Separated at Birth: The Twin Dilemma

Outside of the south Dallas location of Schepp's Dairy stands a four legged sentry who keeps two great big eyes on the comings and goings of the busy distribution center.

Not a big deal, you say?  Cow statues are plentiful...especially in Texas, you say?  Well, ok, you're right but this one seemed familiar and as I rummaged through my hard drives of pictures and video...

I stumbled across this little beauty in Benbrook, TX, about 60 miles east of the other one:

The resemblance is striking.  Long lost twins, perhaps?  Our friends at Roadside America tell us there are multiple mega-cows grazing along the back roads of the U.S. and that there are standard fiberglass models and not so standard fiberglass models.  But I think it's safe to say that these two are from the same herd.

So what's the story?  Were they both previously perched at Schepp's and then one got out when the farmer left the gate open?  Are their origins completely separate from Schepp's and then later the dairy got a hold of one of them?  Another open case file in the world of roadside mysteries...

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.

Matchbook Memories: Aquarena Springs

Previously:

Matchbook Memories: Buckhorn Saloon

Matchbook Memories: Pig Stand

Yes, the touristy mecca that was once known as Aquarena Springs still exists in some form today and, yes, they are doing good, educational work but for those of us who were there in its heyday, there is nothing like the original product.  Which brings us to our next Matchbook Memory:

In case you're not familiar, Aquarena Springs was a magical tourist destination in Central Texas where pigs swam, mermaids drank soda under water and...I don't know, do you really need more than that?

There were also glass bottom boats and a hundred other cool things that Disneyland couldn't come close to touching. At some point it went out of business and now exists as a part of the Meadows Center For Water and the Environment and is run by the state.

Pretty much all that remains from before are the glass bottom boat rides with more of a focus on education instead of finding dead bodies in the river.  But of course, we can always relive the good old days via vintage postcards from the 80's:

You can see on the map below that the park was surprisingly sprawling and a lot of care went into providing unique attractions.  Also worth noting in the map are artistic renditions of a dwarf salamander (which was one of the native wildlife boasted to be thriving in the park) and the star of Aquarena Springs, Ralph the swimming/diving pig!

With the heyday of the park in the past, mementos like these are the best way to remember the charm of an old school roadside destination.

Matchbook Memories: The Buckhorn Saloon

Sometimes coming across something as mundane as an old matchbook can bring back memories.  So a couple of old matchbooks from the Buckhorn Saloon are a flashback to one of San Antonio's most populous attractions.  These look like they were from the era of the saloon's original location:

The inside of the second one promotes Lone Star beer but there was a time when the Buckhorn proudly served their own custom branded brew:

All this reminiscing brings back memories of our trip there a few years back.  Here's some video we shot highlighting some of the more unusual things in their collection:

High Noon

Downtown Grapevine, TX has loads of shops, restaurants and historic attractions.  As of 2012, they also have their own glockenspiel clock.  Instead of yodelers or cuckoos, this one has gun fighting and train robbing cowboys.  You can find the cowpokes making four daily appearances at the Cotton Belt Hotel Clock Tower (which is also home to the Grapevine Convention & Visitors Bureau):

There is more than one outcome to the gunfight so it may be different depending on when you see it.  Here's what we saw on a Saturday at High Noon: