Art in Uncommon Places

 A group of artists have turned abandoned and overlooked places into public art galleries. We had a chance to visit two of them. The walls of a roofless bowling alley are covered with murals inspired by the pop art craze of the 1960s and 70s. A short trip down the alley at rear of the bowling alley leads to more murals - some feature scenes from movie Giant and others are the artists' versions of famous paintings. 

The area is generally accessible but there are rough spots of pavement and uneven ground. Wheelchair users may need assistance. 

On street parking is all angle in. There's a parking lot across the street from the bowling alley with a very steep entrance driveway. The parking lot at the rear of the bowling alley is much better but the alley to get there is narrow. Art  31.45971, -100.43851

 

Fanthorp Inn State Historic Site

Today the inn sits on the quiet outskirts of the small Texas town of Anderson but for several decades in the mid 1800s it was a bustling place at the intersection of two stage coach routes. Henry Fanthorp, an English immigrant, built a two room, dogtrot house in 1834 and added several large additions to provide food and lodging to the increasing number of travelers. The inn gained renown for its exceptional food and comfortable lodging.

Self guided tours of the inn are free but since there aren't many informative signs, the few dollars for a guided tour are well worth it. It was a slow day when we visited so we had the tour guide all to ourselves and were free to ask as many questions as we wanted. All were answered very satisfactorily. 

The inn recently underwent an extensive renovation and is in excellent condition. The rooms, furnished with historic pieces and items representing the time period, include a dining room, family bedroom, post office, store room, and guest rooms. The barn houses a stage coach. 

The first floor is accessible, The second floor is accessed by stairs only. Photographs of the second floor rooms are on display. The paths are hard packed dirt that is fairly easy to roll along. 

 

Any size vehicle will fit along the edge of  the parking lot road. Inn  30.48346, -95.98415

 

Sam Houston Memorial Museum

 Sam Houston, who was born in Virginia in 1793 and lived in Tennessee for over 20 years, moved to Texas territory in the 1830s as the conflict between recently independent Mexico and Texians (Anglo immigrants) began heating up. Texians wanted their own country, free of Mexican rule, and declared independence from Mexico in 1836 which lead to the siege of the Alamo by Mexican president Santa Anna. Two months later Sam Houston, now the highest-ranking officer of the Texian Army, led his men in battle against Santa Anna's army. Santa Anna was captured and Texas gained it's independence. Riding high on this victory Houston became the first president of Texas.  After Texas became a US state, he served as a senator then governor before being removed for refusing to succeed from the Union at the beginning of the Civil War. 

 In 1847 Houston and his wife Margaret Lea moved into their Woodland Home in Huntsville Texas. This was their home for eight years although Houston was often in Washington DC when he was serving his senatorial terms. 

The Houston Museum consists of three sections: the Katy & E. Don Walker, Sr. Education Center, the Sam Houston Memorial Museum, and a grouping of historic buildings, all located on 15 acres of the original 200 acre Huntsville farm owned by Houston and his family. 

The Education Center has a rotating exhibit gallery and a few permanent exhibits but the main reason to go there is to park in the large lot at the rear of the center. This is also the location of a trail and sidewalk that lead to the other sections of the museum. The accessible entrance is in the rear with an elevator to access the first floor exhibits.

A parking lot is adjacent to the Memorial Museum. The access road is narrow and the lot is small so it's better to park at the Education Center and walk/roll along the road and trail. Visitors using wheelchairs will probably need assistance due to slopes and rough surfaces. The accessible entrance is on the side of the museum with an elevator to the first floor. The museum which has an exceptional number of personal artifacts is accessible

 

The historic buildings include the Woodland Home, Houston's law office, the Steamboat House where Houston died. and several relocated buildings where demonstrations are occasionally held. Some of the buildings have ramps. None were open when we visited but we could peek in the windows.  

Check the map for paths and sidewalks. The roads are narrow and fine for cars but even small RVs are too big for easy access so park at the Education Center. Museum  30.71497, -95.55472

Polk County Memorial Museum

 Texas has 199 counties named after notable men, six after presidents, the category that James K. Polk fits in. No explanation is given for the name but Polk's picture does get a prominent spot right inside the front entrance. Exhibits touch on all the major historic events in the county. An annex features store front displays and models of historic buildings. 

The museum is not accessible due to steps. The interior is a bit cramped and some wheelchair users will find it difficult to see all of the exhibits. An accessible entrance is in future plans. 

 Parking is on the street. An enlarged parking area beside the museum is also in future plans. Museum  30.71014, -94.93686

 

Sandy Creek Campground

Three campground loops are strung along the shore of  B.A. Steinhagen Lake so most of the sites are water front. Of the 77 sites, 71 have water and electric, 6 are tent only. All sites are reservation only but since most of the sites were open during our visit, we waited until we got there before choosing site 36. Amenities include tables, fire rings, restrooms, showers, a dump station, boat ramp, fishing pier, and a playground. 

 

Although many of the sites are usable, none are designated as accessible, however, as we were leaving I noticed a few sites in loop Scre that are fairly accessible. I snapped a photo but unfortunately I didn't get the site numbers. Campground   30.82134, -94.17147