So the video creating kick is still going on here at The Carriage House Bed and Breakfast. Yesterday I created a video of the New Year’s Eve Ball at Jefferson’s Carnegie Library. Today, I spent all morning working on a video showcasing the beautiful and ethereal Caddo Lake. I hope y’all enjoy all of the amazing photography!!
Archive for the ‘Friends of Caddo Lake’ Category
Jefferson, Texas Weekend Entertainment October 13-16
October 14th, 2011 by carriagehouse
JEFFERSON, TEXAS
WEEKEND ENTERTAINMENT
OCTOBER 13-16, 2011
”21ST ANNUAL TASTE OF JEFFERSON”
Sunday, October 16 @ 11:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.
Location: Austin Street
Information: (903) 665-2672
* RODEO SPONSORED BY JEFFERSON LIVESTOCK ASSOC.
Saturday, October 15 & 22 @ 7:30 p.m.
Location: Jefferson Rodeo Arena (2 miles Hwy 49 East)
Mutton Busting, Mini Bulls, Calf Scramble, Team Roping, Bull Riding
(903) 930-8920 or (903) 665-8087
* AUNTIE SKINNER’S RIVERBOAT CLUB & RESTAURANT
Thursday, October 13 : “Terry Dorgan” (Country Ballads) @ 6:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m.
Friday, October 14: Karaoke @ 8:30 p.m.-12:30 a.m.
Saturday, October 15: “Shinebox” (Classic Rock) @ 9:00 p.m.-1:00 a.m.
* RODEO SPONSORED BY JEFFERSON LIVESTOCK ASSOC.
Saturday, October 15 & 22 @ 7:30 p.m.
Location: Jefferson Rodeo Arena (2 miles Hwy 49 East)
Mutton Busting, Mini Bulls, Calf Scramble, Team Roping, Bull Riding
(903) 930-8920 or (903) 665-8087
* KARAOKE
Saturday, October 15 @ 8:00 p.m.-12:00 midnight
Location: The Sandwich Shop, 123 W. Austin
* TURNING BASIN RIVERBOAT TOURS
200 Bayou St.
CLOSED until further notice due to low water levels
* LONE STAR CARRIAGE COMPANY OF JEFFERSON
Historical tours of Jefferson by horse & carriage and Mule Drawn Wagon
Specializing in weddings
Friday-Sunday, October 14-16
Groups and special events available by appointment
Departs from corner of Austin & Market (across from the Jefferson Historical Museum)
www.jeffersontexascarriage.com
Call for reservations
* JEFFERSON PEDAL POWER
122 E. Austin
Bicycles, Trikes, Tandems, Surreys & more
By reservation
* HISTORIC JEFFERSON RAILWAY
“Terror on the Bayou” & Runaway Fright Train, October 14-16; 21-23; 28-29
Terror on the Bayou Halloween Festival
TAKES PLACE AT CYPRESS BAYOU RV PARK
1602 State Hwy 49 E, Jefferson, TX
Runaway Fright Train, Creepy Screamin’ Corn Maze,CarnEvil of the Damned Haunted House
Friday, October 14. Park is open from 6:00 – 10:00. Train departs at 8:30
Saturday, October 15. Park is open from 6:00 – midnight. Train departs at 7:30, 8:30, 9:30, 10:30
Sunday, October. Park is open from 6:00 – 9:00. Train departs at 7:30 and 8:30
Tickets & information: (903) 665-6400 or (866) 398-2038
* HISTORIC JEFFERSON GHOSTWALK
Friday & Saturday, October 14-15 @ 8:00 p.m.
Location: Corner of Austin & Vale St.
Information & additional tours: (903) 665-6289
* LAFAYETTE STREET VINTAGE VEHICLES CAR MUSEUM
112 W. Lafayette
Friday & Saturday, October 14-15 @ 1:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m.
Call for additional tours
* CULBERSON HOUSE HISTORIC HOME TOUR
403 N. Walnut
* By reservation. Call for tour times
* HOUSE OF THE SEASONS HISTORIC HOME TOUR
409 S. Alley
Daily @ 11:00 a.m.
Reservations required
* SINGLETON’S VIRGINIA CROSS HISTORIC HOME TOUR
401 Soda St.
Saturday, October 15 @ 1:00 p.m.
(903) 665-3938 or (214) 725-6232
Call for reservations & additional tour dates and times
* THE GROVE HAUNTED HISTORIC HOME TOUR
405 Moseley
Saturday, October 15 @ 2:00 p.m.
Sunday, October 16 @ 11:00 a.m.
Call to confirm tour
* EXCELSIOR HOUSE HOTEL & JAY GOULD RAILCAR TOUR
211 W. Austin
Tours: Monday-Friday @ 2:00 p.m.
Saturday & Sunday @ 1:00 p.m. & 2:00 p.m.
Call to confirm tour times
* JEFFERSON HISTORICAL MUSEUM
223 W. Austin
Open daily: 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
* THE GRACEFUL GHOST PADDLEWHEEL STEAMBOAT ON CADDO LAKE
Tuesday-Friday @ 12:00 noon, 2:00 p.m., 4:00 p.m.
Saturday @ 10:00 a.m., 12:00 noon, 2:00 p.m., 4:00 p.m.
Sunday & Monday: Closed
Pontoon Boat tours at any time with prior reservation
Location: Shady Glade Marina, 510 Cypress Drive, Uncertain, TX
Call for reservations & additional tours
* BILLY CARTER’S GO-DEVIL TOURS ON CADDO LAKE
Location: Johnson’s Ranch in Uncertain, TX
Call for reservations
* CADDO OUTBACK BACKWATER TOURS
Personalized Tours of Caddo Lake
Uncertain, TX
(903) 789-3384 or (903) 679-9138
Call for reservations
* CADDO LAKE PADDLEWHEEL TOURS “THE SWAMP THING”
Uncertain, TX
(888) 325-5459 or (903) 789-2101
Open: Saturday @ 10:00 a.m., 12:00 noon, 2:00 p.m. & 4:00 p.m.
Closed: Sunday-Friday
Additional tours by appointment
Call for reservations
www.caddolakepaddlewheeltours.com
* CAPTAIN RON’S GATOR PARK, PETTING ZOO & GARDEN
FM Rd #2198
Uncertain, TX
Open: Tuesday-Saturday @ 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
* JEFFERSON CARNEGIE LIBRARY
301 W. Lafayette
Monday-Thursday @ 10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.
Friday @ 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
Saturday @ 10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.
Closed: Sunday
www.jeffersoncarnegielibrary.com
Free internet access
Big Cypress Fish & Wildlife Restoration Project
August 9th, 2011 by carriagehouse
This afternoon Tuesday August 9, a reception in honor of the Big Cypress Fish & Wildlife Habitat Restoration Project will be held from 2:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m. at the Excelsior House Hotel Ballroom.
Speakers will include: Mayor Jeff Fratangelo; U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison; Colonel Richard Muraski, District Engineer USACE Ft. Worth District; Richard Collins, Chairman of Today Foundation.
This event is hosted by the Jessie Allen Wise Garden Club and the Excelsior House Hotel.
New Gator Park in Uncertain Texas
August 8th, 2011 by carriagehouse
This past weekend, we had the honor of hosting my mom and niece here at the Carriage House B&B. It is always nice to have family come visit us. We love getting the chance to catch up with them and the chance to play tourist here in Jefferson.
I think the biggest thrill for us all this weekend was going to Captain Ron’s Gator Park in Uncertain, Texas. Captain Ron is a dear friend of ours and he gave us a grand tour of his new gator park and petting zoo Friday afternoon. If you are thinking that you don’t remember this place last time you were here, it is because it just opened a few weeks ago. We will be recommending this place from this point on. This is one of those experiences that you can only get here in the swamps.
The petting zoo is full of unusual and unique varieties of chickens, goats, turtles, pigs, and birds. But the biggest thrill of all is the gigantic pond teaming with alligators.
Captain Ron held off on feeding them until we got there. As soon as these primitive beasts saw the chicken on the bamboo pole, the water came alive. It was obvious that the large gator was the alpha male of the pond. He tried his best to keep the others away from the feeding area and only a few of the brave and nearly as large gators even dared to come close. We all stood in awe as these large beasts jumped straight up and out of the water to snatch the chicken right off of the pole.
Since the show, Swamp People, started airing on TV, we have had several people come out to Jefferson and want the “Swamp People” experience. You do not have to run all the way down to Louisiana’s bayou country to have a Swamp People vacation. Caddo Lake is a one tank getaway from most of Texas, Arkansas, and Oklahoma.
I will get everything set up for you. We will send you deep into the dark and mystical swamps in a go devil in search of gators in the wild and get you up close, and personal to a gator feeding on chickens. At the end of the day, we will send you to a restaurant where you can sit under Bald Cypress trees draped in Spanish Moss and eat some fried gator. By the end of the weekend, you will be able to say “Choot ‘em,Liz”, and smile at the memories.
Give me a call at 903-665-9511 to book your Swamp People vacation.
Play-cation…Jefferson Texas Style
August 5th, 2011 by carriagehouse
Ugh! It is the dog days of Summer and the heat has gotten everyone down. There is only one place that I want to be this time of year…in the water. Fortunately for me (and for you), Jefferson sits right smack in the middle of two lakes. There is plenty of water action to keep me wet and cool this incredibly hot summer.
About 20 minutes to west of Jefferson is Lake o’ the Pines with it’s open waters and beautiful Pine Tree covered hill sides. Lake o’ the Pines is a perfect destination for boaters and fisherman alike. After a long hot day on the water, you can enjoy one Lake o’ the Pines many beaches and swim or enjoy a romantic picnic.
About 20 minutes to east of Jefferson is the ethereal and mysterious Caddo Lake. Covered by moss draped Bald Cypress trees, you can spend hours drifting in and out of the many bayous and sloughs on this otherworldly lake. This location is so beautiful and unique that many different movies have been filmed here, and once you have seen this eerie swamp, you will no why.
Don’t forget that the Carriage House B&B is running a Kitchen Remodeling Special. $79 for any room, any night. Since the kitchen is the room that is being remodeled, we are unable to serve breakfast. This is $60 savings over our regular rate.
This Bed and Breakfast is for the Birds
February 27th, 2011 by carriagehouse
Tweet…Tweet…Tweet. Chirp…Chirp…Chirp. Chevy…Chevy…Chevy. Chevy what!?!
The mornings and afternoons are a cacophony of bird song here at the Carriage House as all of our feathered friends gather at one of the feeders for their meal.
One of my favorite things about this area is the birds. No matter the season, we always have birds. Different birds in different seasons but always birds. In fact, it was a soft summer day spent on a Go Devil boat on Caddo Lake capturing pictures of the wetland birds that sealed the deal for us. The birds convinced us that this is where we wanted to live.
For me, there is nothing more relaxing then sitting out in the Carriage House courtyard, drinking my morning coffee and watching the Yellow Finches, the brightly colored Cardinals, and the Swamp Sparrows play and eat at the bird feeders. Even the scavenging squirrels, hanging upside down from a tree and stretching their little bodies as long as they can to get a seed from the feeder, are a joy to watch. I didn’t realize that the Carriage House B&B also served a gourmet breakfast for our feathered guests as well. I guess you can say that we do whatever it takes to keep our guests happy. Even our feathered guests are special here!
If you are a bird-watcher, the Jefferson area is a birding playground for you. The Big Cypress Bayou Wetlands and Caddo Lake area are home to many different native and migratory birds. Some say that over 250 species of birds live in this area. The months of seasonal transition, November and March, are also months of bird transition. Soon our winter birds will leave but our summer birds will arrive. We will miss all of our winter friends but we can’t wait to see who shows up for the warmer months.
Monthly, the Caddo Lake Institute sponsors a bird banding outing at a farm close to Caddo Lake. This event is open to public. In fact, the next bird banding event will be Saturday, March 19th, which is during our Spring Photography Weekend. So I am sure some of our photogs will want want to be out there to capture this amazing spectacle. I can’t wait to see and post some of the shots these folks get.
These pictures were taken this weekend in the courtyard. Tom had so much fun sitting out there with his camera just shooting away. It was a bit of a trick only picking two pictures to post. I liked this cute little fella. The little yellow finches are so cute!
Oh and the Chevy call. We have a Mockingbird that hangs around here who sings, Chevy…Chevy…Chevy. I guess he works for the car dealership in town.
I have a Peaceful, Easy Feeling
September 28th, 2009 by Skyla Grimes
One of the things that attracted us to Jefferson was all of the things to do in the area. There is always something going on here in town. I mean…always! This weekend was no different.
Tom had been bugging me all weekend to go to the Caddo Lake Ramsar Wetland Center Grand Opening that was going to held on Saturday. Of course when you have a house full of guests you don’t get to go out and play on the weekends, so I got to be the bad guy and say no.
Tom had been bugging me all weekend to go to the Caddo Lake Ramsar Wetland Center Grand Opening that was going to held on Saturday. Of course when you have a house full of guests you don’t get to go out and play on the weekends, so I got to be the bad guy and say no.
Friday night Belinda and Renee from the North East Texas Film Commission checked in. Look honey, new friends! We had a lot of fun talking with both ladies and learning more about the work that the film commission does. These two ladies work very closely with the Texas Film Commission and different production companies to promote our area. Frankly, I believe that we have so much to offer. If you are looking for southern antebellum mansions, we got ‘em. If you need a scary atmosphere for a horror movie, we have it. If you need dark piney woods, fall color, or spring time flowers, we have it. It is these ladies job, to bring all of this to the attention of anyone who may be considering filming in this area.
Belinda and Renee were in town to observe the final days of shooting of Boggy Creek. They convinced us to go with them to the grand opening of the new Wetlands. This new wildlife refuge used to be the Longhorn Army Ammunition Plant and was decommissioned in the late 1980s and became a Superfund site (think environmentally contaminated). Many people fought to clean up this area and keep it out of the hands of the developers. One of the people that lent his name to the project was Don Henley. He is originally from this area and is fighting to keep this land pure and pristine. Apparently there were plans to turn this site into another industrial park. Don’t we already have enough empty industrial parks?
Tom and I got the chance to meet Don Henley. We stood there like groupies stumbling over our words. Mr Henley was very gracious in talking to anybody who came up to him and signing autographs.
At the same time that this was going on, the first annual Fire Brigade Car Show. People from all over the area brought their classic cars to show. I am not an antique car buff, but even I could appreciate the beauty of these vehicles. If you have a love for cars, then you will definitely want to make plans for next year’s show.
If you are a garage sale fiend, then you definitely want to come to Jefferson next weekend. Next Saturday is the City Wide Rummage Sale. I know that I will have a ton of stuff that I will be selling. So come on down. There will be a lot of great finds!
If you are a garage sale fiend, then you definitely want to come to Jefferson next weekend. Next Saturday is the City Wide Rummage Sale. I know that I will have a ton of stuff that I will be selling. So come on down. There will be a lot of great finds!