We started the summer of 2018 in Keokuk, Iowa, and finished in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. While living in those two cities, we explored the area, rode our bikes, and spent time on the water in our kayak. The summer of 2019 has been a different kind of summer. While we have done some exploring and activities while living in Bryan, Texas, the heat and humidity have limited our outings and kept us indoors more than usual.
When we arrived in Bryan on May 25th, the temperature was similar to the mid-west. It rained occasionally in June and early July, and the grass was soft and green. By late July, the heat index had been over 100 for weeks, and most of the grass was brown and crunchy. We have spent time this summer working on remodeling and renovations in the RV. And, on somewhat cooler days, we have done a bit of exploring.
Downtown Bryan
One of the first places we explored after settling in was Historic Downtown Bryan. If you have been reading our blog for a while, you know we always explore the downtown area of the town where we are living.
After our first visit in early June, we realized that downtown Bryan was a local destination. Designated as a Texas Cultural District, the downtown is a welcoming area for tourists and locals to stroll while exploring unique shops, galleries, and restaurants.
We visited downtown Bryan six times during our three-month stay. Wanting to eat at local restaurants, we sampled BBQ at All The King’s Men, pizza at Rx Pizza, Mexican cuisine at Casa Rodriquez and burgers and tacos at Proudest Monkey. No reviews here, however, we didn’t leave any food behind.
First Friday
The first Friday of each month, from 5:00 pm to 11:00 pm the main street through downtown is closed to traffic, and the shops stay open later. There are food trucks, musicians, and vendors set up throughout the downtown area. There is a free concert at the Palace Theater, and The Queen Theatre shows a popular movie for the adult crowd.
We attended the August 2nd First Friday event. Unfortunately, we misjudged the popularity of the feature film that evening. Top Gun sold out through online ticket sales before the box office opened.
That didn’t stop us from watching a free concert while eating pulled pork quesadillas from The Crafty Pig Food Truck. We explored several shops that had been closed on our previous visits downtown. We also walked around, people watching and listening to the musicians that were set up at various locations.
Christopher Crow Music 
Zoltar at La Salle Hotel Lobby
Queen Theatre
The Queen Theatre in downtown Bryan played the entire Lonesome Dove mini-series near the end of our stay. It would be our last opportunity to see the inside of this renovated theatre in a building built in the late 1800s.
Originally built as a hotel, the building was named ‘Queen Theatre’ in 1914. The theatre stopped showing movies in the mid-1970s and stood vacant until purchased in 2010 by the Downtown Bryan Association. The fully renovated theatre reopened in May 2018 and became a popular downtown destination. We were impressed by the simple elegance of the interior and the welcoming staff.
The movie started at 2:00 pm. We stayed through the end of part 3 before leaving to get back to the RV.
Farmer’s Market
We went to the Saturday morning Farmer’s Market one time. It was a bit smaller than other markets we have visited; however, it was late in the growing season when we went. We visited all of the booths, sampling fresh herbs, and homemade jellies. I have been looking for a jelly to fill the void left by our empty jar of New Mexico Prickly Pear Jelly. After sampling some homemade orange jalapeno jelly, we bought a jar.
Texas A&M University and The George H.W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum
The George H.W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum is located on the Texas A&M University campus in nearby College Station. On a hot (and they’re all hot) Saturday in late June we drove the short distance from the RV park to visit the library. We were impressed with the number of exhibits and information contained in the library. Each period in George and Barbara’s lives is chronicled, as well as the world events that surrounded them. We spent five hours there, walking through the entire museum, as well as the gardens.
After watching The Lion King at a College Station theater, we decided to drive through the A&M campus. After all, we were living in ‘Aggieland’ and wanted to see the campus.
Our first stop was the Bonfire Memorial. If you are not familiar with the story, 12 students perished on November 18, 1999, while building the traditional Aggie bonfire before the upcoming game against the University of Texas.
This beautiful monument was erected in their memory. The college sanctioned bonfires ended that year. Off-campus bonfires began in November 2002 and have continued for the last 16 years.
We drove around the campus, stopping at the football stadium and a fountain.
Calvert, Texas
One of the few cities we visited outside of the Bryan/College Station area was Calvert. Our neighbor in the RV park recommended it, based on our interest in historic buildings.
Calvert is about 30 miles north of Bryan on Hwy 6, a main north/south highway in this area of Texas. Highway 6 becomes Main Street within the Calvert city limits. The speed limit drops to 35 MPH in the downtown area. However, when we were walking along the sidewalk, the semi-trucks passing through Calvert sure seemed to be going faster than 35.
We walked up and down Main St, entering most of the open stores and peeking into the windows of the those that were closed. In one of the shops, we received a tour guide containing a map of the historic buildings in Calvert. We located several in the residential area before heading back to Bryan.
Washington-On-The-Brazos
In early August we drove south on Hwy 6 to Washington-On-The-Brazon State Historic Site. Washington-On-the-Brazos is the site where 59 delegates gathered to make a formal declaration of independence from Mexico, the place where ‘Texas became Texas.’
After walking through the exhibits in the Visitor Center, we stepped outside into the August heat to walk the Old Washington Town Site trail. This 1.6-mile loop trail leads hikers through the original Washington townsite, down to the Brazos River scenic overlook where the boats and wagons exchanged goods, then along the river bank, past the two-hundred-year-old La Bahia pecan tree.
Loop trail to the town site 
Independence Hall 
Artist rendering of the Historic Old Washington Town Site
We walked the entire trail, including the ‘shortcut’ through the middle of the old town from Independence Hall to the Overlook. When we re-entered the Visitor Center, we were hot, sweaty, and thirsty.
After cooling off inside, buying our Texas souvenir, and drinking some water, we were ready to hit the road again.
Geocaching
It had been years since we’d done any serious geocaching. This summer, we picked it up again, and it became our summer outdoor activity. If you are not familiar with geocaching, it is a treasure hunt, using GPS coordinates. When you find the hidden cache, you open it, sign the log, and mark it found in either a handheld GPS or the app on your smartphone. It the cache is large enough, there will be trinkets inside. You can take one and replace it with one of your own. If you want more information, click Geocaching
On the 4th of July, we found six caches along a country road not far from our RV park. On a hot Saturday in late July, we found eight more in nearby cemeteries.
The day we drove to Washington-On-The-Bravos, we found eight. Three on the way there, two while we were there, and three more on the way back!
It got us out of the RV, and we enjoy doing it together. And the best part, we get to sit in our air-conditioned car between finds.
What’s Next
In a few days, we will be leaving Bryan, Texas. Our first stop will be San Antonio. After a few days there, we will be heading to the Gulf for a vacation. Then on to the next job in Missouri.
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