2019 gulf coast - part 15, Waco: Dr. Pepper and Texas Rangers museums, mammoths, Brazos River, longhorns - Travel With Us

As we’re moving from Louisiana to Texas, we had two nights before our Galveston campsite was available, so what are two exploring seniors to do? We decided to take a hiccup trip to Waco for two nights. Yes, we’re going to go to The Silos and take in Chip and Joanne’s market and bakery (for her famous cupcakes), but first we’re going to explore some other places.

Adding Texas—it really is a large state!

Dr. Pepper museum

Of course the “Biggest and the Best Drug Store in Texas” where Dr. Pepper was created.

Dr. Pepper history: it’s the oldest major soft drink in the U.S.

Water came from an artesian well that’s in the middle of the first floor (no longer, used). The reason for the bottling line on the first floor, syrups being made on the second floor, and purified water and sugar mixed together on the third floor? Gravity.

Now you know where the name came from!
Dr. Pepper is a soft drink, not a cola.

7-Up required really cold water for the carbonation and
has one of the highest levels of carbonation of all soft drinks.

Why “10, 2 and 4”? Dr. Pepper is food?
This poster has the answers to your questions.

What a market would have looked like in the 1930s.

These are all of the products that are now in the Dr. Pepper family.

In 1997, a free enterprise program in partnership with the Dr. Pepper Museum helps people rediscover and understand the importance of morals in personal and business lives.

This institute was sponsored by Dr. Pepper for education Texas school children and adults.

Just as we were leaving, we got to have a free Dr. Pepper made by hand the old fashioned way. First the ice, then the syrup, and finally the carbonated soda. Fun to watch him work!

Texas Rangers museum

Now we get to learn all about the Texas rangers.

As we entered the museum, a 45-minute video was just starting about the history of the Texas Rangers. So interesting. In the 1820s, the Mexican government recruited Americans to settle in what is now south Texas to be a buffer between them and the Indians. Stephen F. Austin from Tennessee was one of these “recruits.” As he and the other settlers were being harassed by the Indians, Austin hired 10 men for protection and paid them himself. These men were competent horsemen and excellent shooters; they were the beginning of the Texas Rangers!

Eventually these transplanted men and their families were getting strong enough that they could protect themselves, and they even purchased a cannon to use against the Indians. The Mexican Army didn’t like them being so well armed and demanded the cannon, and the men said “come and get it.” The battle of the Alamo came out of this conflict.

Another interesting story. Early on the Rangers had a hard time fighting against the Indians because the Indians could shoot 6 to 12 arrows in the same time that a Ranger could shoot, rearm his gun, and shoot again. This five-shot revolver from the Texas navy changed the balance of war.

Texas Rangers helped the federal troops as Texas became a state.

After the Civil War, the Texas Rangers often worked
undercover to bring bad guys to justice. This is one of those times.

another job of the Texas Rangers in the 1870s

Texas Rangers are now known for investigative skills.

Could you qualify? Now 163 Texas Rangers are in 254 Texas counties.

how the Rangers are organized around the state

Texas Rangers we’ve known

The way we’ve gotten to know Texas Rangers has been primarily through the media. As we’ve grown up, Barney and I have known The Lone Ranger (and Tonto) and Walker, Texas Ranger. The history of The Lone Ranger is so interesting.

The Lone Ranger came out of our
need for an escape during the depression

The creator of The Lone Ranger story.
Proof that if you write it, they will want it.

personalities of the radio version of The Lone Ranger

And his mask, hat, and revolvers with silver bullets.

Walker, Texas Ranger

Rangers usually wear white hats so I wondered why Walker wore a black hat.

Mr. Google said it was because the show wanted to show the difference between bad and good guys, not by what they wear, but by what they drive. Walker drove a Chevrolet, whose parent company General Motors endorsed the show. The bad guys drove Fords.

Cameron Park, Lover’s Leap

One of the “to see” places in Waco was Lover’s Leap at Cameron Park. What we really found interesting from this view of the Brazos River is that our side was a lot higher than the other side. Found out that we were on the Balcones Fault Zone.

Then we started gathering information on the Brazos River itself. Barney remembers it being mentioned in old westerns. It’s the longest river in Texas, 840 miles long, and the 11th longest river in the United States. It starts in New Mexico and runs to the Gulf of Mexico for a distance of 1280 miles. This river divides West Texas from East Texas.

mammoths from long ago

One more spot to see according to the websites about what to do in Waco is the Mammoth National Monument.

See the tan mark on the pole by the sign? This is the height of a mammoth.

Lori, our ranger did a great job showing us around. Barney and I both remember ranger talks at national parks when we were young, and it was good to experience one again!

As young men, they were exploring and found a bone.

Land was donated to the City of Waco in 1996.

The dots show all the areas where remains have been found.
The red star is where we are.

The structure built over the mammoth remains protects them from the sun and rain.

The Columbian mammoth in this find is larger than the woolly mammoths because their environment was warmer and food more available.

Interesting that even though the elephants and mammoths lived at the same time but in different parts of the world, we still have elephants while mammoths died off.