We just love the San Francisco Chronicle’s recent article, “Round Up Your Inner Cowboy — or Girl,” which mentions five great Western-inspired destinations. If you ever have the opportunity, visiting these places sounds like a great time. Just be sure and wear your cowboy boots!

First on their list is Gene Autry’s Museum of the American West. Located in Los Angeles, California, the museum has a lot to offer visitors — television show and movie props, the Colt firearms collection and more.

Next up is in Bly, Oregon: the Aspen Ridge Resort. The article describes this as a “rustic-yet-comfortable resort.” So just what makes it a great cowboy destination? Aspen Ridge Resort is a working cattle ranch, and you can go hiking, fishing and horseback riding. Resort guests can even “pitch in with real ranch duties.”

Another destination that made its way on the list is the Wild Horse Sanctuary in Shingletown, where the article says you can witness the “true ‘wild’ west” by taking a multiple-day pack trip. On these pack trips, which can last two or three days, you get to see wild horses. They note that on Wednesdays and Saturdays, Wild Horse Sanctuary is open to the public, so if you’re not planning on doing a pack trip, this is a good opportunity to view the wild horses.

The last two destinations on the list are Old Tucson Studios (in, you guessed it, Tucson, AZ) and the Wagon Wheel Coffee Shop in Carmel Valley. A film set, Old Tucson Studios was built as a replica of Tucson in the 1860s and you may have seen it used as the background in a Western. This is a great place for studio tours, trail rides and watching shows, according to the article. Lastly, Wagon Wheel Coffee Shop is recommended for its “delicious home-style food” and great cowboy decor.

These sure are great cowboy destinations. Again, nice list, SF Chronicle! And we may be a little biased, but we think Allens Boots is another great cowboy destination. If you’re ever in Austin, Texas, be sure and stop by our store to shop for cowboy boots, cowboy hats and Western wear.

A Wichita Falls, Texas western wear store closed in 2006 after being open since 1953, and the owner’s amazing collection of over 500 cowboy hats will be preserved at the Museum of North Texas History. Great news indeed for such a legendary part of Wichita Falls history.

The store was Cow Lot Western Wear, and its owner, Nat Fleming, wound up with so many cowboy hats because whenever a customer bought a new one, they were invited to leave their old cowboy hat to hang on the wall. These cowboy hats have the owners’ names on labels, and some even tell the ranch at which the owner worked.

From pretty new condition to “absolutely worn to a frazzle,” and all different colors and even adornments, the collection of cowboy hats is truly special.

Don’t miss this great new display at the Museum of North Texas History’s Heritage Hall. It opens on July 25.

Cowboy Hats at Allens Boots

Looking to start your own collection of cowboy hats, or maybe you just need another to add to your collection? Allens Boots is the place for cowboy hats. We have children’s cowboy hats, men’s cowboy hats and women’s cowboy hats in an impressive selection of colors and styles. You’ll find just what you’re looking for.

If you’re able to make it to Pueblo, Colorado, a city just 90 or so minutes south of Denver, this weekend, we highly recommend going to the Wild Wild West Fest. Happening Wednesday, May 13 through Sunday, May 17, the festival has a little something for everybody. What’s great is that it’s for a good cause — money raised will go directly back to all of the non-profits involved.

The Wild Wild West Fest will be held throughout the Pueblo community, though most of the events will happen on the Riverwalk and at the Union Avenue Historic District. Attendees can enjoy carnival rides, eat BBQ, compete in a horse shoe throwing contest, watch pro bull riding at the Colorado State Fairgrounds, dance to live music and much, much more.

The live music line-up is great, too: Don’t miss Monte Mills and the Lucky Horseshoe Band, Jennifer Wayne and Band, Colby Yates and Band, Kevin Denney, Justin McBride and Band, Wynn Varbel, Patrick Kratzer and more.

The Denver Westword recommends stopping by Art & Beauty to Boot at the Sangre de Cristo Arts Center (210 North Santa Fe Ave) if you’ll be at the festival. This three-day art show features 20 famous cowboy boots from Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, Robert Redford and Nolan Ryan, to name a few. They’ll also have cowboy paintings from the King Collection and a silent auction.

To check out the full schedule for the Wild Wild West Fest, just go here. Have fun, y’all!

Ever seen the 1979 movie The Electric Horseman, where Robert Redford plays a former rodeo champion? If you have, you probably vivdly remember the outfit Robert Redford wore in the opening montage — pink and purple sparkly cowboy boots with a rhinestone-studded suit adorned with embroidered golden eagles and blossoms. And now this famous suit is going to be at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

NewsOK.com recently published a story about the museum’s acquisition of the suit. They bought it at an auction in 2005 for around $9,000, and it cost $5,000 to make the special mannequin and a protective case for it. According to the article, the suit originally cost $10,000 to make in 1971 when a famous rodeo tailor created it.

The curator of cowboy collections, Don Reeves, explained that the Electric Horseman suit “tells the story, visually and otherwise, of the rhinestone cowboy/urban cowboy craze … of the 1970s and ’80s.” And this isn’t the first costume from Electric Horseman to be at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum. Back in the 1980s, the  museum borrowed Robert Redford’s lighted suit from the movie.

In the article, Reeves goes on to say it’s an iconic artifact that’s not only an “amazing piece on its own merit but also stands as a symbol of the height of … Western performer fashion.”

Without a doubt, it seems this famous cowboy costume will have a great home at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum.

Western Wear at Allens Boots

You won’t find anything quite like Robert Redford’s Electric Horseman suit or cowboy boots at Allens Boots, but you will find some great Western wear and cowboy boots from Lucchese, Justin, Frye, Old Gringo and more. Stop by our Austin store, or shop online.

Shopping for a little cowboy or cowgirl sure is fun, especially since there are so many fun things out there for them. Adorable clothing, awesome toys and even cowboy boots! Whether you’re shopping for a unique birthday, Christmas or “just because” gift, be sure and check out children’s cowboy boots. They’re cool, useful and are bound to be a hit.

Children’s Cowboy Boots: Ariat

You may have a pair of Ariat boots that you just love, so you’ll be happy to know that there are children’s Ariat cowboy boots available, too, that you can gift to a special kid. Boys will love the Ariat Heritage Stockman cowboy boots, which have traditional styling and superior comfort. For girls, there’s the Ariat Heritage Western, which are pink cowboy boots! Both of these children’s Ariat cowboy boots feature the Ariat Booster Bed™, an EVA insert below the footbed. It can be removed to give your kid’s feet extra wiggle room as their feet grow.

Children’s Cowboy Boots: Frye

Children’s Frye cowboy boots are adorable. Take a look at these teeny-tiny baby cowboy boots: the Kids Frye Harness Bootie. Talk about the perfect gift for a new baby.

Children’s Cowboy Boots: Justin

Traditional and durable — that’s children’s Justin cowboy boots. Bold and red, the Kids’ Justin Red Calf are a great pair of boots. The children’s Justin Bay Apache are stylish and well-made — perfect for your little cowboy.

More Than Children’s Cowboy Boots

Allens Boots has so much more than just children’s cowboy boots. Shop online, or stop by our store in Austin, Texas for an amazing selection of cowboy hats, western wear, cowboy boots and more.

J.R. Simplot’s cowboy hat has finally been returned to his family, nine months after it was stolen from a floral arrangement set up at Qwest Arena after Simplot passed away. The cowboy hat was a symbol of J.R. Simplot, who had worn it for about 25 years, so his family was absolutely thrilled to get it back.

The founder of an agricultural supply company that specialized in potato products, J.R. Simplot was an entrepreneur and philanthropist who, at the time of his death in May of 2008, was also the oldest billionaire on the Forbes 400. He was 99 years old.

A great story in the Idaho Statesman talks about how the cowboy hat was finally returned. Turns out the newspaper had a big hand in its return: On February 22, the newspaper’s “Ask Tim” column urged the thief to call the paper. The next week, sure enough, someone called and agreed to return the cowboy hat so long as there would be a guarantee of anonymity. The caller said they hadn’t actually been the one to take J.R. Simplot’s cowboy hat, it was someone else who had taken it and later entrusted it ot them.

The Statesman story also posed the question, “Why would someone steal J.R. Simplot’s hat?” The answer given by the caller was “stupidity.” They explained it was an impulsive act that was “almost instantly regretted.”

J.R. Simplot’s cowboy hat has become Idaho’s famous hat, off-white in color with green and orange feathers. The cowboy hat was given as a gift by Tom Basabe, J.R. Simplot’s longtime friend, and was purchased and a western wear store in Boise, Idaho.

Simplot’s son, Scott, told the Statesman that in time the cowboy hat would likely be displayed publicly in an appropriate setting.”

Best wishes to the Simplot family — we’re happy to hear this very important and meaningful symbol of the late J.R. Simplot has been rightfully returned.

Here in Austin, we’re lucky to have a ton of interesting places to go and things to see, and it always seems like there’s something cool going on. So when we heard about the Cowboys and Presidents exhibit at the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum, we got pretty excited.

Cowboys and Presidents will be at the museum through January 4 and is meant to show the intersection of cowboy culture and presidential politics. It features stuff that both kids and adults will like. Little cowboys and cowgirls can use a computer to dress up presidents in cowboy boots, cowboy hats and western wear. Everybody can cast their vote in the interactive voting booths and watch a silent Western.

Fascinating artifacts like Benjamin Harrison’s longhorn chair, Calvin Coolidge’s electric exercise horse and cowboy outfit, Ronald Reagan’s cowboy boots (adorned with a map of Texas!), and Lyndon B. Johnson’s Stetson hat are a few examples of the many things that can be seen at this exhibit.

Really, we can’t recommend checking out Cowboys and Presidents enough. Lots of history, lots of cool cowboy stuff, and it’s fun for the whole family. If you’re in the Austin, Texas area, be sure and stop by the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum.

Calgary Stampede is here! Calgary Stampede is here!

The Calgary Stampede has arrived. It is by far the biggest 10 days in Canada, well at least as far as rodeo enthusiasts and the city of Calgary are concerned. The annual Calgary Stampede turns downtown Calgary into one big salute to the cowboy. You will find everything that you are looking for from the rodeo itself to a midway and from chuckwagon races to free pancake breakfasts.

Calgary Stampede Rodeo

The rodeo part of the Calgary Stampede involves some of the finest cowboys in the world. They will be competing for glory and fame in such events as Bullriding, Barrel Racing, Bareback, Saddle Bronc, Steer Wrestling, and Tie-down Roping. You can even watch the little cowboys and cowgirls compete in wild pony racing.

Calgary Stampede is more than a Rodeo

There are so many other activities at the Calgary Stampede to enjoy besides the rodeo. If you are looking to catch a good show full of music and wonderment, then you are going to want to catch the Grandstand Show. The Grandstand show this year is based around a Dream Catcher theme to honor and recognize all the people that came to Canada full of hopes and dreams. The Grandstand Show is described as Broadway … Western Style.

Calgary Stampede Brings Big Music

If Broadway shows aren’t really your style, then you can always catch a great musical act at the Pengrowth Saddledome or the Coca-Cola Stage. This year brings many popular acts to downtown Calgary. So grab your cowboy hat and your dancing boots and come and catch the sounds of Sugarland, The Judds, Kid Rock, Natasha Bedingfield, Dierks Bentley, Finger Eleven, or the Plain White T’s.

Calgary Stampede Brings Big Screams

Finally, if you want to try your luck at the Calgary Stampede midway; there are plenty of games for you. You can do everything from target practice games to the ring toss to Whack-a-Mole. Now, if you are more of a daring cowboy, you can climb on into a seat on one of the many rides. The midway brings many adrenaline-pumping, heart-racing rides this year.

Forget all of this talking about the Calgary Stampede, we are grabbing our best pair of jeans and our boots and heading north. See ya there, eh?

*Photo by Calgary Stampede

Summer Camp for Summer Break

Summer Camp is the perfect way for you little cowboys and cowgirls to spend all that free time during their favorite break … summer break. There are several cowboy and cowgirl summer camps throughout the country. One of the cowboy summer camps that we know about isn’t too far down the road in Humble, Texas.

Cowboy City Texas, founded by Mike and Mary Wall, is home to six cowboy and cowgirl summer camps a year. The summer camps are offered to boys and girls ages seven to fourteen and are chocked full of cowboy boot wearing activities.

Summer Camp Teaches Horsemanship

Summer camp at Cowboy City Texas is all about fun for the beginner and immediate horse riders. But don’t you worry; Cowboy City Texas provides the horses for all summer camp participants.

Cowboy and cowgirl summer camp is centered on horsemanship. Summer campers will learn and work on horse grooming, riding, barreling, cutting, roping and many other rodeo type activities. In fact, there is a summer camp rodeo at then of the summer.

Summer Camp Chocked Full of Western Fun

Other activities summer campers will enjoy while at summer camp are western theater, nature awareness trails, mud fights (be prepared to wash camper’s jeans every night), archery and more.

Attendees of cowboy and cowgirl summer camp also have the opportunity to learn western arts and crafts, play sports with other cowboys and cowgirls, go swimming (make sure you take off your cowboy boots and cowboy hats first), and even go shovel surfing. Now, we aren’t quite sure what shovel surfing is, but it sounds pretty fun.

Western Gear for Summer Camp

Before you take your little cowboy or cowgirl off to summer camp, whether at Cowboy City Texas or another western summer camp, swing by Allens Boots and we will make sure your summer campers have all the western gear they need.

*Photo by Cowboy City Texas