The Grove, TX

     I haven't been updating this blog as often as I should have. For personal reasons I've been a bit tethered in where I can go and when, but now I'm ready to get back out there on the road and do some explorin'. That the summer months are getting behind us and the weather should be getting cooler has nothing to do with it. I have, though, been doing some driving; I just haven't written about it. I'll try and get through the backlog of visited places.

     Sometimes I wake up in the morning and just feel like doing something. So I swing the camera case over my shoulder, and walk out the door. After I get down the three flights of stairs I check my camera and see that I forgot to put the SD card back in. Even though I have at least two of them, I only know where one is so I go back up the three flights of stairs, open the door, grab the SD card and walk out the door. Then I stop and try and remember if I locked the door. Then I check the door. Then I got all the way downstairs again and put the SD card in the camera.

     At this point I don't feel like going anywhere. But I'm dressed, I'm outside, and I'm ready to go. So I do. This particular day I chose to go to The Grove. There are, it turns out, two The Groves: one in Jefferson, TX and the other is near Fort Hood and Temple. I went to the Temple one since it was an actual town and not just a house.

     The Grove is kinda sorta famous. There's a video about it being auctioned off a few years ago.

     It's in private hands now. Technically, I don't think I should have been there but I didn't know that until I got very close to a very small sign that basically said to ask for permission before tromping around. Despite that, the woman who drove by me on the dirt rode did so very slowly so's not to raise up a lot of dust and ruin my pictures.

Game time! Find the dragonfly!

     The Grove was established in 1859 and named for the trees around it. Once prosperous, it was brung low by Highway 36 not going through it, Fort Hood needing some land, and the building of Belton Dam. It's on FM 1114 and not far from SH36. It's pretty easy to get to. It's also not far from Mother Nef State Park. Practically right across the street.

     The place has seen better days, I suppose. The new owners, I think, haven't decided what to do with the place.

Not much in the way of merchandise right now

     It's a pleasant drive, though. Except, of course, for the parts of I35 that I had to take. That's just a nightmare. I think it's certainly worth a look.

Soda Signs

     There's a sign for a Grapette soda on one of the buildings. I wondered if it were real since The Grove had been used to film some TV and movies and it's not unknown for the production people to put fake placements in. It turns out it is a real soda and it's still being sold. At Wal*Mart. Go figure.

     I'd like to mention at this point that I get a lot of information from Wikipedia, The Texas State Historical Association, and Texas Escapes. Without these sites I'd just be driving around in circles.