Buda, Texas, (in Texas, pronounced "Bew dah") is the quintessential small town as well as…read morefast-growing Texas city. Buda highlights itself as the "Outdoor Capital of Texas." Buda has scenic parks, walking trails, and different signature community events. One of Buda's key strengths is its location...along the Austin and San Antonio, TX corridor. Residents can enjoy big-city activities, as applicable, while benefiting from a slower pace and more affordable lifestyle. Many residents live in Buda and travel back and forth for work to either Austin or San Antonio, TX. The city also highlights its historic area filled with local shops and restaurants. The hubs and I tooled around Buda playing tourist, one of the things we do from time to time. We were pleasantly surprised to see how Buda has grown, It was great exploration of this charming small town.

We visit Buda all the time to drop off donations for the wonderful rescue shelter folks who saved…read moreour dog Benji's life. It is a cute little historic town that really holds onto its late 1800s roots. I like walking around the downtown square, which is packed with local businesses, antique shops, and places to eat. It has such a welcoming, small-town community vibe that makes spending a relaxed afternoon supporting the local shops totally worth it.

Only a sign right now- this settlement is part of the Shoal Creek Conservancy established to…read morerecognize the post-Civil War settlement along the banks of Shoal Creek by formerly enslaved people. Later, working Mexican American families moved in. The Texas Historical Commission approved the "Undertold Marker" and land. The land would be a nice spot for future programming and education about the Settlements in Austin.

This marker is located not far from the El Arroyo restaurant and there is street parking nearby. It…read morepoints out some of the local history from after the Civil War, of which Texas did participate. The marker reads, "The Confederate men's home began in 1884 as a project of the John B. Hood Camp of United Confederate Veterans and was intended as a residence for disabled and indigent Confederate veterans. Potential residents were required to prove that they had served honorably in the Civil War, that they had a disability that prevented them from supporting themselves, and that they did not suffer from any contagious diseases." "The Albert Sidney Johnston Chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy led fundraising efforts for the home. In 1886, the John B. Hood Camp purchased sixteen acres with a two-story building at 1600 West Sixth Street, and the Confederate Men's Home opened later that year. The home was operated by the Veterans' Camp with funding from public contributions until 1891, when oversight was assumed by the state of Texas. The State Legislature established the Board of Control to operate the home in 1920, and then in 1949, responsibility was transferred to the Board for Texas State Hospitals and Special Schools. The site eventually grew to twenty-six acres and included a large administration building, living quarters, a hospital and private cottages." "From the time of its inception until the death of the last resident veteran in 1954, more than 2,000 Confederate veterans were admitted to the home. During the mid-twentieth century, the scope of the home shifted to include disabled veterans of the Spanish-American War and World War I, as well as mental health patients. The home operated until 1963, when residents were transferred to Kerrville, and the site's buildings were razed in 1970." [Review 17396 overall - 411 in Texas - 914 of 2022.]

The small cemetery sits in a mostly empty 1 acre field right next to 969. It's a small family…read morecemetery with some rich history behind it. There are two photos below of Texas historical signs which you tell you you all you need to know. It's immediate neighbors are a Dollar General, the village hall, and the Ebeneezer Church. There was one other grave cast in concrete about 10 feet from the main plot. It was hard to read with very little information. For the most part, this small plot seems relatively well cared for, although a little overgrown. For those interested in local Texas history, it's worth a visit. Informative photos and video below.

This is a cemetery that started in 1859 according to the Texas historical sign. I suggest you check…read moreout the photo of it below as it will give you more insight. This appears to be an active graveyard, as there are some recent burials here with plenty of surrounding space for more. There is a single pave lane that runs through the center of the property. As you would expect, there are many Freemason symbols on headstones, along with the graves of veterans from earlier wars. There are also many family plots ringed by concrete borders. The cemetery is relatively well cared for, but the noise of I 35 not far away detracts from the peace. Most of the people who are interred here have been long forgotten, but there are a handful of graves that receive some attention, and there are flags on the veterans graves. Plenty of photos included concerning this historical place.

Tom Miller Dam is a dam located on the Colorado River within the city limits of Austin, Texas, near…read moreMozart's coffee. I used to work nearby and have had the opportunity to walk across Tom Miller Dam. Great view from the dam's walkway... The dam forms the Lake Austin upstream and marks the beginning of Lady Bird Lake downstream. The dam is, surrounded by rolling hills and a residential area, which makes it aesthetically pleasing from the dam walkway. Tom Miller Davis was completed in 1940 after two previous dams at the same site were destroyed by floods. Operationally the dam plays a vital role in flood control, hydroelectric generation, and maintaining a steady water level. The Miller dam has two hydroelectric turbines producing energy for Austin. The Lower Colorado River Authority currently manages the dam operations.

I was in Austin, TX for vacation and was told that there was a Thomas Dambo troll that was located…read morein the city. Steve told me this and so we went and looked it up while we were here taking in the sights and I was so glad I did! I love the Thomas Dambo trolls and there are several located where I live and after finding all of them I was really interested in finding more that were wherever we may do our travels. Malin or Malin's Fountain troll was in Pease Park and after figuring out where a good place to park the car we dove out and went looking for the troll. It wasn't long before we did find it. It also helps to look for a group of people because a lot of them are there to take pictures of these trolls. I got pictures of her big aqua gem necklace, the big bowl she was holding ( this troll was a she) and of course her big face. It was great and I always love to share my pictures with friends with the trolls I go see. Unfortunately on May 21st, 2026 Malin was destroyed in a fire. Completely reduced to ash. The cause as of 5/22/26 is still under investigation. I was there about a month before. The Austin area is very upset with the loss of their troll. This isn't the first time a troll has been destroyed. Vandals destroyed one in Australia and natural weather occurrences has destroyed at least one in Latin America. Eventually it seems a troll that is destroyed gets replaced by another eventually in the nearby area where one may have been but it is a completely different troll with a new name and nor a recreation of the previous one. From my understanding the previous troll's story ends with it's destruction and the new troll has a new story of it's own. It's kind of sad but also cool at the same time as each sculpture has it's own story regardless if it remains intact or not. But the loss of Malin is more upsetting than anything as these Dambo trolls are so beautiful and a delight to see for anyone.

Finding Malin feels like discovering a magical secret in the woods. As you walk along the trail in…read morePease Park, she suddenly appears sitting quietly among the trees watching over the creek holding a large bowl meant to collect rainwater for the animals. She is an 18-ft reminder that the park belongs to the wildlife as well and that we should all share the resources around us. Handmade completely from recycled and reclaimed wood, most of it locally sourced and assembled with the help of volunteers, Thomas Dambo designed Malin as a part of his worldwide series of giant trolls to encourage people to care for nature and reuse materials instead of throwing them away. She is absolutely magical and I highly recommend you come and visit her if you are anywhere near the area. It's an incredible experience to gaze up at her beautiful hair made from twisted boots and branches, and see the gentle, peaceful expression on her face. You will have to walk a bit on the trail to find her, but if anything, that makes it even more special when you do see her. Please, please be respectful to these beautiful art installations and the other people who are visiting them and hopefully your stop here will inspire you to listen to Dambo's message and seek out more of his work.

[This is a review of the Hutchings, Sealy & Co. Historical Markers in Galveston, but Yelp moved it…read moreand renamed it. Maybe they fix it, maybe they don't.] One of the most haunted buildings in Galveston, or at least as much as I've read. This where the ghost of a schoolteacher who heroically pulled victims from the floodwaters during the great hurricane of 1900 roams the Strand. I didn't see it. The State marker here reads, "Four decades after joining in partnership, George Ball, John Henry Hutchings, and John Sealy employed prominent Galveston architect Nicholas J. Clayton to design office buildings for their Ball, Hutchings & Co. commission and banking operations. Built in 1895 as two individual but connected structures, these buildings complemented Galveston's Strand Avenue, known at the time as the "Wall Street of the Southwest." "The buildings' Renaissance revival style is represented by the heavily rusticated stone arches featured on its entryways, terra cotta detailing on the parapets and entablatures, evenly spaced columns and pilasters, elaborate stone cornice, and arcading windows. The foundation walls are six feet wide at the base and made of pressed brick with ashlar patterned sandstone facing. "The corner building, which features the name "Hutchings" on its entablature, was originally constructed for John H. Hutchings. The adjoining office building, featuring the name "Sealy" on its entablature, was built for John Sealy. These majestic buildings are reminders of a grand era in Galveston's history and the philanthropic legacy of these early businessmen." The second marker has a picture of the building on the back. The front reads, "This impressive building contains grey and pink granite, red Texas sandstone, and buff colored terra cotta. Designed in the Neo-Renaissance style by Galveston architect Nicholas J. Clayton, it was built in 1895 for the banking firm of Ball, Hutchings & Co. "Although the three-story building appears to be a single structure, it actually consists of two adjoining structures made to look like one. The corner structure housed the bank and the easterly building the offices. The two buildings are crowned by an elaborate stone cornice with the Lone Star medallion on panels of the entablature and with the dates 1854 and 1895 in the stonework. "Ball, Hutchings & Co. was established in 1854 with George Ball, John H. Hutchings, and John Sealy as partners. As bankers and dealers in wholesale dry goods, the firm was the first of its kind in Texas and its influence was felt throughout the state. In 1858, the assets and liabilities of the Samuel May Williams' Commercial and Agricultural Bank, the only chartered bank in Texas prior to the Civil War, were taken over by Ball, Hutchings & Co. "When the Federal blockade the port of Galveston during the Civil War, the firm moved to Houston for the duration of the war and from there carried on trade in cotton as a means to help the Confederacy. In 1867, George Sealy, younger brother of John Sealy, was made a partner in the firm. "The bank was reorganized in 1897 as Hutchings, Sealy & Co. After a merger in 1930 with the South Texas National Bank, the name of the bank was changed to the Hutchings-Sealy National Bank. And in 1958, after a merger with the First National Bank of Galveston, to First Hutchings-Sealy National Bank of Galveston. Based on these mergers, the bank has the distinction of being the oldest bank in Texas. In 1933, Hutchings-Sealy National Bank was moved to the Rosenberg Bank at 22nd and Market Streets. In 1956, a new building was constructed for the bank at 22nd and Market. In 1972, a ten story building was erected for the bank between 22nd, 23rd, Market and Mechanic Streets. American Indemnity Company was founded here in 1913 and occupied the building until 1958. After Hurricane Carla severely damaged its building in 1961, Ursuline Academy held classes here for several years. The bank has played an important role in Galveston's commercial history. George Ball, John H. Hutchings, John Sealy and George Sealy were influential in many industries including railroads, steamship lines, and the wharves. They were civic-minded men whose concern for the citizens of their city led them to establish and support hospitals, schools, and orphanages. "In 1985, George and Cynthia Mitchel began restoration of this landmark." [Review 879 of 2024 - 634 in Texas - 21908 overall]