I've been to La Grange; even stayed one night, but a severe storm overnight left my car with some hail damage, which placed a damper on the trip. It has a quilt museum and one of my wife's favorite quilt shops in the downtown area. It also has a convenience store called the "Texas One Stop" on Hwy 71 that has some really good baked goods. It's a good location for traffic since it's one of the first places to stop for fuel, or to stretch your feet on the highway that runs from IH-10 to Austin. A visit to the large cemetery next to Colorado Street shows the numerous graves of the unfortunate during a Yellow Fever epidemic in 1867. There are too many graves with that year as the year of death, and the birth dates indicate many were young.
La Grange is close to the Hill Country, but doesn't have the steep hills, or is as dry. Nestled in a bend of the Colorado River, the city, and surrounding area, has some astounding oak trees. That, and the pastures in the outskirts allow some of the best grazing for cattle. Leaving town on 77 allows a twisting drive along one of the most beautiful sections of highway in Texas, but it's just more of the beauty of the city. The county court house is remarkable. The older streets are filled with magnificent live oaks, and there are restaurants for most taste preferences.
While the city is most known for a brothel long gone, it's not what many would envision. To me, it's a comfortable city, rich in history, and I was a little surprised with my first visit. I had no idea of what to expect, but my wife's anticipation of visiting the quilt museum was worth visit. She wasn't disappointed, and neither was I. Since that time, we've been back, and if we're traveling in that area, we will usually make it a point to pass through to stop at a quilt store.
We just built a house 7 miles north of town and retired here. La Grange is wonderful.
ReplyDeleteI like LaGrange. It's a beautiful city, unencumbered by the ills of large cities, and peaceful.
DeleteVisited once, going to a funeral. Played LaGrange on the way through the town. Nice.
ReplyDeleteIt's a short trip through the city, but the scenery is good.
DeleteKreische Brewery & Monument Hill State Historic Park south of town is a must-see destination for any Texas Native or Texas history buff.
ReplyDeleteBack in my oilfield trash days, I got stopped for some minor infarction by a Fayette County deputy sheriff who made a big but humorous production out of writing me a ticket. After he got done, I said, OK, I've played along with you on this so now I kinda think you're obligated to tell me something. He said he already knew what I was gonna ask. He said that she could shoot a rifle as well as any man and a handgun better. Also, that Marvin Zindler was an a-hole, something I already knew by watching his antics on television. Zindler was, of course, the a-hole who started the cavalcade of events that ruined the Chicken Ranch. I thanked him, we shook hands, and I scooted back to Bryan THE END.
From what I've read, Zindler was contacted by a state official, and Zindler ran with something that gave him something to report other than about mold in the ice machines.
Delete