- The "Daytripper" is made possible by Rudy's, real Texas barbecue.

Shipping nationwide at rudys.com.

Karbach Brewing Company from Houston, Texas, makers of Karbach Lager, a beer that is proudly partnered with Don't Mess with Texas, please dispose responsibly.

Visit Georgetown, where big ideas meet small town charm.

Georgetown, the most beautiful town square in Texas.

Texas Farm Bureau Insurance, protection and peace of mind for Texans since 1952.

Don Hewlett Chevrolet Buick in Georgetown.

Making Texas road trips possible for over 50 years.

Don Hewlett Chevrolet Buick, Texas True.

Coca-Cola Southwest Beverages, Texas' local bottler providing the Lone Star state with a variety of Coca-Cola products.

(upbeat music) - I'm sure you know the feeling, you're cruising the highway, feeling the flow, and then you get to a town with a few old buildings and a few stoplights.

Bummer!

You get upset because it kills your vibe and makes you slow down.

(train horn blares) But maybe slowing down and exploring a town like that is exactly what you should be doing.

Giddings or I guess if you speak proper English, Giddings, but that's boring.

Let's go!

(upbeat country music) (upbeat music) Giddings, Texas sits in a day tripping sweet spot because it's less than two hours from Austin, Houston, and San Antonio and right in the middle of all of them.

Welcome to Giddings, the heart of Lee County.

You want some Texas history?

You got it.

As this entire area was originally part of Stephen F Austin's Texas colony.

Years later, the entire town site was owned by a man named William Marsh Rice, you know, Rice University.

And then after the Civil War, it became a place for freed slaves, Jewish, German, even Wendish immigrants to settle and lay claim to their part of the Texas dream.

So there's a lot to cover and we better get it while the gettings good.

A great place to start is the Lee County Museum.

Inside this old 1870s home that was actually the first Texas campus of what would become Concordia University.

But we can't learn anything on an empty stomach, which is why we're gonna start the day getting some lunch at City Meat Market, and since they treat everyone like family around here, well, you can just skip the front door and go straight to the back.

Also, because I'm pretty sure the front door's been broken for like 20 years.

Oh man.

I love stepping into this place.

It is just so old school that you feel like you're stepping back in time.

(upbeat music) City Meat Market is a taste of barbecue history, just a smoking pit located in the back of a small town butcher shop.

Owner Brooke Covar carries on the proud tradition.

So I think I first stepped in this building, it would've been 25 years ago, and I don't think it's changed that much.

- It hasn't.

- And I mean that as a compliment.

- My dad's biggest thing was don't change anything.

That's how I was raised.

So that is kind of how I stick with it.

- There it goes.

Brooke's father, Gerald, was a legend.

He bought this joint in the early eighties and ran it for over 40 years.

- I started working with him when I was 13 years old, so this is all I've ever done.

- That's amazing.

- Yes, so he passed away two and a half years ago and I'm continuing on his legacy.

- That's cool that you've got a way to keep the fires burning, right?

- Trying to, yes.

- Oh, that's amazing.

No, you're doing a great job.

- Thank you.

- For decades, City Meat Market has done their own butchering, and while the fresh meat counter is quieter these days, the pits are still burning strong.

Chicken, ribs, pork steak, and then y'all's house made sausage.

The heart of Texas barbecue is in pits just like this.

- We are simple.

We are simple.

- So here we go.

We got the Texas briskets going strong.

In true Meat Market fashion, they cook brisket hot and fast in about five hours, but after the pit they go into a hot tub of deliciousness.

Oh wow!

- They're in a broth.

- Woo!

Can't wait.

Drink that with a spoon.

Can we get a cup of that one?

- I'll give you a cup and you can help yourself.

(laughing) - The lunch crowd is mostly locals and so I've invited one of my favorite Giddings residents, and Texans for that matter, to join me for lunch.

Tootsie!

- Hello, Chet.

- Oh, so good to see you.

- I am very happy to see you.

It's great seeing you.

- You hungry?

- I'm hungry.

- Let's go get some food.

- Let's go get something to eat.

- If you don't already know, this is Miss Tootsie Tomanetz, the Queen of Texas barbecue and legendary pit master of Snow's BBQ up the road.

Alright, what's your normal order?

- The best way is to get a little of everything.

Then you can decide what you like the better.

- Sure.

Now you know how to cook a pork steak.

How does yours compare to this one?

- Very much the same.

- Yeah, same kind of thing?

- Very much the same.

- Salt, pepper and smoke.

Ah, yes.

Texas's finest China right there too.

All right, I am.

I am.

- Wad it up.

- Wad it up.

The royal procession goes this way.

(upbeat music) I think we did this right.

- I think we did.

(laughing) - We'll see.

- We'll see if Daniel approves of it.

- Daniel, thumbs up?

We might have to eat this and then eat it all over again if we get him.

Miss Tootsie knows this place well and actually worked here with her late husband, Edward, before moving up the road to run their own joint in Lexington.

- I started at the pit, then I learned the fresh meat counter, and before I left, I also worked the slaughterhouse doing slaughtering with my husband.

- Wow.

You're not just showing up, sprinkle a little salt and pepper on something.

I mean, you know the whole process.

- The whole process.

- Hoofs to pit.

That's great.

There's something about the nostalgia of the real traditional barbecue places that just hits me different.

I mean, places like this, I feel like we're losing them a little bit.

What do you think?

- We're losing them.

I think we're losing them fast.

Nowadays we have the pits that you can put the pellets in, set the temperature, go about your business.

People say, "Yeah, I put a brisket on and set it, and then I went to sleep.

So I cooked a brisket all night."

Well, the brisket cooked all night.

But I'm not gonna say you were cooking it.

(laughing) - The, there's fighting words to some people, Tootsie.

Watch out.

Watch out.

- I'm still from the old school.

- Amen to that.

The older I get, the more old school I become too.

My gosh, that sausage is a champion.

- There's some of that good juice coming out of there.

- Yeah!

Oh, this is like gravy all over that right there.

At 88 years young, Miss Tootsie is one of the hardest workers in Texas and even keeps a day job on the janitorial staff at Giddings High School, truly cut from a different cloth.

- I was raised up to work hard and to appreciate the work I do and I just can't quit.

I've got it in me.

- That's awesome.

That's awesome.

I kind of wish I could spend the rest of this day just sitting here talking with you and eating barbecue.

- Thank you for having me over and inviting me to join y'all.

- Anytime.

Anytime.

- It's a great privilege and the school will be very proud of me knowing that I'm with you.

- Well, if you ever do need to play hooky, you just say the Day Tripper's back in town.

- That'll do the trick.

(upbeat music continues) - What'd y'all think of City Market?

It hits me right in my Texas soul.

- One of my favorite things is getting the butcher paper and just like walking to the table with like 20 pounds of meat.

You feel like a caveman and you're like... - Most of the times after I eat, I don't wash my hands, but you have to there, like it's a given.

- Wait, you don't wash your hands?

- Never.

Like probably five, 10 times my whole life.

- This changes things.

I don't know where this is going.

- How are you still alive?

- I wash my hands like 30 times a day.

- Yeah, you do.

You're an over-washer.

I'm surprised you still have skin on your hands.

Note to self, don't shake hands with Luke.

Now Giddings is an interesting town.

Change comes slowly around here, or not at all, but the population has been all but frozen at about 5,000 folks for the past 25 years.

However, some change is inevitable and for the better take for instance, Giddings 100-year-old train depot, and while it used to ship goods to the far reaches of the globe, today it ships only one thing.

Sixth Street Spirits as the home of Giddings' own Dime Box Distillery.

This is Whiskey Boss, Brittan Carish.

I understand you're the one they called Master Distiller.

- That'd be me.

- Oh, that's awesome.

Before we get into what y'all are doing here, the depot?

- So the train depot actually used to be on the other side of town.

They moved it over here.

The tracks they moved it over here on are still sitting outside.

It was a feed store.

Now it's a distillery.

- I like it.

I say that's years of improvement.

- Oh, it's always an improvement, yeah.

- Well, hey man, y'all do tastings?

- We do tastings.

- Let's go.

- All right, so I'm gonna start you out with a 4-year-old bourbon.

Okay.

And this is our bread and butter.

This is our go-to - Dime Box was started by brothers Mike and Peter Leidel who loved great spirits and live music, hence the rocking guitar bottle.

Now bourbon was their first hit single, but now, well, they've added a few other popular tunes.

- We do whiskeys, we do vodkas, we do sotols and then we do really small batch artists and stuff that we do outta local fruits, brandys.

We got some other things that we're coming out with.

This year.

We're gonna probably do a muscadine wine and turn that into a brandy.

- Oh, that's cool.

I like that.

Local country boy stuff too.

- That's it.

That's it.

That's it.

- Appropriate, as this distillery gets its name from the tiny country town of Dime Box, Texas in East Lee County.

But Brittan's Brandy sell out as soon as he makes 'em.

But he might have a secret stash.

- Might have one hidden, not open.

- There we go.

He pulled some strings.

- This was the very first batch that Mike and I did together.

So I just take regular strawberries, mash them in, ferment them, make wine, and then distill the wine down and make brandy.

- Real stuff.

- Yeah, I mean it's made with 100% fruit juice.

- It's basically a smoothie.

(upbeat music) Oh wow.

That's fun.

Pinky's up y'all.

Unfortunately, Mike passed away in 2022, leaving behind a large group of friends and fans, but also one of the largest collections of Swizzle Sticks on earth.

Seriously.

But in the back of the depot is where the production happens.

And today I've been asked to jump in and help the owners and local store, Liquor Depot, pick their own private barrel of Sixth Street Rye.

You gonna buy the whole thing?

- Of course.

- Okay.

Alright.

All right.

This is number one.

Because every tree is different, every barrel is different and therefore impart different flavors into the whiskey.

Now, this is where I nod and think and pretend I'm having profound thoughts.

- That's my favorite.

- I like that one better.

We have many barrels to choose from, but there can only be one pick.

- Six it is.

- Six!

(clapping) Thanks for letting me join you on this.

That's fine.

Yeah, thank you.

I don't know of another place in Texas where you can sip old whiskey sitting in an even older train depot.

And that's worth pulling your own engine right here to this station.

Alright.

So I mentioned the history of Lee County, and most Texans know about our rich German and Czech heritage.

But what about the Wends?

Never heard of them?

Well, you're not alone.

Luckily there's a place we can learn together.

The Texas Wendish Heritage Museum in nearby Serbin.

And this is museum director, Chelsea Beck.

(speaking foreign language) Okay.

Is that howdy in Wendish?

- Yes!

- Alright.

Okay.

Say it again.

(speaking foreign language) - There you go.

- All right, that's awesome.

Thanks for touring us around.

I've got a first really silly question.

Who are the Wends?

- That's the most common question we get.

That's the Sorbian or Sorbish people from Germany, but they're not German, but they live in what's now Germany.

It causes a lot of confusion.

- Okay, but this predates the country of Germany.

- Absolutely.

- Jump back to the year 1000 and a group of tribes live on the Spree River.

They become the Wends.

The country of Germany forms around them, but the Wends don't assimilate.

They're Wends after all and want to stay Wendish.

And so in the 1840s and 50s they decide, like the Germans and Czechs, to follow their dreams to Texas.

- When they moved here in mass, that was when it was like, "Oh, we have this little Wenden land, our little place."

- They had their own cultures, their own foods, traditions, faiths.

- Art, all of that, yes.

They went to Texas and to Australia at the same time.

- Okay.

On a ship called the Ben Nevis, 600 Wends came over to Texas and settled their own Wendtopia.

The Wends have a culture all their own, including their own music.

Check this dude out.

He's the dude that plays the doodlesack.

The doodlesack.

And it's like a Wendish bagpipe.

Except instead of blowing it into it, you fill it with this velo like a pump.

I think you have to be dressed in full costume in order to play it well, you're playing, you're pumping, you're grooving, you're doodlesacking, baby.

But the world is a very different place now and Wendish customs are facing even greater challenges.

- The reason that this society and museum exists is because we've lost so much of culture.

That's what they were trying to maintain.

And one of our volunteers likes to say something along the lines of, "We've lost our language.

We're working on the culture part, but we haven't lost our religion."

- To this day, many Wends are practicing Lutherans, a denomination of Christianity, and as a testament to their strong and constant faith, the St.

Paul Lutheran Church still stands as a cornerstone of this community.

This is Jack Weiderhall.

He's been a member of this church almost all his life.

- This is the third church.

The first church is still standing, a log cabin.

In 1866, they decided to build a stone church.

- Did he preach from up here originally?

- Still does.

- Wow.

- We have the highest pulpit in Texas.

(laughs) - That's something a lay claim to.

And then I understand you're usually on this side.

- Yes.

- How long have you played the organ?

- A long time.

- Would you play us something today?

- Sure, sure.

- Oh, I'd love to hear it.

- Okay, this organ was built in 1904 in Austin.

Every organ was hand pumped.

- You need someone to pump it today?

- Yes, would you please do that?

- Okay.

- Okay.

Go ahead.

(organ plays) - If anyone asks, I'm totally telling them I can play the organ now.

Sounds so good.

Jack, oh, that sounded amazing.

- Well, thank you for pumping.

You're a good pumper.

- I'm glad we only did the first verse.

(laughing) The church and the museum are amazing stops for anyone who wants to learn about the cultures that built Texas.

And I gotta say, I am a little jealous of the costumes.

- Chet, I know how much you love costumes.

- Guilty.

- I've got something in this box for you.

- Really?

- Yeah, and when you get it on, you're gonna need this.

- A beet pitcher?

- Yes.

- This is museum coordinator, Jan Slack.

I'm gonna go change.

Jan, I don't think I did this right.

- Chet, you pulled the wrong box.

- Oh, is there?

- Yes.

Go look.

- Okay.

This feels much better.

- Oh, that's much better, Chet.

Now you're a Wendish braaka.

- A braaka is a Wendish wedding coordinator who makes sure folks have full plates of food and full glasses of beer.

I could do that job.

- You could do that job.

- I could definitely do that job.

And speaking of food, the Wendish know how to eat and are actually known for their noodles.

And Marion here has whipped some up fresh off the line.

Here we go.

These look great.

Oh, that's good.

- Thank you.

You wanna know how to say that's good in Wendish?

- Of course.

(speaking foreign language) - Sounds good to me.

(laughing) - Y'all have totally schooled me on Wendish heritage and tradition.

- Thank you very much.

- I might just move down here.

I think I'm Wend.

It's gotta be somewhere in there.

Well, the Wends are definitely one of the most hospitable people in Texas.

And since they sell these noodles at the gift shop, (speaking foreign language) y'all, noodles to go!

Woohoo!

If I learned anything today, I learned that Wends make amazing noodles.

Delicious!

It was kind of like a spaghetti, but also like a chow mein mixed with an egg noodle.

I mean, you know, it's kind of similar to a linguini, but also like a tortellini.

Wouldn't you say?

- Are you just naming different noodles?

- Yeah, that's it.

(laughing) - Yeah, because I'm like, "I don't think it was anything like that, actually."

- So my noodle knowledge is a little limited, but I do know a place where we can work off some noodles, because down the road in the community of Warda, well, you'll find one of the best mountain biking courses in all of Texas.

This is Brett Powers owner of Bluff Creek Ranch.

So if you mention Warda to anybody in the mountain bike world.

They know exactly what you're talking about.

But mention it to folks in Giddings, they're like, "Huh, where's that?"

It's funny.

This is both like a true destination and completely under the radar at the same time.

- It really is.

You know, 'cause mountain biking is kind of a specialty, but we have people from all over the state.

Oklahoma, I mean Minnesota, other places like that, so all over.

- This working cattle ranch boasts nine and a half miles of single track trails that are easy enough for beginners, but challenging enough to attract even the most skilled bikers.

- I mean, there's areas that if you go fast, it's gonna be real technical.

We'll see when we ride, but.

- Oh, you're gonna ride with me?

- Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.

- Yes.

All right.

Fantastic.

Now, Brett rode pro for a number of years, so we're lucky to have him showing us the ropes.

- I did.

I rode some pro.

Yeah.

I was lucky enough to have a father that kind of, you know, allowed me to do it, which is really what it's all about.

- Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.

What in the world?

- So this is the first challenge of the day.

This is what we call gas pass.

So it's a pretty steep downhill.

- Oh dang.

The santo here is not a good sign.

(upbeat music continues) Here goes nothing.

This ranch includes a bluff and a creek bed making for some unexpectedly intense topography.

Uh oh, trouble ahead.

(laughing) Oh my gosh.

- Good job!

- That was a thrill.

I know why you call it gas pass.

Although there might be more than just gas in my shorts right now after that.

Bluff Creek changes from limestone hill country to Blackland Prairie to areas that feel like the Piney Woods.

Woo-hoo!

And there's no shortage of man-built elements that Brett's added for entertainment.

(whooping) (yells) Now I told y'all Brett was way better than me.

(laughing) There it is.

What happens when you fall?

Well, you get back in the sack, but the most exciting obstacle out here?

All right.

Coming through.

Yield the right of way.

I know you're not supposed to go to the business end of a cow.

Brett, when you drive on the road, you have no idea that you guys have the elevation.

Man, this is gorgeous.

- You know, for not being in the true hill country.

It's got a lot of variation, dude.

- Yeah.

You don't know it's here.

It's sneaky.

This part of Texas is sneaky.

- Oh, yeah.

It'll wear you out, - Dude, no kidding.

You put so much love and care into these trails, man.

This is one of the most fun places to mountain bike in the state.

- Thanks for coming out.

- Yeah.

Guess we got a ride out now.

If you've been holding anything back, let's do it.

- Alright.

(upbeat music) - You get like three feet of air that time.

- Really?

- No.

- Well, it turns out my jumps aren't as sweet as I thought.

That's okay.

Because I'm really good at what we're doing next.

And with the sun setting, it's time to head back into Giddings to dine at one of their newest restaurants, bringing fresh bites and cold brews to this country town.

Welcome to the Giddings Brewhaus.

And if the name didn't give it away, this is indeed a German-inspired beer hall serving a mix of both German classics and American favorites, sometimes at the same time.

And this is owner Robert Zuck.

- So I've got a couple of beers.

I want you to try some of our local beers here that we make.

We also have some great pretzels.

- Pretzels!

- Large pretzels.

- Hey, thank y'all.

Cheers.

Thanks for hosting us.

- Thanks for coming in.

- Oh, that's great.

Are these all like sort of traditional German type beers?

- We do try to follow the standards and then stick with the German way of making things.

- Traditional stuff.

German indeed.

Like the Haus, Zak Bach, or Bob's Pills named after Robert's business partner and father.

But their most impressive accomplishment isn't the beer.

It's how they renovated this old building.

- It was originally an old movie theater.

- You're kidding me.

- A silent movie movie theater.

It would've been a lot cheaper to just go ahead and tear it down and build a building.

But the nostalgia is there, you know?

- Sure, sure.

- The community knows about this building.

It's a major transformation.

- Oh, I'm sure.

So it's a bar and a restaurant.

Right?

But what it is more than that, it's a safe place for the community to gather, family-friendly.

And maybe you're just there to watch the game, but before you know it, you've made friends with the guy sitting next to you and you realize he's your neighbor or whatever.

You know, it is just a catalyst.

Right?

- Absolutely.

- Alright, so what should I get for dinner?

What do you think?

- Man, I tell you.

I think you ought to try, we have a German pizza and then our hot wings.

I mean, we've got great hot wings.

We've got some pretty good sauces.

Our extra hot is fairly hot.

Depends on what your flavor's like.

- You guys are killing it.

That that was delicious.

The beer's delicious.

And more so than that, it's a place for the community.

It's what German beer halls have always been, although I'm not sure there's a hall in Deutschland serving what I'm about to have for dinner.

A pizza topped with German mustard, sauerkraut, sausage, and cheese.

Oh, thank you very much.

And of course, some hot wings.

Here we go.

That works.

It kinda works the same way a pickle works like on a hamburger.

If it's too greasy and rich, you know you need that little sour bite.

That's it.

What would the German say?

"Ho, ho, ho.

That's good."

What would the Wends say?

(speaking foreign language) I can't remember.

That wasn't it.

I've forgotten everything.

(speaking foreign language) I'll ask Glen.

- Alright, Chet.

Now you need to man up.

These are extra hot.

- Oh, what are you doing to me?

Well, I'll get the child's plate out of the way and I'll bring in this one.

Cheers.

Okay, okay.

Strong buffalo flavor.

And there it comes.

Okay.

All right.

That's hot.

You want one of these?

- Oh, I'm good.

I'm good.

(laughing) - You never know what you'll get in a small town.

Will it be amazing barbecue, incredible stories, or even epic rides?

Well, if you'll simply slow down and explore the town of Giddings, well, you can know for certain that you're getting something good.

Oh, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes.

Much necessary.

I'll see all y'all out on the road.

Vaya con Dios, Amigos.

- The "Daytripper" is made possible by Rudy's, real Texas barbecue.

Shipping nationwide at rudys.com.

Karbach Brewing Company from Houston, Texas, makers of Karbach Lager, a beer that is proudly partnered with Don't Mess with Texas, please dispose responsibly.

Visit Georgetown, where big ideas meet small town charm.

Georgetown, the most beautiful town square in Texas.

Texas Farm Bureau Insurance, protection and peace of mind for Texans since 1952.

Don Hewlett Chevrolet Buick in Georgetown.

Making Texas road trips possible for over 50 years.

Don Hewlett Chevrolet Buick, Texas True.

Coca-Cola Southwest Beverages, Texas' local bottler providing the Lone Star state with a variety of Coca-Cola products.