Lubbock

The Texas Panhandle, particularly around Lubbock, is where most of the grapes are grown for Texas wines.  So it is no surprise that there are some wonderful wineries in the area!  We visited three:

McPherson Cellars:  This winery is in the heart of Lubbock.  There is not a vineyard around this winery; however, the historic Coca-Cola building where McPherson Cellars is housed adds lots of ambiance to the tasting!

The Llano Estacado Winery offers a variety of premium wines, so plan to spend some time tasting!

 

Sit back and relax with your favorite wine at the English Newsom Cellars at Caprock Winery.  This is a beautiful and relaxing venue!

Recognize these glasses frames?

What about this song? That’ll Be The Day

The Buddy Holly Center offers a terrific history of Buddy Holly and the Crickets as well as popular music.  There are several Holly artifacts and tons of music to enjoy.  We were not able to take photographs inside.

After visiting the Center, be sure to walk across the street to the Buddy Holly Plaza to view the West Texas Walk of Fame.  I was surprised to learn of how many artists were/are from this area! 

With Buddy Holly on our mind we felt it appropriate to listen to this song by Don McLean (who is not from Texas). American Pie refers to the death of Buddy Holly with the lyrics "the day the music died".

Housed in the building that was the Lubbock airport from 1949 to 1976, the Silent Wings Museum is a unique museum that focuses on the World War II Glider Program.  

In addition to a timeline of events, there is a Combat Gallery and Hangar Gallery:

American Windmill Museum:

Wow!  I’ve never seen so many windmills in once place!  This is a terrific museum to visit as there is so much here to see.

 

In addition to windmills, there is a huge model train layout to celebrate the relationship between railroads and windmills.  The windmills and houses in this model represent the 1800’s and were created with a 3D printer.

 

 

There are numerous other collections in the museum, including a large collection of grinding mill stones, miniature houses, and this lovely Windmill Weight Collection:

One room features the mural Legacy of the Wind by La Gina Fairbetter:

I especially love this quilt featuring the prairie windmill pattern (quilted by Jackie Reis):

And yet another room with more windmills! 

More windmills outside!

 

There are over 70 historic windmills here.  This windmill was built to commemorate the Flowerdew Hundred Post Mill, the first original windmill in the United States built in 1621 near Jamestown, Virginia.

It’s time to mosey on south.  As we leave Lubbock we listen to this song sung by Mac Davis – who is from Lubbock!

“Texas in My Rearview Mirror” sung by Mac Davis:

I was just fifteen and out of control lost to James Dean and rock and roll
I knew down deep in my country soul that I had to get away
Hollywood was a lady in red who danced in my dreams as I tossed in bed
I knew I’d wind up in jail or dead if I have to stay
I thought happiness was Lubbock Texas in my rearview mirror

My mama kept calling me home but I just did not want to hear her
And the vision was getting clearer in my dream
So I let out one night in June stoned on the glow of the Texas moon
Humming an old Buddy Holly tune called Peggy Sue (pretty, pretty Peggy Sue)
With my favorite jeans and a cheap guitar I ran off chasing a distant star
If Buddy Holly could make it that far then I figured I could too
I thought happiness was Lubbock Texas in my rearview mirror …