Texas Bucket List

Texas Bucket List

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This Week on The Texas Bucket List – Gage Hotel, Ringo’s and Cocoamoda

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This week’s episode of The Texas Bucket List will tug on your heart strings with stories of heart breaking tragedies turned into unforgettable triumphs of the human spirit.

First off, we check out the famous Gage Hotel. Located in the small town of Marathon, this beauty will remind you that city life has nothing on the country! Learn about the owner’s fight to keep the place open and what he is doing to keep Marathon alive.

Next up, we grab a bite to eat at Ringo’s in Laredo. This delicious burger joint combines a wide variety of meats for a barbecue burger you won’t want to miss. While the food is incredible, the story behind the owner’s recovery from a recent heart attack is what is truly remarkable.

We take a quick break with music from the very talented ________{couldn’t really read the board and I do not know where they performed so you will need to add that in if that’s alright. Thanks Shane!}

Finally, we visit old friends of ours, the owners of Cocoamoda chocolate company. The only thing sweeter than their candies is the story of these two love birds and the amazing recovery that Chef Ken Wilkenson has been making after a terrifying fall.

So grab a box of tissues and settle in for a heartwarming edition of The Texas Bucket List.

This Weekend On The Texas Bucket List – East Texas Candy, a Brotherly Burger and the Border Patrol Museum

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This week on The Texas Bucket List we let our sweet tooth lead the way to a Texas candy factor that got its start in the Great Depression and is still rolling out some of our favorite candies, find double the trouble at a burger joint in Carrizo Springs, and patrol the history of those who protect our border.

Our first stop is sure to excite every sweet tooth in the Lone Star State. At Atkinson’s Candy Company in Lufkin, we explore sweets that have been tantalizing candy lovers since 1932 and find out what it takes to make these delectable pieces of sugary heaven.

Next we find ourselves getting into trouble (better make that double) in Carrizo Springs with our burger of the week from Double Trouble. This burger joint that’s located in an RV park may have an unconventional location, but the burgers made here with twin brotherly love are worth the trouble it takes to find it.

We close this week on the Texas Mexico border where we learn about the history of the U.S. Border Patrol. Border patrol security may be a hot topic in politics right now, but that’s not what we’re here to learn about. While at the U.S. Border Patrol Museum we learn about supped up cars, see some unique seized items, and hear about just how harrowing protecting the northern and southern border of America can be.

This Weekend on The Texas Bucket List – La Lomita Chapel, Top of the Hill, Broadcasting Museum

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This week on The Texas Bucket List we’re checking in with our friends from the Museum of Broadcasting and Communication in a new segment we call Checking it Twice, climbing to the top of a hill for a super burger, and getting in touch with some religious Texas history at La Lomita Park.

We start this week’s episode with a new segment and old friends. In Kilgore we learn about the new location of the Museum of Broadcasting and Communication and see the lenses that brought Texas history into our homes for many years.

Next we find ourselves in Benchley at a burger joint called Top of the Hill. Here we discover our kryptonite, a burger known as the Superman. This huge greasy burger is my taste bud’s new hero.

We close this week in Mission, where we are blessed with the opportunity to learn about some religious Lone-Star State history.  This powerful Texas presence helped build the border region while establishing a message of peace and Texas friendship.

So, don’t go kickin’ the bucket, because we’ve got a lot to see, do, and experience this week on The Texas Bucket List.

The Texas Bucket List Top 5 Burgers of the Season

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A unique set of Texas burger treasures has crossed our palates this season. Each and everyone has brought Lone-Star State joy to our taste buds, but only one can be crowned burger of the season. With delicious deliberation, we’ve made our top five burgers from the Fall 2017 season list. (Click the images or links below to watch videos about each of our top five burgers.)

Burger #5

The Texas Bucket List Burger of the Season Fall 2017 – Burger #5 Wagon Wheel Drive-In in Big Spring

When you think of Texas burgers, I doubt you think of pizza, too. The legendary Texas treat, known as the pizza burger, has been on the Wagon-Wheel Drive-In menu since the 1940s. With two beef patties, a bruschetta bun, marinara sauce, parmesan and mozzarella cheese, and the traditional burger toppings, lettuce, tomato, and onion this is definitely a delicious Lone-Star State find.

The Pizza Burger at Wagon Wheel Drive-In in Big Spring

Burger #4

The Texas Bucket List Burger of the Season Fall 2017 – Burger #4 J&P Bar and Grill in Comstock

This burger packs hellacious flavor in each and every bite. A beef patty made with freshly ground meat, toasted onion poppy seed bun, grilled jalapenos, pepper jack cheese, homemade jalapeno mayo sauce, and all the traditional burger toppings make this burger wrong in all the right ways. The spice and flavor of this West Texas treat make it no surprise that the devil’s burger finds a spot on our top burgers of the season list.

The Devil’s Burger at J&P Bar and Grill

Burger #3

The Texas Bucket List Burger of the Season Fall 2017 – Burger #3 LSA Burger Company in Denton

Named after Texas music artist, Stevie Ray Vaughan, this burger packs some rhythm and blues. This burger is rocking with a beef patty, buttered brioche bun, blue cheese, bacon, blue cheese dressing, and Frank’s Hot Sauce. One bite of this Texas burger gem, and we were love struck baby.

The Stevie Burger at LSA Burger Company in Denton

Burger #2

The Texas Bucket List Burger of the Season Fall 2017 – Burger #2 Bacon Cheese Burger at The Burger Bar in Cleburne

It’s hard to beat a good old fashioned bacon cheese burger made on a 100 year old grill at a restaurant with courters so close, you quickly become friends with the chef and three other people that can be in the space at one time. Salt and pepper are all the seasoning this beef patty needs, the rest of the meat’s flavor comes from the 100 year old grill. Fresh jalapenos, cheese, bacon, and a toasted bun smothered with mustard, mayo, pickles, tomatoes, onions, and lettuce make the bacon cheeseburger well worth squizing into the tiny building known as The Burger Bar.

Bacon Cheese Burger at The Burger Bar

Burger #1

The Texas Bucket List Burger of the Season Fall 2017 – WINNER Top of the Hill in Benchley

It’s a bird! It’s a plain! No, it’s Superman, the superman burger from Top of the Hill that is. This burger truly is super, making it the number one burger on our list this season. Two hand pressed patties made with local beef, toasted buns, grilled house made jalapenos, bacon, cheese, and all the usual burger fixings make this burger my personal kryptonite.

The Superman at Top of the Hill

Seven Spooky Stops in The Lone Star State

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There’s no shortage of legends in Texas. From legends in history to modern football legends, the Lone Star State has a seemingly endless list of legendary places, people, and events. The legends we are interested in at this time of year, however, are the legends with a haunted twist. Here are a few legendary stops from The Texas Bucket List sure to send chills down your spin.

Thurber Ghost Town – Thurber, Texas

 

Thurber Ghost Town – There’s not much left of this once-bustling Texas brick manufacturing and coal mining town, but what is still here falls into the category of eerie. One of the very first cities in the United States with electricity in every home, running water, and natural gas went belly up thanks to the discovery of black gold nearby. When the town up and moved, people left a rather large cemetery behind. Today this cemetery is among the eeriest things we’ve ever seen in our travels across the Lone-Star State.

Watch Now: Thurber Ghost Town

Auntie Skinner’s Riverboat Club – Jefferson, Texas

Auntie Skinners – This hamburger hot spot in Jefferson is housed in a building built around 1866 as a warehouse for cotton. Great burgers aren’t the only thing haunting this historic building. A ghost named George likes to give people a good scare in the restaurant’s stairwell. Beware of the fifth stair, that’s where George likes to push people down. But don’t worry too much, your taste buds will be begging to be haunted by more burgers from Auntie Skinners after you give it a try!

Watch Now: Auntie Skinners

The National Funeral Museum – Houston, Texas

The National Funeral Museum – This museum in Houston is dedicated to preserving the history of kicking the bucket. Now if that doesn’t sound morbid and unnatural, I don’t know what does! Serving as the only funeral history museum in the nation, this exhibit features presidential hearses, part of Marilyn Monroe’s grave, and Walt Disney’s Death certificate among other eerily interesting things.

Watch Now:  The National Funeral Museum

 

Miss Hattie’s Bordello Museum – San Angelo, Texas

Miss Hattie’s Bordello Museum – Dedicated to the working women of the West, Miss Hattie’s Bordello once held the jewels of the West and entertained many a fellow looking for a rest and refreshment. Though we didn’t include it in our coverage of the Bordello, our crew definitely felt a presence from out of this world while touring the museum that gives them goose bumps just thinking about it.

Watch Now:Miss Hattie’s Bordello Museum

The Driskill Hotel – Austin, Texas

The Driskill Hotel – Part hotel, part historical landmark, and part museum, this is the perfect place in Austin to sleep off some spirits. This hotel has been part of the Austin skyline since 1886, and therefore predates the capital building. With a rich history, including a Texas shoot out in the lobby, it’s no surprise there are three legendary ghost tales attached to the Driskill. Though we don’t cover any of these tales in our segment on the Driskill, it is still well worth a stop for ghost hunters and none believers alike.

Watch Now: The Driskill Hotel

Dave’s Pawn Shop – El Paso, Texas

Dave’s Pawn – This place may not have a haunting ghost story, but the merchandise here is sure to excite those who love all things eerie. Items for sale include a resident mummy, Pancho Villa’s trigger finger, and something called a Fiji that is part fish, part person, and part bird.

Watch Now: Dave’s Pawn

Aurora Alien Grave – Aurora, Texas

This small community north of Fort Worth may be named for the glimmering light show seen in the sky, but it’s something that fell from the wild blue yonder that’s legendary in this little town. With a history rich in odd happenings, it should come as no surprise that this place finds itself on our list. For example, the small community once had a population of over 5,000, but an epidemic wiped out most of the population. While everything seemed to be going south in Aurora, a spaceship is said to have hit one of the windmills here.

Watch Now: Aurora Alien Grave

BONUS – Terrifying Texas Tunes: Check out this tune titled “Devil’s Song” by Shinyribs. It’s sure to leave you trembling.

Watch Now: “Devil’s Song” by Shinyribs

 

The Texas Bucket List – La Lomita Chapel

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MISSION, Texas – Just a few hundred yards from the slow-moving waters of the Rio Grande sits a small chapel. Since 1899 this small structure has sat here doing exactly what the priests that built it all those years ago had hoped for, inspiring and guiding.

Luis Contreras from the Mission Historical Museum has no problem speaking from the pulpit about this place.

“It’s important to me because of where I come from,” Luis said. “I was born and raised in Mission. This is the foundation. It’s the beginning of the story.”

Any long-lasting building or belief has to have a good foundation and for the origin of La Lomita, you have to go back to 1849, when Oblate priests from France brought their missionary work to Texas.

“They reached out to about Roma, which was a hundred-mile stretch, and provided services to a lot of the working folk, ranch folk, that lived and worked on the ranch properties,” Luis explained.

Known as the Cavalry of Christ, the priests served 65 ranches when the chapel was built.

Father Roy Snipes from Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mission comes from the same line of Oblates that started their mission work here all those years ago.

“It was a continual, like a sacred, creative energy,” Father Roy informed us. “I hope we still have some of it, but they were free spirits. They were wild holly men, and there’s a lot of good stories about them.”

He relies on this old chapel for strength and guidance in his daily life as a priest.

“I go there all the time,” Father Roy said. “That’s where I go to pray almost everyday.”

It’s not hard to see that back then, life was a bit simpler.

“The world now is a little bit probably over institutionalized and sanitized and bureaucratized,” Father Roy says. “I’m sure those guys are telling us, ‘Get down off your damn high horse, and get a little bit more down to earth. Get a little bit more ranch style, a little bit more down home, a little bit more country style.’ We try to do that. Try to keep in touch with that.”

In 1912, the Oblates built the St. Joseph and Saint Peter Seminary, a site that was badly damaged by a fire in 2009.  Its façade still stands, barley, but there are hopes to revitalize the old Novitiate. For now, the small chapel remains as the strongest physical connection we have to the holy riders who took to the Rio Grande to spread their message of love to the lands.

“The beginnings are always so, so important,” Luis said. “The experience doesn’t just come in what you read. It’s in your environment, your surroundings, and when you can actually sit and visit a site that was touched by many hands, including the Oblate fathers that came through here to establish this, and start the story of Mission, Texas, it’s definitely a site to come out and see, and visit.”

So, make it your mission to visit Mission and connect with a powerful presence in the Lone-Star State that helped build the border region while establishing a message of peace and a Texan favorite, friendship.

The Texas Bucket List Wins Seven Telly Awards During 38th Annual Telly Awards

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During the 38th Annual Telly Awards The Texas Bucket List won seven Telly Awards. The Telly Awards seek to honor and promote visual arts excellence, and receives over 13,000 entries from all 50 states and 5 continents annually. This year The Texas Bucket List took home six Bronze Telly Awards and one Bronze People’s Telly Award. Segments from The Texas Bucket List that received Telly Awards can be viewed bellow by clicking on the title links.

Telly Award Winning segments from The Texas Bucket List include:

“A Bullfight on the Border” – This clip of The Texas Bucket List highlights the La Gloria Bloodless Bullfight, and won both a Bronze Telly and Bronze People’s Telly Award. Just miles from Mexico the tradition of bullfighting is alive and well. The small town of La Gloria has no stop sign, no stores, and very little traffic, but it does have one heck of a bull fight one weekend each year. This visual Texas treat is the only bull ring in the country dedicated to just bullfighting, and serves the purpose of putting smiles on the faces of visitors from all over the country.

“The Typewriter Repairman” – The Texas Bucket List has visited some pretty unique individuals in the history of the show, and this clip highlights a visit with one individual who has quite the unique talent. As a typewriter repairman in the digital age, Edward Smith, or “Smitty”, may know the key to life. In a shop in Houston called The Universal Typewriter Shop, Smitty has been replacing rivets, unsticking keys, and making tenacious typewriters whole again since 1967. Today repairing typewriters is more of a hobby than a means of income for Smitty, and gives him a purpose in life.

“The Broken Spoke” – In the live music capital of the world, Austin, we visited a honky-tonk with a whole lot of history in this clip of The Texas Bucket List. Half a century ago the Broken Spoke became part of the Lone Star State’s capitol city, but back then it looked a whole lot different and was off the beaten path. Country music legends like Ernest Tubb, Bob Wills, George Strait, and Willie Nelson have graced the stage at the Broken Spoke to bring good times to those on the dance floor. Many Texan love stories have started here with the two step, cementing it as a dance hall with great food, fun, and friends.

“Texas Turtles” – The beach is typically thought of as a place to soak up some rays and release stress, but in this clip of The Texas Bucket List we find out that the shore line of South Padre Island helps release more than just stress. People from all over the world gather at the beach center here in the wee hours of the morning to watch catch and release turtle hatchlings make their way to the Gulf. The Kemp’s Ridley sea turtle is a native species in the Lone Star State, and their release allows folks from all over to get in touch with part of Texas nature.

“A Classic Car Restorer” – Texas is home to some pretty intriguing pieces of history, and in this clip of The Texas Bucket List we learn about the restoration of classic cars in the Lone Star State. These unique pieces of art were once a part of everyday life, but today they are rare enough to make people stop and stare. Dick’s Classic Garage in San Marcos showcases classic cars from 1901 to the 1950s, and his home to some of the rarest American automobiles in the world. The folks keeping these modern marvels in tip top shape have some unique stories of their own, and hold restoration knowledge as valuable as the cars they work to keep pristine.

“The People of Earth” – The title of this clip might make you think of space museums or alien block buster film, but this clip of The Texas Bucket List is about a small Texas town called Earth that’s home to some of the best people in the Lone Star State. With just over 1,000 people making up the town’s population, time seems to have forgotten this corner of the world. As a former part of the XIT Ranch, Earth was established in 1924, and has stayed true to its agricultural roots. No one is really sure how the town got its peculiar name, but those who reside in Earth agree that the peacefulness of small town Texas life is enjoyable as it allows them to enjoy the smaller things in life.

The Texas Bucket List – Captain Billy Whizzbang’s Earns Burger of the Season!

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This season of The Texas Bucket List was full of meaty Texas treats from all over the state. After a season with as many good burgers as this one held, it’s hard to crown just one as the burger of the season. With great deliberation, we’ve finally reached a delicious verdict to produce the top five burgers from the Spring 2017 season. (Click the images or red links below to watch videos about each of our top five burgers.)

Burger #5 The Terlingua Burger at Tolbert’s in Grapevine

With a little connection to the Terlingua Chili Cook Off, it’s no surprise that Tolbert’s in Grapevine serves up one heck of a chili burger. The patty on this Texas treat is seasoned to perfection with Terlingua seasoning, but the real secret to the success of this burger is the Terlingua chili. Grated cheddar cheese, onions, and a brioche bun finish off this Texas chili burger gem that sends our taste buds soaring.

The Terlingua Burger at Tolbert’s

Burger #4 The Cover Burger at Alamo Spring Cafe in Fredericksburg 

You wouldn’t be exaggerating if you called The Alamo Springs Café a burger oasis. Known for it’s great grub, this burger joint serves up a burger known as the cover burger because it has been featured on the cover of a prominent Texas magazine. While the burger’s obviously pretty to look at, we’re here to tell you it’s just as fun to eat. This cheese burger is made with a half-pound patty, jalapeno cheese bun, grilled onions, avocado, and green chili.

The Cover Burger at Alamo Spring Cafe

Burger #3 – Spinach and Artichoke Burger at The Kenney Store in Kenney

Our third place burger is served up with a side of small town Texas hospitality that can’t be beat at The Kenney Store in Kenney. Their spinach and artichoke burger may not be something you’d expect to find on their menu, but it has a flavor that sent our taste buds over the moon. Made with a secretly seasoned patty, house made spinach and artichoke dip, Parmesan cheese, and the traditional burger toppings this burger is truly a unique Texas burger gem.

Spinach and Artichoke Burger at The Kenney Store

Burger #2 Bacon Cheeseburger at Wingfield’s in Dallas

Since 1986 Wingfield’s in Dallas has been serving up some of the best old fashioned burgers in the Lone Star State. Mr. Wingfield, a former biology teacher and co-owner of Wingfield’s, has developed a cooking method that Wingfield’s employees have down to a science. This huge burgers are made with giant seasoned patties, delicious cheese, onions, mayo, exactly six or seven pickles, two slices of tomato, flattop fried bacon, and a 429 bun. We’ve dissected a lot of burgers on The Texas Bucket List, and this one is well worth the stop.

Bacon Cheeseburger at Wingfield’s

Burger #1 Whizz-pig at Captain Billy Whizzbang’s in Waco

With a magical mixture of meat, Captain Billy Whizzbang’s Whizz-pig burger finds itself at the top of our list. This Waco eatery has been serving up meaty treats since 1977, and is still using the same grill to make some of the best burgers in Texas. So, what is this magical meaty mixture made of? House ground bacon and fresh beef! Typical bacon burgers require you to search for that bacon flavor, but with the whizz-pig it’s in every single bite. Served on a sesame bun with mayo, mustard, pickles, lettuce, onions, special Whizzbang sauce and tomatoes, this burger is truly something worth squealing about.

Whizz-pig at Captain Billy Whizzbang’s

 

 

Five Stops and a Burger for Spring Break on The Texas Bucket List

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Nobody works harder than Texans, so it’s only fitting that residents in the Lone Star State embark on Texas sized adventures during their time off.  So pack your bags, fill up your gas tank, and buckle up because we’re headed out on a vacation fit for true Texans.  (CLICK ON TITLE TO SEE THE FULL VIDEO STORY FROM THE TEXAS BUCKET LIST!)

Isla Grand

The white sand beaches of South Padre Island are some of the most popular along the Texas coast, so it should come as no surprise that we make a stop at this Texas jewel. Spring break serves as the perfect time to soak in some rays while relaxing among the waves, and staying in this hotel ensures you don’t miss a single moment of beach time. Isla Grand has graced the shoreline of South Padre Island since the 1950’s, that’s longer than the rest, and was redone in 2008 after being hit by hurricane Dolly. Isla Grand offers beach front views that will take your breath away in an area that’s a perfect spring break destination.

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This Week on The Texas Bucket List – Old RVs, Burgers and Crawfish, and The Fulton Mansion.

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This week on The Texas Bucket List we travel through time when we stop at the RV Museum, unhinge our jaws to eat a colossal crawfish burger, and learn about the retirement home that started the coastal retirement trend in Texas back in 1877.

Our fist stop may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Amarillo, but after seeing some rare RV’s full of era appropriate appliances, nick-knacks, and furniture you’ll never forget the RV Museum. The father son duo who started collecting back in the 1970’s have some pretty rare items including the oldest RV in the world on display in their 8,000 square foot metal building.

In Anahuac we sink our teeth into a crawfish burger made with a full pound of beef. The pound patty is paired with onions and jalapenos grilled in butter, deep fried bacon, fried crawfish, and cheese all stacked between a buttered bun. The taste is so phenomenal you won’t mind leaving a pound heavier.

We finish our trip in Rockport-Fulton at the first retirement house built on the coast in 1877, the Fulton Mansion. The home has withstood the test of time and coastal hurricane forces, and was built with some pretty high tech innovation for the day. Stepping into the stunning mansion is a great way to connect with coastal cattle baron history.

So don’t go kicking the bucket. This week’s episode  is one you don’t want to miss!