Small Towns

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Fort Davis Drug Store Restaurant

Fort Davis, now a National Historic Site, was established in 1854 in the heart of the Davis Mountains. The site is one of the best surviving examples of a frontier military post built to protect mail carriers and travelers along the San Antonio Road.

After the Civil War, several regiments of Buffalo Soldiers were assigned to Fort Davis and served under the command of Second Lieutenant Henry O. Flipper, the first African American graduate of West Point. These soldiers served admirably and played a key role in keeping travelers safe.

The present-day town of Fort Davis surrounds the well preserved ruins of the old fort and is the county seat of Jeff Davis County. Situated on Limpia Creek at the intersection of State Highways 17 and 118, the town boasts beautiful views of the surrounding Davis Mountains.

The main drag is lined with quaint shops and a variety of eateries to satisfy every appetite. Flanked by the historic Hotel Limpia on one end and Stone Village Market on the opposite end, everything in between is stroll worthy. Shop owners are welcoming and super friendly.

After several days of hiking at Big Bend National Park and Davis Mountains State Park, my friend Doyle and I headed to the historic Fort Davis Drug Store for lunch. This cool restaurant features delicious made-from-scratch meals — including amazing desserts and a vintage 1950’s style ice cream soda fountain.

I ordered the Mile High Hamburger and added Pepper Jack cheese, bacon, lettuce, tomato, pickles and a side order of homemade onion rings. This burger features a one-third pound all-beef patty and is served on toasted Kaiser buns.

The patty was cooked to perfection, the bacon was more on the crispier side like I prefer, and the buns were slightly toasted and very fresh. From the first to the last bite, this burger was delicious. And the onion rings were the perfect compliment. So glad I ordered this burger. It was more than enough to fill me up and energize me for a final afternoon hike.

Fort Davis is off the beaten interstate path but definitely worth a visit, not just for the food, but for the shops and a look at the historic old fort. I look forward to returning on a future day trip from our place in Big Bend. I hope you will add Fort Davis to your future Texas road trip bucket list. You’ll be glad you did.

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Pitman Cemetery in Muldoon

The Lone Star State has more than its share of towns and places with interesting names — Muldoon among them. Were it not for the city limit sign, you would never know you had entered and passed through Muldoon. Less than a hundred people call this tiny spot on the map home. Only a few buildings remain as ragged reminders of Muldoon’s past.

Muldoon is named after an Irish priest named Michael Muldoon. The town is located on a grant of land originally made to Father Muldoon, the curate for Stephen F. Austin’s first Texas colony. Father Muldoon was associated with the Diocese of Monterrey, Mexico. He served in Texas from 1831 to 1832 and was the only priest appointed to serve non-Hispanic Texas settlers.

The Pitman Cemetery is located just a few miles outside of town in an absolutely idyllic setting. An old chapel serves as the gathering place for memorial services — complete with old wooden-slatted pews covered with layers of faded butterscotch paint and ample windows to let in the breeze. It really is a perfect place for a memorial service with burial sites within walking distance.

I enjoy walking through old cemeteries, looking at dates and epitaphs on weathered tombstones. This hallowed ground has soaked up the tears of many grieving family members and friends over its long history. Every headstone has felt the touch of the hands of those who have stood there, perhaps weeping in silent remembrance.

In places as old as the Pitman Cemetery, the weather has erased names and dates on many of the tombstones, a solemn reminder of the words of Psalm 103:15-16:

As for man, his days are like grass;

As a flower of the field, so he flourishes.
When the wind has passed over it, it is no more,

And its place acknowledges it no longer.

As I meandered through the cemetery I was especially touched by the tombstone of a mother who had died in childbirth. And the plastic flowers on the grave-site of another child that passed away on the same day he was born served as an indication that someone still remembered this child, even after so many years.

As much as I don’t like thinking about death, strolling through old cemeteries reminds me that I must acknowledge its reality. The day will come when my remains will be placed into the ground and a headstone will mark my resting place.

When I am finally placed in the ground, the dash between the dates will tell nothing about me or what happened in the span of my years. A well-written line or Bible verse may be the only thing to tell future cemetery-strollers a little something about my faith or beliefs about what lies beyond the grave. And, the passage of time may eventually erase any words on my tombstone. Like a flower of the field that has withered away, even my resting place will one day no longer acknowledge me.

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Road Trip to Egypt

When it comes to planning a day trip I prefer scrutinizing a paper map to find the most interesting place names — and then seeing how I can get there off the beaten path. Texas has no shortage of places with fascinating monikers. And getting to those places makes for some really good windshield time.
Some names on the map are nothing more than “if you blink you will miss them” kind of spots. Almost always you can find evidence of what life was like there in years gone by — things like old cemeteries or long abandoned buildings slowly being eroded by the passage of time.
That’s how I came across Egypt, the oldest community in Wharton County. When I spotted the name on my map I couldn’t resist the temptation to head that way, especially because I have visited the “real” Egypt several times. So, off to the Egypt in Texas it was.
The original settlement was started in 1892 by Eli Mercer at the place where the road from Matagorda to Columbus crossed the San Felipe−Texana Road. Mercer operated a ferry across the Colorado River at that spot, hence the name Mercer’s Crossing.
The fertile soil in the area made Mercer’s Crossing a great place to farm. Farmers planted corn, cotton, and even sugar cane. During a severe drought, the farmers in the area supplied corn to surrounding settlements. As a result, folks started referring to Mercer’s Crossing as Egypt and the name stuck.
In November 1835, the Republic of Texas opened a post office in Egypt with Eli Mercer as postmaster. The US Postal Service still operates a post office in Egypt. Texas history attests to the role Egypt played in the pre-independence days of the Lone Star State. During the early days of the republic, many prominent Texans lived in Egypt.


Today, the population of Egypt is in the double-digits. Many former residents, including several from the earliest days of Texas, are buried in the old cemetery. It is worth taking some time to walk slowly among the old headstones. So much history here.


You will find some fascinating old buildings in Egypt as well as a colorful billboard mural in front of the old mill. Some of the old families remain to this day, continuing a long family tradition of farming. Considering the beauty of the countryside here, it’s no wonder that some folks have chosen to stay in Egypt.
As Texans we are fortunate to have so many miles of backroads that wind their way through the history of our great state. Make sure to take some time to get out and explore the places near you. You might want to start by buying a paper map of the Lone Star State as you plan your next adventure.

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Orsak’s Cafe in Fayetteville

I love venturing to places I have not yet visited in the Lone Star State. On a recent road trip from Katy to La Grange, my wife and I decided to take a lunch detour to Fayetteville — and I am so glad we did. This small town is about the closest thing to a time capsule you will find in Texas. Fayetteville has somehow managed to retain quite a bit of yesteryear charm in our ever-changing world.
Our purpose for taking this detour was to find a place to enjoy a bacon cheeseburger. And, according to the information we read online, Orsak’s Cafe was the place to go. This small town diner is located on the town’s historic square and offers a menu-full of enticing home-style dishes, including burgers.
As soon as we drove into Fayetteville we knew we liked it. No cookie-cutter homes here. Just charming little homes, each with their own unique architectural features — homes that have been around so long that they are shaded by mature trees and crepe-myrtles in full bloom. We enjoyed driving around and looking at the homes and the old business on the town square, including Fayetteville’s historic court house.
When we arrived at Orsak’s it was obvious this is a popular place. The locals were already seated at their favorite tables when we walked in. Folks were friendly and offered their greetings as we made our way to an empty table. We felt right at home among folks enjoying good conversation and delicious meals.
Cheryl and I decided to split a bacon cheeseburger with a side of onion rings. Since the burgers at Orsak’s are pretty big, this was a good call. Our burger arrived already cut and plated on two plates with a healthy portion of homemade onion rings on each plate. Very nice service.
The first bite was absolutely delicious. The portion of meat was generous, the ingredients were fresh, the bacon was crisp, the bun was nice and moist, and the onion rings were cooked to perfection. Everything about this meal was enjoyable and had us hooked. As we ate we talked about when we might be free to come back to Orsak’s.
After lunch we walked around the town square and enjoyed perusing the town bulletin boards that were chock-full of posters, flyers, bulletins, and notes announcing upcoming community events. Very blast-from-the-past kind of stuff in this day of social media advertising. There are all sorts of shops and restaurants and even a museum on the town square along with numerous historical markers.
Cheryl and I agreed that Fayetteville is one of our new favorite places. We can’t wait to go back and introduce friends to this small Texas treasure and to enjoy lunch again at Orsak’s Cafe. If you find yourself anywhere near Fayetteville on your next toad trip, take the time to visit. And remember, wherever your road trips take you, get off the beaten path and explore a place you have never visited.

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The Jefferson General Store

East Texas is unquestionably one of the most beautiful places in the Lone Star State. If you love forests and lakes then this is the place for you. This is definitely road trip heaven. On a recent road trip through East Texas, we headed over to Jefferson near Big Cypress Creek and Caddo Lake at the junction of U.S. Highway 59 and State Highway 49.

Jefferson was named for Thomas Jefferson when it was founded in the early 1840s by Allen Urquhart and Daniel Alley. In those early years it became the state’s leading inland river port as well as the leading commercial and distribution center of Northeast Texas. By 1870, Jefferson was the sixth largest city in Texas. But, with the advent of the railroad and less reliance on river boat transport of products, Jefferson gradually declined in population.
Today, Jefferson is one of the coolest road trip destinations in Texas. The town is home to more than fifty historic structures listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Many of the old historic buildings in the downtown area now house all kinds of specialty and antique shops. One must-see stop in Jefferson is the Jefferson General Store.

The Jefferson General Store occupies a building first used as a hardware store in the 1860’s and has remained an important part of the community through the years. There are not many places left in Texas where you can step through the door of an old building and go back in time. But that is exactly the feeling you’ll get when you step across the threshold of the front door and into the Jefferson General Store.
The sign above the door boasts “we have everything” — and that is not far from the truth as far as general store merchandise goes. The moment my wife Cheryl and I stepped through the door we looked at each other and smiled. This place was crammed with more interesting things than we could have imagined — including some of the hard-to-find candy we enjoyed as kids like Chick-O-Stick.

You can browse the stuff at the store, sit at the soda fountain and sip on five-cent coffee or any of their nostalgic soda fountain offerings, play a game of checkers on an oversided checker board, or fill a bag at the old-time candy counter. In addition to enjoying some of our favorite candy, we discovered fried peanuts in the shell. Delicious, indeed!

I enjoyed browsing through their eclectic selection of books on everything from Texas history, flora and fauna, recipe books, collections of humorous sayings, and more. If you like signs with funny messages, you’ll find plenty of those. They also have a great selection of Texas jams, jellies, and salsas.
If your travels take you to East Texas, I hope you’ll make time to go by Jefferson and to stop by the Jefferson General Store. Walk slowly. Look at everything. Have a soda. Eat candy. Peruse a book and laugh. Take a selfie. Have fun.

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A Place Called Uncertain

I sometimes resort to an unconventional method when planning a road trip — unfold a Texas map, adjust my bifocals, and then look for the most interesting place names. That’s the way my East Texas road trip came about. Actually, my wife Cheryl found the spot on the map and suggested we head in the direction of Uncertain.
I was so happy to learn that there is actually a place in Texas named Uncertain. How cool is that. It was settled, then. The only thing we were certain of was heading to Uncertain. Any other stops along the way would be at our whim. When Cheryl and I do this kind of road trip we don’t make lodging reservations ahead of time so that we can be free to head in any direction we want.
There are a couple of stories about how Uncertain got its name. One story suggests that the place was once known as Uncertain Landing and got its name because steamboat captains often had a hard time mooring their vessels there. Another story suggests that the town got its name before the border between the United States and the Republic of Texas was finally established. Before that time residents were uncertain about their citizenship.
Uncertain is an incorporated community located deep in the heart of East Texas. Situated along the shores of Caddo Lake, the largest natural lake in Texas, Uncertain is a little place with a whole lot of stuff going on. Locals offer boat tours that take guests through the largest bald cypress forest in the world. These big old trees give Caddo Lake a unique and mysterious personality.
You’ll find several small businesses in Uncertain and a non-denominational place of worship understandably called The Church of Uncertain. But don’t let the name fool you. This little house of worship is certain about the doctrinal essentials that make it vital to the spiritual health of the community.
There are a few places to eat in Uncertain but we chose to stop at a place called Shady Glade Cafe. This little joint has a cool local vibe and offers a great selection of home-style meals, including burgers. The big guy seated next to us ordered a chicken fried steak that was bigger than the plate. I ordered the Baconator with cheese, seasoned fries, and iced tea.
As he was leaving the big guy turned, took a deep breath, and said to me, “I can put away a lot of groceries, but I could not finish that chicken fried steak.” I can understand why. It was huge! As for my burger, it was really good, especially the generous meat patty that had a great flavor. There was a steady stream of customers the whole time we were there. That in itself is a good endorsement.
Bottom line — we enjoyed our drive through this small community where folks make their livelihood from catering to tourists and fishermen to Caddo Lake. The folks we met while there were all very friendly and helpful. So, one thing is certain — we enjoyed our brief time in Uncertain and glad that this was our first stop on our East Texas road trip.

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Llano Earth Art Festival

The charming little town of Llano is located seventy-five miles northwest of Austin. Situated along the banks of the Llano River, this historic town is the county seat of Llano County. This region of the Lone Star State is known as the Llano Uplift, a rock formation created when underlying granite pushed its way to the surface and gave us the Texas Treasure known as Enchanted Rock.

Llano is also home to one of the newest festivals in Texas. Held in March, the Llano Earth Art Festival, also known as LEAF, attracts folks from far and wide — especially those who love to stack rocks or who have a close connection with nature. LEAF features all sorts of cool activities, including earth and land art installations, a variety of workshops, a fashion circus, live entertainment, food vendors, and piles of rocks for novice and more accomplished rock-stackers.

The festival is held at Grenwelge Park on the south bank of the Llano River. Car camping and tent camping sites are available by reservation. I haven’t seen so many VW vans in one place since I was growing up in the sixties. This iconic vehicle continues to be a favorite of those who travel light and free and call the open road home. Very cool, indeed. My son and I pitched our tents among some of the friendliest and nicest people we have ever met.

At the heart of the Llano Earth Art Fest is something that is near and dear to my son’s heart — rock stacking! Jonathan started stacking rocks for fun about ten years ago and has left his temporary cairns along the banks of many a Texas river. I can barely stack one sheet of paper atop another so I am quite impressed by anyone who can stack rocks. I thoroughly enjoyed watching Jonathan and folks from all over the country and a few nations do the same.

LEAF prides itself as the host of the Rock Stacking World Championship, offering various categories of competition from balancing, arches, tallest stack, and artistic creations. The completion is fun to watch but what I found even better was strolling along the banks of the Llano River and watching the various rock stacking artists at work. A — maz —ing!

As much as I enjoyed the rock stacking and the food vendors, what I enjoyed most was the opportunity to meet so many interesting people. And I do mean interesting and super friendly and nice. And that’s really the coolest thing about a festival like LEAF. It is an event that brings people together and encourages everyone to slow down, walk slowly, have conversations, and make new friends.
Please don’t wait until next year’s festival to visit Llano. If the road takes you anywhere near central Texas, swing by and check out this lovely little town. After all, the infamous Bonnie and Clyde enjoyed Llano. You’ll likely enjoy it, too — especially if you are not running from the law!

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Discover the Gem of the Hill Country

Small towns are a big deal for those of us who love exploring the Lone Star State. There is usually more history tucked away in small towns than most folks realize. The town of Mason is a case in point. Located on the western side of the beautiful Texas Hill Country, Mason is steeped in some interesting Texas history.
Mason City SignMason is known as the “Gem of the Hill Country”  — in part because Mason County is the only place in Texas where you can find Topaz, the Texas State Gem. But also because it is a gem in other senses of the word. Mason sparkles with culture, history, friendly folks, and a town square regarded as one of the five most beautiful squares in Texas by Texas Monthly Magazine.
Mason Courthouse
Willow Creek Cafe OutsideMason Square is really cool. The beautiful county courthouse, built in 1910, is surrounded by early twentieth-century buildings that have been repurposed as restaurants, art and antique shops, museums, and more. My wife and I enjoyed a delicious meal at the Willow Creek Cafe located in one of the old buildings across the street from the courthouse. Eating at this cafe is a definite must if you visit Mason.
Mason Collectibles

Mason Collectibles BooksIf you enjoy shopping for cool stuff, then be sure to stop by Mason Country Collectibles. This is one amazing place crammed full of all kinds of old stuff, antique items, books, gems, art work, and a zillion other things. While there, be sure to ask for a peek at the 587-caret Grand Azure — the most beautiful piece of Topaz ever found in Mason County. Whether you like picking or not, you owe it to yourself to stop and look around this fascinating place.
Old Yeller
Old Yeller StatueIf you love old heart-warming stories, you’ll be happy to know that Fred Gipson, one of the finest novelists in America, was born on a farm near Mason. Gipson wrote Old Yeller in 1956. A year later, Disney released a film version of the book, introducing Gipson’s story about a dingy yellow dog to a wider audience. A statue of Old Yeller and Travis, his human companion, greet visitors to the Mason Library.
Fort Mason

Fort Mason CannonThe site of Fort Mason sits atop a hill overlooking the town. This fort was established in 1851 to protect settlers from Indians and to encourage the development of this vast and sparsely settled region of the state. Settlers often sought refuge at the fort during frequent Indian raids. Fort Mason was also Robert E. Lee’s last command post in the U.S. Army before the Civil War. Today, the only thing that remains at the site is a reproduction of the officers’ quarters. Worth a visit!
Mason FenceThere is a whole lot more to discover in Mason and the surrounding area. So, if you find yourself traveling through Central Texas or are looking for an interesting destination for a day trip or vacation, add Mason to your travel plans. Be sure to schedule your trip from Thursday through the weekend when more of the local shops are open to weekend visitors. It won’t take you long to discover why Mason is indeed the Gem of the Hill Country.

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Lajitas Cemetery

Situated on a bluff in the northern part of the Chihuahuan Desert, the tiny community of Lajitas silently overlooks the lumbering Rio Grande River. Lajitas is Spanish for “little flat rocks” — a reference to the Boquillas flagstone of the area. Long before Anglo-Americans arrived on the scene, this arid territory was inhabited first by Mexican Indians and later by the Apache and Comanche.

The discovery of mercury in nearby Terlingua changed everything. Starting in the late 1800s, the populations of Lajitas and Terlingua surged as a steady stream of miners moved in to the area to work the mercury mines. Conditions in the mine were dangerous. Life in Lajitas was not for the fainthearted. Only the rugged survived.

During the days of the Mexican Revolution (1910-1920), General John J. “Blackjack” Pershing established a large cavalry post at Lajitas in 1916. Pershing spent several years unsuccessfully pursuing Poncho Villa, the famous Mexican Revolutionary general, around northern Mexico. Pursuing anyone in the vast and unforgiving Chihuahuan Desert was a huge undertaking.
Lajitas CemeteryToday, the small Lajitas Cemetery is one of the must-see points of interest in the area. Like the nearby Terlingua Cemetery, this burial ground is filled with many fascinating old graves. Sadly, most of the names carved into handcrafted wooden crosses are no longer readable. Only the remaining descendants of the deceased know for certain who is buried beneath the rocky cairns.
Lajitas Cemetery GraveIn 1991, a woman named Elie Webb initiated a restoration project at the cemetery. Under her supervision, a fence was built around the cemetery and a gate and arch added. Webb also added iron crosses to many of the graves. Today, however, even these improvements are losing the battle against the harsh desert environment.
Lajitas Cemetery GravesOld cemeteries like the one in Lajitas are worth visiting. These old burial grounds are like dusty history books that can give us a little insight into what life was like in the days of cowboys, indians, and mercury miners. As you travel down Texas highways and byways, make it a point to stop at old cemeteries. These old burial grounds have their own interesting stories to tell.

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Terlingua Cemetery

Terlingua is one of the most fascinating places to visit in the Lone Star State. If you want to see this old mining town, then you have to adjust your compass settings to off-the-beaten-path. What remains of Terlingua is nestled between Big Bend National Park and Big Bend Ranch State Park in far southwest Texas.
Terlingua RuinsThe name Terlingua is derived from the Spanish words “tres” and “lenguas,” meaning “three tongues.” Some folks say three tongues refers to Native American, Spanish, and English — the three languages spoken in the early days of the region. Others insist that the name refers to the three forks of Terlingua Creek. Either way, Terlingua is a cool name that somehow fits this rugged and hard place.
Terlingua CarAt the turn of the twentieth century, Terlingua became a flourishing mining town that yielded copious amounts of mercury, called quicksilver at the time. Today, Terlingua is a ghost town — the most visited ghost town in Texas. The town still has a few residents who live among abandoned ruins slowly being reclaimed by wind and weather. Visitors will find unique lodging options, a few places to eat, art galleries, a trading company, and a whole lot of vast open spaces and endless skies.
Terlingua Cemetery SignOne of the most interesting places in Terlingua is the old cemetery that dates back to the 1900s. Workers who lost their lives in the mines, victims of the influenza epidemic of 1918, gunfighters who were seconds too slow on the draw, and early residents are all buried there. Every year in November, folks gather at the cemetery to celebrate Day of the Dead and to offer their respect to the departed.
Terlingua CrossesWalking slowly among the old graves is a sobering experience — the kind that makes you reflect on just how hard life is in this remote and rugged land. Names of the departed etched on weathered wooden crosses are no longer legible. Creosote, ocotillo, and cactus cling to life among the rocks that cover the graves. Plastic flowers and miscellaneous mementos placed on graves are the only indications that some of the dead are not yet forgotten.
Terlingua GraveThe Terlingua Cemetery is a time-capsule. Every grave holds secrets and stories that will never be told. Visitors can only speculate about the deceased and what their daily lives must have been like in days when quicksilver turned this region from a sleepy little village into a community of a couple of thousand — and eventually into a ghost town.
Terlingua Cemetery Mask Even though Terlingua is out of the way and far from just about any place in the Lone Star State, it’s definitely worth visiting. And, when in Terlingua, take a quiet and meditative stroll through the historic Terlingua Cemetery. You’ll be reminded that we are only here for a season and then we too will be laid to rest somewhere, maybe even in an old cemetery like the one in Terlingua. As for me, it doesn’t matter where you bury me as long as it’s in Texas.