Heights2Bastrop

Esplanade at Hermann Museum Circle

I, too think Gulfgate was the first. Maybe there is a distinction between a shopping center and a mall? If they are the same, then I think Gulfgate was the first.

The last time I was by Palm Center was well over 20 years ago. It was all boarded up and resembled a war zone.

Tradewinds on W 34th just off 290 is still there. However, it is closed and for sale.

Rettig

I remember seeing it a few times, but it was rare that we had occasion to go out 290, so my memory was limited and sketchy. It wasn

That would be the F&M Dairy. The sign was a dairy cow.

Yes, that would be Brays.

Was Gene sober when you met him? He was quite renowned for his drinking, and, in fact, had to be tied to his saddle when he led off at least one of the rodeo parades years back.

Please don

Wyatt's Cafetaria was bought out by Luby's, including the one in Merchant's Park on 11th and Shepherd. It and some of the others are all-you-can-eat joints now. I wonder if the quality is any better?

Three Mexican restaurants I miss are Old Mexico on W Gray, Santa Anita on Pierce and Louisiana and Del Rio on Shepherd and W 26th. These were places from my childhood, but I can still taste certain dishes from each restaurant.

I also miss DePaul

Colina's is my favorite. I normally go to the one in the Heights.

Yes, that is definately Playland Park!

The main entrance was to the left of that photo. As you entered, the first ride on the left was the booth for the train which ran along side the roller coaster (behind it in the photo). Just beyond that is where Murworth is now. The round ride in the photo is the Tilt-a-Whirl.

I attended Hamilton JH, so Hogg was our rival.

I know exactly the type globe you are talking about. I know we had them at Hamilton as well as Reagan. I think most schools had the exact same ones.

I passed that location quite a few times as a small kid, but I never remember seeing that building. I think that's something I would have remembered, so it must have been torn down in the early 50s.

I was restless last night and couldn't sleep, so I sat in the living room watching TV. I heard the chirping the entire time I was awake. I am convinced now that these are not birds. However, every time I opened the back door, the chirping stopped, so I could not find the source.

I did a search years ago for Wattie Watkins, and you are right, it does seem to be common to use the nickname with that last name, just as many use

I know of the Wunsches, but I never knew that was their cemetary. That's nice to know.

I rode the Goodyear blimp out there once. It was a fun thing to do, but not as thrilling as one might think. Once, while in the Navy, I was catapulted off the aircraft carrier Kitty Hawk. Now that was a trip!

Tbird, I would have sworn the monorail could be seen just after you made the big turn on South Main. However, the location you indicate makes more sense. I would see the monorail as we were on the way to or from Sargent or Bay City. We would have taken Almeda (current 521) to Brazoria, so we would not have been on Main.

Waxing nostalgic here, we would always come back on Sunday afternoon, and we always listened to the radio shows like Gunsmoke and Boston Blackie. It was always a special treat if we hit Christies or Spanish Village on the way.

You mentioned Jimmie Green Chevrolet. Do you happen to remember the Humble station at Shepherd and Westheimer? It was owned by a fella named Waddie Wadkins (Wattie Watkins?), and he had a deer processing facility on the Shepherd side of the building.

Thanks for the clarification on Meyer Speedway.

The blimp base was at 45 and Holzwarth.

A bit of trivia. As you head north on I-45, just as you cross Cypresswood, there is a small stand of pine trees next to the highway. That is an old cemetery. You used to be able to see it from the freeway, but the new freeway was built over and around it.

In doing a search for Playland Park and the races they used to have featuring AJ Foyt and Billy Wade led me to a blurb about there being a racetrack at Arrowhead Park. I am pretty sure I know where it was because I remember seeing the monorail off South Main past where it makes the bend at the conjunction with Holmes. However, all my searches for Arrowhead came back with the stadium in KC.

Now, there used to be stock car races in the late 60

Wow, lowspark, I had forgotten all about the playground below the movie screen. You are so right that it was a different time back then.

The

Who are the ghosts supposed to be? Did people die in the building or did they just take up home there because they like the food?

Are they the ones whose chirping grows louder and more persistent until they drive you to buy insurance?

Those aren't those really dangerous tree frogs, are they?

It was at South Main at Beaeswood. It was for small kiddies and had horses you could ride around a circuit as to opposed to parks where you rode tethered horses.