I’ve been wanting to check this out forever, but never seemed to make time for it.  I’ve driven through the parking lot, but Tom was still healing from his first surgery and was using his scooter, so it just wasn’t possible.  We did visit the site of the Goliad Massacre back then, and I’ve never done a post on it yet, so I’ll add that to my list and link it here.  Presidio la Bahia is located at 

But today, Carrie, Melissa, Laura and I are here, and I’m anxious to check it out.  

According to the Texas Historical Commission’s website, “The Presidio, established in 1749 on this site during the Spanish colonial period, was crucial to the development of Texas. Witnessing filibustering expeditions and playing a role in the Mexican war for independence from Spain, the Presidio was the site of the Goliad Massacre on Palm Sunday, March 1836. It played host to one of the bloodiest chapters in Texas’ quest for independence from Mexico after the shocking Texian defeat at the Battle of Coleto Creek. The massacre prompted the rallying cry, “Remember Goliad” heard at the Battle of San Jacinto.”

This is about everything I know about the Presidio.  I may have learned more in Texas History in high school, but that was many many moons ago.  

When you first walk up, you see the nine flags that have flown over this area of Texas.  It’s an impressive sight, and reminds us that there’s a lot of history standing in front of me.  Near the flags is a plaque that gives the timeline of when each were flown over the area.  

<iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fparttimegypsysouls%2Fposts%2Fpfbid0rUhDDUGjSz8rSo9zqJoDuisC5yHQpibAyrT9qPAi4faST9XkWEwfUJP97tgUki1Pl&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="626" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe>

We laughed when opening the door, because it’s evident that this was a fort. The door is thick and heavy wood, and I struggled opening it.  When you first walk inside, you enter the gift shop.  The admission is a very affordable $5 per person.  We picked up a free Texas Historical Commission’s passport, stamped with this location, to record our future journeys to THC sites.  We proceed throughout the fort.  It seems every surface is full of rich history, along with plaques that describe the artifacts on display, the people and the time period.

We make our way past the kitchen area, and through the door into the yard of the fort.  We explored the grounds, saw an oxen cart, and it’s easy to imagine the re-enactments taking place here.  I haven’t been to one yet, but I will.  Maybe I can convince Tom to come with me for that.  

Next, we step into a room and I remember that The Quarters can be rented out.  At the time of this writing, Sunday through Thursday the rate is $200/night.  Friday and Saturday is $230/night.  To make reservations, you can call 361-645-3752 or reserve online at https://thc.texas.gov/node/369 .  One really neat thing is that when you rent out The Quarters, you have access to the entire grounds for the duration of your stay.  This is still on my list of things to do.  The story goes that you also may hear sounds that go bump in the night, as the location is purportedly haunted.  

We don’t tour The Quarters, as they are kept private for paying guests, but there is a bunkroom that’s open to walk through.  Again, the history can be felt as you walk through the room.  Next, we make our way past the wooden water well and over to the church.  It’s in the opposite corner, but it’s a beautiful day. 

The church is still an active catholic church. The painting in the sanctuary draws the eye immediately, although the nave has high arched ceilings and round windows up high that draw the eye as well. There is a small room with votive candles that can be lit by parishioners, holy water, and back in the nave, there’s a confessional. It’s a beautiful church, and wrapped up our visit of the Presidio la Bahia.

Next stop: Mission de Espiritu at Goliad State Park.

Joining me today is Carrie, one of my besties and serial co-workers (seriously, I jokingly called her my personal recruiter for years… we worked together at 4 different companies over the last 14 years).  We had planned to get together to discuss how to create reels for her new real estate career.  SHAMELESS PLUG:  Go check out her Facebook page, and if you’re in the market for real estate, DEFINITELY check out her website and give her a call.  Seriously, she’s the absolute best!!  

But the day before we were scheduled to do this, one of my childhood besties from Sugar Land, Melissa, called me and asked if I was busy.  She and her sister, Laura were dying to get out and about and do something different.  I told her what Carrie and I had planned, and they were all in.  So the four of us went off to explore Goliad.  

Goliad is a small town – the census in 2020 recorded the population as 1,620 – with a big impact on Texas history.  Like many small towns here, the courthouse square is graced with a large historical courthouse – this one was built in 1894 of Limestone, brought by ox cart to Goliad from Austin.  Many of the buildings surrounding the courthouse square are marked with similar years.  

<iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fparttimegypsysouls%2Fposts%2Fpfbid02JzUs4149yifssDmH3cFog24XY292BX8d1DX2eemC1ay9VTCcPbZjn6xr6UAF33s3l&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="626" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe>

What is unusual here is a large, very old oak tree in the north portion of the courthouse lawn.  A sign in front of it marks it as the “Site for court sessions at various times from 1846 to 1870.  Capital sentences called for by the courts were carried out immediately, by means of a rope and a convenient limb.  Hangings not called for by regular courts occurred here during the 1857 “Cart War” – a series of attacks made by Texas Freighters against Mexican drivers along the Indianola-Goliad-San Antonio Road.  Above 70 men were killed, some of them on this tree before the war was halted by Texas Rangers.”

Another marker reads, “Santa Anna’s Surrender Ratified.  Gen. Vicente Filasola, second in command of Mexican Armies in Texas War for Independence fled from area of his nations defeat at San Jacinto, April 21, 1836.  Filasola’s aim was to go back to Mexico with his army.  After he had passed through Goliad, he was overtaken at Mujerero Creek (12 mi. SW) by Texan Army couriers, Col. Bent Form Smith and Capt. Henry Teal.  Signing the ratification of peace at Mujerero, May 26, 1836, were Gen. Filasola, Gen. Eugene Tolsa, Col. Augustine Amat, Col. Smith, and Capt. Teal.”

Also on the north lawn is a memorial to the Goliad men who lost their lives in World War II.  The transcription of the stone reads, “Because these sons of Goliad County, Texas gave their lives in World War II that freedom might live, the citizens erected this memorial and dedicated it to their undying hopes and everlasting memories”.  The names and ranks of those lost are inscribed on stones on each side of the memorial stone.  

We window shopped and actually shopped in a couple of stores before heading to our next stop – Presidio la Bahia.  

Wanna guess what the theme is?

C’mon, guess!

The Boy Who Lived cannot be found here, but there are elements that would make him feel right at home. This quaint coffee shop in a strip center near downtown Corpus Christi should not be missed, especially if you are a fan of the Wizarding World.

My daughter had to run some errands in Corpus, so I decided to tag along. After, we had just enough time to stop by her brother’s house so I could hug his neck and scoop up my Daughter-in-Love. We’re all sure we can pass as Wizards, so we zoomed in the non-flying car to have a couple of drinks.

We all got something different, so we could each try the other’s and get a good taste of all of it, 1 hot and 2 iced, then I went back for an iced and we bought another to take my son. As we waited (not long at all), we perused the shop, pointing at all the memorabilia on the walls, shelves… they even have the themed chess game in the front room. They were all really good! When I can remember the names/flavors, I’ll come back and update this post with it.

After finishing our drinks, we zoomed back out in the non-flying car, making the Unbreakable Vow that we shall return!

So, if you’re in Corpus Christi, be sure and drop by The Coffee Mugg at 1112 Morgan Avenue, Corpus Christi, TX 78404. As of this writing, they have just extended their hours to Mon-Thurs 6:30am – 3:00pm, Fri – Sun 8am – 7pm. Just don’t bring cash from the Muggle world – only cards are accepted here.

We began our trip like many of ours… with me driving and her navigating. Once we got downtown, we had some unexpected issues crop up. We wanted to take the light rail to downtown, but it was raining and we weren’t sure where the station was – only that it wasn’t far. We couldn’t figure out where to park, so we ultimately decided to park at McKinney Plaza, where access to the tunnels are a short elevator ride away. Parking is expensive, but it usually is these days, isn’t it? So off into the tunnels we went. Neither of us have been since the early to mid 90s, so it was a new experience for all of us.

We traversed a few branches of the tunnel, then came above ground again in Houston Center to lunch at Otto’s.

Much has changed. I remember in the 90s, there were shoe shine stations, dry cleaners, a bar or two, more restaurants. I remember having training downtown after I graduated high school, and my dad took me to lunch one day. There were two guys sitting at the bar, having some drinks, when I asked my Dad, “They’re allowed to drink at lunch?” Like I thought drinking was just a dinner or late night endeavor. He chuckled, and said, “yes, Kim, they’re adults.”

And back in 2024, after we had our fill of being 20 feet below the roads and buildings, we headed back topside, and made the quick drive to Hermann Park, where we caught a ride on the train just before the rain hit. The train ride was really pretty neat, and showed me a side of Houston I haven’t seen, despite being born and raised near here. The coolest part was Destination Mound Town, which is an art exhibit within the tunnel. I could try to describe it to you, but everything I said would be lacking, so I’ll post a link to my video of it below, and then post a couple of links explaining it.

My video on Instagram

This is the best website I’ve seen with photos of the tunnel and the brief description of the installation: https://www.piperfaustpublicart.com/destination-mound-town

This one is my favorite narrative: https://secrethouston.com/destination-mound-town/

Have you been? What do you think of the underground tunnels? What about the train and the train tunnel? Let me know below! And stay tuned for more Part Time Gypsy Souls adventures!! <3

In my day job, I do many things.  I’m a consultant – which is just a fancy word for I do the type of work I want to do (or can get), for who I want to work for (or who will pay), and the money I make (or don’t make) changes constantly.  Similar to having several part-time jobs, and constantly juggling logistics to make them all work.  At least that’s what it means looking from the outside in.  Anywho, one of those jobs is a few hours a week as a salesperson in the oilfield, and part of those duties mean that I take invoices out to oil rigs, and get them signed.  One of the areas I frequent in the execution of those duties is Shiner, TX and Moulton, TX.  Time and time again, I have passed this area in the road, where I can see a swimming pool with no swimmers, an old building with the words “SULPHUR PARK SWIMMING POOL, est. 1930”.  And while I love all things historical, I never stopped to check it out… until I did.  

On this day in early April 2024, my youngest son was with me, as we’d had an appointment in Hallettsville that morning.  Rather than take an hour or two to take him back home and then go to Shiner, we drove directly there.  As I had him in the car, we were discussing things we enjoy, I took more note of the historical marker.  We passed it on the way north, and I told him we would be making a quick stop on the way back.  We discussed my love of history, his enjoyment of some of it, but not as much as I do.  I did the “day job” for the time it took, and on the way back, stopped to check out a piece of history.  

When we pulled into the drive, it was windy and rain was threatening from the heavy air.  I took the above photo of the historical marker from the Texas Historic Commission. The text of the marker reads:  

The pool is fenced off and empty, but photos of times gone bye can be found at the Facebook page of Sulphur Park Event Venue https://www.facebook.com/sulphurpark/.  People have shared a bit of history (check out a post from August 31, 2022), and of course, you can book an event at this site by contacting them.  There are fun photos on the page of events held recently that show the interior decorated as well.  

For me, this slice of history was a wonderful stop on a regular path of travel, but for many, it’s a small town in Central/South Texas that they’ve never seen.

And what’s nearby?  There are several historical markers in the area that I now feel honor bound to check out… but also, I must take a trip to Spoetzl Brewery, the home of Shiner Bock, my favorite beer!  Stay tuned for more Part Time Gypsy Souls adventures!  

This was our inaugural trip with the Part Time Gypsy Wagon (a 2014 Fireside by Springdale that we purchased after she had flooded and then sat unopened and untouched for a couple of years). She was travel worthy, and had been scrubbed top to bottom at least 4 times, but still mid-remodel, so there was little but a shell – A/C, supplemented with a window A/C, refrigerator, stove, and bare floors that my husband and son finished replacing the day before we left. We couldn’t even use the water, as we had determined the leak was in the bathroom, but flooded it again before we realized it had not been repaired (luckily, this happened BEFORE we finished replacing the floors). Melissa helped cover the wood with some carpet squares and rugs, her hubby moved a futon and twin mattress inside her, and away we went! We found everything else we needed along the way.

So, as we were traveling back through Texas to catch the highway to head north, we both saw a billboard. We didn’t catch much, except that it was advertising a General Store, and the sign said Coffee 5 cents!!! In this economy (or really, ANY economy), and being coffee lovers, we both decided we had to check it out!

We found an old-style town square, complete with cobblestone streets.

Before I tell you where it was, watch this short slideshow I put together for it:

Did you catch the name of the town?

Jefferson, Texas! We will definitely have to go back – it is on our radar now, and we won’t rest until we get another trip in. Jefferson is known for being pre-Civil War, and most places put the birthdate of the town in 1836. It’s mentioned in historical records as early as 1840, so it’s somewhere around that time period. We visited the town square, parking our Gypsy Wagon right on the cobblestones, and walked around town a bit. The Jefferson General Store – which has been around since the 1870s was amazing – complete with 5 cent coffee, candy by the pound, a variety of locally made salsas, toys from days gone bye, and so much more! We couldn’t help but pick up a few things while we were there.

It was near closing time, so the only other shop we made it in before closing was the Jefferson Fudge Company. Their website doesn’t appear to be up, so I’ve linked their Facebook page instead. We slipped in right before closing, and they were incredibly welcoming and accommodating, answering questions and chatting about the chocolates. We bought a few and left so we didn’t keep them overlong, but there was a huge selection of other items in the store that I definitely want to check out next time as well!

After leaving, we found that the city itself is known for it’s history – find it here! It’s also known to be haunted. Melissa and I can’t wait to go back!!

Stay tuned for more adventures of Part Time Gypsy Souls!

Melissa and I were on a typical monthly trip to Mansfield, LA in August 2023. We were driving along, and I heard… “Was that a… TRAIN?” I’m sure you can imagine the incredulity in her voice.

Me: “Was what a train?”

Melissa: “There was a train… right beside the road, just back there. (Hesitant) Do you think we could…”

Me: (already in the left turn lane to make the U-turn at the light)

And just like that, we found the full-size Engine No. 13 in the small town of Diboll, TX, in a parking lot behind a building labeled “The History Center”. Well, if you know us at all, you know we couldn’t resist THAT!!

The History Center is amazing. I can’t find the words. It’s a small building, packed with exactly what the name implies. A full, vibrant, and rich history of East Texas. From their website (the link is in the name):

The His­to­ry Cen­ter col­lects, pre­serves, and makes avail­able the his­to­ry of our region and its peo­ple for the edu­ca­tion­al use and ben­e­fit of present and future gen­er­a­tions. Geo­graph­i­cal­ly, this area includes but is not lim­it­ed to Angeli­na and the imme­di­ate sur­round­ing East Texas coun­ties. This region­al des­ig­na­tion includes an inter­est in the nat­ur­al and social his­to­ry of the area, the East Texas lum­ber indus­try, and the records of region­al fam­i­lies, orga­ni­za­tions, busi­ness­es, and governments.

The His­to­ry Cen­ter is free to the pub­lic and invites researchers and as well as the gen­er­al­ly curi­ous to enjoy our edu­ca­tion­al offer­ings both onsite and online. In con­nec­tion with our research col­lec­tions, we offer indoor and out­door inter­pre­tive exhibits and we invite school and oth­er groups to con­tact us for guid­ed tour information.

Seriously, my photos don’t do it justice. And check out their online collections, and the Oral History tab!! Seriously, click on a name, and you can read a brief bio, then listen to an interview about the history that they’re discussing. And if you can’t listen, transcripts are available at the click of a button as well.

So, back to our day… once we completed our walkthrough of the interior, it was time to brave the great outdoors. Seriously, it was August in northern East Texas. It was HOT – like solid triple digits hot. And there we found our Engine No. 13. The engine is parked under a carport, and it is open to walk through.

Once in the engine, you KNOW I had to pull the horn!! I couldn’t help myself!! It’s here on my Facebook page, because I don’t seem to be able to load the video here.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Part Time Gypsy Souls (@parttimegypsysouls)

We’ll see if that works. (Shrug)

Next, there was a train car. The type you would work, relax, and sleep in as the train moves along. That’s way too many photos to upload here, so here are just a couple of them. But there were seating areas, sleeping bunks, a full sized desk, and wash area!

Then behind that was another smaller car, a maintenance rail car, maybe? You could sit in it as well, and check out all the levers and handles.

So then OF COURSE, we had to stop at the gift shop and purchase a few things. My boys may be nearly grown, but I had to get them some train whistles, and for the hubby, a diecast rail car that’s also a pencil sharpener! We dropped a few dollars in the donations box on the way out, and then we were back on the road again… a little more knowledgeable about history, and we got to pull a train horn!

Have you ever run across something like this in your travels? Have you been to the website yet? Seriously, you NEED to check it out!!

Stay tuned for more Part Time Gypsy Souls adventures!