Texas Bucket List

Texas Bucket List

Simmons Bank

The Texas Bucket List: My Son’s Priceless Reaction to Texas A&M Aggie Football

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The grandeur and pomp that accompanies each Texas A&M University football game is enough to drive thousands of people into Kyle Field during football season, but for my young son Declan,  the initial excitement was enough to leave him wide-eyed and slack-jawed.

A few weeks ago, I attended a Texas A&M home game and during the team’s introduction onto the field, I put Declan on top of my shoulders, whipped out my phone and captured his priceless reaction.

Surrounded in a sea of maroon and white, Declan can be seen visibly soaking in the moment and being blown away by the amount atmosphere that accompanies each Texas A&M football game.

The video went a bit viral around College Station and what do you know, Declan was invited to practice!  An incredible experience for my little guy, something he got to check off his own bucket list.

Based on the video, it sure does look like we have a future Aggie on our hands!

 

The Texas Bucket List- Highland Park Old-Fashioned Soda Fountain

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Dallas, Texas- Mark your calendars, The Texas Bucket List 11th season premiere is just a few days away on September 8th! You will also want to carve out some time to make a quick trip to today’s stop. You see, we are in Dallas, right next to the Highland Park at an old soda shop that has been here since 1912. However, you will want to come in fast because it is just about to shut its’ doors.

We are going to check out the Highland Park Old-Fashioned Soda Fountain.

“Generation after generation comes here,” Gretchen Williams said. “Five generations. Someone told me six. That’s a long time.”

To say the Highland Park Soda Shop is a fixture might be putting it lightly.

“This is the kind of food that does not go out of style,” Gretchen said.

Gretchen Williams and her husband Sonny have owned the business since 2006, and they did not change much.  All they have had to do is simply keep up with what the diner has been known for all these years.

“Grilled cheese and milkshake are the number one sellers,” Gretchen said.

Despite their long-storied history, the doors are about to close at the sought-after soda shop.

“It’s very bittersweet for a lot of people,” Gretchen said. “They don’t want you to leave. And it’s not that we want to leave. It’s we don’t own the building. It’s been redeveloped. We understand progress. It’s a business. And so it’s one of those where people are like, “You’ve sold!” And it’s like, “No. We didn’t sell. But nothing stays the same forever.”

While the grilled cheese sandwiches and milkshakes will still be available at the state fair, you only a few days to get your last taste of this over 100 year old business.

“Well, they need to come here quick because the bucket’s going to go down,” Gretchen said.

So be sure to check off this Texas treasure, the Highland Park Old-Fashioned Soda Shop, before it kicks the bucket on September 9th. Also, be sure to check out our season premier September 8th on a television station in your area.

“Sunday, September 9th is the last day,” Gretchen said. “We’re not saying that we’ll close at six. There will probably be some people in line and we’ll try and serve all those people. But get in here and have that last taste of, you know, fun, classic American food.”

The Texas Bucket List – Fanthorp Inn in Anderson

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ANDERSON, Texas — Getting a great dose of Texas history is easy to do in Grimes County and it all centers around an old inn that started checking travelers back in 1834.

The Fanthorp Inn in Anderson was established by Henry Fanthorp. Benjamin Baumgartner took us on a tour of the building that served so many roles in a very important time in Texas history.

First and foremost, the mind-blowing facts about this building that helped form a fine state.

“This building has existed in four countries yet has never moved,” Benjamin said. “Mexico, Texas, United States and the Confederate States.”

When English immigrant Henry Fanthorp constructed his log cabin home, he had no idea it would serve as a post office and a voting place.  Nor did he know that people like Sam Houston, Zachory Taylor and Ulysses S. Grant would slumber under his roof.

Located on La Bahia Road, Fanthorp Inn was a place for all sorts of people to stop during their travels across Texas.

“Because of its position of where it is, it has been the hub of information, or it was the hub of information,” Benjamin said. “The news of annexation, the news of war again with Mexico, news of the civil war, these are things that all would have come through here at some point. This is where people would be discussing what’s going on, how it’s going, news hopefully of loved ones coming back or hopefully you’re hearing from what’s going on there.”

And hotels were a heck of lot different back then.

“They’re surprised to see the living conditions of it thinking it would be so rustic or something that ‘Oh, I wouldn’t be comfortable here,’ but thinking again from the perspective of it is this or sleeping in the open, maybe under a wagon you kind of have a new understanding for what comfort would be back then,” Benjamin said.

Keeping it true to what it was like around 1850 is what the Fanthorp Inn is fulfilling.  Display what the dining room would be like, the parlor prior to privacy and life before just about every modern convenience you can think of.

“A chance to go through and see a new perspective and an appreciation for the life that we have now,” Benjamin said.

Treasa Thompson helps brings this place to life with her lovely mules.

“We used to fit nine people in this coach. Nine people comfortably,” Treasa said. “You would have three on each seat. When you put nine people in there now, you better hope three of them are kids.”

Once a month, you can get the full experience of pulling up to the Fanthorp in an old stagecoach.

“It makes it a reality,” Treasa said. “It puts you in an absolute scenario where it happened.”

Pulling a cart with 4 mules can be particularly precarious.

“Twice the amount of things that could go wrong,” Treasa said.

But Treasa knows how to sweet talk her team.

“Of course I’m a woman, I’m biased,” Treasa said. “I think that women deal with mules easier than men. We just have different tactics.”

That might come down to having a mother’s patience.

“They’re better than my two-legged kids,” Treasa said. “They mind better anyway.”

Treasa takes the stagecoach down the main drag of Anderson, a ride that is a bit smoother than the one taken all those years ago.

“When you rock, you hit a bump and you just rock,” Treasa said. “It’s not a bounce so it’s awesome.”

The wagon makes its way through town, circling the Grimes Country Courthouse and carefully cruises back to the Fanthorp.

“All those giggles right down there? That’s what’s enjoyable,” Treasa said. “You know they’re having a good time. If they can have fun and learn a little at the same time, that’s the best way to do it.”

Experiencing a stagecoach ride along a road riddled with the stories of Texas makes for an incredible journey, but with a final destination like the Fanthorp Inn, you’ll get your fill of Lone Star State folklore and fulfill a fine stop on The Texas Bucket List.

“Come out and get a little bit of history,” Treasa said. “Have a little bit of fun. Meet my kids and take a little ride with me.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Eight Quintessential Christmas Stops on The Texas Bucket List

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Oh there’s no place like home for the holidays, especially when home is in the Lone-Star State! With world famous holiday themed eats, festivals, light displays, and hotels unique to Texas, there’s a little something to get everyone in the yuletide spirit. The places, experiences, and treats featured in this list will have you saying merry Texas Christmas in no time!

Wassailfest – New Braunfels, Texas       

The lights in downtown New Braunfels shine like a beacon for Santa on the first Thursday of December, but the real treat here is the old world wonder boiled up by the folks in this part of the Lone-Star State at Wassailfest. Downtown New Braunfuls has been the place to taste this Christmas tradition since 1992. Some wassails are more spirited than others at this event featuring good food, award winning wassails, and family fun.

Watch now: New Braunfels Wassailfest

German Christmas Market – Tomball, Texas

During the second week in December, you’ve got to mossy on to Tomball. Here, you’ll find a huge Christmas market that’s been bringing together Christmas cheer and the German tradition of Oktoberfest since the 90s. Festivities kick off with a huge parade in which an official Christmas keg tapping is the grand finally. This Christmas celebration is also a cultural celebration; a chance to raise a glass to one of the many nationalities that has made Texas what it is today.

Watch now: Tomball German Christmas Market

Trail of Lights – Austin, Texas

This trail of lights has been burning bright since 1965 in the capital of the Lone-Star State. The Lights that line Lou Neff Road become a beacon of Christmas spirit in the live music capital of the world each December. With 2 million lights and 41 displays dedicated to the season, you’ll find some story time favorites, Texas themed treasures, religious displays showing the true meaning of Christmas, and far out favorites that represent what Austin is all about. However, the crown jewel of this trail just might surprise you.

Watch now: Austin Trail of Lights

Gaylord Texan Resort – Grapevine, Texas

Nobody celebrates Christmas quite like the Gaylord Texan Resort in the Christmas capital of the Lone-Star State. Over half a million visitors visit the Gaylord during the seven weeks that make up the holiday season to experience their take on a Lone-Star Christmas. No corner of the 125 acre Christmas themed paradise is untouched by the holiday spirit thanks to a talented group of artists who hand make each and every piece of decor. A snow slide, 14,000 foot ice exhibit kept at a wintry nine degrees, and a life size nativity scene made out of ice prove that everything really is bigger in Texas, even Christmas.

Watch now: Gaylord Texan Resort

Collin Street Bakery – Corsicana, Texas  

Oh what fun it is to ride to the Collin Street Bakery for some holiday delights. This little bakery in Corsicana, Texas works year round baking up a Christmas treat that’s not just a tradition in the Lone-Star State, but all over the world. Since 1896, the bakery has been getting a rise out of customers with their world famous fruitcakes. A product of the fall harvest, the one million fruitcakes sold by the Collin Street Bakery each year feature pecans, pineapple, cherries, and raisins.

Watch now: Collin Street Bakery

 Riverwalk Christmas – San Antonio, Texas

When the lights come on along the San Antonio Riverwalk, Christmas has officially begun. This light display, that is truly unique to Texas, has been spreading the joy of the season since the late 60s when the Riverwalk was built. Lights start being hung strategically during the first week in September on more than 180 trees. The grand total of strands in this display is 1,687, that’s over 21 miles of illumination. The Mexican tradition of luminárias, lit candles in sand filled bags intended to light the way for the Holy family, add to the magic.

Watch now: Riverwalk Christmas

Dickens on the Strand – Galveston, Texas

For more than 40 years, Dickens on the Strand has provided a unique Christmas experience to Texans and world travelers alike. Thousands of Charels Dickens fans make their way to Galveston to experience Christmas as it appears in the famous English author’s work. Costumes, historical buildings, and activities all fit the time in which Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” would have taken place. Galveston’s design, which parallels London during the Victorian period, makes it the perfect place to pay homage to a beloved author and his classic Christmas tale.

Watch now: Dickens on the Strand

Santa’s Wonderland – College Station, Texas

Each December hundreds of people voyage to south College Station to visit a Texas Christmas village known as Santa’s Wonderland. Millions of twinkling lights highlight what it’s like to celebrate Christmas with a Lone-Star State twist. Sprawling across 37 acres, this park has it’s own town, Santa’s Town, dedicated to the season. Sweet treats, savory eats, holiday gift shops, live music, Marshal Frostbite, a petting zoo, fine wine, fires to warm up with and cook s’mores on, and Texas Santa himself can all be found in Santa’s Town each and every night. It’s a true Texas Christmas experience.

Watch now: Santa’s Wonderland

The Texas Bucket List – Prairie Dog Town in Lubbock

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LUBBOCK, Texas – Home to Texas Tech, windmills, and wineries, this part of the panhandle has a plethora of pleasant things to do. One of the most popular stops in this place involves a particular field full of prairie dogs.

Stewart Gerhart is the Park Operations Manager for the city of Lubbock.  He’s in charge of 80 outdoor areas around town but his favorite particular place of refuge involves these crazy little critters at MacKenzie Park known as Praire Dog Town.

“People always say, ‘Oh, you’re from that town that has the prairie dog town,’” Stewart says. “It’s not Texas Tech. It’s not Lubbock. It’s the town where the prairie dog town is.”

Today, hundreds of prairie dogs have planted roots in the park, but it all started with four of them in 1935. That’s when Kennedy N. Clapp established this refuge for rodents.

“We were seeing the prairie dogs becoming extinct because of governmental poisoning and wanted to come up with a way to keep the prairie dogs,” Stewart informed us.

Surprisingly, the prairie dog population is minuscule to what it was when pioneers crossed the plains.  According to the Texas Parks and Wildlife, Texas used to have prairie dog colonies that covered 25,000 square miles with around 400 million prairie dogs. Today, less than one percent of that prairie dog population remains.

“There’s just a joy in seeing new things, different things,” Janet, a park visitor, shared. “To some people it might be just an old whoopee, a little rat like animal wondering around. What’s the fun in that? But still, they’re God’s creatures and sometimes they cause havoc with farmers and ranchers. They handle that situation, but it’s just nice to see something that you don’t see at home.”

These little lovable looking little guys are actually pretty fierce fighters but if you have something for them to snack on, they’ll be happy to get a bit closer than normal.

“They like to eat corn, chips, anything people will feed them,” Jerry said.

Unfortunately for the prairie dogs, they’re the food source for big birds, hence the reason there aren’t any big trees near the borough.  The small wall surrounding the town usually keeps them safe and secure but not always.

“They don’t like to root where they can’t see,” Jerry explained. “They’ll stay, for the most part, in the prairie dog town behind that wall, but there are the Marco Polos of the world that get out and run. They get on the golf course. They get on the ball fields. They go everywhere.”

The best part of visiting this park is hearing them communicate with each other.

“When they start barking, the other ones stand up and look to see what’s he barking at,” Jerry says.

It’s been said that the prairie dog language is so complicated these creatures can tell each other about approaching danger, where it’s come from, and even what it looks like.

So come hear the whisper of these whiskered wild animals because getting a good laugh and a big smile are always well worth a stop on The Texas Bucket List.

“It’s fun to see people coming in and wanting to be a part of Prairie Dog Town,” Jerry says.

The Texas Bucket List – Atkinson Candy Company in Lufkin

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LUFKIN, Texas – You don’t have to travel the Milky Way to find pieces of candy that have a connection to our great state.  You don’t have to spend 100 grand getting there either, because in Lufkin you’ll find the Atkinson Candy Company, and they’ve got a big hunk of good candy.

Eric Atkinson runs the candy factory his grandfather, B.E. Atkinson started during the Great Depression. You see, Eric wasn’t the kid in the candy store growing up; he was the kid in the candy factory.

“A relative told him that he ought to get into candy distribution, because nobody had any money, but everybody had a nickel,” Eric informed us.

In 1938 Atkinson started production on their own candy, and according to Eric East Texas had about 450 candy companies at the time. Today Atkinson Candy is the largest family based candy company in Texas.

“Even though we manufacture candy, what we make is happiness,” Eric says.

Known for their Chico Sticks, Peanut Butter Bars, black cows, and long boys Atkinson makes an assortment of candy that could please the palate of just about any Texan. You might even say Eric is the Willy Wonka of Lufkin.

While at the candy factory, we got transported into a world of pure imagination to see how this candy is really made.  The first thing you notice, the temperature.

“In a candy factory you want your kitchen to be warm, so it’s not necessarily at a temperature that everyone would prefer, but the candy loves it,” Eric explained. “It keeps it from getting too hard while we’re processing the candy. As long as it’s in this room, the product stays above about 260 degrees. That makes it soft and malleable, although damn hot. We’ve made candy like this since day one, 85 years.”

From bubbling hot caramel to peanut butter bars being stretched and formed, these big blobs of sugar don’t look like candy until they get to the end of the line. It’s amazing to see such a big piece of candy continue it’s way down the line.

“You look at the batch and you think, ‘How on Earth are you going to get that batch into that little bitty piece?’” Eric said. “ This is how right here. They take in that rope of candy, they give it it’s final diameter, they cut the candy off in its final shape or length, they feed in film, wrap the film around the candy, cut the film, twist it not once, but twice, and spit it out at around 750 pieces a minute on this machine.”

The entire process is like an orchestra dedicated to the sweet sounds of well, sweets. While watching this symphony that serenades the taste buds, the one question that churned in my mind was how’d the name of the Chick-O-Stick come to be.

“The single most asked question I get,” Eric said. “I wasn’t alive when that came around, so I don’t have first hand knowledge, but here’s what I do know. Candy like this back in the day was originally called chicken bones. In about 1950 when we started selling outside the state of Texas is when we learned what a trademark was, and somebody had the trademark for chicken bones, so we had to come up with another name for our candy. Somewhere in that process we came up with the Chick-O-Stick, and my best guess as to why they were ever called that is because they kind of look a little bit like a piece of fried chicken.”

Now enjoying this Texas treat is easy and inexpensive, you can find it just about anywhere in the country but you can also come to the factory and visit the candy kitchen for a chance to get treats that didn’t quite make the cut at wholesale prices.

Every piece of candy that comes out of here has something to be proud of.

“This is candy that was born here in the state of Texas and built for Texans, built for the heat that Texans experience everyday in the summer time, so therefore it’s candy we should all enjoy,” Eric said.

For Eric, being a part of this family tradition that has lasted so long in East Texas is a source of pride.

“Oh it becomes a part of you,” Eric said. “It’s a since of pride that we have been able to succeed and take something that my grandfather brought up from the ground and make it a player in the world of confection in this country.”

Season 9 of The Texas Bucket is List Premieres September 9th

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The show dedicated to EVERYTHING there is to see, do, and experience in the Lone Star State is gearing up for its ninth season! Entering out 5th year on the air, The Texas Bucket List has been bringing exciting Texas stories, fantastic food finds, hidden gems, and amazing annual events into the homes of viewers since 2013 and will continue to do so on Sept. 9 during the first episode of the fall season.

TBL fans can expect to see an expanded palate on the show this year, including a tour of Central Texas BBQ stops in the season opener. The Texas Bucket List Burger of the Week segment will be returning this season as host Shane McAuliffe continues to find meaty treats almost as unique as the state they are made in.

The show will also feature interesting things to do in the state where everything is bigger and better that may inspire a few tall tales. Among these experiences are a Prairie Dog Park, a long standing Christmas ball, and Canton Trade Days, to name a few.

With more excitement, food, and action than ever before, the ninth season of TBL is one you won’t want to miss. It’s no secret that Texans are proud of the state they call home.  Shane McAuliffe’s interactions with people all over the Lone Star State make it easy to see why Texans are so proud of this great state.

The Texas Bucket List airs on 23 markets television markets and has won seven Telly Awards.  TBL has also been nominated for seven Lone Star Emmy Awards.

For more information on The Texas Bucket List, visit TheTexasBucketList.com and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pintrist.

TO TEXAS!

The Texas Bucket List – Summer Stops Newman’s Castle in Bellville

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When passing through Bellville, you’ve got to stop at two places. First is Newman’s Bakery. This bakery has been serving up some of the best treats in Texas for over 30 years, but that’s not why Bellville finds itself on our list of summer stops. The big attraction here is bakery owner Mike Newman’s medieval castle. Newman’s Castle was built in true medieval fashion complete with a moat, dungeon, and formal dining area. While at the castle you can dress up in medieval attire, watch a catapult demonstration, eat a dinner fit for the Knight’s Round Table, and say a prayer in the castle’s chapel.

The Texas Bucket List – Shangri La Botanical Gardens in Orange

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ORANGE, Texas – Orange, Texas is as far east as you can roll before heading into the territory known as Louisiana.  Named by sailors who noticed orange groves lining the banks of Sabine, this part of Texas shares the muggy climate of our Cajun cousins that’s culminated into the perfect climate to put an amazing garden.

Rick Lewandowski is the director of the 252 acre oasis in Orange known as Shangri La Botanical Gardens and Nature Center.

“This was the former home of H.J. Lutcher Stark, a member of the Stark family who was involved in lumbering and later in becoming an environmentalist here in Orange, Texas,” Rick informed us.

After World War II, the gardens to Stark’s home were open to the public during the spring and for years it was a popular annual stop in the Lone Star State.  But in the late 50s, the gardens were closed. Forty years later the Stark Foundation sprung it back to life and now it’s bigger than ever.

“Places like this often don’t exist in small communities, but due to the generosity and the long term vision of the family they’ve done that,” Rick said.

30 acres of Shangri La are dedicated to the gardens, with regional plants blooming year-round but spring and early summer are especially special.

“This beautiful area is part of the history of Shangri la, represents the azaleas that Mr. Stark would have planted around his garden in the spring time,” Rick said as we walked through the garden. “And in March and April this is a magical place to be, along with the bald cypress which reminds us that we’re in southeast Texas.  Enjoying this beauty and serenity here at this beautiful place in Shangri la.”

But it’s not just flowers full of color here; you can sit on the banks of Ruby Lake and view nesting birds from the Heronry Blind or even take a boat ride on Adams Bayou.

“It’s a very popular experience because it gets people to see part of the natural systems here in southeast Texas in ways that they couldn’t other wise enjoy,” Rick said.

Susan Montagne is an environmental educator and she points out the particulars on this serene spin on the stream.

“I mean we get school kids all the time, you know,” Susan shared. “That’s our program, and they love to look and see.”

The main attraction at Shangri la is a Texas record holder, according to Susan.

“The survivor tree is a state champion tree for Texas,” Susan said. “It’s a pond cypress as opposed to your bald cypress that are tall and straight. It was nick named by a junior high student many years ago. It is actually 1,241 years old. Now they don’t normally grow this side of the Mississippi, but we all know that seeds get carried and passed in different ways. You know just think about Native Americans canoed past here, pirates maybe. Maybe there’s treasure.”

It turns out you’ll find all sorts of wildlife at the gardens.

“Frankly I’ve come to love the many, many snakes that we down here in south east Texas, and I look forward to seeing them every day here in the garden,” Rick said. “I am serious. Because that’s part of nature.”

It’s been said that life is a garden, dig it.  We’ll we definitely dug the Shangri Law garden and its serene beauty, showing off the unique swampy side of the Lone Star State.

“Many people don’t think of Texas as bayou country, but here it is right here along the Sabine River,” Rick said. “And it’s one of the very, very special places that we think everyone should come and visit because it combines the best of nature and gardens together.”

The Texas Bucket List – The Austin Toy Museum

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AUSTIN, Texas – Every once in a while, you just want to feel like a kid again and over in Austin there’s a museum dedicated to the toys some of us had back in the day.  So we headed to our capital to get knocked over by nostalgia.

Caleb Zammit is the mid 30’s mastermind who simply kept on collecting figures and hard to find fortresses since the fantastic 80’s.

“I think at my 30th birthday I was like, ‘I think I’ll open a toy museum,” said Zammitt.

The former teacher decided to open this museum to reminisce and he needed a place to put all his toys.  Convincing his mom not to get rid of his toys was the trick to making this toy museum a reality.

“She was very understanding with my collection passion, and my wife, too, luckily. But she’s happy to have it all out of the house now. She actually has her house back.”

Now Caleb gets to share his huge collection of He-Man, what seems like thousands of Thundercats, too many transformers to count, a ginormous group of G.I. Joe’s, and a sizeable selection of Star Wars.

“Our catch phrase is, ‘I had that,’ so we hear a lot of people come through and, ‘I had that. I had that. I had that.’”

You’ll even find a collection of old school arcade games that are all on free play. While the younger generations are able to pick up how to play on these tactile treasures, other versions of home electronics are harder to figure out.

Despite having this amazing g collection that’ll take you through the years, Caleb does have one thing to work on, other than the games.

“We’ve gotten complaints that we don’t have enough girl toys. We need to work on that.”

10 year old Rylan seemed to be having just as much as me at the museum.

“I’ve never seen a museum with toys in it before,” Rylan said. “Best museum.”

There’s no doubt about it, the Austin Toy Museum is well worth a stop on The Texas Bucket List for the young at heart form around the country.

“For me I just get joy out of it.,” Gerold McCoy, a kid at heart from Chicago, said. “You know, I remember stuff that I did as a kid going over to my cousin Chuck’s house to play Co-Leak-Oh Vision.  You know there’s just good memories from it. You’ve got to remember what you were like when you were a kid. Life’s too short.”