Texas

American Airlines C.R. Smith Museum

Fort Worth, TX

Lattitude/Longitude
32.832552, -97.062257

The American Airlines C.R. Smith Museum is much more than a museum. It's a sight-and-sound, hands-on, window-seat look at the world of flight. It's an adventure offering you a chance to hear, see, touch and be a part of the exciting aviation industry. Best of all, it's a great place for the entire family - or any group - to enjoy, time and time again.

The C.R. Smith Museum is one of the few museums in the world dedicated solely to commercial aviation. The museum opened in July 1993 and is dedicated to past and present American Airlines employees and C.R. Smith, longtime American Airlines president and aviation pioneer.

American Airlines Center

Dallas, TX

Lattitude/Longitude
32.788963, -96.810862

Tour the home of the Dallas Maevericks and Dallas Stars, American Airlines Center. The best way to see the beauty and magic of American Airlines Center is with a public tour.

Balcones Distilling

Waco, TX

Lattitude/Longitude
,

Come behold the beautiful copper pot stills from Scotland, see our grain silos and fermenters, and explore the award-winning flavors of Balcones in a fun and also educational experience that walks you through the whisky making process from grain to glass.

Bureau of Engraving and Printing - Western Currency Facility

Fort Worth, TX

Lattitude/Longitude
32.903862, -97.348711

Welcome to the Bureau of Engraving and Printing's Western Currency Facility Tour and Visitor Center. Here you will learn all about U.S. paper currency, and best of all, you can actually see billions of dollars being printed as you walk along an enclosed walkway suspended over the production floor. Before or after your tour, enjoy two floors of interactive exhibits showcasing the history of currency and the intricacies of the printing process. Other features of the Visitor Center include a theatre film, a gift shop, and a vending and rest area.

The Tour and Visitor Center opened on April 26, 2004, and is free to the public. To schedule a tour, please call (817) 231-4000 or toll free (866) 865-1194.

Collin Street Bakery

Corsicana, TX

Lattitude/Longitude
32.090258, -96.465901

Our family-owned-and-operated bakery, located just 50 miles south of Dallas, Texas, has been baking the world-famous DeLuxe Fruitcake for over 100 years.

The DeLuxe you order today is still baked true to the Old-World recipe brought to Corsicana, Texas from Wiesbaden, Germany in 1896 by master baker Gus Wiedmann. He and his partner, Tom McElwee, built a lively business in turn-of-the-century Corsicana which included an elegant hotel on the top floor of the bakery. Many famous guests enjoyed their fine hospitality including Enrico Caruso, Will Rogers, John J. McGraw, "Gentleman Jim" Corbett and John Ringling.

In fact, the bakery was thrust into the mail order business when Mr. Ringling's circus troupe, upon tasting the mouth-watering DeLuxe asked to have these Christmas Cakes sent to family and friends throughout Europe. And so began an international Christmas gift tradition.

We are mail order specialists, and whether your order is for one cake or 1,000, we make sure it is sent exactly as requested. Many years of experience, coupled with our decorative holiday tin and protective shipping carton, ensure your gift will arrive in perfect condition anywhere in the world, fresh delivery guaranteed.

Dr Pepper Museum and Free Enterprise Institute

Waco, TX

Lattitude/Longitude
,

Built in 1906 by architect Milton Scott, the Artesian Manufacturing and Bottling Company was the first building dedicated to the manufacturing of Dr Pepper. Creating a Dr Pepper Museum was the vision of a few devoted enthusiasts of both Dr Pepper and its history. The Artesian Manufacturing and Bottling Company became the Dr Pepper Museum in 1989, then the Dr Pepper Museum and Free Enterprise Institute in 1997. Today it is the Museum’s largest artifact and a tribute to the imagination and talent that fueled Dr Pepper’s success throughout the years.
The Museum and Free Enterprise Institute opened to the public in May of 1991 and has attracted over 2,000,000 visitors.

The Dr Pepper Museum and Free Enterprise Institute is dedicated to being the finest museum in the world devoted to telling the story of the soft drink industry and to using this industry as a practical model of the free enterprise system.
The Dr Pepper Museum includes the original 1906 bottling plant, a newly renovated courtyard and parking lot, and the historic Kellum-Rotan building. The Kellum-Rotan building was built in the 1880s, making it one of the oldest buildings remaining in downtown Waco. It is currently used to house the Museum’s collection and in the future will house the Museum’s administrative offices and additional exhibits. Both the Dr Pepper Museum and the Kellum-Rotan building are excellent examples of important American architecture and accurately preserved structures.
The Dr Pepper Museum holds one of the finest collections of soft drink memorabilia in the world. The items are not just Dr Pepper-related. All soft drink brands are welcome at the Dr Pepper Museum! From Pepsi-Cola to Kickapoo Joy Juice, the collections are a resource for information about the entire soft drink industry. The Dunagan Archives, soft drink related publications, audio-visual media, both the Dr Pepper Company and Dr Pepper Museum annals, and numerous original photographs are contained in the archival collections. The Dr Pepper Museum is frequently called upon to open the collections and archives to academic research, the motion picture and television industry, exhibition and graphic designers, and other museums making it a treasured public resource.
There are more than just exhibits to experience while you’re at the Museum. From live demonstrations and informative talks by our Interpretation staff to collectibles in the Gift Shop and handmade treats in the Soda Fountain, there is something more for everyone to experience. The Museum is located in the center of Downtown Waco, which is a bustling tourist destination. Be sure to take in the other must-see attractions within easy walking or driving distance.
Things To Do:
– Liquid Labs
– Gallery Talks
– Soda Fountain
– 10-2-4 Collectors Club
– Rent The Museum
– Pop-Up Saturday
– First Friday

James Leddy Boots

Abilene, TX

Lattitude/Longitude
32.466678, -99.725998

A dying art thrives at James Leddy Boots; hand-crafted western boots. From custom fitting to a finished boot, Leddy's art shows through. Many famous rodeo and country performers purchase their boots here. Stop in and watch this superb craftsman at work.

Johnson Space Center

Houston, TX

Lattitude/Longitude
29.548949, -95.09761

Welcome to Space Center Houston, the Official Visitor center of NASA's Johnson Space Center. The Center is owned and operated by the Manned Space Flight Education Foundation, Inc., and is not federally funded.
Applaud the accomplishments of NASA and the American manned space flight program at Space Center Houston. You will relive the past achievements of the space program and witness today's history in the making.

Everything you see in the facility is realistic. Space Center Houston's creators kept in close contact with NASA to ensure the most accurate experience. Each attraction is self-guided so you can spend as much time, or as little time, in each areas as desired. Most guests spend four to six hours in the Center.

Tram tours take guests behind the scenes at JSC and are led by knowledgeable guides. The tours visit various sites at the Johnson Space Center, including the X-38 Assembly Building and the Shuttle Mock-up Facility.

Liberty Glass & Mirror

Frisco, TX

Lattitude/Longitude
33.158958, -96.831146

Liberty Glass & Mirror is located in Frisco, TX, and is dedicated to exceeding expectations and creating custom glass designs tailored to each client's needs. We are a full service glass and mirror company specializing in Frameless Shower Doors & Frameless Shower Enclosures.

Mrs Baird's Bakery (Houston)

Houston, TX

Lattitude/Longitude
29.863427, -95.482461

Ninnie Baird was a remarkable woman...

In a day and age when it was rare for a woman to become a successful entrepreneur, she was. But the founding of Mrs Baird's Bread wasn't exactly a smooth road.

In 1901 William and Ninnie Baird brought their family from Tennessee to Fort Worth, Texas. William, a restaurateur by trade, set up a business in downtown Fort Worth selling popcorn from a bright red cart with brass fittings and a loud steam whistle. Within months his success led him to buy another popcorn cart which was run by his oldest son, Dewey, only eight-years-old. But it wasn't long before William Baird decided to get back into the restaurant business.

By 1905, William Baird had started, built up and sold one restaurant and was working on his second, when he received devastating news. He was diagnosed as having diabetes, in those days an incurable and untreatable disease.

Although very ill, William Baird and his young son Dewey worked in the family restaurant. Ninnie Baird tended to the home and her three other sons, and like everyone else of that time, she baked for her family.

Every day she would cut wood to fire the wood-burning stove. It was hot, sometimes dirty work, but in spite of the lack of modern conveniences, Mrs. Baird became a wonderful baker. The loaves of bread, cakes and pies she baked, the family enjoyed. Any extra was shared with the neighbors. Her bread was so delicious that it wasn't long before her reputation was known far and wide.

Ninnie did all her baking in a wood-fired stove...

In 1908, with William's health failing, it became impossible for him to continue working. It was clear that Ninnie Baird needed to find a way to help support her family, so she established Mrs Baird's Bread.

In 1911, William died and Ninnie Baird decided to continue the business she had begun. Every day, in her home, in a wood-burning stove that could bake only four loaves at a time, Ninnie baked her wonderful bread, cakes and pies. Her boys helped bake and deliver the bread on foot. Her daughters took care of the smaller children and did other chores around the house. Mrs Baird's Bread was truly a family business.

As business grew, the boys went from delivering bread on foot, to riding bicycles.

In 1915, demand for Mrs Baird's bread had outgrown Ninnie's wood-burning stove. A larger oven was needed so she bought a commercial oven from the Metropolitan Hotel in Fort Worth. Unable to pay cash for the $75 oven, Ninnie put down $25 and paid out the rest in bread and rolls. The new oven, which could bake 40 loaves at a time, was installed in a small wooden building in the family's backyard.

Sales continued to grow to the point where the boys could not make deliveries on their bicycles. So, the Baird's buggy was converted into a wagon and pulled by the family horse, Ned. The first company employee, Mr. Lipps, who was not a Baird family member, was hired to drive the wagon.

Ned, it turns out, was quite a delivery horse. He came to know the route so well that he would stop at every customer's house without the urging of his driver. Over time, delivering to the sales route became son Hoyt's job. In 1917 the family bought a Ford passenger car, took out the seats and painted "Eat More Mrs Baird's Bread" on the sides.

Old Ned retires and expansion begins...

About this time Mrs Baird's Bread began selling to commercial accounts. Two Telephone Exchanges bought pies daily and Sandegard's Grocery became the company's first bread reseller. Sandegard's, a large store with a delicatessen, proved to be a very good customer as it soon grew to 15 stores, all displaying Mrs Baird's Bread prominently in a glass case.

In 1918, Hoyt Baird left Fort Worth to join the Army, leaving the company without a delivery driver. It was decided to discontinue selling direct and concentrate instead on selling only wholesale. Demand steadily increased, and so did the bakery. Now located at 6th Avenue and Terrell Street, the little 30 foot by 72 foot facility housed an oven that could bake 400 loaves at a time. Wholesale deliveries now stretched into every corner of Fort Worth, where fresh-baked bread, rolls, cakes and pies were delivered every day. Over the next ten years the bakery was enlarged nine times, until it was one of the largest baking facilities in Texas.

In 1928, the Bairds opened a new bakery across the Trinity River in Dallas, Texas. The stock market crash of 1929 signaled the start of the Great Depression, and, like everyone else, Mrs Baird's Bread had to cut back to survive those lean times. By 1938, business was returning to normal and the bakery needed to expand again. They built a new bakery in Houston, Texas and added another plant in Fort Worth. Once a one-horse delivery system, now a fleet of trucks was needed at each of the four bakeries. The two new bakeries also featured plate glass windows so that visitors could watch the baking process. Not only could you smell the delicious bread, but you could watch it being made as well.

In the 1940's, America entered World War II and the country saw a shortage of many items, like sugar. Because they went off to fight the war, workers were also in short supply. These shortages forced Mrs Baird's to reduce the number and kinds of bread product it baked, but it never compromised on quality. If an ingredient was in short supply, then the bakery just didn't bake that item for a while.

Post War Growth establishes Mrs Baird's as Texas' Bread

Following the war, in 1949, Mrs Baird's expanded again building a bakery in Abilene, Texas. In 1959 and 1960 the company acquired bakeries in the Texas cities of Victoria, Lubbock, Waco and Austin.

Throughout the 1950's and 1960's, the company prospered. Ninnie Baird, the namesake of the thriving company, however, experienced declining health. Now 80, she stayed at home most of the time. The boys handled most of the day-to-day operations, but Ninnie Baird, still the Chairman of the Board, was always consulted on the major decisions. The family's commitment to quality, freshness and service never waivered. It was a work ethic that was passed on from generation to generation as well as, the importance of family, a Christian upbringing, and community. From the beginning until her death, she shared with her neighbors and her community.

Tour one of Mrs Baird's Bakeries and see firsthand how Mrs Baird's Bread is baked. Tour reservations are granted on a first come, first serve basis, so we recommend you contact the bakery you wish to tour at least two to three weeks in advance. Scheduling a time in the morning is a good idea during hot weather months.

Mrs Baird's Bakery (Lubbock)

Lubbock, TX

Lattitude/Longitude
33.58442, -101.835118

Ninnie Baird was a remarkable woman...

In a day and age when it was rare for a woman to become a successful entrepreneur, she was. But the founding of Mrs Baird's Bread wasn't exactly a smooth road.

In 1901 William and Ninnie Baird brought their family from Tennessee to Fort Worth, Texas. William, a restaurateur by trade, set up a business in downtown Fort Worth selling popcorn from a bright red cart with brass fittings and a loud steam whistle. Within months his success led him to buy another popcorn cart which was run by his oldest son, Dewey, only eight-years-old. But it wasn't long before William Baird decided to get back into the restaurant business.

By 1905, William Baird had started, built up and sold one restaurant and was working on his second, when he received devastating news. He was diagnosed as having diabetes, in those days an incurable and untreatable disease.

Although very ill, William Baird and his young son Dewey worked in the family restaurant. Ninnie Baird tended to the home and her three other sons, and like everyone else of that time, she baked for her family.

Every day she would cut wood to fire the wood-burning stove. It was hot, sometimes dirty work, but in spite of the lack of modern conveniences, Mrs. Baird became a wonderful baker. The loaves of bread, cakes and pies she baked, the family enjoyed. Any extra was shared with the neighbors. Her bread was so delicious that it wasn't long before her reputation was known far and wide.

Ninnie did all her baking in a wood-fired stove...

In 1908, with William's health failing, it became impossible for him to continue working. It was clear that Ninnie Baird needed to find a way to help support her family, so she established Mrs Baird's Bread.

In 1911, William died and Ninnie Baird decided to continue the business she had begun. Every day, in her home, in a wood-burning stove that could bake only four loaves at a time, Ninnie baked her wonderful bread, cakes and pies. Her boys helped bake and deliver the bread on foot. Her daughters took care of the smaller children and did other chores around the house. Mrs Baird's Bread was truly a family business.

As business grew, the boys went from delivering bread on foot, to riding bicycles.

In 1915, demand for Mrs Baird's bread had outgrown Ninnie's wood-burning stove. A larger oven was needed so she bought a commercial oven from the Metropolitan Hotel in Fort Worth. Unable to pay cash for the $75 oven, Ninnie put down $25 and paid out the rest in bread and rolls. The new oven, which could bake 40 loaves at a time, was installed in a small wooden building in the family's backyard.

Sales continued to grow to the point where the boys could not make deliveries on their bicycles. So, the Baird's buggy was converted into a wagon and pulled by the family horse, Ned. The first company employee, Mr. Lipps, who was not a Baird family member, was hired to drive the wagon.

Ned, it turns out, was quite a delivery horse. He came to know the route so well that he would stop at every customer's house without the urging of his driver. Over time, delivering to the sales route became son Hoyt's job. In 1917 the family bought a Ford passenger car, took out the seats and painted "Eat More Mrs Baird's Bread" on the sides.

Old Ned retires and expansion begins...

About this time Mrs Baird's Bread began selling to commercial accounts. Two Telephone Exchanges bought pies daily and Sandegard's Grocery became the company's first bread reseller. Sandegard's, a large store with a delicatessen, proved to be a very good customer as it soon grew to 15 stores, all displaying Mrs Baird's Bread prominently in a glass case.

In 1918, Hoyt Baird left Fort Worth to join the Army, leaving the company without a delivery driver. It was decided to discontinue selling direct and concentrate instead on selling only wholesale. Demand steadily increased, and so did the bakery. Now located at 6th Avenue and Terrell Street, the little 30 foot by 72 foot facility housed an oven that could bake 400 loaves at a time. Wholesale deliveries now stretched into every corner of Fort Worth, where fresh-baked bread, rolls, cakes and pies were delivered every day. Over the next ten years the bakery was enlarged nine times, until it was one of the largest baking facilities in Texas.

In 1928, the Bairds opened a new bakery across the Trinity River in Dallas, Texas. The stock market crash of 1929 signaled the start of the Great Depression, and, like everyone else, Mrs Baird's Bread had to cut back to survive those lean times. By 1938, business was returning to normal and the bakery needed to expand again. They built a new bakery in Houston, Texas and added another plant in Fort Worth. Once a one-horse delivery system, now a fleet of trucks was needed at each of the four bakeries. The two new bakeries also featured plate glass windows so that visitors could watch the baking process. Not only could you smell the delicious bread, but you could watch it being made as well.

In the 1940's, America entered World War II and the country saw a shortage of many items, like sugar. Because they went off to fight the war, workers were also in short supply. These shortages forced Mrs Baird's to reduce the number and kinds of bread product it baked, but it never compromised on quality. If an ingredient was in short supply, then the bakery just didn't bake that item for a while.

Post War Growth establishes Mrs Baird's as Texas' Bread

Following the war, in 1949, Mrs Baird's expanded again building a bakery in Abilene, Texas. In 1959 and 1960 the company acquired bakeries in the Texas cities of Victoria, Lubbock, Waco and Austin.

Throughout the 1950's and 1960's, the company prospered. Ninnie Baird, the namesake of the thriving company, however, experienced declining health. Now 80, she stayed at home most of the time. The boys handled most of the day-to-day operations, but Ninnie Baird, still the Chairman of the Board, was always consulted on the major decisions. The family's commitment to quality, freshness and service never waivered. It was a work ethic that was passed on from generation to generation as well as, the importance of family, a Christian upbringing, and community. From the beginning until her death, she shared with her neighbors and her community.

Tour one of Mrs Baird's Bakeries and see firsthand how Mrs Baird's Bread is baked. Tour reservations are granted on a first come, first serve basis, so we recommend you contact the bakery you wish to tour at least two to three weeks in advance. Scheduling a time in the morning is a good idea during hot weather months.

Nocona Athletic Goods Company

Nocona, TX

Lattitude/Longitude
33.789037, -97.715388

From the plowed fields of rural America to the busy sandlots of towns and cities, generations of young fellows and gals used to carefully save their money to buy a Nokona baseball glove. It was a glove these players knew would give them every penny of their money back and last, it seemed, as long as they were needed. And these gloves have met that promise.

For nearly three-quarters of a century, young players have dreamed about owning their first Nokona glove. Shown in his Alvin, Texas Little League uniform in the late 1950s (above), Nolan Ryan had just gotten his new Nokona glove at Alvin Hardware Store where his dad had taken him to shop. "You knew you had arrived, when you were able to get a Nokona glove," Ryan admitted. "They asked me if I wanted the more modern kind of glove and I had seen some older pictures of ballplayers, so I chose the older style."

Nokona resisted importing its gloves when nearly every glove maker did so, or simply went out of business, like many did, in the 1960s. It preferred to keep its workers on the job, though it was penalized trying to keep its costs in line with far cheaper foreign-made gloves.

The company also had to drop the skyrocketing endorsements from major league players by the early 1970s. "I think, along with the cheaper imports and the continued escalation of player endorsements, if we'd chosen to stay with it, would have shut our doors," says today's Nocona president, Robby Storey. "We concentrated instead on putting our money and effort toward producing the best ball gloves we could make and trusted that our loyal dealers and customers would stick with us. Many of them did.

"There's something to be said for a two-way loyalty between the seller and the buyer, an implicit trust," Mr. Storey says. "One that guarantees our continuation as a reputable firm and the belief from our customer that he's got a product that has served him well and he can rely upon in the future."

During the tour you will be able to see all the aspects of a glove being made from the cutting to the finished product.

Old Doc?s Soda Shop

Dublin, TX

Lattitude/Longitude
32.0842993, -98.3426355

In 1885 Waco, Texas was a wild frontier town, nicknamed ?six-shooter junction.? Wade Morrison?s Old Corner Drug Store was a prominent business and popular meeting place in downtown Waco. People came in for everything from flea powder to stationery, from cigars to fountain drinks.

One of Morrison?s employees, pharmacist Charles Alderton, noticed how customers loved the smell of the soda fountain with its many fruit, spice and berry aromas. He wanted to invent a drink that tasted the wonderful way the soda fountain smelled. After much experimentation he finally felt he had hit on ?something different.? Patrons at the drug store agreed.

Soon other soda fountains were buying the syrup from Morrison and serving it. People loved the new unnamed drink and would order it by simply calling out ?shoot me a Waco!? But Morrison named it Dr Pepper, after the father of a girl he had loved back in his home state of Virginia.

In 1891 Morrison and new partner Robert Lazenby organized the Artesian Manufacturing and Bottling Company in order to bottle and sell Dr Pepper as well as other soft drinks. That same year, while visiting Waco, a Texas businessman by the name of Sam Houston Prim tasted the new fountain drink and knew he wanted to sell it in his bottling plant in Dublin, Texas, 80 miles to the west.

Under the direction of Mr. Lazenby Dr Pepper enjoyed steady growth in sales and began to spread in popularity across the country. But it wasn?t until 1904 that Dr Pepper gained real national exposure. Along with other soon to be favorites like ice cream cones and hamburgers, Dr Pepper was introduced to the rest of the U. S. and the entire world at the 1904 World?s Fair in St. Louis.

Since then Dr Pepper?s popularity has grown consistently over the years to become one of the top 3 soft drinks in the United States and the No. 1 non-cola. And over that time Dr Pepper Corporate Headquarters have remained here in Texas. That?s why Dr Pepper can truly claim the title of ?Texas Original.?

Pape's Pecan Company

Seguin, TX

Lattitude/Longitude
29.60592, -97.970147

Tour the facility, pecan orchard, and collection of more than 3,000 antique pecan crackers. You'll see the harvesting, processing, and packaging of pecans. The harvest begins in September and continues through December, while processing continues through May.

Saint Arnold Brewing Company

Houston, TX

Lattitude/Longitude
29.811903, -95.467471

Saint Arnold Brewing Company, located in Houston, is Texas' oldest microbrewery. Our goal is to brew world class beers and deliver them to our customers as fresh as possible making them the best beers in Texas. Our customers are beer lovers - people that appreciate great, full-flavored beers.

Our small crew of eight does everything at the brewery: brew the beer, filter the beer, keg the beer, bottle the beer, sell the beer and drink the beer. For us, this is a passion, not a job. We believe that this comes through in the beers we make. Our beers have soul.

We brew nine different beers. Four are made year round and five are seasonal. They are available in bars, restaurants, grocery stores, liquor stores and warehouse stores in Houston, Austin, Dallas, Ft. Worth and San Antonio.

Our first keg of beer was shipped on June 9, 1994 making us now open for 8 years, 10 months, and 27 days. Founded by Brock Wagner and Kevin Bartol, we chose Houston because, other than living here, this was the largest city in the country that did not have a microbrewery. Brock was a longtime homebrewer and had considered opening a brewery as far back as college, although that was quickly dismissed as a silly idea. Seven years after graduating, Brock revisited the idea, enlisted Kevin's help and the brewery was off and running. Kevin has since left the business after a bitter battle. (Just kidding - but don't you wish people wrote that when it was the truth?).

SAS Shoe Factory and General Store

San Antonio, TX

Lattitude/Longitude
29.375047, -98.534206

Tour one of the few remaining shoe factories in the U.S. and observe first-hand, the craftsmanship needed to make SAS comfort shoes. Browse in our turn-of-the-century General Store where you'll find treasures for all ages and occasions. Experience the comfort and quality of SAS as one of our professional shoe fitters helps find the style and size best for your feet. Savor the best ice cream in town while swiveling on 1920's soda fountain stools from Woolworth's Five and Dime. Enjoy the smell of hot buttery popcorn, warm baked cookies, and fresh coffee while visiting with friends in the country kitchen. Take a picture with "Ambassador" the 1900 lb Brahma Bull. Who is patiently waiting in the rear of the barn to great you. Visit the old-fashioned candy store and fill a bag or two with your favorite penny candies. Admire the many vintage automobiles displayed in the store and throughout SAS Village. Welcome our newest addition to the SAS Family, the Li'l SAS Shoe Factory providing comfort for little feet.

Spoetzl Brewery

Shiner, TX

Lattitude/Longitude
29.4291304, -97.1705425

What a fascinating history there is behind the Spoetzl Brewery! Immigrant Czech and German farmers settled the little town of Shiner, Texas (some eighty miles Southeast of Austin), in 1887. Longing for the old-world taste of their homeland, they quickly formed the Shiner Brewing Association, in 1909.

Kosmos Spoetzl was born, grew up, and earned his Brewmasters degree in Germany. After years of working at various breweries in Europe and Canada, he moved to the United States and, in 1915, bought "The Little Brewery in Shiner." Not a whole lot ever changes in Shiner and that's the way we like it. To this day, we still use Kosmos' original recipes and painstakingly handcraft each brew one at a time making sure that every beer is naturally aged before it leaves the Brewery.

Even our Brewmaster and General Manager, John Hybner, hasn't changed in nearly a quarter of a century. In fact, we still have less than fifty employees. But one thing that has changed is our willingness to share. There was a time when you could only get Shiner Beer in Texas. Now we distribute to 20 other states. So if you live outside Texas, you can drink a toast to Carlos Alvarez, owner of the Brewery, who's responsible for our recent building and market expansion. Cheers, Carlos!

Sweet Shop USA

Mount Pleasant, TX

Lattitude/Longitude
33.1670782, -94.9637369

Sweet Shop USA was established in 1972, in Fort Worth, Texas. Today, the company is located in Mount Pleasant, Texas. We are a family owned producer of hand-made chocolates. From our inception, our company has sought and continually trained individuals with experience in the art of hand crafting chocolates. We are dedicated in preserving the time consuming craft created locally by Martha Washington Chocolates some 75 years ago.

Sweet Shop USA has received national recognition for creating over 100 varieties of handmade pieces including various Truffles, Famous Brags®, Nuts and Chewies, and our signature Fudge Love®. Our success is credited to our emphasis on natural ingredients, including pure butter, fresh whipping cream, and the finest quality chocolate. Here at our factory the process of producing gourmet chocolate begins by blending the all-natural ingredients, then simmering the mixture in large kosher copper kettles. A machine?s work can never match the product of one of our hand-making experts. Our chocolatiers demonstrate intricate care and attention to detail to make our exceptional gourmet chocolate. We invest in people, not machines, who take pride in their craft. This is our American tradition. Handmade fresh, one piece at a time!

We distribute our hand made chocolate to the finest stores in the United States including Neiman Marcus, Dillard?s, Lord & Taylor, Hallmark, Hallmark Flowers, Central Market, Whole Foods and various Federated Stores. Our core customer base is comprised of small and mid-sized gourmet, gift, coffee, floral and specialty food retailers. We maintain contact with approximately 8,000 retailers currently. If you are interested in carrying our products in your store call 800-222-2269 and a customer care person can help you create your wholesale account.

We are proud to produce under two brands names in addition to our own Sweet Shop USA label: Mrs. Weinstein?s Gourmet Toffee and Price?s Fine Chocolates. Mrs. Weinstein?s Gourmet Toffee is originally of Santa Barbara, California. The toffee has won awards for Best of Show and has strong recognition in the specialty gourmet food trade. Price?s Fine Chocolates was founded in Kansas City, Missouri in 1919. It is a confectionary company with long standing recognition for their most popular creation: Annaclair?s®. You can find out more interesting history on these yummy brands from the Shop Retail homepage.

Texas Motor Speedway

Fort Worth, TX

Lattitude/Longitude
32.748983, -97.328468

Ladies and Gentlemen, start your engines! Take the green flag for a high-speed visit to one of the world's largest and most modern sports and entertainment facilities, Texas Motor Speedway. Speedway tours include a stop on the luxury suite level. Get a high-level birds-eye view of more than 150,000 seats and the 1,000 acres that make up Texas Motor Speedway. Bring your camera for numerous photo opportunities. Finally, imagine yourself getting ready to negotiate one of the speedway's 24-degree, high-banked corners that allow race cars to exceed 200 mph! Laps of the racing oval, in our tour van, produce the same hold-your-breath sensations experienced by the greatest race drivers in America. (Laps around the speedway are subject to availability at the time of each tour.)

Tour Highlights
· Track Laps (subject to availability)
· Pit Road
· Gift Shop
· Luxury Suites
· Victory Lane
· Concourse

Luncheon Tour
Speedway World's luncheon tour includes all of the highlights of the general speedway tour AND also features lunch at The Speedway Club, motorsport's most prestigious private club. The luncheon tour is offered to groups of 25 or more. Please call (817) 215-8455 in advance for reservations.

The Chocolate Gallery of B/CS

Bryan, TX

Lattitude/Longitude
30.675182988969784, -96.37290838306434

The Chocolate Gallery in Downtown Bryan is a popular destination for tours and school field trips. The Chocolate Gallery offers tours for elementary (ages 5+), middle school, high school and special needs students. The cost is $6.00 per student (no charge for teachers and teacher’s aides) Parent chaperons will be charged $6.00 each.

We also offer tours for adults for $11 per person (Seniors $9).

Our tours and field trips consist of an in-depth tour of The Chocolate Gallery facility and operations, then on to a video in our classroom that covers the production of cacao into chocolate and traditional candy making. The tour concludes with a tasting of a variety of premium chocolate and chocolate ingredients. Tours last approximately 1 hour.

Upon request, the Chocolate lecture can focus on how the chocolate industry relates to specific subjects that the students may be studying, such as: Math, Science, Chemistry, Health, Geography, Politics, STEM, Literature (The Candymakers) and History (Europe or Americas). To schedule a field trip or tour, please use the contact form below.

A minimum of 15 paid attendees required for all tours unless combined with a class. Groups of 25 or more will be split up into two groups to improve the learning experience.

Events are not final until confirmed by The Chocolate Gallery via phone or email.

Wimberley Glass Works

San Marcos, TX

Lattitude/Longitude
29.917225, -98.044128

Tim de Jong established Wimberley Glass Works in 1992. Since then, it has grown into one of the most premier glass studios in the region. Our goal is to educate, entertain and inform the public by offering free glassblowing demonstrations in a relaxed environment. The gallery is conveniently located next door, where the work is both original and affordable. Let us entice you with a brilliant exhibition of colorful glass. Whether your style reflects traditional, contemporary or whimsical, Wimberley Glass Works has something for everyone. Come see us soon for an enjoyable experience!

After a tour of the studio, stroll next door to the gallery where you'll find an assortment of decorative and functional hand blown glass. We have a large selection of tasteful items ranging from tumblers and ornaments to unique sculptural vases. Each piece of glass is a handcrafted original with a style all of it's own.