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The Texas Hamburger: History of a Lone Star Icon: Rick Vanderpool

The Texas Hamburger: History of a Lone Star Icon: Rick VanderpoolThe book “The Texas Hamburger – History of a Lone Star Icon,” by Rick Vanderpool, is out. A picture of mine is included in the book, and yes, I feel very good about that. The picture is of a very popular old hamburger joint in Cleburne Texas.

Description From The Publisher

Texans are passionate about this signature sandwich, and photographer/writer Rick Vanderpool has become, in his own right, the Hambassador of Texas. In 2006, Rick undertook a quest to find and photograph the best Texas burgers, traveling over eleven thousand miles and visiting over seven hundred Texas burger joints. Since that time, he has continued his travels, sampling the finest the Lone Star State has to offer. He’s also picked up some fellow enthusiasts willing to share their own tasty tales along the way. From Fletcher Davis’s 1885 Athens creation (recipe included) and the Cheeseburger Capital of Texas in Friona to Whataburger #2 in Corpus Christi and Herd’s in Jacksboro, join Rick and his “Hamburger Helpers” on their journey celebrating the history of the original Texas hamburger.

More Info

The book starts out by painting a picture of the origins of the hamburger in Texas. There are several chapters dedicated to hamburger history. Rick’s research was quite broad going way beyond historical facts. Part of the brilliance of the book is that it contains so many stories, descriptions, and recommendations from people located all across the state of Texas. How else can one person write a book about Texas hamburgers? I learned this years ago: when traveling the best advice for places to eat usually comes from the locals.  Rick incorporated plenty of advice from many friends and acquaintances to write a book full of information on burger joints from across the state of Texas. This book is fun, informative and a valuable resource.

Texas hamburger joint enthusiasts will want to read “The Texas Hamburger: History of a Lone Star Icon”. This text could end up being a classic resource book for Texas road trip travelers. I guess it’s my practical side that makes me see things this way–beyond the art and prose of the author, this book is a road trip journal and potential resource for any of you charting the less-traveled byways and destinations.

Check out the Facebook page and you can buy a signed copy of the book here. 

Note: Image of cover art provided by and Copyright (c) Rick Vanderpool.

A Day in Lampasas Texas

Last weekend I went to Lampasas Texas. The main purpose of the trip was to swim in the pool at Hancock Springs, but there was enough time left over to explore.

Hancock Springs

Hancock Springs has been a popular destination for swimming at least since the 1880′s. Back in the 19th Century people came here seeking the health benefits of the spring water. A sign in front of Hancock Park claims the bathing pools at Hancock Springs are the oldest in the state. The original bath house, built in 1883, has been preserved by the community and is right next to the modern pool, that was built in 1911. This newer pool has been maintained by the city and is still in use today. Continue reading →

Texas Hill Country Furniture and Mercantile

Star Of Texas Rocker
Home of the “Star of Texas Rocker”

There are so many pages on the Web that feature a picture of the Star of Texas Rocker but not much more. I just figured there wasn’t anything else here to see. What a surprise it was to find an interesting business next to the rocker. The main building is the Mercantile Store. They sell hand-made furniture and gifts of all sorts in there. Continue reading →