Memorial Day Weekend with Mister - Checking out Thurber

It's time to return back to the Metroplex and before we left, we looked up a few of the small towns along the route.  Our return is later in the day than we had originally planned, but it is still light out and as we arrive in Thurber, we decide to check it out.

This place is chock full of history and it's the coolest kind.  Why do I say that?  It was the most important mine site in Texas for 30 years.  Under the ground, there is still a crazy amount of coal but it is not currently being mine.

The tower is not very stable in places but we still go and check it all out.

We work our way around the building and spot another friend that was checking it out.

As I'm walking away, Mister takes the time to look up and I would have missed something really cool if he hadn't.

How crazy wonderful is this.  A literal stairway to the sky perhaps.  I can't believe how hard that would have been back in the day -- both to build and to work at.  I would love to climb it, but that's probably a bit reckless and I'm way too old.

Across the space where town square once was, we spot a restaurant that is one of the last original buildings still standing.  It used to be the mercantile, but dinner sounds great right now so in we go.

It is just so cool inside.  From the old light posts to the pictures that pepper the walls and sharing history with me.  I love it.

In one corner of the room, there is a player piano that is functioning.  Mister and I wander over to watch and listen.  It's beautiful

It turns out this place has been written about in Southern Living.  It has been busy in here the entire time we've been in the building.  Where are they coming from?

It seems to me that we are out in the middle of nowhere.  Yet, the place is filling right up and we notice that they have live music on the patio several times a month.  Ahhh, that country life.  I am craving it more and more all the time.  After dinner, as we leave the building, I spot this old garage and go over to check it out.  In the meantime, Mister heads down the walkway in front of the restaurant to see what else is there.

It turns out that the original pavers are still in place and they have an imprint from the Thurber factory.  That's pretty sweet.

One more quick look around and I spot another building hiding away down the road.  We can't get close enough to see what it may have been at one time, but the light on it is remarkable.

Alright, let's get this show on the road and head back home.  As we walk away, I notice some old railroad tracks sticking up out of the dirt.  It appears that they lead right towards the old smokestack.  Oh the stories they could tell.

As we go under the bridge to return to the interstate, we spot these nest underneath it and the birds are flying around like crazy.  I could sit here and watch all day.  It's been a delightful drive back.  Thank you, Mister, for taking the time to explore with me.