TEXAS IS ANOTHER COUNTRY, INDEED

Just got back from another trip to east Texas to visit friends. In case you don't know where Texas is, it is a country in North America, just above the Gulf of Mexico, and is surrounded by the USA. The native diet consists mainly of beef and various forms of potatoes (mashed, french frys, and tater tots are most common), accessorized occasionally by vegetables such as iceberg lettuce, catsup, and tomato soup. Although English is the official language, the natives mostly speak a dialect that is decipherable if you listen carefully. They are highly social, employing an interesting mix of southern plantation graciousness and cowboy charm. All in all, an interesting place to visit but I don't think I'd last long if I tried to live there.

On this trip, I repeated some of my favorite activities from last time. I went to the drive-through daiquiri spot again (got a "sexy sour" this time) where they put a big piece of scotch tape across the top of the to-go cup to comply with state law but just manage to miss taping over where you put the straw. That way you can insert your straw with the tape still on the cup and drive off while sipping your drink! My favorite BBQ place burned down just before I got there (the whole town cried) -- but the good news is that they are already starting to rebuild so they'll be ready for me next year. And, yes, I did make sure to have a steak dinner -- yum.

For new experiences, my friends took me on a day trip to Natchitoches, Louisiana (Yankee pronunciation guide:  NAKAdish) where they filmed the movie Steel Magnolias and where that family actually lived (I hadn't realized that it was a true story).

Next, we went on a day trip to Hot Springs, Arkansas which has been a vacation and spa destination for national leaders (FDR, for example) and the Chicago mob since the 1920's.  The old part of downtown is a national park and the hot spring water is fabulous -- not sulphurous at all and delicious to drink.  We went to one of the old, gracious lady hotels, The Arlington, that has a bathhouse build in the early 1920's -- all white tile and teal-colored copper pipe and fixtures.  I was treated to "The Works" which turned out to be 2-hours of sheer pleasure and included a nice soak in a huge tub with a jacuzzi, then my bath attendant scrubbed me down, then a sauna (I skipped that option), then I layed-down on a table and was wrapped in hot, wet towels with an ice cold towel on my face, then a needle-spray shower, then a massage.  I was a very happy and relaxed blob of jello after that.  All for $62 -- can you imagine?  At home that would have cost $200-$300 or more.  I plan to make Hot Springs a required destination every trip to Texas!

Did I mention that the speed limit on most Texas roads is 70 MPH except where it is 75 MPH?  Whew, people just barrel along.  Oh, and speaking of roads, I saw my very first armadillo.  Yes, it was dead and on the side of the road, but I'm told that is the most common way you see armadillos.

 

And, of course, I must mention our trip to the Kilgore College Rangerette Museum.  The Rangerettes were started 60 years ago and are a precision dance team, much like the Rockettes (the Rockettes asked the Rangerettes to open for their show when they played in Dallas).  They were on the Ed Sullivan Show, too, and they always perform at the half-time show at the Cotton Bowl. The museum was fun to see -- old costumes and video clips. And, as you can see from the photo, we fit right in.

Another highlight was seeing my friend get shot.  It turns out that on the first Saturday of every month, my friend gets shot in a gunfight downtown.  OK, here's the back story.  My friends live in a little bitty town called Jefferson, which is quite a nice tourist destination because there is something going almost every weekend, there are a lot of lovely old homes to look at, and there are a lot of B&Bs to stay in.  Every Saturday morning, they reenact a bit of Jefferson history.  This time there were two bad guys who walked down main street having a big argument.  They started shooting at each other (finally killing each other) right in front of the delicate ladies (who were scandalized because one of the outlaws was chewing tobacco and spitting in public!), the banker and the sheriff, who finally got off a few shots of his own just to make sure.  All in all, it was wonderful fun.

And because it is a small town, I can truthfully say that the mayor of Jefferson cooked my breakfast on the day I flew home (he owns a cafe in town) -- good breakfast, too! And speaking of small towns, there is no such thing as a quick dash to run an errand because everyone stops and visits a bit with every person they walk past. It is charming in a way, but I'm accustomed to the relative anonymity of the big city that allows for rushing in and out of stores. There's not a good or bad here, just a different way of conducting daily business.

I flew in and out of Shreveport, Louisiana because it is closest to Jefferson and boy, when you are in the Shreveport airport you know you are in the south -- every day at noon everyone in the airport comes to attention while they play the Star Spangled Banner over the loud speakers. The south is very proud of its patriotism.