Just because you’re stuck at home right now, doesn’t mean you can’t still discover new things about the Lone Star State. Here’s a list of ways you can still explore Texas from the comfort and safety of your couch!
1. Catch up on your favorite episodes of The Daytripper! The latest 5 episodes are free HERE or you can sign up for a 1-month FREE trial of Team Daytripper HERE.
2. Start planning out where you’re trippin’ to once this is all over with our online trip guides.
3. Pile the kids on the couch for a silly storytime as I read the book “Potato Pants” by Laurie Keller
4. Explore Texas virtually and find local restaurants in your area to get curbside pick-up using the geolocated map on the NEW Daytripper Field Guide App!
5. Have a free virtual watch party of the NEW never-been-aired-on-TV Waxahachie episode with me!
6. Parents, help your kids create a visual presentation about where they’d film an episode of The Daytripper for a chance to win some awesome Dell Laptop Computers! Click here for details!
We are so excited to launch The Daytripper Field Guide App! Trippin’ Texas has never been so easy! Download it for FREE in the App Store and Google Play Store.
Watch the Launch Video below to learn more about it or listen to our Special App Edition Podcast for a walk-through the app with me!
Here’s just a few fun things you’ll find in the app:
Geolocation: Find food & fun in your area using the Geolocated map!
Trip Guides: Search the map to find your favorite destinations we’ve featured on “The Daytripper” to see Trip Guides and Photos! You can even check off the places you’ve visited!
Podcasts: Listen to our “Talkin’ Texas” podcast right from the app!
Episodes: Team Daytripper Members can log in to watch full episodes of the show, so you’ll always have road trip entertainment on hand!
Favorites List: Members can log in to save their favorite locations and create trippin’ lists to share with their friends.
Thanks to our app sponsors Rudy’s Bar-B-Q & Best Western Hotels for making this dream possible! And no matter where you’re trippin’, you can find good eats & a place to sleep by locating the nearest Rudy’s Bar-B-Q and Best Western Hotel on your in-app map.
Let us know where The Daytripper Field Guide App takes you at contact@thedaytripper.com.
Ask a Texan this question – “What is the Official Sport of the State of Texas?” And you’ll inevitably get one answer – FOOTBALL!
Sadly – that is 100% wrong. Our official sport is RODEO, proclaimed so by the Texas Legislature in 1997 under Governor Bush. But the history of Rodeo in Texas goes back much further.
To understand how our official sport got its start, you have to start with the animals. Horses were first brought to Mexico (aka Texas) by the Spanish in 1519, with cattle following closely behind in 1521. With growing numbers of cattle, came growing ranches. And soon the vaqueros (Spanish for “cowboys”) who tended these massive plots of land, started developing the skills need to ride, rope, and brand on the open range. The very word “RODEO” means “ROUNDUP” which was a vital skill to the early cowboys. Well, it didn’t take long before us competitive Texans started challenging each other to some friendly competition. Cattle drives brought more cowboys, and with more cowboys came more competitions.
As small communities popped up across the range, these cowboy competitions got pretty serious and became a part of many town celebrations such as the Fourth of July. Soon, the rodeos themselves became the special occasion. In 1883, the first official “rodeo” was held in Pecos, Texas and even awarded prizes to its winners.
Rodeo competition became a national phenomenon and were even held in New York City. Unfortunately, the Wild-West-Anything-Goes mentality started to sweep through rodeo as well. Competitions were happening all over the county and almost everyone got a “World Champion” belt buckle. It was confusing for everyone and began to hurt the sport. So in 1929, serious cowboys organized the Rodeo Association of America to establish rules, point systems, and determine just who could call themself a “world champion.”
Given the history of Cowtown (aka Fort Worth), ranching and rodeo have always been popular in North Texas. Perhaps nowhere more than Mesquite, Texas, which is the official “Rodeo Capital of Texas.” The Mesquite Championship Rodeo was established in 1958 as one of the first permanent rodeos – very different from the traveling and seasonal rodeos of the day.
CREDIT: University of Texas at Arlington Library
Every June, tens of thousands of fans gather at the Mesquite Rodeo Arena to watch some of the biggest names in rodeo compete at the highest level. Other times of year, the arena may be hosting the Winter Classic Rodeo, or even the Hip-Hop Rodeo which almost always sells out.
If you’ve never seen a rodeo, or even if you’re a die-hard fan, join me on June 6, 2020 for the Mesquite Championship Rodeo. I’ll be doing a meet-and-greet and would love to tell you “howdy.” More details to come.
So, this past December I got to take my family to the Mesquite Rodeo. For most of my kids, this was their first rodeo. I figured, why not introduce them to the “Official Sport of Texas” in the “Official Rodeo Capital of Texas.”
On Friday night, we hung out as a family, eating some ‘que, meeting some cowboys, and trying to explain the events to my kids.
The most epic part was heading into the “Shark Cage” for the bull riding. This is a steel cage sitting just feet from where the bulls are bucking. It’s epic.
On Saturday, we spent the day exploring Mesquite. It’s a great Texas town, and most folks don’t realize it because Dallas is quickly gobbling it up. The best stop of the day was a new restaurant called “Porch Swing” because, well, PIE!!!!! And because they had chicken-fried catfish with jalapeno gravy. What What!
On Saturday night, I hosted a meet-and-greet and got to say “howdy” to a bunch of our fans from across the State. We hosted the winner of our GIVEAWAY. She was awesome and had driven in from Andrews, Texas for the show.
The finale was a Charley Crockett concert. He’s one of my favorite music artists and watching him at the end of night was like drinking a big old chocolate milkshake at the end of a steak dinner. I love chocolate milkshakes. All in all, my family loved the event. And seeing a rodeo in Mesquite should be on every Texas tripper’s list.
You’d be surprised that the “Cowboy Country” of Oregon has a lot in common with the Wild West of Texas. Sure it’s not quite as flat and there’s this cold, white stuff called “snow,” but it’s a place with cowboys, rodeos and juicy steak! Watch the video to see my family’s adventures.
Thanks to Best Western for making us feel at home — even in another state! Book your next stay here: https://www.bestwestern.com/
Each New Year at The Daytripper World Headquarters, we make a list of a few of our travel ambitions for the new year. We love to explore new parts of Texas and we’re always on the hunt for new episodes, but we also have our own travel dreams that have nothing to do with making a TV show. They just feed our wanderlust. So here are some of the places in Texas we hope to explore in 2020!
Chet – “I still haven’t visited all 254 counties in Texas. I hit up 15 new ones last year. This year I really want to check off five more, but they’re in the remote reaches of Texas. I hope to be in the 254 club soon.”
Alaina – “I’ve always wanted to visit all 36 Buc-ee’s locations in Texas because I love truck stops.”
Daniel – “I want to take my girls to the Waco Mammoth Site, then hang out around the Silos and eat some cupcakes at Silos Baking Co.”
John Mark – “I’ve always wanted to go to Grapevine at Christmastime with my family to see the ice sculptures, ride the North Pole Express, and eat some good ol’ Texas Chili.”
Linsey – “There’s this huge Pet Parade at Jo’s Coffee in Austin every year when South Congress is taken over by dogs parading around in costumes. There’s a marching band and a costume contest. It sounds like the most Austin thing ever and I’d love to go because I am obsessed with dogs!”
Richie – “I’d like to trip out to West Texas again. Shooting the episodes for the show is great, but I’ll be really happy when my family gets to go with me to see McDonald Observatory in Ft. Davis, the incredible art in Marfa, and the mountain serenity in Alpine. Of course, grabbing some burritos in Balmorhea on the way to El Paso sounds good too. When I can put the camera down and just take it all in, that’s on my bucket list!”
Now that you’ve read our Texas Travel Bucket List for 2020, we challenge YOU to make your own. Where do you want to trip this year?
Email us and let us know – contact@thedaytripper.com
While our show features amazing places all over Texas, few realize that behind every episode are hours, even days, spent in dark rooms making sure The Daytripper looks as good as possible. Many of these hours are spent on color correction to brighten every shot and make it shine.
One of our frustrations has been that even if we make the shot look great on our monitors, we never really know what it will look like on TV. We’ve bought calibration tools, but they are only so good.
This new monitor from Dell is a game changer. Not only is it 27 inches of beautiful 4K resolution. But it has a built-in colorimeter, making color correction a breeze! The Dell UltraSharp 27 4K PremierColor Monitor UP2720Q has helped us make our episodes look great, and you can learn more about it here.
One of my favorite things to do at the end of any year is look back on all the blessings that the year brought. If I don’t intentionally take some time to slow down and reflect, then I completely miss celebrating the victories. Simply put, I miss the chance to be thankful for some pretty amazing things. Of course, no year is perfect and 2019 definitely had it’s struggles, but here are some of the amazing moments. Thanks to everyone who made 2019 our best year yet.
Best Overall Moment
Hands down the birth of my son – Shepherd Garner. I know it seems like I have to say this, but truthfully, nothing can top it.
Highest Honor of the Year
I got to be the emcee for the Governors Inauguration on the Capitol Lawn. Other honors include winning our 9th Lone Star Emmy, being named a finalist for the Austin Under 40 Awards, and being the Grand Marshall for the Oatmeal Festival.
I announced the Duncanville band and dance corp. That is Governor Abbotts hometown
Repping at the Austin Under 40 Awards
I wasnt at the ceremony, so here is Daniel accepting the award on stage.
Eat your oatmeal kids, or youll turn out like this…
Best Meal I Ate
It’s a close one, but the winner is Second Bar + Kitchen in the Domain. It was a multi-course roman feast and everything was amazing. Runner Ups include: The Brewers Table in East Austin and The Schooner in Nederland.
Ribeye from Second.
The “fish” option at The Brewers Table.
BarBQ crabs at The Schooner
Best Plate of BBQ
This is a really tough one, but the winner is Bodacious BBQ in Longview, TX for its killer….everything. Close second goes to Interstellar BBQ in Austin, TX.
We eat a LOT of burgers on the show, but on camera and in between the official locations. My top burger goes to “Nate Nasty” at The Porch at ETX Brewing in Tyler, TX. It looks like a pile of slop but its SOO good with beef, pork, mac & cheese, and an egg. Runner Up burgers include Willie’s Place in Wichita Falls, Fat Boy Burgers in Johnson City, and Eatsie Boys in Houston.
The Nate Nasty at The Porch at ETX Brewing in Tyler, TX
Eatsie Boys in Houston, TX
Willie’s Place in Wichita Falls, TX
Fat Boy Burgers in Johnson City, TX
Best Adrenaline-Pumping Adventure
This one goes to two experiences. One was taking my first hot-air balloon ride and the other was hiking to the top of Baldy Peak in the Davis Mountains.
Hey Down There…
The Top of Baldy Peak!
Best Family Adventure
My family got to visit Oregon with our partner Best Western. It was an incredible experience. The Eastern side of the state is very similar to Texas in the best of ways. The video will come out in early January 2020. Runner Up includes taking my kids into the “Shark Cage” at the Mesquite Rodeo.
Riding on a wagon in Oregon.
Inside of the SHARK CAGE right next to the Bull Riding!!!
Best Couple’s Adventure
My wife and I got to go to New York City before our baby arrived. We made a video about it which you can find here. A close Runner Up was a getaway to Camp Lucy in Dripping Springs.
The view from a gas station. Or the Empire State Building. I cant remember.
The overlook at Camp Lucy.
Best Texas-Travel Moments
There are a ton of these, but the ones that stand out in my head as really special are…
Visited 15 new Texas Counties. I’m still about 30 shy of 254, but I’ll get there.
Visiting the CENTER OF TEXAS
Seeing the Spot where the Colorado River flows into the Gulf of Mexico.
I got to attend my first Aggie ring ceremony for my sister-in-law. Im a proud Longhorn, so you wont see me doing a GIG EM, but I was happy to support her.
I got to see the top of the “Worlds Littlest Skyscraper”
Go to see my first Cowboys game since the 90’s.
Made some new friends on the road like Matt Pittman of Meat Church.
We launched a campaign with Don Hewlett Chevrolet. Can you guess the mystery spokesperson?
We did a truly LIVE fundraiser with Austin PBS and raised over $10,000 for public television.
I better cut it off here. But the more I look, the more that I find incredible moments hidden in between these. I want to encourage y’all to take some time and celebrate 2019. I’m sure it had challenges, but don’t miss the chance to celebrate the blessings.
I’m partnering with Mesquite Convention and Visitors Bureau to give 1 lucky winner a Weekend Getaway to Mesquite, TX complete with 2 nights in a premiere hotel AND exclusive tickets to all sorts of Mesquite, TX attractions including MEETING ME at the Mesquite Championship Rodeo in a private suite!!
There are multiple ways to enter the contest & you can enter more than once to increase your chances of winning! Contest ends Dec. 19. Click here for details: https://www.visitmesquitetx.com/contest
Forget partridges in pear trees and five golden rings…the 12 Days of TEXMASGIVEAWAY will be even cooler. Follow The Daytripper World Headquarters on Instagram (@daytripperhq) for details on how to enter to win a NEW PRIZE GIVEAWAY every day for 12 DAYS!
**Please place all orders that are Christmas presents before Dec. 15 to guarantee they make it by Christmas day.
The Field of Honor has an amazing display of over 1,500 U.S. flags standing in tribute to veterans, active and reserve duty military, and first responders. You can purchase a flag in honor of a loved one at the field for $40 each. Proceeds from the flag sales will directly benefit organizations that address suicide prevention, PTSD and support veterans and first responder families.
Here’s a few photos from the first Field of Honor in 2017.
There was a display on the evolution of the American flag from the 1776 Grand Union flag to our current flag that was created in 1960.
Look closely for the super important 28-Star flag created when Texas joined the Union in 1845!
The Field of Honor is open to all and can be accessed anytime of the day or night. Admission is free. A few of the week’s highlights include the 5K Honor Walk on the 9th, the Opening Ceremonies on the 10th, a Veteran’s Day Tribute to WWII and Korean War Veterans on the 11th and the Patriot’s Ball on November 16th.
