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.
The 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.
At 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.
One 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.
Walking 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.
The 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.
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.
Novrozsky’s Hamburgers Etc
I discovered Novrozsky’s Hamburgers Etc on a recent road trip to Orange to visit the fascinating old Farmers Mercantile, a general store that has served the people of the area for almost 90 years. Hungry for a good burger, I asked Siri to find places to eat near me. Novrozsky’s topped the list. The name alone made me curious so I entered the address into Google maps and headed in their direction.
The original Novrozsky’s restaurant was founded in 1982 in Beaumont. Today, they have locations through Southeast Texas, including Orange. According to their website, they pride themselves “on serving the most delicious and satisfying burgers in Texas.” Another reason I had to check this place out for myself.
The Novrozsky’s restaurant in Orange is housed in a modest and nondescript building with only the name Novrozsky’s on the front. No problem! As someone who enjoys sleuthing out a good burger, I was far more interested in what I would find inside the building.
I arrived well past the lunch crowd and walked right up to the counter and ordered their Bacon Cheddar Burger with all of the trimmings on a jalapeño bun along with a side order of hand-battered onion rings. Novrozsky’s hamburgers are made with Nolan Ryan beef — 100% all natural, hormone-free beef raised right here in the Lone Star State.
I filled my styrofoam cup with raspberry iced tea and waited for my burger. Looking around, I noticed that I was not the only person interested in having a burger for lunch. My burger arrived with a heaping order of onion rings. If the aroma was any indication, I knew this was destined to be a mighty good meal.
Of course, the first bite always tells the story and my first bite was not disappointing. Oh my soul! This was truth in advertising — a truly delicious and satisfying burger. If it had been possible I would have eaten two of these fabulous burgers. As for the onion rings — unbelievably delicious! The onion rings were a meal in themselves.
The only thing that disappointed me was the last, moist, delicious bite. Not because it did not taste as good as the first bite but because I did not want for this meal to end. It was that good. I give Novrozsky’s absolutely high marks in every burger regard. You can bet that I will stop at Novrozsky’s again the next time I find myself anywhere near one of their many locations in Southeast Texas.
Chihuahuan Desert Bike Fest
The Chihuahuan Desert is one of the most beautiful places in Texas. The expansive spaces, distant silhouetted hills, distinctive desert flora, deep in the heart of Texas kind of skies, and mesmerizing chiaroscuro splashed across the faces of desert mesas all work together to create an iconic Texas vista. This is a place like none other in the Lone Star State. And this is the setting for the Chihuahuan Desert Bike Fest.
The Chihuahuan Desert Bike Fest is a mountain bikers dream come true. Sponsored by Desert Sports, Big Bend Ranch State Park, and Lajitas Resort, this annual mountain bike endurance fest draws mountain bikers from far and wide. Dirt lovers from novice to expert come to enjoy three days of guided rides on some of the best mountain biking trails in the country. Evening activities, music, food, and the opportunity to make lots of new friends make this a fun event.
My friend James Meredith and I registered for the bike fest at the last minute — and I am so glad we did. The drive from Houston to Big Bend Ranch State Park reminded us that in Texas you measure travel distance by hours rather than miles. We scored a campsite at the Maverick Ranch RV Resort, base camp for the event, and had an unforgettable adventure camping out, cooking out, and riding some amazing single track trails.
I am still fairly new to the mountain biking world. No matter. Riders can choose a ride suited to their abilities from a tantalizing menu of guided rides. I will confess that I felt like I bit off a little more than I could chew on our first day of riding. But, I did manage to finish the 25-mile ride through the rugged desert hills. Our second day of 20-plus mile riding took us down more amazing trails in the park.
I am especially grateful for trail guides Karen Hoffman Blizzard (a contributing writer to Texas Parks and Wildlife magazine) and David Heinicke (head naturalist at Brazos Bend State Park), two of many trail guides assigned to each of the rides. They not only gave me lots of good riding advice, they encouraged me every mile of the way. Karen reminded me that the bike fest is not a race but a ride meant to be enjoyed. She was right. And even though my legs were burning and my heart was pumping hard, I enjoyed every minute on the trail.
The Chihuahuan Desert Bike Fest is an annual event offered on Presidents’ Day Weekend in February. Registration is limited to 500 riders. The best bike companies in the nation are present and allow riders to test ride their bikes. And, sponsoring bike companies from around the state set up shop at trailheads and intersections to provide repair services.
The Chihuahuan Desert Bike Fest benefits the Big Bend Trails Alliance — a local, non-profit organization that helps create and maintain these famous West Texas trails for mountain biking, hiking, and horseback riding. Kudos to the trails alliance for doing an amazing job of keeping these trails in excellent condition.
If you are a mountain biker, I encourage you to check out this amazing bike fest. I promise you that you won’t be disappointed. James and I have already made plans to return next year along with more of our buddies from Katy. We agree that the Chihuahuan Desert Bike Fest is one of the best adventures in Texas. I hope you’ll check it out for yourself.
The Church Near Altair
The Painted Churches of Texas are high on my list of favorite road trip destinations. Several of the best examples of these historic structures are clustered in the vicinity of Schulenburg. These churches represent some of the very best examples of German and Czech architecture in the Lone Star State. They have survived because of the loving concern of their respective congregations.
Every now and then I come across abandoned churches on my road trips — structures that are falling apart because they no longer have anyone to maintain them. One such structure is located along Highway 71 south of the tiny community of Altair. When I first drove past the old building with the wide-open doors, I had to turn around to check things out for myself.
The first thing I noticed was the cornerstone, indicating that this now-abandoned building was once home to Southpoint Baptist Church. According to the cornerstone, Southpoint was organized in 1883, the same year that the University of Texas opened its doors in Austin for its inaugural session.
Inside, the building was filled with jumbles of junk — odds and ends no longer of any use. A few remaining seats, some preschool furniture in a side room, an old podium, and some Sunday School quarterlies scattered among the debris. The oldest quarterly I found was dated 1926 and the latest was dated 2010.
You can’t walk into an old building like this without letting your imagination off its leash. Mine certainly ran wild in this old place. I wondered about the folks who put on their Sunday best and made their way to this location through the years — walking, on horseback, perhaps carriages, and later in automobiles.
Looking toward the now-silent pulpit, I wondered about the sermons preached in this place. What had those who stood behind the pulpit shared to comfort the flock, especially during the dark days of two world wars? How much hope was dispensed here and who had left this place determined make the world a better place?
Just before I walked out the doors, I noticed an offering envelope among the decaying dandruff of this old building. The name of the giver was scrawled in cursive letters across the face of the envelope along with the amount he had given. Offerings like this are what kept the building in repair and likely met needs beyond the modest little corner lot on which the church is situated.
The church building now sits empty and is slowly being reclaimed by moth and rust and decay. It is no longer a destination for worshipers, only a curiosity to those who travel down Highway 71. In reality, the only thing of value that remains is what the folks who worshiped here did to live out their faith in their community.
I’m glad I pulled over to explore the old building. The clock has now stopped ticking on the life of this old church that survived more than a hundred years of Texas history. I hope that someone who attended took the time to record at least some of the history of this old church. I, for one, would love to know more about Southpoint — and other places like this tucked away on Texas back roads.
Texas Outdoor Musical
If you live in Texas, you should add Palo Duro Canyon State Park to your list of must-see places in the Lone Star State — not only to enjoy the magnificent beauty of the canyon, but to see the outdoor musical drama “Texas.” This musical romance of Panhandle history will fill you with Texas pride. Now in its 51st season, “Texas” is even better than I remember when I first saw it in its 5th season.
This musical drama, set in an outdoor amphitheater dwarfed by the thousand-foot walls of Palo Duro Canyon, was born in the heart of Margaret Harper. After reading an article in Reader’s Digest about a playwright named Paul Green who specialized in telling the history of a region in magnificent outdoor settings, Harper wrote to Green about the beauty of the Palo Duro Canyon. The rest is history.
The musical is a high-energy production filled with all of the things that make a story interesting, including conflict and romance. From the start, you are drawn into the story by a lone rider carrying a huge Texas flag, riding at full gallop along the edge of the canyon. And then it begins, the dancing and singing and the unfolding story of how the Panhandle was settled. One interesting side-note is that Benny Tahmahkera, the actor who plays Quanah Parker, the last Chief of the Comanches, is an actual descendent of Quanah Parker.
When my wife Cheryl and I sat through a performance last summer, at one point the wind picked up and we could smell the coming of rain. It’s happened before in this outdoor setting. As the nervous audience looked at the stage and at the dark clouds overhead, the actors on stage were lamenting a West Texas drought that threatened their crops. And then, the first drops of actual rain fell from the sky at the exact moment that Calvin Armstrong, a young homesteader, received word that it was raining and the drought was over. You can’t plan stuff like that!
There is so much more to tell about this beautiful story. So, plan now to see it this year. The new season starts in June and ends in mid-August with performances every day of the week except Mondays. Visit the Texas Show website to book your tickets. And, take a few extra bucks with you and enjoy a heaping plate of grub at the Chuck Wagon Bar-B-Que. Regardless of whether you are from Texas, you’ll enjoy this family friendly show with a cool ending you’ll have to see for yourself!
San Jacinto State Historic Site
The San Jacinto Battleground State Historic Site preserves the history of the most important event in Texas history — our independence from Mexico. On April 21, 1836, an outnumbered Texian Army defeated the forces of Mexican General Antonio López de Santa Anna on the plains of San Jacinto. With shouts of “Remember the Alamo” and “Remember Goliad,” the Texian Army secured their decisive victory in only 18 minutes!
The San Jacinto Monument, built for the battle’s centennial in 1936, honors all those who fought for Texas independence. Rising 570 feet above the surrounding plains, the Monument is the world’s tallest war memorial, standing 15 feet taller than the Washington Monument in Washington DC. A massive 220-ton Lone Star adorns the top of the towering column.
Housed within the base of the Monument is the impressive San Jacinto Museum of History. This must-see museum houses thousands of objects and manuscripts that span 400 years of history. The Jesse H. Jones Theatre, also housed in the base of the Monument, features a short video on Texas history.
I especially enjoyed the 500-foot elevator ride to the observation deck that sits beneath the Lone Star of Texas at the top of the Monument. The observation deck offers great views of the surrounding area as well as of Battleship Texas. Information panels at each window help to orient and inform you about the surrounding vistas.
This historic site is sacred ground in Texas — and rightly so. The Texas Veterans Association and the Sons and Daughters of the Republic of Texas helped to raise the money to purchase the land and to build the Monument. Prominent Houstonian Jesse H. Jones, who served as President Roosevelt’s Secretary of Commerce, also aided in the development of the historic site.
The San Jacinto Battleground State Historic Site is located in La Porte, just a short drive from Houston. The Monument and Museum are open daily (except for Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day) from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM. The museum is free to all visitors but there is a modest charge to see the movie and to ride the elevator to the observation floor. When you visit, plan also to tour Battleship Texas, located just a minute or two by car from the Monument.
Royers Round Top Café
Round Top, a popular tourist destination, is one of the smallest incorporated communities in the Lone Star State. This tiny town has a rich history influenced by English and German settlers. The family of Stephen Townsend was the first to settle in the area in 1826. This family bears the distinction of having sent more men to the Battle of San Jacinto than any other family.
Joel Robinson, a resident of Round Top, also fought in the Battle of San Jacinto. After the Texan army defeated the Mexican forces on the plains of San Jacinto on March 21, 1836, the Mexican General Antonio López de Santa Anna was nowhere to be found. Robinson was assigned to the small detachment of men who searched for and captured the defeated general on the day after the decisive battle.
In the 1840s, a German man named Alwin H. Soergel, settled in the Round Top area. This talented author, musician, and historian built a white house with an octagonal tower — giving rise to the name Round Top. Soergel’s home served as the United States Post Office for the tiny community as early as 1847.
Today, Round Top has a population of fewer than one-hundred residents. Even so, this tiny community draws visitors from around the world. Round Top is an internationally recognized cultural center for the arts with a 1,200-seat concert hall at Festival Hill, the permanent home of the Texas Festival Orchestra.
Round Top’s vintage downtown is also a tourist draw. Henkel Square features a variety of shops and galleries housed in restored structures originally built by English and German pioneers to the area. Of course, the heavy tourist traffic explains why there are so many historic bed-and-breakfasts in Round Top.
On my continuing search for delicious hamburgers in the Lone Star State, I visited Royers Round Top Café — “a Texas country bistro serving gourmet comfort food.” This café is famous for their delicious handmade pies, which have made their way to the White House. How cool is that! But, I visited Royers to sample their burger and then to chase it all down with a tall glass of iced tea and a slice of pecan pie.
I ordered the Café’s Burger — a handmade burger boasting a half-pound of local beef served with all the trimmings between a toasted sourdough bun with a side of hand-cut fries. All it took was the first bite to convince me this was one delicious burger. As for the pecan pie, I think it was made in heaven. No wonder folks come from all over the place to eat at Royer’s. Not only was the food great, the wait staff was very attentive and helpful.
If you have not yet visited Round Top, add it to your list. You’ll enjoy strolling through the various interesting shops with their eclectic wares. And, be sure to time things so that you can stop by Royers for lunch. It’s a popular place so you might have to wait for a few minutes on the front porch. But, don’t be impatient and drive off. This place is definitely well worth the wait.
Farmers Mercantile
Farmers Mercantile is a Texas time capsule — an old general store where almost 90 years of memories compete with merchandise for shelf space. You can feel the past the second you walk through the front door and step onto the old wooden slats that cover the original dirt floor. Once inside you realize that you are standing in a place like few others in the Lone Star State.
Jo Harris along with her mother Lou and brother Bubba are the latest generation to run the old store located in Orange. This historic old town is situated on the West bank of the Sabine River, the waterway that separates Texas and Louisiana. The mercantile occupies a building that was originally a Buick dealership. Jo’s great grandfather bought the place in 1927 and opened his general store in April of the following year.
Five generations of the Harris family have kept the old store running. The store has weathered the Great Depression and other economic lows through the years. However, Jo explained to me that the only reason they weathered the damage of Hurricane Ike in September 2008 was because of the kindness of the community.
The two-plus feet of flood waters dumped by Hurricane Ike rushed into the store and destroyed half a million dollars worth of merchandise. After the flood waters receded, Jo walked in to find the floors covered in inches of mud. Without any insurance to cover the cost of the damage, Jo wondered if the end of Farmers Mercantile had finally come.
And then, something remarkable happened. The people of the community and surrounding farms rallied to the aid of the Harris family. They told Jo and her family that they would help them clean up the mess and get things back in order because Farmers Mercantile was too important to the community. And that’s exactly what they did. Seven days later, Jo and her family opened their doors once again for business.
Today, every shelf in the place is chock-full of the most interesting things — the kind of this-and-that kind of stuff that farming folks need. You’ll find garden supplies, seeds of every variety, corn shuckers, sausage stuffers, hand churns, straw hats, cast iron cookware, rope, saddles, wash tubs, bed bug poison, kerosene lamps, coolers, livestock feed, and much more. The store is, in fact, the oldest seller of Lone Star Feeds in Texas.
The walls are adorned with almost ninety years worth of bric-a-brac — advertising signs, garden and farming implements, leftover automobile fan belts from the days when the Buick dealership occupied the place, assorted framed items, and other stuff. The most treasured is an old clock advertising Calumet Baking Powder. Jo’s grandfather won it in a contest after selling a full barrel of the brand’s baking powder. The clock remains exactly where her grandfather hung it on the wall.
There is one more thing that makes Farmers Mercantile a special place to the folks of the area — and that is the customer service. I enjoyed listening to Jo answer questions about seed and fertilizer and rat poison. Jo and her family know their stuff. They can advise you about what to plant and when to plant it and even tell you how to deal with bed bugs. In the hour-plus that I spent with Jo I was impressed by her knowledge and even more by her concern for every person who walked through the door.
The world outside the Farmers Mercantile will continue to change. There is no doubt about it. However, in this day of constant motion and change, I find it comforting that there are still places like the Farmers Mercantile where what happens inside remains the same. Everyone who walks through the doors can expect to find the same unchanging and time-treasured values that have made this a special place.
Plan to visit Farmers Mercantile and to take your kids along. Jo and her family will be happy to show you around and to answer any questions about what you see on their shelves. It might surprise your kids to see a business that has survived for so long without any modern conveniences — no air conditioning in the summer and only a central stove to heat the place in the winter. It won’t take you long to discover why this place is valued by the folks around Orange and why it continues to endure.
The Painted Church of Dubina
Dubina bears the distinction of being the first Czech settlement in the Lone Star State. In 1856, a group of Czech settlers arrived in the area on a cold November day. A fierce norther and freezing rain forced these pioneers to seek shelter under a grove of large oak trees. Soaked with rain and at the mercy of the weather, the men built a huge fire under the protective branches of the trees. No one slept that night, but all survived.
The settlers remained in the area, built homes, and planted crops. They named their community Navidad after the nearby Navidad River. They later changed the name to Bohemian Navidad. The name was later changed again to Dubina in recognition of the oaks that had sheltered the first settlers. Dubina is the Czech word for oak grove.
Building a house of worship was a priority for these early Czech settlers who had a deep faith in God. They built their first church in 1877 on land donated by Joseph Peter. The steeple of this church was topped with an iron cross made by Tom Lee, a freed slave who worked for Peter as a blacksmith. Sadly, this church was destroyed by a hurricane in 1909. The iron cross fashioned by Lee was salvaged from the debris.
After their first church was destroyed, the community raised funds to build a new church. They hired the German architect Leo Dielmann to design the new structure. By 1911, Dubina had a new place of worship and Tom Lee’s cross once again stood atop the steeple. The interior was painted with beautiful frescos and motifs of vines, oak leaves, and angels. Unfortunately, in the 1950s, the ornate interior was whitewashed.
In 1983, Judge Ed Janeckas and Butch Koenig, led efforts to restore the church. Judge Janeckas had served as an altar boy at the church and recalled seeing faint traces of the original artwork beneath the whitewash. These original designs were uncovered during the renovation and restored using some of the original stencils.
Today, Saints Cyril and Methodius Catholic Church of Dubina stands as an enduring reminder of the early settlers strong faith in God and their determination to begin new lives in the Lone Star State. You can see the church standing proud against the Texas sky as you approach Dubina.
The front doors of the church are open during the week but entrance to the main sanctuary is blocked by an iron gate. Guests can see the interior through the gate but can have access to the interior on Sunday and through the painted churches tour offered by the Schulenberg Chamber of Commerce.
Sparkle’s Hamburger Spot
A friend recently encouraged me to eat at Sparkle’s Hamburger Spot — a tiny burger joint with a big reputation for serving tasty burgers in Houston. Sparkle’s is located at the corner of Leeland and Dowling, just east of Houston’s historic Eastwood neighborhood. Housed in a small building flanked by picnic tables and a shade tree, Sparkle’s has a very reasonably priced breakfast and lunch menu.
I ordered the bacon cheeseburger with a side order of onion rings at the walk-up window. The young lady who took my order was friendly and helpful. Everything at Sparkle’s is made-to-order, so the service is not fast. They wait until you place your order to start cooking. Once I placed my order, I joined the dozen other folks sitting around the picnic tables, patiently waiting to hear their number called. Those who had phoned in their orders did not have as long to wait.
I have to confess that waiting was the hardest part because I was so hungry. When the gal at the window finally called out Number 74, she handed me my burger in a white styrofoam box. I settled into a comfortable seat at the picnic tables and opened the box. Inside I found a healthy burger swaddled in paper along with a generous portion of onion rings.
The burger was big — at least a half-pound and inch-thick crumbly patty cooked to perfection and topped with a generous portion of cheese and bacon. The mustard and mayo slathered buns created the perfect embrace for the meat. When it comes to burgers, it generally doesn’t take more than one bite to conclude whether it’s good, bad, or downright nasty. One bite of this burger made every minute of the wait worth it all. Delicious, hearty, and flavor filled!
If you are looking for fancy, look elsewhere because there is nothing fancy about Sparkle’s. This place is about the food. They do burgers and they do them right! The folks on the other side of the walk-up window know what they are doing and they do it well. Sparkle’s has definitely earned its reputation as one of the best burger joints in their own neighborhood and beyond. And they have earned a spot on my own list of the best places to eat a burger in the Lone Star State.
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