Getting Lost on Purpose

Notes On Getting Lost

The Corn Maze at At’l Do Farms

by Eric Simpson

Ihave spent most of my life actively avoiding being lost. I suppose it’s a desire to know where I am, and where I stand on things. I want to have thing figured out, and I want to know where I am going with life. I can imagine that many people, like myself, avoid being lost in this way. It’s an uncomfortable feeling not knowing where you are. Perhaps being lost goes against a

2020’s maze design celebrating 20 years of sharing their love of farming and sharing their mazes with families all over the Lone Star State and beyond. deep human nature that disrupts that thing we call “progress.”

There is a place where people go to get actively lost—lost with purpose that is. It exists outside the small town of Shallowater, Texas, just 5 miles north of Lubbock, on an 80-acre plot of land called At’l Do Farms. Every fall, thousands of people come out to get lost in a ten-acre field of corn. They meander, back track, turn around, and “trial and error”

LUBBOCK

their way through miles of intricately cut paths.

It baffles me that people will do this. In fact, it baffles my parents too, James and Patti Simpson, who 21 years ago put those first corn seeds in the ground on what is now a third-generation farm. What started out to supplement production farming turned into a full time “agribusiness” - something we didn’t even know existed. In doing so, our family took a risk that people would want to get lost, and it has paid off.

Aside from the unique opportunity of being lost, there are other reasons that people come out to At’l Do Farms. The atmosphere of the farm requires us to slow down and enjoy simple things with the people we love. At’l Do Farms urges us to walk alongside nature and to realize that we are a part of it. Take a hayride out to the pumpkin patch with the bees and soil and find the best carving jack-o-lantern. “Ooo” and “aww” at animals that are an important part of a working farm. Share a bag (or two) of kettle corn

(top) Archway: Enter At’l Do Farms for the ultimate fall adventure.

(bottom left) Planting corn this summer to prepare for the 2021 season.

(bottom right) James and Patti Simpson with their children Eric, Emilee and Allison. with those you’re with. It’s all quite simple really. At’l Do Farms asks us to enjoy being present with others whether we find ourselves lost or not.

On September 11, 2021, we open to the public for our 21st fall season. Looking back on the past 20 seasons I’ve come to learn something: we all approach problems from different directions. As I watch people work their way through the corn maze, I see those who take things head on, and those who take their time. Some people like to contemplate each decision, while others choose paths randomly. Some folks are content to go in circles for hours, while others want clear direction. The diversity of how we get lost and how we collaborate, and problem solve together has enlightened me. It shows that being lost is not a thing to fear, whether in life, or in a corn maze, and those that have the most fun, are often those who are content with being lost. “The world is round,” we often tell lost folks wandering in the maze. “You’ll get there eventually,” and eventually they do.

TEXAS MAZES

Visit Lubbock visitlubbock.org

At’l Do Farms

6323 FM 1294 Lubbock, TX 79415 atldofarms.com

Circle S Acres Corn Maze and Pumpkin Patch

7305 Bean Road Wall, Texas 76957 (325) 276-2619 circlesacres.com

Fiddlesticks Farm Fall Festival

5610 E. County Rd 120 Midland, TX 79706-5474 (432) 687-6293 Fiddlesticksfarms.com

Graff 7A Ranch Fall Fun and The South Texas Maize

911 US Hwy 90 East Hondo, Texas 78861 graff7aranch.com

Lone Star Family Farm Fall Family Fun

4199 Highway 67 Stephenville, TX 76401 lonestarfamilyfarm.com

P-6 Farms Fall Days & Corn Maze

9963 Poole’s Road Montgomery, Texas 77356 p-6farms.com

The Robinson Family Farm Fall Days

3780 White Owl Lane Temple, TX 76501 (254) 931-9564 therobinsonfamilyfarm.com

Rockin’ K Farms

5385 County Road 52 Robstown, Texas 78380 (361) 537-3308 rockinkmaze.com

Sweet Eats Fruit Farm Fall Festival Corn Maze & Pumpkin Festival

14400 E. State Highway 29 Georgetown, TX. 78626-2515 (512) 766-3276 sweeteats.com

Serving Up History with a Big Helping of Comfort Food

Whistle Stop Café

by Jill Campbell Jordan

When planning a road trip during the 1920s, travelers had to do some careful planning. In those days, cars could not drive long distances without stopping for fuel, air and water. As a result, numerous gas stations popped up in rural and urban areas to help keep travelers moving along.

Many of these early gas stations went through an evolution of sorts over time. The first step began with gas pumps near a small building used to run the business. From there, a stand or counter with snacks and goods from local farms might be added. Often, camping would be permitted and as money allowed, motor courts would be added. Finally, a place where weary travelers could sit down for a hot meal would be constructed as the crowning jewel. This is what happened at the Texas Tourist Camp complex in Decatur.

Just outside of downtown Decatur on State Highway 81, local businessman E.F. Boydston saw an opportunity in 1927 to turn what once was a feed lot into a place where he could start a lucrative business – a gas station. His business quickly grew into a complex that included

The beautiful Whistle Stop Café on the historic Meridian Highway in Decatur. | All photos courtesy Jovelyn Roden.

DECATUR

Thanks to the hard work and dedication of history lovers, the Wise County Historical Society, and the Wise County Historical Commission, this site is designated as a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark by the Texas Historical Commission (1995) and is on the National Register of Historic Places by the United States Department of the Interior.

(top) You can’t miss the Texas Tourist Court Complex as you travel on Highway 81. It just begs for you to take a closer look.

(bottom left) Up close look of the petrified wood on the gas station with the motel rooms in the background. Bonnie and Clyde are rumored to have stayed in one of the rooms. a gas station covered in petrified wood, five cabins, and a café.

During this time State Highway 81 was known as the Meridian Highway, one of the first major roadways that ran northsouth from one end of the United States to the other. According to the Texas Historical Commission, “The Meridian Highway is the foundation of one of the busiest and most significant transportation corridors in the nation.”

According to local legend, the infamous outlaws Bonnie and Clyde used the motel as a hideout: its location right on a major throughfare provided the outlaws a quick escape. People have come from far and wide to see it for themselves.

The café known first as the Texas Lunchroom and later the Texas Café was popular with the locals and travelers until it closed its doors in the 1960s. Business declined when a highway pass rerouted traffic from the area. The

DON’T MISS

Visit Decatur decaturtx.com

Whistle Stop Café

904 U.S. 287 Business Decatur, TX 76234 (940) 627-7785 Hours Mon.—Fri. 6am-2pm whistlestopcaferestaurant.business.site

Decatur Town Square Decaturtownsquare.com

Wise County Heritage Museum

1602 S Trinity St. Decatur, TX 76234 940-627-5586 Hours: Mon.—Sat. 10am-3pm Admission Charged wisehistory.com

Boydston family owned and operated the gas station until 1988.

In 1993 the café reopened as the Whistle Stop Café and began serving up some of the best homestyle Texas cooking around. Open weekdays from 6:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m., the dedicated staff make everyone feel right at home. The menu covers everything from hamburgers to meatloaf to chicken fried chicken but the most popular dish is the chicken fried steak.

According to diner Shirley Laster, “You have to try the deserts, they are so good – especially the banana pudding.” Along with the banana pudding there is a variety of pies and cobblers. The Whistle Stop Café is a quaint place that serves up comfort food with a smile, so be sure to bring your appetite and leave room for dessert.

A delicious meal from the Whistle Stop Café featuring chicken fried chicken, green beans, macaroni and cheese, green beans, and gravy.

A couple of the pies you can try at the Whistle Stop Café.