a smile on somebody else’s face with something as simple as a cookie,” stated Monek.

The Texas Bucket List – Fishing Lake Amistad in Del Rio

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Del Rio – During our travels over the years on The Texas Bucket List I’ve always been enamored with Lake Amistad down in Del Rio. When we stayed at the Lodge at Sanders Point, the lake showed off its natural beauty. And when you head down the road to Langtry to visit Judge Roy Bean’s Jersey Lilly, you can’t help but stare out onto the shore as you drive by. So after seeing the lake shine over so many visits to the area, we finally decided to fish it.  On a cold January afternoon.

“Well, we get all three seasons in one day sometimes,” joked Raul Cordero.  Raul is a former roughneck who now owns Farwest Guide Service and he braved the brisk air to take us by boat around the lake I’ve always loved. “We have beautiful water, we have a lot of deep water, and we have a lot of good fishing,” said Raul.

Raul has been roaming around this lake his whole life and it all got started when his family moved to Del Rio when he was a boy. “I remember the move to Del Rio because it was the happiest day of my life. When my dad said we’re moving to Del Rio, I couldn’t wait to get here. I’d been fishing this lake years prior to it, because we always had family here,” explained Raul.

Now he has a family of his own. So we did what most Dad’s love to do. Get out on water, way far away from the worries of the world. While it wasn’t as warm as I was hoping, “We don’t have very many cold days, other than today when we chose to fish,” joked Raul. The sights were as surreal as I imagined. “It’s about half and half in the US, half in Mexico. It’s 64,000 acres, about 160 miles of shoreline when it’s full, and we’ve got pretty close to 200 foot deep in some areas. It’s something you have to come and experience. I mean, it’s a gorgeous lake,” said Raul.

Known for its bass fishing, that’s what most anglers are angling for when they come here. “Bass fishing is more of a challenge. They’re a lot tougher to catch,” stated Raul. As we found out, after watching Raul’s uncommon method of calling fish, sort of recreating the sound of a feeding frenzy.

We started jigging, and jigging, and jigging . “A big fish is only a cast away. That jig technique, it’ll wear you out, and then you chuck that big umbrella rig we were throwing for a while, that one will wear you out too,” joked Raul. Turns out, I might have been doing it wrong. “Like they say, it’s not the size of the worm, it’s the way you wiggle it, so that’s the secret to it,” said Raul.

Raul eventually reeled a few white bass in the boat and these beautiful fish are fun to see.  “It’s like anything else, being at the right place at the right time, timing it right,” stated Raul.

But what’s most surreal about this lake is most of the time, it’s quiet. It’s peaceful. It’s tranquil.  From the fish in the water, the waterfowl flying around, to the aoudad roaming the shores, Lake Amistad is a sportsman’s Shangri-la, a nice place for naturalist, and it’s right here in the Lone Star State…..and in Mexico. “This to me is the end of the world. This is as secluded as it gets. I hear from a lot of customers, ‘This lake’s been on my bucket list for many years.’,” said Raul.

So cast a line in the cool waters of Lake Amistad and enjoy a larger-than-life lake right here in the Lone Star State. “This is my passion. I love it. I love it,” expressed Raul.

The Texas Bucket List – The Dinosaur Park in Cedar Creek

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Cedar Creek – Driving along Highway 71 between Austin and Bastrop, you never know what’s lurking in the central Texas trees.  Most of the time you’ll find picturesque Texas landscapes but if you turn on the other side of the road, you won’t find Lost Pines, you’ll find a lost world called The Dinosaur Park.

Austin Nunez and his family run the park and they are crazy about the Cretaceous period, so they created this place to see preposterously sized prehistoric creatures.  Since 2004, the Dinosaur Park has been showcasing what the world was like, when dinosaurs roamed the Earth. “A very niche thing. I don’t know exactly what to call it all the time. It’s like an outdoor museum, we like to say,” said Austin.

On a short half mile hike through the hill country, you’ll come across 30 dinosaurs and you never know when one’s going to pop up on you.  “This [velociraptor] is our first dinosaur on the trail, and this is what it actually looked like. The ones in Jurassic Park were made a lot bigger, a lot more robust just to up the scare factor. He had sharp teeth, sharp claws, and he did have those things, the sickle claw that you do see in Jurassic Park,” explained Austin.

“They’re [dinosaur statues] from all over the world. It’s basically like we’ve had local artists do some, we’ve had international, we’ve had whoever will do them. It’s actually quite difficult to find artists who will do some of the larger ones. The smaller ones are generally easier. People are willing to do a six-foot, eight-foot dinosaur statue, and then you’ll see later on the trail there’s 40-foot, 100-foot dinosaurs out there that we have to just find whoever will do them for the best price,” explained Austin.

Some of the dinosaurs were even natives to the Lone Star State! “You’ll notice it [statue description] has our little Texas symbol. Those are for the dinosaurs that lived in our state, the creatures that were found here,” said Austin.

The trail consists of many dinosaurs that are unique in their own way, but we got the chance to learn more about one of the longest dinosaurs that existed! “There’s a lot of dinosaurs that could claim the title of longest dinosaur. The Diplodocus was one of the ones that is up there. They’re all known from kind of fragmentary remains, so we’re not sure exactly how big they got, but our Diplodocus is 120 feet long,” said Austin.

It seems thinking about the 66 million years since dinosaurs last roamed the earth has made me hungry but just like any good ole’ amusement park, you ‘ll have to pass through the gauntlet that is the gift shop to get “Yeah. Anything dinosaur that is sold, we try and sell it,” said Austin.

Well we’re sold on the Dinosaur Park being the perfect stop for your fossil loving family on The Texas Bucket List.

What is it about dinosaurs? Why are we so enamored by them and so curious about them from a young, age? “It’s probably just because they’re so different to what we have in terms of real animals. The closest thing we have is crocodiles or birds, and even those, there are some dinosaurs like T-Rex that doesn’t look like any crocodile or any bird out there. Same thing with the long-necks or the Triceratops. There’s just general fascination that I’ve seen with them that just… I can’t really explain it myself even,” explained Austin.

The Texas Bucket List – Granny Clare’s Citrus in Harlingen

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Harlingen – During the winter, most of Texas has to deal with cold weather, the occasional freeze and trees without leaves but that’s not the case in the Rio Grande Valley.  Folks from all over the country congregate to this part of the state, some estimate as many as 100,000 winter Texans call the valley home between October and March.  That’s probably because round these parts, it feels more like spring than snow season.

Now one of the biggest attractions to tourists and Texans alike during wintertime in these parts is the citrus and Granny Clare’s in Harlingen is just one of several stops to get your squeeze on. Corina Aguilera took us on a tour of this 50-acre farm that sprouted back in 1994.  Bill and Claire Brighten originally owned the orchard but in 2015 a local doctor decided to diversify her portfolio by purchasing the place for produce.

“One day, she was just passing by and she saw the for sale sign and she said, ‘I’m going to buy that orchard’, and she did. She doesn’t want us mentioning her name,” said Corina.

The one thing we do know is December through January is the optimum time to make your way to the orange grove. “That’s when they’re the sweetest,” stated Corina.

“You’re looking at the color. You want to make sure that there’s no insects that have been eating into it and they’re good to go,” Corina explained while showing us one of the grapefruit trees.

Now citrus is native to the orient and it wasn’t until the 1880’s that orchards were established in the Lone Star State.  Fortunately, the fruit has blossomed into a big industry that includes oranges.

We’ve experienced a lot of things in Texas, but there’s nothing like experiencing fresh fruit off a tree. It is just mind-blowing how different it tastes. Of course, everyone is excited to try it. We were willing to move on but comparing apples to oranges didn’t last too long.

“This is where we separate the Mars oranges, the navel oranges, and the grapefruit,” Corina explains while showing the separator. Now you can’t help but notice not all the oranges are super pretty.  “The uglier, the better, I say,” said Corina.

Now if you’re not into peeling your own, the fruit trays are some of finest I’ve found and they too are all done by hand. “This is our kitchen area where we prepare the trays. The fruit trays, and this is where we cut them up. The ladies here, they’re professionals at it. They’ve been doing this for … She’s [Thelma] been doing it for five years,” said Corina.

Watching Thelma cut up citrus is like watching a world class surgeon doing a delicate operation. “Make sure you take off the white part of it because it’s what makes it tart. That’s what makes it tart, so you want to make sure all of it is gone.” The navel, you go straight to it. It’s just one time,” explained Corina.

Now it was time to try one of these deliciously arranged fruit trays, but where do we start?  “You want to go with a grapefruit first.  If you do the orange first, though, grapefruit would be too sour,” explained Corina.  It was the most juicy, sweet, perfect grapefruit worth getting goosebumps!

“Yes. That’s why people keep coming back,” stated Corina. Life is short so you’ve got to be sure you squeeze every last drop out of it and a trip to the Valley for some citrus because Granny Clare’s Citrus is well worth the stop on The Texas Bucket List!