TEXAS BACKROADS ARCANE ATTACTIONS IN THE ALAMO STATE

There is a saying among folks that live on the road in recreational vehicles full time. It says, "Tourists go to a place to see what they came to see; travelers see what they see."

Sara and I are often asked how we decide where to go and how long to stay at a certain place. Well, there is no clear answer to that question. Part of the joy of our lifestyle is not planning too far ahead. The French say, "Les jours se suivent et ne se ressemblent pas", (There's no telling what tomorrow will bring!) the Spanish say, "Que Sera, Sera" (What will be, will be!) and the Germans, "Wir wissen wenn wir dort!"(We will know, when we get there!)

When we were at Yellowstone National Park last year, we ended up staying at the park for over a month. The average stay for visitors according to the National Park Service is 1.9, yes 1.9 days. When we were in Southern California a few years ago, we were less than 20 miles from Disneyworld for weeks and never once set foot in the Magic Kingdom. We were just too busy visiting sites and scenes like the Crystal Cathedral, the Temecula wineries, the Walt Disney Concert Hall, the Jay Leno Show and the Rose Bowl Parade.

We tend to like to balance our visits to known attractions in an area with the unusual, the bizarre, the less known, the arcane. The places like those Charles Karult visited on his almost quarter century project "On the Road", which was a regular feature on The CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite.

It is often in these places that we find the most interesting people and most fun things to do. Karult hit the road in a motor home (he wore out six before he was through) with a small crew and avoided the interstates in favor of the nation's back roads in search of America's people and their doings. Kuralt said, "Interstate highways allow you to drive coast to coast, without seeing anything". During our six month stay in Texas this past year, (Texas is a very big state) we traveled from the Red River to the Galveston Bay and Rio Grande Valley, from the Piney Country of the east to the deserts of the far west.

As Willy Nelson described it in his song Beautiful, Beautiful Texas

"You may live on the plains or the mountains
Or down where the sea breezes blow,
But, you'll still be in beautiful Texas
The most beautiful state that I know."

During our visit to the Alamo State, we often got off the interstates and would like to share a few of those special places you may not have ever heard of and places that Charles Kuralt would have loved.

In the German town of Fredricksburg, some 80 miles west of Austin and at the western edge of Texas Hill Country, most visitors come to see The National Museum of the War of the Pacific and the Rear Admiral Nimitz Memorial. Tucked between two stores on the south side of Main St on the western edge of the commercial district is Rustlin' Rob's Texas Gourmet Foods 121 East Main Street. Within the walls of this store are thousands and thousands of bottles and jars and packets of BBQ sauces, mustards, ketchups, desserts, desserts toppings, honey, honey butter, fruit butters, peanut butter, crackers, dips, soups, chili, breads, beans, dry mixes, jalapeno and pepper products; meat glazes, rubs, sauces, and marinades; hot sauces, jams, jellies, preserves and conserves; pasta sauces, pesto and spreads; peppers, pickles, pickled products and relishes, pretzel dips, syrups and sorghum; salad dressings, oils, and vinegars; salsa and quesos. Oh and did I mention the homemade fudge?

What is so impressive about Rustlin Bob's in not the sheer volume and variety of the products available, but the fact that you GET TO TASTE each of the items. Lining the counter tops are hundreds of small rectangular two story plastic tubs. In the bottom tub is a cooling packet much like dry ice and the top contains a sample of the particular gourmet food, sometimes poured over cream cheese. Within quick reach of the shoppers or should I say diners, are bowls of crackers and pretzels for dipping.

To give you an idea of the selection in the butter section alone, there is amaretto pecan honey, apple, banana nut pecan, cherry, cinnamon honey, honey bear, maple nut honey, peach, peach pecan, pecan apple, pecan honey, praline pecan honey, pumpkin, raw honey, raspberry plum, chocolate amaretto peanut, chocolate peanut, jalapeno peanut, raspberry truffle peanut, strawberry truffle peanut, sugar free pecan honey, sweet potato, and finally toffee honey. If you were to sample just each of the butters alone, you would have dipped over 24 times. Multiply these kinds of numbers times all the different products and you are talking about some serious food sampling. There is one section alone just for the really hot, hot sauces and children are warned that the area is X rated and not to enter for sampling.

Most shoppers have a guilty looks on their faces because they may have come to Rustlin Rob's more to dine than to shop. In fact, the more you sample' the more your guilt level increases. You sneak glances at the clerks wondering if they are counting and finally you succumb. You pull out your wallet to make a purchase, but you have sampled so damn many products that you can't remember which one you like the most and you have to start all over again.

Try Rustlin Rob's in Fredricksburg, Tx. You will get a either a belly ache or a basket of some of the best gourmet foods in Texas, probably both. Rustlin Rob's is worth a trip to Fredricksburg alone.

Thirteen miles southeast of Fredricksburg is another Texas landmark, the tiny community of Lukenbach (pop. 21). It consists of two main buildings, one that houses a post office, saloon, and general store. The other is the dance hall. Lukenbach can be very hard to find not because its location is so out of the way or that it moves around as some travelers have suggested, but because the signs directing the seeker to it keep disappearing due to souvenier hunters. The township finally gave up and stopped putting them up. You can buy a street sign at the general store, however, when you find it.

Made famous by the 1977 Waylon Jennings song, Luckenbach, Texas (Back to the Basics of Life):

"Let's go to Luckenbach Texas with Waylon and Willie and the boys
This successful life we're livin' got us feuding
like the Hatfield's and McCoy's
Between Hank Williams pain songs, Newberry's train songs
and blue eyes cryin' in the rain, out in Luckenbach, Texas
ain't nobody feelin' no pain"

This historic hamlet is a favorite stop of motorcyclers, country music lovers and Lone Star State history buffs alike. The town attracts both professional and amateur musicians who enjoy the laid-back, historic atmosphere.

On Sundays it is common for people to bring instruments and those in the crowd entertain each other, taking turns performing under the trees just outside the bar. No hard liquor is allowed but an unlimited supply of what the German immigrants that founded and settled Luckenbach called "liquid bread" is available. No law enforcement is usually necessary as the crowds are pretty much self policing.

Located on the banks of Grape Creek, you could have bought the whole town, 9.4 acres and all its buildings in 1970 for $30,000, and that is exactly what Hondo Crouch, a local goat rancher and Texas folklorist did. Using the town's legal rights to enforce most the rules, Mayor Hondo declared the town motto to be "Everybody is Somebody in Luckenbach", erected one parking meter, and as "clown prince" held zany celebrations, such as the Luckenbach World's Fair, the first Texas "women only" chili cook-off, Return of the Mud Daubers Festival and Ball, Texas Hat Festival, the Grit 'n Groove Festival and various other no-talent contests. Hondo passed away in 1976 and a bust in his memory stands in the town square. There are RV camping spots and the sign at the creek says "No Swimming Allowed" which most visitors ignore. You can pitch washers, get a sandwich or just relax on the grounds. Occasionally, regional celebrities drop by on a Sunday, as this is the most relaxed day to visit. There is no charge to visit.

Any visit to the Texas Hill Country would not be complete without a trip to Luckenbach. Go to the town website, http://www.luckenbachtexas.com/ to get details and a schedule of planned events. Visit Luckenbach and be somebody if only for a day.

When one thinks roses, the state of California comes to mind. The Tournament of Roses Parade is seen each year by millions of people much to the pride of the rose growers of the Golden State. Few people realize that in the years from 1960's to the 1990's, it was Texas that often led in rose plant production and cut rose shipments. In the 50's over 15 million plants were shipped annually with a value of over $3.5 million. Each year millions of roses bush plants produced over 30 million dozen cut roses which were shipped out for an annual revenue of $5 million.
Texas roses were shipped each year in refrigerated cars and by express, parcel post, motor freight, and air freight. The greater part of the Texas rose crop was consigned to northeastern markets in the United States.

Where was the center of the Texas rose industry? It was the town of Tyler in Smith County about a 100 miles east of Dallas. In fact in 1945 Tyler produced 80% of the total crop and was nicknamed the Rose Capital of the World. By the 1990s the rose industry had diminished in Texas. Out-of-state competition, along with unpredictable weather, and foreign producers reduced Tyler's contribution, but Texas still produces from 16 to 20 percent of the United States rose crop. In northeast Texas the total value of rose production and processing was estimated at $50 million this past year. Many of the rose-growing businesses are still family owned and located just outside Tyler.

Just west of downtown on Front St, is the Tyler Rose Garden. This 14 acre complex contains over 30,000 bushes with a mind boggling 400 plus varieties. Every year 2000 or more bushes are replanted, keeping the garden current with the newest varieties. In fact the Tyler Rose Garden is one of the All American Rose Selection (AARS) test gardens where the newest varieties are evaluated over a two-year period.

Standing on the balcony of the Center's Exhibition Hall overlooking the garden, one is reminded of the paintings of Renoir, Monet or Vincent Van Gogh as an explosion of color bursts before ones eyes. And then there are the fragrances. They caress your nose with each breeze in an ever changing symphony of smells. Many people bring pencil and paper to record their favorite variety as they stroll through the gardens. Allow at least two hours to fully enjoy the Tyler Rose Garden.

While the best time to visit is in mid October when the gardens are in full bloom for the annual Texas Rose Festival, we visited in early May and we will let the pictures show you the breath taking beauty of this place. If you love Rosaceae, you will be in ecstasy in this bed of roses.
Foreign immigration to Texas has a long history and it has so enriched the Lone Star State. The largest European groups to settle Texas during the mid 1800's were the Germans. Polish, Czech, Irish, English, Italian, French and Norwegians soon followed. Even Jewish immigrants are a part of the Texas's melting pot and were actually some of the earliest defenders the Alamo.

There is a saying seen often on signs and T shirts, "You would not understand, I'ts a Texas Thing." The contributions to the cuisine, customs and culture made by these immigrants are definitely a part of this "Texas Thing" and Texans are damn proud of it. There is probably no better example of the contributions of immigrants than the Painted Churches of Schulenburg, yet most visitors drive by not even realizing they are there. We were told of their existence by some RV friends who are native Texans, and as they described them we knew we had to visit these Texas treasures.

The churches are located in and around Schulenburg, TX half way between San Antonio and Houston off Interstate 10. The Schulenburg area in Fayette County was settled by German and Czech families seeking religious freedom and a chance for a better life. Most were Catholic and farmers. Each group were fiercely independent and they longed for their beloved churches in Central Europe which they were forced to leave behind.

What makes these churches so unique is not their outer appearance, yet few would not be impressed with their arched Gothic Revival windows, beautiful white frame siding, stone facades and lone steeples rising above the lush green country side. No, it is what greets the visitors as they cross the threshold of the church that causes the jaw to drop and the first time guest to commonly whisper in hush tones, "Oh my God!". It is not a declaration of disrespect but of sheer awe.
You see these immigrants simply could not afford the gold, marble and sculptural adornments they so revered in the churches they had left in Europe, but what they could afford was paint and the local artists who could reproduce these scenes in exquisite detail. Nearly every interior surface of the painted churches is covered with bright painting: exuberant murals radiate from the apse, elaborate foliage trails the walls, wooden columns and baseboards shine like polished marble in shades of green and gray. The ceilings are decorated with symbols, angels, gold scrolls, vines, and 66 different types of flowers and shrubs (but no bluebonnets). Inscriptions on the walls (and on the restrooms outside the church) read not in English, but in the mother tongue of those who built them: German and Czech.

There are 5 churches to be visited. See map in gallery section:

1. St. John the Baptist Catholic Church
St. John the Baptist Catholic Church opened in 1890. Destroyed by the hurricane of 1909, the church was rebuilt. It burned shortly thereafter and had to be rebuilt a second time. This church has stained-glass window details and the banisters and newel showing the detailed veining in the faux-finish marble.

2. St Cyril and Methodius Catholic Church
Dubina's first church was built in 1876, but was destroyed by a 1909 hurricane. Rebuilt in 1912, it survived a fire that all but destroyed the town, This church can be viewed from inside the front doors, however full access is limited to touring groups and of course, services on Sunday.

3. St Rose of Lima Catholic Church
This church is located in Schulenburg and is the least impressive of all the Painted Churches as it was rebuilt and the original facade and interior was not retained. If you are short of time, it can be skipped. There is however a unique metal sculpture between the church and the rectory.

4. St Mary’s Catholic Church of Praha
This is one of the most elaborate of the Texas painted churches. The town of Praha is somewhat of a ghost town, but the church is definitely worth the visit. Prior to the coming of the Czechs, Praha was called Mulberry by the Anglo settlers. The ceilings of this church are painted and there is a lot of ornate wood work.

5. St. Mary’s Catholic Church-High Hill
This church was built from 1906-1908. It has contains beautifully painted pictures all over the building. The architect of this church was Leo Dielmann and the artists were Doneckar and sons and Oidtmann Studios. The elaborate faux marble columns and ceilings make this church one of the ones not to be missed. The grayish blue stone capping the buttresses and accenting the brick was quarried from the nearby town of Muldoon. The interior of this church was being restored when we visited and was the most impressive of them all.

Any visit to Texas, east of San Antonio, without seeing the Painted Churches of Schulenburg would truly be a mistake.

One final tradition for any visitor to Texas that is to be savored and I truly mean "savored" is barbecue. There is no single subject that commands the attention of more true Texans more fervently, with the possible exception of what happened at the Alamo, than the cooking of meat. And if you really want to sound like a Texan say "the cue or the pit," not the grill or the BBQ and for gosh sakes.

Simply put, Texans take their "cueing" very seriously. It is often said that everybody's favorite barbecue is what they grew up with. There is some truth to that. No one knows exactly how many establishments there are in Texas dedicated to the heating and serving of red meat but it has to be in the tens of thousands. And any backyard that doesn't have a series of barrel shaped chucks of metal welded together in one of a countless number of strange configurations reminiscent of a Rube Goldberg contraption, is NOT the back yard of a native Texan. A Weber grill and a bag of charcoal is a sure tip off that it is a backyard of a Yankee and the results of any meat cooked on it would cause a true Texan would comment, "I've seen cows hurt worse than this and get well." \

Before you start brawling, remember that "queing" in Texas on the weekend means a barbecue at someone's house and though you might not agree with the process, the food is always good. Barbecue is more than a meal. It is an event. People gather for good barbecue, whether invited or not. Barbecue is an event that gathers people around a fire to watch, smell and eat. Like the fires of prehistory this is the place to eat, drink and tell stories.

One of the most famous barbecue joints in all of Texas just west of Austin is named, "The Saltlick" for that very reason. Their motto is, "You can smell our pits from miles away." The Saltlick serves thousands of hungry visitors every week and send their trademark sauces, rubs and freshly cooked delicasies by air mail all over the world.

Although Texans are obviously kind of biased toward Texas Barbeque, in all fairness other regions of the country have their own BBQ traditions and legacies. Memphis, Kansas City, St. Louis, and The Carolinas are a few that come to mind. As a matter of fact, great barbecue traditions can be found all over the world. South American countries like Brazil and Venezuela have long-standing traditions of barbeque.

Barbeque requires meat. You grill vegetables. The biggest debate you will find among the purists of the meaning of barbeque will occur if you bring together a Texan and a South Carolinian. In Texas, barbeque means beef, particularly brisket. In the Carolina's (the whole south for that matter), barbeque means pork (typically shoulder roasts and Boston butts, and the sauce is more likely to be yellow than red. They love their mustard in the Carolina's.

When most people today think barbeque, what they really are referring to is grilling. They might be thinking of a big juicy steak or a hamburger, which are usually "grilled"(cooked quickly and directly over open flames). But barbeque is actually the act of slow-cooking food in pits over indirect heat, using wood as the primary heat source. One famous Texas barbecuer hauls his handmade pits to the location, loaded down with smoked brisket, pork and turkey and sometimes some smoked sausage or even prime rib. The largest pit we saw was 6 feet wide, 5 feet tall and 12 feet long and can cook 3,000 pounds of brisket at a time. “What I do is an art. It takes patience, understanding and a slow-burning hardwood fire,” he explains.

Our most memorable Texas barbecue experience was at the famous Saltlick restaurant west of Austin. We were treated to the most delicious meat that had ever passed through our lips. Sara and I marveled as the incredibly tender pieces of brisket, ribs and sausage hit our palates. The texture, the flavor and presentation of the dishes was unbelievable. And the condiments of cold slaw, baked beans and sauces were perfect.I said to our server, "This is so good. I have been grilling for years and I have never been able get a taste like this. What am I doing wrong?" He asked how I grilled and I told him, "Well, I light the charcoal and get the fire good and hot, put the sauce on the meat and put it on the ............." He immediately stopped me and said I had already done three things wrong.

You don't start with charcoal but use wood, you never use a hot fire and you never, never, ever put the sauce on until the very last few minutes of cooking. In fact most Texans use a rub and serve the sauces in bowls on the table to dribble on the meat. He said, "Yah, all know what burnt sugar tastes like????? That would be yur BBQ, not ours!!!!!"

An old Texas cowboy said it best, “Good barbeque is cooked the same way that a cowboy dances – slow, easy and often, It’s as tender as a lady’s heart, as moist as her .....well in this group . .let's say her goodnight kiss, and it is as lean as a cowboy’s wallet.”
Before you leave Texas, sample its BBQ. It is an art form and a delicious one at that.

What follows are some genuine Texas tips directly from the experts on how to do BBQ right. Try them and you will be amazed at the difference.

HERE ARE SOME TEXAS TIPS FOR YOUR BBQING PLEASURE THIS SUMMER (Gathered from several sources live and on line)

Big BBQ Grilling No-No's

These common mistakes that cause flare-ups are for the charcoal bib grill or pit users. Gas grill users have flare-ups also, but they can control theirs a little easier.

When filling the barbeque pit or grill with charcoal, do not fill it where the coals are spread across the whole pit. You want to leave yourself a "cool spot" on either end to be able to move the food if it gets too hot or the flames start getting a little wild.

Do not fill up the entire grate with food. You need to have an empty spot to be able to move food that gets too hot and wants to flare up.

Keep a spray bottle with clean water to knock down flames that start to get out of control.
Put on the food that cooks the quickest when the fire is the hottest. Put on the food that takes the longest, like the larger cuts of meat, after the fire has cooled down. You don't want the outside of these cuts to char or burn and leave the inside raw.

Watch food closely that has a tendency to drip fat and flare up the most. You don't want to keep opening the lid, If you stay nearby you can tell when ther's trouble about to occur. Chicken with the skin on, hamburgers, and sausages are good for flare-ups if not paying attention.

If a flare-up does occur, a good idea is to keep a spray bottle filled with water handy to shoot at the flames before they get out of control.

One of my pet peeves is when I see the barbeque "chef" stabbing the meat with the big long fork from that BBQ set while it's cooking. Besides contributing to the flare-up issue, all the juices will leave the meat and go to the bottom of the pit. This guarantees dry, tough meat every time. That is not how to barbeque. Please use tongs and throw the fork from that BBQ utensil set into the garbage. Keep just the grill cleaning wire brush, the tongs, and the spatula if that's what came with the set.

Another how to barbeque tip is this no-no. When your meat hits the grill, do not ever press down with a spatula. This is a pretty common grilling mistake. What it does is squeeze the juices right out of the meat, leaving it dry and tough.

Meat Cooking Times and Temperatures

-This is "how to barbeque" using ideal cooking times (when applicable) for various cuts of barbequed meat:

• Beef Brisket 9-12 lbs. 220 14-18 hrs. N/A

• Pork butt 5-7 lbs. 220 10-12 hrs. N/A

• Pork loin 4-6 lbs. 250 3-5 hrs. 155 deg.

• Turkey, whole 9-12 lbs. 200 10-12 hrs. 165 deg. (thigh temperature)

• Pork spareribs 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 375 2-3 hrs. N/A

• Whole hog 75-90 lbs. 250 18-22 hrs. 165 deg. (ham temperature)

• Pork loin ribs 2-1 1/2 lbs 375 2-2 1/2 hrs. N/A

• Chicken, whole 2 1/2-3 1/2 lbs. 325 3-4 hrs. 165 deg. (thigh temperature)

*A Note About Cooking Times and the Use of Wood:

Long cooking times allow the meat to absorb good smoke flavor and develop a nice smoke ring. The long cooking times on brisket and pork butt allow for natural flavors to develop without wrapping in foil.

By starting a charcoal fire with only a small amount of wood, the meat tenderizes naturally and does not get too much smoke. If you smoke a brisket for 12 to 15 hours with wood only you will ruin it with because you've used too much smoke. A beef brisket especially does not take well to a ton of smoke.

How Much Meat Per Person?

One of the questions often asked is "How many pounds of meat should be served per person?"...Well, a good rule of thumb is 1/2 pound of boneless meat per person is usually plenty. If the meat you are grilling is not boneless you'll have to kind of estimate how much meat it really is and maybe cook a little bit more than that in case you're off some. Also, if there's quite a few kids, go with less. And if there's a large proportion of big eaters, go with a more than 1/2 lb.