So, with trusty travel guides in hand, we set out!
Whenever possible, I prefer to take back roads rather than major highways, so we traveled west along Highway 380 passing through Decatur, Bridgeport (the "Stagecoach Capital of Texas), Wizard Wells, and Runaway Bay. (I only saw one stagecoach in Bridgeport, so I really can't verify that they're truly the stagecoach capital! I saw at least two stagecoaches in San Angelo) In Jacksboro, we turned south, heading for our first destination: Mineral Wells.
Mineral Wells was a boom town back in the late 1880s. Not with oil, as so many small Texas towns were, but with the discovery of "Crazy Water." The water was reported to have medicinal powers and people flocked to Mineral Wells to drink and bathe in the water.
You can still buy (and bathe in) Crazy Water. We stopped by the store and got to sample some of the blends that they sell. We ended up buying a case of bottled #4, the original mineral water that started the craze. It is their strongest blend and has a distinct mineral/salty taste, but both my husband and I liked it best. When the woman helping us asked where we were from, she asked if we were familiar with Rabbit Hole Brewing. (As it happens, we love their beer) Apparently, they are friends with the owners of Rabbit Hole. The brewery uses the mineral water to make a special "Crazy Beer" for the town's annual Crazy Water Festival! Apparently, we'll need to head back in October!! Before we left, I bought a postcard that had this old advertisement for Mineral Wells.
Next, we headed over to the Washing Machine Museum. Housed in an actual laundromat, we walked around in a cloud of laundry detergent looking at the old washboards and tubs that lined the ceiling. We got a few odd looks from people doing their laundry, but it was worth it. As a bonus, there was inexplicably a huge wasp nest encased in glass at the service counter. Gah. Wasps are creepy. Even dead ones.
The tallest building in town is clearly the Baker Hotel. The beautiful old hotel was built in 1929, but closed for good in 1972. We drove by several times, trying to get a look. It was incredibly sad to see the building boarded up and deteriorating. Apparently, there is some new interest in trying to revive the Baker Hotel, which makes me happy.
We headed south out of Mineral Wells, heading for Stephenville. Along the way, we HAD to stop at the Texas Hill Country Furninture Store in Lipan and get our pictures with the huge rocking chair. We've been here before, but it's still a great photo-op!
Stephenville has a beautiful downtown square and courthouse. The weather was gorgeous and it was a joy to get out of the car and walk around.
I also wanted to make sure I got a picture of Moo-la the cow!
We decided to have a bite to eat at Greer's Cafe before we left. The food was amazing! I had a quintessentially southern lunch: chicken fried steak, black-eyed peas, and fried green tomatoes.
After lunch, we got back on the road again. Besides stopping for gas, which was a bit tricky because I wanted to avoid Allsup's (and the inevitable fried greasy burrito smell that clings to you for hours if you dare step inside one), we headed straight for San Angelo.
We got into town in the late afternoon and decided to chill in our hotel room for a bit while I planned out the next day's activities. For dinner, we tried to visit a Mexican restaurant that had come recommended by friends, but drove by to find that the place was only open for lunch. After trying to find well-reviewed places on Yelp (which wasn't necessarily easy), we decided on the Cork and Pig. We split a really tasty smoked trout dip and a wood-fired pizza. Although it might have been nice to listen to the live musician out on the patio, we both decided that we were done. I had a full slate of activities planned for the next day!
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