East Texas

A Most Unusual 50th Wedding Anniversary Celebration – Captain Ron’s Swamp Tour

The Fiftieth wedding anniversary is traditionally a golden one.  For many couples, this would mean gifts of gold jewelry, an anniversary party or even a trip of a lifetime.  But for our good friends, Paul and Betty Swasko, theirs was celebrated with Captain Ron and a trip through Caddo Lake, where, according to its website,… Read more »

International Night Food Event Brings Us Together

Oriel Carey Shows off Indian dhokla and carrot halwa Ninety-eight percent of Americans are descendants of immigrants.  Some can trace their family tree back to Colonial days.  Many came with the Germans and Irish at the turn of the 20th century. Changes in immigrations law in the last 30 years has meant more recent arrivals… Read more »

Denison, Texas – From a President’s Home to a Pirate Ship With Art In Between

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Dwight D. Eisenhower’s Birthplace Room where Eisenhower was born Denison, Texas began as a company town built by the Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railroad (called the KATY), the first railroad into Texas.  At its height, half of Denison worked for the KATY, including David Eisenhower from 1889-1892.  In a small white clapboard house across the… Read more »

Edom and Ben Wheeler – Tiny Towns That Use The Arts to Survive

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Potters Brown, Edom, Texas Ken Carpenter Jewelry, Edom, Texas Selections at Potters Brown I love small towns that use the arts to survive and Edom and Ben Wheeler are two such communities, closely connected and near Athens and Tyler.  Edom owes its survival to Doug Brown, owner of Potters Brown.   Potters Brown Freshly trained as… Read more »

What is There To Do in Greenville, Texas?

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Greenville’s Art Deco Municipal Auditorium Greenville has several claims to fame – Audie Murphy, black soil, cotton history, and most recently L-3 Communications, formerly E-Systems.  For  years, I was only familiar with the I-30 corridor  and the football stadium for high school soccer games.   But upon closer inspection, Greenville has some charming places to… Read more »

What Is There To do in Commerce and Cooper, Texas?

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 Planetarium on the campus of Texas A&M University, Commerce The first major sight of Commerce from the north, south, and west is the campus of Texas A&M University at Commerce. The twelve story Whitley Hall is the tallest structure between Dallas and Texarkana.  This 123 year old school of almost 10,000 students has undergone major… Read more »

WHAT IS THERE TO DO IN CLARKSVILLE AND RED RIVER COUNTY, TEXAS

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Red River County is old.  Prior to settlers moving west to Texas, Caddo Indians passed often over the gentle hills and even stayed a while in villages.  The Spaniards didn’t pay much attention but early settlers crossed the Red River on their way to all that free land in Texas.  Five signers of the Texas… Read more »