S2S 2017 Summer Road Trip Pt. I

By Chris Doelle
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Updated: July 21, 2017

Part 1 of a 4 Part Series

(Sideline 2 Sideline's Grant Goodwin and Kevin McPherson embark on their annual summer road trip to experience the food, hospitality, sights and sounds of towns rich in Texas high school football tradition.)

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Day 1 (Thursday evening)

After braving the rush-hour traffic through the heart of the Dallas/Fort Worth area, we were able to boogie south on I-35 to Central Texas to kick off the S2S 2017 Summer Road Trip. Along the route we enjoyed the scenery of stadiums at Temple, Bruceville-Eddy, and Belton.

Home of the Temple Wildcats

Bruceville-Eddy Eagles

Belton’s Tiger Field

Our original plan was a late dinner at Miller’s Smokehouse in Belton (a Texas Monthly Top 50 barbecue joint), but, unfortunately, Miller’s closes by 3 p.m. on Thursday. Thanks to the glory of Yelp and TripAdvisor, our Plan B took us to a very cool, unique area - Nolan Creek.

Nolan Creek sits on the edge of downtown Belton and is a hub for several restaurants, shops, a winery, and other visitor-worthy locales. We tried our luck at The Gin restaurant, a venue featuring Texas-American fare. Kudos on the fried green tomatoes, chipotle ketchup, homemade kettle chips, and frozen drinks, among others. Nolan Creek itself, runs right behind the restaurant and, with the sun set, it made for a picturesque backdrop opposite the view of the majestic Bell County Courthouse.

Outside The Gin

Our journey had just barely begun and we finished the day fully satisfied - full on chicken fried steak, burgers and onion rings. We went to sleep dreaming of more fun, football and of course, food!

by Kevin McPherson & Grant Goodwin