Top 5 at the Dr Pepper Museum

 Previously:

Top 5 at the National Videogame Museum

There's no official state beverage of Texas but if there were, it would probably be Dr Pepper.  It's constantly consumed across the state and across the world but it got its start in Waco.  Everybody has heard the origin story of its humble beginnings as a mixture of 23 flavors at the Old Corner Drug Store and the many urban legends that surround the legendary elixir.   

But the record is set straight at Waco's Dr Pepper Museum where history and memorabilia are on display for thirsty enthusiasts to peruse.  It had been years since my last visit so on a recent trip to Waco, I decided  to stop by and pick my top 5 favorites of the collection.

5.  Football Shaped Cooler

There are a lot of coolers from over the years that are displayed at the museum but this one caught my eye.    I've always been a fan of the "things shaped as other things" genre and this one just seems to set the stage for a fun time.  I imagine events elevated from "picnic" to "party" status when one of these bad boys was packed with ice cold Dr Pepper and Big Red.

4.  Hot Dr Pepper Pot

Years ago, there was a big push to serve warm Dr Pepper as a seasonal treat.  I even whipped up a batch last Christmas.  Part of the promotion involved releasing this Hot Dr Pepper Pot as a way to make it even easier to prepare and serve mug after mug at a winter get-together.  I think Hot Dr Pepper is a treat whose time hasn't yet come.  I predict that someday hot DP will take its place among the coffees and hot cocoas of the world.

3.  Iron Man Vending Machine

Dr Pepper has had a ton of superhero movie related promotions including the Iron Man movies.  In one commercial a janitor at Tony Stark's compound attempts to try on an Iron Man suit and ends up inside an Iron Man Dr Pepper Vending Machine.  The prop from that commercial is on display at the museum with plenty of signs warning visitors to NOT touch and that it's not an actual vending machine. 

2.  Dr Pepper Land Cruiser

It's hard to tell the scale in this picture but this thing is pretty big.  The museum describes it as a "space-age go-kart" and was released in 1985 to celebrate the soda's 100th anniversary.  I assume this is just the body because I don't see any wheels and hover technology wasn't too advanced in the 80s (despite what you might have heard).  I can imagine being the coolest kid at the race track when pulling up in this beauty.

1.  Dr Pepper Nautilus Cooler

Another cooler?  That's right, but this gets our top spot because most of the world seems to have forgotten that Dr Pepper Nautilus ever existed.  It was an early 90s sports drink that was meant to compete with Gatorade but there's hardly any information about it on the internet.  In order to get a good look at any Nautilus memorabilia you'll have to take a road trip to Waco...which is fitting since that's where it all began...

The Post Man

 Post Cereals has been one of the giants in the breakfast game for quite awhile now.  From Grape Nuts to Fruity Pebbles, everybody has a favorite.  But cereal dynasties aren't born, they're made.  And this one was made by a guy named C.W. Post.  If you look into his life you'll find out that he wasn't always such a great guy but but that milk of negativity wasn't enough make his legacy soggy enough to deny him a statue...and I just happened to visit it recently.

 And there he sits, perched high upon his throne, welcoming visitors to the Garza County Courthouse in Post, TX.  Yes, he has a town named after him.  And, yes, he named it after himself after he founded it.  Of course, it was originally called "Post City" and it was meant to be a paradise based on his utopian vision which involved prohibiting alcohol and recreational fornication.  But currently, it's not that different from any other small Texas town.

 

 

Right behind the statue is a Texas Historical marker.  It reads:

     "Internationally known creator of Post Cereals, advertising genius, inventor and innovator, founder of Post City in 1906. Through the purchase of the Curry Comb Ranch and adjacent land approximating 225,000 acres he began his dream of building self-contained model community of towns and farms. Mr. Post financed, supervised and built town without profit to himself. Settlers were offered ownership of business or farm sites far below cost. Mr. Post planned community of debt-free private ownership in every field of endeavor, and sought to make his vision true to its purpose."

 

I'm sure this isn't the only monument to a cereal magnate but my travels have yet to take me to Battle Creek, MI to investigate further.  If you want to visit Post's town (and his statue) you can find it in the in the vicinity of the middle of nowhere in the southern end of the Texas panhandle.  Don't forget the milk!

Buddy Love

 

When it comes to favorite sons of Lubbock, TX, the list begins with rock star Buddy Holly.  Before his rock & roll dreams came true, he grew up in the panhandle town and there are plenty of tributes to the musician along the streets of his hometown, including a historical marker:

The marker reads:

     "Charles Hardin "Buddy" Holley was born in Lubbock on September 7, 1936, to Ella Pauline (Drake) and Lawrence Odell "L.O." Holley. The youngest of four children, Buddy grew up in a musical household, with his mother and siblings singing and playing instruments. Buddy showed musical aptitude, taking violin, piano and steel guitar lessons. He took up the acoustic guitar after his brother, Travis, bought a $15 Harmony model.
     Buddy, with other young Lubbock "pickers," formed several country groups. In 1955, he saw Elvis Presley in concert and was very impressed by Presley's rhythm and performance style. Buddy and his friends were opening for big country acts at the Fair Park Coliseum when Eddie Crandall, an agent and manager, saw a performance and helped Buddy broker a Decca recording contract. Buddy's last name was misspelled on the contract: "Holley" became "Holly." Buddy's relationship with Decca was short-lived as his early recording sessions failed to produce a hit.
     In 1957, Buddy and his new band, The Crickets, began working with producer Norman Petty in Clovis, New Mexico. On February 15, 1957, they recorded "That'll Be The Day," the first of several hits on the Brunswick label. Their success led the band to tour widely in the United States and Canada.
     In 1958, Buddy Holly and The Crickets toured England. The group had a profound influence on Rock and Roll in England - from their sound to Buddy's distinct look. On February 3, 1959, during a three-week tour of the Midwestern United States, Buddy's chartered plane crashed after takeoff due to bad weather. There were no survivors. Buddy Holly was 22 years old."

 The marker stands in front of the Buddy Holly Center, a museum that chronicles Holly's career as well as other cultural topics of the area.  And outside stands a pair of black glasses, a part of Holly's look throughout his short career.  Visitors are encouraged to take pictures with rock star's spectacles.

 
Across the street is a statue honoring the rock & roll sensation.  He's playing his guitar surrounded by the West Texas Hall of Fame honoring other influential artists of the area.  His fellow Texas musicians are forever serenaded by Charles Hardin Holley, a.k.a. Buddy Holly, as he welcomes visitors to his humble hometown. 

Top 5 Things for Sale at the Best Maid Pickle Emporium

 Previously:

80s Corpus Christie  - -  Sam Houston Gift Shop

Texas Treasures Store  - -  Alamo Gift Shop

 Sandwiched firmly in the Great Hall of famous Texas foodstuffs, you'll find jars and jars of Best Maid Pickled products.  With their trademark "Little Girl Sticking Her Tongue Out" (that's her name, right?) emblazoned on each jar, they've made their way into backyard cookouts, concession stands and bbq pits across the Lone Star State and beyond.

 

Now Best Maid buffs can get their pickle fix in Fort Worth at the Best Maid Pickle Emporium.  It's part museum, part store and the perfect way to add some crunch to the sandwich of life.  I visited recently and, as I do, thought I'd pick the top five things for sale there.

 5. Pickle Mints

 

Depending on your pants, you probably can't carry a jar of pickles in your pocket.  But that doesn't stop some pickle enthusiasts from keeping pickle flavor close to the vest.  If you want that fresh, pickley breath smell all day long, your solution is here.

4.  Pickle Dog Chew Toys

 In my experience, pickles are low on most dogs' list of favorite things but chewing stuff tends to rank high.  Sure, your best friend might not be aware of the significance of his or her new toy but it squeaks and it's shaped like Texas so we call that a "win/win."

3. Pickle Air Freshener

New car smell?  Nah, man, pickle smell!  Freshen up your road trip with the crisp scent of dill and enjoy the ride.  I'm sure there are several advantages to having your car smell like pickles, I just can't think of any right now.  But if and when the need arises, you can be ready.

2.  Pickle Flask

Keep this one close to your heart.  When you need a pickle-based cocktail, you never want it to be too far.  These come with a recipe for "Pickle Back" which is essentially a shot of whiskey followed by a shot of pickle brine.  I don't drink either one of those so I couldn't tell you if the combination is any good.  But if it's printed on a flask, it's gotta be pretty nice, right?

1.  Best Maid Pickle Tie

 So here we have what the well dressed pickle enthusiast is wearing.  If I ever have another job interview, I plan to wear this.  There are power ties and there are power ties and this is the ultimate power move.  Show them what you're about with this Best Maid logo-covered accent.  

So there you have it.  If you can't find something for the pickle lover on your holiday shopping list, then I don't know what to tell you.

ZZ Top: The Comic

Previously:

Nolan Ryan: The Comic Book  - -  Tom Landry: The Comic Book

"Rock 'N Roll Comics" was a comic book series in the late 80s/early 90s that retold band origins in comic book format.  They were biographies of groups like Guns & Ross, KISS, Iron Maiden and other hard rock groups from that era. 

For their 25th issue they decided to tell the story of legendary Texas rock/blues band ZZ Top, tracing each member's story from a young age to rock & roll stardom. 

The comic starts out by showing how the thee 'Tops" began their love of music and how they got started.  As is typical in these types of stories, there are many failed attempts to get started and a lot of bands being formed, re-formed, losing members, gaining members and breaking up.  There's an effort to show which other musicians influenced the boys and some of their early collaborations and successes.

Several more versions of the band come and go until Billy gets legendary manager Bill Ham involved.  There's then a few more comings and goings but finally we get to what will eventually become the ZZ Top we all know and love. 

More clubs dates lead to bigger venues and higher profile gigs which lands them a record deal.  After recording their first album, they end up playing with bands like Deep Purple and the Doors.  After their second, they tour with the Rolling Stones.  They extra success means they need to keep touring and keep recording...which leads to the need to do a little "research:" for a particular song:

More albums were recorded and bigger venues played.  With this success, it was time to develop ZZ Top's unique style.  By embracing their roots and pushing the boundaries of showmanship, they began turning their concerts into something a little more unique...almost a stage show:

The road to fame is long and windy.  After a grueling touring and recording schedule, the boys take some much needed down time to recharge their batteries and have a little fun.  During this vacation, shaving didn't seem to be a top priority so when the group got back together, their signature look was born:

More albums, more touring, more success...the boys were a genuine hit!  But there were still worlds to conquer.  The 1980s brought about MTV and the rise of the music video.  With their cool swagger and penchant for casting attractive women, ZZ Top became known for their music videos.

After a few divorces, a gunshot wound, custom cars and a run for president, the band kept on keepin' on.  More albums, more tours and more fame allowed the boys to call the shots and be the group they wanted to be.  The comic ends around the early 90s but as we know there was still plenty of story left to tell about that Little Ol' Band From Texas.  Rock & Roll Comics may be gone but rock & roll music will never die!

Mission Accomplished

Previously:

Houston Heroes  - -  Launch Time

A big piece of Texas/Human history got cleaned, polished, buffed and looks shiny and new!  The original Mission Control at Johnson Space Center in Houston got the makeover treatment over the past six years and I was fortunate to be one of the people who got to see the unveiling recently. 

The project was done by a company called GRAVitate which, among other things, works on historical restoration projects.  Over the course of several years every part of Mission Control was cleaned and refurbished or completely refabricated to an exact match (or just about) from fifty years ago.  This included not just the consoles, but the wall paper, carpet, ash trays and coffee cups.  Here's a few close up looks at the work areas:

This was the last time anyone would be allowed to get this close to the consoles.  They're now roped off with an alarm so feel free to be jealous.  You'll notice that the screens and buttons are illuminated.  These are recreations of what you would see during the Apollo missions. 

The viewing room has also been restored.  A lot of people felt it necessary to take "souvenirs" like fabric from the chairs and the tops of ash trays in the back of the chairs.  Replacements for those tops were 3D printed to be an exact match.  But there were other things that guest felt compelled to leave behind...

Here's a great big bag of gum that was scraped off the Mission Control viewing room chairs.  It's all part of the glamorous life of a historical preservationist.  This was on display as a part of the exhibit for the Ribbon Cutting ceremony.

Manning the giant scissors are Jim Thornton (Project Manager), Mark Geyer (JSC Director), William Harris (CEO Space Center Houston), Milford Wayne Donaldson (Advisory Council of Historic Preservation), Sandra Tetley (JSC Historic Preservation Officer), Ed Fendell (Apollo Flight Controller) and Gene Kranz (Apollo Flight Director...he is the real life guy that Ed Harris played in the film Apollo 13).  This was a "big deal" kind of crowd so I almost wanted to see a bigger pair of scissors.

My thanks again to Adam, Natalie and the rest of the team at GRAVitate for letting me attend this historic event and shoot video!

The Red Headed Stranger

Previously:

Follow the Leaders  - -  Tour of Duty  - -  Under the Dome

My Spidey Sense in Jingling  - -  The X-Men Visit the State Fair

 Texas Marvels  - -  Check Please  - -  Houston Heroes

We've seen several comic book characters visit the Lone Star State over the years, especially the gang from DC and Marvel.  But it was only a matter of time before the kids from Archie Comics wanted to get their piece of the action...which brings us to 1991's Veronica #17.

The story begins with Riverdale rich girl Veronica Lodge on a plane headed to DFW Airport to visit her father who is already there on business.  She passes the time by reading a paperback adventure of "Dusty Marlowe, Rodeo Star."  When a bit of turbulence gives her an old school, sitcomy konk on the head, naturally she gets the type of amnesia where you believe yourself to be the character you were just reading about...very common stuff..

Armed with the confidence that comes with a brand new persona, Veronica (or "Dusty" as she now calls herself) then proceeds to lasso a wild bucking bull who was loose in the airport (They really gloss over the whole "bull is loose in an airport" element of the story) like a champ.

The bull's owners, father and son rodeo organizers, Harry and Matthew Chase, offer her a job in their rodeo which she promptly accepts.  They even seem to be okay with giving the amnesiac teenage girl they just met a ride in their truck.

One bottle of red hair dye later, Matthew starts laying on the charm by taking Veronica out to dinner at whatever the restaurant at the top of Reunion Tower was called in the early 90s.  Check out artist Dan Parent's take on the Dallas skyline:

The house style for Archie comics might seem somewhat simplistic but if you take a minute or two to examine the drawing above you'll see several details of the Dallas skyline were included and not just the obligatory Reunion Tower cameo.  At this point in the story we get into a tour of Texas landmarks.  Since we're starting in downtown Dallas, let's do some side-by-sides from that area:

One of the first sights is the JFK Memorial, a.k.a. the JFK Cenotaph which is unfortunately mostly covered by word balloon.  Making matters worse is that the Old Red Courthouse Museum is featured prominently in the panel but the artist didn't seem to have a good reference pic to work from so the resemblance is not very accurate.

Veronica notices that Dallas founder John Neely Bryan's log cabin was not necessarily matching its downtown Dallas surroundings.  The cabin has been moved around and refurbished several times over the years and always seems to get attention.  You may remember that a few years back another comic book tourist noticed it when Spider-Man teamed up with the Dallas Cowboys.

After a while it was time for the traveling rodeo to start traveling and it was southbound to Houston.  Amnesiac teenager "Veronica/Dusty" continued to tag along and nobody seemed too weirded out about it.  And the tour continued!  This time at NASA in Houston.

While all this is going on there's a few subplots in the story trying to keep the queso spicy.  One involves a pair of rodeo clowns planning to steal from the Chase Rodeo's box office.  Another involves Veronica's father hiring a private detective (who's always eating something for some reason) and Veronica's mother hiring a psychic (who, like all psychics, is faking it til she makes it) to track down their daughter.

And, of course, the tour continues!  This time it's a Texas history lesson at the San Jacinto Monument.  Either Veronica is genuinely interested or she's doing a great job of faking it.  But there's no time to bask in Texas Independence...it's time to head to Austin!

Like most tourists, one of the kids' first stops is the Capitol Building.  It's an impressive sight (and a great drawing) but I can't help but stare at the mustache bro who's looking right at the reader:

Yeah, this guy knows what's up.  He's got a secret...a dark secret.  But that's a story for another day.  Unfortunately, our fate is to continue following Veronica and Matthew on their tour of famous Texas sites:

The last stop on the tour was a quick swim at Hamilton Pool.  Looks like there wasn't a postcard handy for the artist to use as a reference because this one was a little off too.  The real thing is more of a grotto than what you'd think of as a traditional water fall but it was still pretty cool that a natural landmark was included in the issue.  Now all that's left is the wrap up.

The rodeo clown robbers were foiled, Veronica got her memory back, her parents finally caught up with her and they all celebrated with some BBQ and some Texas two-stepping.  All in all, a pretty standard trip to Texas.

Jobe to the Future

Previously:

Top 5 at the Alamo Gift Shop  - -  Pee-Wee Visits the Alamo

"Amazing Stories" was an ambitious mid-80s attempt to capture a little Twilight Zone lighting in a prime time bottle.  As with any anthology, there were hits and misses but it's widely regarded as a show that was "pretty good."

The third episode of the series caught the attention of a young "me" since it featured a world famous landmark I had recently visited...the Alamo!  The legendary Texas battle site was having a bit of a Hollywood renaissance with Pee-Wee's Big Adventure and Cloak & Dagger making use of the location and now it was time for a small screen adventure.

The elevator pitch for the episode is: a fifteen year old volunteer from the Battle of the Alamo is transported to present day (A.K.A. 1985).  And that's also pretty much a summary of the episode too.  It's not what you would call a very plot heavy entry into the time travel genre.

The story begins during the battle (and uses footage from the John Wayne Alamo movie from 1960) and our hero Jobe (Kelly Reno from the Black Stallion movies) name checks fellow Alamo heroes William Travis and Davey Crockett and is given instructions to take a note to "General Lefferts" on "Shuttlecock Road."

While this is going on, Jobe keeps seeing 1985 tourists pop up in the mission, seemingly unaware of the carnage surrounding them.  He even hears some unfortunate news about the ultimate fate of the Alamo defenders from a tour guide (who probably hasn't gotten to the part about adobe or corn yet).

Sure that's a freaky thing to see but Jobe's a total pro and is determined to deliver the note.  But now it's his turn to time travel on his way out of the Alamo.  After a quick visit to the 1985 gift shop he's kicked out by one of the staff.

If I were to ask you, does that door look familiar?  You'd probably say, "Yeah, that's the door to the Alamo."  But you'd be wrong.  And I'd really stick it in your face in the smuggest way possible.  And then you would walk away from me and I'd be left alone once again with my useless trivial knowledge.

That being said, the Alamo doesn't allow people to film there.  So any time you've seen a movie or TV show at the Alamo, you've seen a sound stage.  This particular faux Alamo door was built for the film "Cloak & Dagger":

And at this point, just as Jobe must come to the realization that he's in another time (which he never really seems to do), we must realize that this episode is passing off Los Angeles as San Antonio.  But at least they make an effort to hide it.  Check out this matte shot:

Well now it's time for some fish-out-of-water shenanigans as Jobe hijinks his way across pseudo-San Antonio in the 80s, while encountering tons of sights and sounds that should freak him out but never really do.    It wasn't too long before it was time for a a classic trope:

Yep, out-of-towner guy meets hip guy.  In this instance the "hip guy" is a break dancer who tells Jobe that he digs his "funky cap."  Just as Jobe seems mildly curious yet mostly uninterested in the future things he see, the people he meets seem to feel relatively the same way.

I guess seeing somebody walking around San Antonio dressed in buckskins is like seeing someone dressed as a Disney princess in Anaheim.  After awhile it just becomes a fairly common part of your work week.

After some additional fun involving bus rides, pay phones, a stolen horse and a police chase, our hero finally gets to his destination.  There was no "General Lefferts" involved with the real Alamo and the real San Antonio doesn't seem to have a "Shuttlecock Road" so don't feel obligated to go on your own Jobe-esque quest the next time you're in town.

The fictional Leffert had a fictional descendant who runs a fictional antique shop where Jobe finally ends up to deliver the note.  Mission Accomplished!  With that done he returns to the Alamo and presumably his own time.  But before he gets there he gets directions from this helpful citizen:

So does this mean that Jobe survived the Battle of the Alamo and had kids?  It's not really clear and I'm not anticipating a follow-up any time soon so we'll all just have to write our own Amazing Stories fan fiction...as usual.

So once again our beloved Alamo has made its presence felt in popular culture and we all plan our next family road trips to the real San Antonio.