Buggy Barn Museum in Blanco

I love unique and quirky. You’ll get both at the Buggy Barn Museum in Blanco.

Buggy Barn Founder

Located in the heart of Texas Hill Country, the museum and Pine Moore Old West Town are the brainchild of Dennis Moore, Blanco resident and trucking company owner. Moore began collecting buggies over a dozen years ago, at first renting them for proms and weddings. Bit by the buggy bug, his collection has swelled to over 270 of the horse-drawn conveyances. According to Moore, he has the second largest collection of buggies in the United States, and the largest collection open to the public.

Buggy Barn Museum

It’s an incredible assemblage. There’s an elegant Czechoslovakian funeral carriage and dozens of Studebakers. Who knew Studebaker made wagons before cars? After the Civil War, Studebaker was the largest producer of horse-drawn vehicles in the world. The museum has dozens of these Studebaker originals. It’s a bit overwhelming with buggies and wagons everywhere. Placards provide the carriage’s pedigree: when built, by whom, and for what purpose. Some have a famous lineage, having appeared in such films as Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter. From the practical buckboard wagon to the opulent coach, you see it all at the Buggy Barn Museum.

Pine Moore Old West Town

The Buggy Barn Museum, while impressive, is only a fraction of what you’ll find here. There is an entire Old West town. Well, not old, but a new, Old West town set. Pine Moore has been used for filming movies and music videos. You can rent the town for functions or use the church for your wedding. It’s really amazing. Pine Moore has a Texas Rangers building complete with jail cell, a saloon, and even a dentist/barber building.

Prop Master’s Dream

Pine Moore buildings are chocked full of vintage furniture and western gear. There are hundreds of saddles, wood stoves, butter churns, and ice boxes. The Buggy Barn Museum is one-stop shopping for anyone staging an American West production. All, including the buggies and wagons, are available for rent. For me, it was fascinating to go through the buildings and see all the everyday fixtures of frontier life.

The Buggy Barn Museum is not the typical museum. The massive collection is organized, but not like a standard museum. There are not exhibits, in the classic sense. But there is an amazing collection of western gear, carriages, wagons, and homestead furnishings.

When You Go

Buggy Barn Museum (1915 Main Street) is open Monday through Saturday. Admission is charged. There isn’t a café associated with the museum, but downtown Blanco is just a mile away. The Redbud Café (410 Fourth Street) is an excellent place for lunch. It’s open 10 am to 3 pm, later on Friday and Saturday.

Fun Fact: What is the difference between a buggy and a wagon? Buggy is normally a light two- or four-wheeled carriage, whereas a wagon is a heavy transport vehicle.

National Museum of the Pacific War

The National Museum of the Pacific War is a must see for World War II history buffs and veterans’ families. This world class museum is located not in Pearl Harbor, but in landlocked Fredericksburg, Texas. Surprising, until you learn that Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz was born in this Texas Hill Country town.

The museum boasts an expansive, six-acre campus in the heart of Fredericksburg. The Pacific wartime story is deftly told in artifacts, memorabilia, photographs, and video. Unlike other World War II museums, the National Museum of the Pacific War devotes considerable exhibit space to set the historic stage describing Russian, Japanese, Chinese, and American actions that led to war’s outbreak.

George H. W. Bush Gallery

From the famous the Doolittle Raid to the obscure Operation “Good Time,” each Pacific campaign is described in exacting detail. “Toe Nail” gets my vote for the most interesting titled operation. News clips interspersed with veteran interviews describe actual battles.  Diaries, uniforms, pictures, propaganda posters are all there. This multi-media approach makes what would otherwise be a history lesson into an emotion-packed, personal experience. And touch-screens allow visitors to learn even more.

In addition to smaller artifacts, the National Museum of the Pacific War houses large items like a Wildcat F4F and the two-man Japanese midget submarine grounded on Oahu following the Pearl Harbor attack. For Oppenheimer movie fans, “Little Boy” bomb casing is part of the museum’s permanent collection.

The Admiral Nimitz Gallery

Recently renovated and expanded in 2020, the Admiral Nimitz Gallery tells the story of the World War II Commander of the Pacific Fleet, Chester Nimitz. Learn how a Fredericksburg farm boy who wanted to go to West Point became one of our nation’s greatest admirals.

Pacific Combat Zone

The Pacific Combat Zone, located a few blocks from the main museum campus, is the site of a PT boat exhibit. The museum also offers living history programs here. Reenactments highlight Medal of Honor recipients and give visitors an appreciation of the heroism of Sailors and Marines in the Pacific. A schedule for the reenactments can be found on the museum’s events page. Please note that reenactments do involve explosions and simulated fire, and may not be appropriate for all visitors.

Memorial Courtyard

Maybe it’s because so many of our World War II veterans are no longer with us. Whatever the reason, I found the Memorial Courtyard particularly poignant. This outdoor area is framed by a limestone wall covered in commemorative plaques honoring wartime veterans. Families and veteran groups sponsored the plaques and brick pavers here. It’s a reminder, lest we forget, of the men and women veterans who sacrificed so much.

The National Museum of the Pacific War provides an objective, and sometimes jarring, experience of the Pacific theater in wartime. It’s a story filled with sacrifice, heroism, and even brutality. Museums like the National Museum of the Pacific War keep history and the lessons it teaches alive so we do not repeat the mistakes of the past. 

When You Go

The National Museum of the Pacific War is located at 311 East Austin Street in Fredericksburg. The museum is open 9 am to 5 pm Wednesday through Monday (closed Tuesdays). Allow at least three hours for your visit. There is an admission charge. Museum exhibits are appropriate for older children. While the main exhibits may not interest young kids, the museum does offer a free exhibit, Children on the Homefront. Designed for elementary-aged children, the exhibits depict what life would have been like for kids during the war years. 

For those wanting to continue their World War II experience, I recommend a stay at the Hangar Hotel (155 Airport Road, Fredericksburg). A converted hangar on the edge of Gillespie County Airport houses this elegantly simple hotel. Staying at the Hangar Hotel is like stepping back in time to a World War II Bachelor Officer Quarters. Rooms are furnished in rusty reds, mossy greens and rich browns. There is even a green, wool army blanket on the bed. The room television is the only concession to the twenty-first century.  Advance reservations are a must at the Hangar Hotel.

Post Oak Creek Fossil Hunting

Fossil Hunting at Post Oak Creek in Sherman, Texas

Post Oak Creek in Sherman teams with fossils waiting to be discovered. Most trek to the rural creek in search of shark teeth. For me, I’m content to gather any type of fossil. Summer, despite the heat, is a prime time to visit. The creek water level is low, exposing sandbars and allowing hunters the opportunity to walk miles up and down the stream bed.

Abundance of shells

In geological time, the formation exposed at Post Oak Creek is from the late Cretaceous period, some 90 to 66 million years ago. At that time, an inland sea covered the area. Seawater rose and receded with events like the formation of the Rocky Mountains.

Sedimentary rock embedded with fossil shells

Walking in Post Oak Creek, I literally reached into the water and retrieved millions-year-old shells. No digging or much hunting required. Fossil shells, mostly oyster, layer the sedimentary rock lining sections of the stream’s bank, exposed over years of erosion. If you want to find a fossil, Post Oak Creek is the spot.

Shark tooth prospectors

Oyster shells abound throughout the creek area, but most visitors search for more elusive finds like shark teeth and the even rarer mastodon bone or tooth fragment. Shark’s teeth range in size from a quarter to dime, and their shape reminds me of a fat capital letter-T. Sharks have been swimming in oceans for 400 million years, and some of the teeth found at Post Oak are from now extinct Cretalamna and Petaldus species.

To successfully hunt teeth, you need simple tools and patience. It’s a little like panning for gold. Scoop up some stream gravel, place it in a sieve, and then sluice the sieve around in the water to rinse out clay and dirt. From there, you can examine the remaining rocks for fossil treasures. A garden trowel or small hand shovel works well for the digging. The day I visited, people used all sorts of things for sieves including box screens and vegetable colanders. In fact, one clever family used plastic hamburger baskets – the red ones with the side slats — as sieves.

Other Post Oak finds

In addition to fossils, the careful scavenger may find other artifacts like arrowheads, more recent bone from mammals, and old pottery and glass. Through the years, the town of Sherman was home to many different factories. One lucky hunter found an old 1890 bottle from the now defunct Sherman Bottling Works.

South Travis Street Bridge

Post Oak Creek meanders through south Sherman, but getting to the creek itself can be a challenge. The easiest access is at the Travis Street Bridge. Here you can park on the road shoulder and use a short trail down to the stream. The address, 2400 South Travis Street, Sherman, works well for directions in most mapping programs. The creek flows under US 75, and some fossil hunters recommend the access road near the interstate as another egress. My recommendation is to stick to South Travis Street. It’s true, this area is well-picked over from scores of visitors, however, just hike up or down stream to get to less congested hunting grounds.

When you go

Be weather aware. In the height of summer, creek levels are low, however, strong rains fill the creek rapidly and can create a dangerous flash flood situation. This is not a park. No restrooms. It’s good ol’ Texas-styled boondocks. Come prepared with hat, bug spray, sunscreen, and lots of water on hot days.

I wore wading boots, in part, to protect myself from water snakes. I confess, I was the only one in the crowd in my galoshes. Still be watchful and alert for snakes. Wear clothes you don’t mind getting wet and dirty. A hand trowel and sieve is all you need to hunt shark teeth, though I also recommend bringing lots of baggies for storing your finds. I found a gallon bucket worked well for lugging around my equipment and for storing larger finds. If you don’t mind carrying it, a small camp stool can be useful for sitting in the creek while you search the gravel for treasures.

After you come home

The website Your Fossil Adventure has a page dedicated to Post Oak Creek. Here you’ll find pictures identifying the fossils typical to the location. Also, if you aren’t sure what you have, the Facebook page Texas Fossil Hunting is wonderful. Post a picture of your find and ask for help identifying it.

Everybody is Somebody in Luckenbach

Is Luckenbach a town, a dance hall, or a tourist attraction? Truth be told, it’s a little of all three. There is a general store and post office; a dance hall, consistently recognized as one of Texas’ top ten; and a kitschy landmark. Transcending all generalizations, Luckenbach is a county music gathering place.

We visited Luckenbach the afternoon before a music festival. Dozens of folks prepared for the thousands arriving later in the day. Directed to a field to park, we made our way past weathered-wood ticket booths and onto the grounds. To our left, nailed to a fence, we found the Luckenbach logo and infamous population sign, a popular photo spot. The population sign, Population 3, often goes missing, stolen by tourists wanting more than a picture to remind them of their visit. Leave the sign in place and buy your souvenirs from the general store, please.

Courtyard and outdoor stage

Behind the Luckenbach store you’ll find a courtyard with picnic tables, an outdoor stage, and a rooftop canopy formed by hundreds year-old oaks. This is the heart of the Luckenbach experience. The Picker Circle listed on Luckenbach’s calendar denotes free outdoor entertainment – offered most afternoons. Grab a beer and relax. Enjoy the music, dance, eat, and people watch.

I’m not sure what I enjoyed more – the music from the fiddler onstage or the diversity of people. Remember, Everybody is somebody in Luckenbach. Our fellow visitors included a septuagenarian couple swing dancing in newly purchased cowboy hats; weekend bikers in leathers and bandana doo-rags, and twenty-something women in Daisy Duke shorts and boots. It’s a relaxed, unpretentious vibe.

The Feed Lot serves typical hamburgers and hot dogs. To the left of the stage is a bar with a remarkable selection of beers, but bring cash (no credit cards).

Post office and hat shop

The post office is also the town general store. Here you get the flavor of a tourist spot with everything from t-shirts to drink ware to guitar picks all embossed with Luckenbach’s logo. With a nod to country music, you’ll also find a nice selection of country music CDs.

The Snail Creek Hat Company, located behind the store and next to the outdoor stage, offers a unique twist to the traditional western hat. Yes, you can buy the traditional felted hats, but the store specializes in the wide brim, palm leaf variety – half Panama and half cowboy hat.

History of Luckenbach

In the 1840s German farmers, including Jacob and August Luckenbach, settled the area. The town thrived with a cotton gin and dancehall until the turn of the twentieth century. The town declined in population and opportunity until the 1930s when the dancehall was rebuilt. That rebirth as short lived. By 1960, only about 50 people lived in Luckenbach. Modern day Luckenbach owes its reincarnation to John Russel (Hondo) Crouch. Hondo bought Luckenbach in 1971 and declared himself mayor of the town of three. A humorist and writer, he hosted a Luckenbach World Fair, a women-only chili cook off, and other quirky festivals. And it was Hondo who coined the phrase Everybody is somebody at Luckenbach. Waylon Jennings 1977 song, Luckenbach Texas, sealed the town’s fate as a national icon. Music legends like Willie Nelson and Lyle Lovett popularized the town as a country music destination.

If you go

Luckenbach is about 14 miles from Fredericksburg in Texas Hill Country. The physical address for your map app is 412 Luckenbach Town Loop, Fredericksburg. Most afternoons, you’ll find free country music entertainment on the outdoor stage. Because it is outdoors, weather may be a factor. The oak trees provide some cooling during hot Texas summers, though the ideal time to visit is in spring. Shows, festivals, and dances require tickets. Before you go, check the event calendar. The general store accepts credit cards, the outdoor bar does not.

 

Historic Washington State Park

Historic Washington State Park transports visitors to the past when great western pioneers like Sam Houston and Davy Crockett traveled the Southwest Trail. It’s a hidden gem just twenty minutes off Interstate-30 in Arkansas.

Frontier history 

Originally just a supply depot along the Southwest Trail, Washington grew into a major town in the 1830’s. In its heyday, the town boasted sixteen doctors, as many lawyers, and three hotel keepers along with a host of craftsman and merchants – impressive for a frontier settlement.

Historic Washington State Park captures the town’s golden age — 1830 through 1880 — with its living history exhibits and reenactments. Over a dozen buildings have been restored including the 1836 Courthouse that served as Arkansas’ State Capital during the Civil War; a tavern purportedly where Houston, Crockett, and Austin planned the liberation of Texas from Mexico; Greek-Revival styled homes built in the mid 1800s; and even a log home circa 1835. Other buildings like the blacksmith shop are reconstructions.

The tour

The 1874 Hempstead County Courthouse houses the park visitor center. For a nominal fee visitors walk through town where costumed docents at each building bring history to life with stories of Washington’s past. Not all buildings are open each day, but you will be able to tour several of the historic structures.

  • The 1920 Print Museum is a favorite with its functioning antique printing press. First published in Washington in 1839 the Washington Telegraph is the oldest, continuously published weekly newspaper in Arkansas.
  • The legendary Bowie knife was made by Washington resident James Black, a silversmith, for frontiersman James Bowie. Tour the blacksmith to learn more.
  • Those interested in antique weapons will want to visit the B.W. Edwards Weapons Museum. Housed in the Old Bank Building, over 600 historic rifles and pistols are on display.
  • Other historic buildings provide visitors with a glimpse into everyday life. Homes of prominent Washington residents are furnished as they would have been in the mid 1800’s.

Allow at least three hours for the walking tour.

Annual highlights

A favorite time to visit the park is in March when thousands of naturalized jonquils create yellow flowering carpets throughout the town.  The park’s Jonquil Festival, a three-day event with craft fair, is in mid-March. Historic Washington State Park hosts several reenactments throughout the year including a Civil War weekend in November. And the park year culminates with its December Christmas and Candlelight weekends.

When you go

Historic Washington State Park is located eight miles northwest of Hope, Ark., on Highway 278. The park is open daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Before you leave the park, be sure to dine at Williams’ Tavern Restaurant. Located in an historic 1832 building, Williams’ Tavern serves southern food at affordable prices. The restaurant is on the grounds and open daily for lunch from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m.

Tip

For those wanting a longer visit, Hope offers numerous lodging options. Add nearby Crater of the Diamonds to your itinerary for a fun-packed weekend.