Texas Bucket List

Texas Bucket List

The Texas Bucket List – El Alamo Cafe in Hearne

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Hearne – At the crossroads of Texas, the roads are usually so busy that not a lot of folks take the time to explore downtown Hearne. But for folks from across the Brazos Valley, downtown is their destination because they remember El Alamo, a restaurant with a half-century of history.

Rosie Blankenship and her sister, Carmen Vargas, have been working at El Alamo since the 70s. While these ladies have poured their hearts and souls into the salsa here, they’re not even the owners. Despite being 90 years old, their mom, Mary, still runs the place. Rosie said, “Mother’s still the boss. She’s always checking on us, making sure it’s done right. Even though we’ve been here forever, she still checks on us.”

Mary no longer slaves over the stove at El Alamo but since 1972, it’s been the place to go for some good Tex-Mex in Hearne. In fact, Mary’s whole family has worked at El Alamo. There have been 20 in all. Four kids, eleven grandchildren, and five greatgrandchildren.

“El Alamo has always been the rock of the family.”

But it’s not just the family that’s kept this place afloat. It’s also the food. El Alamo is known for their enchiladas, but Mary has kept her enchilada sauce close to her chest, even though she doesn’t have a recipe!

Considering the enchiladas have been the go-to since Nixon visited China, who am I to say no to trying some! Rosie got a plate of beef fajitas whipped up for me with one cheese enchilada for good measure. Petra, the head cook, knew that this was going to require a big plate.

Once she got the fajita meat up to temp, Petra put the beef in some tortillas, threw some shredded cheese in another, and rolled them up to get dressed up. Then she covered them with Mary’s homemade enchilada sauce. After several minutes in the oven, I was ready to give them a taste.

Technically, what I got to try was two plates in one, but I was told that it’s now going to be called The Texas Bucket List Special. If you take a trip to El Alamo, that’s what you want to ask for. It didn’t take long to understand why Mary’s restaurant has stood the test of time. The enchilada sauce was thick, flavorful, and complimented the beef fajita perfectly.

If you happen to be heading through Hearne and are looking for some tasty Tex-Mex, come into Mary’s El Alamo. This is a tasty stop on The Texas Bucket List.

“It’s like coming home for a meal,” Rosie said. And for Mary, that’s exactly what El Alamo is all about.

TBL Bite of the Season – Season 23

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As Season 23 of The Texas Bucket List comes to a close, it’s time to wrap up our top five favorite bites of the season!

Season 23 of The Texas Bucket List was packed with all sorts of creative and flavorful dishes as well as classics that have been perfected across the Lone Star State, and it was no easy feat to narrow down the list to our favorites. 

CLICK ON PICTURE TO WATCH THE STORY!

#5 Fat Floyd’s in Cleveland

A well worth it drive up highway 69 from Houston will lead you to a barbeque joint that boasts some creative takes on classic smoked meats.

Their loaded barbeque pizza earned them the fifth spot on the season 23 Bite of the Season rundown.

#4 Lala’s Cafe in Mirando City

If you’re the type of person who struggles with making a pick from an extensive menu, then this South Texas Staple might be just what you’re looking for.

Lala’s classic combination earned fourth place in this season’s list.

 

#3 Wright On Taco in Marshall

Some folks say the best things come in small packages, and that saying certainly rings true at this little East Texas taco shop.

Their lineup of smoked meats and tasty tacos earned the third spot on our latest Bite of the Season list.

#2 Katie’s Seafood House in Galveston

No Bite of the Season list would be complete without some golf coast seafood, but this spot goes well beyond the competition on the island.

The sizzling grouper platter takes influence from all sorts of Texas flavors and merges them with the freshest seafood you can find, earning Katie’s Seafood House the second place spot on the 23rd Bite of the Season list.

 

#1 Liam’s Steakhouse and Oysters on South Padre Island

 

Created by the son of the legendary Godfather of Good Food on South Padre Island, Dirty Al, Liam’s Steakhouse and Oyster Bar takes the cake when it comes to fine dining as well as fantastic views.

And while it’s never easy to select a single winner, it was clear that the variety of raw and cooked oysters as well as the perfectly cooked steaks earned Liam’s the top spot on the 23rd Bite of the Season countdown.

 

 

The Texas Bucket List Nominated for Four Lone Star EMMY Awards

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College Station – The Texas Bucket List is honored to announce that we have been nominated for four Lone Star EMMY Awards this year! The Lone Star Chapter of The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences strives to further advance the arts and sciences of television. The Chapter is dedicated to encouraging and recognizing high levels of professional achievement through the annual presentation of the regional EMMY Awards. The Texas Bucket List has been nominated in four categories including Magazine Program for their Season 21 Premiere. Other nominations include the Human-Interest category for the segment, “Lifting The Spirits And Souls Of Man’s Best Friend.” The segment, “Honoring Corporal Ray With Coffee,” was nominated in the Military category, and host Shane McAuliffe has been nominated in the host category.

Over the past eleven years, The Texas Bucket List has been awarded five Lone Star Emmy Awards and has been nominated 29 times. Currently in our 23rd season, The Texas Bucket List can be seen on all television affiliates in Texas, KSLA in Shreveport, WBKO in Bowling Green, WVLT in Knoxville, and nationally on RFD-TV.

The Texas Bucket List reveals the tales of the Lone Star State through one Texan’s story at a time. The award-winning TV series shares the joy, wonder, beauty, and excitement of Texas. Each week, host Shane McAuliffe sets out to add more people, places, food, and music to a list that every Texan should experience.

Shane has been recognized with numerous television broadcast excellence awards including a Regional Edward R. Murrow Award, five Lone Star Emmy Awards, the Barbara Jordan Media Award, several Telly Awards, and multiple Texas Association of Press Broadcasters awards. He’s a native of Round Rock, Texas and attended The University of Houston. The Texas Bucket List is produced by McAuliffe Productions, LP located in College Station, Texas. The Texas Bucket List is made possible by Prosperity Bank, Slovacek’s Sausage, Texas Dairy Queen, Morton Buildings, and Toyota.

The Texas Bucket List – 2024 Sensational Summer Stops in the Lone Star State

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It’s finally summertime in the Lone Star State, so here’s a list of three awesome stops you can check off on The Texas Bucket List! Host Shane McAuliffe visits the Paolo Duro Canyon for a Humvee tour, Sea Turtle, Inc. on South padre Island, and the National Videogame Museum in Frisco.

Click on the pictures or titles below to see more of these summer stops!

Stop #1 – Palo Duro Creek Ranch Humvee Tour in Canyon, TX

Stop #1 – Just outside of Amarillo in the Texas Panhandle, the Palo Duro Canyon State Park has long been a sight to see. With stunning rock formations and a beautiful red hue cloaking the scenery, it’s no wonder the second largest canyon in the country is known as the Grand Canyon of Texas. And over at the Palo Duro Creek Ranch, you can book a tour in one of their Humvees with a season guide to give you a in-depth exploration of this incredible part of our state in a vehicle made for a Texan. The tour gives you a look at all the spectacular sprawling views the canyon has to offer, and as it continues you discover the lush green landscape waiting at the bottom of the canyon before reaching the hoodoos that look like they’re from another planet.

Stop #2 – Sea Turtle, Inc. on South Padre Island, TX

Stop #2 – South Padre Island is always a fun summer stop on The Texas Bucket List in it’s own right, but if you’re looking for something extra special to do while you’re on the island, then Sea Turtle, Inc. is just the place for you! Sea Turtle, Inc. is a sea turtle sanctuary that’s dedicated to preserving these beautiful creatures by rehabilitating injured turtles and protecting the beaches to allow wild turtles to flourish. The sanctuary itself features an educational center that houses sea turtles that can’t be released, allowing the public to view the turtles and learn about them from somebody who is interacting with the turtles right before your eyes. This is a truly fun summer stop where you can come see these beautiful creatures and learn about conservation efforts aiming to keep the turtles around for centuries to come.

Stop #3 – National Videogame Museum in Frisco, TX

Stop #3 – If you’re looking for a summer stop featuring fun that transcends generational gaps, the National Videogame Museum in Frisco is the place to be! This museum focuses on some of the earliest video games from the 80’s and early 90’s that laid the groundwork for what is now a multibillion-dollar industry. Everything about this museum is interactive, allowing visitors that grew up in this era to relive the golden age of gaming while providing younger guests with their first experience of classics such as Super Mario, Contra, Pong, and so many more! The museum also features toys and other collectibles, as well as a recreation of an 80’s bedroom to show the younger generation what life was really like back in the day.

 

The Texas Bucket List – Reata Restaurant in Alpine

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Alpine – In the vast reaches of West Texas, you may be surprised to find some fine establishments to sit down and eat at.  In Alpine, The Reata Restaurant has been the go-to for good food since 1995. “Reatta’s creed has always been to offer white tablecloth service in a very casual environment,” said Mariah Brooks, the GM at Reata.

Brooks got roped into the job during what she thought was a return trip to her home state. “I thought I was on my way back to California,” said Brooks. “I thought I would maybe go back there, and I changed my mind. The vibe here is really good. It really is a neat place.”

Being secluded in this part of the state is what she needed. “It’s out in the middle of nowhere,” said Brooks. “There’s just a feeling of openness out here. I can grab my dogs and be on Hancock Hill, which is right behind Sul Ross, and be on a really good hike in 15 minutes. I love it. I absolutely love it.”

The Reata Restaurant is another reason people fall in love with Alpine, and the experience starts when you walk into the restaurant which was an old adobe home that was built in 1895. “It’s crazy how well it’s held up,” said Brooks. “And it’s all adobe. All adobe except for the kitchen in the back and then the bar area.”

The food also floods folks into town. “It’s legendary Texas cuisine,” said Brooks. “It’s sort of an upscale Tex-Mex mix of different things.”

“It’s got its own little unique style, little flavor,” said Head chef Jose Apolinar, who has been a part of this place since 2015.  Both Brooks and Apolinar wanted to showcase Reata’s signature dish. “Carne Asada. Best one,” said Brooks. “Most recommended. It’s a skirt steak with the ancho enchiladas on it, and it is our most requested item.”

Chef Apolinar starts off the legendary dish by seasoning a huge 12-ounce skirt stake with salt, pepper and the “Reata grill blend,” a house specialty seasoning mix. He then sets it and forgets it on the char broiler. “So that way you get your nice grill marks on there,” said Apolinar. “Everybody likes their steak to look real nice and pretty.”

Next, Apolinar gets started on the enchilada segment of the dish. He grabs two cheese enchiladas and covers them with a deep red ancho chili sauce before piling on shredded cheese. Finally, the enchiladas are placed right next to the steak on the broiler. “We’re going to set it and forget that too,” said Apolinar.

Once everything is cooked to perfection, the chef prepares a giant platter with rice, beans, and salsa. Then, he lays down that beautifully charred steak, and tops it off with the cheesy enchiladas. “Yeah, we serve big around here,” said Apolinar. “One thing’s guaranteed, you’re not going to leave very hungry.”

Despite the massive plate of food already prepared, Apolinar wasn’t done, as he wanted to show off Reata’s bacon and jalapeno mac and cheese. Everything but the noodles are added to a bowl and thrown on the fire, and once everything gets nice and bubble the noodles are added, as well as an extra mound of cheese. “It’s a mac and cheese,” said Apolinar. “You got to have the cheese.”

Now that we have all our food, we’re going to start off with this mac and cheese. This spectacular side is served in a cast iron dish and is piled higher with mac and cheese than you would ever think possible. The cheese is everything you could ever want, but the bacon and fresh jalapenos really take it to the next level.

From there, we move on to the main dish of steak and enchiladas. The obvious method for attacking this plate is to get a little bit of everything in one bite. When you have the enchilada and steak together, you’re instantly hit with the flavorful ancho chili sauce and the richness of the cheese, but then you get into the skirt steak and it’s unlike anything you’ve ever had. The steak is cooked to perfection, and is more reminiscent of a filet mignon than a skirt steak when you bite into it. Everything complements this dish perfectly. From the cheese on top to the enchiladas, to the ancho, to the sauce, it is the complete package.

Well, if you’re looking for some incredible cowboy cuisine that really does buck the trend, coming all the way to Alpine to visit the Reatta is well worth the stop on The Texas Bucket List. “It’s a really special place,” said Brooks. “It really is.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Texas Bucket List – Blue Hills Ranch in McGregor

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McGreggor – McGregor, Texas might be known as the testing ground for Space X engines, but rocking rockets aren’t the only out of this world things you’ll find in the wide-open spaces of central Texas.  There’s also the Blue Hills Ranch, an animal sanctuary that allows humans to have one heck of an interaction with some amazing creatures. “To be able to kind of make a dream come true, I think it’s definitely an amazing feeling,” said Skylar Lightfoot, who has been helping keep the 150 animals that call the Blue Hills Ranch home happy since 2020. “Started off doing tours, helping out in the office, helping with weddings and events, and now pretty much manage majority of the place,” said Skylar.

With 28 different species on hand free roaming around the range, you never know who will come up to say hi while you tour the property, but the donkeys will be sure to butt into your conversations. “She is actually one of the first animals here on the property,” Skylar said of a donkey who approached as she spoke. “We have Bonnie and Clyde. They got their name because they actually escaped within the first week of them being here, and so we had to reinforce some fences and put in a cattle guard.”

Working at the sanctuary is one of those rare occupations that don’t feel like work for those that help out at Blue Hills Ranch. “Not everybody gets to spend time with them every single day, it’s kind of like a once in a lifetime thing,” said Kaylee Pratt, another caretaker with a big love for some of the biggest animals on the property. “I actually worked with giraffes before I came here, so I knew I wanted to continue working with animals, especially exotics, so I knew I had to come back,” said Kaylee. “They’re just really intelligent creatures. I mean, they can see very far, they can see bright colors. They know not to strip trees completely down so they don’t kill them. They’re just intelligent and beautiful.”

Visitors are allowed to hand feed the far-reaching giraffes, and sometimes the giraffes go in for a little sugar too. “Well, it’s not every day you get to get giraffe kisses and learn about something that you don’t get to see every single day,” said Kaylee.

If you’d rather have a more relaxing experience, you could always take a swim with some otters. “We’re actually one of I believe three or four places in the United States where you can actually swim with the otters,” said Skylar.

While sitting comfortably in the hot tub, these fury little guys will swim laps around you and be more than happy to use your head or shoulder as a perch. “Ours are river otters so they’re kind of used to being on banks of rivers, and so they kind of like the obstacles, something to kind of perch up on,” said Skylar. “And in a pool they don’t really have those obstacles so we found out that either a swim spot or a hot tub is kind of the best way to go for them. Ours are a little spoiled. I’m sure the wild otters aren’t exactly as picky as ours.”

Surprisingly to some, this experience has moved people to tears. “We’ve had several people actually cry. It’s definitely not uncommon for people to cry,” said Skylar. “I would have never thought before working here that there was such a high fascination with otters, but that’s a lot of people’s number one favorite animal, and people will cry. People start laughing hysterically just at the cuteness level of otters.”

So if swimming with an overly curious otter or letting a long necked giraffe eat out of your hands or mouth is something you’ve wanted to experience, this place is well worth a stop. “Providing for the animals is definitely first and foremost, our main goal and priority, and to be able to give people the experience to be able to kind of experience the animals in a non-zoo setting is definitely a plus as well,” said Skylar.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Texas Bucket List – Monster Mini Golf in Frisco

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Frisco – In a run of mill shopping center on the far south side of Frisco, you’ll find Monster Mini Golf.  Judging the exterior of this entertainment center, it doesn’t look spectacular on the outside.  But the inside is incredibly spooktacular. Creepy cats, skeletons swinging on chains, and howling wolfmen aren’t the typical type of decoration you’d expect to find at an indoor putting course, but at Monster Mini Golf, Halloween happens to be everyday. “This is our theme year-round,” said Holly Hernandez.

Holly and her husband Brian thought they might be digging their own grave when they opened Monster Mini Golf in the middle of pandemic, but they’re now on the other side of the pandemic with something that they can enjoy with their whole family. “I traveled too much for work and my husband was a stay-at-Home Dad for 15 years, and we wanted something we could do together as a family,” said Holly.

Holly and her family are fittingly enough, huge KISS fans, and opening this mini golf made for monster maniacs was what she needed after a quarter century in the courtroom. “In my prior life, no one wanted to see me walk in the door and now it’s all better,” said Holly. “I did patent litigation for 25 years.” Does Holly miss it? “Absolutely not,” she declared.

Brain’s big love for big screen bad guys put the couple on course to open Monster Mini Golf. “He’s a huge monster fan,” said Holly. “Monster movies, monster music. Anything monster related. This was his idea, And he has all the monster toys that come along with it.”

Brian wanted something to show off the monsters that he grew up loving and fears the younger generation may not be exposed to classics nearly enough. “We wanted to be old school monsters,” said Brian. “Frankenstein, Dracula, werewolf, Wolfman. Because a lot of kids don’t even know those monsters. They’re a little bit more of the Harry Potter era, which is fine.”

Hufflepuff ain’t happening here. Instead, it’s good ol’ ghouls that can get a rise out of any scaredy cat, sometimes more so than intended for the little ones. “That’s something we didn’t expect in the beginning, so we had to come up with something on the fly,” said Holly. “We came up with a little toy that they carry with them, and it makes them invisible to all the monsters so they can complete their golf game and the parents can have fun.”

One of the main scares on the course is a 6’4” animated Frankenstein that periodically rises off his table and comes to life with a roar, and Brian totally isn’t amused by the reactions he causes. “Some kids come by that you think, ‘Oh, they’ll totally handle it,’” said Brian. “They get off the course literally in tears and we don’t get a kick out of it. Well, sometimes we do.”

Once you get past Frank, skirt by the ominous organist, and putt your way around the eternal flame, you still have to deal with the clown on 18. “You’d be surprised how many people come in and they’ll play 17 holes, but they won’t play the 18th hole,” said Holly. “They hand us the ball and the club back and they don’t even want to look at the clown.”

The clown in question is a massive makeup-caked head with orange hair and haunting eyes, who’s tongue is stretched out for players to try to put into for a hole-in-one. “Some kids are scared of the clowns, so we will cover the clown’s eyes to make him more appealing to some kids,” said Holly. “Or should I say some kids, some grownups are scared of the clown.”

While my swing is stiff, at least I got to have the last laugh with a hole in one and I wasn’t scared stiff, making Monster Mini Golf a happy haunted stop on The Texas Bucket List.

The Texas Bucket List – Davy Crockett National Forest

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Whenever you find yourself in East Texas, you never really want to peel back the preverbal pine curtain.  Instead, you want to get lost in it.

Texas is home to four National Forests and in between Crockett and Lufkin, you’ll find the Davy Crockett National Forest.  “This area serves the public I think in so many different ways,” said Jimmy Tyree.

Jimmy is the District Ranger for the Davy Crockett Davy Crockett National Forest and doesn’t beat around the bush when it comes to his favorite forest in Texas. “Oh, it’s Davy Crockett. A little bit small, 160,000 acres, but does a lot of work,” said Jimmy.

At the center point of the Davy Crockett National Forest, you’ll find the Ratcliff Lake Recreation Area.  Built by the Civilian Conversation Corps in 1936, it’s a great place to set up camp. “[There] really is not a bad campsite in the whole place,” said Jimmy.

The sights, the smells, and the sounds are what set this park apart. “A lot of people enjoy the quietness and the birds,” said Jimmy.

Simply sitting back and letting the songbirds serenade you is something that’s good for the soul. “Well, nobody gets a chance to be quiet anymore. Not enough people are quiet. There’s something to be said about that,” said Jimmy.

This place is so peaceful that no matter what the season, people like to come here. “We are full almost year-round, even in the summertime when it can be brutal. People are still coming out here enjoying it and that says a lot,” said Jimmy.

Before this park of the National Park became such a safe haven for trees that can touch the top of the Texas sky, it was surprisingly home to a sawmill.  “1902 to about 1920, the Central Coal and Coke Company logged here. And then in 1930, the Texas legislature at that time identified this area as something they wanted to go ahead and put into the National Forest system. And then in 1936 is when Roosevelt actually designated the Davy Crockett National Forest,” said Jimmy.

“So, these are the ruins from the old sawmill from 1902 to 1920 and this whole area had at that time, up to 30,000 people. You wouldn’t know it now,” explained Jimmy while walking around the ruins that have forest surrounding them now. “Nowadays the population’s probably less than 500 for both areas. The amount of timber that was produced from this mill back then is just amazing. And one of the biggest, at that time, this mill was one of the biggest in the nation,” said Jimmy.

I can’t get over the fact that so much of the old factory is still there, from formed foundations to massive metal pieces sticking out of stone columns.  “Artifacts are always being discovered, different things. It isn’t a very active site as far as anytime anything happens here, anytime any work is done, we always have an archeologist on site monitoring it, because something is usually always dug up,” explained Jimmy. “A lot of folks look at the pictures from the 19 hundreds, 1920s, 1930s, and they don’t recognize that this is the same place because back then you could see miles, there were zero trees. They had cut everything down.”

It’s amazing to see what can grow in a hundred years. To this day, logging is still a vital part of the national park.  “We’re still able to provide a tremendous amount of timber. In fact, the output here in the southeast region, we’re one of the tops of the nation even though we’re down in the southeast. A lot of folks think of the big timber production being up in the northwest, Pacific Northwest, but we actually compete with them down here very strongly,” said Jimmy. “The quickness that the timber grows here is nothing like I’ve experienced in other places. This area is very unique in that respect.”

American poet Henry David Thoreau once wrote, “I took a walk in the woods and came out taller than the trees.”  Well what tall Texan doesn’t want to be just a little bit taller. So, take a little time to breathe in the pine or maybe search for the hide and seek champion of the world, because I don’t have to go out on a limb to say that this is well worth a stop on The Texas Bucket List. “It’s a little jewel for this area. It absolutely is,” said Jimmy.

The Texas Bucket List – Season 20 Bite of the Season

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Season 20 of The Texas Bucket List has come to a close, and it’s time to reveal our five favorite bites from Season 20! This season of The Texas Bucket List was filled with flavorful, sweet, spicy, surf and turf, along with some more delicious local cuisine. All were deserving of recognition, and they are all well worth a stop on The Texas Bucket List! But listed below are the Top 5 Bites from Season 20 of The Texas Bucket List! (CLICK ON PICTURE TO WATCH THE STORY!)

 

#5 Portis Kountry Kitchen in Corpus Christi

Over Corpus Christi, Portis Kountry Kitchen serves up home cooked soul food in the basement of a building! This hidden gem of a restaurant has earned the number five spot on this season’s Bite of the Season.

 

#4 Fragola’s in Del Rio

Down in Del Rio, Fragola’s combines sweet honey and spicy jalapeno to deliver the perfect chicken sandwich, earning it the number four spot on this season’s Bite of the Season.

 

#3 Uncle Jack’s in Tyler

In Tyler, Uncle Jack’s serves an incredible seafood bowl with unique and snazzy sauce combinations. At this restaurant, you are sure to get some seafood with really rich flavor.

 

#2 Mahi Nic’s on South Padre Island

Over on South Padre Island, Mahi Nic’s serves up some fantastic Mahi, of course, a massive burger, and some of the most ridiculous fries I’ve ever found. With big flavors and sea breezes, Mahi Nic’s earned themselves one of the top spots on this season’s Bite of the Season!

#1 Spice Station in Kingsville 

 

Spice Station in Kingsville has found a way to make authentic Indian food memorable. Z and his family allow their customers to sample anything and everything before buying. This sweet and spicy restaurant takes the number one spot on this season’s Bite of the Season!

The Texas Bucket List Receives Four Telly Awards for TV Excellence

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Twenty-Two-Time Telly Award winning TV series, The Texas Bucket List, is recognized for being a distinctive representation of video excellence.

The Telly Awards honors excellence in video and television across all screens. The Texas Bucket List was presented with four of these esteemed awards from the 44th Annual Telly Awards season. Since 2013, the show has received a previous total of eighteen Telly Awards. The Texas Bucket List is now a twenty-two-time Telly Award winning TV series with a record of creativity and sincerity in telling the stories of Texas.

The Texas Bucket List received our first Gold Telly Award in the category of General: Biography. We also received two Silver Telly Awards in the categories of General: Biography, as well as in General: Food & Beverage. Lastly, we received a Bronze Telly Award in the category of General: Cultural.

The Texas Bucket List – A Prayer on the Wings of a Bluebird is the Gold Telly Winner in General: Biography

The Texas Bucket List – Deputy Bill Hardin is the Silver Telly Winner in General: Biography

The Texas Bucket List – The Burnt Bean in Seguin is the Silver Telly Winner in General: Food & Beverage

The Texas Bucket List – The Storm Marches On is the Bronze Telly Winner in General: Cultural