Recently, on the spur of the moment, my wife Lauren and I decided to take a one day road trip… somewhere. We do this occasionally (I would say not often enough) for some very simple reasons:
Why the Getaway?
1. We enjoy traveling together. It helps to strengthen the marriage. We lead very busy lives with children, home based businesses and artistic pursuits and it’s easy to lose time just being together. A one day drive in the country just fits the bill.
2. Financially and schedule wise it’s difficult to plan more than a day or two away from the commitments of life.
3. We like history, and it’s all around us. We can find something interesting just about anywhere we go.
4. We like the thrill and wonderment of travel. I think it’s healthy for the mind and the soul to get away from familiar surroundings even for a short time.
From: Travel to Create Your Self – by Robert Fuller, Ph.D.
“Fear is part of what makes travel so enlivening and revelatory. You’re perpetually off-balance and on guard. After a while one yearns for the mindlessness of familiar routines. And when you do return home, old pleasures are much the sweeter for having been suspended.”
The Plan
So on this day we had some simple criteria – it had to be a drive, no budget for air travel or hotels. We wanted it to be under 3 hours to our furthest destination point, so that we would have time to look around, and then return home without it seeming like a burdensome drive.
We looked at map of our area and being that it was summer in Texas, we wanted to go to shadier areas, so we picked EAST.
Next I looked briefly on internet for towns to visit that fit the above notions, packed an ice chest and the cameras (of course!) and took off. We like having a little information to give us an idea of where we’re headed, but not too much, as it is fun to discover unexpected scenes along the way, like this one:
Abandoned store in Coke, Texas ~ actually the ONLY thing in Coke, Texas as far as we can tell…
Check this > Texas Escapes – East Texas Towns for more ideas on where to go what to see…
Winnsboro, Texas
Redneck Pot Plant
We spent some time in Winnsboro, Texas poking around in little shops where we found some items that can definitely be described as unexpected! ~ The Redneck Pot Plant and The Concealed Handgun Purse ~ LOL ~ good grief, I don’t know how these things reflect on our beloved Lone Star State! I am afraid it’s furthering some very annoying stereotypes…
Concealed Handgun Purse (?)
The stills were shot with the old standby – Canon Digital Rebel XT 8MP Digital SLR Camera
My lovely Lauren was patient with me waiting in the car while I shot some high definition stock footage of this fine little town with the trusty Panasonic Pro AG-HVX200A 1080i High Definition Camcorder
More info at Winnsboro, Texas Official Site
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Texas Escapes – Winnsboro
Diversions
Double C Steakhouse and Saloon
We had a killer lunch (yummy catfish!) and nice conversation with Karen Cason the proprietor at the Double C Steakhouse and Saloon.
A nice stop for a few reflective moments – Mineola Nature Preserve on the Sabine River
Mineola, Texas
We also visited the East Texas metropolis Minneola which is rich in railroad and oil history.
Online Guide to Mineola, Texas
Texas Escapes – Mineola
We got back in time to have late dinner with one of the kids, in our own beds at reasonable time.
Get Out There!
That’s the point, just go and see, if you possibly can. Life is fleeting, relationships are what matter, and that’s my little bit of advice. Enjoy the time with the ones you love and every once in a while stage a getaway!
High Definition Stock footage of Texas and a whole lot more>
TexasB-Roll.com Currently Winnsboro and Mineola are not listed on the site (coming soon) but ARE available – if interested call Tracy at 972-437-4433 or email footage@texasb-roll.com
Reading about East Texas
Whistle in the Piney Woods: Paul Bremond and the Houston, East and West Texas Railway
Big Thicket People: Larry Jene Fisher’s Photographs of the Last Southern Frontier
Tracy Ready is a freelance media professional and social media consultant based in Dallas, Texas USA. His primary website is Trace Productions and you can read his blog > Trace – TV – Film – Music – Media
Email: tracy@traceproductions.com
You have a wonderful way of painting a picture for all of us to enjoy……..Thank you Son2
Luv you,
Carol
Thanks for commenting mom2! I really appreciate that… Trace
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[...] Guess what? We have a great time and see things we would have never seen, like the “redneck pot plant” and “concealed handgun purse” lol >from this post: Why Getaways are Good: East Texas Road Trip. [...]