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''Texas Country Reporter'' is a weekly syndicated television program, hosted and produced by
Bob Phillips Robert Leon Phillips, known as Bob Phillips (born June 23, 1951), is an American television journalist best known for his long-running program ''Texas Country Reporter''. In 2005, Phillips was inducted into the Silver Circle of the Lone Star ...
and Kelli Phillips, which airs in all twenty-two
Texas Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...
media markets, generally on weekends, and nationally on the satellite/cable channel RFD-TV.Texas Country Reporter: Showtimes
Retrieved April 11, 2008.
As of November 2017, Bob Phillips had already taped more than two thousand episodes of the program.
''The New York Times'', April 10, 2008. Retrieved April 11, 2008.
TCR airs 26 new episodes each season, from September through May. In the 2021-2022 season, the show is celebrating its 50th anniversary on the air. It is the longest running independently produced program in the nation. The show has been honored many times for the quality of its work including more than 30 EMMY awards. ''Texas Country Reporter'' showcases Texas people and places, with an emphasis on rural areas and in a style similar to that of
Charles Kuralt Charles Bishop Kuralt (September 10, 1934 – July 4, 1997) was an American television, newspaper and radio journalist and author. He is most widely known for his long career with CBS, first for his "On the Road" segments on '' The CBS Eveni ...
's ''On the Road'' for
CBS News CBS News is the news division of the American television and radio service CBS. CBS News television programs include the '' CBS Evening News'', '' CBS Mornings'', news magazine programs '' CBS News Sunday Morning'', '' 60 Minutes'', and '' 4 ...
, who was Phillips' mentor when he first began his career. Originally called ''4 Country Reporter'', it debuted in 1972 on
Dallas Dallas () is the third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 million people. It is the largest city in and seat of Dallas County ...
television station KDFW, Channel 4 and was first hosted by John Mclean, then Jeff Rosser, Joe Miser and finally Bob Philips. Phillips was a photographer and producer when the show first began. In 1986, Phillips left KDFW and began selling the show in syndication under the name ''Texas Country Reporter''. In the Dallas market, KDFW did not pick up the syndicated version, but rival station
WFAA WFAA (channel 8) is a television station licensed to Dallas, Texas, United States, serving the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex as an affiliate of ABC. It is owned by Tegna Inc. alongside Decatur-licensed Estrella TV affiliate KMPX (channel 29), w ...
did and named the show ''8 Country Reporter''. About this time
Dairy Queen Dairy Queen (DQ) is an American chain of soft serve ice cream and fast food restaurants owned by International Dairy Queen, Inc. (a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway since 1998) which also owns Orange Julius, and formerly owned Karmelkorn and ...
became the show's main sponsor, a move which allowed Phillips to be the spokesman for the chain in its advertising for the company's Texas-based restaurants. Other sponsors of the show have included Southwest Airlines, Capital Farm Credit, Mueller, Inc., Texas Farm Bureau Insurance, Texas Ford Dealers and others. The show is independently syndicated with Phillips retaining half of the advertisements for regional sponsors; he appears in many of the regional ads, and the sponsors' logos adorn the back of his SUV. Each fall the program headlines a "Texas Country Reporter Festival" in Waxahachie south of Dallas, with some of the people who have been highlighted on the show in attendance.Bob Phillips Texas Country Reporter Festival, 2007
Retrieved September 9, 2007.

WaxahachieDowntown.com. Retrieved September 9, 2007.
The festival has grown to become the largest one-day festival in Texas and attracts more than 50,000 people each year.''Texas Country Reporter'' posts selected segments to its YouTube page,Director Page: Texas Country Reporter
YouTube. Retrieved September 9, 2007.
and some have been featured on local newscasts. Phillips has authored several books and video series over the years including two cook books, two Texas guide books and, in 2016, "The Texas Country Reporter Collection," a video series that includes more than 22 hours of stories from the program. A three-DVD highlights set, ''Go! Stay! Eat!'', was released September 17, 2005. Two comprehensive video series have been released by Phillips' company including "Best of Volume 1" and "Best of Volume 2". "The Best of TCR Volume 3" is set to be released in 2018. In September 2015, Phillips' wife, KFDM-TV anchor Kelli Phillips (formerly Kelli Lee), joined him as co-host and producer of the show. Kelli Phillips started her television career as co-host of ''Evening Magazine'' at KENS-TV in San Antonio when she was 18. She later became the main anchor for KFDM-TV in Beaumont, Texas, where she worked until joining ''Texas Country Reporter''. In 2021, ''Texas Country Reporter'' production company Phillips Productions was acquired by ''
Texas Monthly ''Texas Monthly'' (stylized as ''TexasMonthly'') is a monthly American magazine headquartered in Downtown Austin, Texas. ''Texas Monthly'' was founded in 1973 by Michael R. Levy and has been published by Emmis Publishing, L.P. since 1998 and is ...
.


TCR segments


Individuals

* Jay Boy Adams, singer, songwriter, and guitarist reared in Colorado City, Texas *
Bud Andrews In botany, a bud is an undeveloped or embryonic shoot and normally occurs in the axil of a leaf or at the tip of a stem. Once formed, a bud may remain for some time in a dormant condition, or it may form a shoot immediately. Buds may be spec ...
, retired
deejay A disc jockey, more commonly abbreviated as DJ, is a person who plays recorded music for an audience. Types of DJs include radio DJs (who host programs on music radio stations), club DJs (who work at a nightclub or music festival), mobile D ...
in
Lubbock Lubbock ( ) is the 10th-most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and the seat of government of Lubbock County. With a population of 260,993 in 2021, the city is also the 85th-most populous in the United States. The city is in the northw ...
*Jerry D. Baird, longtime chuckwagon cook for a ranch near Snyder; started his own line of food seasonings. *Susan Isabelle Bailey (1923–2008), bait-stand operator, fishing guide, and conservationist in Bridge City, Texas *Kaye Barlow, tour guide at Longhorn Cavern State Park near Burnet *
Blues Boy Willie Blues Boy Willie (born William Daniel McFall, November 28, 1946) is an American electric and soul blues singer, musician, and songwriter. Influenced jointly by his grounding in gospel and Junior Parker's recordings, Blues Boy Willie's songwriti ...
,
blues Blues is a music genre and musical form which originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads from the ...
musician from Memphis, Texas *
Minnie Lou Bradley Minnie Lou Bradley (born December 15, 1931) was inducted into the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame in 2006. Bradley is considered an innovator in the beef cattle industry. Life Minnie Lou Bradley was born Minnie Lou Ottinger on December 1 ...
, rancher near Childress * John Bramblitt, blind artist and graduate of the
University of North Texas The University of North Texas (UNT) is a public research university in Denton, Texas. It was founded as a nonsectarian, coeducational, private teachers college in 1890 and was formally adopted by the state 11 years later."Denton Normal School, ...
* Matt Brown, a
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly ...
and
track and field Track and field is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and a grass field for the throwing and some of the jumping eve ...
coach at Idalou High School, who is a gold and
bronze Bronze is an alloy consisting primarily of copper, commonly with about 12–12.5% tin and often with the addition of other metals (including aluminium, manganese, nickel, or zinc) and sometimes non-metals, such as phosphorus, or metalloids suc ...
winner in the
Parapan American Games The Parapan American Games is an international multi-sport event for athletes with physical disabilities held every four years after every Pan American Games. The first Games were held in 1999 in Mexico City, Mexico. The 2003 Parapan American Ga ...
. He lost his left leg, amputated above the knee, as a result of an industrial accident in 2005. *Robert R. Bruno (1945–2008), sculptor; used a welding torch to build a steel house shaped like a spacecraft in
Ransom Canyon Ransom Canyon is a town in Lubbock County of West Texas, United States. The population was 1,096 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Lubbock Metropolitan Statistical Area. Geography The town of Ransom Canyon is located within Yellow House Cany ...
*Betty Bundy,
historical preservationist Historic preservation (US), built heritage preservation or built heritage conservation (UK), is an endeavor that seeks to preserve, conserve and protect buildings, objects, landscapes or other artifacts of historical significance. It is a philos ...
in the fishing village of
Port Aransas Port Aransas ( ) is a city in Nueces County, Texas, United States. This city is 180 miles southeast of San Antonio. The population was 2,904 at the 2020 census. Port Aransas is the only established town on Mustang Island. It is located north of ...
, worked to move a
kit house Kit houses, also known as mill-cut houses, pre-cut houses, ready-cut houses, mail order homes, or catalog homes, were a type of prefabricated housing that was popular in the United States, Canada, and elsewhere in the first half of the 20th c ...
, assembled from parts shipped to the buyer early in the twentieth century. The structure is now the Port Aransas Museum. *Jared Charles Calvert, pilot who operated the airport in Ranger in
Eastland County Eastland County is a county located in central West Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 17,725. The county seat is Eastland. The county was founded in 1858 and later organized in 1873. It is named for William Mosby Eastland ...
, where
Amelia Earhart Amelia Mary Earhart ( , born July 24, 1897; disappeared July 2, 1937; declared dead January 5, 1939) was an American aviation pioneer and writer. Earhart was the first female aviator to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. She set many oth ...
once landed *John Chadwell, a collector in
Wichita Falls Wichita Falls ( ) is a city in and the seat of government of Wichita County, Texas, United States. It is the principal city of the Wichita Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Archer, Clay, and Wichita counties. According ...
, is preserving artifacts from the former Wichita Falls Transportation Company, an independent truck production firm owned by Joseph A. Kemp, which was in business from 1911 to 1932. *Tim Gearn, engineer who built
Ferris wheel A Ferris wheel (also called a Giant Wheel or an observation wheel) is an amusement ride consisting of a rotating upright wheel with multiple passenger-carrying components (commonly referred to as passenger cars, cabins, tubs, gondolas, capsule ...
and
carousel A carousel or carrousel (mainly North American English), merry-go-round (international), roundabout (British English), or hurdy-gurdy (an old term in Australian English, in SA) is a type of amusement ride consisting of a rotating circular pl ...
in his yard in
Hereford Hereford () is a cathedral city, civil parish and the county town of Herefordshire, England. It lies on the River Wye, approximately east of the border with Wales, south-west of Worcester, England, Worcester and north-west of Gloucester. ...
*Martha Gonzalez, based at
Bastrop State Park Bastrop State Park is a state park in Bastrop County, Texas, United States. The park was established in 1933 and consists of stands of loblolly pines mixed with post oak and junipers. History Pre-foundation The Spanish travel route known ...
in Bastrop, makes by hand all of the signs for Texas' state park system. *Terry Gouley, ice sculptor in Midland, used a chain saw and chisels for his temporary creations popular for special occasions. *Gladys N. Green, maintains a large year-round Christmas display at her home at 402 South Wells Street in Edna, Texas. *Harry Hamlin, not the actor but a convict in Lamesa who has painted
mural A mural is any piece of graphic artwork that is painted or applied directly to a wall, ceiling or other permanent substrate. Mural techniques include fresco, mosaic, graffiti and marouflage. Word mural in art The word ''mural'' is a Spanis ...
s on all four sides of the Dawson County Courthouse *Maurice Jackson, in his 45th year of business in 2012 in
O'Donnell The O'Donnell dynasty ( ga, Ó Dónaill or ''Ó Domhnaill,'' ''Ó Doṁnaill'' ''or Ua Domaill;'' meaning "descendant of Dónal") were the dominant Irish clan of the kingdom of Tyrconnell, Ulster, in medieval Ireland. Naming conventions Or ...
, operates one of the last remaining full-service
gasoline station A filling station, also known as a gas station () or petrol station (), is a facility that sells fuel and engine lubricants for motor vehicles. The most common fuels sold in the 2010s were gasoline (or petrol) and diesel fuel. Gasoline ...
s in the state of Texas. *Leon Jenkins, worked as a porter at the Southeast Texas Regional Airport in Beaumont even past the age of 102. His secret of longevity was to "treat everybody right" and "never give up." He has since died. *Riggan Johnson, once considered the youngest cowboy in Texas; when he was seven years of age, he was working daily with his father on the Tongue River Ranch in Cottle County. * Virgil Johnson, retired deejay in Lubbock; formerly with
The Velvets The Velvets were an American doo-wop group from Odessa, Texas, United States. They were formed in 1959 by Virgil Johnson, a high-school English teacher, with four of his students. Roy Orbison heard the group and signed them to Monument Records ...
*Doug Keys, builds wooden caskets by hand for relatives and friends in Tom Green County *Barney I. Klein, retiring physician in Littlefield, who turns over his medical practice to Dr. Chad Gray, whom he had delivered at birth in 1974. *
Gary D. McCaleb Gary may refer to: *Gary (given name), a common masculine given name, including a list of people and fictional characters with the name *Gary, Indiana, the largest city named Gary Places ;Iran * Gary, Iran, Sistan and Baluchestan Province ;Uni ...
, former mayor of Abilene; vice-president of
Abilene Christian University Abilene Christian University (ACU) is a private Christian university in Abilene, Texas. It was founded in 1906 as ''Childers Classical Institute''. ACU is one of the largest private universities in the Southwestern United States and has one of th ...
; co-founder of the
National Center for Children's Illustrated Literature The National Center for Children's Illustrated Literature (NCCIL, pronounced ''nickle'') is an American museum dedicated to illustrations in children's literature. It was established in 2000 and is located in Abilene, Texas. Overview The Center w ...
in downtown Abilene *
Scott Myers Scott Myers (born 1958, USA) is an American painter and sculptor who lives and works in Texas. He graduated Texas A&M University in 1984 with a doctorate in veterinary medicine. He studied sculpture throughout Italy focusing on Florence, Veni ...
, sculptor of famous faces at the Professional Football Hall of Fame. *Rob Roy Parnell, harmonica player in the Hill Country; brother of musician
Lee Roy Parnell Lee Roy Parnell (born December 21, 1956) is an American country music and blues artist, singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Active since 1990, he has recorded eight studio albums, and has charted more than twenty singles on the ''Billboard'' Hot ...
*Stryker Pena, formerly the only runner on the track team at Samnorwood High School in
Collingsworth County Collingsworth County is a county in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 2,652. Its county seat is Wellington. The county was created in 1876 and later organized in 1890. It is named for James Collinsworth, a sign ...
. He had no formal track on which to practice, but his coach, Jason Porton never lost faith in Stryker's talent. * Myna Potts, historical
preservationist Preservationist is generally understood to mean ''historic preservationist'': one who advocates to preserve architecturally or historically significant buildings, structures, objects, or sites from demolition or degradation. Historic preservation us ...
from Hardeman County *
The Quebe Sisters Band The Quebe Sisters are an American swing revival band based in Dallas, Texas, who perform a mix of progressive western swing, jazz-influenced swing, country, Texas-style fiddling, and western music. The band consists of sisters Grace, Sophia, an ...
, young fiddle players from Burleson *Chuck D. Reiter, operates by himself a dairy farm off Farm-to-Market Road 51 near Gainesville 365 days a year *David Smith, sculptor of weather vanes with mythological images, based in
Sugar Land Sugar Land is the largest city in Fort Bend County, Texas, United States, located in the southwestern part of the metropolitan area. Located about southwest of downtown Houston, Sugar Land is a populous suburban municipality centered around ...
, Texas *Robert E. L. Smith, established Depression Expression Museum in Lamesa, with memorabilia from the
Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...
and an original school building transported there from neighboring Gaines County *Ryan Smith, law-school dropout at the age of twenty-five returned the
drive-in theater A drive-in theater or drive-in cinema is a form of cinema structure consisting of a large outdoor movie screen, a projection booth, a concession stand, and a large parking area for automobiles. Within this enclosed area, customers can view movi ...
to
Lubbock Lubbock ( ) is the 10th-most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and the seat of government of Lubbock County. With a population of 260,993 in 2021, the city is also the 85th-most populous in the United States. The city is in the northw ...
; in 1948, his maternal grandfather, R. A. "Skeet" Noret, had opened a drive-in in Lubbock, also at the age of twenty-five. Noret also owned the Sky-Vue Drive-In in Lamesa, which closed in 2015 after a fire destroyed the concession stand. *Robert "Bob" Terry (born c. 1963), owner of Wild West Toys in Azle near the Tarrant/ Parker county line, the last American manufacturer of the cap pistol. Terry also operates the website, Westerns on the Web.com . *Benito Trevino (born 1948), self-styled ethnobotanist and nursery operator in Starr County near Rio Grande City *
Simon Vega Simon may refer to: People * Simon (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the given name Simon * Simon (surname), including a list of people with the surname Simon * Eugène Simon, French naturalist and the genus ...
, owner/operator of "Little Graceland" museum in Los Fresnos dedicated to his
Army An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...
friend,
Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the " King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. His ener ...
*Kees Maarten Verheul (born c. 1936), owner of Aermotor Windmill Company of
San Angelo San Angelo ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Tom Green County, Texas, United States. Its location is in the Concho Valley, a region of West Texas between the Permian Basin to the northwest, Chihuahuan Desert to the southwest, Osage Pl ...
, the last manufacturer of
windmill A windmill is a structure that converts wind power into rotational energy using vanes called sails or blades, specifically to mill grain (gristmills), but the term is also extended to windpumps, wind turbines, and other applications, in some ...
s in the United States *Lynda Watson, relocated thousands of
prairie dog Prairie dogs (genus ''Cynomys'') are herbivorous Burrow, burrowing Marmotini , ground squirrels native to the grasslands of North America. Within the genus are five species: black-tailed prairie dog, black-tailed, white-tailed prairie dog, wh ...
s from residential areas to mostly ranches, where the landowners are willing to accept the rodents. *Roddy Rawls Wiley (1924–2010), owned the Oakwood State Bank in Oakwood, the smallest bank in the United States *Bill Walter Worrell (born c. 1935), western artist and sculptor with studios in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and along the Llano River in Art, near Mason, Texas. Worrell has erected a unique personal "cemetery" which he calls the "Garden of Thorns", where he "buries" with engraved white wooden crosses his "thorns in the flesh" as he encounters them, such as Fear, Blame, and Shame. *Steve Wynne, still repairs existing models and hand assembles a few DeLoreans each year at his shop in Humble, Texas. The original company founded by
John DeLorean John Zachary DeLorean (January 6, 1925 – March 19, 2005) was an American engineer, inventor, and executive in the U.S. automobile industry, widely known for his work at General Motors and as founder of the DeLorean Motor Company. DeLorean ma ...
closed in 1982.


Others

*Big Country Athletic Hall of Fame, operated by veteran sports announcer Al Pickett in Abilene honors local and regional excellence at the high school and collegiate levels in football, baseball, basketball, and golf; featured on TCR the weekend of August 3, 2013. *Bracken Cave near
Natural Bridge Caverns The Natural Bridge Caverns are the largest known commercial caverns in the U.S. state of Texas. The name is derived from the 60 ft natural limestone slab bridge that spans the amphitheater setting of the cavern's entrance. The span was left ...
north of
San Antonio ("Cradle of Freedom") , image_map = , mapsize = 220px , map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = United States , subdivision_type1= State , subdivision_name1 = Texas , subdivision_ ...
, home to one of two large bat colonies in Texas. Bats control the insect population, help to pollinate plants, and are a food source for other animals. * George W. Bush Boyhood Home on West Ohio Street in Midland, the only house in the United States where two U.S. Presidents, a First Lady, and a
governor of Florida A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...
once resided. *Central Texas Tool Company, a fourth-generation non-computerized operation of the Carpenter family at 1410 Walnut Street in Abilene, specializes in pipe threading and the repair of oilfield equipment. *Chinati Hot Springs, a remote rustic resort in Presidio County, has been the focus of more than one episode. *Ezell Aviation, operated by father and son Nelson and Chad Ezell in Breckenridge, restores abandoned old aircraft to flying status once again. * Farley's Boat Works, originally established in 1916 in Port Aransas, hosted U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt on a fishing trip in 1937. Reopened under a new owner in 2011, the company invites customers to build with assistance their own boats in their shop. *Collin Street Bakery in
Corsicana Corsicana is a city in Navarro County, Texas, United States. It is located on Interstate 45, 56 miles northeast of Waco, Texas. The population was 23,770 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Navarro County, and an important Agri-business ...
, known for its holiday treats, particularly fruitcake, aired December 22, 2007 * Copano Bay Fishing Pier, north of Rockport, is a 24-hour fishing bank on the former Copano Causeway, which was constructed in 1930. The 11-mile long Copano bridge was replaced in 1966 by a modern structure and dedicated to then U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson. Well lit, the pier is popular twenty-four hours a day. *Doc McGregor Collection, located within the Corpus Christi Museum of Science and History, is a massive restoration project of some 300,000 community photographs of all kinds taken in Corpus Christi from the 1930s through the 1950s. Photographer Ron Randolf has since 1987 been sorting the photographs into an orderly collection. *8 Track Museum, operated by Bucks Burnett at 2630 E Commerce Street in Dallas, has a collection of some three hundred
8-track tape The 8-track tape (formally Stereo 8; commonly called eight-track cartridge, eight-track tape, and eight-track) is a magnetic tape sound recording technology that was popular from the mid-1960s to the early 1980s, when the compact cassette, wh ...
s. *Fort Clark Springs near
Brackettville Brackettville is a city in Kinney County, Texas, United States. The population was 1,688 at the 2010 census, down from 1,876 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Kinney County. History Founded in 1852 as "Las Moras" (the name of a near ...
in Kinney County, TCR episode examines two women real estate agents selling historic properties to be used for modern residences at the former
U.S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cl ...
base known as Fort Clark * Fort Davis, a glimpse at downtown restoration, including the Hotel Limpia * Frontier Texas!, state-of-the-art western museum in Abilene, with focus on eight weather vanes in the shape of
bison Bison are large bovines in the genus ''Bison'' (Greek: "wild ox" (bison)) within the tribe Bovini. Two extant and numerous extinct species are recognised. Of the two surviving species, the American bison, ''B. bison'', found only in North A ...
installed in 2013 in the courtyard. *Gil's Broiler & Manske Bakery in San Marcos, known for its charbroil hamburgers and the Manske roll, a large cinnamon treat formerly sold nationally but returned to local-only production. *Hotel El Capitan in downtown Van Horn, historic hotel underwent $2.5 million in renovations in 2013; episode depicts Van Horn as the center of a wheel from which spokes emanate to outlying historic sites and attractions in a remote desert area. * Hueco Tanks State Historic Site, TCR shows the isolation of the
Hueco Mountains The Hueco Mountains are a range of mountains that rise in southern Otero County, New Mexico and extend south into Texas, generally along the El Paso– Hudspeth county line just east of the city of El Paso, Texas. The highest point of the rang ...
northeast of El Paso. The cracks in rocks and boulders trap rainwater to overcome drought conditions. The site is popular for a kind of rock climbing known as
bouldering Bouldering is a form of free climbing that is performed on small rock formations or artificial rock walls without the use of ropes or harnesses. While bouldering can be done without any equipment, most climbers use climbing shoes to help se ...
. *Ironworkers in Arlington in the episode "Steel meets the sky" are shown building the new Dallas Cowboys Stadium, which in 2009 replaced the previous facility in Irving. *
Kemp's ridley Kemp's ridley sea turtle (''Lepidochelys kempii''), also called the Atlantic ridley sea turtle, is the rarest species of sea turtle and is the world's most endangered species of sea turtle. It is one of two living species in the genus '' Lepido ...
sea turtle Sea turtles (superfamily Chelonioidea), sometimes called marine turtles, are reptiles of the order Testudines and of the suborder Cryptodira. The seven existing species of sea turtles are the flatback, green, hawksbill, leatherback, loggerhe ...
s, preservation project at
Padre Island National Seashore Padre Island National Seashore (PINS) is a national seashore located on Padre Island off the coast of South Texas. In contrast to South Padre Island, known for its beaches and vacationing college students, PINS is located on North Padre Isla ...
* Longhorn Cavern State Park near Burnet, with enthusiastic tour guide Kaye Barlow, a former teacher *
Los Ebanos Ferry The Los Ebanos Ferry or El Chalán, formally known as the Los Ebanos-Diaz Ordaz Ferry, is a hand-operated cable ferry that travels across the Rio Grande between Los Ebanos, Texas, and Gustavo Díaz Ordaz, Tamaulipas. It is the last of its kind a ...
, historic hand-pulled ferry crossing the
Rio Grande The Rio Grande ( and ), known in Mexico as the Río Bravo del Norte or simply the Río Bravo, is one of the principal rivers (along with the Colorado River) in the southwestern United States and in northern Mexico. The length of the Rio G ...
at Los Ebanos in Hidalgo County *Mi Tierra Café and Bakery in downtown San Antonio, founded in 1941, never closes. It was voted by TCR viewers in 2013 as having the best Mexican food in the state. * Museum of Western Art, a small museum in
Kerrville Kerrville is a city in, and the county seat of, Kerr County, Texas, United States. The population of Kerrville was 24,278 at the 2020 census. Kerrville is named after James Kerr, a major in the Texas Revolution, and friend of settler- ...
emphasizes the work of living artists who follow in the tradition of
Frederic Remington Frederic Sackrider Remington (October 4, 1861 – December 26, 1909) was an American painter, illustrator, sculptor, and writer who specialized in the genre of Western American Art. His works are known for depicting the Western United Sta ...
and
Charles M. Russell Charles Marion Russell (March 19, 1864 – October 24, 1926), also known as C. M. Russell, Charlie Russell, and "Kid" Russell, was an American artist of the American Old West. He created more than 2,000 paintings of cowboys, Native Americans, an ...
; the TCR episode focuses on an unidentified artist named Tod Richardson whose work suddenly appears at the museum. *National Museum of Funeral History,
Houston Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 ...
exhibit of various products associated with the funeral industry, with the theme "every day above ground is a good day." *Neal's Dining Hall, a family-owned business established in 1926 in Concan in Uvalde County, located on the
Frio River The Frio River is a river in the U.S. state of Texas. The word ''frío'' is Spanish for ''cold'', a clear reference to the spring-fed coolness of the river. Geography The Frio River has three primary tributaries; the East, West, and Dry Frio R ...
, offers cooking from scratch, with a speciality in chicken-fried steaks. One of the notable customers of the establishment was former
Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...
Dolph Briscoe Dolph Briscoe Jr. (April 23, 1923 – June 27, 2010) was an American rancher and businessman from Uvalde, Texas, who was the 41st governor of Texas between 1973 and 1979. He was a member of the Democratic Party. Because of his re-election foll ...
. *
Odessa Meteor Crater The Odessa Meteor Crater is a meteorite crater in the southwestern part of Ector County, southwest of the city of Odessa of West Texas, United States. It is accessible approximately south of Interstate 20 at Exit 108 (Moss Road). This is one of ...
Museum and its curator, Tom Rodman *Old Rip, the legend of the horned toad from
Eastland SS ''Eastland'' was a passenger ship based in Chicago and used for tours. On 24 July 1915, the ship rolled over onto its side while tied to a dock in the Chicago River. In total, 844 passengers and crew were killed in what was the largest loss ...
, Texas *Owl Drug Store, Soda Fountain, and Grill, landmark in Coleman since 1923; TCR episode focuses on a group of women in Coleman who meet virtually every weekday morning at the drug store for coffee. *
Padre Island National Seashore Padre Island National Seashore (PINS) is a national seashore located on Padre Island off the coast of South Texas. In contrast to South Padre Island, known for its beaches and vacationing college students, PINS is located on North Padre Isla ...
, biologist Donna Shaver works to preserve the
sea turtle Sea turtles (superfamily Chelonioidea), sometimes called marine turtles, are reptiles of the order Testudines and of the suborder Cryptodira. The seven existing species of sea turtles are the flatback, green, hawksbill, leatherback, loggerhe ...
, aired August 25, 2007 *Paris Coffee Shop, the oldest family-owned restaurant in
Fort Worth Fort Worth is the fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Texas and the 13th-largest city in the United States. It is the county seat of Tarrant County, covering nearly into four other counties: Denton, Johnson, Parker, and Wise. Accord ...
, located at 704 West Magnolia Avenue, specializes in its pies; properietors Mike, Ginger, and Troy Smith. * Post, Texas, historic district with focus on the Hotel Garza *Rosebud Fountain and Grill, nostalgic diner in downtown
Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...
*R. Wilson House, 1950s style residence preserved in
Temple A temple (from the Latin ) is a building reserved for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. Religions which erect temples include Christianity (whose temples are typically called churches), Hinduism (whose temples ...
, with the interior furnishings made of laminated plastic *Satin Strings, under its director, Todd Berridge, is known for the stirring emotional presentations it delivers at Permian High School in
Odessa Odesa (also spelled Odessa) is the third most populous city and municipality in Ukraine and a major seaport and transport hub located in the south-west of the country, on the northwestern shore of the Black Sea. The city is also the administrativ ...
. The group has performed at presidential inaugurations and other national events. *
Six-man football Six-man football is a variant of gridiron football played with six players per team, instead of the standard 11 or 12. It is generally played by high schools in rural areas of the United States and Canada. History Six-man football was developed ...
in Texas, examines small high schools which can recruit only six, instead of eleven players, aired October 5, 2007 * Snow's BBQ, eatery in
Lexington Lexington may refer to: Places England * Laxton, Nottinghamshire, formerly Lexington Canada * Lexington, a district in Waterloo, Ontario United States * Lexington, Kentucky, the largest city with this name * Lexington, Massachusetts, the oldes ...
, Texas, open only on Saturday mornings and usually sold out by noon; a school custodian, Tootsie Tomanetz, has been the pit master; ''
Texas Monthly ''Texas Monthly'' (stylized as ''TexasMonthly'') is a monthly American magazine headquartered in Downtown Austin, Texas. ''Texas Monthly'' was founded in 1973 by Michael R. Levy and has been published by Emmis Publishing, L.P. since 1998 and is ...
'' ranks Snow's the best eatery of its kind in Texas. *Wild Burro Rescue project near
Big Bend Ranch State Park Big Bend Ranch State Park is a state park located on the Rio Grande in Brewster County, Texas, Brewster and Presidio County, Texas, Presidio counties, Texas. It is the largest state park in Texas. The closest major town is Presidio, Texas, wher ...
works to move the donkeys so they can live in a favorable habitat. *Texas Basketball Museum, located in tiny
Carmine Carmine ()also called cochineal (when it is extracted from the cochineal insect), cochineal extract, crimson lake, or carmine lake is a pigment of a bright-red color obtained from the aluminium complex derived from carminic acid. Specific code ...
in Fayette County in southeastern Texas, is operated by coach Bob Springer, whose collection focuses on Texas players elevated into the professional ranks as well as high school teams with particular achievement. *Texas Church Project, five photographers, Jeremy Moore, David Brown, Lee Carmichael, Mike Castles, and Matt Magruder, wander about Texas photographing historic churches. *The last high school commencement ceremony held in Spade, Texas, which features a wounded
Korean War {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Korean War , partof = the Cold War and the Korean conflict , image = Korean War Montage 2.png , image_size = 300px , caption = Clockwise from top:{ ...
veteran finally graduating. *The unique arrangement between the East Texas high schools of Apple Springs (which participates in six-man football but has no band) and Hudson (which has a band but does not participate in football); Hudson's band thus participates during Apple Springs football games.


Notes

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Related links


Official site
includes information on the people featured, events calendar and guide to Texas dialect.
RFD-TV
features a brief history of the show in Phillips' own words.
Texas Country Reporter's Channel on YouTube
featuring dozens of videos from the show.
Texas Country Reporter on Facebook
1972 American television series debuts 1980s American television series 1990s American television series 2000s American television series 2010s American television series First-run syndicated television programs in the United States Television shows filmed in Texas Television shows set in Texas Texas culture RFD-TV original programming