Texas Bucket List

Texas Bucket List

Simmons Bank

The Texas Bucket List – The Coming King Sculpture Prayer Gardens in Kerrville

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Kerrville – Max Greiner is an accomplished artist. “I always dreamed to be an artist, and that’s what God made me,” expressed Max. He’s also an unapologetic Baptist. “Boy, God put a passion in me after I got that and I couldn’t let go of it then,” said Max.

Since 1978, Max has been creating all sorts of art here in the Lone Star State but one piece has given him a divine purpose throughout his life. It’s also been the inspiration to complete The Coming King Sculpture Prayer Garden in Kerrville. “The Divine Servant,” sculpture is the one that, kind of, started this whole venture for Max.

Max’s story starts in the 1970’s, after marrying his wife Sherry in 1975, he started his fine art business and had major success. But when the market crashed in 1986, his world came tumbling down. “We didn’t have any money. We were losing the land, losing the mobile home, losing the business, and that’s when I cried out and said, ‘God, help. I need help, please.’ And He spoke and said, ‘I want you to do a sculpture of Jesus washing Peter’s feet.’ and I heard it. I said, ‘Okay.’,” explained Max. “Many consider it my masterpiece, hopefully each one of them has that character to them, but that’s how it began. God was teaching me about humility. That’s what this is about. You can see Jesus washing the feet of the disciple, Peter, right before he went to the cross the next day. That’s what God wants us to do. He wants to help keep us clean and walk through this life, and if we get dirty, he’ll forgive us and wash our feet again,” explained Max. “That took off, and then God… I waited. I learned He could give me ideas, so I just waited on Him. Then He gave me other ideas. I wouldn’t just work a month like an artist or an architect and say, ‘What’ll I do today?’ I’d just say, ‘God, tell me what you want.’,” said Max.

Several religious sculptures followed and one day Max thought he had completed his divine duty. “When I finished “The Coming King” I said, ‘Well, God, I guess we’re done. That’s the end of the book, Revelation. I guess I can quit now.’ I thought I was through, but then He gave me this vision to do a sculpture prayer garden,” said Max.

That’s when get got a call he wasn’t expecting. “A stranger out of Beaumont, Texas, named Marlon Quibodeaux, called up, and he said, ‘I’m Marlon Quibodeaux. I’m a businessman and an evangelist in Beaumont. And God says you’re supposed to build a 77′ 7″ cross on Interstate 10.’ I said, “What?,” explained Max.

Max prayed about and felt called to do it. Now he just needed a place to put it. He was drawn to this hilltop in Kerrville and contacted the owner. “Hey, this is Max Greiner, in Kerrville, Texas. I’m an artist and evangelist and I believe God wants to use your property to build a sculpture garden to honor Jesus Christ. Would you give me your land? If not, what would you sell it for? He didn’t answer my… He didn’t return my call,” joked Max.

But with prayer and incredible generosity, somehow this massive project miraculously came together. “God brought in other people and contractors and lots of volunteers. It was a work of the Body of Christ. It’s not just the Baptists, the Methodists, the Presbyterians, the Pentecostals; it’s the Catholics, it’s the whole Body of Christ. Everybody that claimed Jesus as Lord and Savior, they wanted to do this,” expressed Max.

“For me, it was like it resembled how big God is,” said visitor Jen Case. Jen felt called to come here from Nashville. “I literally felt just peace and everything that I had been carrying just fell off me,” expressed Jen.

“See, most people don’t know, God still works miracles,” expressed Max.

“The peace and the serenity here is amazing,” stated Jen.

“If you love God, it will be one of the most amazing experiences of your life. If you don’t like God, it could be one of the most amazing experiences of your life,” said Max.

The cross and sculptures are inspiring, but even more uplifting are their prayers placed on rocks around the scripture garden, thousands of them. “It’s one of the favorite aspects of the garden for a lot of the visitors. They’re thanking God for answering their prayers and they’re also asking God to answer their prayers,” explained Max.

Prayers for the sick, for family, for service members, and for healing.  Walking along this path, you can’t help but to say a prayer for those who need it most. “That’s what this kind of illustrates is the effect and power of prayers. That’s why people have canceled suicide here. They’ve been healed of drug addiction, abuse, and all kinds of stuff. Sometimes people leave their problems right here at the cross. They dump them off at the cross, let Jesus worry about them and they go away free,” expressed Max.

“I just felt super led to write my name and his name on this rock. I just put, “beautifully broken.” Then I wanted to do another rock. I thought, well, I don’t know if I was going to put my kids names, or whatever, but all of a sudden, God just put it on my heart. “All for your glory” came to my mind,” said Jen.

“God is a mystery, I don’t understand it, but we know you got to come to God and to get your prayers answered,” expressed Max.

So if experiencing a little spirituality is something that your soul seeks, a stop at The Cross in Kerrville is well worth a stop on The Texas Bucket List. “Bring all the people that are your friends and family to the garden, and also bring all the people you don’t like and just drop them off at the entrance and pick them up in a couple of hours and they’ll be a lot better,” said Max.

“This is so beautifully overwhelming, everybody needs to see this,” said Jen.

“This is God showing off on this mountain,” stated Max.

The Texas Bucket List – Belt Sander Races at The Gaff in Port Aransas

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Port Aransas – Traveling to Port A is the perfect stop on The Texas Bucket List. You’ve got sun, beautiful beaches, great food, fine folks, and furry friends. But if your competitive juices start to flow and you’re looking for a great showdown between competitors, just head to The Gaff. There you’ll find a unique tournament of champions, the Belt Sander Races.

“This is the greatest thing in the world,” said patron Terry Gillespie. “Where else have you ever seen belt sander races,” asked patron Joe Jensen. “We are the birthplace of Texas Belt Sander Racing,” said owner Kip Shannon. Kip started this backyard competition that takes place on a really long board back in 2005. “It’s a little competition, it’s a little bit fun and everybody gets together, it’s a community thing,” said Kip.

Popular with winter Texans but busy throughout the year, the semi-monthly matchup brings in the best belt sanders from across the country.  But racing isn’t the only thing going on here. “It’s a get together, we have a party,” stated Kip. “I saw crusty old men turn into 10-year-old kids at the drop of a hat and I’m like, ‘I’m onto something.’,” explained Kip.

Now I would say that usually drinking and power tools are a bad idea. “It is when you’re racing. We try to keep everything down to a low roar. Sometimes it will mess up and you’re out because of your drinking,” said Kip.

Donna Orozco is one of the many competitors that gets a grip and lets it rip. “When we first heard about this, we came down here and we’re like, ‘What the heck?’ And we’re like, ‘Oh my God, we got to do this.’,” said competitor Donna Orozco. “I tell people like, ‘We race belt sanders.’ And they’re like, ‘You do what?’,” joked Donna. Her Lady Liberty is a true testament to the American spirit, and sure makes Donna proud when racing down the track!

All these power tools have a personality all to their own.  From Ol’ Blue, the Cheesehead, to the Money Pit, you never know what you’ll find riding or potentially dying. “The decor on them is pretty interesting,” said spectator Haley Jamison. And it’s not just what’s on the outside that counts. These folks get serious when it comes to sanders. The winner of 2010 Las Vegas hit this track, he’s got the record at 2.5 seconds. And he’s an electrical engineer and he has a little something in there that no one knows what it is but whatever it is, it makes him a fast sander,” said Kip.

Some of the entrants are so fast that standing close to the track can be a bit precarious. “We have tested to see if it does jump the track how far it goes and this usually is a pretty good buffer zone for safety wise. And then it did go to the neighbor’s yard one time but that was rare,” said Kip.

With dozens on hand, cheering on their favorite challenger, the tension is palpable. “I always do like a little bit of deep breathing before I get up there to settle my heart rate down and just focus on that light,” explained Donna. Because this is a race of inches. “It’s the luck of the draw. You don’t know which lane you’re going to get, one lane’s kind of faster than the other so it’s a lucky thing,” explained Kip. “We’re all really good friends that we all cheer each other on. And it was amazing. It’s good to be here with all your friends, for sure,” expressed Donna.

In the end, Donna pushed it to the limit and took the title of champion on this day of the belt sander races. “This is our fifth season we’ve been racing and this is my first time to ever get number one,” stated Donna. “I make a lot of people happy on these certain little days, twice a month. It takes a lot of energy out of you but it’s impressive to see how much fun and joy these guys kind of… I bring purpose to people’s lives, I like it. I really like it,” expressed Kip.

“We love it,” said spectator Richard Childress.

“It’s one of those kooky little things that you’ve just got to see,” said Kip.

“Oh man, this is a genuine Texas experience, and where else can you go to a pirate bar? This is like the best place in the world to me. I love The Gaff. I do,” said Donna.

The Texas Bucket List – Stonehenge Replica in Odessa

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Odessa – In the heart of the Permian Basin, you’ll find all sorts of unique geographical oddities.  The sands of Monahans, the Wink Sink and the second largest meteor crater in the U.S. are a few of these places we’ve perused.  But over in Odessa, there’s a rock formation that’s not as natural as the rest.

“A lot of people have not heard of Odessa, and it’s kind of put us on the map,” said one who helped erect the replica, Dick Gillham. Gillham may be in his 90’s but the art installation he helped erect is dedicated to something much older than him. Stonehenge. “Well, because that’s what we had,” stated Dick.

“They ask the same question, ‘Why?’, and then sometimes my answer is just, ‘Well, why not?’,” said Professor Christopher Stanley.Stanley is a Professor of Art at the University of Texas Permian Basin and he’s worked with Dick on all sorts of art projects around the Permian Basin.  But nothing is as immense as the tribute to Stonehenge that you’ll find on the UTPB Campus. “This was one of our first big adventures,” said Christopher. “Odessa doesn’t have a whole lot of attractions, and art is one way that I think he can bring it to the public,” said Dick.

It all started in the early 2000’s when Dick’s colleague, who happened to have a quarry, bequeathed boulders for a bold project.  The only momentous task at hand was to figure out what to do with the endowed endowment.     “Anything we could do to attract people to come and look at UTPB, that’s what we wanted to do,” said Dick.

So in 2004, the rocks were raised. “I was in the crane business, and it fascinates me that back 2,000 years ago, they put these stones up on top of these other stones, and just moved the stones. Sometimes, we have a hard time moving some of this stuff, and to think they did it 2,000 years ago is phenomenal,” explained Dick.

“We both have this incredible history of working with our hands. The act of making the original Stonehenge all was done by hand, so we kind of took an easy way out, because we had something called “modern technology,” explained Christopher.

While these limestone pillars are quite large, they’re not quite as big as the boulders at Stonehenge.  But they are aligned exactly the same allowing that astronomical experience during the solstice that you’d normally only get in Great Britain. “Not everybody can afford to go to England and see it, so we give them the next best thing,” stated Dick.

Seeing the summer solstice isn’t the only reason to see this site, the rocks themselves are unique to this part of our state. “This is the Permian Basin, but this is the Permian Basin that was underwater,” stated Christopher.

Christopher then explained all of the things about the stone, from a geological point they could tell what animals lived on the stone, the conditions at the time, and even more!

This is all thanks to a retired professional and a professor bringing together an idea that has captured the imagination of college students and normal sightseers all curious about the cosmos. “Makes a good place for people to theorize what they think this was built for,” expressed Dick. “There were a lot of questions about why it was built, how it was built, and maybe it’s not important why and how. What’s important is to bring students out here and have them think about it. Then you hone those critical thinking skills that maybe they didn’t learn earlier, and it’s like, ‘Well, come up with your own idea why they did it.’ And there might not be one right answer,” said Christopher.

The Texas Bucket List – The Pumpkin Patch at the Dallas Arboretum in Dallas

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Dallas – When the calendar rolls around to October and the chill of the first cold front hits our state, it doesn’t take long for Texans to take things outside to enjoy the crisp air from up north. But if you live in a big city like Big D, finding the perfect stop to enjoy the refreshing revision in the weather could be a bit of a conundrum and fortunately, we found a good place to start.  The Dallas Arboretum.

Rick Williams, a volunteer at the Dallas Arboretum gave us a tour of the oasis and he was excited to showcase this slice of serene scenery in the middle of the city.  “Well I’ve always had an interest in horticulture,” said Rick.

Rick enjoys volunteering out here so much, he took time to earn a degree in horticulture during his retirement. “Now all I do is play golf, play with the grandkids, and volunteer at the arboretum so life is good,” expressed Rick.

We took a tour of the spacious greenery and saw White Rock Lake with the fantastic Dallas building skyline in the background. “It’s an area that has lots of asphalt and buildings and stuff so it’s definitely a place to get away, breathe fresh air and enjoy the outdoors,” explained Rick.

Situated on 66 acres, the Dallas Arboretum is a haven from the heavy traffic around the metroplex, and here the hue is heightened. “Unlike a lot of arboretums, which are pretty much just trees, shrubs, and a few flowerbeds, we specialize in color,” said Rick.

But when it comes to the festive orange splendor that we look forward to during the fall, the Arboretum goes above and beyond. Known as the Pumpkin Village, this annual tradition has been going since 2005. It takes 90,000 pumpkins to create this fairytale land faithful to fall, and it’s an eye full. “We have three different pumpkin houses with a whole variety pack of pumpkins, we have some squashes and gourds. I always thought pumpkins were orange but fool that I was, turns out we have white ones, and ones with stripes so you get a whole variety pack around here,” explained Rick.

Seeing such a diverse and colorful pumpkin patch brings out a bunch of people and they usually have one thing on their mind, pictures. “Well it’s a great place for family pictures you’ll see tons of folks out here taking pictures. They come down here by the ton so this is a family oriented place if it were one,” said Rick.

While we snapped some colorful photos for our social media feed, Rick doesn’t really get into that too much. “No, I try to keep my life simple, golf, the grandkids, then the arboretum. I don’t want to worry about that,” said Rick.

Of course, it doesn’t take posting your pictures to get a positive experience out at the Dallas Arboretum. In fact, leaving your phone in the car and just seeing the sights of a seriously silly amount of pumpkins might be the best way to fully experience this haven in the middle of the city. “It’s a great place for families and it does your heart good to see people enjoying themselves down here. This is certainly a wonderful spot to cross off your bucket list,” said Rick.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Texas Bucket List – Sisters Grimm Ghost Tours in San Antonio

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San Antonio – When the sun sets on San Antonio, the city seems to take on a whole new perspective. Sights that seem ordinary during the day all of a sudden get sort of spooky. Maybe that’s because these places have a story to tell, and the folks at Sisters Grimm Ghost Tours are happy to haunt your dreams.

“Spirits reside in this great city,” said James Schwartz.  Schwartz married one of the original Sisters Grimm, his wife Lauren. Lauren and her sister run this San Antonio tour, dedicated to the stories from the other side since in 2011.  “We always loved doing ghost tours, we’ve been to ghost tours throughout the country and we decided, ‘San Antonio doesn’t really have a true and authentic ghost tour,” explained James.

James had a premonition that joining in on the apparition operation wouldn’t be a horrifying profession. “I figured that this was a lot more fun than working with living people, I’d rather work with dead people,” joked James.

Whether it’s walking the streets hearing spooky stories or going for a spin in a seriously spooky set of wheels, you’ll never know what you’ll hear on this haunted tour. “Ghost stories can be embellished at times, especially from the aspect of the person that is telling the ghost story, they feel different things, and a little game of telephone along and stories change over time, but all of the history is true,” explained James.

But all the bumps in the night are heart at the historic Menger Hotel, where ghost sightings are often seen in pictures. “We have 36 known spirits that haunt the Menger Hotel. We have spirits such as Sally White, one of the chambermaids of the hotel, killed just outside the hotel, we have Teddy Roosevelt, he haunts the Menger bar, and then we have Captain Richard King of the King Ranch, who died right upstairs in the hotel,” explained James.

Before you can get too comfy in the hotel, you’ll head to historic buildings around town like the Spanish governor’s palace, and the old Bexar County Jail which now happens to be a hotel. “You know I have felt things, I have heard things, I’ve actually thought I’ve seen things but if we had promised seeing ghosts on our tour, we’d probably be charging a little bit more for admission,” joked James.

As if all of this isn’t creepy enough, you’ll end the evening on the east side of town at the historic cemetery consisting of 103 acres of prominent permanent residents. “Just visiting all the founders of our city, the prominent people such as Mr. Menger who built the beautiful hotel, he’s at eastside cemetery district, Carl Gunther of Pioneer Flower Mill, there’s just so many great stories of these people that have passed on. And a lot of people don’t know that they’re buried here, they don’t know their past, they don’t know what makes San Antonio San Antonio, so it’s great to share the cemetery with folks,” explained James.

That includes the grave of Samuel Maverick, who was chosen to leave the siege at the Alamo to sign the Texas Declaration of Independence. “When you walk by his tombstone, there’s a scroll on the back of it that is only for people who signed the Texas Declaration of Independence.” James told tour takers.

While the Sisters Grimm Ghost Tour can definitely make you shake in your boots, in the end it comes from the history of the Lone Star State. And who doesn’t like a tall tale in Texas? So if visiting those who have already kicked the bucket is on your bucket list, Sisters Grimm Ghost Tour in San Antonio is a lot safer than busting out any Ouija boards.  “I’m very passionate about history, but the ghost stories, just seeing the joy and the entertainment of people’s faces as I share these ghost stories, the fear in their eyes, it’s what brings me a lot of happiness,” said James.

The Texas Bucket List – All Star Bar-B-Q in Rusk

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Rusk – Tuesday through Saturday, Russell Turner spends a lot of time serving up some savory smoked meats. He’s the proud owner of All Star Bar-B-Q in Rusk and behind the pines, you can smell his brisket and sausage getting served up five days a week.  “It’s a good, honest way to make a living. And it’s Texas,” said owner Turner.

Since 1993 All Star has been a reliable restaurant in Rusk and while the BBQ is good, what brings in the crowd is his collection. “My whole idea all these years was to put stuff in here for people to just look at and enjoy while they’re eating barbecue,” stated Russell.

Russell is a big fan of Houston’s professional baseball team, hence the reason he has an astronomical amount of Astros gear in his restaurant. “I’m an Astro guy, I always have been. I said, ‘Why don’t I start putting Astro stuff up?’, and it took off,” said Russell. “I don’t think it ever quite got to be an obsession, borderline. I have a problem, my wife says,” joked Russell.

From tins to toy cars, it’s hard to tell if All Star Bar-B-Q is a restaurant or a really cool museum. “Shot glasses, commemorative baseballs, all the playoffs, baseball games, a few beer taps. I think it’s good for baseball to sell stuff like that. I mean, it just brings it closer in to the people. They can actually see it and touch it.”  He even has a game used base! “We don’t discuss price,” joked Russell while walking us through his collection.

Russel’s got hung up on Houston baseball as boy when his father took him to games back when they were still known as the Colt 45’s. “I just thought it was the coolest thing ever. They were building, of course, the Astrodome across the parking lot. You could see this big frame made of steel,” said Russell.

“The year the Dome opened was amazing. We did get to go the first year. We had already heard the word that you bring a sweater with you because it was going to be cool. So, it was a wow when you walked in, of course. Isn’t that something? Because they were showing off their air conditioning. They had it cranked down to like 63, probably,” explained Russell.

Conversations in most Texas BBQ joints center around BBQ.  But here, you can’t help but talk baseball. Even in the middle of an interview Russell started talking to a fellow fan! The much bigger debate in these parts might be which Texas baseball team you’re supporting. “The Mason-Dixon Line of Astros and Rangers right here in Rusk. Used to, the Astros’ line stopped at Lufkin 40 miles south, but I’ve been able to move it up to here, and then Rangers to the north, so we’re advancing. If the Astros would just let me help them market just a little, we’ll take over the whole third of this Eastern part of the state. No problem,” explained Russell.

Russel is definitely doing his part. “Most of my Ranger fans have learned that we serve them at the to-go window. So,” joked Russell.

“Most people get a kick out of it. Because again, it’s just tied into the decorations, to give the customer something to do, something to look at. Can you not look at a baseball card and have to flip it over? You have to,” explained Russell.

The centerpiece to his collection, a hand painted Astros sign that hung in the outfield of Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia that happens to be signed by the whole ’91 squad. “Most people when they come in here and they do, “Hey, would you mind taking our picture?” it’s usually in front of this.” In front of this? “Yeah. So, it’s a good backdrop,” said Russell.

Surprisingly this sign isn’t the most coveted piece in Russel’s collection. “Somebody said, ‘Well, if this place caught on fire, what would you grab?’ My son and I went to Wrigley Field to watch the Astros play, and I’ve got the lineup card for the dugout the day we were there. And I got a picture of us sitting there with Wrigley in the background and I have it framed over there by my desk. I’d probably grab that,” said Russell.

Baseball. There’s just something about it that brings families together. “Grandkids and grandfathers, those are the ones who seem to appreciate baseball the most. Maybe I just say that because I’m a grandfather now. I don’t know,” Russell said.

So if you’re a fan of the right Texas team, a stop at All Star Bar-B-Q in Rusk is right up your alley and well worth a stop on The Texas Bucket List!

The Texas Bucket List – Scholz Garten in Austin

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Austin – Across the Lone Star State there are roughly 8,000 bars but one of them has one heck of title.  With over 150 years of history, Scholz Garten in Austin claims to be the oldest bar in Texas but that’s not the only reason you’ll want to raise a big ol’ stein!

Among the massive new buildings in Austin, there’s still a lot of history and tucked away just a few blocks from the capital is a building older than the stone structure that sits on Congress.  It’s called Scholz Garten and it holds a ton of titles.

“Dude, this is the oldest bar in Texas,” stated Dan Smith, the current owner of Scholz.  Dan is always boasting about the age of this old ale house while inviting people in to raise a glass to it.  Dan is originally from, of all places, New York but he’s been in the capital city since 2010. He couldn’t pass up the opportunity to be the proprietor of the place where everyone says “Prost!”

Considered to be the oldest bar in Texas, the oldest beer garden in the United States and perhaps the oldest business on the books in Austin, Scholz takes a lot of titles. “It is a Texas tradition right here in Austin,” said Austin local Nancy Wilson. “I think there’s responsibility that comes with it, no question. I mean, this is an icon. This building’s been here for so long and is really sort of like a little community center,” explained Dan.

In 1866, August Scholz decided he was going to build a bar right in the center of Austin, well before it was filled with buildings. “I don’t know what was behind that decision making, but clearly it was a sound business decision, because he has lasted for over 150 years, he was pretty smart. Pretty good in his site selection,” said Dan.

“Surrounded by all these buildings, it’s a green space, it’s an airspace. It’s a place of tradition,” said patron Nancy Wilson. Nancy is a rare bird, she’s native Austinite!  She even went to school at UT and has always enjoyed flocking to this fine establishment. “I studied calculus one summer sitting in the bar there. Just because we needed a place to study and I wanted to have something else to do besides calculus,” joked Nancy.

“It’s warm, it’s got character. You can just smell history in here. I mean, you can just feel all of what went on and so forth. And I love that. I love icons and Austin’s got some great icons,” expressed Dan.

“I’ve been coming here since I was well not eligible to drink,” joked Scott Wilson. Scott Wilson is another lifelong Austin resident who’s been coming to this garden since John Connally was Governor.

“I think celebrating German Texas culture is a big part of it. There’s a lot of that culture here and in the Hill country and in central Texas. So, and we’re proud to be a part of it,” said Dan. But it’s not just the beer that brings in the masses, the food is far and away some of the best bar food in the state.  With really good reubens, charcuterie boards that shoot up the charts in flavor, and big hot pretzels!  “The pretzels are really good,” said Nancy.

So if you’re looking to raise a really big glass to Texas, stopping by Scholtz Garten is a great reason to head to the capital city and check off another stop on The Texas Bucket List.  “It’s the oldest bar and restaurant in Texas. We stand by that. But to come in and have a great beer and have this experience and enjoy the spaces, it’s special,” explained Dan. “There’s no other beer garden in Texas like it,” said Nancy.

The Texas Bucket List – Cleveland Amory Black Beauty Ranch in Murchison

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Murchison – Seeing horses roam a pasture is nothing new here in the Lone Star State.  Big steeds standing in green grass is always a great site.  But when you realize just how great this grazing area is at the Cleveland Amory Black Beauty Ranch in Murchison you realize just how loved and looked after these stunning stallions are. With over 1400 acres at the Black Beauty Ranch, it’s a utopia for animals who need the perfect place to call home.

“Well, this is kind of like my dream job. Where else would you want to work than around 800 animals and 40 different species,” said the senior director of the ranch, Noelle Almrud.

This ranch might just be her sanctuary too. “If I’m having a bad day, I can go out my office door and I’ve got 40 cows over here, or I can go listen to the gibbons calling, or go talk to a tiger. They don’t talk back,” joked Noelle.

This is Noelle’s second career stint after finding out a life in finance wasn’t for her. “I was in Houston working in commercial mortgage banking, of course, in insurance. And I decided I would be happier shoveling animal poo and doing what I was doing. So I quit my job, went back to school to A&M and got a Wildlife and Fishery Sciences degree, and started off as a caregiver, shoveling animal poo,” explained Noelle.

The sanctuary got started in 1979 when author Cleveland Amory rescued over 500 burros in the Grand Canyon that were slated to be destroyed due to overpopulation.  The rescue mission cost Amory half a million dollars. “Cleveland Amory always said that this place would be a place where animals could be looked after and not looked at. And we’ve taken that to heart. He was a forward thinker back in the day, as far as treating animals with respect and dignity,” expressed Noelle.

Noelle takes us on a tour of the pasture to graze at all of the roaming animals, from deer, sheep, ostriches, emu, and many more! “We are different than probably any other sanctuary in Texas. Most sanctuaries that are reputable are specialized. They’re a primate sanctuary or a big cat sanctuary. We have a little bit of everybody and we have a lot of stories to tell as to why these animals are here and how people can make better choices so that they don’t need to continue to come to sanctuary,” explained Noelle.

One of their newest residents is a tiger that’s got quite a tale! In May of 2021, the news of a tiger on the loose in Houston made national headlines.  Roaming around with a rhinestone collar, residents were worried about the carnivorous cat cruising through town.  Eventually the tiger was captured “When that happened, we reached out to Houston animal control, or BARC, and said, ‘If you need our help, we’re here.’ About a week later, they called us and said, ‘We’re going to be getting the tiger tonight. How soon can you get here?’ And so we were on the road 10 hours later in the early morning to go pick him up,” explained Noelle.

Noelle walked us over to meet the famous 200-pound tiger named India, and all about his diet that the sanctuary humanely obtains for this carnivore. “You do see the positive results when you give them more space and more privacy,” stated Noelle.

If seeing happy animals in a heavenly sanctuary is something you’d like to see, the Black Beauty Ranch does offer small tours very sparingly but it gives them a chance to speak for the animals. “Our main goal is to educate the public so that we don’t have to continually keep taking in these animals,” expressed Noelle.

 

 

 

The Texas Bucket List – Gator Country in Beaumont

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Beaumont – When it comes to Cajun lineage in the Lone Star State, southeast Texas is a good place to start.  Beaumont has a big assortment of down on the bayou businesses but there is one that will croc your world. Gator Country.

Gary Saurage is the proprietor of Gator Country, a place right on the side of Interstate 10 that’s home to hundreds of gators. Gary risks life and limb daily to deal with these deadly animals that have been around for a millions of years. “People do say I’m crazy all the time, but you know what I say to them? They’re crazy. You know why? They’re sitting at a job in front of a computer all day that they hate. Look what I get to do all day. Who’s really crazy,” said Gary. “When you walk in here, we’re going to hand you a baby alligator, we’re going to hand you a snake. We’re going to teach you a bunch of stuff. This absolutely is on people’s bucket lists.” said Gary.

But it’s not just Gary risking it all to put on a really good show, so does his wife Shannon. Her specialty is snakes but that doesn’t mean she won’t wrangle one of the big gators when needed.  Gary and Shannon’s place is sort of like a zoo, rescue facility, and reptile research center all wrapped into one big park and that’s a lot to chew. “There’s nowhere else in Texas you’re going to go and get this experience. Bar none,” stated Gary.

Shannon has only been working with Gary for a few years but she got in on the gator action as soon as she could.   “People will tell you that alligators have the little pea brains, and they have no thought process. But I can tell you, I have taught him to come. The only thing I haven’t taught him lately is how to sit down and roll over,” explained Shannon.

Now the big gators get a lot of attention.  You’ve got Big Al who’s 88 years old and measures in at 13 feet 4 inches. Then there’s Big Tex. At 13 feet, 11 inches long Gary doesn’t get in the ring with this gator.  That’s why Gary handed me a long grappling stick to feed the gator. “He’s going to come up. When he does, I want you to drop that meat in his mouth. We don’t hand to him. He is a dangerous son of a gun,” explained Gary as we braved feeding the gigantic alligator.

But there’s also little gators that need lots of attention. “There are a lot of injured animals out there. And somebody’s got to take care of them,” said Shannon as we showed me around the injured alligator tank.  “So you see this one right here, that’s missing her top jaw? Her top jaw got bit off by another alligator. Now, because she doesn’t have a top jaw, she can no longer feed by herself. So her only way to stay alive is in a facility where we take tongs, we reach over there, and we have to put it into the back of her palatal valve and feed her. This one right here, this is Tank. He came out of a local refinery tank. He’s missing his bottom jaw. A piece of equipment ripped the whole bottom jaw off. And he, too, has to be fed by tongs. These guys here will be with us for the rest of their life, and they’re going to get tons of food and love,” expressed Shannon.

 

Not into these prehistoric looking creatures?  Well, they got snakes too. “My all-time favorite room, this room belongs to me, and it is the venomous snake room. This right here is a timber rattlesnake. It has two toxins. It has a neurotoxin and a hemotoxin. Meaning that it affects your blood as well as shuts down your organs. You get bit by that sucker, you better find God,” explained Shannon.

Getting a close encounter with a timber rattler was terrifying so why not jump in with the gators?  Shannon brought me into the pin with a huge gator named Cuddles and all I hoped is that I didn’t look like brisket.  My first go around with a gator was a little muffed as I missed Cuddle’s massive mouth by a mile but my second go around was a lot more successful.

Fortunately, I didn’t lose any appendages. “I’ll tell you what though, you would not believe how much you need your thumb. You cannot zip your pants without your thumb. That’s a true story,” joked Gary.

So whenever you want to get down with the gators, use your medulla oblongata and take a trip to Gator County in Beaumont. Well worth a stop on The Texas Bucket List.  “Most of these reptiles are things that most people fear, and it’s been something that’s been taught since we were younger. You walk up on a snake, they go, ‘Oh my gosh, it’s a snake. It’s a poisonous snake. Get away from it.’ Well, until you really go and educate, these reptiles need voices too, and they have a reason for being here. Trust me, when you get educated and you start handling these beautiful creatures, you start falling in love with them,” expressed Shannon.

 

 

 

 

The Texas Bucket List – Lost Maples Café in Utopia

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Utopia – An hour and half west of San Antonio, smack dab in the middle of some of the most serene landscapes of Texas is Utopia.  And for locals, that’s exactly what it is. “Just great people, and everyone takes care of each other,” said resident Tabitha Bomer.

“You have to want to come to Utopia, because it’s not on the way to anywhere except Garner State Park or Lost Maples Park,” stated Tacy Redden, owner of the Lost Maples Café.

Tacy has deep roots in Utopia. “My dad was actually from Oasis, Canyon, which is a couple of canyons over, but my mother was raised right here,” said Tacy.

The Lost Maples Café is a restaurant with a really long history.  Built in 1907 as a Mason’s Lodge, it was turned into a café in the 1940s, Tacy took over in the 80’s. “We had the grocery store, and we also had a little meat plant, and he decided the cafe would go really good with our grocery store and meat plant. His aunt was going to come and run the cafe for us and teach me how to run the cafe. So if you know cafe business, you know what happened the first day. She didn’t show up,” explained Tacy.

Tacy had to learn on the fly and it didn’t take long to figure out that people here like comfort food, especially burgers and pies. “The pies are outstanding,” stated customer Cobey Keith. “Our buttermilk pie is something that everybody should come try once,” said Tacy.

But there’s another dish here that’s been on my radar thanks to its really good reputation.  The Lamb Sliders. “Lamb, yeah. No, not doing the lamb. A lot of people like it though,” “The locals don’t like them, but everybody else does,” said Tacy.

“We hear all the locals haven’t tried them,” joked head cook Johnnie Sue. Johnnie Sue cooked us up an order of the little lamb sliders.

This dish starts off with lamb raised right here in Utopia by Tacy herself. “They do. We raised them. So it’s farm to fork, as they say. It’s our own product,” stated Tacy.

Once the lamb is grilled up, it’s but on a sourdough bun with yogurt sauce. Well, this is by far one of the simplest dishes we’ve ever done. Meat, bread, sauce.

The delicate lamb sliders were ready for the taking and after one bite, I could tell the sliders have a nice clean finish. The wonderful taste of lamb mixed in with that feta and that seasoning and that yogurt sauce, is such a nice flavor. “I think we just call it South Texas lamb,” joked Tacy. I don’t know if this little lamb’s fleece was white, but its meat sure is tasty!

“It’s a unique experience. It really is. And the food is good,” said long time customer Paul Goodnight. You’d think the one thing that would be safe in Utopia is a little lamb, but apparently not! “It’s good homemade food,” stated Johnnie Sue.

And, of course, we have to finish things off with a piece of pie. Go with the buttermilk.

So if you’re looking for a unique dish in a unique part of our state, coming to the Los Maples Cafe in Utopia for the lamb sliders is definitely well worth a stop on The Texas Bucket List.