Neat places in Texas?

Libertine · Apr 25, 2004

Thanks - mea culpa, mea culpa. As several have pointed out Houston is in the south. I meant Ft. Worth. Sorry.
Why Kilgore? Supposedly has the main oil museum & history of oil fields in Texas. And, of course, is the center of the East Texas field. Can't find Spindletop on my maps so don't know where it is-someone mentioned Amarillo? Anyway, to an outsider, Texas is known for oil and cattle. Am always interested in historical museums of note (the best general history of technology mueseum I've ever been to is in Minden, Nebraska (the Warp museum). Went a couple years ago planning two days, ended up spending 4 days & could have spent a month. Will go back someday.)
Anyone know where Spindletop is in Texas? Do they have a good oil museum there (Spindletop was the first BIG oil boom area outside of Pennsylvania).
Anyway, thanks for the suggestions.
JEH
PS Since someone asked, trip planned for late April/early May.

Bird · Apr 25, 2004

( Can't find Spindletop on my maps so don't know where it is-someone mentioned Amarillo?)

The Spindletop oil field is a long ways from Amarillo; try just south of Beaumont, and there's a museum in Beaumont, I think. Just enter "Spindletop Texas" at Google.com and you'll find quite a bit of information about it.

Hank · Apr 25, 2004

Last October while passing through northern Arizona we met a couple building this beautiful pipe fence outside of Prescott. It turns out they were building miles of the stuff for the guy who not only owns a substantial part of rural Arizona, but Southfork, 

Would that be Maugham, with his 5 rail pipe fence?

Hank · Apr 25, 2004

Why Kilgore? Supposedly has the main oil museum & history of oil fields in Texas. And, of course, is the center of the East Texas field 

As a teenager growing up in Longview in the early '60's, I recall Kilgore with nothing but derricks, as close together as pine trees in an East Texas forest.

The oil museum is pretty neat....I visited there many years later.

wroughtn_harv · Apr 25, 2004

Yup.

There's a thread here somewhere on TBN about the experienced couple who do nothing but build that fence. It's very interesting, quite a couple, great job.

Hank · Apr 25, 2004

It is a great job, a very nice-looking fence. It catches the eye immediately. I hear tell locally that Maugham is trying to build an AZ ranching empire bigger than the King ranch.

Tdog · Apr 25, 2004

Yep, Kilgore is in the heart of the east Texas oil fields. As has been pointed out, Spindletop is further south.

Ahem, as long as you like museums, I think you will find the Kilgore College Rangerette Museum there too.

While in the area, take in some of the local BBQ. Good stuff.

Enjoy.

Libertine · Apr 26, 2004

Thanks to all - finally had a chance to print out thread & study it. Hope to get out of here in the next day or two.

wroughtn-harv: Will definately swing by Mt. Pleasant & etc. Also, your comment about small town restaurants right on. I always avoid chains where possible & stay off Interstates unless going somewhere in a hurry. Have thought about taking an old major US highway (non interstate) just to see what you'd come across, i.e. the "road" is the destination. Not unlike the old Route 66 series-of course US 66 is too much like I-44 now (at least in Missouri). But there are still many old major US highways that don't parallel the interstates.

Chechnya: Sugar factory sounds interesting but don't plan on getting that far south.

jinman: Archer City was featured in the movie Last Picture Show (based on book by Larry McMurtry). He made lots of money writing and bought bunch of storefronts and turned them into bookstores. Anyway, looking forward to spending a few days there. Thanks for the warning on snakes!

Bird: Would like to catch the State Fair as have been comparing some last few years-bet Texas has a nice one. Interesting Dallas has a museum re Kennedy killing. Wonder if they've started one yet in Waco where the FEDs killed all those Christians a few years ago.

Re Texas BBQ-as several have suggested was planning to certainly try it-but, gotta tell you, the best BBQ I've ever come across is in Owensboro Kentucky. Most places (certainly around here) cook meat quick over charcoal and dump sauce on it-they think the sauce makes the BBQ. In Kentucky (and Tennessee, etc), BBQ is the way the meat is cooked, slow smoked long time over hickory wood. Have been stopping at the Moonlite Inn in Owensboro since the early 1950s. They do mutton that's really good.

Again, thanks to all who responded & the suggestions. As I said, hope to get out of here within the next few days. Just got back from a brief sojourn to "test out" an old trailer I bought recently see if it's up to a longer trip (find out what's wrong with it, etc.).

JEH

gsganzer · Apr 26, 2004

My wife was a Rangerette. It was pretty cool to see photo's of her at the Rangerette museum. She can't do the high-kicks anymore (shin touches the brim of the hat) but she still has the legs.

EastTexFrank · Apr 26, 2004

I'm told that she can still kick high enough to get you on the rear end. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

gsganzer · Apr 26, 2004

"I'm told that she can still kick high enough to get you on the rear end" 

You got that right! I have the bruises to prove it. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

mikim · Apr 26, 2004

We've got a pasture right here in the back yard of our office - Dickinson - suburb of Houston - lotsa cows -

JazzDad · Apr 29, 2004

Junkman, I'm still confused. There are those who say the only neat thing about Houston is seeing it in the rear view mirror. /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif At least this is what my wife tells me a few times a day.

centex · Apr 29, 2004

When I left Houston we didn't think of Dickinson as a suberb but then it was also a long drive to Katy too. The place was too big back in the '60's. If I were going to visit Houston, I would certainly head down your way but I would not stop until I got to Galveston. One of my neighor's up here just moved to Galveston. He has his ranch up for sale and I am afraid that a developer will buy it and subdivide it and make this place a little more like Houston.

RanchMan · Apr 29, 2004

Official Visitors Website

As to the absense of cattle within Houston, well, I've seen them inside Beltway 8 numerous times when I lived there for a while - not quite sure what Centex is talking about there. ('course Houston is about about 600 square miles in area, so there's a lot to see.) Anyway, it isn't hard to find cattle here in Texas - the further you get from the city's center, the more you will see. Same thing with oil (or gas) wells. Just gotta know where to look I suppose.

Anyway, enjoy your trip.

Libertine · May 14, 2004

RanchMan:

Anyway, enjoy your trip. 

Indeed. Interesting place-NE Texas much different than NW (panhandle).

Some observations on people: (on native born Texans), traits noticably more common than other places, say in Missouri.
1) Very friendly and go out of way to be helpful.
2) Rather serious, thin skinned, but not dour, with little wit, self deprecating humor or playfulness.
3) Do things well, concern about biggest, best etc with a high pride of place, civic booster and so on.
4) Surprisingly "law abiding" (whether out of fear or conviction I can't say). Saw more bail bond places and pawn shops in 2 weeks than I've seen in my life.
5) Relatively high social metaphysical characteristics (concern about what others think).
6) High "modesty" level among women-high bra use, few opportunities for a "quickie" with a stranger in public places (at least noticably less than many places I've been) etc.
All these traits were more obvious in north central/north east than they were in the panhandle area.

Some observations on place:
1) Everything (museums, roads, etc) very well done to high standards and kept up (except for road signage which for some reason was not good-after a few days we said "we'll go there, if the signs are accurate").
2) Most impressive thing I saw was the bronze depiction of a cattle drive in Pioneer Park (Dallas). The amount of bronze in that display probably approached what the Greeks did 2000 years ago in a single statue at Rhodes.
3) The funniest thing I saw was a sign in front of a church (I won't name the brand) in Tyler urging people to come and hear Rev Bob's "red hot preaching".
4) Housing prices are very, very low compared to Missouri and other areas.
5) The use of fencing on all types of property is much higher than around here.
6) Little seeming emphasis by public authorities on controling "clutter" on private property (not complaining-just observing).

Anyway, I guess all you native "Texans" can dispute my observations if you want. But thanks for the suggestions.

JEH

RanchMan · May 14, 2004

Heh, yea, NE Texas is quite different than the panhandle! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Your evaluation seems pretty accurate (I'd make a few tweaks to it, but then again, natives see things a bit differently I suppose. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif )

Hope you enjoyed your visit. "Ya'll come back now, ya hear?" /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Libertine · May 16, 2004

Ranchman:

Just out of curiosity, any thoughts on why the high ratio of fencing. Seems almost every "ranch", tiny property, even many subdivision properties has a fence. Seems like even a couple acres encourages the owner to put up a big drive through gate over the driveway. Many places, even small places, fenced. Is it because of the historical evolution of open range to fenced ranches?, is there something in Texas law which makes your property more secure?, is there some psychological characteristics of Texans that tend to that? Don't know, just asking.

JEH

wroughtn_harv · May 16, 2004

Finally, two plus years on this forum and I've got a subject I might be able to talk about. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

The biggest reasons for the fencing is keeping pets--livestock in and or out.

When you have that combination of city--country where some folks think of the country as animal husbandry land and others think of it as estatesville you need fencing.

The estatesville folks love the two or three rail low fence that marks borders but isn't overwhelming. The animal husbandry types want a fence that will keep horses and cows contained, dogs in and or out.

Our subdivisions all have privacy fencing. In fact, most of the city codes require a fence prior to recieving a permit for occupancy.

I suspect the reason for the privacy fencing is most folks look at their yard as another room to roam, decorate, enjoy. It's part and parcel of the house.

We do have subdivisions with acreage that have the big homes and severe restrictions on fencing. That's where the estatesville folks prefer to live. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

If you look in your neighborhood you will see the same thing going on. The animal husbandry folks will have the fencing. The estatesville types or folks with property but not animals won't.

In Texas we have a higher ratio of animal lovers I guess.

As for the entryways, ever wonder the why of custom wheels on pic'em'ups?

RanchMan · May 16, 2004

I agree with what WH said above as to the reasons "Why?". As to... ( is there something in Texas law which makes your property more secure?, )

Yes. In the matter of Criminal Trespass, the law states that you committ an offence if you enter property you aren't supposed to after receiving "notice." One of the ways to receive "notice" is if there is "fencing or other enclosure obviously designed to exclude intruders or to contain livestock"

Now, I would argue that most folks don't know this and they put it up for the reasons that WH mentioned, but it does help strengthen the landowner's position if a criminal case comes up.