Clyde and Go Seek

 Crandall, TX (just southeast of Dallas) is a small town like any other where not a lot ever seems to happen except that it has been the filming location for at least two major motion pictures (and an episode of Route 66)!


1967's Bonnie and Clyde tells the true story of two Texas bank robbing lovers and was filmed in and around the Lone Star State. In this scene Gene Wilder is making time with his special lady while Bonnie & Clyde steal his car:




He then jumps into action in a vain attempt to stop the robbery. You can see that the house is still there but is in bad shape. I believe it was bought by the church next door and they are making restorations.



Later on in the film the duo are on Main Street in downtown Crandall:



You can see that a lot has changed but the water tower is still in the background:



Main Street also makes an appearance in 1999's "Boys Don't Cry." (Which also shot in Greenville, TX.)  The Karate School has been replaced with a Mexican restaurant but not much else has changed since then:

Flushed With Civic Pride

The East Texas town of Sulphur Springs has a great downtown area.  The Hopkins County courthouse anchors an outdoor collection of attractions including giant board games, a splash pad/fountain and a host of monuments and memorials to veterans. 

But the town's most unique and perhaps most famous claim to fame is the world's only see-through public restrooms.  What exactly is a see-though bathroom, you may ask?  Well, here's what it looks like on the outside:

Thanks to the magic of one-way mirrors, the townsfolk can easily relieve themselves while still observing the downtown hustle & bustle.  Here's what it looks like on the inside:

          

The result is the feeling of complete freedom and superiority that can only happen with the combination of peeing in public and not being in trouble for it.  In fact, it's officially our Number 1 recommendation for Number 2!

Hole in the Wall

The Menger Hotel in downtown San Antonio has a rich and varied history.  Famous guests have included Oscar Wilde, Babe Ruth and multiple U.S. Presidents.  Events like the "rough rider" recruitment by Teddy Roosevelt and the first public demonstration of barbed wire took place there. 

But history, schmistory!  Let's head to the bar:

The hotel bar is famous in its own right.  It's the oldest continuously operated saloon in town and, according to a plaque at the location, it is an exact replica of a London pub.  It's also known to be the first bar in Texas with ice.  If that wasn't enough, the bar has some very "Texas" features: bullet holes!

         

They're not as big as you might expect.  I guess real-world 19th century weapons don't blow stuff up the way blockbuster movies bullets do.  Some of those bullets probably made their way into some patrons back in the day too because the hotel is known as "The Most Haunted Hotel in Texas."

Running Water

As the poster says, welcome to the 23rd century!

Apparently you can visit the 23rd century world of Logan's Run anytime you want by taking a trip to the Fort Worth Water Gardens.


The 20th century park filled in as a 23rd century doohickey in some scenes toward the end of the film.


Despite Micheal York's excitement (seen below) I don't recommend that you jump in. Just take in the scenery and take some pictures. Be warned though, after your visit you WILL need to pee.

Kid-ing Around

If you are familiar with the legendary outlaw known as "Billy the Kid" then you probably know that historians claim that he spent the majority (but not all) of his adult life in New Mexico and was killed in 1881 by lawman (and former buffalo hunter) Pat Garrett.  However...

If you've seen the movie Young Guns II you would have seen Emilio Estevez all made up as an old man claiming to be an elderly Billy the Kid who was not killed by Garrett but escaped to live out his days in the small town of Hico, TX. 

What you may not know is that the film's writers did not make this up.  "Brushy" Bill Roberts was an actual person who did live in Hico and did claim to be Billy the Kid.  And the small town has fully embraced his tall tale with no less than a statue and museum:

             

Just south of the town in Hamilton, TX you can pay your respects to the late Mr. Roberts, as many seem to do regularly.  His grave is adorned with mementos from fans:

Beer bottles, whiskey bottles, cigarettes, coins, stones and even bullets were left by travelers who may or may not have believed the legend.  And while we may never know the truth the town of Hico definitely believes.

Top 5 Items for Sale at the Alamo Gift Shop

When you visit the Texas Holy Land you're going to want a keepsake to take home with you.  "Remember the Alamo" isn't a request, it's an order.  And to do that you'll need to hit the gift shop.  Don't worry though, like all gift shops, the Alamo shop is easy to find.

 
While perusing the merchandise you might have difficulty acquiring just the right tchotchke for your mantle or cubicle.  After all, you're probably all jacked up on Texas while on the premises.  To make it easier, we've picked out a few items that stood out on a recent visit.

Top 10 lists are too hard so here are the Top 5 Items for Sale at the Alamo Gift Shop:

5.  These Metal Mug Type Things:

I don't know if there is a specific name for this type of old timey metal mugs and I'm not sure why they appeal to me so much but...just look at them!  I want to hold one by a camp fire and drink mead out of it.  Or coffee.  Or Kool Aid.  Anything really.  The only downside is that they were about $40 a pop.  For that amount of dough I'll probably take my mead in a paper cup.

4.  Frontier Rifle Pen:

If this doesn't just scream "ALAMO" then I don't know what does.  We don't like to admit that most gift shops have items that can be found in any other gift shop at any other attraction in the country.  But this pen BELONGS in the Alamo gift shop.  It just flat out belongs there!  Plus it's functional:  you can write stuff with it and whatnot. 

3.  "Come and Take It" Needlepoint

The "Come and Take It" slogan may have started with the American Revolution but it also has a strong association with the Texas Revolution.  Add in the DIY needlepoint aspect and you end up with something not just distinctly American but also uniquely Texan. 

2.  Cartridge Candy

Keeping within the firearm genre (this is Texas after all), we have what may be the only historically educational candy that I've ever seen:  Cartridge Candy!  Kids can fill their musket mouths the old fashioned way.  The only thing I'm cautious about is the ambiguity of whether you get a "gum ball" or "candy ball."  Either way, it's fine but surely you'd like to know exactly what you're getting into snack-wise.

1.  Coonskin Caps

If, after a visit to the Alamo, you don't want to buy a coonskin cap and wear it around the River Walk for the rest of the day then I don't want to know you.

Hopalong

Carl's Corner is a truck stop/town located along I-35 that you've passed by on the way from Dallas to Austin or Austin to Dallas or some such other destination in that area.  It's was incorporated by trucker Carl Cornelius and a handful of his thirsty friends for the purpose of being able to sell alcohol in the primarily dry area. 

If you had driven past it several years ago you would have seen this colorful and charismatic truck stop (this picture is from 2003):

Years ago it burned down and and was ultimately replaced with this non-charismatic blasphemy:

The biggest disappointment of the new place is the absence of Carl's famous dancing frogs.  Here's what they used to look like:

Originally there were six dancing frogs.  They lived in Dallas before they hopped to Carl's.    Fortunately they were all saved from the fire.  Three of them went to Nashville and, for a while, the other three lived across the highway from Carl's.  Ultimately though, they went back home to Dallas and you can now visit them atop a Taco Cabana on Greenville Avenue:

            

Will this be the Frogs' final home?  Somehow I think their travels will continue in the future and I look forward to following them hop up and down the great state of Texas.