In My Backyard: Stephenville-ish
About 100 miles west of Dallas lies Stephenville – home to Moola ...
... And rodeo legends Ty Murray and Tuff Hedeman (and at
one time Jewel before she and Ty broke up. I’m super sad about that.) ... as well as five-time Texas state 4-A high school football champions,
the Stephenville Yellow Jackets.
For any college football fans, this is where Baylor’s current head coach Art Briles had his biggest success in turning around a team with a decades-long losing streak to a champion team that put Stephenville on the map.
I should probably mention that Stephenville High is also my
alma mater.
Growing up here was certainly a challenging adjustment. We
moved to The Ville the summer before my freshman year of high school, and for a
girl who had only lived in big cities, it was like moving to another country.
As an adult, I can now appreciate the charm of small-town living, and it’s been
fun for my daughter to experience country life when we visit my folks.
For any of you city slickers, Stephenville and the
surrounding area is a fun day trip – and you will definitely feel like you have
experienced the real Texas. Yup, you will see lots of big pickup trucks and legit cowboys and cowgirls in boots, hats and
authentic belt buckles they most likely won in rodeo events.
Here are my must see/do stops if you find yourself in these
parts.Photo credit: Bags Packed. Will Travel. |
The World's Largest Wooden Rocking Chair: About 20 miles north of Stephenville on Highway 281 is Natty Flats Smokehouse and Texas Hill Country Furniture. You can't miss it because parked out front is the World's Largest Wooden Rocking Chair (Seriously. It even has the official Guinness designation). You know what they say about everything being bigger in Texas. Although the sign says not to climb it, you can -- the owners just have to post the sign for liability purposes, or at least that's what they told us on a recent trip. You can grab a BBQ brisket sandwich at Natty Flats or a generous scoop of Blue Bell ice cream. If your decorating tastes lean toward a rustic vibe, the store has hand-crafted wooden furniture (they also do custom work) and other home decor. And, ladies, if you left your cowgirl duds back in the city, the converted train car next door has cute Western-inspired purses, belts, jewelry and clothes that are all very reasonably priced.
Jake and Dorothy’s Café. Located about a block from the town square in Stephenville, "Jake's" is an institution. Go for breakfast, and be sure to get a slice of their coconut crème pie (the merengue is massive). The waitresses will call you sweetie, hon and darling, and you will never have to ask for a refill on your coffee. They serve standard breakfast grub here – nothing fancy, just good ole stick-to-your ribs fare. Peacock’s is the other breakfast standby. I usually get the biscuits and gravy. And grits, because I am a southern girl, after all.
Stephenville High School Football game. You can experience Friday Night Lights in person at a game during fall football season. At home, the team plays at Tarleton State University's stadium. And they fill it up. The pageantry alone is worth seeing – the team runs through a massive inflatable helmet tunnel complete with a smoke machine at the start of the game. Then there’s the can fans. I’m not sure when this tradition started, but fans put ball bearings in empty coffee cans, steel drums and anything else the can get their hands on and shake them pretty much throughout the entire game. It’s deafening when the Jackets score. Bring ear plugs!
Hard 8 Barbecue. Located on the southern outskirts of town, this BBQ joint is the real deal. Line up outside and tell the guys tending the smokers what cut and/or type meat you want and how much -- you can choose between sausage, pork, chicken, ribs and various types of beef. Years ago, the owner won a significant bet on the craps table with a hard 8 and used his winnings to open the BBQ joint (hence the name). Now there are two outposts in the Metroplex (in Roanoke and Coppell), but the original is in Stephenville.
Mary’s. This is actually about a 40-minute drive northwest of Stephenville in Strawn. Go on an empty stomach ... like fast for at least 24-48 hours beforehand. Best chicken fried steak you will ever eat. The mashed potatoes are lumpy, so you know they are real, the cream gravy is so perfectly seasoned you will want to drink it from the bowl, and the coconut creme and chocolate pies are slices of heaven (get a slice to go because you most likely will be too stuffed after consuming your dinner). Oh, and ask for the small chicken fried steak because you don't want to seem over-gluttonous now, do you?
Greystone Castle. OK, so I haven't actually been here before, but my dad has many times, so I am going off his trusted recommendation. If you want to shoot sporting clays, this is the place for you. It really is a castle on about 6,000 acres north of Stephenville. You can hunt and fish there, too, if that's your thing. You do need a reservation, and they cater to all levels of shooters. The Castle isn't too far from Mary's so, you could work up an appetite shooting and then head over to Mary's for lunch.
Giddyup, folks! Until next time, happy trails!
Photo credit Bags Packed. Will Travel. |
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