“Everything’s bigger in Texas”
So I found as I was served a larger-than-life meal of fried gizzards, dirty rice and buttermilk pie at the George Ranch Historical Park.
So I saw as I peered at the 4ft-long horns of the wild Longhorn cattle mounted by ropin’ cowboys.
And so I heard from many a Texan who waved his state flag with pride.
Texas is the second-largest state in the USA, after Alaska. You will know because more than one person will mention it to you. The souvenir shop will be filled with one-liners like ‘We don’t dial 911’ and ‘Don’t mess with Texas’. You will be expected to finish a meal for three because Texas portions are bigger than American portions. And you will learn to say a perfect ‘Howdy, y’all’ in a thick Texan accent.
Of the 1,000-plus cities (yes, you read that right) in Texas, t2 visited Houston and Austin. With a day to spend in each city, here’s a quick 24-hour-stop guide.
Texas Hold’Em is one of the most popular forms of poker. Although little is known about its invention, Robstown in Texas is believed to be the game’s birthplace, dating the game to the early 1900s.
GEORGE RANCH HISTORICAL PARK: 9.30am to 1.30pm
Five miles from the Brazos River and 30 miles southwest of downtown Houston is this scenic ranch spread across 20,000 acres. Its history dates back to 1824 when Texas was still part of Mexico. Walk around the ranch or hop aboard its tram to discover historic homes and meet costumed interpreters. Three things you must do here are...
Catch the cowboy show:
Contrary to popular belief, you don’t see cowboys everywhere in Texas. So don’t let go of this chance to see the men raised in the saddle. Watch one of ’em bring out a Longhorn weighing 1,500 pounds with horns several feet long (still a couple of feet to go to beat the world record of 11ft long horns in Australia). “This one’s still a wild animal and we treat him with respect. He’s around 11 years old and we should have him till he’s 20,” said cowboy Jake as he lassoed a calf, and we looked on in wonder!
Have a historic lunch:
The day we visited the ranch was the turn of the 1890s Sharecropper Meal. There was crackling bread, corn bread, a big old pot of cottage greens, pork rinds, fried catfish from the river Brazos, fried gizzards, dirty rice (“not the one swept off the floor but rice with bell peppers, onions and a healthy portion of sausages and leaves”) complete with Buttermilk Pie, which was “quite like custard in a pie shape and baked, with the texture of cheesecake but not the taste”. Priced $14 for adults, it’s a meal you shouldn’t miss.
Visit the 1860s Ryan Prairie Home:
Picture life in post-civil war Texas with a visit to the home of Polly Ryon and her husband William during the expansion of their ranching operations.
t2 tips:
@ Carry a hat, sunscreen and shades if you visit in the hot months as almost all the activities at the ranch are outdoors.
@ Entry to the ranch is $10. Visit www.georgeranch.org for details.
YOU KNOW YOU’RE IN TEXAS WHEN…
People greet you with, ‘Howdy Y’all!’
The locals refer to themselves as Texan, not American.
Their friends on Facebook are talking about the Rangers.
Everyone wears a jacket and boots even when it’s really hot! Which is all the time.
All the belt buckles in Cavender’s Boot City are bigger than your face.
Sunday is all about church and football.
The only acceptable type of BBQ is made with beef.
One meal has to be at Whataburger. The other has to be
Tex-Mex.
The longest part of a road trip is getting out from Texas.
HOUSTON SPACE CENTER: 2pm to 4pm
Nicknamed Space City because Houston is home to NASA’s headquarters, a visit to the Space Center is but inevitable. Don’t expect to see astronauts in their space costumes greeting you. Think of the Houston Space Center as more of a piece of US history preserved in much the same state in which it began. Once there, head straight for the tram tour, which will take you to...
Touch the Moon:
Star Ship Gallery houses a 3.8 billion-year-old rock and one of the only eight lunar rocks in the world allowed to be touched by the public. It was brought to earth by the
Apollo 17 crew who visited the moon in December 1972.
Saturn V at Rocket Park:
Saturn V rocket was built to launch American astronauts to the moon during the Apollo missions. Over 36 storeys tall, this Saturn V is one of only three left in existence. And if we do need to go back to the moon, chances are this would be the rocket to get us there.
t2 tips:
@ Do the tram ride early. It can be a long wait. For more information, visit: http://spacecenter.org/visitor-information/
@ We also suggest you invest in the Houston CityPASS — for $51, you get access to the Space Center along with Downtown Aquarium, Zoo/ Museum of Fine Arts, Kemah Boardwalk All-Day Ride Pass and more.
CAVENDER’S BOOT CITY: 5pm
A trip to Texas ain’t complete without a visit to this family-owned retail store for western outfits and cowboy needs. Pick up a hat as a souvenir or a pair of stylish chocolate brown Luccheses and you’ll fit right in on your next outing. You can also shop at The Galleria, the fourth largest shopping mall in north America. It has more than 375 stores.
KEMAH BOARDWALK: 6.30pm
After all those historical visits, you deserve something touristy. Around 20 miles from downtown Houston is Kemah Boardwalk in Kemah city. This place is a bustling boulevard by the waterside, ripe with activity. Before we entered, we heard the roar of the Bullet Boardwalk — a wooden roller-coaster that none of us had the courage to try (but if you do, please tell us if you survived the ride). We headed straight for dinner at Landry’s Seafood, where we ordered some yum crawfish, a local delicacy, washed down with some of the local Shiner beer, brewed in Texas. Though we ended our day here, we wished we had begun it here too! If you can, keep a day for Kemah Boardwalk.
WASHINGTON AVENUE: 11pm
A couple of miles west of downtown is Houston’s hottest nightlife spot, Washington Avenue. This area has nearly 30 bars and restaurants. To the southwest sits country nightclub Wild West, open till 2am from Wed-Sat. It was built and operated by Texans and features a solid oak dance floor just for your boots!
My sleep broke at 3am sharp. I felt a little uneasy. The light in my room flickered and I heard the sound of furniture moving in the room above. Something made me Google ‘The Driskill Hotel’ where I was staying in Austin and one of the first articles that popped up went:
The Driskill Hotel is an historic building in downtown Austin, Texas. Opened in 1886 by Civil War Colonel Jesse Driskill, the compulsive gambler promptly lost the hotel in a high-stakes poker game the following year. In 1890, Driskill died a broken man, and is believed to haunt the hotel to this day. It is said that he makes his presence known by the scent of his cigar smoke and the occasional appearance in a guest’s room, and especially to the ladies.
Almost instinctively, I inhaled sharply but didn’t smell any cigar smoke. I got out of bed to go to the loo and somehow felt compelled to tiptoe all the way. On return, I spotted a yellow rose on my bed, which I could only hope had been there before.
Between deciding whether I should climb back into bed or investigate the paranormal, I heard someone running down the corridor outside my door. I quickly ran to look through the peephole but whoever it was, was gone.
The most popular legend is that of four-year-old Samantha Houston. In 1887, the little girl chased a ball down the grand staircase when she tripped and fell to her death. People believe they can hear her childish giggles throughout the halls of the hotel, and the sound of her ball bouncing down the stairs.
I felt the time was ripe to share an update about the haunted hotel on Facebook. Two minutes later, a friend pinged me: “If u hv a digicam then just put the flash on and click pix of all corners. See if you get any orbs.” More out of curiosity than anything else, I did it. My mouth ran dry when a big green orb appeared in the picture in one corner just above the door.
Room number 525 is rumoured to be the most haunted in the building. This is supposedly the scene of two suicides that occurred twenty years apart to the day. Known as the “suicide brides”, both women committed suicide in the bathroom on their honeymoons, for reasons unknown.
The good news was that I wasn’t in room 525 though I was pretty sure it was the room above me. Neither was I a bride.
There was no way I planned to spend my only night in Austin communicating with the dead brides, Samantha or even Colonel Driskill, though I was thankful for his hospitality. So I firmly pulled the covers over my head.
The next morning, I met one of the ladies from the PR department of the hotel over breakfast. “Is the hotel really haunted,” I asked. “We have a lot of stories. I’ve been working here for over a year and never felt anything peculiar,” she smiled, “but we had a few deaths in the hotel and that kind of triggered it.”
And that portrait on the fifth floor… people say that is Samantha, the little girl, who tripped down the staircase… I wondered aloud. “I’m actually trying to archive all the art in the hotel and that particular painting is new. The style is definitely not 1887,” she clarified, firmly.
Yet while most other hotels would shy away from calling themselves haunted, The Driskill has clearly cashed in on the attention. “We have a lot of guests who stay at the hotel after hearing that it’s haunted. It’s good publicity. In fact, there’s a part of me that wishes could smell cigar smoke! It’s nice to think that maybe Driskill is watching over you!” said the doorman as I stood outside the hotel a few minutes later, the chill in the Austin air smacking my face.
Watching over or just watching, it was a stay I wouldn’t forget for a while. But would I stay here again? Oh, yes. From the legendary cinnamon roll that’s “sold out by noon” at the hotel’s 1886 Cafe & Bakery to the beautiful Romanesque architecture to its proximity to Sixth ‘party’ Street to paranormal phenomena, The Driskill has it all. This is also where Austin’s sweetheart Sandra Bullock was filmed for Miss Congeniality. And if you want to tickle your neck a little more, I hear David, the bartender who’s been around for 25 years at the hotel, is the best man to share spooky stories. You’ll find him at The Driskill Bar on weekdays.
AUSTIN
Stay: The Driskill Hotel driskillhotel.com
Eat: Torchy’s Tacos, torchystacos.com
Do: Austin Detours austindetours.com
EIGHT THINGS TO DO IN AUSTIN
Even if you have an hour in Austin, make sure to include this “art project” on your travel list. Park yourself on a bench and soak in the
t2 recommends you book yourself an Austin Detour as soon as you check in. They take you off the tourist map and into real Austin. (PS: They even provide bottled water).
Text: Karo Christine Kumar
My favourite memory of Austin/Houston is.... Tell t2@abp.in