Texas Bucket List

Texas Bucket List

Simmons Bank

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 – Yurtopia in Wimberley

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Wimberley – The tranquil terrain of the Texas Hill Country seems to accentuate itself on the winding roads of Wimberly. The Blanco River slowly runs over its limestone riverbed and all you can think about is finding the perfect spot to enjoy such a beautiful sight. Fortunately, we found one, simply called Yurtopia.

Brian Konradi and his wife Ann-Tyler are the caretakers of this paradise surrounded by the hills of central Texas, but their lodging isn’t your typical Texas-style shelter. After looking at the topography of the land and their options, the Konradi’s thought of yurts. Now you may be asking, what in the world is a yurt?  “Most people already have an idea of what a yurt is but sometimes their girlfriend or their husband or somebody has seen it on Instagram and say ‘I’m supposed to call you to book you for our anniversary, I don’t know what a yurt is but my girlfriend told me to do this.’,” joked Ann-Tyler. It turns out these tents are pretty darn romantic.

Each yurt has a name, like the Lola Ger. Lola was Brian’s grandmother’s nickname, and Ger is Mongolian for yurt. After we stepped into the yurt, it was incredible how spacious and beautifully handcrafted it really is.  “They’re all made in Mongolia, they’re made of natural materials using the Mongolian techniques and hand painted by a family in Mongolia,” explained Brian.

These dome tents are a popular form of protection from the elements for people in central Asia, mostly Mongolia of course. “All of the walls can collapse down, the rafters come out, there are no nails or screws in these rafters or the walls. The walls are all made from camel hide joints. They’re all hand hewn, you can actually see where they steamed them and bent them along the edges,” explained Brian. The entire structure of the yurt is held up by two posts called the bagon, and there is both a male and female bagon. How do you tell the difference? Well, the female bagon has a “fertility” rope that flows through it.

A lifetime of experiences traveling in Russia and along the Trans-Siberian Railway lead Brian and Ann-Tyler to putting yurts right here in the Lone Star State.  “I did a trip with a friend who was on a Habitat for Humanity trip, and we stayed in yurts there. Families that just set up summertime yurts for travelers in Kyrgyzstan and it was really amazing,” said Brian.

The couple is originally from Texas, Brian from Dallas and Ann-Tyler is from the Wimberley/Austin area, but when they got married in 1994, they went on a whim to Russia. “We moved to Moscow, found odd jobs and traveled all around that area,” said Brian.

Brian studied Russian in college and when Russia opened after the collapse of the Soviet Union, they saw it as an exciting opportunity. Their worldly experience played a role in constructing the crazy looking canvas structures that seem to fit in perfect with the peaceful Texas setting.  “We like the marriage or blend of Texas and the Texas Hill Country with this kind of international aspect of what’s come together with what we’ve built here at Yurtopia,” said Brian.

Now there’s two types of yurts here, the RiverBluff section is down by the river and is made more for the group experience. You can grab that chair and umbrella and just relax in the river, or also known as “river sitting”. “River sitting is one of our favorite things, and kind of our pastime,” said Brian. And for the more private affair, there are three yurt complexes, where you are completely to yourself, with everything you could possibly need all in one super private place. “You can come in your little sanctuary and hang out for the weekend or a couple of days during the week and never see your neighbors,” explained Ann-Tyler.

Now this little piece of heaven in the hills of Wimberly is adult-only, because keeping the utopia in Yurtopia is what this place is all about. “So we don’t have enough yurts, we can’t build too many more yurts before we’ve really done too much to what the property can handle,” explained Brian.

After a long peaceful sleep at Yurtopia, it’s safe to say that it’s truly an extraordinary stop on The Texas Bucket List, one yurt sure to enjoy. “Definitely think the Mongolians were onto something when they designed the yurt, there’s something unique and special about it and people really do wake up and say they felt like they slept differently than they have in a long time,” said Brian.

The Texas Bucket List – Mini Tank Combat Battlefield Zone in Hico

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Hico— In the hills of Hico, lies a battlefield unlike any other in central Texas. Often times, you’ll find Robert Valdez there, readying the troops. “You do not win medals by dying. Okay?” said Robert. Every day, this Army Veteran has to deal with an assortment of greenhorns. “We’re going to have a good clean fight and be victorious,” he continued. The battle he’s preparing them for involves tanks. Really small ones. “Men and ladies, we’re going to go out there and have some fun!” concluded Robert.

Mini Tank Battlefield is a 66 acre sports and recreation paintball park that gives visitors the opportunity to drive miniature tanks. “It’s smaller scale, but you still have fun,” added Robert. The fun doesn’t stop with a simple ride; these things really do shoot! But instead of perilous projectiles, it’s paintballs. “Not a big bang, but it still gives you the thrill,” said Robert.

Robert Valdez is originally from Robstown and retired from the Army as a first sergeant. “It turned out to be that I was still pretty active and wanted to do something else… more fun,” he admitted. During his 21 years of service, he drove, you guessed it, tanks.  “I drove an M60, old M60s and then we converted to M1s, and I actually drove an M1 and actually shot an M1 when I was a first sergeant. Before that I was actually on 113s and M114s and also Bradleys. I’ve driven all of those,” Robert explained. He was a tank operator for his whole military career. “60 tons of fun,” he added.

During a visit to England, he came across some small tanks and thought they’d be a hit back home in Texas, so he created a think tank of friends to start the Mini Tank Combat Battlefield Zone. “I thought he was crazy,” said Paul Lockhart. Paul served in the Air Force and is one of Robert’s partners in this battle playground. “I thought it was a unique thing. I thought, ‘Okay, maybe you’re on to something. This could be fun,’” he admitted. They emptied their tanks to purchase these mini machines.

“It took about eight months or so to get them from once I ordered them,” Robert explained. “Customs kept them for a while. They wouldn’t release them. They thought I was making some sort of military militia I guess. I don’t know.” Now getting to drive these mini mobile movers that happened to be built like a tank brings out all sorts of characters.

“This is the tank… each one of them weighs about 700 pounds. It’s hydraulically driven by a 18-horse gas engine. It’s a Briggs & Stratton engine, and it runs off of a 3000 PSI hydraulic tank that drives the motor. It drives the axle. It works like a skid-steer. Anybody that’s familiar with like a Bobcat or something like that. It’s got the joysticks in it and that’s how you control it. You go forward, reverse and you can zero turn it and things like that pretty much. Its top speed is less than two miles per hour. So if you’re getting in it and expecting to transverse across this pasture at a high rate of speed, that’s not going to happen,” explained Paul.

Visitors suit up and head to battle, and it doesn’t take long to realize how fast the paintballs can fly. “We got them calibrated to a rate of about 270 feet per second. It doesn’t sound like a lot, but when you’re in close proximity with these things, you will feel it and you do have some concealment inside the tank where you can duck down if you’re taking hits… So you do have some protection and we wear all the head protection and all that stuff…. If you find yourself under fire, duck…Crawl under the hood. You will take hits,” advised Paul. “It stings no matter how much clothing you got on, it does sting. It feels like a pinch.”

“It was pretty cool because you could actually get the feeling of getting hit from all sides and not even realizing where it’s coming from,” added Steve Wiley. The tank tussles to take part include Fury, a chance to defend a crossing from incoming tanks. “Once we get out there and get in the battlefields, it’s a whole different world,” said Paul. “There’s a tactic to it and a strategy,” he said.

 

Then there’s the Battle of the Bulge which is sort of a free for all for all involved. “You learn a lot about manual dexterity because you’re having to operate these things and being able to shoot the guns and stuff like that, it makes it really difficult. But at the end of the day, you don’t really get hurt. Maybe a few bumps and bruises, but everything’s good,” Steve Wiley assured. “It is scary when you’re still, but you hear the other tank making that noise. You get hyped up about it,” Robert explained.

The paint gets absolutely everywhere. “You got a lot of hits on the flank…Because your flank was exposed, but other than that, you did great. Yeah, they got you on the side in your arm also,” assessed Robert as Shane pulled his mini tank up after battle. While some splattered pigment and a few small bruises from bursting bubbles of paint are the extent of your war wounds, this is a fun excursion, a chance to do something different, and it’s all put on by veterans who just want to bring a smile to folks across the Lone Star State. “That’s the whole intent of that we’re being out here is—having fun,” confirmed Robert. “I think this makes him feel young again,” Paul explained. “So it’s nice to see him when he smiles and comes out and sees these little mini tanks. It’s his toys, so it’s cool.”  “I was kind of leery about it, but once I got out here and saw the tanks and rode in them, it’s fun. I’m going to be back,” said Paul. “It gives you a feeling of camaraderie with the people that you’re working with and you’re able to see what all is going on with the people that are supposed to be on your side, that you can work together as a team and get the job done and hopefully survive to fight another day,” concluded Steve Wiley.

The Texas Bucket List – The Blueberry Place in Nacogdoches

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Nacogdoches – Amongst the towering trees of east Texas sits a field full of frolicking furry creatures.  Where butterflies gently flap their wings waiting for just the right summer breeze to lift them off for a flight and folks get their fill of fine fruit.  “It’s just beautiful. It’s a beautiful peaceful place,” said Sherrie Randall.  Sherrie owns the Blueberry Place, a farm hidden in the woods near Nacogdoches and we when pulled in to pull some blueberries off the bushes, we didn’t realize how beautiful this place is. “Mm-hmm, they’re very healthy, healthy bushes,” she said.

Before Sherrie was the boss lady at the Blueberry place, she had an aerospace career in Colorado that kept her eyes to the sky. “We work behind the doors… Secret stuff, yes…[Not allowed to talk about it] But it was fun stuff,” she said. Sherrie retired from the industry with her husband in 2001 and they wanted the perfect place to put up their feet. “East Texas is gorgeous and it’s a lot like Denver with the trees…Just flat,” she laughed.  When they found this field full of fruit, they fell in love but continuing to cultivate the crop for the crowds wasn’t something they expected to do. “We weren’t going to keep it, we thought, ‘Well we don’t have to do that, because we weren’t looking to do that,’” she said. Apparently, the town felt a little differently about the fate of The Blueberry Place.

“Closed on this place on a Friday night and Saturday morning there’s all these people out here picking blueberries and it was the Kiwanis club picking blueberries for the pancakes for the festival. It’s like the town’s patch…So we ended up having a blueberry farm,” explained Sherrie.  Overnight, Sherrie and her husband unexpectedly became blueberry farmers. “After we bought this, I answered the phone and this lady said, ‘Are you still open?’ And I said, ‘Yes.’ She goes, ‘Oh we heard it was bought by old people.’ And I said, ‘I am the old people, I just have a young voice,’” she laughed.

As summer kicks off in the Lone Star State, people come from far and wide for the few short weeks to take a stroll and get their fill of fruit. “June [is the key time to come]. A lot of times by July 4th we are closed,” explained Sherrie. “[Only about] a month, month and a half… Then I get my privacy back.” While Sherrie jokes about her visitors, if you happen to run across the retired blueberry farmer during your stay, she’ll talk to you till she’s blue in the face because somehow, these blueberries bring people together. “You make a lot of friends, it’s like old home week when people come back… Especially when you get older, we made it another year. So it’s really cool,” she explained.

“It means a lot…for a small town, to have something like this to do,” said local, Britney Castle.  “I can’t really think of not having a blueberry patch down the road,” added customer, Nick Jacobs. “Mid-season are the clumping berries, so you can walk up and just find a big clump and you’ll get several berries at once,” said Sherrie. The bushes at The Blueberry Place aren’t treated with pesticides, so they are safe to eat while you pick.  “They taste like candy, coming off the bush they’re sweet,” said Nick. “There’s a lot of people that don’t realize, they have never seen a blueberry bush and they’re so different. They’re sweeter, especially here,” said Sherrie.

A pound of blueberries will set you back a buck fifty here but remember, you’re doing all the work. “We made everything so it’s self-serve. They drive in and they get their harness, their bucket, their bag, and they go out and do their thing, they pay and they don’t ever have to see us,” explained Sherrie. As you might imagine, this is very popular with the kids, and parents, well they love it too. “We live in town, so it’s nice to come out here and let him [her son] just be in nature really,” explained Britney. “Oh it means that I can wear them [the kids] out and they’ll go to bed early, it’s awesome. And they’re eating fruit, so it’s a twofer on that one,” confirmed Nick.

While it may take a while to fill your bucket, picking and partaking in blueberry binging at The Blueberry Place is well worth a stop on The Texas Bucket List. “If you can come out here and enjoy God’s creation, this is one of the best places to come do that,” concluded Nick.

The Texas Bucket List – Toucan Jim’s in Center Point

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Center Point – Summer is always on our minds, especially when it comes to quenching our thirst in the Texas heat! We found the perfect place to do just that, a tropical paradise in the middle of the state known as Toucan Jim’s.

Now Center Point, Texas isn’t exactly the center point of state, but its location on the banks of Guadalupe River make it a clandestine destination between Comfort and Kerrville.  The truly hidden gem in this tiny town is a tropical oasis that sits behind a tired looking shack. Now this isn’t Saint Martin, Saint John or Saint Kitts, it’s not even Tulum or Trinidad, despite what the tables say. It’s simply a huge backyard that underwent an extensive decade long transition by Jim Lackey and Mike Blackledge. Together, they are Toucan Jim’s.

These beach bum buddies had a big idea back in the day. Instead of packing your bags, getting on a plane, flying to a far away destination, and finally making it to a resort in order to enjoy Havana like haven, why not bring that feeling just a few feet from home?  “We can always tell a first-timer because their expression… their eyes light up and you can see them mouthing the word, ‘Wow,’” said Jim.  “Yeah, and the longer you’re out here, the more that sets in,” added Mike. “We all love the Caribbean, we love Belize, Mexico. But for the people that can’t live there, we said, ‘Well, maybe you can come here and maybe for just a few minutes of your day make you think you’re someplace else.’” explained Jim. “After a while, you forget you’re even in Texas,” said Mike.

Now this is Jim’s old home, he grew up here and when he inherited it, he had this bright idea to bring the tropics to Texas. “There’s not a day goes by that we don’t have someone tell us, ‘Man, this reminds me of Cancun. This reminds me of Jamaica. This reminds me of Hawaii.’ And we really take that as a compliment,” said Jim. “We promise you it’s a lot cheaper than going to the Caribbean.” “And you can drive home in the evening!” said Mike. The transition from central Texas backyard to resort like relaxation took years to finish. 

“You probably noticed our sign, that says, hey it’s a jungle out here and make sure your server knows we’re here,” said Jim.  Not only is Jim co-owner of Toucan Jim’s, but he’s also the gardener of the group.  “This is a Southern Magnolia here that my mom actually planted 45 to 50 years ago and I can remember when it was a stick. This is what started everything and everything else was really built around it,” he explained.  Mike in the meantime makes all the tables, chairs, and palapas.  “Jim and I put in a pretty good day, not uncommon for us to put in a 16 hour a day seven days a week…Not a whole lot of time sitting around sipping margaritas,” said Mike.  But that’s exactly what they want you to do! “We have some excellent drinks. And we’ve sampled all of them,” said Jim.

“We’re known for our margaritas, piña coladas, the Barbados Surprise, and the rum punch is a big seller,” said Tonya Harding, the bartender at Toucan Jim’s.  She was ready to take us on a tropical destination of island inspired drinks. “I think we should go with strong…Let’s do a margarita,” she said.  The margarita is a house-made mix that takes you right to the shores of Mexico.
“We’ll do a piña colada [next].” Sampling the cocktails offered at Toucan Jim’s is like traveling with drinks.  “Are you on your way to Aruba right now?” asked Tonya. So delicious and frothy.
“Well, how about I make your rum punch? That’s our number one seller,” she said.  “We spent almost a year working on the rum punch recipe,” said Mike. It’s a pretty drink that tastes as deliciously fruity as it looks. The key to these tasty drinks is fresh juices. “We had tasted it down in Belize and we knew what we wanted and trying to find the proper fruits for it up here was real difficult,” Mike explained. “We experimented and experimented and experimented until we finally came up with the mix that works for us.”  “And I’ll be the first to say that the experimental part of the rum punch was fun… I think we stretched that out a little bit longer than we should have stretched it out,” laughed Jim.

Finally, we finished things off with a Barbados surprise. “You have to stir it,” Tonya explained.  It’s like a witch’s brew. Layers of red, blue, and white mix together with a stir of your straw, leaving you with a purple tented tropical treat. “There is alcohol in there. You got to be careful how many of those you drink,” added Tonya.

If you’re looking for a taste of the tropics right here in the Lone Star State, Toucan Jim’s is a terrific spot to sit back, sip a drink, and relax on The Texas Bucket List.
“We’re not just saying this, we promise that they’re really good drinks,” vouched Jim.

The Texas Bucket List – Cave Without A Name in Boerne

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Boerne—Kendall County sits on the Edwards Plateau and has some of the most quintessential hill country in the state, but below the beauty on the surface of our state, lies a cavern with another incredible landscape.

“We’re in the middle of the hill country and it’s great,” said Jesse Hilger.

Jesse Hillger built bombs for the air force for 14 years, but today explores this explosion of exquisiteness known as the Cave Without A Name.

“I love it. It’s great… You can easily spend two, three hours down there and think it’s only 30 minutes,” said Jesse.

The second longest running showcave in Texas, the Cave Without A Name, was officially discovered by James, Harold, and Mary McGrath in 1938.

“They didn’t expect to discover an amazing cave down there, but they did,” Jesse explained.

In 1940, the Cave Without A Name took the title of Cave Without A Name after a local contest was held to name the cave.  One 9-year-old boy claimed the cave was too pretty to have name, so it has been known that way ever since.

The McGrath children first encountered the cave while chasing a lost sheep, and the first few feet down they came across a moonshine shelter.

“We’re pretty sure that this was the area. If you look on the ceiling here you can see a lot of discoloration….Probably would have been for quite a few years as well…to get so much soot on the ceiling,” said Jesse.

Just a bit further down in the dark was something much more impressive.  Keep in mind, the kids who discovered it did not have a nicely constructed stairway to get there.

“So we’ve gone down about 126 stairs, and here’s our cave,” Jesse said.

80 feet below the ground are six massive caverns with all sorts of curious features that have formed over thousands of years.

“When the limestone was created, that was in the early Cretaceous period and dinosaurs were actually still roaming the earth at that time. They couldn’t actually roam right over this area though, because this used to be the seafloor,” Jesse explained.

This marvel made over time almost looks man made, until a closer look is taken at the incredible formations formed over millions of years.

“So over here we have two really cool formations. The white formation right there is a really unique, a stalagmite. We call that one Modern Art, because people see different things, and some of the different things people normally see are mushrooms or jellyfish… Now this formation that’s in front of it, that one kind of looks like a nativity scene,” Jesse pointed out.

A little further down the line sits the throne room, a subterranean brook, and pools of water surrounded by sediment basins.

“So in this room we have some more stone rim ponds…These lower ponds actually fluctuate with the amount of rain that we get,” said Jesse.

Along with these beautiful pools is the best food reference found below ground.

“We have what I’ve been told is the longest piece of cave bacon in Texas. It measures over 20 feet,” said Jesse. “My nephew came down here a couple of spring breaks ago. He was about four years old at the time, and he told me he didn’t think he could eat a full piece of it.”

So if you have a hunger for some subterranean adventures, The Cave Without A Name is well worth getting below ground for on The Texas Bucket List.

The Texas Bucket List – The Orchard in Idalou

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Idalou—Just a little bit outside of Lubbock, during the waning months of summer, you’ll find cotton sprouting up from the soil of the high plains getting ready for it’s final harvest—but it’s not the only crop getting ready to cash in for the season.

“This is kind of cotton USA to me. Everywhere you look around us, it’s all cotton,’” said Tucker Crawford, owner and caretaker of The Orchard.

Tucker grew up in Farwell, right on the Texas New Mexico state line.

“This apple actually did fall far from the tree. I’m a lot like my dad, but I took a complete 180.”

His 20 acres in Idalou are part of about 100 that he works with to grow apples right here in Texas. Tucker has a history in agriculture and pursued an Ag Economics degree in college.

“I didn’t really know what to do, but ag’s my background, just growing up in a small town and I loved the program. It really applied to life. I guess that sounds weird, but as far as just being able to relate it to real life, couldn’t have picked a better one for me,” said Tucker.

After college, Tucker spent years in a career in the world of banking. Eventually, Tucker got tuckered out with interest rates and traded it in for green acres.

“I’m ready to be on the farm…At 34 retire. I’m just joking, a long ways from retirement,” he continued, “being out in nature, being out in the trees is something for me, it’s kind of peaceful.”

Since 1982, the little apple orchard near Lubbock has been producing thousands of pounds of produce and their biggest obstacle is the unpredictable Texas weather.

“We started out not realizing the full potential of what the environment was going to bring, but fortunately for us, we were able to go in and make modifications or different growing habits—the way we plant trees, the densities, the direction, things like that,” he said.

From August to October, they harvest all sorts of apple—Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, Fuji and Granny Smith.

“I would be willing to bet that one out of three have never picked an apple off a tree,” said Tucker.

He also is known to let visitors pick and eat an apple out in the field.

“Well, if you eat one, you’re going to buy more” he explained, “if you walked out here and grabbed an apple off the tree and went back in there and got home and ate one you’d be like, ‘should have got more.'”

While we forgot to bring our bucket, Tucker is always finding a way to fill his with ideas on how to make the most of his apples. You know what they say, one rotten apple spoils the whole bunch.

“If it’s a pretty apple we can put in a box, we know we got it sold. If it’s not a pretty apple, we have to figure out where we’re going with it then…” he said, “We’re experimenting with Apple Cider Vinegar, apple cider, hard apple cider, obviously fresh apples, German apple cakes. We make a lot of pies, salsas. You name it—apple butter.”

If spreading a little apple butter in an orchard is on your list of things to experience in the Lone Star State, The Orchard in Idalou is well worth a stop!

The Texas Bucket List – Larry Bruce Gardens in Kennard

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Kennard — In between Crockett and Lufkin, you’ll find yourself surrounded by trees as tall as the tales of Texas in the Davy Crockett National Forest. Down one of the long roads in the rural part of the state, you never know what you’ll come across, but on County Road 4600, you’ll find a clearing with a curious garden run by Larry Bruce.

“It’s been quite a journey,” said Larry, “and it just started out with us saying, hey, we better learn how to grow some tomatoes back here.”

Larry is a former landscaper and his wife, Sarah, a former interior decorator.  Together they run Larry Bruce Gardens on a piece of land that’s been in his family since 1866, despite being fenced in by a national forest.

“Somehow by the grace of God, my ancestors were able to hold onto the land and work it and make enough money. They were loggers mostly, and farmers. They had to raise their own food of course, but enough to pay their taxes and hold on to the property. It’s just really amazing.”

Since 1992, they have been a part of this place creating a unique farm to table restaurant that draws in a crowd.

“It’s just really been amazing how people will come out here in the middle of nowhere,” Larry expressed, “but they like our food.”

“We schedule our work around it,” explained Gary Dial, “we might get up at four o’clock in the morning, so we’ll be able to come. Might work until 11 o’clock at night just so we’d be able to come…We’re committed to coming out here.”

“Just unforgettable,” commented Beverly High, “there is no place like it on planet earth.”

“People have said, how did you have this vision? Well, when it started out, I didn’t have this vision. I was just taking one step at a time,” said Larry.

It all started with a kitchen and a garden and over the years Larry has expanded his capacity for growing greens and seating starving sightseers.

“It doesn’t matter how many people are out here,” he explained, “it just feels like a big family gathering.”

Known for their Sunday buffet of pickled okra, smoked brisket, and fresh vegetables, this gathering is about more than just good food, it’s also about good music. With his daughter, April, and son-in-law, Lloyd, Larry is known for not only providing a great meal but also great entertainment.

“He’ll be busing tables and then they’ll be doing a song and he just runs up there, gets his fiddle and starts fiddling and start singing along,” commented Beverly, “They make beautiful music together, really.”

This soulful combination of country music and down-home cooking wouldn’t be complete without a little bit of the Lord in your life. Before it all gets started, Larry, an ordained minister, holds a small gathering for the reading of the word.

Is it a restaurant? Is it a church? Is it a garden? Is it a canning facility? “Yes. All of the above,” said Larry, “and Bed and breakfast.”

No matter if your trying to fill your soul or fill your stomach, it all starts with the small miracle of being able to grow your own food and that’s what Larry’s garden is all about.

“You can’t get any fresher than that,” he says, “people love it and the way we prepare it is hopefully in our family traditional type seasonings and that sort of thing. It reminds people of growing up and going back home.”

Corn, tomoatoes, peaches, peppers, and zucchini are a few of the things grown here but the okra is legendary.

“We have so many fans of our pickled okra, we just have to grow a lot of okra every year. But it goes in some of our other dishes as well,” explained Larry.

Without a doubt, the freshness and flavor of the food in undeniable, but so is the feeling you get at this farm surrounded by a forest.  Fulfillment in so many ways that you really start to understand the words of Paul Harvey’s “So God Made A Farmer”—because this farmer is going above and beyond.

“We always pray for everybody to have a wonderful experience,” said Larry,  “when they come through the gates and we believe our prayers are being answered.”

“We could go to Lufkin or Crockett or wherever but we’re going to come here. Every Sunday,” commented Gary, “wouldn’t miss it for nothing.”

“We came to fellowship and we stayed for the buffet,” Beverly added, “It is the best food in Texas and probably even beyond.”

 

The Texas Bucket List – Monahans Sandhills State Park in Monahans

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

This sand isn’t your average sand.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Texas Bucket List – Palo Duro Creek Ranch in Canyon

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Canyon – The panhandle part of our state has plenty of places to check off the list. The Cadillac Ranch, the world’s largest free barbecue, and let’s not forget about the 72 oz. steak at the Big Texan.

Despite all of these wonders, the crown jewel is Palo Duro canyon, complete with an outdoor play dedicated to our state and a lighthouse, the famous rock formation that is.

If touring the state park isn’t enough to satisfy your love of this Lone Star State treasure, you can always head to the ranch next door for a very moving experience.

“We go at a slow pace, but it’s still pretty thrilling as you drop the elevation,” Darrell Carey said.

Darrell grew up in Pampa, and this former judge and lawyer helps run the Palo Duro Creek Ranch.

“You know, a bad day on the ranch is better than a good day at the courthouse,” Darrell said.

This five square mile piece of property used to be a part of the famous JA Ranch that Charles Goodnight established in 1876.

“This was the birthplace of the cattle industry in Texas,” Darrell said. “It’s just so much Texas history, wildlife history. It’s just so many things that are unique to this area, but also important in Texas history.”

Robert Mitchell is the man behind the wheel of a massive vehicle that will take you straight up to some serene scenery.

“Well, these Hummers are the best vehicles to have in this terrain,” Robert said.  

Getting a chance to take visitors on a very bumpy ride is much different than his day job.

“This is exciting,” Darrell said. “This is beautiful scenery. You’re kinda going off-road. What your best part is, you get to talk to me. It’s a tension release job. There’s no stress when you come out here.”

As you descend into the canyon on a dirt road, it doesn’t take long till your facing down a rock face.

“At some point, though, the steepness of the road usually gets their attention and they watch that,” Darrell said. “No, it’ll be entertaining. It’ll keep your attention.”

What’s hard to believe is these incredible views are just the beginning of the tour.  As you descend into the canyon, the harsh landscape turns green and what will be the Red River down the line trickles like a spring stream.  

“Close to nature as it was, probably 200 years ago when the Indians were here, whenever Goodnight was here, and Quanah Parker was here,” Darrell said. “Maybe, on occasion, almost being able to see ’em in the distance, as you imagine when they came through”

Turn the corner, and you’ll find yourself surrounded by hoodoos making the part of the state feel like another planet.

“You go down into the area that we call the Hoodoo Garden,” Darrell said. “Again, some special rock formations formed over millions of years that were sacred to the Indians, and they’re sacred to us. We like to keep them as they have been always. The Indians, for at least 17,000 years, were pretty much the only ones that were there.”

Taking a ride through the ranch is like taking a ride through time. A chance to see Texas in its most natural state in a method of transportation fit for a Texan is well worth a stop on the Texas Bucket List.

“Being able to share it with folks is also a pretty special part, and we enjoy that,” Darrell said. “It’s just worth being able to see firsthand, and touch, and walk on.”