A Delicious Day Trip

On a lazy Friday afternoon, we ventured about 45 minutes east of Rowlett to visit Ham Orchards, near the small town of Terrell. My daughter Alison had raved about it, as they had recently been there to pick blackberries. Off we went down Rt. 205, which is mostly ranch and farmland, but is quickly being taken over by subdivisions of large, expensive houses. I always wonder where these people work, since it's quite a long way from Dallas or even business centers like Plano and Richardson. Livestock such as cattle, horses and sheep graze peacefully in the pastures punctuated by small farmhouses and a few tiny churches.

Terrell's main street, like many small Texas communities, was once thriving with two long-closed movie theaters and banks. You can tell the downtown is struggling to survive with its mix of small stores, pay day loan businesses, and a few Mexican restaurants. However, there seem to be lots of small businesses, such as auto body shops, surrounding the downtown area and a huge WalMart. A new brick building is going up on Main Street that will help draw business and residents to the area.

Soon we reach Ham Orchards, a building set almost uncomfortably close to the railroad track. There's a sign for barbeque and it's already past lunchtime, so we head there first. You go up to a window and order a sandwich such as pulled pork, brisket, sausage, etc. What caught my eye was the peach pulled pork. Andy ordered a side of potato salad to share and I went into a small building to fill up our beverage cups with ice water. A huge open shed covers seating around barrels or at long tables, with the peach orchards nearby. It's a hot day, but there's a little breeze in  the shade.

After lunch, we headed for the retail shop. Bags of peaches, tomatoes and other produce filled the center of the store, along with baked goods such as pies, breads and breakfast pastry. Around the sides were shelves of every imaginable sort of jam, jelly or fruit butter, as well as corn relish, chow chow and pickles and more. After selecting some gorgeous tomatoes, a jar of peach jam and a bag of peaches, we headed for the checkout. I couldn't resist a small cone of peach ice cream, but stayed away from the fudge! Altogether a great way to spend an afternoon in the country.

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