Category Archives: Attractions

Canton Trade Days

Maybe you’ve heard the name Canton, it is known as the world’s largest flea market. Canton Trade Days occurs the first Monday of each month in Canton, Texas. Settled oh so well along I-20 in East Texas, this event attracts vendors and visitors from near and far each and every month. Some of these visitors are from Texas but don’t be surprised to run into others from Louisiana, Arkansas and Oklahoma who call Canton home one weekend a month.

Don’t be alarmed when exiting the highway to be in a slew of vehicles that are heading to the same place you are (to avoid a little traffic, take exit 526). When you arrive, you will see not only a ton of vehicles but also RV’s. Some people come out here all weekend. Also, don’t be surprised if you find yourself lost or needing a map or not knowing where the heck you are.. this place is huge and its a day long event.

When you arrive in Canton you will see an overwhelming items to see. There is a flea market type area where people are selling just about anything you can think of. In another section, you can walk through open buildings viewing, again anything you can think of (handbags, gourmet food, Texas decor, furniture, jewlery, clothing, baby items, doggie treats, etc.). It’s no joke when they say there is something for everyone.

Considering you will be there all day (or in some cases the weekend), there is plenty to eat and drink. You will find the normal “fair type” items such as corn dogs and hamburgers to slighly healthier options of sandwiches and fruit. Be sure to hit up a lemonade stand and we are after all in Texas so of course, there is Dr. Pepper.

If you find yourself with nothing to do one weekend and feel like roaming around looking for, well just about anything, head over to Canton and check it out.

Notes:
Parking is $4 cash.
Be sure to bring cash, not all vendors except cards.
Check out the website, there are coupons which can be used at some shops.

For More Info: http://www.cantontradedays.com/

Ranger’s Baseball Stadium

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In honor of opening day tomorrow at the Ranger’s Stadium – it’s officially baseball season 2011! Whoohoo!

For those who love baseball, the season is here! For some its the most exciting part of the year. Opening day means getting together with some of your closest friends, heading to the parking lot as early as you can and tailgating until game time. You walk into the ballpark wearing your best fan gear with hundreds of other fans ready to take on everything the season is about to bring. On the way to your seat, you grab a beer and nachos, popcorn or any other snack item and get ready to cheer on your team (and hopefully they win!)!

In honor of opening day of the Rangers ballpark (and other stadiums) and since the opening day game couldn’t be against a better team (the Red Sox). Let’s chat about the Ranger’s ballpark!

The stadium has had a lot of upgrades this year including a new, huge screen in the outfield (come on we have Jerry World next door to keep an eye on), but upgrades aren’t everything. Each stadium has a tour, I’ve been on the Ranger’s tour twice, here are some highlights (however I encourage you to check it out yourself).

You will have a personal tour guide that will bring you to various locations throughout the stadium and tell you historical and informational stories about the building and even a few secrets. (I’m not going to tell you the secrets, then you wouldn’t take the tour!)

We were brought to the press box. Check out the seats you would get if you worked for a network!

Since we’re in the press box, why not check out some suites?! Each suite has a unique entrance, some have famous players, along with a game day ball…

…while some are for more important people…

Let’s go check out where the home team gets ready…

Pretty swanky…

Need to practice on your batting or pitching?

If you are lucky, you’ll have a tour while someone is warming up! Yes, this actually happens…I just wasn’t that lucky (this time, *wink*wink*).

I had to take a break from all this excitement, I had to attend a press conference (I’m kind of a big deal).

With that out of the way, how about we head down to the field shall we?

This is the warm up room, behind the bench. Notice the floor is slanted up, Nolan Ryan had this put in when he played so he could warm up his legs.

This is also the refuge for pissed off players as well. Check out the water fountain, complete with cleat marks.

Home Bench!

This is the view you’d have if you were a player. Pretty darn sweet.

I see my man Ron Washington standing over here watching how baseball go, eating sunflower seeds.

The phones! You better believe we tried them out!

Stadium tours are awesome. Each field brings something unique. Good luck to all of your teams this season!

Go check it out for yourself! Rangers Ballpark
By the way – Ron Washington… I love you! 🙂

Buc-ee’s, Madisonville, TX

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If you ever find yourself driving down I-45 just north of Huntsville, you are not going to miss Buc-ee’s. There are signs at least an hour away, if not more, advertising their Beaver Nuggets, fudge, and their truck stop. So, we just had to stop to check this place out and see what was so great, right?

This truck stop turns out to be a very popular destination. First, there was a line to exit the interstate to stop at this locale. The first thing we noticed is the 30+ gas pumps out front followed by the packed parking lot (however not so packed that it was difficult to find a parking spot). Then we ventured inside…

Inside you will find a general convenience store. You will also find gift shop type items (everything Texan of course), cast iron pans, kitchen items, dishes, books, signs and A&M / UT items. You’ll also find seasonings for just about any dish you can think of, from grits to cornbread mixes and meat seasonings.

Beaver Nuggets, what the heck are Beaver Nuggets? Yea, I know what you are thinking. You’ve heard of Calf Fries, I can’t wait to see what this is but thankfully Beaver Nuggets is just pieces of beef jerky. (I can’t take another take on calf fries, I don’t quite understand it.) Buc-ee’s had a HUGE array of food. Pre-made sandwiches and wraps, or even made to order. They also have hot dogs, corn dogs, and chopped beef sandwiches (we’re in Texas after all). However, you should see their beef jerky counter. It’s got to be a good 20 feet of a display case. Desserts you ask? They touch on that too with cookies and even a fudge station. I wouldn’t believe it if you went in there and told me that you couldn’t find something that tickled your fancy in there.

Finally – the bathrooms. I have never been in a rest stop, or location that had bathrooms this nice. The bathroom is HUGE and each “stall” is its own personal room. That’s right, you get an entire door and its pretty much its own box. I was impressed. And as busy as it was in there, there were plenty of stalls open.

The only downfall to Buc-ee’s is how incredibly busy it was. I suppose we kind of asked for it stopping in mid-day on a Sunday. It should be kind of expected. However, if you can handle the absurd amount of people, I would suggest stopping to at least check this place out. It’s one heck of a truck stop.

For More Info: http://www.bucees.com/madisonville.htm