Texas Road Trip

Remember The Bucket List, the equal parts hilarious, uplifting, and heartbreaking ’07 film starring Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson? They play two old men who, while sharing a hospital room, both learn they have terminal illnesses. Freeman’s character begins writing his bucket list—a wish list of things he has dreamed of doing before he “kicks the bucket.” You probably thought about your own bucket lists for days and weeks after seeing the movie, just as I did.

Last month, Texas Monthly magazine came out with its Texas “Bucket List,” an amusing, quirky list of “63 things all Texans should do before they die.” The article didn’t suggest we visit the obvious Texas icons like the Alamo, in San Antonio, or our state Capitol, in Austin, (because we should have already done those). And it didn’t mention “Jerryland,” the colossal new Cowboys Stadium, in Arlington. It did suggest we “Play Chicken Shit Bingo, in Austin,” and “Eat Calf Fries at Riscky’s Steakhouse, in Fort Worth.” I did say “quirky.”

As it turns out, I’ve already done several of the sixty-three ideas listed in the article. I’ve been to the State Fair of Texas, in Dallas; I know how to ride a horse; and I took dance lessons to learn the two-step. Number 50 was too easy: “Attend a Classic High School Football Game.” I went to nearly every Grapevine High School football game for the entire four years that Robert was there. Number 63 is “Appear on the Cover of TEXAS MONTHLY.” Check.

Cruising around Texas to try some of the things in the Texas Monthly article really does call to me. For instance, for the past 22 years, I’ve wanted to check out the Marfa lights, number 30 on the bucket list, and believed by some to be UFO’s. Marfa also seems to consistently have the coldest temperatures in the state. “Where’s Marfa?” you say. That’s what everyone says, even people born here; and I want to find out.

Surely you’ve wondered, too, what it is about places like Abilene, Galveston, and Luckenbach, Texas that would inspire the classic country-western eponymous hits. It’s certainly not because those names are easy to rhyme.

Some things in the Texas Monthly article actually frighten me to think about—things like number 49: “Drive the Freeways at Night in Houston.” Why? That appeals to me like the idea of tubing down the Amazon while spreading chum ahead of me. Speaking of tubing, number 9 is “Float a River.” Does tubing at Six Flags Hurricane Harbor and the Schlitterbahn count? That urban legend about the water skier falling into a nest of cottonmouths in a Texas river has given me nightmares for forty years.

On the other hand, number 19: “Drink a Free Beer at the K. Spoetzl Brewery, in Shiner,” and number 31: “Have a Drink at the Mansion on Turtle Creek, in Dallas,” look real doable. So, where is this leading? I’ve decided to do a road trip—in and around Texas—incorporating the Texas Monthly “Bucket List” and the books, Haunted Texas, Weird Texas, and my personal favorite, The Wine Roads of Texas. I’m going to see as much Texas as I can, and can afford, while I’m still able to enjoy travel—that would be without a wheelchair or a walker.

Many items in the above sources are seasonal, so I plan to do several short trips—not one long one. That way, I can come home and not be out on the road for days or weeks at a time. Besides, I already have other trips and plans for this year, and I don’t like to be away from home that long.

Got any suggestions for places or things that a person must check out before they check out? Please send them to me or add them to the comments below.

Donna
PS: If you can, plan to meet me at Turtle Creek! I’ll let you know when we’re going.