What's your rush?

           That’s what I thought as we planned our trip to visit our daughter in Dallas, Texas.  Our normal plan was to get to I-45 as quickly as possible and travel straight north to Dallas, avoiding as many East Texas roads as possible.  You see, I think there is an unspoken rule for some rural drivers.  They must drive 10 mph below the stated speed limit.  There are also logging trucks strategically placed along the roads in case you try to pass.  These trucks not only drive 20 mph below the speed limit, but make you check your status with the Lord as you look at that thin chain holding 100 logs bouncing on a long old flatbead.  
            On this trip we decided that we were not going to rush it, so we opted to take it easy and enjoy a leisurely trip through East Texas. We would skip all bypasses and drive through the heart of every town: Woodville, Groveton, Crockett, Palestine, and Corsicana, stopping at places like Moosehead Lodge, a local diner for the town folk as well as the Crockett County Republican Headquarters. 
            Our first stop was lunch at Z’s Fillin Station.  We located the restaurant on my smart phone.  Using Google maps and GPS we traveled down Hwy 69/287 and missed the diner.  So much for GPS.  We both ordered onion rings, and Jan ordered a twice baked potato while I ordered ribs.  All the food was good.  I think I saw on the menu a 100 lb hamburger or something like that.  Anyway texasbob can tell you more.
 http://www.texasbob.com/eats/tbe_zstation.html
            We continued on our trip to Crockett,Texas.  Now, I imagine most people take the loop around Crockett.  Probably saves you 5 minutes.  We decided to drive through the heart of downtown.  Most people in East Texas have probably been through Crockett.  Having never traveled this way, it was a first for me.  The downtown is an old fashioned town square with the Courthouse in the middle.  My wife Jan wanted to go antiquing.  That loop wasn’t looking so bad after all.  We parked anyway and went into a few shops.  Having escaped the shops without any monetary damage, we concluded our trip to Crockett with a visit to Moosehead Cafe.  When you first walk in, you can’t help but notice several walls plastered with Republican political stickers.  An old glass cabinet was filled with used mugs, as if they were reserved for the local folk.
           While paying for our milk shakes, made from Blue Bell ice cream, I asked the owner if any democrats came in here.  She laughed and said that “good time” Charlie Wilson, a former U.S. congressman about whom the movie “Charlie Wilson’s War” was made, came in and asked if his democrat money was good.  I guess she took his money.   She also told us the Moosehead Cafe was the Republican headquarters for Crockett County.  I would have never guessed. 

We concluded our visit in Crockett, Texas, glad we stopped, and headed on toward Dallas.  Up to this point, I did not think about taking any pictures.  Coming back I took this picture of their courthouse.