San Angelo is all fair in love and war
I left my heart in San Angelo, Texas. It wasn’t a boy that stole my heart. It was something far more rewarding, special, incredible even. It was a life changing soul deepening understanding of a different world from mine. That is why we travel right?
Travel provides a window to your soul where a door used to be
When you first enter San Angelo a part of western Texas you see what you would expect from an old western town. The little stores on a road wide enough for wagons. The streets are lined with old western charm and the people embrace its charm.
Was the war won here
San Angelo was founded in 1867, when the United States built Fort Concho, one of a series of new forts designed to protect the frontier. I didn’t know that forts weren’t actually walls but buildings that were calvary by patrolled. The fort was home to the famous Black Cavalry known as the Buffalo Soldiers. There are twenty-three original and restored fort structures on the premises. This fort housed both black and white soldiers although the black soldiers weren’t officers they were equal in their enlisted duties. This historical location allows you to become part of the old west.
The war wasn’t won here but this national landmark and guided tours will fill your brain with facts and you will leave understanding how the west was won. You will become part of the frontier soldier as you experience all that was and how it all came to be.
Was love found here
They say a bank is a place to leave your deposits and make withdrawals. This is especially true at Miss Hattie’s Bordello. Miss Hattie’s was a gentleman’s club, if you will. It was located behind the requirement facade of a bank. The gentleman would come in to do their business while their wives waited in their carriages. There was an underground tunnel that provided access to this location. It was very interesting to learn a job facade for employment at Miss Hattie’s was being a good Christian. I guess we all have our ideas on how to serve the Lord.
What did I learn at a bordello? I learned about the habits of the participants. I also learned that Miss Hattie was a shrewd business woman and was the first in her community to have many of the luxuries available to a very select few. The historical significance of this service and the daily lives of the customers and service providers were very interesting.
Did I find love while I was in San Angelo?
Yes, I did. I fell deeply in love. The love I had was so incredible that I brought it home. I am sure you are wondering if my husband was pleased. I can only say he was were excited by my new love. I fell in love with this dish at Miss Hattie’s. The bacon wrapped jalapeno peppers were divine. I am not sure if it was the dish or the decor of the surroundings that brought me back. Miss Hattie’s Cat House and Salon featured decor and a menu that would bring you back again and again. It was both charming and the food was difficult to stop eating it was plentiful and beautiful and cooked with love. I would suggest organizing a tour prior to eating.
These are a couple of the dishes that I couldn’t stop inhaling.
I wasn’t just in love with the food. I was fond of the jewelry. San Angelo is home of the Concho pearl. These pearls can be found in the waterways over the last 400 years. They are highly coveted pink and purple pearls. We were given an explanation and showcase of those beautiful pearls at Legends jewelers.
My love of shoes was tested for boots
What is more exciting than shoes? How about custom boots. We toured the ML Leddy boot making factory. I was so close to parting with my shoe budget for the year but we ran out of time to try on anything. I never knew that there were so many steps in creating the perfect boot. These hand crafted boots are on an 18 month waiting list and there is a good reason; a part of the boot is prepared by an artist. The boots are as unique as their owners and will most likely outlast them.
They say love comes from inside. It is the time in your life when you see new things through the eyes of others.
I enjoyed my view of San Angelo’s rivers from the Tule Princess Steam Boat Tour on Lake Nasworthy tuleprincess.com. The Tulle Princess is the last operational full size Walking Beam Steam Engine powering a side wheel paddle steamboat anywhere in the world. It was also instrumental in the development of Texas.
I embraced the eclectic art found in the walls of the San Angelo Museum of Fine Art and during our visit the San Angelo Civic Theatre. We watched “Into the Woods.” It was entertaining and engaging and I would encourage everyone on travel to see what they are offering.
I would be remiss and unfair if I didn’t tell you about the place that filled my tummy with the most delicious food during our visit to San Angelo. It is the Pheasant Village. Execute Chef Jason Heffner is a genius in the kitchen I have traveled the world and I would have never have thought that such incredible cooking could be found in a small town in Western Texas. I highly recommend everything on the menu. There wasn’t a dish that I didn’t want to stuff in my purse to eat later. I did inquire about renting a table for the rest of my life because the menu changes daily but the overall knowledge of culinary expertise doesn’t. The true passion for providing a dish that speaks to you and hugs you from within is found here.
What could make this trip anymore noteworthy?
How about a visit to the International Lily Gardens. I didn’t want to leave. I took over 300 photographs and not one could accurately depict the beauty that you can only garner in person. The award winning and world renown garden was incredible.
This collection is the life work of one man, Ken Landon
The largest collection of species material, huge Victorias, the spectacular Nymphaea ‘Blue Cloud’, the largest collection of Intersubgeneric Hybrids (ISGs) displayed
anywhere and of course cutting edge new hybrids from the best hybridizers around the
world. I can’t imagine time better spent then in its beauty.
San Angelo is a true gem that bridges the present with the past in a seamless display of love, unity, and understanding. I enjoyed my visit and would like to thank Travel Media Showcase and the Department of Tourism for San Angelo for inviting me to see their town.
Check out my video recap of my time spent in San Angelo!
I have left a better person because of the time I spent learning.
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