On the Road: The Shiner Trip, Part 2

It’s been a while since I started this post about our trip to Shiner, Texas, with the Fort Worth Mercedes Benz club. For a quick recap, check out the August 31st post, “On the Road: The Shiner Trip.” While on this road trip, I managed to check off a total of three Texas Monthly “Bucket List” items, (numbers 10, 12, and 19), and we had a wonderful time with the fun-loving members of the Fort Worth Benz club. The more I learn about this state, the more I want to know and see.

#19 – Drink a Free Beer at the K. Spoetzl Brewery, in Shiner.

After breakfast Saturday morning, Robert, Jim, and I hurried over to the K. Spoetzl Brewery. It wasn’t scheduled to open until ten o’clock, but as we peeked through the window into the locked gift shop, a woman suddenly appeared inside, unlocked the door, and asked, “What group are you with?” We told her it was the Mercedes Benz group and she ordered us to “Come on in!” Her name was Annie and she was to be our brewery tour guide. Then she said, “Come on up to the taps. What kind of beer do you want to taste first?”

There were four Shiner taps, and Annie gave us each an eight ounce cup with our first choices and three wooden tokens to redeem for our next three. Being that it was 9:45 in the morning, we pocketed our tokens and sipped our beer slowly while waiting for the rest of our group. A short time later they arrived at the brewery, and Robert left to head back to Austin. Annie was an unflappable guide—even when more than a hundred Corvette club members showed up without reservations.

Shiner, like many other towns in the “Little Bohemia” area of South Central Texas, was settled by German and Czech immigrants in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. Thankfully, these wonderful people brought their love of beer with them to America. Check out Shiner.com for the story of the brewery and the town. The web site is cleverly constructed, but you must be 21 to log on.

When Cattle and Cotton Ruled.

After lunch, it was off to Gonzales to tour the Old County Jail Museum and do the Historic District Driving Tour. Gonzales calls itself the “Birthplace of Texas Freedom,” and claims to be where the first shot was fired in the battle for independence from Mexico. The town is a little over 18 miles to the northwest of Shiner and has a population of fewer than 7500 residents. It’s one of those little gems that make you say “ooh” and “wow” the first time you visit.

In towns all around the state one can find examples of 19th century, majestic old brick courthouses—it’s a Texas thing—and Gonzales is no exception. The courthouse, completed in 1896, is a beautiful example of Romanesque Revival style and is on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Historic Driving Tour begins at the Old 1887 Jail Museum which operated as a working jail until 1975. Some of you may remember the 1982, made for TV movie, The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez, starring Edward James Olmos in the title role. Cortez was one of the more famous “guests” at the Gonzales County Jail, and gained hero status among the Hispanic population because of his ability to elude the legendary Texas Rangers. The imposing old jail is a very depressing place, complete with a gallows and a special cell for women and lunatics. That’s Jim and me on the right, planning our breakout.

From the jail museum we continued on the driving tour and were astounded by the magnificent old homes along the tour. Cattle and cotton were the industries that fed the economy of Gonzales in the 19th century, and the appearance of many of the homes on the tour suggest that some folks were very successful. There are over 80 properties on the driving tour, some in disarray, and others that take your breath away.

#12: Marvel at the Painted Churches, in Little Bohemia.

We had a free afternoon, and Jim and I decided to check out Saints Cyril and Methodius Catholic Church in Shiner. SS. Cyril and Methodius, as it’s known, was established in 1891, and is one of the famous painted churches in “Little Bohemia.” The present-day church was completed in 1921 and has visitors from around the world coming to tour and photograph its beauty. When we arrived, people were lined up inside for Confession. I tried not to stare at them as my imagination ran a little wild as to the possible nature of their sins. I also wondered if maybe I should mention to a priest that I started drinking beer at 9:45 that morning.

After we left the church, Jim and I retreated back to the Old Kasper House for a nap. We had dinner that night with the rest of the Benz club at Kloesel’s Steakhouse and Bar in Moulton. Kloesel’s was a huge improvement over dinner the night before. Sunday morning after breakfast, Jim and I said goodbye to the Mercedes Benz gang and drove to Austin to have brunch with Robert and his girlfriend, Sarah. We met them at Z’Tejas Southwestern Grill, a popular place for Sunday brunch on Austin’s celebrated 6th Street. After that it was back to Grapevine for Jim and me and goodbye to another road trip.

It was a great weekend and another opportunity to check out and learn about Texas’ fascinating history and geography. Thanks to the Texas Monthly "Bucket List," there's plenty more to do and see. I'll keep you posted the next time we head out to explore this amazing state.

Donna

On the Road: Easter Weekend

Easter weekend found Jim and me on the road to Austin to spend some time with our son, Robert, and to celebrate Jim’s birthday. From Saturday afternoon until Monday night, it was a whir of wheels, meals, and allergy pills. It’s springtime in Texas and it might be helpful if we were to post signs at the borders and the airports asking visitors: “Got Kleenex?”

Shortly after we arrived at Robert’s apartment, we were back in the car and off to Austin’s Oasis restaurant. The Oasis is a three-story, Tuscan-style structure perched atop the cliffs over beautiful Lake Travis. Sprawling decks on the lake side provide diners with a spectacular view; inside there’s hardly a bad table in the place, especially considering the restaurant can seat over 2000 people. The menu is predominantly Tex-Mex, and the service is fast and friendly. The courtyard entrance hosts multiple kiosks, giving it the feel of a mercado, while inside there’s live music and dancing. You don’t need a reservation for dinner, but on Friday or Saturday night during warm weather months, be prepared to wait in line for your table.

Sunday morning we attended Easter Mass at the contemporary, friendly St. Albert the Great Catholic Church on the north side of the city. After the service, we dashed downtown to Congress Ave for Easter brunch at the historic Stephen F. Austin InterContinental hotel. We sat on the balcony where we enjoyed a view of the Capitol building, great food, and gracious service. Right after brunch, it was barely a five minute drive to the east side of I-35 to visit the Texas State Cemetery, number 62 on the Texas Monthly “Bucket List.”

Texas State Cemetery, #62.

Texas Monthly did not overstate the significance of this beautiful 21-acre cemetery. The first grave we visited was that of Stephen F. Austin, with its bronze Coppini statue. We saw the graves of authors J. Frank Dobie and James A. Michener, Governors John Connally and Ann Richards, and U.S. Congresswoman Barbara Jordan, the first black woman from a southern state to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives. Also buried there are two American Revolutionary War veterans, fifteen signers of the Texas Declaration of Independence of 1836, nine Confederate generals, and a host of other Texans whose lives helped shape the state and our nation.

Among the many monuments and memorials dedicated to Texans, one stood out above the rest for me: the September 11, 2001 memorial. An open circle of granite invites you inside where two unaltered steel columns from Ground Zero stand like sentries. Visitors are encouraged to enter the memorial and to touch the steel columns. On the inner walls of the granite ring, engraved plaques remind us of the times and places that each plane went down. The memorial honors all Texans who died in the 9/11 terrorist attacks and in Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan.

Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center, #51.

We left the cemetery, heading west and then south, arriving at the Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center, number 51 on the “Bucket List,” about 25 minutes later. By then, poor Robert, who had begun suffering while walking through the tree-lined cemetery, was deep in the throes of an all-out allergy attack.

The Wildflower Center was abloom in Texas bluebonnets, Indian paintbrush, and a multitude of other native flowers, plants and trees. Large, whimsical sculptures of giant insects are tucked here and there throughout the center; there’s even a sculpture of a Texas Longhorn made entirely of hand tools. The Center, a research unit of the University of Texas, is one of five U.S. groups participating in the Millennium Seed Bank Project.

Robert was such a good sport about indulging me and my “Bucket List” goals. The poor guy held paper towels over his nose and mouth in order to escape the pollen. He had to blow his nose so often he began to sound a little like a Canadian goose. Since his allergy medicine didn’t seem to be working, we hurried through the Wildflower Center and drove back to his apartment where he could shower and dress in some non-pollinated clothing.

Back to Grapevine.

The rest of the weekend was much more relaxed. On Monday Robert met us for lunch, and we presented Jim with his birthday presents in the parking lot outside Dave and Buster’s. Then we hugged Robert goodbye and hit the highway back to Grapevine. We love Austin, so the weekend was a perfect start for my Texas Road Trip. I must admit I hadn’t really expected to be so wowed by the Texas State Cemetery or the Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center. And I definitely was not expecting the sudden awareness and understanding of the pride that Texans feel for their state. I was feeling a bit of pride myself.

Donna