Southeast Texas Driving Destinations

Southeast Texas can feel like a straight shot on the map, but it’s packed with stops that turn a simple drive into a full day of stories. We build a listener-friendly route through the Golden Triangle, starting in downtown Beaumont with the Texas Energy Museum for the oil boom history that still shapes American energy and industry. From there we keep it walkable and air-conditioned with the Art Museum of Southeast Texas, then step into a restored 1927 station at the Fire Museum of Texas, capped off by one of the weirdest legit landmarks around: the world’s largest working fire hydrant.

Then we head south for more local character, from Spindletop Gladys City Boomtown Museum’s throwback oil-field atmosphere to Port Arthur’s Museum of the Gulf Coast, where the region’s music and sports history shows up in ways you might not expect. Crossing the Rainbow Bridge adds a scenic moment before Orange, where the Stark Museum of Art and the 1894 Stark House deliver culture and architecture in the same block. We wrap the travel talk with Shangri La Botanical Gardens and Nature Center, a 250-acre wetlands escape that’s perfect if you want birding, trails, and a calmer pace.

After the road trip, we go full truck mode with a Ford F-150 Hybrid King Ranch review, including real-world mpg, towing and payload capability, and what BlueCruise hands-free driving can and cannot do.

Jeff also breaks down the real reasons capless gas cap design became so common, from emissions control to fewer check-engine headaches. 

Don closes with a 2026 Ram 1500 Longhorn review, covering the return of the 5.7L Hemi V8 with mild hybrid assist, a standout three-screen cabin, ride comfort, and the price reality of modern “luxury pickups.” 

If you enjoyed the mix of travel ideas and car talk, subscribe, share this with a friend, and leave us a review.

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Transcript

Quick Setup And Welcome

Don Armstrong 0:04

Okay, uh are you gonna do driving destinations? Would you please do driving destinations? All right, brother.

Jeff Dziekan 0:11

Get me set up, brother.

Southeast Texas Driving Destinations

Mike Marrs 0:13

There you go. It's all yours, brother. All right, so we have some people come over from Louisiana. Again, it's not very far over to Louisiana, and we got so we got a lot of out-of-town people coming in, so I thought we would look at some of the things that since you're here in Southeast Texas, you can start with by going downtown Beaumont to the Texas Energy Museum. And this is really where you're gonna get the whole old oil story for the area. Beaumont, Port Arthur, Orange, make up the Golden Triangle. Literally, at one point, we were doing 25% of the nation's gasoline was produced here and shipped out. Some of the largest refineries in the country and the world are located in the Golden Triangle area. So this really sets up, if you want to see about the drilling technology and the things that go into making the global energy markets and our position as a country in that, this is a great place to go and it is air conditioned. The second thing, while you're down there, you could go to the art museum of Southeast Texas. Now, this is a little bit quieter than the energy museum. Got a lot of uh regional and contemporary artworks, even though it does have a lot of industrial roots to it. Now there's a lot of rotating exhibits, so it kind of keeps things different, but it is more of an art museum. Then while you're down there, go a couple of blocks over and you get to the Fire Museum of Texas. This is the state museum or the fire museum of Texas. It's located in a 1927 fire station that was actually built back then. And it's got a lot of history in it in the exhibits because you can explore antique fire engines back into the 1800s. Got a lot of interactive displays for the kids, kind of keep them busy. And then while you're there, right outside the front door, is the world's largest working fire hydrant. Now, this is literally a 24-foot Dalmatian-spotted structure. Disney was using that to film 101 Dalmatians, and so once they got through with it, because it wasn't very far away here that they were doing that in Southeast Texas, they donated it to the State Fire Museum. Then on the way, we're gonna head a little south, and we're going to go down to the Spindletop Gladys City Boom Tom Museum. I've been there. It's a very cool place. It is, got a lot of things there if you get it at the right time. They actually have an oil derrick there.

Don Armstrong 2:20

They also have an old gasoline tanker truck in the barn. You gotta see that see that.

Mike Marrs 2:26

I think it was in one of the pictures. And they have a place for uh like a livery stable set up, but they'll set up and recreate the spindletop gusher that really kicked off the oil industry down here. And it's a real nice place to go, and it's located right there on the Lamar University. Then we're gonna go down south, back down towards Port Arthur, where you're gonna get to the Museum of Gulf Coast. Now, this is one of the places it's got a lot of local history in it, including uh locals like Janice Joplin, Jimmy me Jimmy Johnson. It's got a sports section in it to where you're gonna find you know Bum Phillips, Wade Phillips, things like that, and a lot of the other players have got a music section where Janice is.

Don Armstrong 3:04

And let's not forget the uh the famous golfer, Babe Zaharius. I think she's from the. Larry McGillicutty.

Mike Marrs 3:09

Larry McGillicutty was there. Yeah. Was he?

Don Armstrong 3:11

Yeah, I think he's Mr. McGillicutty. Yeah, yeah. Okay, just saying.

Mike Marrs 3:15

So it's a great place to go down there. It's in downtown Port Arthur, and there's a lot of stuff in there that's uh that you will recognize, but you won't recognize it is from Port Arthur. Then from Wales.

Don Armstrong 3:24

We don't recognize anything at this point in our lives. Are you kidding?

Mike Marrs 3:26

Yeah, from the. How many fingers am I holding up? Four? Then you're gonna go across the Rainbow Bridge. Now it's this is how you get to the body. So they're driving Subarus? No. I just said that. Now, this is a kind of a steep incline, got sweeping views on it, and it's great for going up over the Natus River on your way over to Orange. It's one of the tallest bridges and structures that's here in southeast Texas. And once you get across there, you're going over to Into Orange, you're gonna go to the Stark Museum of Orange of Art, and there this is in the cultural district, the downtown in Orange. You're gonna find a lot of paintings and sculptures, Native American artifacts that are around in there. So it's got a lot of setups in that regard. Now, across the street from that is the Stark House. Now, this is a house, an 1894 Queen Anne home that was built by the uh the Starks. You can actually go into all three of the floors. This place is 14,000 square feet. If you want to see how people lived in the late 1800s, early 1900s, uh, I guess what you would call it the luxury at the time, because that's what this was. So it's a great recreation and it's a great place to go and see how things work. And then while you're in orange to wrap things up, go over to the Shangri-La Botanical Gardens. Now, this is 250 acres along Adams Bio. It's got a lot of walkways, it's got uh garden paths, wetlands, and it's got a lot of things that you can go in if you enjoy bird watching and getting out into nature. It's got themed gardens, and it's really a even kids. I mean, they go out there because it's out in literally 250 acres in the swamp, and you can go see a lot of cool stuff. So that's just some things you can do while you're here in southeast Texas. And you're here for the tail pipes and tacos here in Beaumont.

Don Armstrong 5:13

Well, thank you, Mr. Morris. I know I've always wanted to go to Shangri-La. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But uh I haven't ever been, but apparently it's here. You missed it. I've missed it. My wife's been to Shangri-La.

Mike Marrs 5:26

I haven't been to Shangri-Law, but my wife's been to Shangri-La. Not through you, that's for sure.

Don Armstrong 5:40

Time now for our car review. Mr. Mars drove the Ford F-150 hybrid.

Mike Marrs 5:45

Yes, sir. Had a chance to drive this one uh for the last week or so. And and it's we talked about this a few weeks ago when I had one of the other Ford F-150s, more of a uh stripper as we would call it, an STX model, not nearly as loaded up as what the uh King Ranch is, by all by all means. So this final des assembly destination is location, is in Dearborn. Now there are eight available trim levels on the Ford F-150. There's three different cab sizes, three different bed sizes, different motors. There's like 20 combinations you can get out of the F-150. So there's bound to be something there you like. And if you want one that's on the luxury end, go for the King Ranch 4x4. This is a full-size pickup, seats five, and some really nice interiors. Now, on the outside of it, you're gonna find the King Ranch badging. You got LED headlights and fog lights, and even got side mirror spotlights and taillights, all of it LED, all the way around. It's got power deploying running boards, makes it a little bit nicer to step up into that because it does set up a little bit higher because of the four by four. It's even got a power rear glass on it. It's got the multifunctional tailgate that took me and a friend of mine about 20 minutes to figure out how to operate. Uh-oh. And then we also had the retractable center step in it, and once you got the tailgate operating like it's supposed to, that step works really well to step up in there, just like clipping up steps. Had the twin-panel moon roof on it, and we were rolling on some nice 22-inch wheels on it that makes it a really nice ride and drive. Interior, leather heated seats up front, even had leather heated seats on the second row. Front seats also are ventilated, so you got plenty of heat and cool choices there for the front passengers and the driver.

What BlueCruise Actually Does

SPEAKER_02 7:26

And more enjoyable. It's available on 97% of controlled access highways called blue zones. Once you're on the highway, press the adaptive cruise control button on the steering wheel. Wait for the hands-free icon, and Blue Cruise helps with accelerating, braking, and steering so you can let go and relax while continuing to watch the road. Blue Cruise uses a driver-facing camera to help ensure your eyes stay on the road. The driver attention system was designed to remind you to pay attention, giving you visual and audio problems if your eyes are off the road for too long. Adaptive cruise control already adjusts your speed to the flow of traffic. Blue Cruise builds on that as a driver assistance feature, not a replacement. It helps monitor your position on the road and scans the traffic around you. In-lane repositioning detects approaching vehicles and can shift you over in the lane, providing a little extra room when you need it.

Don Armstrong 8:24

Lane broadcasting, but continue with your view, please.

Mike Marrs 8:27

I'm really not sure what that was then.

Don Armstrong 8:32

So please continue your review.

Mike Marrs 8:35

So up under the hood, you're gonna find a 3.5-liter hybrid setup. Now, this is the new setup from Ford, 400 horsepower, 500 pound feet of torque. And it's backed by a 10-speed automatic transmission. And this particular vehicle set up the way it is will tow 12,800 pounds and it'll haul 1,900 pounds. Now, again, this is a half-ton truck, so it should be about a thousand pounds, and that should be taken care of. But it's got plenty. EPA says you should be looking for about 22 miles per gallon in the city, 24 out on the highway, and 23 combined. Now, I will say that I drove this vehicle 325 miles and I got 21.2. Now, 54.3 miles of that was actually on the electric portion of the hybrid. So it worked out really well. The uh, and it does have a really nice luxury ride for a full-size pickup. It's got great acoustics in it, so that audio is really sounds really well. It's nice and quiet out on the highway, and you can tell that you're really into a more of a luxury setting than what the other truck was. Uh, it really surprised me that there was really that much difference in it. Now, the base trim price for this vehicle is$74,805. Uh as tested with Destination,$79,825. So it's right at$80,000. But you can get into an F-150, you really can into it for$46,690. So if you're looking for something to compare that to, a Ram$1500 crew cab setup, it's about$45,120. Even the Toyota Tundra, which is a little higher priced, always has been,$44,235. Wow. And the GMC Sierra is at$45,995. So they're all right there together at the entry-level portion of it. And again, this is a really nice riding and driving truck. It don't let the King Ranch idea think that it's a real rough and tumble 4x4 that you're going off-roading in. It's not. It's a luxury vehicle through and through. And I really appreciate the opportunity to drive it.

Why Gas Caps Are Disappearing

Don Armstrong 10:30

Let's go to the symphony on a Saturday night in the F-150. There you go. All right, thank you, sir. Time now for Thanks for being with us today. Time now for Jeff's car culture. Gas cap design.

Jeff Dziekan 10:48

Yeah, they're different nowadays. So why? Uh well, for decades, pulling up to a gas station meant unlocking the fuel door, twisting off a cap, setting it aside, and filling up. That ritual was so standard that it became second nature. But here's a few things that we didn't know, and here's why. So one of the things, one of the biggest motivators behind the caplist fuel systems is tighter emission control. Traditional gas caps wear out, crack, or even get loose, allowing vapors to escape. These vapors not only waste fuel but also contribute to smog and air pollution. Cap list systems steal automatically every time, meeting strict environmental standards and reducing the likelihood of a check engine light to be in the evaporator emission leak. In fact, those are bad gas caps, and one of the most common causes of emissions failures for vehicles today. The next one would be it's easier for drivers. The convenience is a you know a big role in the move away from the gas caps. With no gas cap to twist, drivers can insert the pump nozzle directly into the filler neck and start fueling. This means no fiddling, no worry with the cap clicking tight enough, no risk of leaving the cap behind in the gas station, which we've all done once or twice. Uh simply it's it's simplicity is especially appealing to the drivers who dislike to dealing with that kind of stiff, dirty, frozen caps in harsh weather. Also, the modern capless systems are often tied to the car's locking system, so you can't even open the fuel door without unlocking the vehicle. The this deters casual theft or tampering. Another benefit is the capless filters are designed with nozzle-specific openings. The gas vehicle's filler neck won't accept larger diesel nozzles, and the diesel truck's filler neck are too big for the gas nozzle. These designs help prevent costly misfueling mistakes that can ruin an engine. The next one, Mike, we talked about uh, believe it or not, the humble gas tank is responsible for countless trips to the mechanics. A loose or cracked seal can cause vapor fuel leaks and trigger the check engine light. Replacing the cap usually fixes it, but owners often spend unnecessary money in diagnosing the effect before realizing it was just a gas cap. Cap list designs eliminate the weak point entirely. There's no rubber gasket to wear out, and the system seals more consistently than any human can twist. And there's another reason. If you're ever unscrewed a grimy old gas cap, got dirt and fuel and rusty flakes on your hands, you appreciate the cleanliness of a capless design. Because the sea the flap seals uh tightly, it keeps out the dust, debris, road grime that also reduces the chance of contaminants getting into the fuel system itself. No drivers have to worry about setting a dirty cap on the trunk or dropping it on the ground and obviously driving off with it. And then you got Ford, who was one of the first major automakers to roll out a capless uh capless fuel filter widely, introducing its easy fuel system in the mid-2000s. GM quickly followed, adding capless designs to the models like the Chevrolet Malibu and the Cadillac CTS. Chrysler also adapted them in the Dodge and Jeep lineups. Today, capless filters are common across the wide range of brands, though not universal. Many economy cars and imports still use traditional caps, partly to cut the cost and partly because some drivers still expect them. And then you've got the capless fuel filler, uses a spring-loaded metal flap and multiple seals within the filler neck. When the fuel nozzle is inserted, it pushes the flap open. Once the fueling is complete, the nozzle is removed and the cap snaps shut, creating an airtight seal. Most systems include a secondary door deeper inside the neck to prevent fuel siphoning or tampering. This setup is surprisingly robust, designed to last the lifetime of the vehicle without any maintenance. And just a couple more things. Reactions to the cap list uh systems have been mixed. Many drivers love the convenience, noting that it's faster and cleaner. Fleet owners appreciate it that there's fewer emission-related check engine lights caused by loose caps. However, some drivers dislike the lack of a physical cap, saying it feels less secure. A few complaints in certain older worn pump nozzles don't always see properly. Occasionally lead to the premature shutoffs during fueling. Oh, we have a premature shutoff. There you go. Uh there's there's a psychological element.

Don Armstrong 15:07

We worry about premature something.

Jeff Dziekan 15:09

Oh, there's a psychological element to the disappearance of gas caps for generations. The twisting motion was a reassurance that the tank was sealed. Without it, some drivers feel uneasy, even though the engineering behind the capless systems went more secure. So if you don't if you have a newer vehicle that's got the cap the capless, underneath your spare tire, in your spare tire area, there is an extension. So that if you have to put gas from a tank or a small container into the vehicle, there's a nozzle that you stick down in there and you can put it in there. So it's like an adapter. I have one. I checked my car out, I've got it. It's still in a little package. Because you're you're you're such a mover in shake. I've got a Buick, and there's nothing like it. Well, um, thank you very much for that.

SPEAKER_00 15:52

And we're going to move.

Don Armstrong 16:00

All right. Time now for this hour's car review. I had a chance to drive the 2026 Ram 1500. Available trim levels include the Tradesman, Express, Bighorn, Lone Star, Warlock, Laramie, Rebel, Limited, Longhorn, RHO, and Tungsten. All of that. I had the Longhorn Crew 4x4. This is a standard or full-size body-on-frame pickup truck. Seats five people. Uh complete redesign happened in 2019. You're thinking, well, this is 2026, isn't it? Time? Listen, they wouldn't be able to compete if they didn't update that thing every couple of years. So the complete redesign happened in 2019. The updates happened all the time. Exterior features. Best looking exterior on the market. Grill styles varying depending on trend. Distinctive rear lighting with dual exhaust tips back there. Multifunction optional tailgate is a head-up competitor to Ford's. Engine size badging is on the hood, and it is big. You'll know just by looking at the hood what's under the hood. What I like, sheet metal appeals to me. What could use improvement? The side mirrors, side view mirrors are so big, it obscures the view around them. There's gotta be a you know what Ford did was they did some lowering of the actual side window glass and moved the mirrors down. And uh I think that's what Graham needs to look at. Anyway, interior highlights, it's got a three-screen dashboard, it's awesome. Uh instrument cluster, infotainment, and the shotgun person sitting over there in the passenger seat, they've got their own screen right there in the dashboard. It's very cool. You can't see it as a driver. They've got it somehow shaded that you can't see what's going on over there. So you can pull up, I guess, porn if you want to watch that over there. Um by the way, that one has its own controls. Um infotainment, excellent, easy to use. Uh sliding shelf inside the center console uh is uh really handy. And you slide that shelf back, you know, you've got your remote control, your phone, whatever is in you want in there. You slide that back, and then you then you've got a race car that's just fired up back behind us here. That's the Supercomp dragster. Uh comfortable seating, uh all the adjustments on the thing. Uh it's a truck, multi-function bed, tie-downs, lighting, everything back there, and this particular model, what I liked. Uh Ram thought of everything on this. I don't are they gonna make a loop through the parking lot? Maybe that's what they should do. What could use improvement? Upper trims are expensive. But I mean, you know, if you're gonna do that, then buy a trim level as opposed to one offing it. Engine, it's the return of the 5.7-liter Hemi V8 with a mild hybrid now. Turns out 395 horsepower, 410 pound feet of torque, through an eight-speed automatic transmission that's smooth as glass. Till rating, 9,240 pounds. It'll haul 1,330 pounds. Get 16 miles per gallon in the city, 20 on the highway for combined of 18. It was a time not that long ago that it only got 13 miles per gallon.

Mike Marrs 19:45

That's right.

Don Armstrong 19:46

So this new setup really works. I got 16.2 miles per gallon over 379 miles. What I liked about it, that smooth V8 power with the mild hybrid. You cannot beat it. I'm telling you, those V8 engines rock. And I I drive all of the four cylinders, it doesn't make any difference what it is, turbocharged. I don't care that V8, it rocks in that pickup truck.

Mike Marrs 20:11

It's just that low-end port from that V8.

Don Armstrong 20:14

It's also got available an optional Hurricane 6 high output engine, straight six in it, 540 horsepower from that straight six. I love the coil suspension, it acts like a Luxo limo. Wow, like you'd use improvement in the ride and handling nothing. This thing is just absolutely awesome. Base trim price, base trim price on this. Remember what that I what I was driving, and that was the Longhorn Crew Cab 4x4. Base trim price$75,405. Prices tested with some options,$86,205. Oh man. The base model price of this is$44,775. But here are the the other, they're all right there with it. Ford F-150,$43,935. That's the starting price. Starting price for the Chevy Silverado,$42,600. And the Toyota Tundra starts at$41,260. For a pickup truck.

SPEAKER_00 21:31

Yep, yep.

Don Armstrong 21:32

You kidding me? It's a pickup truck. I go back to the days of what a pickup truck was just that. Bare bones pickup truck. You bought it to work with rubber rubber floor mats, all that. Yeah. We're just we're just gonna open the microphones and listen to this for a while. So it's a race car that's right behind us there.

SPEAKER_00 21:56

Yeah.

Next Week’s Equinox EV Tease

Don Armstrong 21:57

That ram doesn't sound that loud, but it's They have quite that noise. It's got more creature comforts in it. Next week I'm gonna review the Chevy Equinox EV. And I know you'll want to tune in for that. Okay. You know how I am about EVs.

Mike Marrs 22:11

Not a hybrid, but a full EV. A full E V. Yeehaw.

Don Armstrong 22:15

Well