Archive for the ‘Texas’ category

Battleship Texas

January 19th, 2009

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In 1948, the Battleship Texas became the first battleship memorial museum in the U.S. That same year, on the anniversary of Texas Independence, the Texas was presented to the State of Texas and commissioned as the flagship of the Texas Navy. In 1983, the Texas was placed under the stewardship of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and is permanently anchored on the Buffalo Bayou and the busy Houston Ship Channel. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s 1,200-acre San Jacinto Battleground State Historic Site consists of the Battleground, Monument and Battleship Texas. These sites are located within minutes of downtown Houston and a short distance to the beaches of Galveston Island. Millions of visitors come to this area each year to enjoy the mild coastal climate and cultural and sports activities. Students and visitors alike are most fortunate to be able to experience history first hand through living history at the San Jacinto Battleground and Battleship Texas.

Location: LaPorte, Texas

Cactus at the Alamo

August 18th, 2008

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Caught this shot of a cactus just outside the Alamo. It was a wonderfully warm Spring day (80+, early March) and snowing in Ohio, so that made this shot even sweeter. Other than a saguaro, this is the largest cactus I had ever seen.

Location: San Antonio, Texas

Kyle Field

May 5th, 2008

Caught this shot when we visited Texas for spring break a few years back. Kyle Field sits on the campus of Texas A&M University and is “Home of the 12th Man”. As a college football fan, it was awesome to get a chance to be in the stadium and get close to where all the grid-iron action takes place. A day I’ll never forget.

Location: College Station, Texas

Old Sparky

December 4th, 2006

This is Old Sparky, an electric chair at the Texas Prison Museum in Huntsville, Texas. This electric chair was responsible for the deaths of 361 prisoners between 1924 and 1964. It was made by prison workers, rescued from a prison dump, and is now displayed in a replica Death Chamber.

Location: Huntsville, Texas

Freeport

November 20th, 2006

Another shot from our trip to Texas. This one is from the public beach access in Freeport, TX. A beautiful day to be along the Gulf. I’d never driven on the beach before so that was an added treat. Of course, I drove as close to the water as I could and eventually drove in a few inches deep just to say I had. The rental company will never know the difference.

Location: Freeport, Texas

Hard Rock Houston

November 13th, 2006

While in Houston, we visited the Hard Rock Cafe. Their collection includes many SRV items, of whom I’m a big fan. This is Stevie’s guitar, a cover of Guitar World magazine (on which he appeared) and the necklace that he both wore on the cover and to many performances. An under appreciated artist who needs to be recognized for his amazing music and love of the craft.

Location: Houston, Texas

White Tigers

November 6th, 2006

Spent the weekend in Houston, Texas again – seeing the sights and visiting Texas A&M University again. While in Houston, we visited the Houston Aquarium – which houses more than just species of the aquatic type. The aquarium’s last exhibit was an enclosure with white tigers. We spent as much time admiring them as seeing the rest of the aquarium. A truly beautiful and inspiriing animal.

This picture doesn’t scream “Texas” – so I’ll post another Texas shot next week. Stay tuned.

Location: Houston, Texas

Ameriquest Field in Arlington

March 20th, 2006

With Opening Day rapidly approaching, it seemed only proper to showcase a ballpark from our recent Texas trip. Ameriquest Field is the home of the Texas Ranger, a personal favorite of mine. With a capacity of 49,178 the park seemed quite cavernous on this quiet spring afternoon. Arlington has some of the newest features of any ballpark including an infield tarp that is mounted on hydraulic lifts and stored below ground level along the left-field line, a wind screen (in center field) that minimizes the impact of stiff breezes, and bullpens that are raised 5 feet above playing surface so fans can see who is warming up.

Location: Arlington, Texas

SRV

March 6th, 2006

Stephen (“Stevie”) Ray Vaughan was an American blues guitar legend, known as one of the most influential electric blues musicians in history. Born in Dallas, Texas on October 3, 1954, Stevie’s climb to stardom was cut short on August 27, 1990, when he died in a helicopter crash near East Troy, Wisconsin following a concert at the Alpine Valley Music Theater where he appeared with Robert Cray, Buddy Guy, Eric Clapton and his older brother Jimmie Vaughan.

This bronze statue, the Stevie Ray Vaughan Memorial Statue, was erected in 1994 at Auditorium Shores in Austin, Texas. As a fan of SRV, it seemed natural to stop and pay homage to such a brillant artist. Though cut down in his prime, the spirit and energy of Stevie’s playing still lives on and flavors of SRV’s style can be heard in the music of popular bands like Los Lonely Boys.

Location: Austin, Texas

Alamo

February 27th, 2006

Lets start with a quick lesson:
On February 23, 1836, General Antonio López de Santa Anna marched an army against the Texas rebellion. The Alamo, originally named Mision San Antonio de Valero, served as a home for converted Indians and Christian missionaries in the late 1700s. Up to the 1830s, the mission would become a home for various outfits including revolutionaries, rebels, and then eventually Mexican citizens. Mexican generals attacked the Alamo garrison in February of 1836, a 13-day long affair, culminating on March 6 with the capture of the mission and the death of the Texian defenders.

While it was bleak and cloudy in Ohio, we had mid-80s and lots of sun in Texas. A gorgeous day to visit San Antonio, we were all taken back by the historic and modern facets of this city. The Riverwalk is in beautiful contrast to the Alamo and a must see for any avid US travelers.

Location: San Antonio, Texas