Bad Santa Sparks Massive Manhunt in Texas One of the biggest manhunts in Texas state history was for none other than Santa Claus. But before I go further, let me set the scene: Dead Bank Robber Reward Program While “Wanted: Dead or Alive,” is the phrase commonly associated with bounty posters, back in 1927, the Texas Bankers Association (TBA) did away with the, “or alive,” clause and began offering a reward of $5000 for each dead bank robber that citizens or law enforcement could produce. Called the Dead Bank Robber Reward Program, this bounty was in response to a massive crime…
Tag: photo essay
Scarborough Fair in Waxahachie, Texas Every spring, Waxahachie, Texas hosts a huge ren fair, officially called the Scarborough Renaissance Festival. Back in 2010, it was the first such medieval reenactment I’d ever been to and – wow – was it ever fun. I had so much fun, in fact, that I returned in 2011 to get married! Not only were we married by the Archbishop of Canterbury, but we literally tied the knot. While renaissance fairs are not unique to Texas, the one over in Waxahachie is a big one: over 35 acres of shops and buildings that remain intact…
Quinceañeras Look Like Brides – But They Aren’t In addition to colorful blossoms, here in Texas you often see teenage girls in fancy ball gowns at your local parks. These young women are accompanied by friends and family, also in formal attire, and there’s usually a professional photographer in tow. While, in some cases, you are witnessing an outdoor wedding, most of the time this festive group is strolling through nature as part of a Quince celebration. Quinceañera Comes from Ancient South American Puberty Rites A Quince celebration is a coming of age party for a 15-year-old girl. Quince means,…
Welcome to the October 5, 2012 Traveler’s Show and Tell blog carnival. While this edition of the Traveler’s Show & Tell blog carnival includes sightseeing tips, photos and foods of the world, several submissions I received were on the theme of honing your travel mindset and making realistic travel goals so that you can get out the door and make your travel goals happen. For instance: Byteful Travel helps us cut through our mental clutter and clarify our travel goals. Rob explains how he quit his job to travel the world. Jeremy Biberdorf offers money management tips for travelers.…
Texas Tourist Camp In 1927, E.F. Boydston bought a feed lot in Decatur, Texas and turned it into the Texas Tourist Camp. As grand as that sounds, in the beginning, it was merely a gas station that offered campsites. Next came a restaurant, which started as the Texas Lunchroom, but soon became known as the Texas Cafe. Petrified Wood & Infamous Guests In the 1930’s, Mr. Boydston added several cabins with attached garages, thereby creating a rustic motel for tourists passing through town on the new highway. In 1935, he spruced things up by covering all the buildings in petrified…