Top 5 Things For Sale at the Sam Houston Statue Gift Shop

Previously:

 Top 5 Items for Sale at the Alamo Gift Shop

Top 5 Things For Sale at Texas Treasures  

The first time you head south on I-45 to Houston you get a big wake up call when "the world's tallest statue of an American hero" pops out of nowhere to say "Howdy!"  The 67 foot tall Sam Houston statue in Huntsville is hidden by trees as you approach from the north and seems to appear out of nowhere (it's more visible from a distance when you approach from the south):

The statue has its own Visitor's Center and, you guessed it, gift shop.  So we pulled over and headed inside to do a little shopping and here's our Top 5 List of what we found:

5.  Sam Houston Statue Moonshine Hot Sauce

Yeah, I know that these types of gift shop food items all come from the the same place and just get custom labels but things little beauties still appeal to me.  I like knowing that if you wanted Sam Houston Statue branded hot sauce with a "moonshine" theme, then the world has provided you with that option.

4.  Texas Shaped Flask

Texas has a unique shape which lends itself to merchandising like belt buckles or bolo ties but it never occurred to me that it would lend itself to a drinking apparatus.  But if you need an accessory for your secret drinking problem then you might as well get one that shows off your Texas pride.

3.  Texas Monuments Notepad

When jotting down your grocery list or your "Honey-Do" List it's important to be reminded that everything is bigger in Texas.  These handy pads show off the Sam Houston Statue, the State Capitol building and the San Jacinto Monument.  They're so big they don't leave a lot of room to write.

2.  "How Tall is Big Sam?" Postcard

If you can't tell already, size matters in Texas.  And it REALLY matters in Huntsville, TX where a big claim to fame is "Big Sam."  On this card he lands smack in the middle between other statues in Texas and the United States.  You'll notice that the Dallas Zoo Giraffe statue is not listed since there's a little bit of controversy and possibly bad blood between the two Texas giants.

1.  Sam Houston Statue Christmas Tree Ornament

 
If you love the Sam Houston Statue as much as I do then you'll definitely want to incorporate it into the holidays.  This little guy would like great on the tree in between the J.R. Ewing ornament and the Big Tex ornament.  Pass the Hot Dr Pepper!




 

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.