- 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.

- Today we're tripping to a town where you can drive through for a tasty burger, drive off on dirt roads and drive in to catch a movie.

It's a place where the chicken frieds come in twos ghosts haunt the courtroom and the lemonades can turn any sour day.

Sweet.

Someone get out and open the gate to - Gatessss... ...Villeeee!

- Gatesville is about 45 minutes west of Waco and the heart of Coryell County.

Welcome to Gatesville, which took its name from what was once Fort Gates just down the road.

Now that fort faded away, but the town did not.

And for decades, well it just sort of existed as a bit of a country town that is until they built the much larger real deal, modern army base, Fort Hood, just south of town.

And well to this day, Gatesville remains just a little bit farm and a little bit army, which could only be described as farmy.

Where's the gate?

We're in Gatesville.

Where's the gate?

I think there should be many gates here.

It's a ville of them.

A whole ville of gates.

Legendary gates.

- I haven't seen one.

- There are some people trying to gatekeep on Gatesville though.

Oof.

I don't want you to know about it.

They say narrow is the gate.

I've heard that narrow is the gate that leads to Gatesville.

Only few know the way.

Why does the gate that leads to Waco so well, I don't know.

Read into that what you will.

I said nothing.

Well, at least 16,000 folks have found the gate into town.

So this isn't really a sleepy small town and almost no place in town is busier than the drive through at Carlus's Park Street Burgers.

Since 2017, this small building has been slinging big as Texas flavor.

Classic burgers seared to perfection and topped with all the traditional fixins.

And back in the kitchen owner Jennifer Smith leads this all female powerhouse.

This is all lady crew.

- Yes sir.

- I like it.

You think of burgers and just, I don't know, big greasy men and like this is like y'all.

This is great.

What makes a great burger?

- Fresh ingredients.

These burgers remind me of the ones my granny used to make.

- Okay.

And the - Cast iron skillet on our stoves.

- Oh yes.

- Yeah, they're ground fresh.

Every morning we pat 'em out by hand.

- Okay.

- Every day best.

Just a good old fashioned burger.

- Well, Gatesville loves these burgers and Park Street actually started with Jen and her husband, Carlus's Mutual love for each other and for cooking.

- My husband loved to cook.

He passed away about four years ago.

- Mm.

Sorry.

Sorry to hear that y'all ran this place together.

- We did.

- You're not giving up run?

No.

Keeping this on in - In his name.

- Oh - Yeah, we added his name after it.

He passed.

Oh, - That's cool.

The legacy lives on.

- It does - In every juicy greasy Patty.

Carlus meant a lot to this community and so does Park Street.

So what do you think this has become to the people of Gatesville?

- I don't know if you saw the family out there earlier with the kids.

I did.

- Yeah.

- That's three generations.

- Oh, that's awesome.

- It is.

That's what we go for.

Family.

- And as for Jen's, plans to ever change or expand this place?

No dining room.

You're planning on ever getting some air conditioning out there or - Anything?

Maybe some fans, but no air condition.

We're from Texas.

Just keep, come on people.

Just deal with it.

That's right.

- If eating outside is the local way to enjoy this burger, I can deal with the heat all day.

Woo.

That is a Texas sized burger right there.

Here we go.

We got double meat, double cheese, both kinds.

American and pepper jack.

Grilled onions.

Grilled jalapenos.

Bacon.

Aw man.

That is classic.

Drive through goodness in the best of ways.

If a bite of burger could taste historically Texan, this burger does it.

The bun was already buttered, but it is set there on top of the meat and cheese.

You can't tell where the meat ends and the bun begins.

It's all just one.

And they make their own spicy ketchup.

They call it out of the park sauce.

Oh, that's good.

I thought my burger had everything on it, but it did not have this sauce.

Come on, now my hand is dripping.

These are the times I wish I brought a spare shirt on Daytripper shoots extra napkins, please.

This day's off to a very good start.

Now Park Street sits on the historic highway, which is still the major thoroughfare through town passing right by the county square and the Coryell County Courthouse.

This is one of the prettiest and most underrated courthouses in the state.

It was finished in 1898.

And not only does it hold some stunning architectural appointments, but also some heeby jeeby feelings and spooky tales.

All right, so it's well documented that this courthouse is haunted.

Now what's unknown is who the ghost actually is.

And so they've nicknamed him Elroy, but many believe that his tragic tale goes back to this courtroom, the 52nd district courtroom.

But its beautiful facade hides a dark past.

The tale goes back to 1909 and a very attractive woman named Verna Ware who had a baby she claimed was the result of an inappropriate seduction by the local pharmacist.

He gets arrested and Verna tells him that if he lies on the stand, she'll kill him dead.

But sure enough, he lies.

She shoots him through the courtroom window along with two other guys who were likely his character witnesses.

Verna gets arrested, pleads temporary insanity and gets off scot free.

She leaves the courthouse, but not so for the pharmacist who may be stuck here forever as the ghost of Elroy.

Y'all check this out.

There is still a bullet hole in the door behind the witness stand.

There was so much frenzy in the courtroom.

People were jumping out the windows just to get away.

It's kind of crazy.

- The bullet in that door - Passed through another man's head before it went there.

That's true.

True statement.

Is it true?

We'll just ask the people who work here like Tiffany longtime Coryell custodian, - If you ask the employees that are here, they have awe experienced something.

Anything from chills all of a sudden from one side of their body to the other hair standing up.

I've seen faces, things like that.

I've been you - When you saw a face.

- Yep.

How do you still work - Here?

- It takes a lot of courage and a lot of faith.

But I would tell you what, if you don't love the job, what are you doing?

- Wow.

I mean, you think this is the most haunted courthouse in Texas?

- Definitely the most in Coryell County.

- We know that.

Yes.

Coryell County is full of one of a kind stories.

And so let's poke around.

The Coryell Museum literally as Gatesville is the spur capital of Texas.

This museum boasts the largest spur collection in the world.

And what's the point?

Well, museum president Hal Davidson can tell us more.

- Cool.

The family had 10,000 spurs.

They donated 6,000 to the - Museum.

No kidding.

Look how different they all are.

Some of these spurs go back to the 13th century and even includes some pretty prominent pokies.

- And then this is Jackie Kennedy's spur.

You're kidding me.

What?

Yeah.

Lady English writing spurs.

And back here we have Poncho Villa Spurs.

- Hold up.

How did these come to be in the museum?

- Well, how Coach Mitchell got 'em, I'm not real sure.

- Coach Mitchell was Gatesville's Longtime teacher in coach and evidently a spur and Texafile the likes of which the world has never seen.

- His former students would go around and find Spurs and then send them to him.

'cause they knew he had a large collection.

- He had more Texas Street cred than me.

Football coach Spur collection.

I just host the TV show.

- I like how you say that.

You've got cred though.

- Yeah.

Oh, hey, I'm beginner level.

He's the final boss.

This museum honors the generations of Texans who have called Gatesville home as they staked their claim on the wild frontier, which was evidently so wild.

They needed a double walled county jail.

- There were rocks in between, but it's the only double wall cabin known in existence.

- Wow.

The purpose of the double walls was what?

- For security.

They had wood and rocks back then.

That's all they had here.

- Not really an abundance of supplies.

- Not really.

- You work with what you got.

- The jailers stayed in these quarters here.

So this was the trap door where they kept the prisoners below the floor.

- I mean, when you got thrown in jail, you literally got thrown in jail.

Infamous outlaw.

Sam Bass spent time locked up in this cabin and he learned just like the others, that Coryell county ain't the place you wanna get caught on the wrong side of the law.

- Coryell County justice is not blind.

The statues on the top.

Lady justice does not have a blindfold on.

Oh, - We punish our criminals here.

Gatesville is still a major part of the Texas prison system with six different units across town and this museum seems endless.

Antique doctors and dentals offices freak me out.

Nothing is freakier than this right here.

Oh, I give you Skeletorso.

This is the world's first completely plastic human body made by a company right here in Gatesville.

Basically changed the medical world by creating these fully plastic bodies that students could study without cutting open real humans.

Also like a terrifying place to work based on these photos.

Coryell County.

Hi.

How y'all?

How y'all doing?

Alright, let's take a history break and hunt down a little.

Pick me up.

Hidden behind the historic buildings.

On the square you'll find Rissy's food truck with slapping sips and banging bites.

Specifically her famous lemonade.

And this is Rissy.

Howdy, howdy, howdy, howdy.

Alright, it's a hot afternoon.

I'm hoping you have something refreshing.

- Do you like lemonade?

- Oh, you know I like lemonade.

Let's go.

- I have 16 flavors to choose from.

Okay.

And we can mix and match 'em.

- This is not just lemon flavored lemonade.

Risi has a whole menu of homemade flavors ranging from pineapple to watermelon to ginger and beyond.

- That one is your watermelon lavender.

This one is pineapple jalapeno?

- Yes.

Oh, that is so refreshing.

- That is made with real lavender.

We boil that down.

Make a simple syrup.

I make this at home so there's no preservatives.

- Sy started this operation with her husband Mark, who always had a sweet spot for Rissy's Grandma's Lemonade.

- my grandma.

Okay.

When he did someone to mow her lawn, she's ninety years old.

So my husband went - Over, Hero Mark comes in, - She paid him in lemonade.

- Was it worth it?

Oh yeah.

Pretty good.

- It's easy to drink a gallon of that with a bag of popcorn, watching a movie.

Forget it.

- So they decided to share her famous recipe with the world with a few new spins.

I mean, these are incredible.

So you have 16 flavors?

- Yes.

- Did all of them come about just through experimentation?

- They all did the jalapeno one.

One day he was in his garden and he brought in some jalapenos and I said, let's do it.

- Then came basil, rosemary, hibiscus, even pickle.

But this I love because we've had lemonade for, I don't know, let's say a hundred years or more.

It's about time somebody started making it fun.

- It's a lot of fun.

And as long as you don't come up and order a lemon flavored lemonade, I'm good.

Oh, that's right.

You gotta have the experience.

- You want a lemonade, Brittany?

I'd love a lemonade Daniel.

I like lemonade.

Okay, we're all getting lemonades.

I'm bringing these though.

These are not for y'all.

These are mine.

Mark does make some incredible food, but I'm fueling every empty space in my stomach with lemonade.

Whoa.

Oh, that's like a Celtic sea salt there somewhere.

That's a weird matcha something or other.

I think Daniel want that one.

- Yeah.

- Whoa.

Wait.

No, that one's the pickle one.

- No, no, no, no.

You don't.

Pickle, pickle, pickle.

- Ah.

That mango coconut.

I think.

All right.

All cheers, y'all.

Yes indeed.

That's - Actually pretty good.

Solid.

It's solid.

- Now that we've had a quick pit stop, it's time to really rev up our engines because tucked away in the hills of Gatesville is one of Texas's premier off-road destinations.

And maybe soon the country's welcome to Dove Nests Motorsports Club, or Domo for short with 260 acres of Motorhead heaven.

And this is founder Toan Leung.

Alright, so Toan you've sort of built like a big kid playground out here?

- We do.

We do.

And we've been doing it for the last couple years now.

We have everything from, you know, rock, sand, mud, all kind of vehicle, two wheeler to four wheeler.

We do all that.

- Oh, that's awesome.

- Our goal is to create a destination for the entire family.

When you leave here, you are gonna smile from ear to ear.

That's our goal - Toan has big plans for this place, including a paved track that's already been designed and laid out by the same folks who build racetracks for F1.

You're not doing this halfway?

- Oh no, no, no, no.

I've been called crazy many times.

So all in or not in.

- Oh, that's right.

So I understand you were an ER doc.

- Yeah, I was a ER physician for 25 years.

- So you've always thrived on adrenaline.

- Yes.

And it's been, it's been wonderful, man.

- The course that will one day host Porsches and Ferrari is now dirt giving very different vehicles a chance to run, time to helmet up and feel the speed.

So we're taking the razor out first.

Yes sir.

Okay, here we go.

This track is a three mile loop with 22 turns and 140 feet in elevation change.

So yeah, there's plenty out here to get your heart pumping.

There we go.

Oh, I didn't get airborne.

I'll crank it next time.

Oh, this is the first one.

That's my first one.

Yeah, I, I don't think I set any course records.

I did for my heart though.

Let me pass the wheel and see how a seasoned pro drives.

- Woo.

Oh yeah.

Woo.

- Oh my gosh, that's so much fun.

Out here at Domo, you've got SpaceX to the north, testing rocket engines and Fort Hood to the south, firing tanks and grenades.

So I'd say this place fits right in.

Whoa.

Go again.

Go again.

Someday Toan will have rentals, but for now, drivers have to bring their own vehicles that includes off-road rigs to ride the rocks and ravines.

Alright Steve, so we're seeing the other side of Domo.

Alright here with you.

Not very many places have terrain like this.

It's approximately a hundred miles of the trails constantly being cut as well.

We're going up this shoot, dude, this is like, there's no road.

This is just a cliff.

This is what you see people fall off of in movies and die.

This is crazy.

Cool, cool, cool.

How is this physically possible?

My high school teacher taught me this is not possible.

Defying - Gravity in his - Jeep.

Oh gosh.

Oh yeah.

I could do this all day, but a new whip just showed up to the party.

This is Faylen with swear bodies of Texas.

So how does this compare to the razor that I did earlier?

Well, you think the razor's awesome.

Well, honestly, I think it's cute.

- It's kind of, you know, mild, the trash talk.

- Did you do all the work on - This?

Yes.

Everything Literally from the chassis.

All the way up.

All built in our shop.

- Woo.

This should be fun.

Helmet's required, definitely.

Oh, let's go, man.

Look at - You.

Work the wheel.

It's almost like I've done it before or something.

Yeah.

Brand new transmission.

I just put it in yesterday.

How's it doing?

It's the first time I've drove it with a manual.

Hold up.

- First time seems like maybe we should take it easy.

Nevermind.

It's like butter, man.

Gosh.

Woo.

Oh my gosh.

Ah.

My face hurts from smiling so much and I need new pants.

That was awesome.

All good things must come to an end.

And our time at Domo is done.

Oh, well maybe.

My gosh.

That was amazing, dude.

You really flew.

Not yet.

I haven't.

Wait, what are you doing?

Think you can do it.

Daniel.

Think we can do it.

No, you did do it.

No, no, no.

Not in this - Truck.

No, no, no, no, no, no.

This is not what?

No, no, no, no, no, - No.

Think about this.

We are the Texas Dukes of hazard.

Just the good old boys.

Never meaning no harm.

Such a bad.

Why?

That was awesome.

Why would you do that?

Dude, we had all four wheels off the ground.

It was, we were the the Duke... Okay.

Okay.

It was kind of cool.

That one was kind of cool.

Awesome.

Thank you.

All right.

It was worth it.

But now don't do it again.

No.

Check engine light on.

Not yet.

- Is there first aid kit up there?

- We might be leaking fluid all over the highway, I think.

Well, my adrenal glands are empty and so is my stomach.

And so I do believe it's time to feed me at the feed mill.

This place is part restaurant, part museum.

It used to be the town's actual feed mill.

A rancher would drive in on one side with hay drive out on the other with feed.

Nowadays, of course, they're feeding more than just livestock.

So let's grab a seat and peruse the mills collection of antiques and oddities.

Daniel, if this guy offers you a peppermint, don't take it.

Don't trust them.

I wouldn't doubt it if they've never opened this thing.

It looks sealed.

Hat swap.

What do you think?

Eh?

Little, little frumpy there.

I don't know.

Okay.

That's way better.

- Oh, perfect.

Yeah.

Perfect.

- Thank you.

Okay.

Hey, what's the best thing on the kids' menu?

Get the tendies?

Good idea.

The menu is packed with country classics, chicken fried steak, burgers, and a few signature items.

- Ooh, what do we have here?

- Bacon poppers, - Chicken breast, a jalapeno pepper, and some jalapeno jack cheese wrapped up in bacon and fried.

- Yeah, - I love all of those things.

You can't go wrong.

- Oh, - Come on now.

Owners, Ricky and Tana have a long - History of feeding hungry Texans.

55 years ago when I kind of started cutting meat back in the early seventies, people there come in and they wanted us to cook something for 'em to eat.

Sure they, so we started cooking a little barbecue and it took off.

It just, - Oh man.

Wow.

Where'd all the recipes all that come from?

- My mother was a big cook.

We just kind of built off of that.

We've got some things on the menu that's even got her name on 'em.

So Ruby, we tap my granddaughter right here and we named her after her.

- Her name is Ruby too.

- Oh, - That's awesome.

So I get the feeling y'all do pretty much everything.

The whole made.

Oh man.

Huh?

Correct.

They're still cutting their own steaks and hand battering everything because that's the country way, including making sure nobody walks outta here.

Hungry, - Fresh jalapeno peppers.

- Oh, what are y'all trying to do to me?

You're trying to, you're trying to kill me here.

They're not bad.

Yeah, it's got a little burn it a little bit, but, but I like it.

But I like it.

The whole mill feels like an antique itself.

And as for the many priceless mementos on the wall, when we - Opened it up, we had a few things - Anyway.

We had a few, we didn't have very much, - But when we opened it up, people started bringing things in here and just to get 'em out of their house.

Any of this stuff kind of valuable?

- The lonesome dove door.

- What?

That door right there that come off of this movie set the, the movie set of the Lonesome Dove.

- Y'all are Gatesville Planet Hollywood?

Yeah.

Oh yeah.

Well, the folks on these walls are famous in Gatesville at least.

And so is the chicken fried or Well, chicken frieds -my dinner.

Oh my gosh.

I wish y'all could smell this.

It's like grease and butter happening right over here.

This is the large chicken fried steak.

Let's be honest, it's just an excuse to eat two chicken fried steaks.

Oh, I like that a lot.

That's just a taste of Texas Heaven right there.

Like a sunset over the west Texas desert with a little armadillo running in the foreground.

- What's he doing there?

- I don't know.

Texas Heaven.

There's armadillos in Texas Heaven and there's chicken fried steaks.

You know, it's pretty crazy.

Like you're sitting in a place that used to make feed that fed the cows that are now feeding me the circle of life.

Okay.

This is a change up for me.

I'm not a beet person, but they're called Grandma Ruby's beets.

Like, how do you not get those?

I'm a little nervous.

I don't like beets.

I really don't.

I'm sorry guys.

I like, I want to pretend like I love it, but I just don't understand why people like beets.

I love beets.

I think they're great.

- No thanks.

- Phenomenal.

Ruby.

Ruby.

Ruby.

Grandma Ruby.

All right.

Brittons got it.

You know what the solution after a bite, you don't like more chicken fried steak.

Well, folks, the day is done, but I'm not ready to go home just yet.

And so before we drive off, I think we should drive in to catch a flick at the last Drive in Picture show.

And while this isn't literally the last one standing, there's only about a dozen left.

And to the generations before me, an outdoor drive-in was the way to catch a flick.

And Dana Palmer's family has been running this place for three generations.

- My grandpa, he started working here whenever it opened, became a projectionist.

Later on he kind of come back and and bought this place.

It's, it's been part of my life forever.

So for you, it's just like breathing air for us.

It's like, - What a drive in.

That's crazy.

Need to get some snacks.

Okay.

Popcorn for the crew.

And then we're gonna go enjoy the movie.

It's nice to know that some places find a way to hold on to what makes 'em special.

Whether it's the taste of a burger, the spin of a spur or the fry of chicken.

But they also find ways to bring us some new flavors, new thrills, and even new movies.

Nobody is gatekeeping on Gatesville.

In fact, they've left the gate wide open for us all.

All right guys.

I got snacks, got pickle, some candy.

I know Daniel, but I gotta finish our show first.

Alright, so I'll see all y'all out on the road.

Vaya con Dios, amigos.

Popcorn corn.

Woo-hoo.

Movie night.

Let's go.

Oh, come on.

Howdy, y'all.

Follow along with my adventures at chettripper on Instagram and at thedaytrippertv on Facebook and YouTube, or head to the daytripper.com for travel guides, past episodes, and info on our mobile app and team "Daytripper."

- 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 miss 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.