Bracken is another bump in the road that holds wonderful goodies...including the "world's best hamburger" and that comes from my grandson Thomas and he knows his burgers!!
Like so many of the smaller communities in the the state, this one started out with a different name. The town, and I use that term even though it is unincorporated, was originally named for James Davenport, but when a request was made for a post office it was discovered that there was another town by that name in Texas. The town changed its name to Bracken after another early settler, William Bracken. The Davenport cemetery, and final resting place of James and his family is still on the main road.
Also like other communities, the railroad was the reason the town grew. By 1975 the population was around 75, and the 1990 Census shows 75, but a growth spurt was underway and by the 2000 Census the population had jumped to 76!! OK, who had a baby or who got married?
My back road to Bracken... unfortunately more and more people are discovering this shortcut.
It went thataway!
Although I haven't been to a viewing, so no pictures of my own, but Bracken is home to the world's largest population of Mexican Free-tailed Bats. Although a bit frightening thanks to their reputation, they are fantastic and interesting little creatures that love mosquitoes for supper. You can read all about our population and their cave at the Bat Conservation page dealing with Bracken's bats. I did find a couple of pictures on Wikipedia which can be shared and used. Viewing the bats exiting the cave is on my Comal County Bucket List.
The cave and the exodus...
The cave sits on about 700 acres and is the home of other endangered species of birds and the land itself is being rehabilitated back to the native grasses and plant life. The Bat Conservation International is the group that maintains and funds this through donations.
Over on the other side of town...yup there is two sides if you look close enough, and turn right at this building and go down the road a bit then up a bumpy drive way....
...there is a beautiful nursery, The Antique Rose Emporium. Could spend a couple of days there just taking pictures and smelling flowers. Friendly, knowledgeable people who encourage you to ask questions and enjoy strolling through their property. Click on their name and you can read all about them, order a catalog, and see some of their pictures and descriptions. Here is what I saw....
These little cottages were all over the grounds holding cash registers, gifts, fertilizer, dirt or whatever. Wish I had a garden shed that looked this good...heck I just wish I had a garden shed!
This is the bridal aisle, yup you can get married here, how much prettier could it get?
Bottle Bush
Gosh, now I want to go back....but think I will wait for cooler weather so I can wander a bit more.
All that strolling and sniffing works up an appetite! Time to head to The Bracken Store for "the world's greatest hamburger" with a side of Frings (onion rings and french fries). The burger is a two hander, freshly made, and juicylicious!
You do get a dose of humble pie served up with a full head of gray hair if you take the aforementioned Thomas with you.
While sitting at the table waiting for our hamburgers (I did mention they make them fresh didn't I?) Thomas looked over and said "What's that thing, Grandma?" A pile of quarters later and he knew what it was...I just sat and drank my Geritol and twirled my cane. Aieeeeeeeeeee!
We are meeting friends in a couple of days for my Bracken Burger fix...they have never been and are they ever in for a surprise!
Heading home down my little backroad we pass Bracken Village an ever so fabulous little shopping village with old buildings holding the different merchants.
Keep on going past the cement plant that has this building and across the tracks....
Drive on past the cows grazing on the left.....
Past the ones next door.....
You can't get more Texan than chicken fried steak standing in a field of Bluebonnets
If this building is in front of you TURN LEFT NOW!!!!!
Whew, good. Now make the next left into the cemetery.
Too bad this pump isn't working any more, sure would have tasted good.
Not going to work Walt, no matter how much you pump it....
See....told you so, it is dry as a bone.
Beautiful cemetery art, fencing, flowers and a birdhouse greeted us on the other side of the fence.
The tea you had for lunch has reached its destination even if you
haven't??? No problem head on up the road to the church on the right.
T
Luckily they have separate restroom facilities for men and women....I can guess but I'm not sure which is which.....
Keep going down that road and pass the gorgeous old building on the right...
Just a little further and we will almost be home...you are looking for a 9-pin bowling alley. There was one in Bracken but this one is in Solms. It looks something like this....actually it looks just like this.
Don't be thinking that 9-pin bowling is anywhere close to 10-pin that we are all familiar with...ok so it is close, you knock down pins with a ball. The rules, equipment, scoring and set up is different - otherwise it is just like 10-pin bowling :) Primarily played in European countries the rich German influenced areas of Central Texas are the primary places to find the game played these days in the states.
Well that puts us back on the dreaded interstate for a couple of miles and then on home....until next time don't forget to listen to the whispers of the back roads, you never know what tale they may be telling.
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