Flashback: Vanishing Texas River Cruise 1986

It was 1986 and the entire state was gripped with Sesquicentennial fever.  But even though there were plenty of special events throughout the year, there were also plenty of non-anniversary adventures throughout the Lone Star State.

One of them was a road trip that my grandparents and great-aunt & uncle took down to Burnet, TX to take the Vanishing Texas River Cruise.  The cruise is still in business today but luckily the gang picked up some post cards and pamphlets that now qualify as vintage (yeah, stuff from the 80's is "vintage" now...feel old yet?)  Here's a look at some of the ephemera you could have grabbed if you had visited in '86, starting with a couple of postcards:

If you're curious about the absolute minutia of what it was like taking the tour a few decades ago then you're in luck!  The grandparents were also able to grab this flyer with details on pricing and meal options:

I'm fairly certain the prices have gone up through the years and possibly the menu has expanded.  According to their website, there are many different themed cruises currently available.  But if it's outdated information that you're looking for then, good news, I've got one more piece for you:

So the next time you're in the area and have a few hours to kill, it might be worth a stop to take a couple of hours and enjoy the river tour and check out the local scenery.  These guys sure seem to be satisfied customers:

Matchbook Memories: Texas Sesquicentennial Wagon Train

Previously:

Matchbook Memories: Buckhorn Saloon

Matchbook Memories: Pig Stand

If you're not old enough to remember the Texas Sesquicentennial, you missed a lot!  It was a year long celebration of Texas' 150th anniversary and it was everywhere.  Parties, parades and prestige filled the Lone Star State in tons of different ways.

One of the more ambitious projects was the six month, 3,000 mile trip around the state made by more covered wagons than you can shake an armadillo at.  You can consider it a half year long homecoming parade...Texas style!

While they had several stops along the route, it wasn't uncommon for folks to line up along the road to wave and cheer the wagons on.  There's a good chance that the wagon train even came by your neighborhood.  Here's the path they took:

 
Along the way (probably near the toward the end of the journey) my grandparents went out to see the big brouhaha.  With their camera in tow and their Texas pride at an all time high, they took their gander.  Say "Howdy" to Paw Paw:

Some wagons were owned by wagon enthusiasts, some were made specifically for the fun of the event and some were sponsored.  Here's a look at some of the ones that stood out including...

A Winchester Rifle Wagon:

A Billy Bob's Texas Wagon:

A Port-O-Pottie "Wagon":

 

And even a Grandy's Wagon:

With only a mere nineteen years left before the Texas Bicentennial, it's time to get started on the next generation of wagons.   Personally, I'm hoping for a Whataburger Wagon!

And Now These Messages...

As many of you may remember, the state of Texas celebrated its Sesquicentennial in 1986.  In case you don't remember, a Sesquicentennial is a celebration of 150 years.  The entire year was a great big Texas Party and you couldn't look anywhere without seeing signs of the celebration...even on TV as Miller Lite produced at least one commercial in the "Lite Moments in Texas History" series:

I assume there were others but so far this is the only one I could find.  It highlights the famous Spindletop Oil Well which kicked off the Texas Oil Boom and it stars a comedy legend:

Rodney Dangerfield stars as a Texas oil tycoon who is upset that his well is coming up dry.  A swift kick to the rig is all it takes to get that gusher gushing.  Who knew oil exploration was that easy?!

And with that, good Ol' Rodney goes from down and out to full-on tycoon mode as he showers his special lady friend with some greenbacks!  And thus, we have learned a little bit of Texas history.

And that was a good representation of the mood during the year of 1986: good natured Texas celebrating with a tall, frosty glass of history.  You can watch it yourself to relive the glory: