A Football Game and a Weekend in College Station and Bryan

Victoria was able to score some free tickets to the Texas A&M Aggies vs New Mexico Lobos game at Kyle Field in College Station. She went to Texas A&M for college so she was pumped to be able to see a game in person. This would actually be the second game we both went to, with the first one being NRG Stadium in Houston. After going to the game, we also were going to visit with her grandparents, aunt and uncle, and cousin before heading back to Austin.

As a note, you might see me reference places and not have any links to it or talk much about it. What I am doing is talking about the general trip first and will then start posting about each individual place after that. You'll have to stay tuned to get a more in depth overview of each place.

Just like the wedding we went to last year I was actually not going to drive on this trip and was able to just ride shotgun. We started our journey first by getting gas at 7-11 and then breakfast\lunch that we could eat along the way. I got a double cheeseburger and some pizza. I was surprised that the gas station had Julio's chips, so we bought them to munch on for a snack.

7-Eleven double cheeseburger sandwich in foil wrapper resting on lap in car with Fritos chips visible Hand holding brown paper bag containing red Cheez-It snack box in car Open bag of Fritos corn tortilla chips with salted chips branding visible on car dashboard

After getting what we needed at 7-11 we hit the road.

Tree-lined residential street with overcast sky and apartment buildings visible on right side Multi-lane highway stretching ahead under cloudy sky with light traffic and flat Texas landscape

Victoria wanted to take the back way so she didn't have to deal with Highway 290. We took the Highway 79 route that took us through a bunch of small little towns along the way. First we went through Hutto.

Greetings from Hutto mural on building exterior featuring longhorn cattle and established 1876 text Long freight train cars alongside highway under dramatic gray storm clouds

Next was good ole Taylor and into the direction of Rockdale.

Water tower visible on horizon across open field under moody overcast sky Empty two-lane highway stretching toward horizon through flat rural landscape under cloudy sky Highway sign for US 79 North toward Rockdale on rural Texas road under stormy sky Railroad hopper cars on tracks beside highway under dark cloudy sky

You can't forget about Thrall

Thrall water tower visible in distance from highway with billboard advertising visible

We then hit Milam County, who is actively bidding for Amazon to put their second headquarters there. Thorndale seems like a happening place with the grain storage silos.

Highway with guardrail and vegetation under overcast sky in rural Texas Thorndale water tower visible behind utility pole and power lines Large grain silos at intersection with traffic light in small Texas town

After a quick pass through of Thorndale, we hit Rockdale. This seemed like a more happening place than Thorndale. There was a Walmart and a Dollar General.

Industrial facility with concrete silos and Welcome to Buckholts sign visible Walmart store sign on pole along commercial highway strip Dollar General store sign along commercial street with sparse development

In all seriousness, one thing I will give Rockdale is their downtown had a classic small town feel to it and it appeared to be well kept up.

Small town main street with storefronts, parked cars, and traffic light

Eventually, we got out of Rockdale and hit more desolate roads where cattle reigned supreme and hotels literally had holes in the wall.

Two-lane highway stretching ahead through rural area with trees on both sides Single-story motel or apartment building with white trim and lawn in front, Texas Route 36 sign visible Two-lane highway stretching ahead through wooded rural area under partly cloudy blue sky Cattle grazing in fenced pasture beside road under overcast sky with bare trees in background

Soon, we made it to Caldwell where you could tell we were getting close to our destination judging by the Texas A&M flags. It was still pretty desolate in those areas, but at least the speed limit was 75 and you could tell they had some decent economic activity going judging the the oil well I saw along the way.

Welcome to Caldwell sign visible along highway with commercial buildings and parked vehicles Highway bypass with open fields on right side and residential development visible under blue sky Industrial facility with storage tanks and utility poles behind chain-link fence on partly cloudy day Rural highway with Hearne city limit sign visible among trees and utility poles Oil pump jack visible in flat agricultural field with scattered trees under blue sky

We finally made it to Bryan and civilization. I'm sure all the small towns we drove through have a few things that are unique and worth exploring when I have time, but we decided to explore Bryan a bit with the extra time we had to kill.

Interstate highway with exit sign for Schuggs Springs and Texas A&M University visible ahead Bryan city limit sign with speed limit 55 and Bryon Bar-B-Que advertisement visible along highway Small town street with van parked near building and large flag pole with red flag Downtown Bryan intersection at green traffic light with historic brick buildings and water tower visible Downtown street with angle parking, historic buildings, and trees lining both sides of road Downtown street view with historic multi-story brick buildings and decorative tower structure visible Carnegie Public Library building with classical columns and brick paver plaza in front Palace Theater with vintage marquee displaying movie showtimes and decorative train sculpture in front Small town main street with parked cars, historic buildings, and art deco-style theater visible Longhorn Tavern Steak House building with parked cars in front under partly cloudy sky

While driving, I got to see that building where the TABC offices are that I have made many trips to.

Commercial street with multi-story building visible in distance and car ahead under cloudy sky Multi-story striped office building visible from street with car ahead and trees surrounding

After driving around a bit, we made it to the parking lot where there was free parking and a bus to campus. After arriving on campus, we took a walk around and Victoria showed me around and gave me a bunch of background information on Texas A&M. One thing you will find is Texas A&M is deeply rooted in its traditions. It is so deeply rooted, that I will actually dedicate another blog entry to it.

While learning about the campus, the school's traditions, and all the places Victoria held dear, we made our way across the street from campus to Northgate. Northgate is the area of bars where college students tend to congregate like 6th Street in Austin or State Street in Madison.

Our first stop was Bottle Cap Alley.

Narrow alleyway between brick building and wooden fence with gravel ground and people walking ahead

We took a walk through there and since it was next to the Dixie Chicken, we ventured inside there.

Dixie Chicken sign with American flag and Texas A&M maroon flag visible on rustic building

We were planning to get a drink at the Dixie Chicken, but it was so packed that we decided against it when we walked in. Instead, we headed over to Antonio's Pizza. This was a good decision because I was hungry.

Two slices of pizza on white paper plate with colorful toppings including peppers and cheese

Hindsight is 20/20, but I really shouldn't have gotten two pieces of pizza. I was absolutely stuffed afterwards. The pizza was so good I really couldn't stop eating it until my body started saying no more. It definitely was an interesting walk so full, but we made it to a tailgate where I got to meet Victoria's old bosses from a law firm she worked at.

Misfit Tailgate tent setup with table of condiments and drinks at outdoor gathering

We had a drink there, and then hopped on another bus to get to the front of Kyle Field.

Kyle Field stadium exterior at dusk with row of flags along roofline under cloudy sky

Since the game was going to start soon, we did a little exploring, but quickly got in line and took our seats for the game.

Texas A&M football game field view from stands showing goal posts, scoreboard, and teams on field

It was fun watching Texas A&M totally kick the crap out of New Mexico. I always like blowout games where the team you're cheering for is the one blowing them out. After seeing this great game, it was time to hit the bus back to the parking lot and then go to the hotel for a good night's rest.

Quality Inn and Suites hotel entrance at night with illuminated portico and white pickup truck

We were pretty tired, so we went to sleep right away. The next morning we ate breakfast at the hotel and then went to Victoria's grandparents' house. We visited with them for a while and then her aunt, uncle, and cousin showed up. It was planned that we would go to the Chicken Oil Company for lunch so we all packed into Victoria's uncle Craig's vehicle and headed over there.

Chicken Oil Company restaurant with rustic wooden exterior and large yellow sign under blue sky

Now I thought we were just getting lunch, but Craig surprised me. Since he knew I had this blog, he took it upon himself to give me a tour of the Bryan area. We drove around a bit and our first stop was their house. I got to see his Houston Astros chairs next to a drum set.

Two orange stadium seats mounted on wall below black and white vintage baseball stadium photograph Orange stadium seats from angle showing folded position with commemorative plaque on wall above Black drum kit with cymbals set up in corner of room with blue curtain

We visited there for a while and then headed to the Messina Hof Winery. He knew I liked local products, so this was something that Bryan had to offer.

Brick winery tasting room building with dormers, patio furniture, and brick walkway on cloudy day

We all had a glass of wine and headed back to Victoria's grandparent's house where we visited for a while. Eventually, it was starting to get late, so we said our goodbyes and hit the road for Austin. We stopped at a gas station and I was surprised that I saw some more local products there.

Express Mart convenience store exterior with stone accents and decorative architectural details under blue sky Wooden display shelf in store filled with rows of jarred sauces, preserves, and condiments

When we got home, I took out the local products we bought. We got a bottle of wine and a jar of salsa.

Oma's Choice hot salsa jar and Messina Hof wine bottle on light wooden table Messina Hof Riesling wine bottle with portrait label on light wooden table in room Oma's Choice hot salsa jar from Schulenburg Texas on light wooden table closeup view

It was awesome getting to go to the game and see the Aggies completely spank New Mexico. I also want to thank Victoria's uncle Craig and aunt Kathy for showing me around Bryan. I do really like the area and a lot of it has to do with you guys showing me around and pointing out the many cool things of Bryan.

I have found that I do like the medium-sized cities the most. In many ways it seems to balance out the small town vs big city claustrophobia. Whether it be Thunder Bay, Madison, or now Bryan\College Station, I definitely love to visit these cities and see what they have to offer. I have a feeling I'll be back in the near future to explore the many wonderful things about this area.

See more blog entries here