Texas Bucket List

Texas Bucket List

The Texas Bucket List – Seminole Canyon State Park in Comstock

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COMSTOCK, Texas – In the rugged and rough landscape where the Pecos meets the Rio Grande, near the legendary little town of Langty, where Judge Roy Bean dispensed his lay down of law, sits a canyon with some of the most serene and stunning settings of the Lone Star State.

Randy Rosales grew up just down the road in Del Rio and now gets to showcase this Texas treasure every day.

“I can’t ask for a better office, that’s for sure,” Randy says.

Seminole Canyon stretches for miles in these parts, and the terrain itself is worth taking the time to see, but there’s more here than just the scenery.

“Seminole Canyon’s a pretty unique place,” Randy said. “It’s got a lot of history, a lot of stories. Some stories we know a lot about and some stories are still a mystery even today.”

In the caves and caverns of the desolate destination is signs of some of the earliest life in all our lands.

“People have been living in this region for over 12,000 years,” Randy informed us.

It’s hard to image, but back then elephants, camels, and carnivorous cats lived in these parts. The reason we know that are these paintings left behind by a people that are long gone.

“These drawings were being drawn around the same time period that the Egyptian pyramids were being built,” Randy informed us. “That’s how far back they go. Who they were we don’t know. We just know that they left their mark on the land.”

First discovered by Spanish explorers in the late 1500s, the cave drawings are the oldest known in North.

“Outside of about a 50 mile radios, a circle around where we’re at, this particular style rock art, which we call the lower Pecos River style, disappears. It is nowhere else in the world,” Randy said.

After taking a short hike, we got a firsthand look at this history in the hollows.

“You can really see the color pallet on this one. The different colors they used,” Randy shared. “Your reds, your blacks, yellows, and oranges. We couldn’t decide at first what this individual really is or who he was. Archaeologists believe that this might actually represent some kind of ceremony. You can see the people. Some of the figurines seem to be gathered around this particular panel in this particular center beam. There are clues that you can always find. Look at their feet, the way they’re pointing. They all seem to be gathered around this particular center being.

The stories these paintings tell stir your imagination.

“A lot of the rock art is enigmatic, very abstract. It doesn’t appear to resemble anything that we recognize today, so that’s part of the difficulty since we don’t know who the author of them were,” Randy said. “But some of them you can kind of make out, like the ones up here at the top. Catlike ears, long claws, long hairy tail, some would say that that’s probably a panther or a mountain lion. Of course, the question is, why would you draw a mountain lion? Did they encounter a mountain lion, or was a mountain lion a part of their story? Notice it’s got red streaks coming from its mouth. Does that mean it’s bleeding or is it talking? So you can see how it can be difficult to interpret, but that’s what archaeologists are doing now. They’re finding clues, and the research is really giving us insight into what some of these symbols may mean.”

What’s truly amazing about these people and culture is that their reign in the region lasted a long time.

“This particular style lasted 1,500 years,” Randy says. ”So when we associate that culture with that rock art style, then you’re looking at 1,500 years. When you compare that to the age of our country, we just started.”

Despite lasting for such a long time, the lifespan of these murals is limited.  With changes to the local environment these, lines to a lost linage are starting to decay at an alarming rate.

“They’re slowly disappearing, and unfortunately there’s not much we can do about that,” Randy said. “That’s just a natural deterioration that comes with weathering and things of that nature. There’s nothing you can apply to the walls that isn’t going to change the composition of it. Our challenge is to learn as much now and to record it as much as we can even today so that they’re still around, perhaps in digital format, but we can still learn long after they are gone.”

So make a stop in Val Verde Country to see some of the oldest recorded history on our side of planet Earth, making it well worth a stop on The Texas Bucket List.

“If you’re into the history of people, people of this side of the world, then this is a place you want to come,” Randy says.

The Texas Bucket List Christmas Edition – Texas Cowboys’ Christmas Ball in Anson

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ANSON, Texas – When it comes to holiday traditions here in the Lone-Star State, it’s not all about who’s got the largest display of lights. Over in Anson, things are much simpler. They like to cut a rug when it comes to Christmas.

Every December, the town of Anson gets together for a big ol’ bash. First, the locals prepare a traditional barbeque Christmas dinner with all the holiday favorites. As you peer into this Texas town during this time of year, you start to notice more than the extremely popular deviled eggs and the out of this world bread pudding. People here dress a bit differently. But as soon as you enter the Pioneer Hall, it all makes sense.  This is a celebration of the Texas Cowboy’s Christmas Ball. As one regular at this event put it, “This is as Texas as it gets.”

This annual Anson tradition has been the special gift locals and people from all over the country look forward to each Christmas.

Clay Deatherage was born and raised in Anson and he’s been raising Christmas spirit at the ball since he was a boy.  But the very first Christmas ball here took place in an entirely different century.

“The original Christmas Ball was held in 1885 in the Morning Star Hotel in Anson,” Clay said. “The hotel owner held a party Christmas Eve night to celebrate a wedding, and also probably to draw people to his hotel.”

One of those in attendance was Larry Chittenden. He was so impressed with the party that he wrote a poem dedicated to the one night soiree. That poem inspired two school teachers, Leonora Barrett and Hybernia Grace to re-enact the Christmas ball. It hasn’t stopped being a local Christmas favorite since. There are some ground rules that have stood the test of time here and will keep you on the nice list this Christmas.

“Gentlemen do not dance with a hat on, and that, that is just an old Texas dance hall tradition,” Clay informed us. “It’s out of respect for the lady your dancing with. Ladies are still required to wear a dress or skirt on the dance floor.”

Since 1993, one performer has been a staple of this celebration, Texas legend Michael Martin Murphey. Murphey was also inspired by Chittenden’s poem and wrote a song dedicated to the ball before he even knew it was still going on.

“I come to this ball because this is the heart of real Texas music,” Murphey said. “This hearts back to the original Texas music, cowboy music, it was invented here.”

Murphey and his band play an assortment of songs that are perfect for this sort of soiree.

“We emphasize a wide range of songs, but we emphasize cowboy music and some of the traditional cowboy songs for people to dance to, and uh so it’s a mixture of that and Christmas music,” Murphey said.

He also partakes in the old-time dancing and even he abides by the rules.

“It’s all about the heart and soul of the culture,” Murphey says. “This is sort of like if you are a New Yorker not going to Times Square on New Years Eve. You know what I mean?”

Buck Carter is another local who’s attended many Christmas Balls.

“It’s something to be proud of,” Buck says. “They have been doing it forever and a day, so.”

While the Texas Cowboys Christmas Ball is a celebration of the season, it’s also a connection to the way of life in this part of the Lone-Star State.  It’s a chance to toast the true cowboys who help cut the cloth of culture and Christmas.

“You meet the real old timers here, and that’s really an important thing to me,” Murphey says. “This is the oldest most venerable tradition in Texas that was started in Texas.”

So, if you happen to be in the Big Country during the Christmas season, swing on by the Texas Cowboy’s Christmas Ball for a holiday experience with true Texas roots that’s well worth a stop on The Texas Bucket List.

“If you want to key into the culture here and really learn who we are this is the place to start,” Murphey says.

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 – The Old Jail Museum in Gonzales

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GONZALES, Texas – Getting thrown in jail is something you really shouldn’t want to cross off The Texas Bucket List, but visiting an old one that will keep your imagination locked up with curiosity is always a good verdict. So, we booked into Gonzales to get a good look at why the pokey ain’t the place for us, especially when it comes to the ghostly visitors.

Smack dab in the middle of the city where the Texas revolution started, sits the Gonzales County Jail Museum. Built in 1885, only 49 years after Texas won its independence from Mexico, its seen its share of outlaws, banditos, and bad guys over the years.

Sandra Wolf has a passion for this old prison. She knows the history of this old Graybar Hotel because she has special connection to it.

“This is where I grew up,” Sandra said. “This was my house. This was originally designated as the sheriff’s living quarters, and my dad was sheriff for 18 years. I grew up here. Moved in here when I was 6 years old, stayed here until I was 16, and I haven’t done anything bad yet. I loved it. I actually thought that I moved from the middle of the country to a three story mansion in the middle of town. So I was happy.”

Her father L.O. McGinty had a stellar reputation with citizens and even those who spent time behind bars.

“I have people who were incarcerated here during my dad’s terms, and they come back to look and see if their name is still on the wall,” Sandra informed us. “If I know when it was I ask if they knew Sheriff McGinty, and they say, ‘Oh yeah.’ They all say he was a fine fella and they respected him. The thing that makes me the proudest is they say he was fair.”

Sheriff McGinty came from a long line of lawmen that lead the long arm of the law in this little town but when the jail was built here all those years ago, some thought Gonzales might get as big as San Antonio hence the reason such a big, big house was built. Famed architect Eugene Heiner designed the jail that wasn’t closed till 1975.

“I don’t think it was ever completely full,” Sandra says. “They said it was built to hold 150 to 200 prisoners in case of a riot.”

The names of those who spent time here still tell their stories on the wall and a grim reminder of what capital punishment used to be like still stands in the jail.

“The gallows was actually stored there out of sight,”

Only three executions ever took place here, all before 1924 but for some reason you still get the heebee jeebies here.

“This is really high security. You’ve got locked doors everywhere. If you get put back here you’re not getting out,” Sandra explained. “People who were put in this section committed felony crimes. That’s armed robbery, murder, rape, bad crimes. People who hurt other people get put in these cells here.”

While sitting in these old cells, you can’t help but feel the hair on the back your neck start to rise.

“We actually have people get a little creepy feeling in here, and a lot of people that visit the jail can’t even go up the stairs,” Sandra says. “They sit there and they say that it’s just an oppressive feeling, and some of them really leave when they get to the top of the stairs and see all the cells.”

Perhaps the most intriguing Gonzales Jail ghost story took a place a few years ago in these very cells.

“We’ve done lots of paranormal investigations, and we’ve heard whistles and footsteps and seen orbs, and all the regular kinds of things that you see when you do that,” Sandra said. “But, we really had a spectacular viewing. A 17-year-old young man came up stairs. His mother stayed in this big run around area, and he went into this security section in the very back cell, which is very small and you can tell if there is anybody else there right away. He went in there. He was by himself. He saw the outline of a left hand on the wall. He put his hand in that and immediately got this feeling down his back that he wasn’t alone. He turned around, and right close to him was a smallish man who had on a blue shirt. He had a scraggly beard, and he had bruises on his neck. It scared the young man, and so he got out of that. Since it was the last of three cells he had a little ways to go to get out of that cell block. As he’s coming through the last cell, that same man that he just saw appeared on the bunk in that last cell as he’s going out the door.”

After hearing this, it comes as no surprise that this young man fled from the jail and refused to reneter.

“The young man left the jail and would not come back in,” Sandra said. “His mother eventually came back in and said, ‘I’m sorry if that was an inconvenience or if it upset anybody, but he is an empath. He sees dead people.’ He saw him, whoever he was.”

Considering I’m into history more than horror stories, we said our goodbyes to anyone from beyond. That’s when Sandra informed us that she’s never been afraid in the old building.

“I was always surrounded by deputies, and actually I usually knew most of the people that were in jail,” Sandra explained.

This old jail is more than a former lock up; it’s a story of Texas justice with connections to legendary lawmen and a few well known fugitives (perhaps even a poltergeist or two) making it well worth a stop on The Texas Bucket List.

“I do feel a presence,” Sandra says. “It’s not like a ghost presence, or anything like that. It’s just like history’s whispering to me or something and I just feel like this is what I need to do.”

 

The Texas Bucket List – Hotel Galvez in Galveston

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GALVESTON, Texas – Along the rolling waves of Texas gulf coast, sitting on the Galveston seawall, you’ll find the Hotel Galvez. Named after Bernardo de Galvez, the Spaniard who surveyed the  area in 1786, the Galvez is the only historic beachfront hotel on the Texas coast.

Christine Hopkins was born on the island, known as B-O-I in these parts and she has worked at the hotel since 2008.

“It’s just a wonderful place to feel like you’re going into a bygone era,” Christine said. “When this hotel opened in 1911 we had 275 rooms, but eventually every room needs to have a bathroom. So now we have 224 rooms.”

Everything is done with elegance, from the well-stocked bar to a brunch that’ll beckon your taste buds before you get your first bite. There is also another staple here that personifies this hotel’s exquisite characteristics, Mr. Bobby Lee Hilton.

“We have a history of hospitality and a future of distinction,” Mr. Hilton informed us while speaking of the Hotel Galvez.

Mr. Hilton was born on the island back in 1933 and got his first job at this hotel back in 1949.

“We had to work, because you didn’t have all the money in the world,” Mr. Hiltons says. “Like one guy said, poor folks was talking about us we were so poor.”

Mr. Hilton worked here till 1953 but those four short years had a major impact on his life.

“Around the 1940s and 1950s you could make pretty good money around here,” Mr. Hilton explained. “I went home with so much money in my pocket one night, my dad had to call the manager out here and find out, ‘What did that boy doin? Was he out there?’ He said, ‘Yeah, he came to work.’ I had ninety-something dollars in my pocket, and his salary was like $50 a week. I made that in one day. I made $90.”

In those days, Galveston was a gathering place for the stars and Mr. Hilton was there for it.

“Oh man, I’ve seen all kinds of people come through here,” Mr. Hilton said. “You name them. The Rat Pack, they was through, Dean Martin and all of them. You see all kind of people, all kind of stars, but back in my day, in 49, that’s when all of the movie stars were just walking the beach and in our hotel and the Buccaneer that used to sit down there before Mr. Moody tore it down. They’d just piled up here because there was no Las Vegas ‘til the mid-50s, so man the money was here.”

Hearing Mr. Hilton tell these stories can make the hours fly as fast as the past few decades have for him.  After a long career all over the country, Bobby returned to the Galvez in the mid-90’s and has been the hotel’s ambassador ever since.

“He’s so charismatic and guests love him,” Christine says.

So we headed to one of Bobby’s favorite parts of the hotel, something he had a lot to do with.

“Here’s our hall of history here,” Mr. Hilton said as we entered the area. “Mr. Mitchel had this put in after the Ike Storm, 2008.”

With stories of famed Galveston gangster Sam Maceo, the rebuilding of the Hotel by Cynthia and  George Mitchell, and how it all got started, you can find whole lot of history down here.

“We had a potato peeling machine, and an icemaker, dishwasher, ice-cream maker, wine cellar, printing press,” Mr. Hilton said. “The company made rolling chairs that we parked outside, so the guys rolled the ladies up and down the boulevard.”

But there is one part of the hotel everyone loves to hear about,  the hauntings.

“We have sightings from our guests and from our staff we get reports of things out of the ordinary happening,” Mr. Hilton said. “We had people with a cake sitting in the restaurant, a big old iced cake with big candles on it. And all of a sudden everybody said, ‘Look at the candles.’ It looked like somebody was standing over them blowing them out one at a time.”

Guests aren’t the only folks at the hotel getting in on the haunting action. Mr. Hilton had a run in with the ghosts, too.

“The only thing I had is with glass flying off the table back there at four o’clock or about 2:30 in the morning.” Mr. Hilton explained. “We had a security guard. We were cleaning up and setting up for breakfast back there, and he asked, ‘If there’s ghosts in here, do something and let us know you’re with us.’ He turned out the lights, and all of a sudden one of them glasses broke. I broke right out the door down the hall.”

Now a lot of the ghostly energy here is focused in room 501 and for some reason, we couldn’t get Mr. Hilton to take us up there.

“That’s the most rented room we’ve got in the hotel,” Mr. Hilton said. “Oh, man. You can’t get in there. You can’t get reservations hardly in there.”

So who is this ghost, and why are they haunting such an amazing hotel?

“According to local folk lore her name was Audra,” Christine informed us. “She resided in room 501 as she waited for her fiancé to come back from sea. She was told that his ship was lost at sea. In her grief she went up to the west turret and hung herself.  There’ve been reports of kind of a feeling of a presence in that room, the smell of flowers in that room. People have seen kind of a woman, and just throughout the hotel there’s just interesting stories that guests and staff have experienced and shared with us.”

While the hotel seems to be a hot spot for haunting, the real treasure here is its connection to Texas history and a man named Bobby Hilton. Together, they make this hotel well worth a stop on The Texas Bucket List.

“The Galvez was the big hotel that started the city on this move towards greatness, because it was put here for that as a survival of the Great Storm,” Mr. Hilton said. “I just think this icon should last for a long, long time to come.”

The Texas Bucket List – The National Border Patrol Museum in El Paso

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EL PASO, Texas – Here in Texas, border security is a hot topic.  The line between Mexico and Texas stretches over 1200 miles and protecting it is a tough job.  Now we’re not here to talk about the best way to do that, but rather focus on the history of how it’s been done and how dangerous that job can be.

From Brownsville to El Paso, Texas shares a long line of border with our neighbors to the south.  A river may separate us, but in most border towns commuting back and forth is an everyday affair. However, there are those who don’t have the best intentions, and that’s where the border patrol comes in.

David Ham retired from the border patrol in 2003 but now he helps tell the story of the agency’s long history at the Border Patrol Museum in El Paso.

“Immigration is a very political issue right now, yes,” David said.

That’s why we’re going to focus on the history of these agents that have one heck of a responsibility.

“We enforce the laws that the people, who elected their congressmen, have passed,” David says. “That’s our job, to enforce the law. We try to do it as humanely as possible.”

Around 18,000 border patrol agents safeguard the borderline between the U.S.  and Mexico, but when the border patrol was established, bootlegging was the biggest issue.

“The big thing when it started was prohibition era,” David said. “That was the bloodiest era in our history. We lost more agents in that time period than any other, both here and on the northern border. That’s basically their primary job from 1924 up until prohibition ended, I think in ’34.”

When David started his career, the job itself started to change.

“The late 60s early 70s was when the cartels started moving drugs big time,” David informed us. “In 72 we started to see a big increase in drug loads.”

Even though the majority of the border patrol’s attention has shifted south, the mission has stayed the same.

“You read about the early history, and nothing really has changed,” David says. “People try to smuggle and people try to come here. It’s gotten a lot more sophisticated.”

With more sophisticated smuggling comes a need for more sophisticated modes of transportation and weapons for the border patrol.

“It’s a never-ending chase,” David explained. “They change and we have to change with them.”

Among the sieged weapons David showed us was a homemade shotgun from the prohibition era called a zip gun.

“They’re just as well armed as we are,” David said. “Got to be careful.”

The Border Patrol has to be fast as the smugglers too, that’s why they’ve got some supped up cars including a Firebird that was part of operation roadrunner.

Over the years, 124 men and women who have protected our border have made the ultimate sacrifice.  Here at the museum, they honor each and every one.

“That’s probably the most meaningful thing to me,” David said. “The fact I knew these guys, and they gave their life. It’s just like a war. You lose people and it affects you. You’re protecting the United States.”

So stop by the U.S. Border Patrol Museum in El Paso to see the hardware and hear how harrowing protecting the northern and southern borders of America can be.

“You get to see the type of people that these smugglers are and how they treat these people,” David said. “Those people that take apart that smuggling organization get a lot of satisfaction out of that.”

 

The Texas Bucket List – Fort Duncan in Eagle Pass

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EAGLE PASS, Texas – Along the border of the Lone Star State sits Eagle Pass, its sister city sitting on the other side of the Rio Piedras Negras.  Since the 1840’s these towns have grown together, but in the beginning the Mexican War put the people on particular sides of the stream at odds.  However, that didn’t stop a bit of business between the border towns.

“Growing up in Piedras and growing up in Eagle Pass is something quite unique I would say,” said Joe Cruz, the Main Street Manager of Eagle Pass.

Cruz has lived on both sides of the border and now works for the city of Eagle Pass, helping tell its complex and copious history.

We met Joe at Fort Duncan, which was established in 1849.

“You pass by through the outside and it looks really small,” Joe said. “You think nothings really in here, but once people walk in they’re very surprised at what we have inside.”

The story of this former U.S. Army post doesn’t just consist of two countries, it also involves the native people, a civil war, a Wild West Texas town, and a country or two that came together.

Ramsey Cantu is the Mayor of Eagle Pass and growing up here has given him a unique outlook on life.  It’s not often you’ll find a town rooted with Mexican, American, and even Native American stories to tell.

“Eagle Pass’ success has never been something that we’ve done on our own, but we’ve done it as a collective society,” Ramsey said. “The one great thing about being part of this community is the cultures that we live through.”

It wasn’t long after the Mexican War that the forts main focus was driving off Apaches, but the Civil War forced federal troops to retreat.  As the Civil War came to a close, the last Confederate force in the field crossed into Mexico from Eagle Pass and buried and flag in the river that’s become a tough topic in history.

It’s a symbol that still makes most do a double take and here in Eagle Pass, they play a significant role is the final chapter of the Confederacy, hence the reason they feel it’s important to tell the story.

“Interesting history that we also have in Eagle Pass, the last Confederate battle flag that ever flew was buried in the Rio Grande here,” Joe explained. “On the border, we have a park named Shelby Park, and it’s named after General Joseph Shelby. He is the one who buried that confederate flag.”

Here you’ll find the story of the Black Seminole Scouts. Thirteen of these brave men of African American and Seminole descent were among the most revered and crucial contributors to the Texas-Indian Wars.

“They knew the area very well. They knew how to survive on very little. They knew how to manage on the little resources they had, and they were very good fighters also,” Joe explained. “Four of them received the Congressional Medal of Honor, and they have a very beautiful history, very unique history.”

During the Mexican Revolution, Fort Duncan was home to 16,000 soldiers, its peak population, but eventually relations become a bit more civilized and the fort was turned over to the city.  Now it’s filled to the brim with the stories that shaped the region.

“You want to hear stories about the fort, about soldiers, about Mexican revolution, gun slingers, and so on, you need to come to Fort Duncan,” Joe says.

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 – Battleship Texas in La Porte

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LA PORTE, Texas – You know the word Texas is known for many things like being mighty and bold. And that’s the reason a battleship carries its name. For over 100 years that ship has sailed the seas of the world, but today you can see her anytime you want down in Houston and hear her incredible history.

On the banks of the buffalo bayou, along the Houston ship channel, you’ll find a boat that doesn’t transport goods from far away lands but rather tells the story of the brave young men who ventured to those lands for freedom, happiness, and the American dream.

Stephanie Croatt is the curator of the ship that fired the first American shots of World War I and the last remaining U.S. battleship that served in both World War I and World War II.

“In an attempt to attain more influence, I guess, in the world theatre the United States started building more and more battleships, and Texas was one of those ships,” Stephanie told us.

It’s fitting that the ship that helped shape the world can be found in the shadows of the battleground that made Texas what it is. Even more fitting is the fact this ship was brought to Houston on San Jacinto Day 1948, after a long and illustrious career.  But it all started in 1912 when the U.S.S Texas was launched and then first commissioned in 1914.

“That was long before computers, long before cad engineering software, so people did all the calculations by hand. Everything, all the rivet construction was extremely time consuming and labor intensive, but they were still able to pump this behemoth out,” Stephanie said.

But it’s not just the sheer size and construction of the over 100-year-old battleship that impresses. We couldn’t wait any longer to get a closer look.

First up, a trek inside the gun turret.

“Each turret that housed the 14-inch guns had two guns, so we’re in the left hand gun room and on the other side there’s a mirror image of this room,” Stephanie said. “So as you can see right here we’ve got the breach of the gun, which is the back where all the ammunition and powder would have been loaded.”

In this tiny room, 4 sailors would help load the half ton projectiles and the 1600 pounds of gunpowder that powered it.  Then they would wait.

“The guys in here never knew when that gun was going to fire,” Stephanie said. “All they would do is they would indicate that the gun was ready to fire, and then they’d get the heck out of the way because this gun recoiled around about 40 inches.”

These guns helped allied forces by pounding Omaha Beach in 1944 and Iwo Jima in 1945.

“Texas spent a lot of her time in combat bombarding shorelines and this ship could fire one of these guys about 12 miles,” Stephanie said.

Visitors get a big bang out of seeing Battleship Texas’ big guns but there’s another spot that definitely revs up the RPM’s, the engine room.

“The ship had two engines that powered two propellers,” Stephanie informed us.

Converted from coal to oil fired boilers in 1927, the ship did get few modernizations over its time, but the engines remained the same.

“I always like to tell people, just to give them a since of reference to the technology, these are the same type of engines that were on board the Titanic,” Stephanie said.

While one engine room gives you a cleaned up look of what things were like in the confined workspace, the secondary engine room is a bit more authentic.

“So this is cleaned up,” Stephanie said while showing us the restored section of the ship. “This is repainted. Our gauges are all nice and shiny and everything. The end room on the port side has not been touched since the ship got turned over in 1948.”

While this end of the ship looked pristine, the other side of the ship is a different story.

“So this is what most of the spaces on the ship look like before we get to restore them,” Stephanie said as we peered into the unrestored portion of the ship “It’s a mess, and it takes so much work to get it that clean and make sure all of the right equipment is in the space.”

It doesn’t take long down in the bowels of the ship before you’re ready to see the light of day again.

Walking the deck of Texas and saying a silent thank you to the young American sailors who served on this ship is sort of a culmination of the feelings and thoughts you have after seeing what life was like on this 573-foot-long vessel.

“An artifact like this kind of transcends states, even though she’s named Texas,” Stephanie said. “The technology and the ingenuity that went into building her really applies to the United States as a whole. Her history, the places she’s traveled, and you know of course fought in, there’s a world-wide connection there. She embodies the spirit of Texas.”

The Texas Bucket List – The Fulton Mansion in Rockport-Fulton

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ROCKPORT-FULTON, Texas – The gentle waves of Aransas Bay can be a relaxing way to pass the day, and are a far cry from the howling winds of Hurricane Candy, Fern, or Erin that these waters have seen over the years.

But one structure on this shore has with stood the test of time since 1877.

“We are in Rockport, Texas at the home of George and Harriet Fulton, the Fulton Mansion.”

Marsha Hendrix with the Texas Historical Commission is the site manager to the mansion that was meticulously built with many modern convinces.

George and Harriet Fulton built this mansion over three years after inheriting the land from Harriet’s father Henry Smith, the first American governor of Texas, while it was still a territory of Mexico.  The Fulton’s called their new home Oakhurst due to the extraordinary amount of oaks on the peninsula.

Fulton was in his late 60’s when they moved into the mansion.

“This was his retirement home, and a lot of folks come to Rockport Fulton area now days to build their dream home and retire,” Marsha said. “And I like to say he started that trend way back in the 19th century.”

But that didn’t stop him from doing business.

“His job with the cattle company was to get additional investors involved,” Marsha informed us. “And so a great way to get people who had money to invest in your company is to invite them to your beautiful home that shows that you’ve been successful. Have a wonderful dinner for them, which Harriet always supplied because she loved to entertain. And then after dinner the gentlemen could come in here and talk business.”

The mansion had additions you normally wouldn’t find in a typical home in the 1870’s, like central heat!

“All of the fireplaces are covered in slate which is a really dull stone, but they’re all faux painted,” Marsha said. “But what’s really amazing about the fireplaces is that they’re all fake. They never burned anything in them. They’re really just a heat register for the central heating system. Down in the basement was a very large furnace, and there were air shafts built throughout the house at each fire place so that they warm air could rise up from the furnace.”

Indoor plumbing and hot and cold water were also installed in the home.

“This was probably the best modern convenience that they put into their home,” Marsha said. “They had another bathroom just like this on the third floor. And with a half bath on the first floor, they had a flush toilet for every floor. They used the heat from the cook stove to heat water in a copper boiler that was connected to the cook stove, and on this side of the house every sink had hot and cold running water. The other side of the house, all the bedrooms have sinks in the bedroom, but they just have cold running water. That’s still really nice.””

Even the construction was top of the line, hence the reason it still stands today.

“The walls are built with five inch pine boards that are laid flat and stacked solid,” Marsha said. “So when we talk about a solid wood structure, it is literal.”

The solidness of the house has come in handy as it has withstood high hurricane winds multiple times.

“The house has been hit by quite a few hurricanes, and even while they were building the house there where some hurricanes that came to the Texas coast, caused a lot of damage, and George wanted to use a unique building method,” Marsha said. “Being an engineer he knew about this building method, and he used it in his home. And that’s very unusual even for the time period.”

Exploring these rooms is a great way to connect to the history of the Coastal Bend.  A chance to see what life was like for a cattle baron on the coast.

“It’s again that connection to our Texas history that’s so valuable,” Marsha said. “And we can all appreciate where we come from and the things that people have done before us to make Texas what it is. It is a wonderful example of Texas history come to life.”