travel Archives - Compassionate Women

Joe Byrd Prison Cemetery in Huntsville

January 24, 2021 by Jillian 2 Comments

Huntsville is a Texas town just north of Houston and is home of the Texas State Penitentiary. The Texas Prison Museum sits on the side of the highway greeting drivers, and the elementary and high schools are next to two prison units. Nestled in between college housing for Sam Houston State University is a quiet patch of land that serves as the final resting spot for inmates within the Texas prison system whose bodies are not claimed by their families. I stumbled across this little treasure of a place when I was looking for interesting things do in Huntsville and noticed the cemetery on Google maps. Curious, I looked it up and was instantly intrigued. This cemetery has a rich history and what follows are photos I took on my visit, accompanied by what I learned in doing some research on the Captain Joe Byrd Prison Cemetery.

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Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto & Historic Downtown Roma

January 15, 2020 by Jillian Leave a Comment

In March 2019, I took a mini road trip to visit the Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto in Rio Grande City, as well as the historic downtown district of Roma, both located in the southern tip of Texas at the border of Mexico. I had passed through Rio Grande City once before but never been to Roma. Both are known for their historic buildings, their rich histories that include the Civil War, as well as the Grotto and Roma’s scenic overlook of the Rio Grande River. So, despite the sweltering March weather of South Texas, I grabbed my camera and decided to check it out.

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Don Pedrito Jaramillo Shrine in Falfurrias, Texas

May 26, 2019 by Jillian 2 Comments

The Rio Grande Valley in South Texas, where I currently reside, is a very religious place. Historically, it was a Catholic region, due to the colonization that took place by Spanish conquistadors in the Americas. Here in the borderlands, curanderos (healers) played an important role in providing spiritual advice and remedies for physical and emotional ailments to people who could not afford to see doctors. Curanderismo is quite diverse, but traditionally incorporates elements of Catholic and indigenous medicine. The most well-known folk healer from this region is Don Pedrito Jaramillo, who was born in Mexico but spent the last quarter of his life here in a small town called Falfurrias.

My friend and I decided to drive up to Falfurrias and visit the shrine on a hot, sunny day in South Texas. It was a magical place, and here’s what I saw…

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Old Hidalgo Pumphouse & World Birding Center

December 24, 2018 by Jillian 1 Comment

Last June I visited the Old Hidalgo Pumphouse in Hidalgo, Texas, a town that lies right on the border of Mexico in the heart of the Rio Grande Valley. Reynosa sits just on the other side of the Rio Grande River. Hidalgo was founded in 1852 and was first named Edinburgh, after the birthplace of Hidalgo’s founder. It became the county seat and the name was later changed to Hidalgo, which literally translates to “son of something” or loosely, “gentleman,” because it referred to someone of noble rank. The Hidalgo Pumphouse dates back to 1909, when it was built to service over 40,000 acres of land that needed irrigation, and was in operation until 1983 when a newer pump plant was opened nearby.

I went to visit the Old Pumphouse on a hot Thursday afternoon. It has been converted to a museum, and like the other parts of the lower valley, attracts birds because of the tropical climate, so it also functions as a birding center. I was the only visitor there, so it was quiet and peaceful, and I was surprised by just how beautiful it was. History and nature are two of my favorite things, and being able to combine the two is even better!

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Adventures of a First-Time Lobbyist in Washington, D.C.

August 25, 2018 by Jillian Leave a Comment

Since I’ve become a Political Science major, my desire to visit Washington, D.C. has increased by monumental (see what I did there?) proportions. It’s always seemed like a really cool, interesting city. Well, guess what? It totally is!

I was contacted by the regional director of Citizens’ Climate Lobby back in May to see if I would like to attend their annual international conference in D.C. They wanted someone to represent my district in Texas and they were willing to cover my plane ticket and hostel. Not only would I get to attend a conference with lots of seminars and workshops that discussed all sorts of environmental topics, but I would also get to lobby on Capitol Hill!

I said yes, and I’m so glad that I did because it was really fun and a great experience. I can’t wait to go back to D.C., and in the meantime, here are some highlights of my trip!

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