All in one frame.

Oh my!  Zebra, and elk, giraffes, and.......what?  My grandson?  If you are going to spend the bucks on entertainment you might as well take pictures.  At Grapeland (Texas) Safari you take your car into the park.  These exotic animals probably think of us as a free vending machine.  At the store at the entry to the park they'll sell you a plastic picnic cup full of feed to lure the animals to you.  Yep, you'll want to take pictures. And if you have all four windows down you'll be busy trying to capture the best one.  I happen to like this one.  It captures the animals and the excitement of my grandson sitting behind me and saved me from wrenching my back.  However, you might want to make sure you have a clean mirror if you want to try this.

How much snow did we get? Knee high to a what?

More times than not it's easier to use a photograph to explain something than using words.

Someone may ask: "How much snow did we get last night?"  If you reply 20 inches that may not compute with a lot of people.  But everyone knows about picnic tables and can relate to how tall they are.

"It snowed so much it covered the picnic table benches and almost came to the top of the picnic table."

But send them a picture and it is self explanatory.  

Tank It Up At The Texas Military Forces Museum

Driving South on MOPAC 1 in Austin, Texas it’s hard not to notice when you are passing Camp Mabry.  Vintage helicopters and jet planes hoisted high on supports line a walking track circling a century old drill field.  You can’t miss the old Austin stone warehouses that are as orderly and functional as when they were built over 100 years ago.

Still an active military base, the camp is not only home to the Texas Military Forces (Texas Army National Guard, Texas Air National Guard and Texas State Guard) but also the Texas Military Forces Museum.

The Museum is a treat!  I’ve brought my grandchildren here several times.  Entry to the camp, and thus the museum, is via a guarded gate where you’ll have to present a photo ID.  

A short drive beyond the gate delivers you to a 45,000-square foot old warehouse building with a wooden double door entry.  Using space made available by the camp the museum offers a representation of uniforms, photographs, army tanks, military vehicles, artillery, ground weapons, helicopters, and jet fighters used by Texas soldiers in the fight for freedom.

The Texas Military Forces Museum explores the history of the Lone Star State’s militia and volunteer forces from 1823 (date of the first militia muster in Stephen F. Austin’s colony) to 1903 when the Congress created the National Guard. From 1903 to the present the museum tells the story of the Texas Army and Air National Guard, as well as the Texas State Guard, in both peacetime and wartime.

Permanent exhibits utilize uniforms, weapons, equipment, personal items, film, music, photographs, battle dioramas and realistic full-scale environments to tell the story of the Texas Military Forces in the Texas Revolution, the Texas Navy, the Texas Republic, the Mexican War, the Battles along the Indian Frontier, the War between the States, the Spanish-American and Philippine-American Wars, World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Cold War, Peace Keeping Deployments and the Global War on Terror.

Living history programs, battle reenactments and other special events take place throughout the year. Admission to the museum is always FREE.

HOURS:
Tuesday to Sunday 10 am to 4 pm
Office staff is available Monday to Friday 8 am to 4 pm.

Driving Directions to the museum:

The Texas Military Forces Museum is located in Building 6 on Camp Mabry in Austin, Texas. The street address of Camp Mabry is 2200 West 35th Street. The mailing address is P.O. Box 5218, Austin, TX 78763. The former entrance to the post was blocked in 2001, the current entrance is on Maintenance Drive.

From the MOPAC Expressway (aka, Loop 1).

1. Exit the MOPAC Expressway at 35th Street.
2. Drive west 6/10ths of a mile past the old main gate, which is now barricaded, and go through the light at Exposition, and down a steep hill.
3. At the bottom of the hill, just before a flashing traffic signal, you will see the gated entrance of Camp Mabry to your right (i.e., Maintenance Drive).
4. After passing through security, go straight to the stop sign and turn right.
5. At the next stop sign, turn right again.
6. Follow General Mabry Boulevard past the running track on your left.
7. Building 6 will be on your right, next to an outdoor display of tanks and military vehicles.
8. The main entrance for the Museum is the large white double doors at the center of the building.

From IH-35.

1. Make certain you are on the lower level of the Interstate.
2. Take the 38½ Street exit going west. Note that as it proceeds westward, 38½ Street becomes 35th Street.
3. After crossing over Loop 1, follow the instructions above.

From the Airport.

1. Take Highway 71 West to Highway 360 North
2. Highway 360 North to Loop 1 North.
3. Travel five (5) miles on Loop 1 to 35th Street.
4. Follow the instructions above from that point.

GPS Address 3038  W 35th St. Austin, Tx 78703

At the current time, the post is open to the public during daylight hours without prior arrangements. The security guards, however, may require you to present some form of valid state or federal identification and to consent to a search of the vehicle.

Cheap & Sweet Way To Catch A Wave!

Want to take a fun picture of the kids jumping into a swimming pool this summer?  It’s easy enough but there are some basic tips to make the picture better.  Watch for the sun.  Make sure it’s not behind the subjects.  Have the subjects line up on the side of the pool that is most aligned with the direction of the sun.  Not only will this give you plenty of front lighting, the reflection of the sun off the pool will act as fill lighting.  Get into the pool!  It makes a better picture shooting up than shooting across or down at the subject.  Take several shots!  Don’t depend on just one but repeat the shots as long as your subjects will participate.  

You don’t have to have an expensive camera to get some really great family and vacation photos.  I think today most of us are using some type of digital camera, either the one on our cell phone or a point-and-shoot type.  Personally, most of the pictures I take on trips and special events are with my digital single lens reflex Sony with a 5 lens selection from a 14mm wide angle up to a 500mm.

BUT I find I take a lot of family related pictures with a small handheld digital camera.  Which brings me to the topic of taking pictures with a waterproof camera.  I bought my small point-and-shoot just for the purpose of taking pictures of the grandchildren at places I don’t want to haul around my camera bag.

However, you don’t really have to have a digital camera to get into the water and catch the family floating down the Guadalupe River, swimming under water, or just wrestling over a floating tube.  There are still some simple underwater film cameras that can capture just the right moment the 5-year old reached the bottom of the pool and snatched the sunken ring off the bottom.

Fuji and Kodak both make waterproof film cameras that are available in stores or from an online retailer.  The only big downside is you still have to get the film processed and the digitized by the processor if you want digital copies.  Otherwise, the quality is acceptable acceptable for family purposes. 

Another downside is you don’t have the ability to see if the picture you just took is one you want.  I had my grandchildren crawl out of the pool and jump back in several times before I got a picture I wanted with my waterproof digital.  I would have been hoping for this shot if I had been using film.  This isn’t to say I haven’t gotten a lot of keepers with film.  Some of my favorite underwater pictures were taken with a Kodak waterproof camera.  The films for both Fuji and Kodak are rated 800 which is plenty fast but they worked best for me when my subject with within a range of 3-6 feet from the camera on a bright sunny day.

The disposable film cameras are light enough and cheap enough to not fret about them floating to the bottom.  But if you don’t want to lose even an inexpensive digital point-and-shoot, then for a few bucks you can add a floating strap that will keep it on the surface if you drop it.

Slow down on Mackinac Island. You really don't have a choice!

Mackinac Island in northern Michigan has not been on my travel radar until last year.  It has, however, been in my wife’s travel plans for years.  So we went.  And I’m not sorry we did.  Actually, it became a 3 night stop on a circle drive around Lake Michigan that started and ended in Chicago.

To describe it as quaint is basically an understatement.  In the last century some far sited citizens decided to ban car and trucks on the island.  So they rely basically on horse drawn carriages, bicycles, and walking to get around including delivering everyday supplies used on the island. 

Access to the island is by ferry, private boat, or small plane except in winter when the lake freezes and creates an ice bridge.  But, I’m not sure I want to be on the island in the winter when the population shrinks to a few hundred since tourist season is closed.  Temperature then hovers too close to zero degrees for me.

But come the thaw and its “Katy bar the door!”  Visitors flock to the island from all over the world to enjoy sailing, golfing, shopping, eating and lazing around.  Thousands arrive daily during the temperate summer months and for island events.  We arrived the weekend following the end of the high tourist season.  For some establishments, the Labor Day Weekend is the end of the season.  Starting the next week the horse population begins to shrink as the owners move them inland, the people in the service community have either left or are planning to leave, and life on the island begins to slow way down.  Fortunately for me several of the famous fudge shops were still open.

The whole place is a movie set and you’ll have “déjà vu” moments often, especially if you’ve watched Jane Seymour and Christopher Reeves in the movie “Somewhere in Time.”  The long porch of the famous Grand Hotel screams out to come sit, sip, and chat.  Walking the streets past Victorian era houses and hotels, each dressed out in splendid colors and blooming gardens, will harken back thoughts to when only horses and mules were the only transportation on the island anyway.

Since our stay came as the island was beginning to turn out the lights for the season, there was not a crowd anywhere we went.  Our apartment accommodation for 5 was located about 2 miles from the docks and shopping.  We loaded up on groceries at the only true grocery store open on the island before hopping on a scheduled run of a horse drawn taxi.  If you lodging is away from the downtown I do recommend that you plan on a lot of walking renting a bike since the taxi conveniences are sporadic. 

The island has history and Fort Mackinac is well preserved.  It has a fantastic view over the island and out across the lake.  It’s well worth the visit.  It’s an interesting ½ day diversion before slipping down to the main drag for a cold one at one.

An impressive site as your ferry pulls up to its berth at the docks are the thousands of bicycles parked for rent.  This is proof that off-season does have it advantage: what if all of the bikes were out at one time during the high season?

Probably the most popular ways to get around is with horse-drawn carriage tours with an entertaining and well-informed guide for an intimate and informative experience. Drive-your-own buggies are also available for vacationers who prefer to direct themselves.

There are plenty of walking and bike trails. And there’s plenty of ground to cover, with over 70 miles of natural and paved trails to keep you occupied all day long.  Some of the hills are a test for us folks of moderate exercise habits but manageable.  Mackinac Island State Park, which covers more than 80% of the Island, is open for your exploration. 

I didn’t play golf while we were visiting here but you can hear the whisper of a challenge walking along fairways and by greens near the walk paths.

This is a well-known and popular destination but it’s not mandatory to stay in one of the 1,500 plus available rooms on the island to enjoy it.  It easy to stay at one of the hotels in and around Mackinac City on the shoreline across from the island.  You can valet park at the ferry launch and take a day trip.

The Mackinac Island Tourism Bureau has an excellent and easy to navigate web page to keep you up-to-day on the island year around.  We used it for planning our trip and recommend it highly.

Mackinac Island Tourism Bureau
7274 Main Street, P.O. Box 451
Mackinac Island, MI 49757
(906) 847-3783

General Inquiries

Email: info@mackinacisland.org
Telephone: (800) 454-5227
Local: (906) 847-3783

Louie Mueller Barbeque, A Smoking Reputation In The Making Since 1949

We finished the grandchildren’s soccer games Saturday morning in Cedar Park, Texas and six of us hopped into to car headed to Taylor, Texas.  Our destination is arguably one of the best known BBQ joints in the Great State of Texas (here its referred to as "barbeque"). 

Located on the main drag through the town, Louie Mueller Barbeque has been shoveling ribs, brisket, sausage, poultry, steaks, and fixin’s over the counter for three generations.  It has a reputation for BBQ aficionados that’s been 68 years in the smoking.

It’s in a rustic old building that is loaded with so much character it ought to be outlawed.  A torn screen on the front door that most places would replace fits right at home within the “experienced” black frame.  Old neon beer signs and advertising art hold their spots on the walls.  A large display of yellowing business cards is a great place to mark your own attendance here.  A simple sign out front list the meats that are available today.  Mueller’s is subject to close when they run out of meat prepared daily. 

We were greeted with a long line of folks that had the same idea as us when we arrived at 11:30.  You see, you get in line and it crawls to the counter where you give your order and they hand it over.  In all we were in line an hour, give or take a few minutes.  This gave us an opportunity to chat up a nice couple that had retired to West Lake from upper New York.  This was their second go around here and they had brought some home state friends with them to back up their bragging rights.  

The line never go shorter as we slowly made our way to the counter.  When we left the two hours later the line was just about as long winding its way out the door and onto the sidewalk.  Don’t let that scare you.  The wait and the line are worth the time!  But, you can call in orders.  AND, they ship nationwide!  You can order off their web page.

The place lives up to its venerable reputation.  I felt like one stuffed turkey when I skinned my last rib!  I had made a mess of me and the table.  It’s my belief that all barbeque should be finger food.  And since Muellers doesn’t serve plates, I just rolled up my scraps into my serving paper, tossed it in the trash, and found a spot to clean up.

It’s not by accident that this place has been written up in the New York Times, Texas Monthly, and any publication worth its salt that ever prints anything on barbeque.  The Muellers have a formula and they stick to it, much to my taste and appreciation.  Do yourself a favor and make the drive and relax.  After all, you will be in the country.

PHONE

Restaurant (512) 352-6206
Office (512) 365-1700

LOCATION

206 W. Second Street
Taylor, TX 76574

HOURS

Mon-Fri 11am–6pm
(or until sold out)
Sat 10am–6pm
(or until sold out)
Sun CLOSED

At "The North Star of Texas", Paris' Lamar County Historical Museum Shines

Kudos to the folks in Paris, Texas that have done an excellent job in developing and keeping the local Lamar County Heritage Museum interesting and pertinent.  The county has a long and rich history in producing champions in sports, banking, education, arts, military, government, business, agriculture, and industry.  At the museum they have pulled together a unique collection spotlighting the passages of time from local pioneer’s log cabin to a local football hero guiding the Alabama Crimson Tide to the National Championship.   

  

The museum is tucked away in the corner of a century old structure that used to be part of a bustling railroad center.  It sits across the parking lot from the restored 19^th century Union Railroad Station on 1015 West Kaufman Street that ends at the station’s front door.

Paris was never huge, always less than 30,000 population, but it was the hub of rail transportation of the four directions of the compass.  The museum draws attention to major industries long gone that dispersed their products around the country taking advantage of the rails.  During the four year period of World War II, the trains handled nearly 1,000,000 passengers including soldiers and their families stationed at Camp Maxey north of Paris.  This WWII camp was the training center for two major divisions of 40,000 soldiers: the 102d Infantry Division and the 99^th Infantry Division. 

Paris has had a history of obvious events such as a disastrous fire in March 1916 that destroyed thousands structures including much of the downtown area.  The museum has a room with opposing panoramic views of the city before and after the fire that accentuate the extent of the destruction.  Due to the rebuilding, the downtown area of Paris has one of the most extensive groupings of early twentieth century architecture of retail and business buildings.  It includes a plaza that is anchored by a large Italian fountain donated to the city by the prominent Culbertson family.  The popularity of this fountain is established annually when high school prom dates gather to use it as a backdrop for their pictures.

Lamar County has long had an African American population that was brought originally as slaves to develop the area’s plantations and farms.  A room is dedicated to remembering their accomplishments as they have continually added to the county’s history from defending our country to reaching the heights of academic and sports achievements.     

From the moment you walk through the front door you are surrounded by character that made the city and county.  You are greeted with the Staples Jewelry Store sign that hung in front of their downtown building for decades until the store closed in the 1990s.  The Staples family sold jewelry and gifts to generations of young newlyweds and probably thousands of silver award plates given by various organizations for community service.  My family heritage through five generations still enjoy gifts bought here.

For those of us that grew up here in the 1960s, you can’t help but smile when you turn a corner and there in front of you is a lighted order kiosk from the original Paris Sonic Drive-In!  How about a #2 bacon burger?

The museum is operated by the Lamar County Historical Society and the members have donated their talents and time to build unique displays that would make the Smithsonian proud.  From custom framing for military uniforms to the refurbished entry way of a beautiful 19^th Century Greek revival home, it’s easy to spot the personal investment made to preserve the collection fading memories.

The museum is small enough to get through within an hour or large enough to spend several hours if you linger to absorb what it has to offer.  It’s free, but donations will gladly be accepted.

Address and Contact information

1015 W Kaufman St
Paris Texas 75460

Hours:

Friday and Saturday: 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Phone: (903) 783-0064

Visiting Old Memories And Relatives At Pecan Valley Inn Bed & Breakfast

The Pecan Valley Inn as the ranch house circa 1960.

The Pecan Valley Inn Bed and Breakfast in 2017

Located south of Oklahoma City, north of Dallas and just west of Davis, Oklahoma sits an old Victorian house that holds steadfastly to the glory days of Oklahoma Territory, ranching, and oil.  The Pecan Valley Inn Bed and Breakfast has a special place in time and history, both to the area and to me personally.  

What was once a working ranch home and a unique 1898 Victorian mansion is now a romantic B&B getaway.  You’ll find it driving west on Hwy 7 from Davis.  Turn off the highway at the Lightning Rod Ranch sign and drive through a simple iron gated entry over a standard cattle guard.  

The impressive house is hidden more than a mile past on the gravel ranch road.

Along the road cattle still graze in pastures girded by thick groves of pecan and oak trees.   Deer, turkey, coyotes, hogs and other wild critters natural to the area roam here.  The house is hidden behind century old shade trees that scream an invitation to grab a cold beer or glass of wine to come sit, relax, and soak it all in.  Lovingly restored to its former “mansion of the area” elegance, the Indian Territory doctor’s home features comfortable furnishings and inviting porch views beckoning you to explore the now 2,500 acre estate.

The history here is bigger than me but a fine thread stretches back in time that gives me a slight but ever so much appreciated connection.  I had been here before, in the 1960s.  Then the huge ranch was the home of Laura Youngblood, the granddaughter of my great-great-grandfather George Wright.  His family was one of the earliest of Texas pioneers, settling along the Red River while Texas was still part of the Spanish Empire.  It was he who donated 50 acres of land to establish a town that became Paris, Texas.

George W. Wright, father of Henrietta Wright Howell

George outlived 3 wives and several children.  With his last wife Sara Ann Wingo they had two daughters.  Both of whom were orphaned as teenagers with George died on August 2, 1877 and Sarah in 1878.  They were Henrietta Armond, called Netta (July 27, 1861 - April 4, 1912) and Sarah Elizabeth (my great grandmother), called Bettie (June 21, 1863 - January 15, 1947).  Netta married Dr. Thomas Pitchlynn Howell of Davis, Oklahoma in 1887 and they had four children.  Bette married Thomas Eddie Brazelton in 1888 in Paris, Texas and there they had three daughters.  One of which was my grandmother.

Sarah Elizabeth (Bettie) Wright Brazelton, sister of Henrietta Wright Howell

Dr. Thomas P. Howell, a Choctaw Indian, came to this area of Oklahoma in the late 1870’s and settled west of Davis.  He was the first doctor in the large area known as The Arbuckles.  The family cemetery is located at the intersection of S.H. 7 and I-35 on what was once the Howell ranch.  Buried in this family cemetery is Dr. Howell’s mother Rhoda Pitchlynn Howell, the sister of Peter P. Pitchlynn the first Principle Chief of the Choctaw Nation. 

Dr. Thomas P. Howell

Dr. Howell and Netta originally built the three-story home in 1898 from wood brought in a wagon across the Red River from Gainesville, Texas. The construction crew lived on the ranch location for nearly a year to complete the grand structure.  

Dr. Howell practiced medicine in the Fort Arbuckle area until approximately 1910, when physicians were required to be licensed. He then became a banker in two neighboring towns and operated his ranch of 7,000 acres.

One of Howell’s daughters, Laura Youngblood, lived on the ranch all of her 98 years (1891-1989).  Laura married Tom Youngblood, an early graduate of Texas Agricultural and Mechanical College and a proud member of one of the earliest Aggie football teams.

Tom and Laura Youngblood circa 1960.

Laura and my grandmother and her two sisters would kept up with each other their whole lives.  They often exchanged visits between Paris and the ranch near Davis.  At first they traveled by rail and then by car as both cars and roads improved.  My father carried on the visiting tradition after my grandmother died in 1972 and until Laura’s death.

Gathering of George Wright descendants in Brazelton home at Paris, Texas circa 1950.  Seated are Edna Steely (granddaughter), G. W. Steely, Laura Youngblood (granddaughter) and Tom Youngblood.  Standing are Thomas Steely (great grandson), Jane Steely, Hazel Brazelton (granddaughter) and Merle Brazelton (granddaughter).  

Youngbloods visit Paris around 1964.

Steelys visit Laura (center) around 1980.

For as old of a place as it is, the ranch has had very few owners.  Following Laura’s death, the remainder of her family sold the beautiful Victorian home and adjacent ranch.  Another party owned the ranch for a period of six years before being purchased in 1997 by the present owner Janet Charalampous.

Janet’s parents, Wesley and Hildred Meinders, were family friends of Laura, and she was given memorabilia relating to the Howell/Youngblood family dating back to the 1860s.  Janet said her mother and other friends often gathered at the ranch with Laura to play cards and visit.  Janet has done an excellent job of keeping up the ranch, the ranch house, and the rich history of the original owners alive.

Janet wants her visitors to genuinely enjoy their stay with her.  There are fishing ponds stocked with bass and catfish and what a spot to see the sunrise or sunset!  You may be so fortunate as to see a turkey or deer while hiking through the ranch or on the walking trails in the wooded areas around the house.  You are encouraged to pick blackberries or pecans.  It is a great spot to see the stars or watch the fireflies summer evenings.  

A two hour drive from Dallas and Fort Worth or one and one half hours from Oklahoma City makes this one of the most easily accessible hunting locations in Oklahoma or Texas.

Contact Information

Pecan Valley Inn Bed & Breakfast Contact Information. Janet Charalampous 36819 Hwy. 7 P.O. Box 155. Davie, OK 73030-9620. Main: 580-369-3366.

Website: http://www.pecanvalleyinn.com/