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Published: April 10th 2016
I departed Midland RV Park in Midland TX under mostly sunny skies on Wednesday, March 30, 2016. About half way through the trip, I was greeted to the moister, more lush side of Texas by occasional patches of bluebonnets along Interstate 20. The further east I drove, the thicker became the cumulus clouds in the distance. As I passed Abilene TX, those puffy clouds began to take on a gray hue. As I neared Fort Worth TX, a brief spell of light sprinkles on my windshield reminded me of how dusty it had been in wind-blown west Teas the past two days. The traffic was light in the megaplex as I traversed the freeway system. The folks on the truck radio told me that the National Weather Service had issued a severe thunderstorm warning. I made my way to Loyd Park at Joe Pool Lake in Grand Prairie TX without any issues save a couple of detours for some road construction. Set-up went fine, but the skies grew darker and the winds increased noticeably. By 6 PM, with my set-up complete and me securely tucked away in the Pilgrim, a moderate rain was falling and the tornado warning sirens were sounding.
Actually, in my area, the worst of the wind was over before the sirens sounded.
Initially, I had planned to spend one week in Fort Worth followed by one week in Dallas but eventually decided to stay three weeks in Grand Prairie because of its centralized location between those two sprawling cities and their sundry subordinates. Although located on the south side of the “middle ground,” I believed it would solve some of my east west commuting issues. I also had developed an extremely ambitious schedule for my time in the Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) area, and had selected attractions and/or events for every day of my stay knowing full well that the weather, my mood and/or the need to perform domestic duties would alter those plans.
Top on my list was the Fort Worth Stockyards National Historic District (for the sake of my readers and my fingers, I’ll call it the Stockyards). While researching the landmark, I found a plethora of attractions in the Stockyards and found a short, but interesting,
history of the Stockyards. Indeed, the Stockyards is the crown jewel of Fort Worth, and if one is to skip the Stockyards, one might as well skip
Fort Worth. Actually, it would be wise to consider skipping Texas altogether, because the Stockyards, et. al., IS Texas! For those who don’t agree, just answer this question – which came first the oil or the cow? Parking ($5.00 for all day 100 feet from the main drag, East Exchange Avenue) was plentiful at ten o’clockish, but keep in mind early April is not the peak tourist season. My first stop was to be the
Stockyards Information Center, half a block from the parking lot; however, before even reaching my destination, I happened upon the
Texas Trail of Fame which was “established to honor those individuals who have made a significant contribution to our Western way of life.” Right away, I found two individuals I knew of, Audie Murphy and Clayton Moore (the Lone Ranger for those under age 50), but most of the dozen or so I scanned didn’t ring a bell of any sort.
The attendant at the visitor center provided a nice map and a good overview of the major points of interest and activities on the day’s agenda. My pre-arrival plan was to take the Stockyards
Walking Tour early in the day, but there was no walking tour until 2 PM
(my late arrival might have caused me to miss the first opportunity, and I’m sure more tours are offered as the tourist season intensifies). Sooo, I set out for the
Stockyards Museum but encountered a herd of noisy, 8 to 9-year-old school children about to descend on the facility, so I regrouped and headed for the historic stock pens behind the stock exchange. Unlike the New York Stock Exchange, the commodity traded at the Fort Worth Stock Exchange took a dump regularly. Well, I guess in that regard, they are the same! An elevated walkway takes the visitor above the “action” to get a perspective of just how enormous the pens area was in the day. Continuing on the walkway, I reached the end of the stock pens, made a left and walked ½ a block to
Billy Bob's Texas.
Unfortunately, I cannot remember lots of the facts I hear when on a walking tour or when talking to an attendant at an attraction but try to recoup the data from the Internet when I get home. After my day at the Stockyards, I was totally unsuccessful – however; Billy Bob’s Texas is B-I-G!!! The square footage of the building is six
Bull Riding, Anyone?
Billy Bob's Texas - Historic Fort Worth Stockyards – Fort Worth TXdigits, there are a couple dozen serving stations, a bull-riding arena and a stage for entertainment acts like LeAnn Rimes, Tanya Tucker, David Allan Coe and Sara Evans along with tens of lesser known artists. There’s usually live entertainment three nights a week. The cost of admission depends on several factors including the time of arrival and the scheduled entertainment, so check the
pricing FAQ page. I considered seeing a show, but 75%!o(MISSING)f them start at 10:30. If I’m not in bed at that hour, I’ve definitely already taken my sleeping pill! I did find a photo that shows the posted occupancy limit at 6,028. That’s a significant village! It’s one of those things you just have to see to believe. I made a stop at the Star Café for a bite to eat after I saw two police officers go in for their lunch. Nothing fancy but tasty, reasonable and quick.
I made my way to the
Stockyards Museum and surveyed the exhibits which, understandably, relate to the history of the Stockyards. I found the museum interesting but others, probably not so much. I struck up a conversation with the attendant, and she told me some interesting facts that are
not included in the placard contents. I also learned that she writes and performs cowboy poetry. She told me about a couple of annual cowboy poetry festivals (or gatherings as they are called) in central Texas which I will keep in mind for the future. I made my way back to the visitor center for the walking tour. The tour starts with a video about the Stockyards and then proceeds through the district with stops along the way where the guide offers commentary about that particular feature. The pace was enjoyable, the guide was interesting and the sound system was superb.
By the time we completed the walking tour, folks were beginning to accumulate along East Exchange Avenue for the
Fort Worth Herd. Cowhands clad in authentic Western attire including chaps and spurs “drive” a couple dozen head of Texas longhorns down Exchange Avenue through the Stockyards District. Although the older Texas Longhorns are well trained via the phenomenon of repetition and the younger members through an instinct known as following the herd, the event is one of a kind and should be included on every visitor’s agenda. My water bottle was long since dry and, after the walking tour, I
had worked up a thirst so I stopped for a cold brew and pondered sticking around for the nightly
Stockyards Championship Rodeo some three hours hence. By the time I finished my beer, I had decided that I had had enough for one day and vowed to return later during this stay to visit the
Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame, have a nice meal at one of the interesting dinner establishments and see the rodeo (which starts at 8:00).
I remember it well. I was in study hall on the afternoon of November 22, 1963 when an announcement came over the PA system that President John F. Kennedy had been assassinated in Dallas TX. The room of 200 or so high school students was stunned and utterly dumbfounded. My next class was PE. The classes stood outside the coaches’ office straining to hear the radio broadcast. No football (or soccer or whatever) today, boys! I don’t remember if classes were suspended until after the funeral or not, but I remember watching the television at every opportunity. The nation stopped until the funeral was over on November 25, 1963. I cannot remember anything in my lifetime that captured the nation like the Kennedy assassination and the
events that followed. There are those who might argue that 911 and its aftermath were just as mesmerizing, and they would be justified.
On a “schoolless Saturday," I made my way to downtown Dallas and parked under the
Old Red Museum (also home to one of the Dallas Tourist Information Centers). The parking was free; however, there is a charge on weekdays that could get hefty depending on the delay before the assigned “tour time” for the Sixth Floor Museum. I headed to the visitor center and got several questions answered before paying the fee to visit the museum. There are lots of placards with very interesting information but few artifacts. There are four wings which represent four time periods. Each room has a time line with events of that period for Dallas County, Texas and the United States. Interesting.
I seldom quote an entire placard, but this story is so special I can’t help myself, for this is the kind of story that is the essence of
The Great Adventure:
“45-Star United States Flag, ca. 1906
“During the fall of Corregidor, ‘Old Glory’ was rescued by twenty-year-old Marine Sergeant Otto Erler prior to his trip to a
The “Otto Erler” Flag
Old Red Museum - Dallas TX Japanese POW camp. During the voyage, several United States soldiers died. Erler’s captors allowed him to use this flag to ceremoniously drape body bags for burial at sea.
“Otto Erler insisted that the Japanese treat the flag with respect and eventually return it to him. They reluctantly agreed with penalties: Erler’s rations were cut in half for thirty days, no cigarettes and lights out by 9:00 pm. After three and a half years as a POW, Erler returned home with the flag that buried twenty-five men and gave hope to countless others.
“The flag was probably placed in the Philippines by Lieutenant General Douglas McArthur’s troops following the Spanish-American War.
“Courtesy of the Dallas Historical Society”
Here is a more comprehensive story.
Since there are no painted lines on the pavement, I don’t know where
Dallas County Historical Plaza ends and
John F. Kennedy Memorial Plaza begins and ditto for Dealey Plaza. All are within a stone’s throw of the Old Red Museum and
The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza. I’m not sure where to begin my commentary on the John F. Kennedy Memorial. A placard posted near the sidewalk and removed some distance from the memorial itself (I find a subtle commentary posed by the authors
of the placard) states that the memorial, “…is a cenotaph, or ‘open tomb’ that symbolizes the freedom of John F. Kennedy’s spirit.” It goes on and on, but I will charitably say, “This memorial sucks!” What kind of mind-altering substances do some of these artists consume before becoming enlightened? If they want us to feel the same vibes and have the same visions as they, then they need to share their substances! That having been said, it is a memorial to a great president who set lofty goals for our country in his short time at the helm. Other than the power of being there, where history was made, I cannot give the plaza a strong endorsement; however, as long as it is merely a walk across the street….
The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza is located “across the street” in the former Texas School Book Depository, now known as the Dallas County Administration Building, which is a seven-floor building facing Dealey Plaza. Lee Harvey Oswald (allegedly, I suppose some lawyer would want me to say, since Oswald was never convicted) fired the shots that took the life of President Kennedy from the sixth floor of this building.
One needs to purchase a ticket with an assigned starting time for, I assumed, a docent-led group tour. At about 12:30, I was issued a ticket with a 2:00 time slot. When I arrived at 1:45, 200-300 people were in a single line that wrapped around two sides of the building and then serpentined through the parking lot. Shortly, an employee came through relating that there had been a medical emergency and apologized for the backlog and the delay.
In due course, I made my way to the front of the line only to learn this is not a group tour, but is an audio-on-demand self-guided tour. The museum is confined to the sixth floor with the gift shop and entry area on the first floor. A dedicated elevator whisked several of us to the museum where I, as instructed, entered the number (posted on a placard at the exhibit) into the keypad of the whatchamacallit I was issued and got the audio presentation via my headset. There are options for additional information, to replay that selection or to enter the next placard number. I was unaware that photography is not allowed and took a couple of pictures before
the secrecy police saw me and advised me of the rule.
The museum pretty much begins with the arrival of the Kennedys in Dallas and follows the tragic sequence of events chronologically which includes, in the midst of a couple dozen law enforcement officials, the assassination of Oswald by Jack Ruby – the first televised murder in history. That stunned me almost as much as the Kennedy assassination itself. Somewhat as an afterthought, the warnings advising against making a Dallas visit are disclosed as well as the findings of the Warren Commission and the multitude of multiple shooter and conspiracy theories that arose on Monday morning.
I found the attraction overwhelmed by visitors who were trying to get a look at the pictures and verbiage on the placards. Perhaps the overcrowding was because of the medical emergency that had upset the schedule. Perhaps not. THAT aspect of my experience was slightly disappointing. I cannot comment on the customer flow on a typical day, but I must assume that the assignment of a time when the ticket is purchased is to prevent such congestion. Of course, there was no offer of an admission fee adjustment to compensate for the
(assumed?) atypical overcrowding! Having lived through the event, having read extensively about the Kennedy assassination and having already seen most of the photographs on display, I found the narrative offered by the whatchamacallit totally adequate. For those over sixty, one relives that infamous event. For those under sixty, the museum offers a lesson in American history unlike any other. A definite must see.
On a “schoolless Sunday,” I headed to the north side of downtown Dallas to
Pioneer Plaza to visit a set of sculptures by Robert Summers of Glen Rose TX. Uncle Larry, ART – go figure! Pioneer Plaza honors Dallas’ cowboy past by celebrating the trails that brought settlers to Dallas. The sculptures are set amidst native landscaping with a flowing stream and waterfall and recreate a cattle drive in the form of bronze statues of longhorns being driven by three cowboys riding horses. The sculptures are believed to be the largest bronze sculptures of their type in the world. At this writing, I have located the attraction on Google Earth – Irene, my GPS, took me two blocks east of the plaza! It sounds pretty cool, and I shall attempt to revisit.
I continued on with
my agenda and found my way to the
George W. Bush Presidential Center, but still had tons of time remaining before the 12 Noon opening so I found a little diner and got some breakfast. The George W. Bush Presidential Center is located near the Southern Methodist University (SMU) campus but has a medium-size parking lot for visitors. My parking fee was $7.11 – x for the first hour and y for additional hours or portions thereof. There were still numerous spaces available when I departed, but I can envision a full lot during the peak tourist season. Some might remember, I aborted my visit to the Nixon Presidential Center in 2014 because of parking inaccessibility.
I first visited the Special Exhibit: “Path to the Presidency” (3/1/2016 - 10/9/2016). It centers, as the title implies, on the campaign from making the decision to run through the inauguration. Each election in U.S. history is given an overview in a unique and interesting format. In the central foyer, gifts the Bushes received while in office are on display. In the main exhibit hall, one finds a brief history of the pre-presidential life of the former president. The flow jumps into 911 which did happen early
in his presidency. Here is one of the few places I will stand up and cheer for Bush – shortly after 911, he appeared at a World Series game in Yankee Stadium to throw out the first pitch. That was an integral part of getting America back to a sense of normalcy.
The visitor then has an opportunity to be the Commander-in-Chief and assess various topics (as chosen by the group) at his/her own counsel, to harvest advise from others he/she selects from choices available on the console and then to vote on a course of action. The group then learns of the decision made by President Bush and the repercussions of his decision. It makes for a unique and interesting exercise. I just plain had trouble getting into the “Bush thing.” I have never trusted the man since I heard him speak (on television) as Governor of Texas. We have all heard his claims – part owner of the Texas Rangers baseball team. Truth is he is a TWO percent owner. When Intel Corporation was at about $150.00 a share, I owned seven shares. Did that make me a part owner of Intel? Sure it did, but did
I go about boasting of it? I’ll quit now, but George H. Bush was our president and, as such, he is a part of our history. Obviously, the museum is highly recommended. Also, I attempted to visit the
Meadows Museum on the SMU campus. Parking was non-existent on a SUNDAY! I wouldn’t advise any attempt be made on a weekday when school is in session.
I set out on a Monday morning to visit two veterans’ memorials, a local museum and an historic courthouse. I started with the
Vietnam War Memorial in Heritage Park in Lancaster TX. The triangular-shaped memorial is meant to look like a folded American flag, and pictures that are etched into the granite face show helicopters and tanks in battle – a small but very nice memorial presented by the citizens of this small community. It’s worth a five-minute stop if you’re passing through town. My next stop was in Waxahachie TX at the
Ellis County Museum. I love saying the name - it just sorta rolls off the tongue. Wax-a-ha-chie! Mean-ing Buf-fa-lo Creek. This is another small well done local museum which gives meaning to
The Great Adventure. There were many commonplace items, but there were several of which I hadn’t a
clue and had to look at the documentation to gain insight. The attendant turned me on to the Courthouse Café a block down the street. Good chicken fried steak and fantastic pie.
Kitty corner across the street from the museum, one can’t miss the 1895
Ellis County Courthouse. This majestic dame is worth a slight detour and five minutes of “get outta the car and admire” time. I went inside (metal detector security checkpoint) and found the interior nice but probably not worth the security hassle. The outside is a story unto herself. On my way to Kaufman TX, I happened upon the
Veterans Memorial Park in Ennis TX. This very nice memorial park is a tribute to all veterans from each US military conflict of the 20
th and 21
st centuries. Proceeding on to Kaufman, I found an amazing tribute to all veterans of all the wars of the United States. Along the back property line is a scale replica of the Vietnam Wall in Washington DC. I got to see an interesting local museum, had a nice lunch, awed at an amazing courthouse, honored our veterans and perused some Texas countryside. ‘Twas a very good day! That makes me look forward to
No Attention To Detail Was Spared
Vietnam War Memorial - Memorial Park - Kaufman TX my next two weeks in the Fort Worth/Dallas area.
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