The Ultimate Fate of the Starship Pegasus

Hardcore Trekkies know the unfortunate fate of the fictional Federation Starship Pegasus but unbeknownst to many, a real life Starship Pegasus also lays in ruins as a reminder to travelers of the subtle whims of fate and of how far the stars can be.

Much like Trek's "Great Bird of the Galaxy," this ship was also helmed by a true visionary: Andy Gee, a man who brought his unique vision in for a landing in Italy...Italy, TX.


"I had hoped it would inspire the next kid to grow up and create the warp drive that would take us to meet an alien civilization," said architect and entrepreneur Gee. His vision became a reality when the Starship Pegasus Restaurant opened for business in 2005. Unfortunately two years later the doors were closed and the ship was docked.


As it sits along I-35 in Italy (approximately 45 miles south of Dallas), unkempt weeds scrape the hull and the once lustrous facade fades like starlight at dawn. But this vision of the future shares Star Trek's optimism.


Starship Pegasus Associates Community Enterprises, or S.P.A.C.E, has used the building as a flea market/farmers market but the ultimate rescue for the Pegasus can come from Trek's biggest fan: you!


It's true, the Starship Pegasus is for sale and for the right amount of gold pressed latinum you can own it! You always wanted a novelty, sci-fi themed restaurant haven't you? Then make it so!

UPDATE:  Sadly, the Pegasus was ultimately torn down.

Tickets to Ride

The Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo is in full swing right now, as it is every January, which brought back childhood memories of bundling up and showing Black Angus heifers in the cold weather, in between taking in all the events and exhibits that the Fair puts on every year.

So after digging through the old shoe box where the memories, souvenirs and keepsakes are stored, we found some old passes and tickets.  These are from 1988 (which, believe it or not, was almost 30 years ago):

Just a couple of mementos from a Texas institution...don't forget to save yours when you go this year.  Stay warm and enjoy the show folks!

Chicken & Somethin'

Dairy Queen didn't start in Texas and they certainly aren't exclusive to Texas but somehow over the years the fast food chain has really dug its heels into the Lone Star culture.  Imagery of Friday night noshing at the local small town DQ before heading out to the high school game flood the small screen during commercials every fall.

And now they've taken it to the next level by introducing an unusual menu item.  Sure, lots of fast food chains like Taco Bell and Pizza Hut get the headlines but stuffing something into something or taking an odd flavor and incorporating it into your favorite snack but DQ has taken it up a notch by going after Grandma's beat.

Chicken and Dumplings from the drive thru?  Sounds like something that could easily go horribly wrong.  Would you forgo the Hunger Buster for a warm bowl of old school comfort food?  We decided to find out and here's what we got:

So what's the verdict?  They're actually not too bad.  Certainly not in the same category as Grandma's home cooking but better than what you'd expect from a fast food chain.  Not that you would necessarily expect chicken and dumplings at a fast food chain though.

The creamy broth has enough flavor to be acceptable and make up for the obviously processed chicken.  But salt lovers may want to grab an extra packet or too.

The dumplings could have been a little firmer.  As it is, they are slightly mushy.  The dish is probably on the same level as what you might get at a Luby's or Golden Corral type restaurant.  So not great, but definitely a nice and convenient lunch during the 10 days per years of cold weather that we get here in Texas.

But for me personally, Dairy Queen will also be known as the best fast food tacos on the road.  Yeah, that's right.  Try some next time.

Review: Bamboo House

Previously:  East Texas Burger Company 

Typically in Texas (or across much of the U.S.) "Asian Cuisine" is usually found in strip mall buffets filled with radioactive red sweet sour & sauce and deep fried shrimp that would best be used as packing material.  Occasionally though, you can find the rare cherry blossom tree among the thorny briar patch of subpar "Take All You Want, Eat All You Take" establishments.  Which brings us to the Bamboo House in Bonham, TX:

The outside windows boast "Sushi" and "Pho" so that's what we decided to try.  But the menu was fairly extensive and could surely provide enough options for the most eclectic groups of dining companions.  So let's head inside:

The mellow, intimate atmosphere easily lends itself to cozy conversations regarding menu selections and topics like: "Wow, that looks good!  Let me try some!"  We got there a little after the lunch rush so the crowds had gone which makes it hard to gauge the quickness of service with very few other patrons needing to be served.  But everything came out in a timely manner.  So let's start with the first course:

Let's start with something simple:  "Salmon Sushi."  It's a simple starter that's reasonably priced but it sets the scene for a satisfying meal in the simplest way: with the high caliber ginger and wasabi.  You might not think that there is a big difference between great garnishes and mediocre ones but the sinus clearing effect of even the tiniest amount of this wasabi proves that the good stuff makes a big difference.  Let's keep eating:

Course #2: "Tuna Roll"!  Sure, we're keeping it simple as far as sushi goes but it's not too hard to be hesitant when ordering raw fish this far away from the ocean.  But fortunately this one was also a winner and could easily go toe to toe (or fin to fin) with the equivalent from some fancy pants place.  Onward we go:

Final Course: "Pho Dac Biet"  We finished off our meal with a big bowl of their famous pho described in the menu as "Rice noodle soup w. special combination of steak, well done brisket, & meatballs"

The great tasting, flavorful broth compliments the three types of meat, each with their own unique taste.  It's a great finish to a not so common Texas meal and a great way to refuel on the road to your next adventure. 

Cowboy (Back) Up

Last year we were there when the historic Neon Big Tex came down from his perch at Centennial Liquor on I-35 in Dallas.  It was a roadside highlight along the highway for many years but all good things must come to an end.

But the good news was that our glow-in-the-dark buddy was acquired by the great State Fair of Texas and, just like his historic big brother, will be making yearly appearances at the Fried Food Capital of the World:

You can find him between the Cotton Bowl and the Lagoon during the Fair.  Due to various regulations, he has to come down after the Fair but, rest assured, the plan is to bring him back every year.

So in between corn dogs and Tilt-A-Whirls take some time to visit a little State Fair history in all its bright light glory and feel free to give him a great big "Howdy!"

Junk Find Five: First Monday Oct 2016

Previously - Junk Find Five: Gruene Antique Company

It's time to revisit one of our favorite recurring blog entries where we go to flea markets and swap meets in Texas and find five interesting things for sale. They may provide some interesting insight into Texas Culture or they may not.  But they are the five items that caught my eye on that particular trip.

This time we head to First Monday in Canton, TX for multiple reasons:  it's one of the biggest, some say it's the best and, most importantly, it's relatively close to where we live.  Let's see what we found!

So this time, instead of just scoping out an arbitrary selection of oddities, I decided to go with a theme.  Let's call it "Nature."  All our finds today either had to be dug up, skinned or otherwise liberated from mother nature.  Here's what nature's bounty had to offer:

5. Skulls - Various Animals/Sizes

The best part here is the variety.  If you're in the market for the a small mammal skull then odds are you can find what you need at this booth.  What's your pleasure?  Muskrat skull?  Skunk skull?  With jaw?  No jaw?  One stop shopping.

4.  Barite Rose Rocks

The official state rocks of Oklahoma are so rare that they are almost only found in the Sooner State.  These aren't the best formed ones we've seen but their still pretty good.  The unique way they are formed makes them look like their namesake roses and the Oklahoma red dirt gives them their appropriate color.

3.  Bear Skin Rugs

So apparently bear skin rugs are a real thing.  They usually only exist in cartoons and 1970's cologne advertisements but it looks like they can also be found at First Monday.  Even though the usual cliche is to relax on one of these in front of a roaring fireplace, these guys seem a little too creepy to be relaxing.

2.  Big Honkin' Rock Slab Tables and Chairs

If you ever wanted to feel more like Fred Flintstone in the comfort of your own home then these beauties are for you.  Sure they're a little pricey and probably extraordinarily difficult to move but you can't deny how cool these things look.  Can't wait to see their rock slab recliner and loveseat.

 1.  Cobra Vertebrae Necklace

You may be "cool" but are you "Cobra Vertebra Necklace cool"?  Probably not.  Only a certain kind of person could pull off adorning themselves with the bones of a poisonous snake.  If you're not sure that's you then you can work your way up to it with the Cobra Vertebra Bracelet.

It was a great haul this time around.  We'll see what we get at the next flea market...

State Fair (1962) at the State Fair!

The Rodgers and Hammerstein musical "State Fair" has been adapted to film several times.  The setting is the Iowa State Fair but my favorite film version was made in 1962 and the setting was changed to the "Texas State Fair."  It starred Pat Boone, Bobby Darin and Ann-Margret and was filmed at Fair Park home to the State Fair of Texas!

The film follows a family as they take their prized pig to compete at the fair.  As they head to Dallas you can see how the skyline has changed over the years:
 

The majority of Fair Park's art deco architecture is all pretty much the same today as it was in the sixties.  You can see that the main difference at the front gate today is the addition of a handy DART Station:

You can see that Big Tex has changed a little too, particularly his hat and his waving hand.  Like many celebrities might have had a little nip and tuck as well:

The midway arches are still around and still welcome excited kids to come play and ride.  Since there are a couple of arches at the Fair Park, I'm not sure if the arch in my picture (bottom) is the same one from the this scene of the film but you can tell that the design has stayed the same:

The trees near Big Tex have grown as you can see in these comparative shots of the entrance to the Grand Place building.  Big Tex is barely visible through the trees today:

And some of the art deco decorations on the outside of the Tower Building made a good backdrop for the film and are still appreciated by Fair visitors today.

So check these places out when you visit this year.  And if you'd like, feel free to frequently break into song like the did in the movie.