Navigating Northern Texas Byways

Today the sun is shining again in northern Texas. We were back on the state highways that we prefer to travel because we see so much more of the country than on interstates. We set out from Gainesville, Texas, without having breakfast, anxious to be on our way, enjoying the blue skies. We headed west on highway 82 with plans to stop for an early lunch at a rest stop. As we were commenting on the beautiful rolling countryside, I spotted a sign for a German meat market in Muenster, Texas, just 15 miles down the road. Well, say no more. These two German food lovers had to investigate.
As we neared the town we started noticing the signs of German heritage, the church steeple in the distance and business signs bearing names such as Hess, Flusche, Rohmer and, of course, the Fischer Meat Market, our new destination. It wasn't difficult to find Fischer's glockenspiel just two blocks off Main Street. We were able to park Ferd at the curb right across the street.

Once inside the market it was easy to see how popular the Fischer's meat products have remained since their opening in 1927. We found lots of friendly employees, scrumptious samples and hungry customers. Grandpa Fischer's original smoked sausage recipe is still in use. It took him all night, adding green hickory to the stove to process it perfectly. Today they have a state-of-the art smokehouse and the fire stays on by itself. But they sure do make a fine sausage.


Penny, a Fischer family member, gave us generous advice on sausages, steaks, cheese, plus special salad and sauces. Of course, before we left we had some of their German beers in our cart as well. Moving along, we quickly found a quiet rest stop on a hill with a nice view. Our lunch was a feast embarrassing to our low carb diet. How does this sound?: summer sausage, smoked pepper jack cheese, corned beef, German potato salad and sauer kraut seasoned with bacon. This morning's find was the type of unplanned event that adds the seasoning to our travels. So if you ever find yourself traveling in northwestern Texas on 82 and 287 between Gainesville and Wichita Falls, you may enjoy a short stop in this little town of 1600.

With smiles and full bellies, we continued our afternoon journey on highway 82 and 287 west. Little did we know we would encounter a few more unusual sites this day. You know, those type of scenes that you pass too quickly for photos, but they sure are fun to remember. First, as we were enjoying the herefords in the many rolling ranch pastures of the northern Texas scenery, what should appear but what looked like a camel. No, it wasn't a llama. A closer look confirmed there in front of us was definitely a herd of grazing camels. What next? We're taking it all in again when our eyes are drawn to what is an old cadillac convertible parked in someone's front yard right against the road. So what?! Well, this caddy contained two ladies in bikinis. There they were. Two manikins that is, posed on the back of this big green cadillac convertible as if they were in their own permanent parade. Oh the humor of Americans!


Topping off our afternoon of sitings, at our last rest stop for the day I spotted this sign. I guess you might expect to see snakes around here, but never have we seen this sign.
Do you think there might be some pet snakes?
Or maybe just snakes looking for pets.
We didn't see either one.



Now, we are comfortably situated in the Childress, Texas, WalMart . We shopped a little because it always seems there's something to be had when we stop at Wally World. But now we're content, sampling German beer and relaxing. So much for another day of Hurley Travels.