#SocialSummer: All about my town!

So, I was challenged by Social Insiders to blog about what makes my town special. I talk about living in the Houston area, but I actually live in the city of Pasadena, Texas. On the map, it looks like a suburb of Houston, but it is really its own city. No, really! Pasadena is really a historic city. And here are some interesting facts:

Pasadena is one of the top 20 most populated cities in Texas.

John Travolta, Debra Winger and other actors came to the city to film the 1980 hit movie Urban Cowboy, which depicted life and young love in Pasadena. The film centered on the city's honky-tonk bar Gilley's, which was co-owned by country music star Mickey Gilley. I went to Gilley’s back in the day, but I did not ride the mechanical bull!

Clara Barton of the American Red Cross purchased 1.5 million strawberry plants and sent them to Pasadena to help victims of the 1900 flood get back on their feet. By the 1930s those crops had flourished so much that Pasadena was claiming the title of Strawberry Capital of the World. At its height, the city's strawberry growers shipped as many as 28 train carloads of strawberries each day. To honor that history, the city still holds an annual Pasadena Strawberry Festival. Here is a picture of the World’s Biggest Strawberry Shortcake! Yum!

The Pasadena Volunteer Fire Department is the largest all volunteer municipal fire department in the United States. And it is fabulous! We had to call once when our chimney caught on fire on January 1, 2015. They came fast and put that fire out quick!

The city operates 15 tennis courts, several baseball fields, and a total of 43 parks total. These include over 14 miles of trails, four Youth Recreation Centers, an Adaptive Recreation center, three pools for Swimming or Aquatics, an Athletics department, a Dog Park, Party Rentals, a Golf Course, an Historical Museum, and a Senior Citizen Center.

 Armand Bayou Nature Center is a 2,500 acre preserve on the western shore of Galveston Bay in Pasadena. It is the only remnant of this region's original eco-systems: coastal tall grass prairie, bottomland forest and bayou. A diversity of plant life has taken root here, including bottomland hardwoods. Hundreds of species of wildlife thrive in the narrow wooded streams and scattered lakes, ponds and marshes.Armand Bayou also is a breeding and nursery ground for many fin fish and shellfish and a haven for rarely seen species such as bobcats and owls.

Pasadena also has an annual Rodeo, Thanksgiving Day parade, Christmas Parade and various town celebrations throughout the year. Go Pasadena, Texas!

@SocialInsiders #SocialSummer