Image courtesy of Rick Vanderpool

Editor’s Note: Rick Vanderpool reached out to his network of friends from across Texas this past week soliciting accounts of the beauty of Spring. Rick then assembled the narrative that follows. At the end you can find a link to a set of Spring images  on Rick’s Flickr account. Many thanks to Rick Vanderpool for sharing this story with us, and also thank you to the Texas Main Street managers from the many Main Street cities across the state.     

What photographer or poet does not love spring? I certainly do. As a father I love spring doubly – it usually begins on my North Carolina daughter’s birthday. She has always inspired me nearly as much as the season.

I contacted my daughter first thing this morning and after our exchange, my next thought was to call a dear friend in Sanderson, Texas. As odd as it may seem, spring in this usually drab, imposing, out-of-the-way locale, near the Big Bend of Texas, can render it one of the most colorful places in the state. Or anywhere, for that matter. Anyone who knows where to look for cactus and other blooms of nearly every color in the rainbow would never agree with Cormac McCarthy’s description of Terrell County’s environs as No Country For Old Men.

After talking with my friend a thought occurred, is today not spring’s birthday? Then an idea came to me – why not put together a Texas-sized commemoration by inviting Texas Main Street Managers and other friends to share their impressions of March 20, 2013? I could add a few photos to the mix, post an album on Facebook and a SET on flickr, and voila, “Happy First Day of Texas Spring 2013!” A single phone call to Debra Farst (State Coordinator for Texas Main Street Program -http://www.thc.state.tx.us/) and the whole plan was set in motion. All I had to do was wait for the emails to begin rolling in. In the meantime, I recalled other Texas springs…

Not counting numerous trips before I actually grew tired of the commute from Athens, Georgia and moved to Texas, late 1993 (Commerce/Hunt County on Dec. 29th –Texas Statehood Day), I have spent twenty springs in The Lone Star State. Twenty springs filled with Bluebonnets and countless other Texas blooms. Twenty springs with wild weather, grand views, and big skies over miles and miles of Texas. Twenty springs collecting stories, images and new friends… rdv

Dorothy Marquart in Sanderson/Terrell County – Cactus Capital of Texas
“The hummingbirds are back, spinning their nests (built with spider webs, BTW – Dorothy reminded me); the Bluebonnets are blooming between Marathon and the park (Big Bend); and of course the cactus are gorgeous everywhere…”

A friend once told me that when it came his time to go he’d like to die in the dead of winter, in West Texas. Said that was about the only time and the only place that wouldn’t make Heaven look bad by comparison… rdv

Shelly Hargrove in Georgetown/Williamson County – Red Poppy Capital of Texas – http://www.mainstreetgeorgetown.com/
“…come to the Georgetown Square soon! …Masonic Lodge building balcony for cocktails and food! Many projects underway, public art downtown and new Grape Creek Winery. So central and new home to Chet Garner (“Daytripper” travel show)…”

The Canada Geese are just gone from the playa in the park, and the Sandhill Cranes will be lettering the broad sky soon, heading north, signaling winter’s end;
I miss them already, their plaintive honks and chortles hardly a fair trade for the wind and red dust that is March in West Texas… rdv

Julie Glover in Denton/Denton County – Redbud Capital of Texas
www.facebook.com/downtowndentontexas
“The daffodils are blooming (Redbud too), the sky is a true Texas blue, and people are milling around on the Courthouse lawn, strumming guitars, playing with their children, sipping a cup of coffee and enjoying the day…”

Jackie Mills in Salado/Bell County – Home of Salado Legends
The butterflies are fluttering
The bumblebees are humming
Cars on I-35 are a’ rumbling
Boys are a’ girling
Girls are a’ boying
Every thing is blooming (even the idiots)
Salado Legends is rehearsing
It must be SPRING in Salado!

Misty Kothe in Kerrville/Kerr County – Heart of the Texas Hill Country
http://www.Kerrville.org/
“First day of Spring in Kerrville (by a self-proclaimed, ‘born and raised Kerrville girl’): The reawakening of the hills, new life visible in the trees and the livestock in the fields, with wildflowers to follow soon. The sun rises on a season of rebirth for the Heart of the Texas Hill Country…”

Bridgette Bise in Cuero/DeWitt County – Wildflower Capital of Texas
http://www.cuerodc.com/
“Cuero is blooming and booming. Literally. The recent Eagle Ford Shale boom has brought new life into our downtown with new businesses opening and as the Wildflower Capital of Texas, we are starting to see the blooms of a variety of flowers all around our town…”
Blue sky and pleasant
It’s snowing pear bloom petals
None melt on my tongue… rdv

Sarah O’Brien in Nacogdoches/Nacogdoches County – Oldest Town in Texas
http://www.ci.nacogdoches.tx.us
“Texas’ Oldest town is blooming into spring with a plethora of downtown activities planned this week. Visitors and residents will take quick notice of the beautiful blooming azaleas, dogwoods and camellias.”

Adah Leah Wolf in Farmersville/Collin County – Hometown of Audie L. Murphy
http://www.farmersvilletx.com/
“The wind is blowing under the old Onion Shed and fields are being plowed for this season’s crops. And, thankfully, the downtown parking spaces are taken! Audie Murphy Day in Farmersville, Texas is June 22, 2013…”

Denise Miranda in Winnsboro/Wood County
http://www.winnsborotexas.com/
“The sun is shining, birds are singing, flowers are blooming (including the dogwood) and downtown is booming!”

Texas Main Street cafes, serve loyal patrons full-up,
With good eats and friendship, by the plate, bowl or cup… rdv

Debra Thomas in Pecos/Reeves County – Home of the World’s First Rodeo
http://www.townofpecoscitytx.com/
“The birds are a-twitter in the trees. It’s 8o degrees & no wind, yeah! The mesquite is not fooled by the first day of spring.”

Mandy Spikes in Waco/McLennan County – Home of Dr Pepper
www.wacocvb.com
“Waco & the Heart of Texas is celebrating a beautiful first day of spring. A perfect combination of blue skies and a light breeze, along with a variety of things to see and do has created a feeling of fun and excitement with those who take advantage in all that our destination has to offer.”

Derek Hall in Luling/Caldwell County – Watermelon Capital of Texas
www.lulingmainstreet.com
“On the first day of spring in Luling Texas, the “Black Gold” is flowing and the watermelon seeds are now freshly planted for this year’s crop. Aged Post Oak permeates the air as it escapes the smokestacks of one of the most renowned Pit BBQ joints in the country, while the spring rains are readying our river for adventure loving kayakers to make their pilgrimages.”

Lenny Brown in LaGrange/Fayette County – Hometown Texas
http://mainstreet.fais.net and www.texanatrailslodge.com
“As the rolling vistas open the gaze upon the wooded and rivered landscape in this springtime, upper coastal prairie, the layers of fresh green are sweetly dotted with pastel pallets of wildflowers. Monarch butterflies and tiny migratory song birds busy through it awakening new life as the courtships begin. Safe havens along wooded creeks are providing a quiet habitat as a nursery for families of coyote, deer, raccoon and others who dare to travel by the night’s bright moon and abundant star light…in Texas’s own Fayette County. Come enjoy our very own Texas Quilt Museum –http://www.texasquiltmuseum.org/”

Who was it that said, “Spring makes me think of lots of cool titles for songs that I’ll write later, when I’m cold and hungry, lonely and broke, or lost and far from home…”? rdv

Sam Fenstermacher in Cleburne/Johnson County – Texas places worth the drive
http://trtdg.com/ – The Road Trip Destination Guide
“I will share with you that on the first day of Spring I visited Cleburne State Park. I walked up the Spillway Trail, and as I arrived at the lake I was greeted by a wonderful harmony of fragrances in the air. Spring is upon us.
Cool mornings and sunny afternoons,
the fragrance of fresh blossoms in the air,
wildflowers awakening from their winter slumber,
the season of renewal and rebirth is upon us.”

Charlotte Heald in Hillsboro/Hill County – Brimming with Central Texas Culture and History - http://www.hillsborochamber.org/ andhttp://www.hillsborotx.org/
“A light green hue is taking over on lawns while bright whites, pinks, and yellow blossoms pop out on trees heralding the arrival of spring throughout Hillsboro. Historical Markers prominently stand out on buildings beckoning visitors to come, see, and discover their rich history! Downtown store windows are now adorned in their spring attire to welcome visitors with small town hospitality and charm.”

Lynette Pettigrew in Gainesville/Cook County – The Star of North Texas
http://www.gainesvillecofc.com/ and http://www.gainesville.tx.us/
“By the way it’s a beautiful day in Gainesville, but then it always is.”

Beth Duke in Amarillo/Potter County – Step Into The Real Texas…
http://www.centercity.org/ and http://www.visitamarillotx.com/
“Jonquils and Bradford Pear trees signal the arrival of spring in Center City. Among the downtown landmarks are the distinctive Center City Hoof Prints of the Great American Quarter Horses that dot the historic downtown Main Street of Amarillo.”

About time to move the long-sleeved shirts to the back of my closet. And to mark the event, a t-shirt haiku:

Words across my chest
Recall places and routes traced
I’m twice comforted… rdv

Debra Drescher Farst in Austin/Travis County – real places telling real stories
http://www.thc.state.tx.us/
“Doesn’t seem right to be spending the first day of spring indoors at work, but I am… On my first day of spring, I was greeted just about sunrise on my way into the office by something that inspires me every day. On my drive into downtown Austin, I come over a hill and just ahead waiting there for me every day is the Capitol dome on the horizon with the Goddess of Liberty reaching into the sky. Sometimes the sun is just rising over them; sometimes they are cloaked in clouds. Every day, and the first day of spring is no different, that view takes my breath away.”

Rick Vanderpool in Lubbock/Lubbock County – The Hub City
http://www.mylubbock.us/departmental-websites/departments/library/library-home
“I spent the first day of spring 2013 at Groves Library, communicating with all the above folks who proudly shared a small vignette of their lovely Texas Main Street communities. I am proud to say that I have visited every one of these places, but not for spring in each one. Thanks to all y’all, now I have…”

Check out a bunch of Texas spring Main Street photos here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/stateart1/sets/72157633042640885/

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Reflection on Sacrifice, Heroic and Pure

The Flight 93 National Memorial near Shanksville Pennsylvania is our nation’s lasting tribute to those brave individuals of Flight 93 who gave their lives, in service of their great county, on September 11, 2001. I visited last year at the time of the dedication of the Flight 93 National Memorial.  

I have been holding on to these images and thoughts for almost a year now. This National Park pays tribute to such a grand act of humanity, and it took some time to know what I wanted to say about it.

Recently, In a book of history, I found a quote from a speech by past American president Franklin Delano Roosevelt, given in 1936 at the location of the Alamo, in San Antonio Texas. Part of  that quote was: “but the Alamo stands out in high relief as our noblest exemplification of sacrifice, heroic and pure.” It struck me that in some ways the Flight 93 National Memorial is like the Alamo. It’s a tribute to acts of heroic and pure sacrifice of such a grand nature that it should never be forgotten.

Thanks to the selfless acts of these 40 individuals, the crew and passangers of Flight 93, the National Capital was saved, but they did perish in a field in rural Pennsylvania near Shanksville on September 11, 2001.

The Flight 93 National Memorial is still evolving. There are plans for a visitor center, the Memorial Groves, and landscaping and other improvements are under way. More improvements are in the works. Visit the NPS Web Site for this park for more information. And, visit there when you can.   

http://www.nps.gov/flni/index.htm

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The parks still need your help. They have raised a little over a million dollars so there is good news. Last year when they announces the $4.6 million fundraising campaign, I thought how can I help. What I did was buy a park pass for $70, and book a weekend in a CCC-Era cabin. It’s how people of modest means (like me) can help out with the  budget shortfall created by heat, drought, wildfires and a drop in park visitation last year.

I noticed in this edition of the Life’s Better Outside the bigger better version of Great Texas Wildlife Trails. TPWD Wildlife Trails is nothing new. I remember discovering them a long time ago. What is new is the presentation. The web pages are modern with a layout that should be good for smart-phones and tablets as well as regular computers. The maps and linking of information is very usable, and the information is so much better than it was before. I don’t know when this site went live, but it sure is better than what it was a few years ago. I see these pages as a great travel companion for road trippers. The information isn’t just for state parks, it’s for all the other attraction in the area as well. It’s really not even limited to wildlife information. There’s tons of travel information for a broad range of attractions.

Great Texas Wildlife Trails is a very handy site and I hope you check it out soon.

Sam

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Dean’s in Blairsville Pennsylvania is a classic 1950′s diner. A Fodero, to be more exact. Opened for business in 1953. The diner car part of the restaurant seemed very original. There is an addition wrapped around the original stainless steel diner car. So when they are busy there are plenty of tables to be had in the add-on dining area.

I loved the place for its 1950′s autenticity. I had a cheesburger plate and it was just fine. Pie was even better. Wait staff, dressed in white uniforms, was friendly and professional.

For a more complete account of the history of Dean’s Diner, see this article on the Pittsburg Post-Gazette web site. The article is a few years old. I’m sure the place is no longer for sale. It may be for sale again by now, but it doesn’t really matter because whoever is running the business now has maintained the property and the food and the staff that made Dean’s a standout joint in the first place.

Where

2175 Route 22 Hwy W
Blairsville, PA 15717-1270
(724) 459-9600

 Map

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Storm’s in Lampasas is a drive-in. No indoor dining room. They do have a very nice outdoor patio. You can order from the patio and they will bring your food out to you.

They still grind their own hamburger meat and make the french fries from fresh-cut potatoes. The hamburger patties are thin. That seems to be popular with these 1950′s burger joints. Consider ordering a double meat burger or better yet the Storm’s Special.

Storm’s in Lampasas is a great example of a 1950′s drive-in. The old awnings, the menu boxes, and the speaker system are all, well, old.  The provenance of this place is unquestionable. The same family has run the joint since the day they opened in 1950. The place has an authentic 1950′s feel to it. Good burgers, by the way. Give it a try, next time you’re in Lampasas Texas.

Map to Storm’s

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Description From The Publisher

Texans are passionate about this signature sandwich, and photographer/writer Rick Vanderpool has become, in his own right, the Hambassador of Texas. In 2006, Rick undertook a quest to find and photograph the best Texas burgers, traveling over eleven thousand miles and visiting over seven hundred Texas burger joints. Since that time, he has continued his travels, sampling the finest the Lone Star State has to offer. He’s also picked up some fellow enthusiasts willing to share their own tasty tales along the way. From Fletcher Davis’s 1885 Athens creation (recipe included) and the Cheeseburger Capital of Texas in Friona to Whataburger #2 in Corpus Christi and Herd’s in Jacksboro, join Rick and his “Hamburger Helpers” on their journey celebrating the history of the original Texas hamburger.

More Info

The book starts out by painting a picture of the origins of the hamburger in Texas. There are several chapters dedicated to hamburger history. Rick’s research was quite broad going way beyond historical facts. Part of the brilliance of the book is that it contains so many stories, descriptions, and recommendations from people located all across the state of Texas. How else can one person write a book about Texas hamburgers? I learned this years ago: when traveling the best advice for places to eat usually comes from the locals.  Rick incorporated plenty of advice from many friends and acquaintances to write a book full of information on burger joints from across the state of Texas. This book is fun, informative and a valuable resource.

Texas hamburger joint enthusiasts will want to read “The Texas Hamburger: History of a Lone Star Icon”. This text could end up being a classic resource book for Texas road trip travelers. I guess it’s my practical side that makes me see things this way–beyond the art and prose of the author, this book is a road trip journal and potential resource for any of you charting the less-traveled byways and destinations.

Check out the Facebook page and you can buy a signed copy of the book here.

Note: Image of cover art provided by and Copyright (c) Rick Vanderpool.

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Hancock Springs

Hancock Springs has been a popular destination for swimming at least since the 1880′s. Back in the 19th Century people came here seeking the health benefits of the spring water. A sign in front of Hancock Park claims the bathing pools at Hancock Springs are the oldest in the state. The original bath house, built in 1883, has been preserved by the community and is right next to the modern pool, that was built in 1911. This newer pool has been maintained by the city and is still in use today.

The pool at Hancock Springs is what they call a free flowing pool. The water from the spring is channeled to one end of the pool. This spring water then flows across the pool and in turn flows out of the pool and is channeled to Sulphur Creek which is near by. So, this is not like a regular pool that has filters and chlorine to keep the water clear. It’s just the constant flow of water and the origin of the water that keeps the pool clean.

On first site you may think the pool is not clean. That was my own first impression. It has a sort of drab green tint to it that is deceptive. The water comes from underground sources. It’s loaded with minerals that give it a turquoise tint. A dip in this pool was all it took to confirm that it was quite clean and wonderful to swim in. The water coming out of the spring has a constant temperature of 69 degrees. A little cold but refreshing once you get in. On a hundred degree day, it’s simply wonderful to cool off here.

Some pools with spring sources have a sulphur odor, but I encountered none of that at Hancock Springs. The water is very good here. The pool is quite big, and was not at all busy the day I was there. The surroundings are nice: trees, grass, picnic tables, shade, all the important accommodations are present.

Hancock Springs pool is highly recommended for anyone looking for the “old school pool” experience. I’ve already said it was over 100 degrees the day I was there. Someone I spoke to that day told me about the new pool, across town, at the site of Hanna Springs. The city built a new pool there a few years ago. She told me that that new pool was really nice. Then in the same breath she said: “but that water is hot!” I love the history of this place, but setting that aside, the cool clean water of this pool make it a very good pick on a hot day.

I asked about the schedule for the rest of 2011, and I was told that the pool would be open regular hours, see city web site, until August 20. School starts there on August 22 and after that the pool will be open on weekends until it gets too cold. I have checked on pool hours before and can tell you if you call the city’s central phone number, the operator will get you the information you need.

The Hostess House

The Hostess House is a two story building, right next to the Hancock Springs Pool. This building was originally constructed in the 1920′s, and it complimented the pool, providing changing rooms and a place for dances and public gatherings. In the 1940′s a golf course was added to Hancock Park and the Hostess House was improved. Through the years this public building had provided a place for locals to gather, dance, have proms, weddings, and so on. Today the property still is used for pretty much the same purpose. Weddings, a catering company operates out of the building and runs the Green Frog Tea Room. During the week you can stop to eat here and see the inside of the building.

 Town Square

On a cooler day I would have found a place to eat German food, but it was too hot on the day of my visit. The town square hasn’t changed much since my last visit. One thing new that I noticed is The Waters of Lampasas walk path. A display of murals related to the waters of the area, and located in an alley off the Square. Also new, an old sign uncovered on an old store front right next to the walk path. I’ll include photos of both of these new features below.

Wrap Up

I stopped at Storms for a burger. Lampasas is the location of the original Storms Drive-in. I will write a separate article about them since I have several pictures to share. I usually look for ethnic food when in Lampasas. Like I said, it was too hot for a heavy meal when I visited in July. I had read about a place called the Sweet Pickle Deli in the same area as Hancock Park. Sure enough, the place is just a couple tenths of a mile south of the park heading towards Burnet. The deli is tiny but charming. It’s not a full menu restaurant, more like a catering business with an open front door and daily specials. I don’t want to go on about this place, but just want to say it was a great experience for me. Check them out on the Web and find a map in Google maps: 512-556-8330.

Related to Lampasas

Lampasas Texas History and Trip Guide

Lampasas Texas County Courthouse

Storm’s Drive-in in Lampasas Texas

Map of Hancock Springs

Images

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