March 23rd, 2011
This coming weekend the Smith County Historical Society is holding its annual Camp Ford Living History Weekend. Camp Ford was once the Confederacy’s largest prison camp west of the Mississippi. It was not an insignificant location and deserves a footnote in Civil War history. I have found it mentioned in the personal accounts of soldiers held here as well as other more general histories. At its height the camp housed more than five thousand Union prisoners of war. Each spring the Smith County Historical Society sponsors the Living History Weekend. It’s really a living museum with all sorts of exhibits. Folks in period dress teach visitors about life at Camp Ford and about living in the 1860s in general. Most of the exhibits deal with life and artifacts in and from the civil war era. Cabins located on the park grounds give visitors an idea of what life was like for POWs held here in 1863 and 1864. Weapons, gear, cannon, uniforms, flags, and other items are on display. Small groups of (generally southern) soldiers, march and drill on the grounds; occasionally firing period rifles. Also featured are snapshots from the lives of civilians or average people living in or around the camp at the time. One family can be seen cooking, cleaning or doing laundry. Another might be doing smithy work, or any number of what were then; common chores. It’s an interesting event and should prove educational for everyone.
I should stipulate that this is not a huge event on the scale of a battlefield reenactment. If you’re expecting a large scale sensory overloading battle, think again. It’s not a live, Civil War version of “Saving Private Ryan.” But it should be a great time to enjoy a spring day by walking through the camp and experiencing a bit of important local history close up. The event will be held on Saturday, March 26,th from 10 am until 4pm. Admission is free, however donations are accepted.
Tags: 1860s, Camp Ford, Civil War History, Doing Laundry, History Weekend, Living History, Period Dress, Personal Accounts, Prison Camp, Prisoners Of War, Reenactment, Saving Private Ryan, Smith County Historical Society, Smithy, Southern Soldiers, Spring Day, Tyler Texas, Union Prisoners, Walking Through The Camp, War Version, West Of The Mississippi
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March 22nd, 2011
Oakhurst Golf Course is a non-membership golf course in Tyler TX. The clothing requirements are no jeans although shorts and slacks are allowed and a collared shirt.
The course is groomed and laid out well. They have enough golf carts for several large parties. The difficulty level is about medium with a good selection of holes with water and sand traps. I thought the management were professional and courteous and the bar and grill offered beers, drinks, snacks and food.
I look forward to going back to this clean professionally run golf course off Hwy 69 in Tyler Texas.
Golf Course coupons in East Texas
Tags: Beers, Clothing Requirements, Collared Shirt, Difficulty Level, Drinks, East Texas, Golf Carts, Golf Clothing, Golf Coupons, Holes, Jeans, Oakhurst Golf Course, Run Golf, Sand Traps, Slacks, Snacks, Texas Golf, Tyler Texas, Tyler TX, Water And Sand
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March 16th, 2011
MVP on Deck is over by the Army reserve building on HWY 110 as you begin towards Whitehouse TX.
You will find it down a road towards a bunch of metal warehouse looking buildings at the end. You got it, MVP is in the metal warehouse at the end on the left.
MVP on deck offers both softball slow pitch and baseball fast pitch. The baseball machines are used more than the softball so if you play softball like me this means no wait usually.
If you pick up your own balls after your done you get bonus tokens. If you don’t pick up your balls it’s no problem.
They sell Combat baseball bats in their retail shop and the owner is very friendly and will be happy to show you around.
They have a few TV’s going with current MLB baseball games being played. The middle machine is a baseball pitch machine with movie simulator showing an actual pitcher.
MVP on Deck is all about customer service and I think you will like this place. Call in advance if you would like to reserve the place for team practice and they will be able to accommodate.
Tags: Army Reserve, Balls, Baseball Bats, Baseball Machines, Baseball Pitch, Batting cages tyler TX, Bonus, Customer Service, Fast Pitch, Indoor Batting Cage, Metal Warehouse, Mlb, Mlb Baseball Games, Mvp, MVP on Deck, Retail Shop, Slow Pitch, Softball, Tokens, Tyler Texas, Tyler TX
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March 15th, 2011
The last day of the trip started early. On the agenda were the final two stops prior to our turning for home. Unfortunately we would only make one of the two since time required us to cancel the latter. But the stop we did make turned out to be a great success.
As we drove through the Texas Hill Country I reflected on how much of the state we had seen. From the Piney Woods and Spanish moss of East Texas and Brazoria, to flat farm land and palm trees of the Gulf coast, and passing at last over the high hill country, we traveled over a thousand miles of Texas geography. This state is truly is like a whole other country. like a whole other republic.
The final visit of our trip took place at the Chester Nimitz National Museum of the Pacific War, in Fredericksburg Texas. It is named for the Admiral who was born in the town and is thus its most famous resident. The facility is surprisingly large for a smallish town like Fredericksburg. It (the museum) is contained in three buildings the largest of which is the George H. W. Bush Gallery. This site was another first for us. I was amazed at how much information and how many artifacts were contained in a moderately sized building. When I say moderately sized, I mean compared to someplace like the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum. The Gallery alone is actually quite large, (about six acres I’m told).
The Nimitz Museum was a bit of a sacrifice for us being that it left us with a long drive, and necessitated us cancelling our visit to the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame in Waco. That is also a great little museum and much, much more than meets the eye from the outside. Despite the long drive home and the cancellation, Fredericksburg was a great stop. Some of the students named it as a high point of the trip. It is certainly a stop that will be included in future years.
The Tour of Texas has now completed its seventh year! Each trip has been just a bit different. Hopefully they will continue to be an exciting and unique part of the learning experience at King’s Academy. For more information Chester Nimitz National Museum of the Pacific War, visit their web site at http://www.pacificwarmuseum.org/index.asp or call their office at (830) 997-8600.
Tags: Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum, Bullock Texas, Bush Gallery, Chester Nimitz, Fredericksburg Texas, Future Years, George H W Bush, Hall Of Fame, National Museum Of The Pacific War, Nimitz Museum, Palm Trees, Piney Woods, Six Acres, Spanish Moss, State History Museum, Texas Geography, Texas Hill Country, Texas Ranger Hall, Texas Ranger Hall Of Fame, Texas State History Museum, Tyler Texas
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March 15th, 2011
I have visited both the Texas State Capital and the Bob Bullock, State History Museum enough times that I could just about give the tours on my own, (only admittedly in watered down form, but I know the things that are significant for my students to learn). The fourth day of the Tour of Texas was a Sunday. The weather continued to be beautiful. We walked around the outside of the building and I pointed out monuments pertaining to periods we’ve studied in the course of the school year. We also made a point to stop by the plot where Tyler Roses grow. Most States have capital gardens. My understanding is that Texas is the only state with a divided campus for its garden. The Tyler Rose Garden is considered a wing of the State Garden and thus has a small area set aside next to the capital in Austin, to grow Tyler Roses.
When we visited the capitol building that morning there was a surprising number of People. Prior to our arrival, I was concerned about whether or not the legislative chambers would be open. Fortunately I need not have worried. We walked through both the House and Senate, discussing the paintings that hang there and identifying people in the portraits. The students also explored the rotunda looking for historical figures like Sam Houston, they’d been assigned to find.
Following our visit to the Capitol, we made our way to the State History Museum, had lunch on the balcony of the museum cafeteria, and then explored the exhibits. The last educational event of the day was the short film entitled the Star of Destiny, the “4 D” feature film presented year round by the museum. The students loved the movie but I must confess to being a bit disappointed in the normally great movie. Some of the effects seemed not to be working at key points. I was apparently the only one who noticed and everyone had a great time.
It might seem silly but for me the event of the day was checking off the last box on the list of great Texas food, namely bar-b-que! That evening we ate at Austin (actually Driftwood), barbeque legend, “The Salt Lick.” The restaurant is well known and has been featured in magazines and on television shows like the Travel Channel’s Man vs. Food. Its great Texas bar-be-que, and we all had more than our fill. Particularly some of the young men in the group. The following morning I was unable to eat breakfast finding that I was still full from the previous evenings feast. I guess Fat Tuesday came a couple evenings early for me.
Tags: Balcony, Bob Bullock State History Museum, Cafeteria, Capital Gardens, Capitol Building, Destiny, Educational Event, Feature Film, Great Time, Legislative Chambers, Monuments, Rotunda, Sam Houston, School Year, Short Film, State History Museum, Texas Food, Tyler Rose Garden, tyler roses, Tyler Texas, Weather
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