April 21, 2015 Visiting the Bluebonnet Trails of Ennis

Vickey:  When you take a day off work to go see the Bluebonnets one of the last things you want is for it to be raining when you get up.  It was, but the the guys on TV kept saying the storm was fast moving and would be gone by the afternoon.

With fingers crossed we headed out, and what a beautiful day it turned out to be!

By the time we reached the Ennis Visitors and Convention Bureau the sky was blue and even though it was a bit humid the temperature was just about perfect.  They gave us a map with all the trails marked, and after gathering all the brochures we could carry it was time to find a place for lunch.
 

Firehouse Grill - Yelp

You can't go wrong if you eat at The Firehouse Grill in Ennis.
  1. Atmosphere - Check
  2. Friendly & Efficient Staff - Check
  3. Great Food - Double Check

I would put their burger and sweet potato fries up against anything I have had in a long time. But the Bluebonnets were calling our names and there were pictures to be taken.

I am really trying to learn how to take better pictures, and today I was thinking about compensation, and depth of field and all sorts of other stuff. I wish I had just taken tons of pictures.  I am used to shooting real film and it is different with a digital SLR.  It is a mental shift because you can just shoot and shoot and shoot, then delete what did not work.  I think the more I take and the more experiment the better I am going to get.

One of the things listed on our map was the Sugar Ridge Winery  and as we were driving along the ridge there it was.  Christine and I decided to stop to check things out and stayed for wine tasting.  It was such a pretty day and we sat out on their patio sipping wine, enjoying the scenery and good conversation.



Our other big adventure was assuming that the Kolache Depot Bakery was actually a Bakery with bakery hours.  Imagine my surprise when I called and  asked how early they closed and they told me, "We are open 24 hours!"  They were in a gas station.  At the end of the day we stopped and I brought home Kolaches for breakfast the next day.  They did not taste like they were baked in a gas station!  Very good and they had a large variety.



Here are a few of my pictures I will share - enjoy!

   

 

Christine: Vickey and I had planned for some time to take the Blue Bonnet Trail, but were waiting for a clear day for photography in this unusually rainy spring. We picked the following Tuesday though every day had been rainy, and the forecast predicted overcast skies with a chance of showers for Tuesday. As we left Dallas, it started to pour, but we continued on the knowledge that Texas weather is unpredictable, and we did not know how the weather would be 60 miles south. As we continued I-45 south, we drove into sunshine which followed us most of the day. The downtown tourist center was busy with a busload of retirees receiving orientation for their daytrip. We were given a large map of the Bluebonnet Trail complete with graphics designating photo opportunities for “longhorns”, “field of bluebonnets with Indian Paint”,   “red barn”, “Texas fence” and more.   

As Vickey and I started the trail, we were surprised at the lack of Bluebonnets during this peak viewing week. Everything was green and lush, but not blue. How could this be? Finally we came across a dilapidated old wooden house with bluebonnets covering the front yard, and there we had our first classic Bluebonnet picture.

An extra fun stop was to photograph longhorns in a pasture down a road we had not even intended to take. As we were at the fence trying to coax them to look at us, a tattooed young man came out of the house next door to ask if we would like him to bring them up closer for a picture.

We had not expected such attention and he jumped in to shoo them in our direction. He boasted that the largest of these longhorns put him through college with its stud fees. His wife came out to join us with their little girl Nicole, and we had a fun time hearing about the area and getting a recommendation for the best restaurant in the area which was the Bristol General Store, a sushi restaurant. So much for the cowboy stereotype. As we learned, the rainy spring brought out the Bluebonnets, but the cloudy days encouraged the grass to grow more than the flowers, so the Bluebonnets were not as showy this year. I got a couple of good pictures, but have much to learn about lighting and about the finer settings of my camera.

More pictures.

            

 

             

 

April 18, 2015 - The Original Pancake House

The Original Pancake House - Yelp

Vickey:  Today we ate at a favorite of one of our co-workers.  Carol and her husband have been eating at "The Original" for a very long time and Christine and I felt very honored to have them join us for breakfast this morning. So that we would meet their "all time favorite staff" we were given specific instructions of who to ask for and where to sit when we got there.

Before we knew it coffee appeared at the table, and it was good and HOT! 

Christine and I had to take a little time to look over the menu and decide what to order.  For Carol and Jerry their whole ordering process was completed with a couple nods and hand gestures. The waitress understood exactly what they wanted.

This place seems to be a local haunt where people come and gather and visit on Saturday mornings. As we waited for breakfast to arrive friends of Carol and Jerry came in and we had the opportunity the meet them and visit. 

Wonderful breakfast conversation.  Jerry asked how I got from Oregon all the way to Texas and how Christine made it from Ohio to Texas.  In turn Carol and Jerry recounted their life journeys.

Yes, we did have breakfast.  I ended up ordering Sourdough French Toast!  It was as good as you would expect it to be.

Christine: Following Carol’s instructions, I asked for a table in Robert or Lachanta’s section, where Carol advised we would be "treated well.” Vickey arrived shortly, followed by Carol and Jerry. The chalk board on the sidewalk announced Today’s Special, Apple Dutch Baby Pancake and I knew this was what I would be ordering. Since this was Carol and Jerry’s regular Saturday breakfast, they were greeted by many friends and neighbors who also included this spot in their Saturday ritual.
 
My Apple Dutch Baby Pancake arrived inflated and aromatic, covering the entire breakfast platter. 

 

I whipped out my camera to snap a picture as the perfectly timed creation was quickly beginning to deflate. The photo caught it sinking and did not do justice to the glistening caramelized apples that melted in my mouth.  Fun conversation catching up with old friends.   

Bluebonnet Trails... Here we come!

Bluebonnets are the state flower of Texas, and usually starting in April you begin to see them  grow wild along the highways of the Hill Country and Central Texas.  As you drive you can see field after field of these beautiful blue little flowers with an occasional dusting of Indian Paintbrush and other flowers.

It has become quite popular for flower lovers to take a day to explore and take pictures during this time of the year.

The pictures you see here were not taken by Christine or myself......   You will have to wait and hear about our adventures.

Stay tuned!

April 4, 2015 - Ballard Street Cafe in Wylie

The Ballard Street Cafe - Yelp

Christine: Driving into downtown Wylie was like driving back in time. The street was lined with pickup trucks and century old shops and businesses. The restaurant was busy so they took our name, and we sat on the bench out in the front and waited for them to call us.



The inside of the restaurant was charming with old wood, exposed brick walls, and original tin tiled ceiling. The menu featured hearty breakfast offerings like steak and eggs, and pork chop and eggs, so I decided to go that route and ordered their award-winning chicken fried steak and eggs. It was delicious!  I can't believe I ate the whole thing.

Afterwards, Vickey and I stopped in the charming little gift shop next door before heading back to Dallas. Did I mention we ran into people we knew from Dallas also dining at Ballard Street? The sun was shining and it was a beautiful day for a drive in the country.


Vickey:  It was a beautiful day for a trip to the country.  Christine came to my house and off we went.  I was only directionally challenged once and we had to do a little back tracking.

The Ballard Street Cafe is located on Ballard Street (Main Street) in the metropolis of Wylie, Texas.  It is your typical quaint old style main street with all the old building store fronts.  Thinking we were going to this quiet little home town cafe we were very surprised when we turned onto Ballard from the highway and could see what looked like hundreds of people, tents and outdoor venues. I was afraid the cafe would be busy, because it is not very big. Lucky for us all those people were running a marathon so there not a long wait before we were seated and checking out the menu.

I had been to Ballard Street Cafe before and just love the exposed brick on the walls, the old bar with bar stools at the front, and tables with chairs that don't match. You feel like you have walked back in time several years when you go there to eat.

As we waited for breakfast to arrive I got to show Christine my two new necklaces from my niece in California.  She is a designer for Origami Owl and brought all of her lockets and jewelry for all of the "girls" to play with while we were in SLC, UT for mom's memorial.

I ordered 'The Mexicali Scramble' and was very pleased. There was more than plenty to eat and it all tasted very good.  It is a small world  - as we were eating our friend Debbie walked up to the table.  She and Jack decided to come to Ballard Street for breakfast.   I guess great minds think alike.