What is a Kolache? Kolaches are a Czech pastry consisting of a light sweet dough filled with fruit that immigrants introduced to Texas when they settled here in the 1850’s. The word kolache comes from kolae, which is the Czech word for, “cake.” While traditional kolaches are filled with fruit and jam, the Texan style pastry includes savory, meat-filled versions, too. Where is the Kolache Capital of Texas? You wouldn’t think a pastry could inspire a controversy, but that’s exactly what happened with Kolaches here in Texas. While it hasn’t yet come to fisitcuffs, the towns of Caldwell and West…
Tag: travel
Quirky Statue in Paris, Texas After mentioning Paris, Texas recently in the post A to Z Texas: E is for Eiffel Tower I’m bringing up that little burg again because it’s home to a quirky statue known locally as the, “Jesus in cowboy boots.” This statue is actually the 20 foot tall grave marker honoring a man named Willet Babcock, who died in 1888. While impressive, it would hardly be the quirky tourist attraction that it has become were it not for the unusual footwear worn by the cross-bearing figure it depicts; instead of the bare feet or sandals one…
Texan Accents Vary I love how accents and slang vary throughout the USA, so, for me, that aspect of moving to Texas has been a real treat. Of course, since Texas is such a big place, there is no one official Texan accent. Think for a moment of how different Tommie Lee Jones, Billy Bob Thornton and H. Ross Perot sound from one another even though they are all Texan natives. (And what’s with their three-piece names? Maybe that’s a Texan thing. I will have to look into that. Ooh – Lyndon B. Johnson, there’s another!) My Favorite Texas Idioms…
In Texas, Every Day is Flag Day Technically, Flag Day is June 14th, but it’s easy to get the impression that Flag Day is every day here in the state of Texas. The Dallas – Fort Worth region is quite breezy, which makes it easy to express your pride for state and country with proudly waving flags. Texas State Flag: A Popular Urban Legend Since moving here, I’ve heard over and over that, “Texas is the only state in the USA allowed to fly its flag at the same height as the US flag.” This, it turns out, is an…
Texas Eiffel Tower Replica In the early 1990’s Babcock & Wilcox Company built an Eiffel Tower replica in Paris, Texas using volunteer parts and labor. This metal structure replaced an earlier wooden version that was destroyed by a tornado. Unlike other Eiffel Tower replicas around the USA, the city of Paris, Texas chose to add a touch of “yee haw” to their “ooh-la-la” by topping their tower with a bright red cowboy hat. I think it looks pretty spiffy! At a height of 65 feet, the replica is pretty teeny compared to the original Eiffel Tower in that other Paris.…
A to Z Texas: D is for Dinosaurs While many American states have official fossils, only eight – including Texas – have an official state dinosaur. (For those interested, here’s a full list 8 Official State Dinosaurs) The Lone Star State’s official dino is called Pauluxysaurus Jonesi and looks like a huge brontosaurus. Biggest Dinosaur Ever Just as you might expect, this being Texas, our state dinosaur isn’t just big, it is – arguably – the biggest creature ever to walk the earth! Dinosaur Tracks in Glen Rose, Texas What’s great about the Texas state dinosaur is that you don’t…