The Birthplace of the Lone Star Flag and More

As a Native Texan, I’ve always been proud of my ancestry. While MY Texas heritage goes back a number of generations, my husband, as the saying goes, got here as quickly as he could. It made sense for us to spend some time in the birthplace of the beautiful Lone Star Flag, Montgomery County.

Once again, we returned to what has become one of our favorite RV Park, New Adventure RV Park & Horse Hotel, located around 30 miles from Conroe, Texas, the county seat of Montgomery County. Not only is this park beautiful and peaceful, it also offers the best WiFi of any location we’ve parked in. As I am typing at another park to be named in a later blog, I’m having to use the hotspot on my i-Phone to write this blog because the signal comes and goes. Yesterday, it rained all day and the signal worked the entire time and fewer people were here. Go figure!

New Adventure offers a beautiful path around the Piney Woods of East Texas. Having lived in this area for a number of years, I loved taking our dogs on a daily walk around the path, watching the wildlife. The owners, Bridgette, Rick, and Barb, were finishing up the Horse Hotel portion of the RV park so they are officially ready for horses, horses, horses…and RV’ers.

I’d been to Conroe over the years but never really visited. While Dan stayed home with the dogs, I spent a couple of days on my own, touring the area. One of the first things you see when you drive into the downtown is this fabulous mural above the road, letting everyone know about the Lone Star Flag and the history of the area.

I walked around the downtown for a few hours. The Crighton Theatre stood out immediately. As a former community theatre performer, I was envious to see the historic and beautiful building, all set up for a performance that evening. Unfortunately, I didn’t get the opportunity to attend but I was able to tour the place that afternoon.

Along the sidewalks, I enjoyed the art benches scattered throughout the downtown. There are 13 in all. Here are three of my favorites.

I’m not a big shopper but I loved the variety of eclectic and interesting shops and restaurants like Cowtown Couture, Conroe Central Market, Brownlee Jewelers, Hillson’s on Main, Conroe Art League, and Red Brick Tavern.

And then there’s the culinary scene in Conroe. With too many restaurants to mention, I’m not a big chain restaurant visitor so I took the time to check out a few of the mom and pop places. While Pie in the Sky Pie Co. & Eats isn’t downtown, the drive for pie is definitely worth it. I tried the Bumbleberry, filled with a number of berries and rhubarb along with a grated top crust, something I’d never seen before. So good!

I LOVED Conroe Coffee! This place also served as a gift shop and had fun items throughout the two-room shop. But the Nutella Latte, better known as “The Jason,” along with a blueberry and cream cheese pastry made my morning, especially being able to enjoy it in a comfy chair at the shop.

One of my lunch choices was Café 105, an unassuming restaurant down the road from the downtown area. The bacon and spinach quiche and tomato basil soup were just the ticket.

While my husband isn’t a big catfish fan, this southern girl loves it. I don’t get it often as I don’t really like to fry food in the fifth wheel for a whole variety of reasons I won’t get into here. Vernon’s Kuntry Katfish is a Conroe institution and has been named one of the Top 10 catfish restaurants in Texas for good reason. The fish is moist and crispy and the hush puppies will shut the mouths of any dog in the state. Then there’s the Good Pie, which is like the Banana Split Pie I used to eat when I was a kid. Layers of goodness explains the name. You won’t go away from this place hungry.

Since I’m not a beer drinker but hubby is. I drug him, kicking and screaming, not really, to the breweries in town as I wanted to see what they had to offer. I’m more of an umbrella drink kind of girl. Southern Star Brewing Company, B-52 Brewing Co., and Copperhead Brewhouse are all different in style and taste. I actually sampled the beers and found a couple I liked. I’m sure my beer drinking friends would love it!

Because I like to find outdoor areas in the city, I discovered Montgomery County and Conroe had a variety of places to breathe the fresh air. Lake Conroe, a 21,000-acre lake spreads across a large area of the county. Residents and visitors alike can enjoy the lake in the city, if they choose, or grab their fishing gear and picnic baskets and head out of town. Having spent a lot of time in the Piney Woods of East Texas, Sam Houston National Forest is kind of a home away from home. If you’ve never seen these majestic trees stretching up to the sky, you must visit.

Visiting Montgomery County and the city of Conroe wouldn’t be complete without a trip to the Lone Star Monument and Historical Flag Park, which was a major reason for my visit. I actually went twice, once by myself during the morning and once with my husband at dusk. The Texian monument, created by award-winning sculptor Craig Campobella, who also has a studio in downtown Conroe, is breathtaking and holds a great deal of symbolism. Surrounding the sculpture are 13 flags flown during the Texas Revolution, all with descriptive plaques under each.

I’m so glad we took the time to visit this great community and to learn more about the heritage of my wonderful birth state. If you’re planning a trip to Texas or if you live there, jump in the car or the RV and head to Conroe. Lots to see and do!