Deep in the Heart of Texas

Bridget:

They say everything is bigger in Texas. It’s true. Big trucks, big pride, big grocery stores, big ideas. Oh, and the state itself is 880 miles wide. We spent the past two days in Houston, TX, hanging out with my Grandma Wolff (the coolest person ever). Not only is she a Texas master gardener, but she is also a fantastic cook, conversationalist, and she never forgets a birthday. :) She brings a new meaning to the term “southern hospitality.”

During our short stay in the 4th largest city in America, we saw and experienced a few things worth mentioning. First, and of most importance: Texas BBQ


Goode’s BBQ only has a few locations but really knows how to make some good grub. My favorite? Sliced beef brisket sandwich on jalapeño bread with plenty of bbq sauce. It alone is worth a trip to Houston.

We then visited the “Beer Can House.” Yes, folks, this is a house decorated entirely with beer cans. The guy who owned the house used to be an upholsterer for the Southern Pacific Railroad. He got the big idea that he would start drinking beers and covering his house with the empty cans. There was no symbolism, no overall purpose…he just started a little arts and craft project and continued to work on for the next 20 years. He said he really got enjoyment out of seeing people’s reaction to it. To read more about it, go to http://www.beercanhouse.org/.




On Tuesday night, Craig, Grandma, and myself along with my aunt Christy, her husband Rob, and my 6 yr. old cousin Zoe, caught a Houston Astros game at Minute Maid Park. Unfortunately, the ball park itself was more impressive than the Astros’ performance. They lost 8-1 to the SF Giants. Ouch. In spite of that, we all had a great time watching Zoe demolish a foot long hot dog and then lead us into a series of Astros cheers.







The rest of the time, we hung out with my Grandma, and took some sweet pictures as she showed us around her beautiful garden.

Plumeria

Bouganvilla

Thursday morning we said our goodbyes and headed over to San Antonio to pay a visit to the Alamo and walk along the Riverwalk, a three-mile long walk beside the banks of the San Antonio River, covered by canopies of cypress trees and just below the busy streets of the city. It is peppered with shops, restaurants, hotels, and even has gondola rides down the river.

The Alamo

Riverwalk, San Antonio

After San Antonio, we began our long trek north towards Colorado. For miles and miles, the view primarily consisted of cotton fields, oil fields, and sweet windmills like the ones below:

We decided to break up the trip and camp about halfway in Lubbock, TX, then up through Amarillo so we could see “Cadillac Ranch” … yet another big idea by a crazy Texan. This guy apparently wanted all his Cadillacs buried (halfway and at an angle) in his ranch for all to see. For years, people have been coming out to this spot marked with no signs, hopping the fence to his personal property, and leaving their mark with cans of spray paint.

So now we leave Texas behind, but I am certain it (and the drive through it) will remain a “big” part of our memories.