Milam County Historical Commission
Milam County, Texas
Milam County, Texas
All Credit for this article
goes to Bill Cooke and the
Rockdale Reporter
goes to Bill Cooke and the
Rockdale Reporter
Texas Highways Spotlights Rainbow Courts
Spoiling The Broth by Bill Cooke
Rockdale Reporter - 2015-04-30
Great honor for our town is a feature in the May issue of Texas Highways magazine about historic Rainbow Courts, that unique and comfortable labor of love of owners Joan and Dan Ratliff.
The business is one of four “vintage stays” or “retro retreats” featured in an excellent article by Kathryn Jones. The others are Antelope Lodge in Alpine, Stone Village Tourist Camp and Market in Fort Davis, and Oakland Park in Glen Rose.
The Rockdale business opened in 1918 as “Rainbow Tourist Camp” even before US 79 was paved. Founder was Nathan Monroe Bullock who was later joined in the venture by his brother Ira Benjamin Bullock. The courts first housed migrant workers as well as tourists, and the units grew from an original four to about 50.
Joan, granddaughter of Ira Benjamin Bullock, and her husband Dan, have owned the facility since 1992 and have carefully restored, refurbished, renovated, redecorated and refurnished each of 37 units, suites and corporate apartments. Most suites are equipped with full kitchens and other amenities including WiFi.
No two units are alike, each boasting its own special decor and furnishings.
The story also notes that the “lush, landscaped grounds attract weddings and family reunions, as does the vintage ambiance.”
On the 4.6-acre property are several structures dated to the 1880s including a schoolhouse moved from the Talbot Ridge community. Joan’s grandfather attended that school.
You can catch the May issue of Texas Highways or, as Peg and I do, subscribe, on the website texashighways. com.
And for more information about Rainbow Courts, visit their web site. You can do so easily at ours — rockdalereporter. com — and click on the Rainbow Courts link.
Remember when Arizona Highways was the premier state travel magazine? I do.
But Texas Highways takes a back seat to no such publication. Slick design, glossy, colorful, well written with great art and photography.
bill@rockdalereporter.com
.
Spoiling The Broth by Bill Cooke
Rockdale Reporter - 2015-04-30
Great honor for our town is a feature in the May issue of Texas Highways magazine about historic Rainbow Courts, that unique and comfortable labor of love of owners Joan and Dan Ratliff.
The business is one of four “vintage stays” or “retro retreats” featured in an excellent article by Kathryn Jones. The others are Antelope Lodge in Alpine, Stone Village Tourist Camp and Market in Fort Davis, and Oakland Park in Glen Rose.
The Rockdale business opened in 1918 as “Rainbow Tourist Camp” even before US 79 was paved. Founder was Nathan Monroe Bullock who was later joined in the venture by his brother Ira Benjamin Bullock. The courts first housed migrant workers as well as tourists, and the units grew from an original four to about 50.
Joan, granddaughter of Ira Benjamin Bullock, and her husband Dan, have owned the facility since 1992 and have carefully restored, refurbished, renovated, redecorated and refurnished each of 37 units, suites and corporate apartments. Most suites are equipped with full kitchens and other amenities including WiFi.
No two units are alike, each boasting its own special decor and furnishings.
The story also notes that the “lush, landscaped grounds attract weddings and family reunions, as does the vintage ambiance.”
On the 4.6-acre property are several structures dated to the 1880s including a schoolhouse moved from the Talbot Ridge community. Joan’s grandfather attended that school.
You can catch the May issue of Texas Highways or, as Peg and I do, subscribe, on the website texashighways. com.
And for more information about Rainbow Courts, visit their web site. You can do so easily at ours — rockdalereporter. com — and click on the Rainbow Courts link.
Remember when Arizona Highways was the premier state travel magazine? I do.
But Texas Highways takes a back seat to no such publication. Slick design, glossy, colorful, well written with great art and photography.
bill@rockdalereporter.com
.