Well, we said goodbye to Grammie and Paw Paw last Wednesday morning and headed east to see more grandparents, cousins, and aunts in Bellville, TX. This was about a 3 hour trip on I-10 and is simply not complete without a stop here:
They say that Buc-ee’s is a business built on bathrooms, and the bathrooms are immaculate, but the food is almost as spectacular. And by spectacular, I don’t mean gourmet, but just….wow. I am certain I have never seen THAT many types of beef jerky, or venison jerky for that matter. The kids got various drinks, Robert and I got coffee, and we all shared a bag of their kettle corn. When I pulled out an individual package of half and half for my coffee (and there were at least 6 types/flavors to choose from), an attendant came right behind me to re-stock and re-align the section my creamer came from. Click here to see for yourself how serious Buc-ee’s is about cleanliness!
I had to get this picture of the parking lot, because yes, it is the Buc-ee’s parking lot and not a truck and SUV dealership.
We met Robert’s grandparents for dinner that evening at a local restaurant, and then headed to cousin Susie’s to spend the night. I didn’t get a picture of Susie or her house, but each of them are beautiful! We enjoyed our overnights in her completely renovated farmhouse, perfectly decorated in the finest of shabby chic antique ~ complete with Grandma Krum’s silver tinsel Christmas tree and tin ornaments! What I did get a picture of is Susie’s Mule ~ her Kawasaki Mule, that is. The kids, of course, had a ton of fun cruising around in this, and I know at least 2 children that may never get their driver’s license after what we witnessed of their skill and conscientiousness. Oh my.
Our days were spent here with Robert’s grandparents who have lived on and worked this ranch for 75 years.
They have raised Hereford Cattle here, and still have just under a hundred head on around 200 acres.
We loved watching the mamas and babies together ~ so cute.
Grandpa Doug got a couple of rifles and plenty of ammo ready for our arrival the first day, and the boys absolutely loved shooting at paper from the memo pad Grandpa Doug had in his shirt pocket. We stuck it to a tree limb for a makeshift target. Later, when Robert went back to the office for more ammo, he returned with a target drawn on a paper towel he had found.
They were pretty accurate, too. Kayla opted out of this experience, though we gave her plenty of encouragement to try it. Even though it wasn’t quite as loud as she imagined, she still preferred to hang back with me taking pictures and exploring a little bit.
She did enjoy this, though! Actually, they all did ~ even Duke, the dog. It took a bit of hoisting up, but once on top, they couldn’t get enough of running up and down the bales of hay and jumping from row to row.
It’s kind of funny for me to watch all of this go on. It’s like my kids have dual-citizenship in two foreign lands. In one home, the United Nations flag flies in front of the town hall, Emily Dickinson and Robert Frost haunt their old mansions, and folks from anywhere south of there are suspect because of their proximity to the Bush family. Art museums, organic veggie farms, and gourmet restaurants abound. Boston and New York City are regular destinations. Subway travel and Broadway shows are old hat.
But in the other home of theirs, the people and the weather are noticeably warmer, weapons are a source of healthy entertainment and a common past-time, there’s a church on every corner ~ even in those one-stoplight towns, and cowboy boots are much more the fashion than Birkenstocks. Schools have spirit, the state and country flag are waved proudly, and a tractor is a more likely form of transportation than a train. Cedar pollen falls from the air in greater abundance than that white stuff up north, and barebecue and Mexican are much easier to find than sushi.
I’m thankful that this has been their experience, and just love that they’ve gotten to experience the best of both of these worlds of theirs.
(But just in case I’ve confirmed any negative northern sentiments about this place, you should know that since we’ve been here I’ve eaten sushi, vegan cheesecake, and grilled tilapia to die for. I’ve attended a fabulous concert by a local musician at an historic theater, and run miles with hundreds of fitness enthusiasts in downtown Austin, and on Thursday I will have a manicure and massage at a beautiful spa!)
(More on those things later.)
Our favorite part of this recent trip to Bellville was hearing Grandpa Doug’s (who turns 92 in 2 months) stories about World War II ~ some we had already heard, and some new. (Grandma Reba helped in the story-telling as well!) He served in Patton’s army, fought in the Battle of the Bulge, and liberated a concentration camp in Germany. He has an old wooden box in which he keeps photos and memorabilia from his time overseas. We were honored to have him pull it out again, show us each item and tell of his experiences. It was such a nice visit.
Two weeks down, one to go before we make the journey north.
Stayed tuned because ~ Part 3 = My Birthday!
Wow!! Y'all have been busy, busy, busy!! And it looks like you are having too much fun! Yay!!!
I would so love for my boys to sit and listen to Grandpa Doug (and me too!). What amazing stories he must have! Does he like visitors? 😉
Praying that you enjoy the rest of your trip!
Hugs,
Jenn
Your travels look so full and fun! What a neat farm, shooting, shopping, creamery trip 🙂
~Cinnamon
p.s we live in a one stop light town….oh wait, we don't don't have a stop light. We have a stop sign 🙂 but no one stops at it 🙂