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/

Southern Utah 10-Day Planned Route, Booked Activities, and Campground

I still work.  My wife is retired but that’s a way of saying she does what she wants to do: stay busy with grandchildren.  So we plan our travel around: 1) my business travel and plans, 2) grandchildren’s activities, 3) trips to visit relatives, 4) local events, and 5) holidays.  So our trips have a definitive number of days when we plan them.

We put together a 10 day trip for the end of April 2018 to visit Southern Utah.  This is a rough and rugged country but it can be enjoyed both by driving through it or slowing down and hiking through.  Time and abuse have left my knees in a state of rebellion when hiking is involved.  BUT, the state parks and the national parks we visited have graded their hikes from easy to difficult.  Recognizing this, we built an itinerary combining driving, activities, and easy hiking to fit us based on information provided by the park systems and information mined from the internet.

We decided to fly to Las Vegas, rent a recreational vehicle, and head out of Nevada early before we could lose too much money on a one-armed bandit.

Several of our friends on Facebook have asked us about the trip so here’s the outline of our schedule.  I’ve added some extra notes.  Perhaps the first note should be to try to stay in the camp grounds at the parks.  Our problem was, even though our planning was started about 6 months before the trip, all the parks were hanging out NO VACANCY signs.  So we opted for private camp grounds.  None of these were bad but because they were outside the parks it added to the logistics planning.

DAY 0, Fly Houston to Las Vegas.  Spent the night at hotel near the airport that provided shuttle and picked up motor home on Friday morning.  Normal pickup is in the afternoon because their return time for their customers is 10:00 a.m. the last day of the contract.  But with a $50 fee we could change the pickup to the morning.

DAY 1, Las Vegas to Zion National Park (2-3 hours)

1.    Best Time RV Rentals

6590 Boulder Hwy

Las Vegas, NV

701-522-1784

There are lots of choices for RV rentals.  We chose Best Time and all of our interaction with them was good.  Since we’ve never done this before I don’t have any personal experience to compare them to the competition.  One reason we chose them was we wanted to try the Winnebago Winnie Minnie and this was part of their fleet.

2.    (1 night) Zion Canyon Campground.

479 Zion Park Blvd., Springdale, UT, 84767

Phone: 435-772-3237

200 Spaces, RV & Tent, 30-50 amp, big rig sites, laundry, market, showers, cable TV, pool, playground and free Zion Shuttle.

A nice, clean and quiet campground.  We expected to do what we could in Zion the next day.  They expect you to check out by noon.  The lady working the counter said her experience was we would be hard pressed to get into the park and do what we wanted to do make it back by noon.  Her suggestion worked out great.  The park opens at 8:00 a.m. but you can drive into it before that.  She said that if we left her campground by 7:00 a.m. we would probably be able to find a spot at Zion’s dedicated, but limited, RV day parking.  Taking her advice we were about the 12^th RV there.  The parking lot was filling up an hour later.  This turned out to be a good decision.  Most of the trail heads and major sites are accessed by a shuttle service.  Even though these shuttles run every few minutes the line waiting to get on had about a 45 minute wait when we left the park about noon.  

DAY 2 & 3, Zion National Park to Bryce Canyon National Park (2-3 hours)

1.    (2 nights) Ruby's Inn RV Park & Campground.

RV Park in Bryce, Utah

Address: 300 UT-63, Bryce Canyon, UT 84764

Phone: (435) 834-5301

We liked this place and it’s just a mile from the entrance of Bryce Canyon National Park.  A park shuttle stops right at the campground and these shuttles will drop you off at the visitors’ center, lodge, trail heads and stables.

Scheduled Activities

6:30 p.m.  ATV Sunset Tour.

This is an activity we scheduled through Ruby’s.  It’ll take you up to but not into Bryce Canyon.  The tour is about 1 ½ hour and will meander around ranch land across streams and meadows adjacent to the park.  I’d rate it as enjoyable.

2:30 p.m. Horseback ride into canyon.

There are more than one company offering horseback rides.  In spring, summer and fall, Canyon Trail Rides wranglers lead 2-hour and 4-hour horse and mule rides into Bryce Amphitheater along a dedicated horse trail and the Peek-a-boo Loop Trail.

For information, visit their web site at www.canyonrides.com. For reservations, write or call Canyon Trail Rides, P.O. Box 128, Tropic, UT 84776, (435) 679-8665.

DAY 4, Bryce Canyon National Park to Capitol Reef National Park (3-4 hours)

1.    (1 night)  Sandcreek RV Park.  Reservation #6603  

Address: 540 UT-24, Torrey, UT 84775

Phone: (435) 425-3577

The upside of this leg of the trip is getting to drive the beautifully breathtaking Utah Byway 12. 

Near Henriville we took a side excursion to Kodachrome State Park.  Here is an excellent camp ground we had overlooked in our planning.  Entrance to the park is only $8.  We spent about 30 minutes here but there are several hiking trails that look promising.  The park ranger told us we would have many “wow” moments driving the rest of the way on 12 to our next campground in Torrey.  He was right.  He also recommended Goblin Valley State Park.  We stopped there the next day to check out it’s in creditably odd formations.

We drove on in to Capitol Reef National Park and made a short visit at an old pioneer settlement named Fruita and the 200 acre Fruita Rural Historical District is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.  Its nestled in a small valley and known for his own variety of apples and abundance of fruit plants.  The trees were just beginning to bloom while we were there.  A bonus of this stop, locally baked fruit pies and homemade ice cream.

DAY 5 & 6, Capitol Reef National Park & Arches National Park (2-3 hours)

1.       (2 nights) Canyonlands RV Resort & Campground.  Reservation #351846  Address: 555 S Main St, Moab, UT 84532

     Phone: (435) 259-6848

Early in the drive from Capitol Reef National Park you’ll follow the Freemont River as it meanders between colorful desert rock formation.  There’s plenty to stop and see along the way including old Indian petrographs (rock writings), ancient Indian granaries, and breath taking panoramic views.

On a very long and lonely stretch of highway between Hanksville and Highway 24 intersection with Interstate Highway 24 is another side trip of about an hour to Goblin Valley State Park.  Here you can let you imagination run wild.  Like a kid translating the images passing in clouds, the formations can be just about anything you can imagine.

Scheduled Activities (Day 6)

8:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Jeep and Colorado River boat tour with NAVTEC (lunch provided)

This was the most interesting, dramatic and fun activity of the vacation.  We were met at the campground by Sharon who was taking us backcountry for four hours.  We picked up our other two fellow travelers Jim and Madeline and headed out.  Sharon guided us up, over and around some very fantastic landscapes across private land and into a remote entry into Canyonlands National Park.  She then dropped us off with Ben at a Colorado River boat launch for lunch and a 4 hour round trip.  If you book with this company you might ask if Sheryl’s hat is still around and pick it up for her.

Address: NAVTEC Expeditions, 321 N Main St, Moab UT 84532

Phone: (435) 259-7983

 

DAY 7, Arches National Park to Monument Valley (3-4 hours)

We left our campground in Moab about 7:00 and headed into the park.  At this time of the morning the crowd was very thin even though the entry gates are closed you can enter with either your Senior Pass or use a self-serve pay counter.

We spent about 1 ½ hours driving the loop into the park checking out the many natural arches conveniently marked at roadside pullouts.

           1.       (1 night) Goulding's Campground. 

Campground in Monument Valley, Utah

Address: 2000 Main Street, Oljato-Monument Valley, UT 84536

Phone: (435) 727-3235

This was the most pleasant of the campgrounds and fit right into the nature of things.  We wished we had planned on another night here.

Scheduled Activities

Planned but unscheduled was a stop along the highway that was the end of the character Forrest Gump’s run in the 1994 movie of the same name.  The location is not marked and we were using a photo of the scene to find it.  However, several dozen other people were on the same quest so when we got there we had company to join in on our picture taking.

Thursday, April 26: 4:00-7:00 p.m. Jeep tour of Monument Valley

Monument Valley is one monumental movie set of epic proportions.  Initially brought to the public’s attention in 1939 by John Ford’s movie “Stagecoach” starring John Wayne, there have been dozens of movies and commercials shot here since.

We booked a tour through Goulding’s.  It was a good tour but a bit hard on the bottom side bouncing around on a bench bolted to the bed of a truck.  The tour was for sure off-road, meaning off pavement, and I sure as heck wasn’t taking the RV out there.

DAY 8, Monument Valley to Mesquite, NV (6 hours)

1.     Sun Resorts RV Park: Reservation #SR735

400 Hillside Dr · (702) 346-6666

We picked Mesquite because it was right on I-70 and had all the services we                   needed to get the RV ready to turn in the next day.

DAY 9, Mesquite to Las Vegas (2 hours)        

Turn in RV before 10 a.m.

Fly back home and take a nap.