Georgetown, Texas Real Estate Blog      Your Host: Edward Lui

We made a family trip out to Coopers Old Time Pit BBQ in Llano, TX a few weeks ago and our friends Brett and Lisa came with us.  We decided to go easy and not over-order like we normally do.  We picked a variety of their meats for comparison purposes and overall the meal was pretty good, sausage was better then Snow’s BBQ, but nothing was really “out of the ballpark” for me.  No disappointments, but no “wow” factor either…just good ‘ole dependable BBQ.  Afterwards, we hung out at the Llano River Bridge for some rock-throwing and picture-taking.

Coopers is just about 1 hour and a few minutes away from Georgetown and is an easy drive down Hwy 29.  Check it out and feel free to share your comments on how you feel this place compares with others!  The readers of this blog would love to hear your opinion!  Check out the pictures below:

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At 9:30am I called Snow’s Barbeque to find out their hours and the guy on the phone says, “They’re going fast!”  The restaurant closes whenever they run out of BBQ, which is usually noon at the latest.  I tell him that I’m coming with 3 kids and ask him to save me some BBQ and so he takes  a quick order and tells me to see Sarah when I get there.   We pile in the minivan and head off to our weekend day trip:  Snow’s BBQ in Lexington, Texas for what Texas Monthly in 2008 calls the “Best BBQ in Texas.”

At 10:15am we got to Taylor and took a rinky dink “shortcut” called FM 112 towards Lexington.  The whole trip is about an hour from Georgetown, Texas so it makes for an easy day trip.

When we got there, the line was already formed but the wait really wasn’t too bad.  We stocked up on our order to make sure we could try everything they had on the menu.  We sat down outdoors and stuffed ourselves with pure, smokey goodness.  Fatty brisket, pork ribs, sausage….and some side dishes to reduce the “meat-guilt” of eating too much barbeque.  Autumn and I loved the way they cooked their pork.  As a 10 year resident of Germany, I’m very picky about the way pork is cooked and how it tastes.  This may not be your typical compliment, but the guys at Snow’s cook pork like Germans!  Das is Gut!

We had plenty of leftovers to take home, wrapped up beautifully in some large pieces of foil.  I also got to take a picture with Pitmaster Tootsie:)

Afterwards, we were told about a cattle auction right around the corner, so we had some fun listening to the auctioneer talk a mile a minute and then went out on the catwalk to see more cows then I’ve ever seen in my life.

We had a great time and the food was excellent.  If you want to know what makes Texas famous for BBQ, make sure you stop by Snow’s ya hear!?

Check out this Smoker!

Williamson County, Texas - No more “Sans” thanks to “Three Legged Willie”

Ever wonder why our home county is named “Williamson”? Most people would guess that it was named after some prominent resident who resided here or did some great thing in the county’s history. In fact, it was named after a man who never even lived here! Our county’s namesake is Robert McAlpin Williamson and although his connection to Williamson County doesn’t go much further than the name, his life makes for quite a story.

He was born in Georgia sometime between 1804 and 1806. Orphaned by the death of his mother and the abandonment of his father before his first birthday, he was raised by his grandmother in Milledgeville, Georgia. He studied law and was admitted to the bar by the time he was twenty. He must have been a peculiar site in Georgia courtrooms, as five years earlier, he had contracted a form of arthritis that left his right knee locked at a 90 degree angle for the rest of his life. Since the leg was perfectly healthy (other than the fact the knee wouldn’t unbend) the decision was made not to amputate the useless appendage. Instead a wooden leg was attached to the knee, giving him the nickname “Three-Legged-Willie.” Apparently he didn’t much care for the name since no one was willing to use it to his face.

Despite his odd deformity, something he obviously never saw as a limitation, he joined Stephen F. Austin’s colony in 1827. Some stories claim that the move was not of his own choosing. By those accounts, he was on the run after injuring a rival suitor in a duel over a young lady. Once in Texas, Williamson expended his considerable energy in founding and editing several newspapers and serving as the first public prosecutor for what later became Travis County. Never held back by his deformed leg, Williamson was an excellent rider and marksman and was soon appointed a Major in the Texas Rangers. He fought Comanches on the frontier and the Mexican Army at Gonzalez and San Jacinto. He helped to write the first constitution of the Republic of Texas and served as a Supreme Court Justice and Circuit Judge. (District Judges rode circuits within their districts and simultaneously served as Supreme Court justices.)

After ending his career in the Texas judiciary, he ran for and won office in the House of Representatives and later in the Senate in the Republic of Texas. After the annexation of Texas, he served as a representative in the state government and it is here that we come to the story of how Williamson County came to bear his name. In 1848 the state legislature, responding to a petition from 107 residents of western Milam County, decided to split off what is now Williamson County. The question came up as to what they should call what is now our home county. The most favored name seemed to be “San Gabriel” for the river that runs through it and was an early center of settlement. An objection was raised by Representative Williamson who stood up and irreverently exclaimed that, “We’ve already got enough San’s in Texas!” One of his legislative colleagues responded by proposing that since he disagreed with the name San Gabriel, they should just name the new county for Judge Williamson himself. The motion carried and today we live in Williamson County rather than San Gabriel County.

The good folks at Independence Title in Georgetown, Texas put together a list of 4th of July Firework Celebrations around the Texas Hill Country. You can make a fun day trip to Lakeway, Dripping Springs, or just hang out with me at San Gabriel Park in Georgetown, Texas! Here are the “hotspots” this year:

The H-E-B Austin Symphony July 4th Concert & Fireworks

Friday, July 4, 2008 - 8:30 pm
Auditorium Shores at The Long Center www.austinsymphony.org/season/july
The Austin Symphony will be under the apt baton of ASO Music Director Peter Bay. The H-E-B Austin Symphony July 4th Concert and Fireworks will feature patriotic music and the ever-popular 1812 Overture–the latter punctuated by 75-millimeter Howitzer cannons, courtesy of Texas National Guard Salute Battery, and spectacular fireworks over Lady Bird Lake

Cedar Park Fourth of July Celebration Friday, July 4, 2008 - 4:00 pm
Milburn Park, Cedar Park, TX http://www.cedarparktx.us/cp/pr_events_fourth.aspx
Come celebrate with us and enjoy live music, food concessions, air castles, prizes, video games & lazer tag adventures, a washer tournament, games for all ages, and enjoy free watermelon sponsored by H-E-B. The fabulous day of celebreation will end with a magnificent fireworks display sponsored by H-E-B.

Fire in the Sky Friday, July 4, 2008 - 6:00 pm
The Sports Park an RR12 South, Dripping Springs, TX www.drippingspringstx.org
Includes spectacular fireworks display, food booths and live music. DS Sports and Recreation Park.

Sertoma 4th of July in the Park Friday, July 4, 2008 - 11:00 am
San Gabriel Park, Georgetown, TX www.visitgeorgetown.com
With more than 80 booths, a petting zoo, parade, live entertainment, train rides, fireworks and more (all located on the beautiful San Gabriel River) there’s only one place you should be this 4th of July.

Lago Vista Celebrates the 4th Friday, July 4, 2008 - 6:30 am
Bar K Park, Lago Vista, TX www.lagovistajuly4.org
It is a time to remember those who have served to protect us all, to celebrate our freedom, and to enjoy each other’s company. It starts off with the Firecracker 5K Race and 1 Mile Fun Run. This is an opportunity to give your children the same type of memories you had of parades, barbecues, music, and paddling around in the local swimming hole.

Lakeway 4th of July Celebration Friday, July 4, 2008 - 8:30 am
City Park, Lakeway, TX www.lakeway.org
Fourth of July all day event starting with a fanciful sponsored parade/floats that make their way down Lakeway Drive. Locals then head to the park for a picnic, games for kids, music and the announcement of the float award winners. The rest of the afternoon is usually filled with games, food, drinks and many more surprises. The day is rounded out with fireworks set to music at night.

Leander LibertyFest Friday, July 4, 2008 - 5:00 pm
Crystal Falls Golf Course, 3400 Crystal Falls Pkwy www.leandertx.org
Join the residents of Leander celebrate our nation’s birthday at Leander LibertyFest.

July 4th Frontier Days Celebration Friday, July 4, 2008 - 10:00 am
Old Settler’s Park, Round Rock, TX www.roundrocktexas.gov
A freedom walk, parade, jalapeno pepper contest, children’s games, Ballet Folklorico dancers, Sam Bass Shootout and fireworks are all part of the City of Round Rock’s July 4 Frontier Days Celebration 2008.

27th annual San Marcos Summerfest Friday, July 4, 2008 - 11:00 am
San Marcos Plaza Park, 202 N. CM Allen Pkwy www.summerfestsanmarcos.com
The City of San Marcos is hosting the most exciting community independence celebration at a new location this year. This FREE event will feature live entertainment, food booths, children’s activities, a patriotic program and a fireworks exhibition.

New Braunfels Annual 4th of July Parade and Patriotic Celebration Friday, July 4, 2008
Landa Park, New Braunfels www.nbtexas.org
A wonderful family tradition for many years in New Braunfels. Bring a picnic and enjoy the park, along with a special free concert and a spectacular fireworks display!

Taylor Jaycee’s 4th of July Firework Display and Fajita Cook Off Friday, July 4, 2008 - 10:00 am
Murphy Park on Lake Drive, Taylor, TX www.taylorjaycees.org
Festival includes Carnival, Fajita Cook Off, Bicycle Parade, tennis tournament, and fireworks at dark.

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I love working from home as a real estate agent and being my own boss. One of the benefits is that I can do errands or go on business trips and drag my family along anytime during the day or the week. With 3 kids, my wife can never get enough time to herself, so whenever I need to drop off fliers, stick a sign in the yard or take pictures, I bring one of the rugrats with me…otherwise they look like zombies from watching too much television:

Recently, I had the opportunity to attend a networking event in Kerrville, Texas for Active Rain Bloggers. You can read about some of those experiences from some of my colleagues below (let me know if you blogged about this and I’ll add you to the list):

Carl Winters - New Braunfels, TX

Ricki Eichler - Kerrville, TX Don Eichler - Kerrville, TX

Liz Carter - Katy, TX Debra Brooks - Huntsville, TX

Alan Kirkpatrick - Austin, TX Gail Tassey - Austin, TX

Jason Crouch - Austin, TX Trey Thurmond - College Station, TX

Judi Morgan - San Antonio, TX Tom Plant - Murrieta, CA

Soooo, funny name like “Kerrville” + minivan = Roadtrip!

We piled into the van and brought along reinforcements to help watch the kids: Claire Shiramizu, who is a sweet 9 y.o. family friend who loves to play with Chloe.

We went up on Friday morning and stopped by Wildseed Farms to check out all of the pretty flowers and ate a ton of free samples:

After lunch at the Peach Tree Restaurant in Fredericksburg, we headed up to a place called Y.O. Ranch. They overbooked our tour, and to make it up to us they arranged a private tour JUST FOR US! The experience was awesome! This is the largest working ranch in the nation and they have all sorts of animals on the ranch. We drove around in an old rickety school bus and fed some animals and afterwards ate dinner on the ranch, cooked by a “rough around the edges, I don’t like to smile” cook.

I even kissed a girl named Carlita and Autumn didn’t even get jealous at all: My Girl Carlita

The next day, Autumn took the kids to the Children’s Museum in San Antonio while I spent the day networking with my new found real estate buddies from Active Rain. They later joined me for dinner before we headed back to Georgetown, Texas!

Yes, you can have a life with 3 kids, three and under, and with a ton of grace from the man upstairs. God protected us during the whole trip and nobody got thrown out the window:) Most of this was even tax deductible! Thanks Uncle Sam!