Day Trips

What does a 2,700 pound gorilla eat? If the gorilla comes from the Double D Statuary, it doesn't eat anything. That is because the life-sized primate with a life-like smirk is made of concrete.

The statuary, 30 miles northwest of Corpus Christi on US77, claims to be the largest manufacturer of concrete statues and fountains in Texas. "To tell you the truth, I don't know how many different items we have," says David Reyckert. He and his wife Donna make up the two Ds in the business' name. He estimates that they offer around 1,000 different concrete items, from a gorilla small enough to hold in your hand to a hippo large enough to seat a family of four.

The Double D started as a "mom-and-pop" operation in 1982 when David retired from the Navy. They have since grown to employ 30 people and have a second location in Eddy, about 20 miles south of Waco on I-35. "We have people stop from all over the world," David says.

Saint Francis tops the statuary's list of top sellers. Double D offers six different models of the patron saint of animals, from 18 inches to four feet tall, painted and unpainted. They also have an assortment of other saints and altars, as well as all of the parts needed to build a backyard fountain.

You could fill a zoo with all the different kinds of animals at the statuary -- from household pets to flying eagles, lions, and squirrels. Their newest selection is a dragon that comes in three parts and has a tail that seems to slither above and below the ground. If a saint, dog, lion, or gnome won't protect your home, how about a concrete cannon or a life-sized emu? Or how about impressing your neighbors with a herd of Texas longhorns or milk cows?

The unique items begin as ideas from employees, artists, or customers. A local sculptor fashions a model from clay or styrofoam which is then covered with latex to form the actual mold. The mold is then covered with a fiberglass and wood frame. The concrete is poured into the bottom of the mold and allowed to harden for a day. The art is then hand-rubbed with a file and finishing cement to fill in holes and seams.

David said that the latex molds don't last very long whether they are used or not. A mold for a 30-inch Saint Francis can cost $300 and a large cow runs as much as $1,600. "You have to make a lot to get your investment back," he says.

Still, some people place custom orders. David says one customer was building a new house and saw a bathroom water basin in a magazine. From the picture they built a model and mold, poured two basins, and then the molds were destroyed.

Another customer was the village of Hutto, northeast of Austin. Residents purchased a life-sized hippo for the business district off US79 as a tourist attraction and to honor the high school team -- the Hutto Hippos.

For more information, call South Texas location at 800/418-2115 or the Eddy location at 817/859-3197.

Coming up this weekend...

Gem & Mineral Show sponsored by the Fredericksburg Rockhounds at the Lady Bird Johnson Park's Pioneer Pavilion exhibits mineral and fossil collections, jewelry, and collectibles, Sat. & Sun., Jan. 20-21. 210/997-1955.

Coming up...

Cranefest at Big Spring State Park offers visitors a unique look at the area's birds, plants, and historic rock carvings, as well as a look at the sandhill cranes' winter roosts with park experts, Fri. & Sat., Feb. 2-3. Reservations required. 915/263-4931.

Day Trips, Vol.1, a book of the first 100 day trips from this column, updated and expanded, is available for $6.95, plus $3.05 for shipping,
handling, and tax. Mail to: Day Trips, 1712 E. Riverside Dr., Box 156,
Austin, TX 78741. n

245th in a Series. Collect Them All.