Innholdsfortegnelse for October 2017 i Texas Highways Magazine

Historic Haunt 32º 45' 18.72" N 94º 20' 45.78" W STOP FOR A GHOST Burger and a slice of pie at the Hamburger Store on the corner of Market and Austin streets in Jefferson. If it is a Friday or Saturday night, after dinner, head northwest for a block on Austin Street to the corner of Austin and Vale streets for the Historic Jefferson Ghost Walk. The walking tour roams through alleyways and courtyards while historian Jodi Breckenridge shares local tales and legends. For more information, go to visitjeffersontexas.com.…

The needles of loblolly and shortleaf pine trees crunched softly beneath our feet. THE SUN CRESTED OVER THE TOPS OF THE tall pines, taking the chill out of the winter air as my partner and I set out from our campsite at Double Lake Recreation Area in East Texas’ Sam Houston National Forest. Our goal was to explore an 8-mile segment of the Lone Star Hiking Trail. The needles of loblolly and shortleaf pine trees crunched softly beneath our feet, and we listened to woodpeckers tapping in the canopy above as we looped through the forest on a part of the trail known as the Magnolia section. Encountering some of the namesake magnolias, we stopped to marvel at the towering, untamed trees—so unlike their manicured city cousins that it took…

Even the fanciest cheeses in the world start out with two basic ingredients: milk and salt. IN A STAINLESS STEEL VAT IN THE BACK OF A CHEESE shop in Lipan, I use a large paddle to swirl enzymes into 30 gallons of fresh milk from a local dairy. The milk’s destiny is to become a wheel of rich, creamy cheese, and I’m here at Eagle Mountain Farmhouse Cheese Co. with owner Dave Eagle, who’s giving me a condensed version of the three-day classes he offers every spring and fall. Dave and I are working in a large room with two vats, industrial sinks, and a traditional wooden Dutch-style cheese press, which uses levers and weights to force whey from the cheese curd. Windows opening into the store’s merchandise area allow…

WHEN SITTING IN A STOCKYARD CAFÉ, SURROUNDED BY WEATHERED CATTLEMEN IN SWEAT-STAINED STETSONS AND BUSY WAITRESSES BALANCING PLATES OF CHICKEN-FRIED STEAK AND POTS OF HOT COFFEE, IT’S WORTH OPENING YOUR EARS TO ABSORB A FEW LOCAL TALES. Like the story about an agitated cow that chased a Piney Woods rancher into a pond, where he waited in the stagnant water until the cow lost interest. Or the yarn about a woman from the plains who grew so frustrated with her husband’s goats that she sold the small herd to a neighbor and reported them stolen—until investigators started asking questions. Inevitably, the café discourse circles around to the range, weather, and family, then branches off again as new arrivals amble in to take a seat among the crowd, patt ing backs…

I FIRST WITNESSED LOST MAPLES STATE NATURAL AREA in its full fall glory some 30 years ago. A childhood on the Texas coast and early adulthood in the Hill Country left me well acquainted with the natural beauty of Texas—wide vistas in winter, riots of spring wildflowers, summer’s golden beaches. Yet, this surprised me. Seems my home state really does have it all, including autumn color, providing you know where to look. Aft er my initial discovery, I returned oft en to bask in this leafy phenomenon, my three now-grown children in tow. Fall foliage pictures became a family tradition, the flip side of those mandatory spring bluebonnet snapshots. Fall color takes the right kind of trees, meaning deciduous hardwoods. These types of trees practice a sort of winter hibernation,…

The 1891 Hood County Courthouse takes on an orange glow, and my eyes wander up to the charcoalcolored clock tower punctuated with wrought iron filigree, a perfect Hitchcockian backdrop. GRANBURY IS THE KIND OF PLACE WHERE everyone knows everyone’s business—and if the locals don’t know you yet, they’ll find out soon enough. But as the sun goes down, a shroud of mystery sets over this affable North Texas town. Dusk ushers in a feeling of suspense as I gather with seven other visitors on Granbury’s downtown square for the Granbury Ghosts and Legends Tour, a walking tour led by Brandy Herr, author of Haunted Granbury. Looming above us, the 1891 Hood County Courthouse takes on an orange glow, and my eyes wander up to the charcoal-colored clock tower punctuated with…

BACKCOUNTRY AFICIONADOS FLOCK TO THE largest state park in Texas, Big Bend Ranch State Park, to explore its rugged 315,000 acres on horse, bike, or foot—usually in splendid isolation. But visitors seeking both a wilderness adventure and a cozy place to call home will find it at Sauceda Ranger Station, located in the center of the park. There, the Sauceda Bunkhouse, a former 1960s hunting lodge, offers dorm-style lodging and close proximity to spectacular trails, natural springs, and the darkest night skies in Texas. Originally called “Saucita”—Spanish for the willows that once grew in a nearby spring-fed arroyo—Sauceda has a ranching heritage dating to 1905, when George A. Howards originally settled the land. Ranch ownership changed hands several times over the decades until the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department purchased…

One of the charms of clay is its ability to loosen the bonds of reality and let the imagination soar. RANDY BRODNAX GINGERLY LIFTS A POT FROM THE glowing kiln interior and places it on a small turntable, rotating it slowly while misting it with water from a spray bottle. Nearby spectators can hear the glaze crackle as the outer, water-cooled layer of clay crazes and tiny fissures open up over the surface of the piece. Then Brodnax takes a few strands of hair given by an audience member and drapes them over the pot. The hair smokes and brands the piece, becoming part of it. Spellbound, the audience watches as Brodnax places a scrap of paper inside the pot, then asks a volunteer to blow out the flames. “Can’t…

“This is the thing: I didn’t want to copy anybody. I wanted to have my own style.” NOT MUCH HAS COME EASILY FOR EVA YBARRA, EXCEPT playing music. Since getting her start as a young girl in San Antonio icehouses in the 1950s, the accordionist has carved out a lasting career with her progressive style and forceful singing. Today, Ybarra is recognized as one of conjunto’s most accomplished players— despite the vagaries of the music business and the headwinds of macho chauvinism—and is known by the esteemed nickname, La Reina del Acordeón (the queen of the accordion). Ybarra made her first recordings as a teenager and worked the San Antonio conjunto circuit for years—often wearing a cowboy hat and holster on stage—winning over fans and escaping from more than a…

GOT SOMETHING TO SAY? OUR FAVORITE SOCIAL MEDIA OF THE MONTH In 1940, my dad proposed to my mom on the highway overlook at Guadalupe Peak, or what they called “Signal Peak” back then. JOHN C. MOORE, GALVESTON The Monahans Sandhills are so unexpected. You have to see them. It’s a small area, but it makes a big impact. BARBARA TURNER LEGG, PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram Personal Favorites I think your September issue was just for me! I have made an annual trip to Clifton for the last four years and always stay at the Screen Door Inn. The charm and character of the inn make it a soothing, restful stay. My visits are a sentimental journey for me. My ancestors came to Bosque County…

Tours follow the process from raw beans through roasting and bagging, and the $20 fee includes a pound of coffee. ON A RECENT JAUNT TO THE DAVIS MOUNtains and Big Bend area, I enjoyed drinking coffee from Big Bend Coffee Roasters in a half-dozen restaurants, coffee shops, and lodges. Finally, I decided to go straight to the source in Marfa. I passed the nondescript white building on US 90 a couple of times before owner Joe Williams came to the door to wave me down. Wearing a white guayabera and Panama hat, Williams looked the part of a coffee connoisseur, and it turns out he’s been in the coffee business one way or another for some time. Born into a family that has lived in the region since the late…

Stockyard cafés typically stay open late on auction days, until the sale is over: The Amarillo Stockyards Café is at the Amarillo Livestock Auction, 100 S. Manhat tan St. Hours: Mon-Sat 6 a.m.-2:30 p.m., and Fri 5-9 p.m. Cattle sale is 11 a.m. Mon. amarillostockyardscafe.com; 806-373-7999. Stockman’s Restaurant is at the Producers Livestock Auction, 1131 N. Bell St., in San Angelo. Hours: Mon- Fri 6 a.m.-2 p.m. Sheep and goat sale is 9 a.m. Tue. Cattle sale is 9 a.m. Thu. 325-653-3371. The Cattle Barn Restaurant is at the Anderson County Livestock Auction, at the corner of US 287 and SH 294, in Elkhart. Hours: Mon-Fri 6:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Cattle sale is noon Wed. 903-516-2750. The Stockyard Cafe is at the West Auction, 20645 N. I-35 in West. Hours: Tue-Fri…