Caterpillar Groundbreaking!

Today is a big day for Victoria.  It was the groundbreaking for Caterpillar.  400+ people showed up for the event!!!

I have met three Caterpillar employees that will be coming to Victoria and all I can say is, "Send us more just like them!"  They have all been very pleasant and will definitely be wonderful additions to our city!

At the luncheon following the groundbreaking, my wife and I were to get ahold of a Cat hardhat.  Here is the picture:

We are looking forward to the first excavator to role out in 2012!  

Dance halls

Victoria recently started a new marketing slogan or motto, "Bring Your Boots."  A famous boot maker Sam Lucchese used to live here long ago.  Lucchese Boots Co., as of the last I heard, will be making a new boot just for Victoria.  Here is an interesting little Advocate article that spoke of Sam Lucchese.
Although Lucchese is a cowboy boot, "Bring Your Boots" is marketed as much more.  It includes fishing boots, hunting boots, work boots, army boots, and pretty much any type of boot-like foot apparel.  Even this really cool hybrid.

On many weekends, Schroader Dance Hall, the second oldest dance hall in Texas, will be packed with many couples and singles dancing to a live band.  I am sure the image of line dancing comes to mind, but this is not the type of dancing I have ever seen there.  Rather, the two-step and three-step are more prominent.  These are done with couples.

If you have never learned to dance this way, many guys and gals will volunteer to teach you.

A little about hunting

This past Friday was opening of dove season for our region in Texas.  Texas is SO big that there are different regions that may break up when hunting can and cannot take place.  Similar to other states I am sure, Texas estimates or counts the population of deer, etc. so that the proper number of deer are harvested to keep the population sustainable.  In some places, deer reproduce very quickly and so the numbers can get to the point that it may be harmful for them, other animals, crops, and even people.

So on Friday, I joined two other clients/friends for the Associated Builders and Contractors 1st Annual Dove Hunt.  There are plenty associations, volunteer groups, non profits, etc. to get involved in and the ABC Midcoast Chapter is a good for the organization I work for.  We headed out to the camp site [about 20 miles away and off of the Refugio Highway (re-fury-oh)] around 2:00 pm to gather for instructions, details, etc.  The hunters would usually head out in the afternoon and head back to camp at dust.  In this case, the hunt came with a barbecue dinner, beer, and people to clean the birds (take the breast out and ready them for freezing). 

This hunt is called a day hunt, you pay to hunt for a period of time, in this case, an evening.  There were about 30 or so hunters that trampeded through mud to shoot these birds (by law they must be flying).  The shotguns used are usually a 12 or 20 gauge shotgun.  A limit of 15 doves can be harvested on a daily basis.  The part of the dove that is generally barbecued is the dove breast which is wrapped in bacon and a slice of jalepeno and/or onion is slid into it for a delicious appetizer (especially for the cooks, so stand by them so they don't run out before you try them :)) 

BTW, I haven't shot dove in awhile, so I left the hunt with 3 birds, my guest limited out!  Though I shot very badly, it is always fun to get out into the country with nature and do a little hunting! 

Items needed to hunt:
1) hunting license (can get it as a combo for fishing too)
2) shotgun
3) shotgun shells (ie, ammo)
4) vest or bag to carry items
5) hunting gear: boots, pants, hat, safety glasses, ear plugs
6) readiness for a fun time   
7) it doesn't hurt to hear some country music on the way out!

Friday Night Lights

Here in Victoria, Texas, we tend to live the famous coach, Mike Ditka's words: "If God had wanted man to play soccer, he wouldn't have given us arms."

A couple of weeks ago started the long awaited high school football season.  This is a special year for Victoria because we now have two new high schools which means instant rivals.  Creating two new schools has also made the school spirit reach new heights.  Another wonderful addition is that there are people all over the area, some from The Victoria Advocate (our local paper) and other big fans, that are beginning to tweet the games!  That makes it a little easier for those that cannot make every game but want to follow.

On the right side of the blog, I have links to the new schools (Victoria East and Victoria West) if you are interested in seeing information about them you can visit them. 

High school football in Texas is huge.  You may not like football, but it is a thing to experience.  The crowd, spirit, band, and cheer squad all contribute to the Friday Night Lights nostalgia! 

Common Lingo

Like most places, Victoria and the area has its own language.  I will act as a dictionary and translate some of the common phrases you will hear around here.

• "I feel for Mexican food." does NOT mean Taco Bell.  Given that we are 5 or so hours from Mexico, if you say "I am going to head for the boarder" as in the old Taco Bell motto, then people here may think you actually mean the Texas-Mexico border.  Victoria has a number of smaller or medium size restaraunts that are quite delicious.
• POC: this stands for Port O'Connor, a small community well known for fishing and a Jimmy Buffet type feel.
• "Do you want a shiner?": Waitresses may ask you this, it is not a black eye, it is a beer that is brewed in Shiner, TX about 50 miles away.  It is very good too, if you buy and don't like it, call me I can dispose of it!
• "That truck is jacked-up.":  It doesn't mean all messed up or broken; it means the owner has made it taller.
• Chupacabra: mysterious dog-like animal that has been "encountered"; it has local mystique like the Big Foot, Loch Ness, etc.  It is a more recent thing in the area.  A couple of chupas have been found, but scientists have concluded they were dogs of some sort with some kind of sickness. 
• HEB: A huge grocery chain (we have two in town) based in San Antonio, competitor to Wal-Mart Supercenter (we have one).
• Pepper: a local citizen that everyone knows at least by sight around town.
• "Got my limit...": this is the phrase used shooting the legal numbers of birds (usually doves) or catching the legal number of fish during the season.
• "The Loop": it is Loop 463
• Brother Gary Moses: he is a well known local community man that is seen at many of the community events.
• "Let's put it on the pit.": this is a phrase for cooking meat, etc. on a barbecue pit.  If ever invited to someone's barbeque, you will be in for a treat.  If I invite you, it is customary to bring me Shiner Bock.  :)
• "By Town Plaza Mall": don't be confused, it is not a mall in the sense of shopping.  It used to be.
• We hardly actually call any of the highways by their numerical name, like 87N or 59S.  Instead they are known as the place they are going to, so 77N is known as Hallettsville Highway.

As I think of more, I will add them.

Olde Victoria at the Oak Room

Olde Victoria at the Oak Room is a fine dining experience in Victoria.  When I was in high school, I went to The Plaza Club for prom dinner.  It was located at the top suite of the tallest building in downtown Victoria.  The food was delicious and for a high school kid that seldom had the fine dining type desserts, it was a treat to see and taste. 

Over the years, I believe ownership and name have changed.  I have not been there is quite some time, but I hear it is still a very high quality experience with wonderful food.  Although I speak in general terms, the clientele tends to be a crowd that is a little older than I.  I am sure you will see all age groups, but for the most part there will be people in the 40s, 50s, and 60s. 

It also has a nice classy bar area.  OVOR also caters to small and large parties.  For example, my high school baccalaureate celebration was held there.  Being high in the Victoria sky also lets the customers see Victoria with a bird's eye view.

p.s. As a reminder, if you have any suggestions that you would like to read about, let me know.  I am happy to help.

The oldest deli in Texas, one of the oldest restaurants in the USA

When a visitor comes to Victoria, TX, one of the places to see is Fossati's Delicatessen.  Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1991, it has offered Victoria many things like groceries to feed in the past.  It is now a common place for lunch, especially for those residents that work in the downtown area.

Their facebook page offers many pictures and communication with fans.  The latest large event to take place at this location was when Governor Rick Perry came and stopped by Victoria for his campaign.

As you walk to or sit inside this historic place, it is common to see many of the leaders of Victoria passby.  Victoria is a very congenial place, so if you see the mayor walking down the street, it is polite to say "hi" and even chat with him.  I am sure he would be very glad to speak with fellow or visiting Victorians.  As I usually travel downtown during my lunch hour, I see the City Attorney, City Manager, and even City Council members making their way to one of the little dining places. 

As you continue to follow the blog, I will introduce to more of the cute, quaint, personal, and delicious places to try when in the downtown area as well as across town.

Update: Here is a picture I took on 9/16/10.

Welcome to Victoria

This blog will be used to help those people who are interested in Victoria, TX, and in particular those from Caterpillar that want to learn about this wonderful little city.  If you have any recommendations, questions, topics, etc. please don't hesitate to ask, I will be more than willing to do what I can.  I hope this blog helps, even if it is a little, to introduce parts of Victoria to you!  I am hoping to introduce you to places, events, eateries, and things Victorian.