Sulphur Springs Court House – Constructed 1895.
The town square in Sulphur Springs is a dramatically different place. A vintage J. Riely Gordon courthouse occupies the northeast corner of the spacious town square. This offset location is both by choice and chance. The previous courthouse was built on the east side of the original town square. When that building burned down in 1894, a decision was made to buy additional property east of the town square and build the present day courthouse on the northeast corner of the enlarged town square.The net result of all these events in Hopkins County is a spacious public square with plenty of room for parking and public gathering. Along the eastern side of the square there's a bandstand and a small yard with trees and benches. The parking lot and walkways on the square are paved with red bricks. This adds a vintage feel to the place, and also creates a dramatic approach to the county courthouse.
LouViney Winery & Bistro
While you are enjoying the fabulous downtown area of Sulphur Springs be sure to have lunch, supper, or an afternoon wine at LouViney. LouViney Vineyards & Winery LLC established and bonded as a Texas Winery in 2005 by Susann Briggs, Nancy Briggs, and Susan Jones. It is the first commercial winery in Hopkins and Wood County. The name "LouViney" is our mother's nickname given to her by her grandfather.
Ogallala Nebraska – Front Street
Gateway of the Northern Plains; that was Ogallala from 1870 to 1885. Hard-bitten Wyoming and Montana cattleman met in Ogallala's hotel and saloons with Texas Cattle kings and bargained over cattle prices. Gold flowed freely across the table, liquor across the bar, and occasionally blood across the floor as a bullet brought some unlucky cowhand to his death on the floorboards of "Tuck's Saloon."
Ogallala's early history was unspectacular; it promised to be nothing but a section house and water tank for the railroad. Then, in the spring of 1868 appeared three men to set the destiny of Ogallala. These men were the Longergan brothers and Louis Aufdengarten. The Lonergan brothers came to do construction work for the Union Pacific Railroad, but they found the plains to their liking, subsequently then became interested in Ogallala.
By 1876, Ogallala had changed from its infant days in1868. The stores were all south of the railroad tracks. The stores fronted what was called Railroad Street. Aufdengarten's general store was on the corner of the intersection of this street and the trail leading south to the Platte River. Along this trail extended the rest of the town. The town consisted of saloons with such names as "The Cowboy's Rest" and the "Crystal Palace." The last building on the street was the "Ogallala House" -the dining room was widely patronized because of its excellent fare.
The tempo of living in early Ogallala changed with the seasons. During the months of winter and early spring life was drab and dreary. Shortly after the first of June the town began to hum with activity as the first Texas trail herds started to arrive. During the three summer months business boomed -ten to twelve herds, each of two thousand five hundred head could be located south of town. The presence of a hundred or more trail hands taxed the facilities of Ogallala. Sleeping rooms and meals were hard to find when the trail hands were in town. Activities in Ogallala continued at a fever pitch until the end of August, by then the Texans were heading back to Texas. By November, Ogallala had settled back in quiet and peaceful repose.
Lobster In NebraskaOne of the restaurants we dined at in Nebraska had a steak & lobster combo on the menu. Just what I was hungry for. But then I noticed one of the painting hanging in the restaurant. It was a kitchen scene. I was confused by the two chefs and the lobster. Not sure what they were discussing, I decided to just order the steak.
Beaver Dam Kentucky
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Beaver Dam Inn - Funny name, good place to stay. However it's just another dam hotel!
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This was a really cool retro Denny's.
Bill Monrow – The Father of Bluegrass Music – Beaver Dam KY
Lots of new generation country musicians talk about their cultural roots, but not pioneering songwriter-singer-mandolinist Bill Monroe. Nearly a half century after being dubbed "the Father of Bluegrass" for his inestimable role in defining and popularizing that strain of country music.
Dallas Fly By
On the way home the “company plane” made a low pass over downtown Dallas. It means we are getting close to home. That’s a good feeling.
On the way home the “company plane” made a low pass over downtown Dallas. It means we are getting close to home. That’s a good feeling.
