I-35 Attractions & Distractions Part 2

We began our tour of driving distractions along I-35 last week and pulled over in Italy, Texas for a kolache. This week we continue through Waco, home of the Dr. Pepper, Texas Rangers and Texas Sports Hall of Fame Museums as well as Health Camp Burgers and Shakes.

The Dr. Pepper Museum at Exit 335 is self-explanatory. It outlines the history of the world’s oldest major soft drink manufacturer from 1885 to the present. No one knows where the name Dr. Pepper came from but customers called out “pour me another Waco” in the early days.

Baseball enthusiasts would be disappointed to find the Texas Rangers Museum makes no mention of the 2011 World Series but the Texas Sports Hall of Fame does. Notable names in the Hall include: Bob Lilly, Babe Didrikson, Johnny Rutherford, and Sheryl Swoops. (Exit 335)

Just south of Waco at Exit 333 is the famous traffic circle and two long-time burger joints. The unusually named Health Camp burger stand opened in 1949 and still dispenses burgers, shakes and fries with a heavy dose of nostalgia for Baylor alums. Across the parking lot is the Elite Café which opened in downtown Waco in 1919. It moved to the busy traffic circle south of town in 1941 and has since been modernized. In 1941, it was the first Waco restaurant to be air conditioned which made it extremely popular with the locals. Elvis Presley made stops at both during his tours of Texas. Either burger joint is a great alternative to the standard highway fare along I-35. (333)

Sitting on the southern edge of Belton is the Bell County Exposition Center. The center resembles a nuclear missile silo with its silver dome but residents of Bell County know it as the home of the Texas Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame and numerous failed sports franchises. The Texas Bullets of the Professional Indoor Football League held on for ten years. Then the CenTex Barracudas came to town with the Indoor Football League and the Central Texas Stampede of the Western Professional Hockey League. (292)

The glowing eye on signs for Inner Space Cavern calls to motorists for miles before they reach Georgetown. The cave was discovered by workers with the Texas Highway Department in 1963 when I-35 was built. The cavern is like a prehistoric sinkhole that could be 90-100million years old which makes it older than the Czech Stop and Health Club. (259)

A modest building at Exit 220 in Buda says Anti Monkey Butt Corporation. A detailed description of the ailment that motorcyclists and bicyclists often suffer from is not needed here but their website says Anti Monkey Butt products will cure it. Just Google it. (220)

Long before the outlet malls took over, there was Ralph the Swimming Pig and Aquarena Springs in San Marcos. Land around the natural springs was developed in the 1920’s but the property hit its stride in the 1950s and 1960s when an amusement park was added. The Aquarena Springs website describes glass bottom boats, humans playing Tic-Tac-Toe against chickens and Ralph’s famous swine dive. At its peak 250,000 visitors stopped but hard times came and Texas State University purchased the whole property in1996. Today the amusements are gone but the glass bottom boats remain along with natural exhibits. By the way, the film Piranha was filmed there in 1978. (206)

There are so many more distractions along I-35 yet to be discovered. Send your favorites to flipside@tx.rr.com. In the meantime, happy motoring.