Waking up at the crack of dawn, around 6 am, has its perks – mainly, beating the scorching heat. But sometimes, it feels like we’re already battling the heat by then.
Today, we decided to explore some of the small towns in Texas. Our first stop was the Paige Farmhouse and Diner at 7:30 am. It’s actually a wedding venue, but they serve breakfast too. I stuck to my usual: biscuits and gravy with a side of bacon, while Mike went for bacon, eggs, and hash – not the illegal kind, just a potato hash.
After breakfast, we checked out Paige, a tiny town with about 500 people. Surprisingly, we stumbled upon a family of armadillos crossing the road. They’re quite odd-looking creatures with their small eyes and dinosaur-like shell. I got a bit tangled up in my cameras trying to snap a photo, but thankfully, they stuck around long enough for me to get a shot.
Next, we headed to La Grange, known for its Koloches and Klobasneks. It’s also famous for being the inspiration behind “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas” and the ZZ Top song. La Grange was settled by Czech immigrants in the 1800s, hence the unique foods like Koloches and Klobasneks.
Our first stop in La Grange was Lukas Bakery to try their Klobasneks. We couldn’t find any on display, but a friendly customer insisted we try them and even bought us a couple. They were basically like sausage rolls but with crispy bread instead of pastry. Not bad, but I still prefer a classic sausage roll.
Then, we explored a settlement with Czech roots, which was pretty interesting. I’ll share more about it in my vlogs.
Our final stop was Weikels Bakery for their famous Koloches. These sweet treats were like cake with fruit, similar to a Danish but with soft, fluffy cake instead of pastry. We tried lemon curd, apricot, cream cheese, and peach flavors – all delicious. Luckily, it’s a bit of a drive, or I’d be indulging in these all the time!
As the day wrapped up, we couldn’t help but chuckle at a bard’s joke: Why did the armadillo cross the road? To get to the shell station. A fitting end to our day of quirky encounters and tasty treats in Texas.