Greetings from Bastrop, TX

vraiblonde

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Oh my gosh!

CUTEST TOWN IN TEXAS!!!

I thought maybe I was just so excited because I was coming off of Beaumont, but no. First of all, our campground is really cute and our site is amazing. That always sets a tone. After setting up we went for a swim and got into a conversation with another pool person, who suggested a bunch of places to eat (he lives here full time). Pizza sounded good, so we rolled downtown....

Oh my gosh!!!

The most Main Street USA you've ever seen. They're all dressed up for 4th of July (!) with bunting and patriotic touches (!), but even nekkid you can tell it's still adorable. Historic looking, but not in a cheesy way. We went to Neighbor's Kitchen and Yard. It's tucked back in an alley with other cute shops and stuff to do, rustic and charming. That's aside from Main St, with it's super cute shops and what have you. In the next couple of days we'll sightsee and take a bunch of pics so you can see.

A week is not going to be long enough. Bastrop is definitely going on my retirement short list. It's reasonably close to my grandkids, too, so that's a plus. And our campground is about a half mile from Buc-ee's, and I can't think of anything better than that.

I'm so excited!!!
 

vraiblonde

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I love a state that takes pride in itself. Texas flies their flag like crazy, and I love that. Pride. So then you get these little towns that do it up right and they just boast their asses off, and rightfully so. It irritates me to see a town that could be so much, and they just piss it away.
 

Monello

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Prior to leaving Beaumont, I wanted to go fishing one more time. Since the rains stopped, the lake has been a little less stained. I was hoping that would help me catch a few of the bigger fish in the lake. I got 5 fish in about an hour then packed it in.

We got most of the camp broken down on Saturday evening, so that when we got up Sunday there wouldn't be a lot left to do. Sunday's get out of town was uneventful but it was pretty hot considering it was still morning. The debate concerned our route and if it was prudent to go through Houston or take the beltway. I chose to go right through instead of adding miles going the long way. In the end Houston traffic on a Sunday wasn't that bad. The sucky parts are all the random construction with their lane changes and lane shrinking Jersey walls.

I stayed on I10 longer than what the GPS recommended. It was going to put me on secondary roads and I wasn't sure what to expect. My route added about 15 more miles but I avoided 18 more miles of county roads. The first county road was deserted. I had the road to myself. I meandered through farm and horse country. The next road was a bit more traveled. I went through a few half horse towns. Then once I closed in on Bastrop, my destination, I spotted a Buc-ee's billboard. It said Buc-ee's ahead 1 mile. Bonus. I didn't know they had 1 of those down this way. It's the ultimate convenience store. For example the one they plan on building in Florida will have 120 gas pumps. It's that big. You get worn out walking from the parking lot to the store.

Pulling into the camp, we were assigned a nice level spot. This is probably the longest site we've had. We have plenty of room and are just 3 sites away from the Colorado river. It's quite warm here also, so after setting up we hopped in the pool to cool off. We got a few recommendations on what to see and where to eat. The town of Bastrop is quite charming. There are over 100 buildings in the National Historical Registry. The downtown section makes you feel like you've been transported back in time. I can't wait to go exploring more in depth. Photos to follow.
 

Monello

Smarter than the average bear
PREMO Member
The Crossings on the Colorado River in Bastrop, TX
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vraiblonde

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Today we went into downtown Bastrop and walked around, then went down by the river. The Crossing, pictured above, is a little enclave of cozy shops and what have you. We had drinks at Neighbors, which is our Bastrop place, then went next door to Copper Shot, which is a whiskey/moonshine distillery and bar. Monello had a moonshine flight and I had a Pecan Moonshine (!) drink, and we sat out on the porch so I could smoke a Maduro.

After, we went to Fitties for BBQ. Had ribs and brisket, with dirty rice and pintos. It's a shack with outdoor seating only, very charming, great Q. I'll post pics so you can see it.

I love it here and don't want to leave.
 

lucky_bee

RBF expert
Today we went into downtown Bastrop and walked around, then went down by the river. The Crossing, pictured above, is a little enclave of cozy shops and what have you. We had drinks at Neighbors, which is our Bastrop place, then went next door to Copper Shot, which is a whiskey/moonshine distillery and bar. Monello had a moonshine flight and I had a Pecan Moonshine (!) drink, and we sat out on the porch so I could smoke a Maduro.

After, we went to Fitties for BBQ. Had ribs and brisket, with dirty rice and pintos. It's a shack with outdoor seating only, very charming, great Q. I'll post pics so you can see it.

I love it here and don't want to leave.

:drool:
 

vraiblonde

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Looks like a charming little town. America needs more of these.

Agree. Monello and I are enormous fans of charming little towns and seek them out in our travels. It hurts my heart to see what used to be a thriving town that has fallen into crime and neglect. Paterson, NJ comes to mind.
 

lucky_bee

RBF expert
It was really good. They make it right there on site.

my guy and I once stumbled into a cheesy country moonshine bar in, of all places, Philly. I got to try stuff other than the typical apple pie/cinnamon/cherry/peach, etc. Gave me a different view on moonshine :lol: But Pecan? I need some of that right there.
 

lucky_bee

RBF expert
Paterson, NJ comes to mind.

This is where my mother's entire family hails from :ohwell: Used to be a cute "Little Italy" of sorts. I remember it when I was little, before it really took a turn for the worse. Thankfully, every family member has since left Paterson.
 

vraiblonde

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This is where my mother's entire family hails from :ohwell: Used to be a cute "Little Italy" of sorts. I remember it when I was little, before it really took a turn for the worse. Thankfully, every family member has since left Paterson.

It's annoying because you can tell that at one point not too long ago it was a great little city, and visiting the museum and checking out the history things confirms that. Now it's a freaking ghetto and that's a shame.
 

vraiblonde

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I get up fairly early - 6:30-7:00 - but Monello usually sleeps in. This morning he rolled out so we could go to Fittie's for breakfast tacos.

Texas is an eating state. I don't know how you adhere to a diet or be a vegetarian here. Between the BBQ and the Mexican and the creative things they do with meat (Sausage Slammers, hello!), it's a feastapalooza.

So anyway, Fittie's is supposed to have the best breakfast tacos EVER! according to local legend. And they're good, but there's a shack down the street from my son's house that has amazing breakfast tacos as well, and a place in Austin, and a place in San Antonio, and....

It's like the BBQ and tacos here - you can't go wrong. It's all good, and there's one on every corner.

A Sausage Slammer is a cheese stuffed jalapeno, encased in pork sausage, wrapped in bacon, then smoked. Kind of a cross between an Atomic Buffalo Turd and a Scotch Egg. They're huge, but you get two; you're full after the first one, then you eat the second one anyway.

Today after I'm done with work and Monello is done with his nap, I'd like to go on walkabout, maybe try to find that shack outside LaGrange (you know what I'm talkin' about). I'm going to be really sorry when we leave here. Next time I'll book us in for a month or longer.
 

vraiblonde

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So anyway *hic* we spent the *hic* day *hic* at Back 9, which is a *hic* combination bar, food *hic* truck, cornhole, and driving *hic* range.

We love it there but now I have the freaking hiccups because of beer.

We ate tamales - OMG yes! - and tacos - not Muy Waynos', but delicious nonetheless. So now I'm sitting here hiccing up and thinking that Monello needs to take me to Fuzzy Taco for night food. Or fire up the grill and hook me up with some French Settlement sausage.

I DON'T WANT TO LEAVE BASTROP!!!!
 

Monello

Smarter than the average bear
PREMO Member
Today we sought out another place that was recommended to us. We hit the Back 9. Literally. That was after I got off the highway and got on the frontage road that allows you to pull into the parking lot.

Someone in Texas thought it would be a good idea to merge a driving range with an outdoor honky tonk bar. They have this game skill game. It's a metal hoop on a ring that you have to release at just the right point to attach on a J hook that is screwed into the wall. It's 1 of those "How hard can this be" things. And it's addictive so you keep adjusting your release point but the ring spins when you let it go. I finally managed to connect and I stopped when I was hot.

Speaking of hot, it's quite warm down this way. Good thing the bar has ample outdoor seating, The bonus is they have 2 food trucks out back with Mexican cuisine. I have to be honest Texas food truck food is as good or better than some restaurants. You go Texas. And it's quite inexpensive. 3 tamales, rice, beans and a bit of salad greens set me back $8. I can't buy the ingredients for that amount. Vrai's taco was probably the largest taco I've ever had. She managed to trade me a tamale for a taco. I'm not sure who got the better of the deal.

Only in Texas can you hit a bucket of golf balls, get a chilled, locally brewed beer and get some Mexican comfort food without breaking the bank. This is why we roll down the roads to find these little places. Actually the guy in the pool turned us on to this place. He's also the guy who recommended Fitties.

Speaking of Fitties, that's where we had breakfast tacos today. Vrai had brisket, egg & jalapeno while I went a more traditional route with egg, bacon and cheese. Again it's outdoor seating. Not a bad way to spend your 9am time.

So our day was spent outdoors in the Texas heat admiring their ingenuity and ability to set up a decent eating and drinking establishment. Back 9 reminded me of someone's backyard if they had a deck and plenty of seating. If they had hammocks, I would have got in 1 and taken a nap in the afternoon breeze.

A photo I poached from the Back 9 Bar facebook page.
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Today was 1 of those days that makes me feel very fortunate that we are able to roll down the road and see all the amazing places that America has to offer. TY Texas.
 

vraiblonde

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Back in Bastrop! And guess what was the first thing we did!

That's right - go to Buc-ees!

Now we're all set up, tummies full, cozy in our little redneck shangri-la. Temps are supposed to be in the mid-60s for the next few days, which is doable but won't get my tan lines back, and then in the low 80s after that.
 

Monello

Smarter than the average bear
PREMO Member
And the dog park is closed. Because the Colorado river is way out of it's banks. I don't mean a little, it literally swallowed the jungle gym. I'll have to take a few pictures tomorrow. 1 of the workers here said that happens all the time. I would have guessed it was a 100 year flood event.

Last time we were here, it was blazing hot. It's much more pleasant today. We are sitting with the screen door open. We didn't dare to that in June.
 
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