The Texas Bucket List is a weekly, nationally-syndicated television program created, hosted and written by Shane McAuliffe and produced, shot, and edited by Donnie Laffoday. The show is filmed either on location somewhere in Texas or at The Texas Bucket List Store & Studio in College Station, TX.
The show airs on broadcast affiliates in all 22 Texas media markets, as well as stations in Laughlin, NV, Greenville, NC, Knoxville, TN, and nationally on RFD-TV. The Texas Bucket List airs two seasons per year, each consisting of 13 episodes, the first 11 featuring one Bite of the Week food segment and two other segments covering "everything to see, do, and eat in Texas". The 12th episode of each season features the top 5 Bite of the Week segments from that season, with the best restaurant or food truck being crowned the Bite of the Season and given a plaque to display in their business. The final episode of the spring season is the Summer Special featuring renewed segments on past bucket list stops that are ideal for summer road trips. The final episode of the fall season is the Holiday Special featuring 3 holiday-themed stops.
The Texas Bucket List posts its show segments on its website as well as its YouTube channel and Facebook page. The show completes its 20th season in the spring of 2023. Current sponsors of The Texas Bucket List include Simmons Bank, Slovacek's, Dairy Queen, and Toyota.
The Texas Bucket List started in 2009 on KBTX as The Brazos Valley Bucket List, an annual month-long series started by McAuliffe that showcased events and things to do in the Brazos Valley."“The Texas Bucket List” TV Series Debuts Saturday on KBTX" Published 2014-02-14. Retrieved 2016-07-12. In 2013, McAuliffe began his own syndicated TV show and expanded “The List” to cover the entire state, creating The Texas Bucket List.Germania Today, Fall 2014 Retrieved 2016-07-12. McAuliffe’s former station, KBTX, was the first to pick up the show.
Show segments
Texas places Newman’s Castle and Bakery, owned by Mike Newman and originally featured on KBTX’s Brazos Valley Bucket List."Brazos Valley Bucket List – Newman’s Castle" Published 2012-08-23. Retrieved 2016-07-12. 'Jacob’s Dream Sculpture' at Abilene Christian University, created by Jack Maxwell, aired on April 4, 2015.“Jacob’s Dream lands on ‘The Texas Bucket List’” ACU Today, published 2015-04-03. Retrieved 2016-07-12. Shelby County Courthouse, located in Center, Texas and featured on the St. Patrick’s Day special episode.’’“The Texas Bucket List Comes to the Shelby County Courthouse”’’ Shelby County Today, published 2015-03-13. Retrieved 2016-07-12. Luckenbach, Texas, known as a country music hub and featured on the first episode of the show. El Cosmico, tent and teepee motel in Marfa, Texas where customers can stay in a safari tent, a teepee, or a vintage trailer. H.E. Sproul Ranch, located in Fort Davis, Texas and allows patrons to hunt game and take tours of the ranch. McDonald Observatory, astronomical observatory part of the University of Texas at Austin. Billy Bob's Texas, self-promoted as “The World’s Largest Honky-Tonk.” San Antonio Western Shooting LLC provides a firing range and replica guns for customers to shoot. Colorado Bend State Park, located in the Hill Country region and features Gorman Falls, spelunking, biking, hiking, and other outdoor activities.’’Texas Parks & Wildlife: Colorado Bend State Park’’ Retrieved 2016-07-12. Rattlesnake round-up, annual event held by the Jaycees of Sweetwater, Texas. Zilker Zephyr, miniature railway attraction located in Zilker Park in Austin, Texas. La Posada Hotel in Laredo, Texas, built in 1916 and formerly stood as Laredo High School. Located next to the Republic of the Rio Grande Museum. Palo Duro Canyon, second largest canyon system in the United States after the Grand Canyon. Caprock Canyons State Park and Trailway in Quitaque, Texas, home to the last remaining stock of the Southern plains bison.Texas State Bison Herd: An Epic Journey, from Near Extinction to Celebration Retrieved 2016-07-12. South Padre Island Dolphin Research and Sea Life Nature Center, offers sea life exhibits, interactive touch tanks, and tours in search of the Bottlenose dolphin. Broken Spoke, honky-tonk in Austin, Texas founded in 1964 by owner James M. White. Kemp’s ridley sea turtle annual release on the Padre Island National Seashore. XIT Rodeo & Reunion, held on the XIT Ranch, formerly the largest fenced-in rangeland in the world located in the Texas Panhandle.’’History of the XIT Ranch Retrieved 2016-07-14. Tee Pee Motel, located in Wharton, Texas. Bought by Texas Lottery winner Bryon Woods in 2003.’’Texas lottery winner invests in unusual historic motel’’ Lottery Post, published 2007-09-24. Retrieved 2016-07-14. Ben’s Western Wear and hat museum, western wear clothing store that doubles as a cowboy hat museum. Santa Maria Bullring in La Gloria, Texas, owned by Don Fred Renk, location of annual bloodless bullfight. Universal Typewriter Shop, owned and operated by Edward “Smitty” Smith, located in Houston, Texas and dedicated to repairing typewriters.
Texas history Judge Roy Bean, focus of the Judge Roy Bean Visitor Center, formerly managed by Jack Skiles, author of the biography Judge Roy Bean Country. Frontier Texas! Museum, an interactive museum on the western heritage of the Texas frontier and the Abilene region. Featured on the show in the fall of 2014.’’“Frontier Texas featured on ‘The Texas Bucket List’ TV show”’’ KTXS, published 2014-10-05. Retrieved 2016-07-15. Mission San Jose, located in San Antonio, Texas, predates the Alamo and home to the largest concentration of Spanish colonial architecture. Port Isabel Lighthouse, built in 1852 and the only lighthouse on the Gulf Coast that lets patrons climb to the top.’’“Point (Port) Isabel, TX”’’ Lighthouse Friends. Retrieved 2016-07-15. American Wind Power Center, home to over 160 old-fashioned and modern windmills located in Lubbock, Texas. M-Line Trolley historic trolley rides, famously runs the oldest streetcar used daily in North America. Texas! Outdoor Musical founded in 1966 by Margaret Pease Harper and celebrated its 50th season in 2016.’’Harper, Margaret Pease’’ Texas State Historical Association, published 2010-06-15. Retrieved 2016-07-18. National Museum of Funeral History established in 1992 by Robert L. Waltrip, chairman and founder of Service Corporation International.’’“Any day above ground is a good one.” A Conversation with the National Museum of Funeral History’s Director, Genevieve Keeney’’ Houston History Magazine, published 2012-03-07. Retrieved 2016-07-18. Elissa, one of the oldest ships still operated today and moored in Galveston, Texas. Texas Museum of Broadcasting and Communications, covers the history of radio and television and managed by curator Chuck Conrad. , a museum ship located in Corpus Christi, Texas. Iwo Jima Monument, the original full-sized molding-plaster model of the bronze Marine Corps War Memorial, located on the grounds of the Marine Military Academy in Harlingen, Texas. Donated by Felix de Weldon in October 1981.’’Iwo Jima Monument’’ Marine Military Academy, retrieved 2016-07-18.
Texas food Old Orange Cafe in Orange, Texas. The restaurant is located in a historic former dairy. The Fiesta Burger is featured as the "Burger of the Week." Also highlighted was the restaurant's recovery from Hurricane Ike. Willy Burger, located in Beaumont, Texas, won "Burger of the Season" in the spring 2014 season for their Hee-haw burger.’’“Local burger picked by TV show as one of Texas’ best”’’ Beaumont Enterprise, published 2014-05-09. Retrieved 2016-07-18. MG’s Restaurant in Sherman, Texas, featured in the spring of 2014 for their Hot Rod Ford burger.’’“MG’s in Sherman to be featured on TV show”’’ KXII, published 2014-02-07. Retrieved 2016-07-18. Marco’s Burgers and Fries, located in Mission, Texas, and winner of the first "Burger of the Season" on the show in the fall of 2013.’’“Marco’s Burger and Fries home to the best burger in Texas”’’ RGVision Magazine, published 2014-09-05. Retrieved 2016-07-18. Padre Island Burger Company, featured on the second episode of the fall 2014 season for their Dr. Padre burger.’’“Check Us Out on the Texas Bucket List”’’ Padre Island Burger Company, published 2016-02-15. Retrieved 2016-07-18. Good Luck Grill, aired on the spring of 2014 season of the show for their Triple Crown burger and located in Manor, Texas.’’“Good Luck Grill Featured on The Texas Bucket List”’’ Good Luck Grill, published 2014-04-02. Retrieved 2016-07-18. Pop’s Burger Stand, located in Waxahachie, Texas and featured for their Low & Slow BBQ burger in the spring of 2016.’’“’Bucket List’ burgers”’’ Daily Light, published 2016-05-12. Retrieved 2016-07-18. Perini Ranch Steakhouse, famous steakhouse that was scheduled to cater the 2001 Congressional Picnic for former United States president George W. Bush, but was cancelled due to the events of the 9/11 terror attacks and returned to cater the picnic the following year."Ten Years After: Tom Perini's 9/11 at the White House" Texas Monthly, published 2011-09-09. Retrieved 2016-07-12. The steakhouse won "Burger of the Season" for season 3 of ‘’The Texas Bucket List’’ in 2014."Perini Ranch Steakhouse wins 'Burger of the Season'" KTXS, published 2014-12-06. Retrieved 2016-07-12. East Texas Burger Company in Mineola, Texas, known for their burgers and baked and fried pies. Winner of the County Line Magazine’s ‘Best Burger’ award in 2012 and 2014.’’“Best of the Upper East Side of Texas”’’ County Line Magazine, published 2014-12-19. Retrieved 2016-07-18. Middle East Restaurant, located in Abilene, Texas, and owned by Sabah Hammoodi, who worked for the American military in Iraq after the implementation of Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003.’’Through the fire: “Restaurateur from Iraq has new life in Abilene”’’ Abilene Reporter News, published 2010-01-30. Retrieved 2016-07-18. Rodeo Goat, featured on the Christmas edition of the fall of 2014 season of the show for their Ho-ho Buffalo burger. Mel’s Country Grill, famous for their Mega Mel burger challenge. Customers that consume the entire burger win a Mel’s Café T-shirt and their name on the café’s online list of ‘Mega Mel Survivors.’’’“The Mega Mel Burger Challenge”’’ Food Challenges, retrieved 2016-07-18. Golden Light Café, established in 1946 on U.S. Route 66 in Amarillo, Texas. Claims to be the oldest continuously operated store on the route that has not changed its location.’’“Classic Comfort: A Guide to the Best Comfort Food in Amarillo”’’ Amarillo Magazine, published 2014-11-28. Retrieved 2016-07-18. Big Top Candy Shop, founded in 2007 by Brandon Hodge. Decorated in a circus-theme and offers over 2000 varieties of candy as well as a soda fountain.’’“Big Top Candy Shop: Rare and Massive Selection on South Congress”’’ The Austinot, published 2013-10-13. Retrieved 2016-07-19. Hondo’s on Main, named after John Russel “Hondo” Crouch, one of the owners who bought and made the town of Luckenbach, Texas famous.’’“The Man Who Dreamed Up Luckenbach”’’ Texas Monthly, published 1984–07. Retrieved 2016-07-19. Fred’s Texas Café, located in Fort Worth, Texas and featured on the show for their Diablo burger. Stanton Drug & Grill, originated as a bank in 1906, reopened as a pharmacy in 1951. Border Burger, located on the border of Texas and Mexico in Eagle Pass, Texas. Featured on the show for their Jalapeño burger. Stanton City Bites, opened as a grocery in 1961 and gradually converted into a restaurant owned and managed by Theresa and Jonathan Fong. Jenschke Orchards, located in Fredericksburg, Texas, known for their fresh peaches and peach products since 1961.’’“Jenschke Orchards”’’ Retrieved 2016-07-19. Fossati's Delicatessen, the oldest deli in Texas, established in 1882. Gold’n Crisp, located in La Grange, Texas and opened in 1972. Served meals for the infamous Chicken Ranch brothel.