Texas Bucket List

Texas Bucket List

Simmons Bank

The Texas Bucket List – Saint Francis Wolf Sanctuary in Montgomery

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MONTGOMERY, Texas — Down long windy road on the west side of Montgomery County, just a few miles from the Sam Houston national forest you’ll find facility where you won’t mind getting thrown to the wolves.

In 2002, the Saint Francis Wolf Sanctuary got started after a mischievous wolf named Mystery was spotted roaming the woods nearby.  After being shot and captured, Mystery rehabbed and lived out her days at the sanctuary started by a local woman who really loves all of God’s Creature, Jean LeFevre. Now 13 wolves and wolfdogs called Saint Francis home.

Brittany McDonald said she dreamt of working with wolves since she was eight years old and is now one of the caretakers at the Saint Francis Wolf Sanctuary.

“So wolf is obviously the pure form and the dog is mixed in with dogs,” Brittany said. “Wolves occur naturally in the wild whereas wolf dogs rarely do. The wolf dog thing is kind of a new fad that people created when they started mixing wolves with their domesticated dogs to make a really cool looking pet that they hope to be as friendly as man’s best friend. Typically, it doesn’t work out that way and that’s exactly why we’re here.”

Popular culture has made pups of this kinds a bit of a problem.

“We do definitely have a lot more of them around and not to blame the Game of Thrones but they probably are responsible for the fad,” Brittany said.

Turns out once these guys get long in the tooth, they can be handful.

“They assume that because it’s mixed with dog that it’s going to have the dog temperament and the wolf looks and that doesn’t really apply,” Brittany said. “The wolf characteristics are very dominant. That fear of humans, the destructiveness. The desire to escape and do wolfy things.”

Miko shares his pen with two other female wolves, sort of a wolf pack that the sanctuary creates for each of their wild friends. Mico is particularly friendly with people because he was born and raised in a zoo where he was used as a sort of photo prop to take photos with videos, according to Brittany.

“We sometimes call ourselves the OkCupid or the wolf word because we do have to make sure they can match up because having a companion is really important to them just like it is for people,” Brittany said. They really rely on that social bond.”

These wolves depend on the sanctuary not only for social interaction but vaccines and most importantly meal time.

“These guys eat an all raw meat diet so depending on the size of the animal, the activity level, they might eat more or less than others but we have two animals currently that eat four pounds of food a day and that is way up there but they burn it off,” Brittany said.

If you’re lucky or if you plan on overnight stay to camp with the wolves, you’ll be able to hear the serenade that makes a stop at the sanctuary all worth it.

“Some of our wolves actually howl a little less wolfy than you’d expect,” Brittany said. “So Lapore back here we joke that she sounds like a hyena or a coyote rather than a wolf. She hasn’t quite figured it out yet. It’s impressive. Every single time it’s just this beautiful sound. The neighbors around here love it. They sit out on their porch and drink coffee and they listen for that howl. It’s magical.”

Wolves are no longer found in the Lone Star State but for an up-close encounter with these magical animals with sizable smiles, a stop at the Saint Francis Sanctuary in Montgomery Texas is well worth a stop on The Texas Bucket List.

“The best part is when you have an animal that is really distrusting of people and eventually you get to watch it grow into an animal that has learned to forgive and to rely on you and you build a relationship with it. It doesn’t always happen but when it does there’s nothing better than that,” Brittany said. “That’s what we do this for.”

The Texas Bucket List – Caddo Mounds State Historic Site in Alto

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ALTO, Texas — This week we checked out some particular hills in East Texas, but these hills are more like mounds and they celebrate a culture that lived in our state long ago.

Before Texas became the Lone Star State, it was the homeland to a people that spent much more time in the territory than we have. Back when surviving off the land was the way of life, the native people thrived in Texas. In East Texas, the Caddo cultivated a culture that can still be seen today.

Phil Cross is a descendant of the people who once populated this part of the state.  He makes an annual pilgrimage to the Caddo Indian Mounds State Historic Site to pass along his knowledge of his family tribe.

“It reaffirms deep in me that it’s a special culture and set of traditions that relates as far back as we know. It strengthens me and my group and then vice versa,” Phil said.

Situated near Alto and a mile from the Neches River, the mounds rise up from a field between the pines along highway 21.

“The Caddo were here from about 750 AD to the late 1200s early 1300s when they abandoned this site,” said Anthony Souther with the Texas Historical Commission.

Anthony says at one time, this village was home to nearly one thousand Caddo Indians.  The three mounds are easily visible.  One served as a temple, another a ceremonial slope, and finally a burial ground.

“We no longer let people go to the top of the mound because it is a cemetery,” Anthony said. “The temple mound had no burials, only buildings on it and the ceremonial mound between the two larger mounds had neither buildings or burials in it.”

Known for pottery, bow making, and agriculture the Caddo traded with tribes as far away as New Mexico and Illinois. They even created El Camino Real, the trade route that’s been crucial to Texas history.

Artifacts from those exchanges all those generations ago have been found here over the years but coming back and connecting with the piece of earth his predecessors lived on is what means most to Phil.

“People say, ‘Where do we come from? Did I come from Ireland or Germany or Yugoslavia?’ And that sets something up in people’s mind that ‘I’m a part of something in the past that happened somewhere and if I know about that it makes my life more complete,” Phil said. “And it gives me strength to know that I didn’t just come out of thin air but that I have people who proceeded. Struggle, struggle, struggle. Success. Whatever their experiences were and the activities. That’s important to each us.”

To celebrate that Caddo Culture, the historical site holds an annual gathering that goes back to basics. Surrounded by the mounds, the native people reflect and remember.

“That just makes a really special bond for me to this site and the people, our ancestors, who were here,” Phil said. “I go away from them stronger in who I am and knowing that I have touched someone with their similar feelings and that we’re stronger together. Makes us stronger people and better people.”

To celebrate Texas is to proclaim all her people.  From the heroes of the Texas revelation to the tribes who made the Lone Star State terrain their home long.

“We will always be a steward of this Caddo history and we’ll safeguard the mounds to the best of our ability so that future generations of Texans can come and see this part of our history,” Anthony said.

The Texas Bucket List – The Desk at Sul Ross State University in Alpine

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ALPINE, Texas – The wide-open skies of west Texas seem to come alive in Alpine.  Sitting at the foothills of the Davis Mountains, this town in the middle of Trans-Pecos has broad views, a brewery, and books.

Home to Sul Ross State University since 1917, students in this part of the state have a unique setting for school. Mary Bones earned her undergraduate and masters degree from Sul Ross and serves as the interim director of museum of the big bend.

“Students who are interested in really being in the outdoors, this is the perfect outdoor classroom for all areas of interest,” Mary said.

Back in 1981, one student took that idea to heart.

“1981 Jim Kitchens and two of his friends decided they needed a place out of mountainside dormitory for a quiet place to go where they could study so they grabbed a desk and hauled it up a hill,” Mary said. “They started hanging out at the desk.”

That’s right, the desk as it’s known has been a Sul Ross State staple for several decades.

“This became a tradition here at Sul Ross to go up to Hancock Hill, which is right behind me, go up to the desk, open up one of the desk drawers and leave behind your thoughts, meditations, poems, whatever you wanted to in the notebook,” Mary said.

So we did what every Sul Ross student and several thousand Texans have done and huffed it up Hancock Hill. Being from a less elevated part of the state, it felt like the Rockies to me. Once you pass the bike tree you’ll find the desk with it’s glorious view of the valley.

“You can truly be in solitude and be able to look out across and past the city of Alpine and Sul Ross State University,” Mary said.

The notes written on the desk make you laugh, make you think, and make you contemplate this little ride called life.

“Going to school it’s very structured,” Mary said. “You have your classes, you have all of this from expectations and pressures put on you as a student and I think for our students to get out of their dorm room, leave the tablet and the cell phone behind, get out in nature and take that hike, that’s what makes the desk so unique. Totally student driven.”

The desk has been replaced four times over the years, when it’s time to bring it down the students do all the heavy lifting because the lifting of hearts this old piece of furniture offers Texans of all ages makes it well worth a stop on The Texas Bucket List.

“It sets us aside from every other university, I think,” Sierra said. “I mean every university has its own traditions but I think it’s funny and it will always be a memory for everyone.”

The Texas Bucket List – Longhorn Cavern State Park in Burnet

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­BURNET, Texas – Along the rolling terrain of the Texas hill country sits a sought after sinkhole in Burnett County.  Known today at Longhorn Cavern State Park, this subterranean site in the Lone Star State has been must see for many, many years.

Evan Archilla gets to call this place his office and he started our stop with a visit to these unique buildings on the site that were built during the great depression.

“One of the things we’re most proud of at the park is the legacy that the Civilian Conservation Corps left behind for us, Evan said. “We have some of the best examples of CCC architecture here. They left a great legacy and it’s really one of the best places in the state that you can go to see that.”

The CCC was a public work relief program created by President Franklin D. Roosevelt that put thousands of Americans to work and is credited with creating many of the national and state parks.

“These great buildings you see were designed by national park architects in that NPS rustic style that you would see at Yellow Stone or any other national park that grew up in that kind of heyday of the 30s,” Evan said.

These hardworking labors also helped clear out the cave making Longhorn Cavern what it is today.

“These guys pulled 30,000 cubic yards of debris out of this cavern by hand and helped to develop it for people to enjoy,” Evan said.

Cosmo Omsoc doesn’t just have a palindrome for a name, he also sort of has that kind of personality.  Whether he’s above ground or below, he is passionate about this place. So we went spelunking with this underground tour guide.

“The look on people’s faces when they come through the cave and get to explore it for the first time makes this job worthwhile,” Cosmo said.

In the 1920s and 1930s people threw parties in the cavern complete with dinner, dancing and a full band and orchestra, according to Evan. However, it turns out two stepping under the Texas ground isn’t the only great tale to come out of here.

“Everything from Comanche Indians and Texas Rangers and rescues happening down in the cave,” Evan said. “We had an underground ballroom and restaurant back in the 30s. We had the Confederates mining bat guano for making gun powder. Not that long before I was born we actually had the Department of Civil Defense down there with supplies for around 2,000 people that could, in theory, weather a nuclear blast during the cold war down in the cavern as a fallout shelter.”

During the winter months you will find a few Tri-Colored Bats, also known as Eastern Pipistrelle.  These mouse like mammals won’t mess with you but they will melt your heart.  As long as they sit really still. The real treat is getting a half mile into the ground and seeing some great geological gems including the Hall of Marble and Hall of Diamonds.

“This is not marble,” Evan said. “It is actually dolomite or dolomite rock. We call it marble because when the conservation corps first got here they thought they found marble. It’s not, it is actually calcium magnesium carbonate, but what’s fascinating about it is how smooth it is.”

From its amazing natural beauty, texas sized tales, and national park service rustic style architecture, Longhorn Cavern State Park takes the bull by the horns when it comes to hotspot on The Texas Bucket List.

“If you want to look at a unique cavern environment, if you want to explore the hill country, if you want to hear some truly Texan stories – every Texan should come to Longhorn Cavern state park,” Evan said.

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 – 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.

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 – Caprock Canyons State Park

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CAPROCK CANYON, Texas — The panorama of the Panhandle can’t even begin to be painted on a picture screen but if you pull on up to Caprock Canyon you’ll be more than pleased you made the trip.

But it’s not just the beauty of the majestic bluffs, there’s also the buffalo.

Donald Beard is the park superintendent and every day he has to deal with some residents that pretty much get to do whatever they want.

“The views are just absolutely fantastic,” Donald said. “I’m very fortunate to be able to be a part of the management of this herd.”

The buffalo that roam the range at Caprock Canyon aren’t just any troup of tatonka, they’re the official bison herd of the state of Texas.

“This is the only place in Texas you can come to see free ranging bison in a public setting, Donald said. “This is Yellowstone in Texas right here.”

The herd stands at around 100, a far cry from the millions of buffalo that used to stampede across the state prior to the slaughter of these native creatures. No one knows just how many bison could be found on plains but experts estimate it was around 30 million.

“It would stop the trains for days because they were crossing the tracks so just miles and miles long and miles and miles wide. Nothing but bison,” Donald said.

By 1895 there were only 1,000 buffalo left.   It was then that Mary Ann Goodnight, wife of Rancher Charles Goodnight convinced her husband to round up all the calves he could find. The Father of the Texas Panhandle ended up with seven, only five survived.

“That’s when Goodnight started his heard and about four other people across the country did the same thing,” Donald said. “There were five herds where all of these animals were. Through those five herds, all bison today descend.”

Around 500,000 bison live across North America but many aren’t pure breed bison thanks to a cross-bred with cattle but the official state bison herd of Texas is true to its roots.

“All of the animals were Texas native animals and throughout time, there’s never been any outside influence,” Donald said. “These animals, through genetic testing, have some unique genetic characteristic not found in any other bison in the world. … You got probably the last southern plain bison and true Texas native bison here.”

Trent Johnson makes his way to Caprock to catch some fish but watching the bison come and quench their thirst while he casts a line is better than the biggest bite.

“It’s nice to come and see them,” Trent said. “You don’t get many opportunities to come out and see them, especially for the young kids.”

Not to be lost in all the buffalo bliss is their sheer beauty of Caprock Canyon.  At 15,000 acres it’s the 6th largest state park in Texas but one of the most colorful and desolate.

“Honestly, I think this is Mother Nature’s way of making art,” Matthew said. “Just millions of years of art here.”

So if you’ve got an itch to see the official state bison herd of the State of Texas, Caprock Canyon is well worth a stop on The Texas Bucket List.

“What we are doing is a huge thing and it is very important to the conservation of bison,” Donald said. “These animals belong to the state of Texas. I’m just the manager. They belong to you and the other residences of Texas and they are a Texas treasure.”

The Texas Bucket List – Wyler Aerial Tramway in El Paso

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El Paso, Texas – El Paso.  The Sun City.  The west Texas town unlike any other in the Lone Star State. Closer to Las Vegas than Houston, El Paso is an incredibly unique part of Texas.

But to get a real appreciation of the majestic beauty of the last stop west in the Lone Star State, a trip to Franklin Mountains is quite frankly a top spot on The Texas Bucket List.

Diana Moy works at the mountain range that splits the middle of El Paso.

“You get to see two countries, three states,” Diana Moy said. “Such is the view from the top. On a clear day you can see about 7 thousand square miles.”

In order to get to the summit overlooking the city, the Wyler Tramway is your fastest and most fantastic method of transportation.  A simple four minute ride over half a mile on a gondola that’s supported by a 1 3/8 inch steel cable.

“It’s a very simple system, a very reliable system you’ll see in parts of the world mainly in ski lifts,” said Esteban Maceado, the man in charge of keeping the tramway working in tiptop shape.

Built in 1959, the formally privately owned El Paso Aerial Tramway was open to the public from 1960 to 1986.  Karl Wyler left the tramway to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department in his will under the condition it remain open to the public.  After extensive renovations, the Wyler Tramway was reopened to the public in 2001.

“You see the cables on both ends,” Roy said while explaining how the tramway works. “So it exits on one side and enters on the other one. So it’s one continuous loop cable that’s kind of split in half. So part of it’s attached to one gondola on one side, and the other half of the cable is attached to the other. So as it’s moving it’s pulling one and bringing the other one down at the same time.”

After learning about how the tramway works, it was time to hop in for a ride. As we ascended, I wasn’t sure which way to look.

Before we could finish humming Marty Robbins’ song about this city, we had arrived. As the view across the expanse of West Texas, Mexico, and New Mexico came into focus it became abundantly clear the Wyler Tramway is something every Texan needs to experience.

Spending hours up here is common.  Whether it’s getting a look at Juarez and its famed la equis, the ski resorts of New Mexico miles and miles away, or the city of El Paso, shining bright in West Texas this sight is stunning.

As the sun sets on the Lone Star State, the entire crowd gathers to the west side of the peak to get one last look at this incredible sight.

“I catch myself on occasion saying that I would do it for free, and I never get tired of it being this spectacular,” one tramway employee told us. “Every time I come here it’s just gorgeous.”

Reflecting on life is easy to do at this vantage point.  Where you’ve been, what you’ve seen, what your family and friends mean to you and how lucky we are to live in the Lone Star State all come to mind.

So take the time and make the trip to El Paso for a perspective that puts things into perspective and is well worth a stop on The Texas Bucket List.

The Texas Bucket List – Summer Special 2017 – Dolphin Lady in Port Isabel

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No summer road trip in the Lone Star State would be complete without stopping to soak up some sun on the Gulf Coast. On South Padre Island you can catch some rays and learn about some of the incredible creatures found in the Texas shore by visiting the South Padre Island Dolphin Research and Sea Life Nature Center. With touch tanks, dolphin tours, and a dolphin whisperer, this research center has a little something for everyone. A nature tour with an island native who really knows her dolphin facts is sure to inspiring learning in all who step aboard her small tour boat.