Once Upon a Time in Texas

#46 - Texas Christmas Festivals

Have you seen a festival, event, celebration or parade and wondered how it got started? I mean there are some obvious ones like Veterans Day, 4th of July, etc but I wonder about some of the Christmas/Holiday Festivals in Texas. So come on a sleigh ride with me and lets look at a few of the big ones.

#45 - Unique place names and their history

Have you ever looked at a town or place name and wondered where on Earth they came up with that? I do that often and tend to look them up just to see what interesting history is behind the name. Often times I am not disappointed. Come with me this week to explore a few and learn a little history.

#44 - Texas Grocery Stores

Have you ever been to a business and wondered where and how they got their start? A lot of folks know about big companies like Harley and Ford in 1903, Jim Beam in 1795, JP Morgan Chase in 1799, Remington Firearms in 1816, Macy’s in 1843 and I’m sure there are a slew of others. Today I want to deep dive into a couple of Texas based businesses that you can really sink your teeth into. The idea to do this podcast has been cooking in my mind for a while. So instead of pushing this cart down the road any further, lets talk about them now.

#43 - Texans, Chimpanzees and Elephants - OH MY!

Have you ever heard a local story or legend and you think “is there really any truth to that”? And then you pull up the old interwebs and boom, there it is in black and white? Well, I have and I am here to tell you that these are two tales that I have heard personally and went down the rabbit hole to bring them to you here. These two stories involve a chimpanzee and an elephant in some very unlikely places.

#42 - Texas Witness Trees

Have you ever been witness to something historical? My Grandparents all spoke about the great depression, even though they were all born on the back end of it, it certainly effected their life. They also spoke about the bombing of Pearl Harbor. My parents have both spoken about the assassination of President Kennedy, man landing on the moon, the Cuban missile crisis and the Cold War. I get to speak to my children about 9/11. Have you ever heard of Witness Trees though? These are trees that were ”witness” to major historical events that are still around today and there are several in Texas.

#41 - Part 2 Texas Trails Regions

Part 2 - Did you know that Texas was home to the Worlds Fair in 1968. It was held in San Antonio and called the HemisFair ’68! In connection to the Worlds Fair and to boost a little International attention, the Texas Department of Transportation created and designated 10, 650 mile circular driving regions or Trails that encompassed the entire state. The “Trails” saw little attention after their creation and the entire project more or less laid dormant until the 1990’s when the enterprising Texas Historical Commission adopted the trails as their Heritage Trail Program. The Texas Forts Trails was the first to be reinstated.  We are going to talk about these and hit the high points of five of these today.

#40 - Part 1 Texas Trails Regions

Part 1 - Did you know that Texas was home to the Worlds Fair in 1968. It was held in San Antonio and called the HemisFair ’68! In connection to the Worlds Fair and to boost a little International attention, the Texas Department of Transportation created and designated 10, 650 mile circular driving regions or Trails that encompassed the entire state. The “Trails” saw little attention after their creation and the entire project more or less laid dormant until the 1990’s when the enterprising Texas Historical Commission adopted the trails as their Heritage Trail Program. The Texas Forts Trails was the first to be reinstated.  We are going to talk about these and hit the high points of five of these today.

#39-International Flair in Texas

I know a lot of you, like myself, are ready to vacation in far away places. I have a bunch of places on my bucket list and I know there is no way I’ll ever get to all of them. However, I’ve managed to find some unique places in Texas that are truly amazing and remind me of some places abroad. So even if you’re not planning on leaving the country soon, I’ve gathered a list of some of the best Texas destinations to visit with international flair!