Are you brave enough to head to some of the scariest places in Texas? If not, FEAR NOT. Because we’ve done all the traveling for you, including a drive down the famous (or infamous) GHOST ROAD of Saratoga, Texas.
This episode includes stops at the Haunted Magnolia Hotel (Seguin, TX), Fort Concho (San Angelo), The Grove (Jefferson, TX), Soldier’s Waterhole (Brady, TX), Fuller Park (Athens, TX), Catfish Plantation (Waxahachie, TX), San Antonio Ghost Tracks (San Antonio, TX), and Rogan Field (San Saba, TX).
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Deciding whose barbecue is best is a monumental task, but the professionals at Texas Monthly Magazine have spoken – twice! – and named Snow’s BBQ as the winner. And if Snow’s is the best barbecue in Texas, then by extension, it must be the best barbecue in the world.
Snow’s is only open on Saturdays, so if you want to eat what might just be the best barbecue of your life, you’ll have to pull yourself out of bed before the rooster crows to claim your place in line. The small town of Lexington doubles in size every weekend as folks from all over the world come to taste greatness.
IMAGE CONTENTS: People stand in line to get inside a small building (Snow’s BBQ).
Owner Kerry Bexley likes to say that he “can’t make you like their barbecue, but he can make sure you have a good time while you’re here.” Customer service and hospitality are highest up on the Snow’s priority list, so even though you will most likely be waiting in line for several hours, you won’t be bored. Bexley likes to liven things up with raffles and complimentary beverages to promote a general camaraderie between meat lovers, no matter where in the world they are from.
When asked if he had a secret to making good barbecue, Bexley shrugged.
“It’s just a lot of TLC,” he maintained. “We’re basic on all our seasonings; we’ve never seasoned with anything but salt and pepper. And we’re one of the few that don’t use a high quality cut of brisket. If you know what you’re doing with it, you can do a good job.”
Meeting the sheer volume of demand is no small task, and that’s why it takes Bexley’s whole family, including his wife, Kim, and their three kids, as well as the efforts of a dedicated staff that feels like family, to keep up. Incredibly, most of the people who work for Bexley also have full time jobs during the week, including the queen of Texas barbecue herself: Ms. Tootsie Tomanetz.
IMAGE CONTENTS: Three people, two men and a woman (Chet Garner, Tootsie Tomanetz, and Kerry Bexley), pose holding a large rack of sausage inside a smoky barbecue pit area.
At 86 years old, Ms. Tootsie is a self-taught barbecue master and pit boss with a worldwide fanbase. But even with all that notoriety and fame, she’s still just Ms. Tootsie.
“I’m an old country girl,” she said. “I’m just myself. I enjoy this work. I like to turn out a pretty product.”
It isn’t easy or comfortable work, and Ms. Tootsie is serious about it: “If you can’t stand the heat, don’t start the barbecue!”
Though Ms. Tootsie works full time as a janitor for Giddings Independent School District, she started in the barbecue business with her late husband just a few blocks from Snow’s. After their smokers were closed for a number of years, Bexley called her back into action to help open Snow’s, and the world rejoiced.
If you’re able to make it out to Snow’s, take it from Chet: Don’t go easy. Go all in and try everything, even if it’s nine o’clock in the morning.
Snow’s seems to break all the “rules” of Texas barbecue, but their final product can’t be argued with. It’s that good. So good, in fact, that it put a small place like Lexington on the map. It’s a vibrant community that continues to attract people from all over the world, and it is most definitely worth a daytrip.
IMAGE CONTENTS: Pictured is a full tray of Texas barbecue, including chicken, sausage, beef ribs. brisket, sides, and more.
When asked how long she was going to continue blessing the world with her barbecue mastery, Ms. Tootsie said she wasn’t sure. Perhaps another century?
“That would be wonderful,” she replied, smiling.
Long live the queen of Texas barbecue.
IMAGE CONTENTS: Two people (Chet Garner and Tootsie Tomanetz) embrace.
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According to local captain and tour guide Jack Graham, one of the best things about Possum Kingdom Lake is that it’s not overly crowded.
“It’s one of the most beautiful lakes in Texas, and what’s been great about it in the 39 years I’ve been coming out here is that it hasn’t been known. So you don’t have a lot of lake traffic.”
The cliffs of Possum Kingdom are unrivaled. One formation in particular is known as Hell’s Gate: two stunning and sheer cliffs that beckon all who dare to enter. The cove was created by an oxbow of the original river channel and it makes a great place for people to hang out on the lake.
“That’s where people congregate for recreational fun,” says Graham, smiling.
The craziest thing that happens here is the Red Bull Cliff Diving Championship, in which divers compete from heights between roughly 85 and 91 feet. So even if the devil on your shoulder tempts you to try jumping yourself, it’s best left to the professionals. In fact, jumping from any cliff higher than 20 feet around the lake is illegal.
Jumping from shorter cliffs around the lake is legal, however, and remains a popular pastime. Do you think you could take on one of these cliffs like Chet does?
IMAGE CONTENT: A man dressed in a red demon costume (Chet Garner) stands on top of a tall cliff at Possum Kingdom Lake. There is a bright blue sky with clouds above him, green trees and cactus around him, and turquoise water below him. http://www.toddwhite.org
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These are heart-wrenching questions you must ask yourself when you visit San Angelo’s Donutopia. Or you could just get both (like I did!) Either way, your taste buds are in for a mind-blowing experience.
I got BODY SLAMMED by former Professional Wrestler Cowboy Johnny Mantell at the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame & Museum in Wichita Falls. Watch and YOU will get body slammed with knowledge!
Do you believe in ghosts? I’m not sure if I do, but I also can’t explain what I experienced during a ghost tour at the Haunted Magnolia Hotel, which is home to 13 ghosts…
Before baby arrived, my wife Laura and I took a baby moon in New York City, where we visited the Empire State Building, saw the musical Hamilton and even had a Texas-sized frozen hot chocolate at Serendipity! Thanks to Best Western Hotels for being our home away from home, even in the big city!
You don’t need to travel somewhere else to have an awesome trip. Check out the fun my family and I had right here in our hometown! Oh, and watch to see if YOUR question made it into the video.
Shout out to Best Western Hotels for giving us a place to crash after our long day!
For the 100th Episode Special, we did a LIVE Remix of “The Daytripper” theme song featuring the original musicians! Watch the clip above and find the episode here.
Don’t miss the NEW Seminole Canyon episode where we drive across the Tallest Bridge in Texas, towering over 270 ft. above the Pecos River in Comstock. Check out the clip above!
To season or not to season a steak? THAT is the true question. Whatever your answer is, you need to visit 11th Street Cowboy Bar for Steak Nights on Wednesday nights. Watch the clip above and find the Bandera episode here.
