Over in Houston, there’s a repairman that’s one of a kind. Edward Smith or “Smitty” as he’s know, repairs typewriters. And while he may not be getting rich, he may just know the key to life.
Summer Stops on The Texas Bucket List!
From galaxies far, far away to the caverns of inner space, we’ve got your travel destinations covered on our Summer Special edition of The Texas Bucket List!
Things get to a roaring start at the Tiger Creek Wildlife Refuge in Tyler featuring frisky, furry felines both big and small.
From the little lions on Earth to the big Leo in the sky, we turn our eyes heavenward to the night’s glorious glittering canvas available for prime viewing in Fort Davis at the McDonald Observatory.
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But you can’t leave out the Earth’s inner splendor and the Caverns at Sonora are a treat for the eyes and capture the wonder and beauty of the world below.
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If the crystalline formations of the caverns aren’t enough for the statewide wanderer, the rugged Palo Duro Canyon features as the perfect setting with a sunset backdrop for the musical Texas! that is sure to stir up your Lone Star State pride.
Finally, prepare to be blown away by the drive and determination of baby Kemp’s Ridley sea turtles beginning their journey of survival in the blue waves of Padre Island’s beaches in the Texas Gulf Coast.
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The Texas Bucket List – Odessa Meteor Crater
We head out to the Odessa Meteor Crater, the third largest meteor crater in the United States. Even though it’s been thousands of years since that ball of fire banged into the Permian Basin, the sands of time have quite literally been unforgiving to the crater, filling the hole back up with sand, sediment, and soil. A weathered walk through the center of the impact zone makes this trip well worth a stop on The Texas Bucket List.
The Texas Bucket List – Messina Hof Winery and Resort
BRYAN – In the fertile soil of the Brazos Valley, you’ll find a field of vines with a Lenoir linage dedicated to a Lone Star State libation.
No matter what quarter of the state you go to, Texans are always willing to raise a glass to their favorite vino. But we wanted to get the whole process, so we went down to Bryan to the Messina Hof vineyard to harvest some of this heart-healthy concoction.
Paul Bonarrigo is the CEO of Messina Hof, a Texas wine tradition that was founded by another Paul Bonnarigo and his wife Merrill back before Paul was even born. You could say the vineyard is his kind of an older sibling.
“Messina Hof was officially started in 1977. That’s when the vineyard went in the ground,” said Bonarrigo. “I was working in the vineyard since I was incredibly young, so I mean, my first official social security year was when I was 8 years old.”
Growing up around grapes was a constant learning experience for Paul, but before leading the family’s vineyard, he followed another calling and, like his father before him, served our country. Paul joined the Marines and was deployed to Iraq twice.
“You know, it makes you appreciate everything. Life in general, the things that some people may consider to be big deals, I don’t, you know, it’s humbling, it modifies your viewpoint on life,” Bonnarigo said.
These days you’ll always find Paul raising a glass to life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness while teaching thousands of visitors about the joy of winemaking at a special celebration they call, the harvest festival.
“Harvest Festival is when we get a chance to share what we do with the public,” Bonnarigo said. “To understand the process, to be a part of it, is a lot of fun and it’s something your memories will last a lifetime here because it’s so unique. You can’t do this very often.”
Every August, with the vines sagging from the full weight of the fine Texas fruit, folks line up to work the fields.
“We, as winemakers, get to do this on a daily basis and we experience the wine and we see the art and science involved with it. It’s a great opportunity to share knowledge, but there’s also our motto of ‘Join the family,’ that’s what it’s kind of all about,” said Bonnarigo.
Before the harvest begins, the vines are blessed.
“Being faith-based and focused on that is big for both our family and for the winery,” Bonnarigo said. “So, we always give it up to God.”
Well, water won’t turn into wine here, so the grapes have to be harvested. With a collection of clusters, it’s not hard to find the fortuitous fruit. You’ll even find the Paul senior with his trademark beret pulling his boisterous weight.
It’s not often you’ll see people smile while performing manual labor, but this is one of those exceptions. And that might be because in the end, you know there’s a payoff. Before uncorking a fine vintage, stomping on some grapes leaves a lasting impression.
“Most people are fine with it. You know, we have some people who get that little bit of the tippy toes when they start to get in there, like oh, this is a little bit different, but mostly everybody, they’ll jump in and just have a fun time,” Bonnarigo said.
This old school way of making spirits takes you back to European way of wine making, but all in the heart of Aggieland.
Then it was time to experience the wine. That’s when we met Michael Broussard, the man who knows his wine. After a few lessons, it was time to toast to Texas.
The evening is closed out with diner, drinks, and a chance to talk life with follow lovers of the vine. To connect with something that’s been bringing people together long before the wedding in Cana.
“There’s something that just makes it so magical to know that when the next bottle when the crop comes up, like that could be your pick, what you picked off the vine,” said Jellica Thomassen, Bryan-College station resident.
Whether you’re here for a drink and relaxation or to be a part of the winemaking process, Messina Hof makes for a great stop on The Texas Bucket List.
“We think that letting people be involved not only gives you a new viewpoint, but also lets you experience something that you can’t experience anywhere else,” said Bonnarigo. “No matter where you go in the world, a Texan is proud of Texas. They still understand and appreciate the value of Texas Ag, and Texas wine.”
This Weekend on The Texas Bucket List – THE BURGER OF THE SEASON!
One burger to rule them all…
It’s a battle of the burgers on this episode of The Texas Bucket List as we bring you our Season 6 top picks.
We’ve traveled far and wide this spring from the West Texas town of El Paso to the coasts of Corpus Christi to bring you some of the tastiest burgers in the Lone Star State.
What will win out – a classic favorite, a twist on flavors, or exceptional fixings? Can chili cheese compete with chili con queso? Will tomato jam trump tomato ketchup?
Find out which beef made the top grade on this week’s episode of The Texas Bucket List!
The Texas Bucket List – Kirk House “Love Doesn’t Work That Way”
Kirk House strums out the chords for a solo rendition of his song “Love Doesn’t Work that Way.”
The Texas Bucket List – Galveston Island Beach Revue
GALVESTON, Texas – Down on Galveston Island in the shadows of historic Hotel Galvez, you’ll find an annual celebration dedicated to a bygone era of American history.
You know there’s nothing better in the summer than going to the beach here in Texas, and every May a group of ladies gets together to celebrate our heritage with a little Bathing Beauties Contest.
The Galveston Island Beach Revue has a long history on the Gulf Coast. Will Wright is part of the IBC coalition, short for ‘Islander By Choice.’ In 2009, they decided to revive the saucy extravaganza with a storied past that started in the roaring ‘20s.
“We didn’t know how people would respond to it, and boy they just took off and ran with it,” said Wright. “Yeah, they say that the population would just triple when it came time for the ‘Pageant of Pulchritude’ is what they called it at that time.”
The Revue was renowned for years until the Great Depression put a stop to the celebration. Thankfully happy days are here again as lovely ladies from every corner of the Lone Star State descend upon the island every May.
In this bountiful bunch of beautiful ladies we met Beth Rogers. Representing Beaumont, this mother, wife, and entrepreneur gets a chance to let loose and have a little fun. Turns out, reviving the past takes a lot of work for each of these contestants.
“If this contest was in my hometown, I’m not sure if I would have been as eager to participate,” said Rogers. “There’s something kind of alluring about getting to play dress-up even as an adult woman.”
Rogers routinely takes part in the revue. Being able to celebrate a different time in style, fashion, and attitude makes doing all this work well worth it.
“What I actually like about ‘40s and ‘50s and why I feel comfortable participating being, you know, a 35 year-old mom, is that women in the ‘40s, especially in the ‘50s, ‘60s, the look was a little more voluptuous, a little more full-figured and, so you don’t have to be this like, stick-thin 20 year-old,” Rogers said. “You know, most of the women actually that participate I would think the average age is somewhere in their thirties. And a lot of us, most of us are moms and, you know, we come from all different walks of life and…so that’s neat.”
Each brush stroke, each curl, each step brings a new era back to life. You see this contest isn’t just about beauty, it’s a about celebrating life. But Rogers doesn’t just do this for herself, she also does it for her family.
“So I think [my son] thinks it’s kind of neat that his mom does something weird. Different!” said Rogers.
Then it’s time to compete. With thousand on hand, a most incredible gang of gals struts their stuff.
With different themes, different eras, and all different ages represented, the Galveston Beach Revue is a spectacle for the eyes and connects us to the way of life our parents, grandparents or even great grandparents got to celebrate all those years ago.
“I like seeing people connect to that history that is very important to Galveston and that we get to do something contemporary but still have kind of a historic, fun bend to it is really special,” said Wright.
The Texas Bucket List – Border Burgers
EAGLE PASS, Texas – When you find yourself on the boundary of our big ol’ state, be sure to hit the brakes and make a beeline for the closest burger. About 100 yards from the border of Mexico there’s place we’re told has got the best burgers on the border – Border Burger!
Vilma Sanchez has been running this Eagle Pass establishment from 20 years.
The first place to get a bite to eat once you cross over to the States is here,” said Sanchez. “My burgers are the best.”
In fact these burgers are so good, they’re internationally renowned! But it’s not just the burgers that people go bonkers over. Being this close to the border, can you guess their other big seller?
“Mexican tacos. Oh, they’re delicious. The best in town,” Sanchez said.
We’re sold. After that we snuck on into the kitchen and met Beato, the cook at Border Burger.
Beato hails from Piedras Negras just across the river from Eagle Pass. For 18 years, he’s been making an international commute to make some much sought-after comida.
Today, we’re trying out the Jalapeno Burger. Nothing fancy, just the Jalapeno Burger with heaps of – you guessed it – jalapenos. Beato keeps things simple and starts things off with a simple patty with no seasoning.
Next, Beato throws a bun on then grills the onions, jalapenos and bacon. It’s safe to say things move briskly at Border Burger.
“[It takes] three to four minutes to make a burger,” said Beato.
Once the bacon is about done, it literally goes from the frying pan to the fryer. 100% American cheese is placed on the patty, and Mustard is put on the bun that’s left on the grill for the great buildup.
The burger is dressed and given a bow, but we’re not done yet.
“[There’s] one more thing you need,” Beato said. “Tacos! Right in yellow tortilla.”
Beato fries up the tortillas, puts the house-made meat mix into the middle and garnishes. You can’t beat a taco by the border.
With everything served up and ready to go, we get grubbing on the Jalapeno Burger and boy, that jalapeno’s got a kick! But it’s definitely bueno.
If there’s one thing we know for sure –the burger’s got quite a bite down here on the border.
It’s a great combination of kind of a 50s diner and a taco shack by the border. It’s got a little spice, but it has that classic flavor that you come to expect when it comes to a burger.
Of course, when you’re this close to our friends to the south, you’ve got to have a taco, and something tells us this is going to crunch.
“It’s just really good. It’s original. I mean, everything’s homemade,” said Yasmine Blanco, customer at Border Burger. “Just like something grandma would cook.”
If you’re hungry for a homemade hamburguesa, you’ve come to the right place – they’ve got everything from burgers to tacos and even salads.
“Yeah, we can make taco salads, we can make a grilled salad, we can make a grilled chicken salad,” Beato said.
So if you’re ever passing through Eagle Pass and you happen to be by the border, the Border Burger is well worth a stop on The Texas Bucket List for burgers, tacos and more!
The Texas Bucket List – Dick’s Classic Garage
SAN MARCOS, Texas – When it comes to the cars of yesteryear, it’s hard not to stare at these unique pieces of art that used to be a part of everyday life. The classics can be seen all over our backroads and highways but if you want to see some of the cleanest and rarest cars in our state, you’ll have to make a stop in San Marcos.
Thomas Fortney is the curator of Dick’s Classic Garage in San Marcos. He gets to showcase an incredible collection of cars that got started in 1980 by World War II veteran Dick Burdick. The collection features rides from a specific time in American history.
“Oh, we stop at 1959 because that was kind of the last year the American auto industry was kind of in the great years,” said Fortney. “We start off with the 1901. We show the evolution of the car up through the ‘50s and how it impacted the society in America and how society impacted the automobile as it grew together.”
These aren’t you’re typical vintage vehicles; they’re some of the rarest retro rides in the world, including the last produced Tucker, number 1050.
“Curtis Foester had it. He rebuilt it in the ‘90s, restored it using original Tucker pieces. He found all of the body panels from wrecked Tuckers and some extra pieces, so it is a complete Tucker,” Fortney said. “It is the only Tucker that has never been driven.”
Another hard to come by carriage they’ve accumulated is the dazzling Duesenberg . They’ve got 4 of them here!
“Some of these were generally about $12-15,000, up to $20,000 back then. Unbelievable amount of money. It’s kind of like the Veyrons of today, the Bugattis, the high-end cars. That would be the only thing that would be even close to comparable, and they were the fastest, most luxurious cars ever built,” said Fortney.
Today, these cars are worth anywhere from a million to a million and a half. But if you really want to feel like royalty, their 1939 Chrysler has an amazing lineage. The King and Queen of England rode in it during a visit to the World’s Fair in New York.
“Chrysler took it back and then they used it during World War II. FDR actually rode where you’re sitting right now during World War II and rode this around to tour the production plants,” Fortney said.
With so much history in these halls, beams of beauty, and metal magnificence, one often forgets about the folks who have to maintain these modern marvels, unless you just happen to crash into them.
Ray Terry has been tinkering with trucks and even the Tucker for the past 32 years. Terry’s got a long history of being hands-on with hot rods and it all started when he grew up in Austin.
“Austin never had a drag strip, but San Antonio did, you know, and so we’d have to tow down to San Antonio back in the ’50s and race,” said Terry.
Now a mature mechanic, this wheel whisperer has the task of making sure these rare relics stay true to form.
“I mean they, they’re kind of like me – they just want to rest. That’s what they want to do. They just want to rest and then you force them to run, and it’s a battle,” Terry said. “Yeah, and you win some, you lose some. Sometimes they win the battle. Sometimes you don’t get them right – but most of the time we do.”
Without Terry, the garage just wouldn’t be the same.
“Ray’s kind of the heart and soul of the museum. He can’t let anything be broken. He’s always got to fix it, he’s always got to make it the best it can possibly be, and he’s kind of the reason we’ve been here as long as we have and showcased these cars like we can,” said Fortney.
For Terry, it’s about remembering a time when a car was more than just something to get you to point A to point B. It defined who you were.
“Man, that was freedom. That was, I mean you, all of a sudden you were ‘whole,’ you know,” Terry said. “We loved our cars. Whatever they were, we loved them.”
While most consider these classics a bygone era, they’re a strong reminder of his days here in old Texas. They shine with brilliance thanks to the hardworking hands of a man whose heart revs with pride for these chariots of the past.
“Well, they’re going away. Bit by bit there’s less and less of them, and less and less people interested in doing anything with them,” said Terry. “We hang on here and if you are, if you’d like to know how it kind of was, well, you can come here and see kind of how it was as far as automobiles is concerned.”
The Texas Bucket List – Stanton’s City Bites
HOUSTON – When you first pull up to Stanton’s City Bites, a Houston hotspot just north of downtown, it looks more like a house that a hamburger joint. But once you step foot into the eatery, you’re floored with food and friendly faces.
That’s when we met the owner, Theresa Fong, who just happened to be one the most fun-loving burger flippers we’ve ever come across.
Theresa and her son Jonathan run Stanton City Bites, a burger joint with history. Theresa’s in-laws opened the corner store as a grocery back in 1961, but when Theresa and her husband Arthur inherited the store in the ‘80s something had to change.
“Grocery business – so boring! You know, I’m from Hong Kong. Everything is the fast-paced,” said Theresa. “I told my husband, ‘I can’t do this. It’s so boring. I fall asleep.’ I said, that’s not good to show the customer. I’m boring here. ”
So Theresa started making meals, meals that smelled so sweet people would come off the street trying to buy a plate. It wasn’t long before people were lining up to buy anything and everything Theresa would cook – but then Arthur had an idea.
“I did that after a little while, and then my husband said, ‘This is America. You need to sell a burger, you know.’ But I said, ‘I don’t want burger!’ I don’t want any beef, or chopped beef – no, you don’t understand, because I wasn’t from here.”
Luckily, she made an exception and started selling beefy burgers one day a week.
“Every Monday we started serving a just bacon cheeseburger and fries. Just Monday. Then these guys said, ‘Hey, we come back for the burger.’ And I said, ‘But you have to come back Monday.’ They were so mad,” Theresa said.
That’s when the grocery store started to take another form. Customers wanted to hang around to chow down on their meal, another change that Theresa resisted. But once again, she made an exception and 15 years later Stanton’s is a staple. But, that doesn’t mean that there wasn’t their fair share of bumps and troubles along the way.
“The tears and heartache – many, many, many heartaches – but you know, I always tell myself, if you work hard, you’re willing to learn, you’re willing to listen, you get there,” said Theresa.
The hardest heartache hit Theresa in 2013 when her Arthur passed away.
“Kind of hard for me. I sort of kind of give up, you know,” said Theresa. “But, we’ve got all the friends and family and customers that say, ‘You need to stay on,’ that are, they want you to continue, you know, so. It’s a hard, long, hard three years for me.”
Theresa didn’t give up and with the help of her children, Stanton’s is staying strong.
“It’s hard for me and I think my children help me out. I say, ‘That’s why I put you through college!’ I mean, now I need your help, you know,” said Theresa.
Now she concentrates on what she does best – making burgers – and we’re here for a giant: the Cowboy Brunch Burger.
It starts with pre-seasoned beef, and then comes some tremendous toast dipped in butter, pickles are placed in the fryer while an egg gets fried up, onions are placed on the grill while Swiss cheese crowns the burger and American covers the egg. The fried pickles and bacon finish up the bulk of the burger and that’s placed on the Texas toast with mustard, lettuce, and tomatoes.
“People come in, ‘Oh my God, your burgers are so fresh,’ because we don’t make a lot in the morning. We make it in lump through lunch, then after 2 to 3 o’clock we make it again,” said Theresa.
You can tell Teresa really takes pride in everything she does in that burger, because it’s big, juicy, and beautiful.
“Why the hair so big, the food so much, people just – this is Texas. Everything has to be huge. That’s what I learned when I first moved here,” Theresa said.
Any time you get a burger with bacon and eggs on it, it does kind of taste like breakfast. But then when you throw a little of the fried pickles and mustard and the mayo, you get an entirely different sensation. There’s just so much going on in this big ‘ole burger!
“We’re the best burger,” said Theresa. “ We put a lot of love and passion in our food, and you can actually tell, okay?”
Stanton’s City Bites – a burger as big as Houston, and well worth a stop on The Texas Bucket List.
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