Stopped here on a road trip across Texas and I'm glad we did! The people who own this place have…read moredone a great job rescuing different buildings from around the area, preventing them from being torn down or lost to time as cities and towns continue to expand. We grabbed our tickets at the visitor center and then used the pamphlet they gave us to do a self-guided tour which worked perfectly! It was easy to follow the map and match it up to the descriptions so that we could learn about each building as we walked through it (or peeked inside if it was closed for renovation). A great place to stop and stretch your legs!

Interesting step back in time. The audio available on the tour is very helpful. Nice stop while in…read morethe area.

We were coming back from San Angelo and saw the signs for this and decided to stop. Sooo glad we…read moredid. It is an actual fort/museum. It started with a 20 minute film where you can sit on a bench or on a real saddle. Very cool! It explained about how the fort came to be and all about the Comanche Indians whose land we took. A family has owned the land and it has been passed down from generation to generation. They have quite the gun and arrowhead collection. Very interesting. It's free but they do ask for 10$ a person.

Okay, this place is different. It's a family run site seeing tour of an old fort that was…read morediscovered on their family's land long ago. They have a lot of memorabilia and a huge selection of old guns. It is suggested that you watch a short video before taking the tour...it was interesting but slightly graphic if you have a sensitive child (our 7 and 8 year old are not so they did not care). The kids were able to get inside an old stagecoach and learn that nine people used to ride in them 24 hours a day which was cool. Then you take a tour on an ATV of the different ruins and restored barracks. It was interesting to myself and my husband and they let our little dog come....but the kids were BORED. It was a beautiful day and the grounds were gorgeous, it might have been nice to walk around at our leisure a little. I understand because of the sanctity of the grounds why they wouldn't want to allow it. Maybe if they put a roped off spot where kids could burn off some steam before or after the tour it would be more enjoyable for the younger crowd. The staff here was a TINY bit overbearing and we felt kind of rushed with someone always hovering around trying to be helpful. We wanted to take our time and talk to our kids about all the things. But they meant well. All in all, if you're just a couple of adults looking for something historic to go see it's worth a look but I can't say I recommend bringing your children just because there really wasn't much to captivate them and so they ended up dragging around bored and antsy. It is free though there are signs saying they recommend a donation of $8 per person.

This historic fort doesn't have a visitor center, it's fully self-guided using the pamphlet that's…read morelocated under the covered area connected to the bathrooms. I didn't know what this place would be like, I just know that we like stopping places on long road trips and walking around historic sites is always fun, and I was actually pretty impressed with how easy it was to guide ourselves around Fort Phantom Hill. A lot of the buildings have been lost, mostly due to the fire that the last commanding officer of the fort set on his way out (a wild story that's in the pamphlet!), but a lot of the stone foundations remain and it was cool to walk around and see them. The paths aren't paved, so in warmer times of the year make sure you watch out for snakes, but it's a great place for a quick 30 minute walk around to learn a little history, see some cool ruins, and stretch your legs before you have to get back in the car. It's not far off the highway, and doesn't take long to walk the whole loop!

there were some signs in the front and map. the old buildings were cool but not accessible to look…read moreinside of them.

THE BIG: Beautiful, scenic stone arrangement located in Big Bend National Park. The trail leading…read moreup to is called the Grapevine Hills Trail. THE BLACK AND WHITE: It took about 25 mins driving on a sketchy unpaved road to get to the trail start. It's bumpy and make sure you have a car that can clear roughly 7 inches of super potholey roads. The hike itself wasn't bad. It's roughly 2 miles round trip and it is HOT. Even in late March when we went, it is brutal at 11am. It's flat for the first portion but it gets into rock scrambles near the end of the trail leading up to Balanced Rock. THE FINAL BAMBOO: Rocky road to get to the spot, but you're rewarded with a beautiful view of Balanced Rock that could be a part of Arches national park, plus a couple hundreds of miles.

I don't really understand the address listed here because the lake and the dam are both about 25…read moremiles south of post off of U.S. 84. I remember when the dam was being constructed, i walked all the way down the boat ramp and across the river channel. The place I stood is at least 30 feet under water today. Lake Alan Henry will be the primary drinking water reservoir for Lubbock, Texas but pipeline has not yet been completed. It is fairly large compared to other lakes in the area though the water level was low during my recent trip. There are not a lot of other options for fishermen in that part of the state so it gets a lot of pressure. I found myself tangled up in other peoples lost lines and lures all weekend. There are still fish it it though, they are just hard to catch.

Looking for a wedding venue? There truly are not enough…read morewords to thank Thomas for everything he did for us during our wedding. From the moment we started working with him, we felt supported, cared for, and completely at ease. Planning a wedding can feel overwhelming at times, but Thomas had a way of making everything feel manageable and calm. On our wedding day, he was everywhere we needed him to be without us ever having to ask. He handled every detail with so much professionalism, kindness, and genuine care. Because of him, John and I were able to be fully present and soak in every moment instead of worrying about logistics. That is such a priceless gift on a day you can never get back. What stood out most was how much heart he put into his work. We never felt like "just another event." He truly cared about us, our families, and making sure our day was everything we hoped it would be. By the end of it all, Thomas didn't just feel like our venue coordinator -- he felt like part of the day itself and honestly became a friend. He danced with me and our guests, celebrated alongside us, and brought such a fun, positive energy to the entire evening. Looking back, I can honestly say I had the BEST team ever, and Thomas was such a huge part of that. We are beyond grateful for the role he played in one of the most important days of our lives. Thank you, Thomas, for helping create memories we will cherish forever.

It was a nice afternoon in Abilene when my girlfriend and I explored the historic Grace building…read moreand visited the Grace Museum. We got in a little after noon to see new exhibits that had genuinely just opened for the season that day. The museum is very quiet and, thanks to road construction, a little confusing to get to, but it is worth the drive and adventure. As we arrived, we noticed that a wedding was being set up in their courtyard and event space, and we were in awe of how cute the space was for a wedding. On the first floor was the Gail Norfleet collection, where we were amazed by these multi-layered plexiglass paintings that added depth to her floral pieces and recreated rooms. It is such a unique style. Gail's use of color is quite impressive. On the second floor sat the other two new exhibits. The first was Focus on Photography: Selections from the Permanent Collection, which includes a diverse and vast collection of still images printed on numerous materials such as gelatin, inkjet, tintype, and metal, giving each image a unique display. As a photographer myself, this was my favorite exhibit. My girlfriend's favorite was the Cindi Holt collection showcasing colorful, prairie-inspired pieces. Other areas included the play zone that has the tower challenge and the history exhibits on the third floor focusing on downtown Abilene and the Texas railway. I'm excited to return to the Grace Museum next time I'm in Abilene when new exhibits are on display. What a cute and small museum! RIYL: The Tower Challenge or feeling so much cooler than everyone else because you're being enriched at a museum