Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta - Part 2

One special thing about the Balloon Fiesta is that you can walk around amongst the balloons, see them up close, and talk to the pilots and crew. You might go from spectator to participant when a crew member yells out for a helping hand. It’s like walking through a kaleidoscope of shapes and colors right there in the middle of the action at the most photographed event in the world.

It’s been so much fun meeting people from all over the world and visiting with the many fellow Texans here. One of them is Bruce Lavorgna from Austin, who pilots his own Texas flag-designed hot air balloon painting the sky above with red, white and blue. He has been ballooning at the AIBF since 1991 and makes us all proud by flying our Lone Star flag in a truly unique way. Thanks Bruce!

Well, as they say, all good things must come to an end. Texas on Tour 2009 is a wrap. We’ve traveled about 15,000 miles spreading Texas hospitality throughout the U.S. and making new friends along the way. Hopefully the little taste of Texas we offered was enough to make you hungry for more. We sincerely hope that you can visit Texas sometime soon and experience it for yourself. We’ll see you on the road again next year!

Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta

Whoosh! The sound of hot air balloon blowers can be heard shooting bright blue and yellow flames as the pilots prepare for their early morning flights just before daybreak. Waves of glowing hot air balloons drift up and into the morning sky. It’s the “dawn patrol” at the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta and Texas on Tour has a front row seat. What started as a small gathering of 13 balloons in 1972 has turned into the largest balloon event in the world attracting hundreds of thousands of people for a nine day fun fest of color and excitement.

I couldn’t think of a better place to wrap up the 2009 Texas on Tour road show. The event attracts approximately 900,000 guests and I am told 200,000 of those are from the neighboring Lone Star State, so we have plenty of fellow Texans to share in the conclusion of our successful journey across the U.S. promoting that special place we all know and love.

After experiencing “Ride the Texas Waterways,” “Texas or Not” trivia, the high tech “Discover Texas” dome theater, live SeaWorld San Antonio animal shows, the “Picture Yourself in Texas” green screen room, and live music from Texan Dan Dyer, it is no surprise folks want to learn more about a Texas vacation. It is proof there’s something for everyone in Texas!

I can’t tell you how excited I am about the week ahead. Yes, Texas on Tour only has a few more days of fun here at the Balloon Fiesta and it’s sure to be BIG fun. Stay tuned for one last post as Texas on Tour 2009 comes to an end. I’m sure we’ll go out with a bang!

L.A. County Fair

Lights, camera, action! It’s showtime for Texas on Tour near Los Angeles, famous for its glitz, glamour, movie stars and the L.A. County Fair. Ahhhh, the scents of a nearby taco stand, candy apples and popcorn fill the Southern California air, and you can hear the carnival rides and games buzzing in the distance. The Fair is in full swing. The carnival atmosphere spills onto the Texas on Tour display as fair-goers flock to the various interactive elements of our exhibit. “There’s so much to do in Texas! It really is like a whole other country!” one visitor said after he and his family had their photo taken in the green screen room.

Carnival games are always a popular attraction at fairs so we decided to add one of our own at Texas on Tour - the Bean Bag Toss. It was a huge hit! Of course games of skill aren’t complete without prizes and ours was no different. Winners received their very own Texas on Tour T-shirt, a sought after prize by the many participants.

It’s also worth noting that the music of Dan Dyer is not just an accessory, but a staple to our show here in L.A. His improvisational melodies and antics captivate the Texas on Tour crowds here. He truly has a contagious Texas flare and charm that many people enjoy.

Colorado Balloon Classic

Texas on Tour drove in for the Colorado Springs Balloon Classic over the Labor Day weekend and boy was it a hoot! It was amazing to see the Texas on Tour exhibit with all the colorful hot air balloons drifting off into the sky with the picturesque mountains in the background. What a scene!

The event started bright and early every morning at 6:00 a.m. The sun peaked out over the mountains and Texas on Tour came to life offering consumers a little Texas flair at daybreak. “I didn’t expect to visit Texas this morning!” a Colorado Springs native said as she enjoyed a virtual kayak trip on the “Ride the Texas Waterways” experience. We’re happy you got out of bed early to join us!

We were also happy to introduce Texan Dan Dyer to the Texas on Tour stage with his melodic, soulful music being the perfect soundtrack for this beautiful setting. We’re certainly delighted to have him on board with us for the remainder of the tour. He is quite a talent!

Yes, the Colorado Balloon Classic was yet another classic Texas on Tour affair and like one of those beautiful balloons it’s time for us to fly off to our next destination...the Los Angeles County Fair. Look out LA, Texas is on the way!

Illinois State Fair

We loaded up our Texas on Tour footprint from Chicago’s Navy Pier and said goodbye to our newfound friends there. It was “on the road again,” as Texan Willie Nelson would say. Next stop…Springfield, home to the Illinois State Fair. Just when I think we can’t conceivably top the fun and excitement in one city, the next destination for the Texas on Tour road show is always a splendid experience in its own unique way. The Illinois State Fair was another such occurrence.



Now when I think of a State Fair I think about how they always have every kind of food you can possibly imagine fried on a stick. You know what I’m talking about…fried Twinkies on a stick, fried Butterfingers on a stick, fried grape soda pop with maple syrup and cottage cheese…on a stick.

Well, during our set-up on the Peoria Street section of the Fair we met Beverly Beckett, a warm, bubbly lady with a talent for baking and cooking who brought us her delicious chocolate ginger cake. The Texas on Tour team took it as a rewarding treat for all our hard work.



On Saturday, Beverly came back to visit us and received numerous high fives from the Texas on Tour team as she informed us that she had won 1st Place in the Fair’s highly competitive cooking contest for her “Minnesota Stuffed Pork Tenderloin.” We at Texas on Tour were so proud to share with her such an accomplishment. “I’ve got new friends in Texas” she told her daughter (whose boyfriend happens to be from Houston) over the phone. Yes Beverly, you do and we hope you come visit us in Texas sometime soon so we can return the hospitality!

Chicago Navy Pier

The wonderful city of Chicago or “Chi-Town” (pronounced “shy town” ) was the backdrop for the latest installment of the 2009 Texas on Tour road show…and boy was it exciting! Now “Chi-Town” is considered by many to be one of the greatest sports cities in the country, but for a few fleeting moments Chicago Bears fans became Dallas Cowboys fans when they lined up to get their picture taken with Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders Megan Fox and Elizabeth Davis. I guess even die-hard Bears fans can appreciate the beauty that the Lone Star State has to offer… and I have video to prove it! Sorry Bears fans, but Elizabeth says the Cowboys are going all the way!

It was certainly a weekend for special guest appearances at Texas on Tour. Representatives from SeaWorld San Antonio brought several “Animal Ambassadors” to the delight of the crowd as they were able to get up close and personal with a lemur from Madagascar and even an albino python named “Mellow Yellow” just to name a few. It was literally a wild time at Texas on Tour!

The fun didn’t stop there, though. The Texas on Tour footprint situated in front of the famous Chicago Navy Pier area turned into Dancing with the Texans when one of our brand ambassadors lead a throng of visitors in a group dance routine of the “electric slide.” I, unfortunately, had to dismiss myself from the pack for fear of stepping on toes and disrupting the rhythm. No, I can’t dance.


Bringing a little taste of Texas to Chicago was fun all the way around. We met some interesting and amazing people. We had some good times and we made some new friends. That being said, listen up “Chi-Town”... don’t be shy…come down and visit us in Texas sometime soon!

EAA AirVenture

Texas on Tour landed at EAA AirVenture, the Oshkosh, Wisconsin air show, which is the second largest air show in the world. It was amazing! It’s hard to believe, but the small Oshkosh airport is the busiest in the world for the one week during the show. The event brings an international audience, so we had people from all corners of the world come by and see us. Folks from Poland, Germany, Spain, England, Norway, and even Japan enjoyed our virtual Texas experience. “Viva la Texas!” I heard one visitor say after taking the 360 degree virtual reality kayaking trip. Texas on Tour was quite the melting pot this week!

Although we had many visitors from around the world, Texas was also well represented. We met many Texans who flew their own airplanes up for the show. At times it felt like we had a mini Texas reunion on site. Fellow Texans stopped by for a visit and a little taste of home. “Thanks for making us proud and representing our state with such style! They also said they learned some new Texas facts when they participated in the Texas Trivia contest in the Discover Texas dome theater. “I didn’t know that Texas had over 190,000 miles of rivers and streams.” It just goes to show, whether you’re from another part of the world or from Texas you can enjoy what Texas on Tour has to offer.

Texas on Tour also offered a unique spectacle on Friday morning. You might say we had a mustang stampede on the Texas on Tour ranch as seventy-five Ford mustangs made their way past our footprint to the large display area behind us. It was quite a sight to see so many vintage cars including a few Shelbys worth almost $200,000. Like true wranglers, we did our part to successfully round up the mustangs and get them corralled. It was yet another exciting start to a fun filled day at Texas on Tour!

Three Rivers Festival - Part 2

Patricia Vonne and Rosie Flores brought their unique brand of music and entertainment to Texas on Tour’s stop at the Three Rivers Festival. Their stellar guitar riffs and soulful singing brought many patrons back for more. They signed autographs and even taught a few folks the Texas Two Step. Patricia and Rosie proved that rock and roll Texas style is here to stay. Cheers to all those who rocked out with us at Texas on Tour.

We joked with one family that came through that they were like the Griswolds from the National Lampoon's vacation movies as they took a 45-minute high tech virtual reality vacation through Texas on Tour. The father decided he was going to plan his next vacation to Texas after he and the family experienced the 360-degree virtual reality kayak trip. “That sealed the deal for us! We’re going to Texas!” he said. He did his best impression of the Chevy Chase character “Clark” as he ordered the Travel Guide at the “Texas or Not” kiosk and started to plan every last detail for their next family adventure!

Check back next week as we report from AirVenture Oshkosh in Oshkosh, WI!

Three Rivers Festival

Howdy folks, we are in Fort Wayne, and everyone is having a blast! We are set up at the Three Rivers Festival in downtown Fort Wayne. This is the second largest festival in the state and is known for its food alley area were you can buy everything from deep fried Twinkies to roasted corn and everything in between. I will be headed over there later this week to try some of these Fort Wayne favorites.

We have new musicians performing on tour with us for the next few weeks and they are Patricia Vonne and Rosie Flores directly from San Antonio, Texas. From the very first song they sang the crowd really enjoyed our new music. We had one fan that was enjoying herself so much she actually grabbed me and asked me to dance with her! Since the tour started I am becoming a pro at two-stepping, so I jumped right on in and had a blast with my dancing partner. I have to admit that I had a great time but I did step on her feet a few times - oops! We both had a good laugh and she said she would be back next week for another round of dancing.

The kayaks are a big hit with people of all ages and they just keep coming to try them out. We had a Yee-Haw contest this weekend and the winners were two small children about 5 years old. Who knew they could yell so loud!? Well I have to get back to work now but I will have more stories from Fort Wayne to share soon!

Summerfest Part 2

We all know that Texas likes to do things in a BIG way, so it was no surprise that “Texas on Tour” made a stop at Summerfest – the biggest music festival in the world. Concerts of all kinds were happening across the vast festival grounds, but we at “Texas on Tour” had a concert all our own. With the tempting Texas tunes of Will Sexton and Charlie Faye guests kicked up their heels in front of our Dallas/ Forth Worth music stage. We even had several dance competitions where participants boogied down “Texas style” for a chance to win their very own “Texas on Tour” t-shirt. The music festival spirit spilled into other areas of our exhibit such as the “Discover Texas” dome theater where show hosts Ben Holt and Nick Vannucci appeared donning disco-fashioned cowboy hats to the amusement of the audience. Once again, “Texas on Tour” left its mark on a terrific event that is Summerfest. We look forward to putting on our dancing shoes…or should I say boots…next year! Stay tuned for our next stop…Fort Wayne, Indiana for the Three Rivers Festival!