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TEXAS TRAILS: SEGUIN
My first destination in Texas — Seguin, about an hour south of Austin, where my friend Hilmar grew up and still lives, in a house that was built by his grandfather. It’s a small town of about 25,000 souls and not too far from Hilmar’s cattle ranch, the Diamond-Half.
On my first night, Hilmar took me to have a beer at a local ski lodge — a water-ski lodge — on a lake made by a dam on the Guadalupe River, which runs by Seguin. It was a place Hilmar loved as a kid and still loves, though I don’t think he’s kept up with his water-skiing.
Then we drove over to New Braunfels and had a memorable dinner at Myron’s, an elegant restaurant with superb food and a first-class wine list.
If you think of Texas food as chiefly barbecue, steaks and tacos, you just haven’t spent much time in the area around San Antonio and Austin, where the restaurants serve all kinds of cuisine, from the fanciest to the plainest. I didn’t have a bad meal of either description in the ten days I spent rambling around with Hilmar.
At Myron’s I had sea scallops wrapped in bacon and found them outstanding.
Seguin is mentioned twice in passing in my book Fourteen Western Stories, in honor of Hilmar, who talked about it a lot when we were in college together in the 60s, though I’d never visited the town before.
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A MOVIE POSTER FOR TODAY
You’re no good.
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WESTERN TRAILS: THE ALAMO
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Passing through San Antonio I decided to stop at the Alamo, preserved in a park in the center of the city. It’s a lovely, haunted monument.
Lieutenant Colonel William Barret Travis, commanding the garrison at the Alamo, wrote the letter below from the old mission complex not long before it was assaulted for the last time on March 6 by about 1,500 Mexican troops, who killed all its 200 or so defenders, including Travis, Jim Bowie and Davy Crockett. Their gallant stand inspired others to rally in defense of the new Republic Of Texas, resulting in the final defeat of the Mexican army at the Battle of San Jacinto the following month.
Commandancy of the Alamo
Bejar, Feby. 24, 1836
To the People of Texas & All Americans in the World
Fellow citizens & compatriots
I am besieged, by a thousand or more of the Mexicans under Santa Anna I have sustained a continual Bombardment & cannonade for 24 hours & have not lost a man The enemy has demanded a surrender at discretion, otherwise, the garrison are to be put to the sword, if the fort is taken I have answered the demand with a cannon shot, & our flag still waves proudly from the walls I shall never surrender or retreat. Then, I call on you in the name of Liberty, of patriotism & everything dear to the American character, to come to our aid, with all dispatch The enemy is receiving reinforcements daily & will no doubt increase to three or four thousand in four or five days. If this call is neglected, I am determined to sustain myself as long as possible & die like a soldier who never forgets what is due to his own honor & that of his country VICTORY OR DEATH.
William Barret Travis,
Lt. Col. comdt.
P.S. The Lord is on our side. When the enemy appeared in sight we had not three bushels of corn. We have since found in deserted houses 80 or 90 bushels and got into the walls 20 or 30 head of Beeves. Travis
Travis was 26 years-old at the time.
AN ARTHUR SARNOFF FOR TODAY
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A WESTERN STORY
A sharp-eyed whore recounts the story of Mysterious Dave, a lethal lunatic who drifts into Wichita in the Fall, when things are supposed to be quiet — one of the tales in Fourteen Western Stories, available on Amazon for the Kindle and for free Kindle reading apps, which work on almost all computers and portable devices.
Also available in an attractive and affordable paperback edition:
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WESTERN TRAILS: TEXAS CANYON
This is a rest area in Texas Canyon, Arizona — on the road to El Paso.
Below is a Whataburger purchased in El Paso:
The Whataburger is the best fast-food burger known to mankind but only available in Texas, New Mexico and Arizona, as far as I’ve been able to determine. The one I’m eating in the picture is generously garnished with jalapeños. Whataburger — since 1950, like me.
One of the tales in my book Fourteen Western Stories is set in El Paso, in the days before Whataburgers.
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A SILENT MOVIE LOBBY CARD FOR TODAY
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WESTERN TRAILS: FLAGSTAFF
Three 6-8-hour days behind the wheel and two nights in motels gets you from my home in Las Vegas to Seguin, Texas, which is about an hour south of Austin. You see a lot of spectacular scenery on the drive, wide open and still wild in its way. It’s an inspiring journey.
Above, I approach Flagstaff, Arizona on the first day, which takes me as far as Phoenix. Most of Phoenix is over-built and generic, like most of the greater Los Angeles area. It is not inspiring.
I was really looking forward to hitting Texas the next day.
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GONE TO TEXAS
A WESTERN MOVIE POSTER FOR TODAY
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A COMIC BOOK COVER FOR TODAY
IN PRAISE OF OOMPH!
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DREAM
HICKORY WIND
In the review linked to in the previous post, Sir Barken Hyena mentions his brother, bluegrass musician Doug Fletcher — that’s him on the right performing one of my favorite songs.