Little sad to leave Llano Grande this morning, but we are keen to get moving towards California. So we are off to Bandera Texas, a small town on the way, but really we were curious about how many cowboys we were going to see there.
Bandera got its name from when it was a staging area for the last cattle drives of the 1800s. We stayed at Bandera Pioneer RV resort which was right in town. The town is right out of a movie, and you could almost imagine horses getting hitched in front of any one of the buildings on Main Street. We were also told the “old timer cowboys” pretend to rob the banks and liquor stores. We didn’t see this, but we suspect it is during the summer tourist season.
Many bloody battles between Apache and Comanche Indians and the Spanish Conquistadors took place in Bandera Pass, which is just north of the town. Legend has it that, for years afterwards, a red “Bandera” (Spanish for banner or flag) was flown at the site to define the boundary between Spanish and Indian hunting grounds.
The cypress trees that outline the course of the Medina River brought the first permanent settlers to Bandera. A mill that sawed cypress shingles was established in 1853. In 1855 sixteen Polish families immigrated to Bandera to work at the mill. The Polish heritage is evident in much of the town’s architecture. Today’s population is 839. Hard to believe when you think of the stores, restaurants, and especially the bars. Here are some pics of the town.
It is such a great place to visit, and the stores are really interesting. There was an excellent leather story, metal art work store and our favourite, the Spirits of Texas. Yes this does mean alcohol…..of which we found an EXCELLENT dessert tequila.
The first thing we would like to talk about is our favourite store where we met Nice Nancy. We walked in and were welcomed by this lady of 81 who had moved across state to work here at the request of her friend. She was in fact so nice, we wanted to take her home. Well not really but we did invite here out for a drink. Nice Nancy is apparently one of two Nancy’s who work at the store and the other one isn’t as nice…….so there you go. They sold a lot of Texas alcohol. Nice Nancy was in charge of the “tasting bar”, which was right in the middle of the store. We tried a few things, but fell in love with a coffee Tequila. It is smooth, and unbelievably good. Of course we bought a bottle! Here are a couple of photos of our experience there.
Our next stop was the O.S.T restaurant. This restaurant is over 100 years old, opening in 1921, and is packed every night with locals and tourists. O.S.T stands for Old Spanish Trail, a famous route started by missionaries and used by Spanish explorers and settlers that ran through Bandera. The building was originally the old Davenport Grocery Store and where the John Wayne room is now, was once the old horse corral. During the 30’s and 40’s the O.S.T was also a dance hall where many popular singers and bands played. Here are a couple of photos.
Our next stop the 11th Street Cowboy Bar!!! What a surprise!!! By that we mean the size of the place!! Keep in mind that the TOTAL population is 839 people. The 11th Street Cowboy Bar is a word-famous destination for all brand of folks, from cowboys to cowgirls, bikers to businesswomen. People come for the good brew, top-tier live Country Western and Country Swing and Dance music, and of course, the good times that only the Biggest Little Bar in Texas can provide. This bar has been featured in LIfe Magazine, The Oprah Show, Texas Highways, Texas Monthly, and the list goes on. In 2008, the bar was the host to Live on CNN during the Texas Presidential Primary and Texas Elections. The bar is an old, wood-framed building with a porch out front prime for shooting the bull. Inside, we were surprised to see bras of all sizes hanging from the ceiling, we weren’t asked to leave ours. Not sure why………
Here are some pics!
What a gem of a place! We would love to come back through here and explore some more. And of course, see some more cowboys.