Mixing Fruit Cake and Oil in Corsicana, Texas

We went there for the world-famous DeLuxe Fruitcake in Collin Street Bake Shop. Little did we know that we will discover US history as a bonus in Corsicana, Texas.

We first came to know about the Collin Street Fruit Cake (https://www.collinstreetbakeshops.com) when our cousin from the US, Kuya Edgard, and wife, Ate Nancy, (above, L-R) sent us fruitcakes one Christmas. From then on, we have been requesting them and other relatives from the US for fruitcake. In fact, my cousin Lors, sent one to my sister for Christmas, Net, which is an overdue request (fruitcake below).

Located in Corsicana, Texas, USA, the Collin Street Bake Shop (below) is about 124 km from Coppell where we were staying, or about a 1-hour-and-10-minute drive, without traffic. The bakery was founded in 1896 by August Wiederman, an immigrant from Germany (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collin_Street_Bakery).  

Celebrities were spotted in the Corsicana store and some were regular customers.  Monaco's Princess Caroline places an annual order, continuing her mother, Princess Grace's tradition of a Christmas DeLuxe fruitcake for their family and friends.Hilton Hotels are also longtime customers (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collin_Street_Bakery). 

The DeLuxe fruitcakes are still baked faithfully in their original recipe. Their famous keepsake tin is included with each fruitcake. Each fruitcake is the perfect balance of native pecans (27%), shelled in Corsicana, Texas; hand-picked golden sweet pineapple and lush papaya from their own farms in Costa Rica; ripe, red cherries from Oregon and Washington State; pure clover honey; and plump golden raisins. Refrigerated, the DeLuxe® stays moist and delicious for months. Each regular fruit cake costs (1 7/8 lbs) $29.95 (https://www.collinstreet.com/online_bakery_gift/deluxe_fruitcake). Trina (above with Tierra) made sure to buy a few fruitcakes as ‘pasalubong’ for the Philippines, which, I stuffed in my luggage when I went home.  

Photo of cookies courtesy of https://www.collinstreet.com/

Their cookies come in various ‘mouthwatering’ flavors baked from the finest farm-fresh ingredients. Trina was not able to resist buying some, and these I took with me as my snack in the airport and the plane. 

It was late when we arrived in Corsicana and we had not had lunch. So, we ordered from their Bakeshop Café. Tyler, Trina, and I shared our sandwiches to decide the best tasting among our choices of Tuna Salad, Ham, and Roast Beef (above). They all tasted good, not because we were starving. Tierra entertained herself by tasting the plastic cup.

The Corsicana oil field is significant because it was the first Texas field to produce oil and gas in important quantities. American Well and Prospecting Company, discovered it accidentally on June 9, 1894, while seeking a new water source for the city of Corsicana (https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/doc03).

We had the chance to go around the nearby old places in Corsicana and we came across this bronze statue of an oil field worker on the corner of Sixth Avenue and Beaton Street in downtown Corsicana (above). Ultimately, the city would like to add statues of a baker, to honor the Collin Street Bakery, and another to honor the maker of Wolf Brand Chili, said Stephen Dieterichs, Main Street director  (http://www.corsicanadailysun.com/news/local_news/quittin-time/article_6ec3f145-dfb5-5d0c-b9ec-137dbb24e86a.html).

A visit to Corsicana is like witnessing the accidental birthplace of the oil industry in the USA. It was a period of dramatic change and economic growth in the state of Texas during the early 20th century (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_oil_boom). From fruitcake to oil, this visit was not bad at all.

Bringing Out the Youthful Vibe @ Fayetteville, Arkansas

So many places, so little time; this was what we felt in Arkansas. My main reason to go was to visit the Clinton museum near the University of Arkansas, but it was not meant to be. We covered as much as we could in one weekend, but it did not include the Clinton Museum. 

Airbnb. When we arrived in Fayetteville, we checked into our Airbnb house. It was a two-story detached house in a neat neighborhood (below). The house was well-equipped with all the amenities, including cable TV, dishwasher, etc. Visitors may use what’s inside the refrigerator except for those in the freezer. Banana loaf bread greeted us with free unlimited coffee.

 There were a master’s bedroom and two guest rooms. This was my room (below) and the view outside (above).

The University of Arkansas. It was late afternoon, so we used the available time to explore the nearby University of Arkansas on foot after parking the van. The University of Arkansas (U of A, UARK, or UA) is composed of 412 acres (1.67 km2) and is a public land-grant, doctoral research university located in Fayetteville, Arkansas. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Arkansas

Turning right we saw these fraternity/sorority houses fronting the university (below); an inviting reason to join the Greek Life in UA. https://uagreeks.uark.edu/. Entering the campus, we saw Carnall Hall  (below), right on the Lawn of Old Main (0.2 mile) http://www.innatcarnallhall.com/.

 

Completed in 1875, Old Main, a two-towered brick building designed in the Second Empire style, was the primary instructional and administrative building. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Arkansas. 

Old Main (background).

Inside the campus are paved streets with rows and rows of shrubs and trees that provide a relaxing atmosphere for students who have so much on their plates, balancing their studies, sports, and other socialization activities (below). Tierra enjoyed playing on the ground of UA (below).

I was quite amazed to see a Fulbright statue (below). At 7 feet tall with a granite base that almost doubles its overall height off the ground, the statue of J. William Fulbright towers over the Old Main courtyard at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. http://www.nwaonline.com/news/2012/apr/10/ua-welcomes-fulbright-statue-back-campus-20120410/.

The UA has too many similarities with our own University of the Philippines Los Baños and Oregon University where Tyler and Trina took up their graduate studies. The sprawling campus, buildings that are spread around the university, trees along paved streets, the ‘Greek life’, and the mere feeling of being in a school environment made us believe that UA was a very good candidate for a comfortable place to live.

Farmer’s Market. The following day was Farmer’s Market day. Usually, this is where farmers have the chance to display and sell their fresh produce. As it was still spring, the profusion of color was a sight to behold.

Walton’s five-and-dime museum. Walmart began in Bentonville, when the Walton family – Sam and Helen, sons, Rob, John, and Jim, and daughter Alice – moved in northwest Arkansas from the eastern side of the state. Sam acquired in 1951 a Ben Franklin five-and-dime franchise. Sam established Walton’s 5&10 as the huge success Sam knew it could be. Today, visitors to The Walmart Museum can see Sam’s Office where it used to be, with his belongings still inside (below). https://www.walmartmuseum.com/visit/5-10/

Fishing. Any place worth living should have fishing, that is, according to Tyler’s standard. And so after visiting Bentonville, we went to check out this lake to explore its fishing possibilities.

Sure enough, the lake allowed for camping where RVs could park.

The lake looked so serene and bassy; perfect for Tyler’s specifications.

The adventure continued with an exploration of the best Arkansas cuisine; to be continued in the next Arkansas installment. 

Reasons to Love the Devil: Devil's Den State Park, Arkansas

Trina and Tyler are in constant search for the ‘perfect’ American state. Arkansas is in the running.

This water fall in Devil's Den State Park is a popular attraction.

It was one long weekend on May, 20 17, when Tyler’s Mom from Oregon, decided to visit Tierra for the first time in Dallas. To make the weekend more memorable, we all agreed to go to Arkansas to check out the area. We first planned to go to Austin, Texas, but, instead opted to check out a different state. We did not have regrets, as we all enjoyed this trip of a lifetime because of the many gifts of nature in Arkansas. Specifically, we had fun at the Devil's Den State Park, Ozark Mountains, Arkansas.

Arkansas is about a four-hour drive from Dallas where we came from, almost the same distance to Austin.  As we were nearing Arkansas, we were, at once, greeted by vegetation; mountains, forests, and trees; lakes, and rivers, all alien to Dallas highways (above).

When you’re in Arkansas, you’ll hear much of the Ozarks (above). “The Ozarks, also referred to as the Ozark Mountains and Ozark Plateau, is a physiographic region in the U.S. states of Arkansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Kansas. There are two mountain ranges within the Ozarks: the Boston Mountains of Arkansas and the St. Francois Mountains of Missouri.”  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ozarks

We opted to stay in Fayetteville in Arkansas, not the capital, Little Rock, because Trina’s friend from Arkansas recommended Fayetteville. While we were cruising on the mountain, we saw people bathing on a river. Since, it was a hot 38°C-afternoon, we decided to go out and cool down for a bit.

Tierra and her Gran-gran tried dipping their feet in the river (above).

Then, we saw a group of small canoes and pedal boats further along (above). Intrigued, we walked to where the canoes and boats were moored (below). Little did we know that we were in Devil’s Den State Park, “an Arkansas icon. Nestled deep in an Ozark valley, Devil's Den connects you to picturesque Lee Creek Valley and the craftsmanship and conservation legacy of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), the "Tree Army" of Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal. Devil's Den is the perfect blending together of nature and CCC-Rustic-style park architecture that mirrors its natural settings.” https://www.arkansasstateparks.com/devilsden/

Picnic tables and benches were available for hungry and tired visitors to eat and rest in (below).

A swimming pool was open when we were there (below).

There was supposed to be a restaurant but it was closed for renovation (below).

Slides were built specially for kids. A swing could not escape Tierra’s attention as it was her favorite (below).

We also found this suspension bridge. “This rather sturdy pedestrian suspension bridge was built by WPA / CCC labor in the 1930's. A small flight of stairs leads to the wooden plank deck, and the structure is approximately 30' long. The steel cables are anchored into concrete pads at each end of the bridge.” http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WMV945_Devils_Den_State_Park_Pedestrian_Suspension_Bridge_West_Fork_AR

The trip to Arkansas continues. Watch out for the next articles about this trip.

When in Texas, Eat the Texas Way

My cousins (above) from Los Angeles visited us in Coppell, Dallas, Texas, so, the first order of the day was to dine out, Texas style; what else, but, barbecue (bbq). 

Among the many bbq restaurants that Trina, Tyler, and I had tried, Hard Eight (http://www.hardeightbbq.com/index.html) was one of the best. There’s one very near us, at 688 Freeport Parkway, Coppell, TX 75019. It was just a couple of minutes ride from where Trina and her family resided, but, of course, my cousins and I missed it the first time, even with the GPS in the car. Another circle around the block and we, finally, got it (above).

Upon entry, be prepared to inhale all the smoke coming from their grill because the line starts here (above). 

Guests order from the menu on the green board or just choose from whatever looks appetizing on the grill. In fact their website says, “You can always expect the coals to be burning at Hard Eight BBQ. All of our meats are cooked on a pit using fresh mesquite wood for a smoky flavor that can't be beat. http://www.hardeightbbq.com/menu.html.”

My cousins and their husbands ( above, L to R: Lors, Satur, Kiko and Lan) chose the Hard 8, 16 oz. hand cut Rib Eye that came with two sides. They had baked potato, coleslaw salad, cheese, etc. (below).

Mine was simply beef brisket (below).  “Brisket is a cut of meat from the breast or lower chest of beef or veal https://www.google.com.ph/search?q=brisket&oq=brisket&aqs=chrome.0.0l6.6076j1j1 &sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8.” This has become my favorite because at Hard 8, brisket was soft and tender and has melt-in-the-mouth fat with just the right marbling. Dressings, onion, jalapeño, pickles, cheese, and other sauces were free. Pinto beans and bread were also free when dining in.

  

Tyler and Trina had sirloin (sirloin steak is cut from the back of the animal) and brisket to share, with a side of coleslaw. Their fixin’s included onion, pickles with bread and pinto beans (below). Tierra was happy with her baked potato that she shared with her Grandma Lors and Grandpa Satur.

The place was big and noisy with a band that was playing country music, so a serious conversation was not possible. Besides my cousins had a long journey ahead of us, because we planned for a long trip to New Mexico starting the following day. But Hard 8 bbq was always worth coming back for.

This is why on our last dinner out before I went back to the Philippines, Trina, Tyler and I, chose to eat at Hard 8 for their unforgettable Texas bbq.