Richard_
08-02-2009, 09:41 AM
The obligatory tourist picture on the front porch of the old Luckenbach Post Office/General Store.
http://rgibbens.smugmug.com/photos/608090414_gKDFr-XL.jpg
When family came to visit for the weekend what better way to enjoy our time together than a hot August Saturday afternoon doing the tourist thing in Luckenbach? This has been an exceptionally hot summer with temps reaching 100 daily so there just weren't a lot of afternoon outdoor choices not involving water/swimming. Luckenbach has some wonderful shade trees that help keep things reasonable. That and the fact that neither had been to Luckenbach before sealed the deal. After a detour for some tortilla soup at Jim's Restaurant in Oak Hill, we headed out from Austin, casually making our way west with Luckenbach as our destination.
A rare photograph with me in it. Thank goodness I happened to have my TX adventure rider t-shirt on. :)
http://rgibbens.smugmug.com/photos/608089909_9kDvV-XL.jpg
Luckenbach was named after Carl Albert Luckenbach, the son of German immigrant Jacob Luckenbach. At various times throughout the years the town had a general store, dance hall, school, cotton gin, blacksmith shop, kissing booth, and gas pump. Today the only thing that remains from the past is the general store, which is now a store and bar, and the dance hall. A hat shop and hamburger stand have been added in more recent years.
Luckenbach gained legendary status in 1977 with the release of Waylon Jenning's international hit, Luckenbach Texas (Back to the Basics of Love). (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPc9DDdO1iI)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPc9DDdO1iI
Today, Luckenbach remains a good place to spend a casual weekend afternoon.
Motorcycles get their own parking area right in the heart of town, a fact taken advantage of by the motorcycling community. Luckenbach is a destination spot for riders from far and near. Most weekends there are an abundance of bikes parked in the lot.
http://rgibbens.smugmug.com/photos/608090982_jrMn6-XL.jpg
What do you do with the old outhouse once you get running water and a new restroom? You use it to shelter the ATM from the weather. There really is an ATM machine in there. No kidding.
http://rgibbens.smugmug.com/photos/608091922_wNcgE-XL.jpg
Shotgun, the Longhorn, and his owner were hanging out today and Shotgun was accommodating all picture requests. Yes, those horns are real.
http://rgibbens.smugmug.com/photos/608091461_krqNe-XL.jpg
This sign says it all. Welcome to Luckenbach.
http://rgibbens.smugmug.com/photos/608092963_E8XCi-XL.jpg
If you forgot your cowboy hat or just need a new one, the Snail Creek Hat Co. has a wide variety of choices for you to select from.
http://rgibbens.smugmug.com/photos/608093403_gqR4T-XL.jpg
The other end of the Post Office/General Store building. This end of the building houses the bar. When the windows are open so is the bar.
http://rgibbens.smugmug.com/photos/608092478_LK4yJ-XL.jpg
Enjoying the free music over a cold Shiner Bock. The ambiance of the place just can't be beat.
http://rgibbens.smugmug.com/photos/608094609_TPC2H-XL.jpg
The Luckenbach web site said George Devore would be playing from 1-4 p.m. When we got there these 2 fellows were playing. I never did figure out if one of them was George or not but they sure were enjoyable to listen to.
http://rgibbens.smugmug.com/photos/608095881_eBhuQ-XL.jpg
This Cowboy was enjoying the music and a cold ice tea.
http://rgibbens.smugmug.com/photos/608095410_juYAr-XL.jpg
I love this fellow's party hat. The last time I saw this hat Mike Frederick was wearing it on a fun Friday night in downtown Galeana, Mexico (see the MexTrek 2008 ride report here on TWT for more info and pics of the party hat).
http://rgibbens.smugmug.com/photos/608095028_LzZDb-XL.jpg
I see you, cutie.
I see you too, cutie.
License plates liberally decorate the stage and restrooms.
http://rgibbens.smugmug.com/photos/608096586_uS9Qv-XL.jpg
Some license plates I got.
http://rgibbens.smugmug.com/photos/608097276_NxeFw-XL.jpg
Some I didn't get.
http://rgibbens.smugmug.com/photos/608096938_geWeY-XL.jpg
On the other hand, now that I think about it, this pretty much describes lots of things in life. Some things I get, some I don't.
The Luckenbach Feed lot (hamburger stand) is open for business on most weekends.
http://rgibbens.smugmug.com/photos/608098602_rBHoR-XL.jpg
This is Honey, the official Luckenbach drug sniffing dog. She's old and retired now, so the only thing she sniffs out is the cheeseburger you got from the Feed Lot.
http://rgibbens.smugmug.com/photos/608097798_pnwz3-XL.jpg
Honey says "It's hot and I need to rest."
http://rgibbens.smugmug.com/photos/608096218_2Xr5z-XL.jpg
This amusing comment is written on the wall in the men's room.
http://rgibbens.smugmug.com/photos/608098227_XKy9V-XL.jpg
The Luckenbach Dance Hall. Build in the 1800s and still in operation. Noel Lee Haggard, son of country legend Merle Haggard, was playing tonight but we didn't stick around. Maybe next time.
http://rgibbens.smugmug.com/photos/608105394_P2gvh-XL.jpg
And that is that.
If you haven't been to Luckenbach, I recommend jumping on your bike and heading that way on some hot summer day. It's a great way to pass an afternoon and riding through the hill country to get there is an added bonus.
http://rgibbens.smugmug.com/photos/608090414_gKDFr-XL.jpg
When family came to visit for the weekend what better way to enjoy our time together than a hot August Saturday afternoon doing the tourist thing in Luckenbach? This has been an exceptionally hot summer with temps reaching 100 daily so there just weren't a lot of afternoon outdoor choices not involving water/swimming. Luckenbach has some wonderful shade trees that help keep things reasonable. That and the fact that neither had been to Luckenbach before sealed the deal. After a detour for some tortilla soup at Jim's Restaurant in Oak Hill, we headed out from Austin, casually making our way west with Luckenbach as our destination.
A rare photograph with me in it. Thank goodness I happened to have my TX adventure rider t-shirt on. :)
http://rgibbens.smugmug.com/photos/608089909_9kDvV-XL.jpg
Luckenbach was named after Carl Albert Luckenbach, the son of German immigrant Jacob Luckenbach. At various times throughout the years the town had a general store, dance hall, school, cotton gin, blacksmith shop, kissing booth, and gas pump. Today the only thing that remains from the past is the general store, which is now a store and bar, and the dance hall. A hat shop and hamburger stand have been added in more recent years.
Luckenbach gained legendary status in 1977 with the release of Waylon Jenning's international hit, Luckenbach Texas (Back to the Basics of Love). (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPc9DDdO1iI)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPc9DDdO1iI
Today, Luckenbach remains a good place to spend a casual weekend afternoon.
Motorcycles get their own parking area right in the heart of town, a fact taken advantage of by the motorcycling community. Luckenbach is a destination spot for riders from far and near. Most weekends there are an abundance of bikes parked in the lot.
http://rgibbens.smugmug.com/photos/608090982_jrMn6-XL.jpg
What do you do with the old outhouse once you get running water and a new restroom? You use it to shelter the ATM from the weather. There really is an ATM machine in there. No kidding.
http://rgibbens.smugmug.com/photos/608091922_wNcgE-XL.jpg
Shotgun, the Longhorn, and his owner were hanging out today and Shotgun was accommodating all picture requests. Yes, those horns are real.
http://rgibbens.smugmug.com/photos/608091461_krqNe-XL.jpg
This sign says it all. Welcome to Luckenbach.
http://rgibbens.smugmug.com/photos/608092963_E8XCi-XL.jpg
If you forgot your cowboy hat or just need a new one, the Snail Creek Hat Co. has a wide variety of choices for you to select from.
http://rgibbens.smugmug.com/photos/608093403_gqR4T-XL.jpg
The other end of the Post Office/General Store building. This end of the building houses the bar. When the windows are open so is the bar.
http://rgibbens.smugmug.com/photos/608092478_LK4yJ-XL.jpg
Enjoying the free music over a cold Shiner Bock. The ambiance of the place just can't be beat.
http://rgibbens.smugmug.com/photos/608094609_TPC2H-XL.jpg
The Luckenbach web site said George Devore would be playing from 1-4 p.m. When we got there these 2 fellows were playing. I never did figure out if one of them was George or not but they sure were enjoyable to listen to.
http://rgibbens.smugmug.com/photos/608095881_eBhuQ-XL.jpg
This Cowboy was enjoying the music and a cold ice tea.
http://rgibbens.smugmug.com/photos/608095410_juYAr-XL.jpg
I love this fellow's party hat. The last time I saw this hat Mike Frederick was wearing it on a fun Friday night in downtown Galeana, Mexico (see the MexTrek 2008 ride report here on TWT for more info and pics of the party hat).
http://rgibbens.smugmug.com/photos/608095028_LzZDb-XL.jpg
I see you, cutie.
I see you too, cutie.
License plates liberally decorate the stage and restrooms.
http://rgibbens.smugmug.com/photos/608096586_uS9Qv-XL.jpg
Some license plates I got.
http://rgibbens.smugmug.com/photos/608097276_NxeFw-XL.jpg
Some I didn't get.
http://rgibbens.smugmug.com/photos/608096938_geWeY-XL.jpg
On the other hand, now that I think about it, this pretty much describes lots of things in life. Some things I get, some I don't.
The Luckenbach Feed lot (hamburger stand) is open for business on most weekends.
http://rgibbens.smugmug.com/photos/608098602_rBHoR-XL.jpg
This is Honey, the official Luckenbach drug sniffing dog. She's old and retired now, so the only thing she sniffs out is the cheeseburger you got from the Feed Lot.
http://rgibbens.smugmug.com/photos/608097798_pnwz3-XL.jpg
Honey says "It's hot and I need to rest."
http://rgibbens.smugmug.com/photos/608096218_2Xr5z-XL.jpg
This amusing comment is written on the wall in the men's room.
http://rgibbens.smugmug.com/photos/608098227_XKy9V-XL.jpg
The Luckenbach Dance Hall. Build in the 1800s and still in operation. Noel Lee Haggard, son of country legend Merle Haggard, was playing tonight but we didn't stick around. Maybe next time.
http://rgibbens.smugmug.com/photos/608105394_P2gvh-XL.jpg
And that is that.
If you haven't been to Luckenbach, I recommend jumping on your bike and heading that way on some hot summer day. It's a great way to pass an afternoon and riding through the hill country to get there is an added bonus.