Alvin, Texas

Suzanne and I travel all over Texas and sometimes forget about visiting our local neighbors. So we decided to visit a town next door to where I grew up in Pearland. Alvin is an unassuming little town that goes about its business quietly. It is best known for her favorite son, Nolan Ryan. With baseball playoffs beginning, we had planned on visiting the Nolan Ryan Museum, but as fate would have it, we struck out. It was closed on the Friday afternoon we chose to visit. What a bummer.

Like in baseball, one strike out didn’t deter us. We rounded second and slid over to the Alvin Historical Museum to check out the history of Alvin. Located in the old Post Office off W. Sealy Street, the museum attendant met us at the door, eager to please our passion for history. She directed us to Tom Stansel, who gave us a wonderful tour and explanation of the exhibits. At the entrance to the museum stands a beautifully carved statue of Alvin Morgan, the founder and namesake. Items ranging from prehistoric fossils to Karawanka Indians and from Republic of Texas memorabilia to the various American wars filled the halls of the museum. At the end of our tour, Suzanne got to view a temporary exhibit of beautiful quilts by Jewell Richardson.

Re-energized, we headed over to the Marguerite Rogers House Museum on East Dumble Street. The John G. Slover built Victorian house is unique in its Oriental influenced architecture and extensive gingerbread trim. Most of the lumber used was scavenged from other homes following a hurricane. Mr. Slover was a carpenter by trade and the workmanship shows his attention to detail. Decorated in period pieces from the 1930’s, this house represents a slice of life in early Alvin.

Though we didn’t get to visit the Nolan Ryan Museum, the other museums provided much insight into the early days of Alvin. From ranching, dairy farms, orchards and farming to commerce and railways, Alvin keeps chugging on as we see Texas Thru My Back Door!

Southern Star – Texas Craft Beer Success Story

Here in Texas, we love our beer! Today there is a craft beer boom in the state and like a true Texan, I want to try them all. Suzanne and I decided to ride up to Conroe just a hop, skip and jump from Houston and check out the Southern Star Brewing Company. Southern Star began brewing beer in 2008 and is the first in Texas to sell their craft brews in cans.

We heard that on Friday evenings the brewery sets up a small market with unique items for sale, so a Friday date night was in order. When we arrived at the warehouse location, Suzanne and I were pleasantly surprised at the number of cars in the parking lot and we had to park fairly far away. From a distance, we could hear the live music that quickened our steps to the brewery.

The brewery is divided in two sections. One is the actual brewery and the other is the storage area where the hospitality room and market are located. Since we have seen many other small batch breweries, we decided to skip the brewery tour and headed straight to the hospitality room. There in the back of the warehouse was our prize, their cold beer offerings. Along the way, flanked on either side were vendors set up selling a variety of items. Working our way through this maze of vendors was quite a challenge, but I was successful in my endeavor and we eventually made it up to the bar.

Their beers were reasonably priced and we didn’t need any wooden tokens or arm bands to purchase their products. The bartenders were friendly and helpful as we made our selections. Pine Belt Pale Ale, Buried Hatchet Stout, Bombshell Blonde Ale, Red Cockaded Ale and Valkyrie are a few of the varieties available. Suzanne and I tried different brews so we could taste a greater variety of different beers.

After sampling a couple of different ales, it was time to check out the vendor’s wares. We strolled through the building looking at a unique blend of items including produce, buffalo meat, jewelry, olive oil, soaps and candles, all while drinking beer and listening to live music. What a pleasant shopping experience! I left the shopping to Suzanne and Suzanne left the beer drinking to me. We were both happy. Suzanne purchased some wonderfully scented candles and I prodded her to buy some ground buffalo meat for making hamburgers.

As our star-lit Friday night excursion ended, we were both pleased with the outcome. We had sampled some great beer, bought some superb items and had a wonderful time listening to live music. It doesn’t get any better that this. Can’t wait to see what our next outing offers us as we see Texas Thru My Back Door!

Go WEST Young Man!

So I did; to the town of West near Waco, Texas. This is normally a little country town known for its Czech population and kolaches, but it made the headlines in 2013 due to the horrendous explosion and fire at a Fertilizer Plant in town. Suzanne and I decided to make a pilgrimage to West and compare their kolaches and klobasnikys (Czech name for sausage kolaches or pig-in-a-blanket) to the ones we like in the Houston area.

Driving around town, things look to have settled down and returned to its “sleepy” status. We walked around the downtown area stopping in at various stores. One of our favorites was an antique store, Olde Czech Corner Antiques. I guess when you’re my age, antique stores are interesting because many of the items in the store are things I grew up with or remember. Of course, Suzanne is too young to know about these old things and is amazed that I can even remember that far back. It must be the effects of eating kolaches and klobasnikys all my life! Growing up with a Czech mom who made these delicacies at home all the time kinda makes me an expert in the subject. At least that’s what I tell myself as I bite off another piece of a jalapeno cheese sausage klobasniky.

Our favorite Kolache Shoppe turned out to be Slovacek’s on the outskirts of town off I-35. I don’t know if it’s the kissing pigs on their logo, or the tasty kolaches/klobasnikys, or the new clean store that makes it better than the rest but we enjoyed the experience.  Suzanne thinks I just like the little pigs. So if you like kolaches and klobasnikys as much as I do, stop in West and eat one for me, while seeing Texas Thru My Back Door!

Homestead Heritage – A Link to the Past

On a trip to the Waco area, Suzanne and I visited Homestead Heritage, a community that embraces the pioneer way of doing things. Their handcrafted Texas items are sold on the premise and through their catalog. With a walking tour of the farm, one can view craftsmen and craftswomen creating pottery vases, bowls and dinnerware sets; building wood furniture, wood carvings and other wood projects; grinding corn, wheat and oats; making yarn and creating quilts, rugs, blankets and clothes; and a forging wrought iron items such as bed frames, tables and ornate gates.

We found that the best part of the experience was watching the craftsmen at work. Suzanne was fascinated with the fiber crafts shop. Here, we watched one lady create yarn, while another worked the yarn into cloth on a loom. The ladies were friendly and willing to answer any question. I enjoyed the Gristmill. Water is channeled from a nearby well to turn a wooden waterwheel connected by gears and pulleys to a grinding wheel. Inside an adjacent room, you can purchase their products and ask questions of the workers. In the woodshop, samples of their furniture, guitars and carvings lined the walls of the building. We also toured the herb farm and pottery shop.

After finishing our tour of the craft buildings, we ventured into the General store where you can see more of their products and purchase your favorites. The two story building was stocked full of things of interest to both Suzanne and I. My favorites were the carved wildlife. These life-like carvings of wood were phenomenal! Suzanne admired the beautiful quilts.

All this walking and shopping made us thirsty and hungry. Lucky for us, on the premise is a highly regarded café. We had read about this café and its wonderful home-style foods and desserts. Having already made reservations, we couldn’t wait to eat. The food was fresh and seasonal and tasty. What more could you ask for? The staff was courteous and attentitive to our every need. This is a must do if you visit Homestead Heritage. Just remember to call for reservations beforehand as the place is packed on weekends.

 

Spending an afternoon at the Homestead Heritage community is a great way to spend time in Texas Thru My Back Door!