14 replies to this topic

[godzilladude]

A quick search did not turn up the obvious thread, strangely enough. So, a new one. The moderators can merge if over to the one or more that I couldn't seem to find.

For those who have ever thought about visiting, when you get to Cross Plains, there is only one stoplight, always flashing red, serving as a four way stop. Head west less than a mile, on Highway 36, and you'll come to the Robert E. Howard Museum, aka "The Howard House". (Side note, there is also a historical "Howard House" over in East Texas, built in the 1800s, and it has a serious web presence. So, don't get fooled when looking for the REH one.)

There is a sign on the door with some telephone numbers. Give those a call, and someone will come down and open the House up and give you the tour. You can also contact Project Pride via their website and make arrangements in advance. The tour takes anywhere from 30-60 minutes, and you get to gaze and wander around quite a bit. They also offer a large selection of REH books for sale in the back room. Usually the person giving the tour is very knowledgeable. Virtually everything in the House is period correct, and many items originally belonged to the Howards, including the famed bust of Cleopatra, and Bob's ivory camel inkwell.

The Cross Plains Review makes a habit of reporting who came to visit the Howard House. It is a tradition, if your visit is other than at REH Days, and besides giving you the grand tour, that they take your picture to publish in the paper. They also let you add a push-pin to a large world map to show where you are from. Last week, the punk band "The Independents" stopped by for a visit. They are out on tour, and took a little detour to visit. All sorts of folks from all sorts of places and walks of life make the pilgrimage.

If you time it right, the Cross Plains Library is also open 1-5 M-F. A stop there will get you a chance to see REH typescripts, with any luck. After that, it's all about how much time you have and how much you want to see. REH's grave down in Brownwood is likely the next most popular stop.

For what it's worth.

[THE KID]

I ordered Dreams In The Fire and as soon as the other two REH books are available right after REH Days I'm getting these too. I want to attend really day but have a 15 year old son who's in all kind of summer sports camps. It looks like it will be at least 4 years before I can attend but is definitely an achievable goal.

Brownwood News ran REH Days and here it is:
http://www.brownwood...:life&Itemid=59 Be sure to thank Lisa Tipton at Brownwood News.

Is anyone filming REH Days? I'd buy the DVD if one becomes available. Is there a place to show a short biography film of Bob to REH Visitors? This is done at some museums.

Spread the word especially if you have some points of contacts in the news media or entertainment industry. Can someone on Facebook or Twitter target actors Arnold Swartznegger, Jason Mamao, Rose McGowan, Rodriguez, Mike Mignola, Ron Pearlman, Roy Thomas, etc. and give them a nudge to come visit June 10-11?

Thank you. v/r Richard

[THE KID]

Hopefully Jason Mamao can make the next REH Days 2012. Having many well known authors and scholars in attendance and book signings created a lot of buzz and excitement along with the auctions, dinner, tour of house, cemetary, and more! Hopefully Lisa Tippett, news reporter, will be working for The Brownwood and Abileen News for years to come. If you get a chance please email her thanking her for writing the News Stories on REH Days. You can contact her via the Brownwood News (Google) and also thank Buddy Saunders of Lonestar Comics at MyComicshop.com and as always Dark Horse, Marvel, and Boom Comics.

Some ideas hit me for next REH Days and would like to share as follows:

Have a man that is same size as Bob dress up in a wardrobe of 1930's style with makeup and a large mustache and sombrero and show up randomly at a distance and then disappear and reappear. Folks in attendance would really be surprised!

Ask an artist to donate a special drawing to promote REH Days. List donated item/s by artists name and company.

Ask for a donated lifesize wax figure of Bob and Patches for display at Project Pride REH House. Ask a Toy company to do a wax figure of Bob and patches. I've got Conan and Belit.

Handout REH Day tickets to folks in attendance and have a drawing for REH door prizes. Tickets are collectible!

Use social networks like YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, etc. to show the cool hapennings before and after REH Days and thank the authors, scholars, and folks that made the weekend a success. Visit the authors websites who participated in REH Days and thank them and also check out some of their books as they have to make a living. I liked all of the stories in Dreams of Fire and have been reading Angeline Hawkes Babaar and some scary stories, too.

Maybe a week or two before REH Days have a volunteer REH boxing event sponsored by the local community with proceeds going to Project Pride. Here in FL there's an annual boxing event called Guns and Hoses: http://photos.jackso...ategoryID=47769

Have simulated sword fights kind of like western fights at Six Flags.

Have showing of Thriller - Pigeons From Hell on Netflix free and instant at the local theater in CrossPlains or a large auditorium, high school gym, etc. Maybe do it on Haloween.

Give a one year membership to REH Forum or a REH Book or both for the best suggestion adopted.

Some say I'm a Dreamer but I'm not the only one by John Lennon Imagine album.

Thank you. v/r Richard A REH, Dark Horse, Marvel, Boom,and Mycomicshop fan forever!

Edited by Richard, 19 June 2011 - 11:24 PM.

[godzilladude]

Someone had asked the other day, was the REH House wheelchair accessible. According to the staff there, yes it is, they can bring one in through the back door (the way *I* usually go in), as it is level ground, and most all of the doorways are pretty broad.

And they have AC!

[Sardonikus]

I had the pleasure of visiting the Howard house with my friend on 24 July 2009.

We were given a tour by a very nice lady whose name sadly escapes me. Having read all about Howard beforehand, I could easily visualize Isaac, Hester, and Robert going about their business. The only disappointment for me was that Isaac's voluminous library, which was so critical in fueling the fire of REH's imagination, had been dispersed/sold off shortly after the death of the former in 1944. However, at the time of my visit, there was a little painting of a sailboat at sea hanging in the front parlor, which had numbered among the Howards' possessions during their time in the house. It was thrilling to imagine REH gazing at the same painting, no doubt imagining pirate stories or even Turanian galleys cruising the Vilayet!

Our guide told us that some visitors have been so inspired by their visit to the house of REH that they have memorized some of his poetry for the occasion, which they recite while standing before the entrance to his little bedroom/workroom. There is definitely still a lingering trace of REH's dynamic personality there, yet also a pervasive aura of sadness. Most poignant for me was staring out that back door, gazing back through the murky mists of time to 11 June 1936 and watching REH stride sadly to his car and final doom, all the while imagining what might have been...

Edited by Sardonikus, 06 August 2011 - 01:38 AM.

[THE KID]

I had the pleasure of visiting the Howard house with my friend on 24 July 2009.

We were given a tour by a very nice lady whose name sadly escapes me. Having read all about Howard beforehand, I could easily visualize Isaac, Hester, and Robert going about their business. The only disappointment for me was that Isaac's voluminous library, which was so critical in fueling the fire of REH's imagination, had been dispersed/sold off shortly after the death of the former in 1944. However, at the time of my visit, there was a little painting of a sailboat at sea hanging in the front parlor, which had numbered among the Howards' possessions during their time in the house. It was thrilling to imagine REH gazing at the same painting, no doubt imagining pirate stories or even Turanian galleys cruising the Vilayet!

Our guide told us that some visitors have been so inspired by their visit to the house of REH that they have memorized some of his poetry for the occasion, which they recite while standing before the entrance to his little bedroom/workroom. There is definitely still a lingering trace of REH's dynamic personality there, yet also a pervasive aura of sadness. Most poignant for me was staring out that back door, gazing back through the murky mists of time to 11 June 1936 and watching REH stride sadly to his car and final doom, all the while imagining what might have been...

Sardonikus: I wish I could have been there with you. v/r Richard

[Sardonikus]

Have faith, Richard. I suspect you will make it there someday! To be able to walk in REH's footsteps and attempt to envision the land around Cross Plains as he did makes for a really wonderful trip!

Edited by Sardonikus, 06 August 2011 - 05:57 AM.

[Skafloc]

Hi everyone, I will be visiting the Howard Museum very soon, being in the final stage of preparations and am now considering my options for staying either in Cross Plains or Brownwood. The obvious choice for staying over the night would naturally be the '36 West' next to the museum. Hopefully this question will not appear disrespectful (which it certainly is not meant to be anyway - hey, it's my first trip to the USA, and I am absolutely unfamiliar with the conditions in this beautiful country...), but as I'm travelling with my wife who is worrying about things like 'is that place clean?', 'do the rooms have bathrooms/lavatory' I thought about consulting with the experts on this board: Can you recommend the 'West 36' or would you rather advice me to find a hotel in Brownwood. Once again, this question is not meant to be disrespectful to anyone, but any helpful reply would be highly appreciated. And, in order to keep this board's atmosphere as positive as possible: Those who staid at the '36 West' and were not too happy with the rooms/facilities, please be so kind to private mail me instead of posting your comments publicly. Thanks for the help!!

Edited by Skafloc, 20 January 2012 - 08:35 AM.

[BarB]

Hi Skafloc:
Wonderful news that you are planning to go to Cross Plains to see the Howard Home. Whenever I go, I usually stay in Brownwood at the Holiday Inn Express although there are several other nice motels in Brownwood at decent prices.

I've never stayed at the 36 West but a lot of the folks on this Forum have. Some have reported terrible experiences and others have had good ones. If you're going to stay there, I would suggest that you ask if you can see the rooms before you register. That way if your wife has a problem, you can go to Brownwood. Don't forget that REH's gravesite is also in Brownwood so you will need to go there if you want to see it.

If you have any idea what time you will be at the Howard Home, you can call Project Pride and set up an appt and they will gve a private tour if it's not normally open at that time. However, I just checked their website and found out that it's down so I sent an email to Project Pride for a phone number for you. I'll post it whenever I receive it. I believe the phone number is posted outside their front of the Howard Home too.

I wish you and your wife my best. I know you will be very impressed with the hospitality you receive from the good people in Cross Plains.
Barbara

[Skafloc]

Hi Barbara,

thank you very much for the great and really helpful reply. As we intend to stay for two nights and visiting Howard's gravesite was also on the list of 'things to do', staying in Brownwood might probably be better.
Also a big thank you for your kind advice of contacting Project Pride about a private tour through the Howard house. I contacted them a while ago and received a very friendly reply (as well as the phone number you mentioned), which made me even more looking forward to visiting the museum than I already was.

I sincerely appreciate your advice and kind help, which certainly will make our visit to Cross Plains very special and should give us lots of wonderful memories.

Dierk

[BarB]

Hi Dierk,
I received an email from Arlene Stephenson. She and Tom are already expecting you and looking forward to your visit. I know you will enjoy yourself. Arlene and Tom as well as all the other Project Pride people are very special. I hope you will get an opportunity to stop in at the CP library while you are there and say hello. They have copies of some of REH's original typescripts for sale as well as a nice collection of REH's books, some of which are for sale.

The Howard House also has a shop where you can buy books. Two guide books I can recommend for those first time visitors to both CP and Brownwood are: Rusty Burke's "Robert E. Howard in Cross Plains -- A Guide for the Howard Fan." For Brownwood, I've found Rob Roehm's "The Brownwood Connection: A Guide for Robert E. Howard Fans" to be very helpful in locating all the places we've heard about. Although I've been to both places several times, I still carry copies of both these with me. Howard Payne University has the collection of books that belonged to REH. It's a real thrill to look through those titles and actually hold in your hands, books that were his. Just go up to the desk and ask to see the collection. It's worth a visit if you have time.

For eating, while you are in Brownwood, try Humphrey Pete's for lunch or dinner. It's popular with REH fans. They have fried dill pickles to die for! In CP, we often eat at Jean's Barn but there are other places that have good food there also. And, I never go to CP without stopping at the Dairy Queen for at least one chocolate covered ice cream. Yum yum.

I'm sure the staff at the Greenleaf Cemetery (where REH is buried) will be as helpful to you as they were to me on my first visit there.
Enjoy!
BB

[Skafloc]

Hi Barbara,

and again thank you so much for the wealth of information you're so kind to share.

My wife read your recommendation of visiting the Dairy Queen and is now insisting on staying at least one night in Cross Plains ! So the present plan is: Spending one night in Cross Plains (which would have been the smartest thing to do anyway as we will be arriving at Abilene Airport at 5:30 p.m. and from there it shouldn't probably take us too long to get to Cross Plains), visiting the next day the Howard Museum, trying to get an impression of Cross Plains (... Dairy Queen...) and moving then to Brownwood (staying at the Holiday Inn Express). I would have loved to visit Cross Plains library too, but unfortunately our stay in Cross Plains will fall on a day the library will be closed. I hope it will nonetheless be somehow possible to buy copies of Robert E. Howard's typescripts.

Both the guide books you recommended sound very interesting. Hoping that Lulu will manage to deliver Rob Roehm's Brownwood guide to Japan in time before we will leave for the US, I just ordered one copy (and Rusty Burke's guide book will be purchased at the museum shop. As I am always on the hunt for books by or about Robert E. Howard, I am sincerely looking forward to checking the museum shop!)

Also biggest thanks for your advice about Howard Payne university and their collection of the books formerly owned by REH. Although our timeschedule is unfortunately rather tight, I will definitely try to somehow get a peek at these books too!

Once again thank you so much for all your kind and highly interesting advice.

Dierk

[godzilladude]

Robert E. Howard in Cross Plains -- A Guide for the Howard Fan

If you are planning to visit Cross Plains and the Howard Museum for the first time, you should consider ordering this book from Project Pride. Rusty Burke put this book together, to tell you what's what and where to find it. A VERY handy guide to prep one for the visit.

Ordering info: Send $10 for the book, plus $2 for shipping flat rate US, to:

Project Pride
P.O. Box 534
Cross Plains, TX 76443

[deuce]

Robert E. Howard in Cross Plains -- A Guide for the Howard Fan

If you are planning to visit Cross Plains and the Howard Museum for the first time, you should consider ordering this book from Project Pride. Rusty Burke put this book together, to tell you what's what and where to find it. A VERY handy guide to prep one for the visit.

Ordering info: Send $10 for the book, plus $2 for shipping flat rate US, to:

Project Pride
P.O. Box 534
Cross Plains, TX 76443

Cool! Thanks for the info, Paul.

[deuce]

Robert E. Howard in Cross Plains -- A Guide for the Howard Fan

If you are planning to visit Cross Plains and the Howard Museum for the first time, you should consider ordering this book from Project Pride. Rusty Burke put this book together, to tell you what's what and where to find it. A VERY handy guide to prep one for the visit.

Ordering info: Send $10 for the book, plus $2 for shipping flat rate US, to:

Project Pride
P.O. Box 534
Cross Plains, TX 76443

Cool! Thanks for the info, Paul.