Dallas, TX. Regions of TX Tour. Dealey Plaza. Bronze Hands of the Famous. Giant Murals. Dallas Fifty FREE. Dallas Cowboys. NY Giants and Brooklyn Dodgers Move To CA.

 

For “Travel Tuesday”:

Let’s visit Dallas, TX in “The Texas Prairies and Lakes Region, which offers a wide variety of destinations & attractions, from the fast-paced cosmopolitan excitement of the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex with the best in shopping, dining & entertainment, to the beautiful lakes & laid-back country lifestyles found throughout the region. Discover the Excitement of the Texas Prairies & Lakes.”

If you wondered about the seven regions of TX, maybe this will help:

Regions of Texas Tour 

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Dallas, TX

“Dallas is on the Trinity River in the center of Dallas County in North Central Texas. It is crossed by Interstate highways 20, 30, 35, and 45. The city was founded by John Neely Bryan, who settled on the east bank of the Trinity near a natural ford in November 1841. Bryan had picked the best spot for a trading post to serve the population migrating into the region. The ford, at the intersection of two major Indian traces, provided the only good crossing point for miles.

Two highways proposed by the Republic of Texas soon converged nearby. Unknown to Bryan, however, he had settled on land granted by the republic to the Texan Land and Emigration Company of St. Louis, headed by William S. Peters. Bryan eventually legalized his claim, and the extensive promotional efforts of the Peters colony attracted settlers to the region. In 1844 J. P. Dumas surveyed and laid out a townsite comprising a half mile square of blocks and streets.

The origin of the name Dallas is unknown. Candidates include George Mifflin Dallas, vice president of the United States, 1845–49; his brother, Commodore Alexander J. Dallas, United States Navy; and Joseph Dallas, who settled near the new town in 1843. The Texas legislature granted Dallas a town charter on February 2, 1856. Dr. Samuel Pryor, elected the first mayor, headed a town government consisting of six aldermen, a treasurer-recorder, and a constable.

Dallas suffered its most traumatic experience on November 22, 1963, when President John F. Kennedy was assassinated while riding in a motorcade through Dealey Plaza, only yards from the site where John Neely Bryan had settled in 1841 (see KENNEDY ASSASSINATION). Two days later, his alleged assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald, was killed before television cameras by a Dallas nightclub owner, Jack Ruby. In 1989, after twenty-five years of debate about how the city should commemorate the event, the Sixth Floor, a museum, opened in the former Texas School Book Depository. In 1993 Dealey Plaza was declared a National Historic Landmark District, the city's second after Fair Park.”    A lot more at: http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/hdd01

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Kennedy Assassination Cenotaph, Dallas.

“This 30-foot-tall empty box, made of concrete slabs, was designed by big-deal architect Phillip Johnson, who called it an "open tomb."

Visitors can walk through gaps in the walls and read an inscription to Kennedy on a block of granite in the enclosed courtyard.

Johnson said that the design would provide visitors with a spot of quiet privacy. It has never been popular.  

Still, you can stand inside and listen to your own echoed cries of "Why? Why?"”

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Bronze Hands of the Famous

At Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas

“What's cooler than wax sculptures made from photos of famous people? Well, a lot of things, but the thing I've got in mind is bronze casts made from the ACTUAL HANDS of famous people -- presidents, astronauts, athletes, actors, etc. Louis Armstrong, Winston Churchill, Joe DiMaggio, Andre the Giant and Walt Disney are among the highlights; there's also a handful of medical oddities. The casts were named for surgeon Adrian E. Flatt, who made celebrity hand-casting his hobby.”

View of the wonderful hands: http://www.juliatexas.com/historichands.htm

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Bizarre Giant Murals

  “This is worth stepping off the beaten path of I-35 or I-30 as you breeze through Dallas to cooler climates. This is a giant mural of a pudgy little kid pulling a wagon full of toy cars painted on the side of a building overlooking a parking lot.

But wait... The little toy cars are the same size as real cars in real life! The wagon mural was subject to some bizarre attention recently when wall-size murals promoting hit movies began appearing downtown. The Dallas City Council, in it's infinite wisdom, wanted to regulate this giant advertising, so they wanted to distinguished the "art" from the "ad." The rule of thumb? "Advertising" has words. "Art" does not. Think any fans of roadside attractions might disagree with the city council?  There is also another building-size mural of whales visible from this location.

“We came up with this idea with these kids,” Garrison says. “They’re juxtaposed in front of this barren landscape, a dry lake bed. They seem to be unaware or unaffected by it. They’re looking forward at the teacher, for the most part, except there’s a silhouette of one of the children, which represents one of the kids who fell through the cracks. We wanted to use these big fins above the painting, but we couldn’t figure out how to incorporate them and keep within their budget. We realized by painting just on the front of the 3-inch face of these fins, that you get this really interesting kinetic effect.”
“As you drive up on it, you can see the image and then it disappears,” Arnold says. “It portrays the elusive problems of education.”"       More at: http://www.dmagazine.com/Home/D_Magazine/2010/May/The_Biggest_Muralists_of_Dallas.aspx

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Cattle Drive Through Dallas

“This use may not have been envisioned by the sculptor.

Native Texan Robert Temple Summers II was commissioned by the Dallas Trees and Parks Foundation in 1992 to sculpt three cowboys on horseback and 70 longhorn steers - each 130% of life-size. The bronze covers four acres in downtown Dallas, at Griffin and Young streets in front of the Convention Center.”

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AT&T's Golden Boy

“The stunning 28-ft. tall Golden Boy (aka "The Spirit of Communication") has been moved to the headquarters of his conquering corporate lords at 208 South Akard St., Dallas, TX.

We love the big gilded lad, as much a symbol of a former monopoly, entangled in its own landlines, as a spirit of soaring communication.

The move from New Jersey, refurbishment, and installation was accomplished with little fanfare. Anything to do with a giant gold-covered statue -- during a recession -- is a bit of a PR lightning bolt....”

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Zoo-Themed McDonald's

“This McD's is a great place to stop with children. A zoo-themed McDonald's, complete with trees and fiberglass animals.  The animals and murals inside the restaurant are as exciting as the exterior. The entrance to the Dallas zoo shares the same exit.

Most McDonald's are decorated straight out of the corporate catalog, and often try to capitalize on local interests. But we like this feverish hallucination of fries-clutching African wildlife.   An elephant guards the entrance to the restrooms, while a giant fiberglass anaconda drapes itself across the bench seating...but no one seems to mind. Appropriate jungle sounds play in the background a la the Rainforest Cafe.”

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Clyde Barrow Childhood Home

“Old abandoned filling station, formerly Barrow gas station and childhood home of Clyde Barrow. Clyde's dad Henry built and ran the Barrow Star Service Station.

Grave of Clyde Barrow - Bonnie and Clyde

Clyde Barrow's grave is worth a stop, but would not want to be here at night.

The grave is still maintained.  The graveyard was designated a historical site in 1988.

The dead Bonnie and Clyde bandit is honored with graveside donations of empty liquor bottles and shotgun shells.”

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Whirlygig Water Tower

“In the suburb of Addison, an artistic water tower has sunburst design on the metal (not painted on) with "whirly gigs" on the top.

The whirly gigs actually generate electricity to power the tower and nearby streetlights.

When the wind is blowing, the whirly gigs spin rapidly and enhance the view of the tower.”

 

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Ten Fun and Free Activities in Dallas, Texas

Cheap, Budget-Friendly Things to Do in Dallas

“Entertainment in a big city can be expensive-a single movie ticket costs $10, and you'll be lucky to eat out anywhere other than fast food for $20. However, in Dallas, Texas, you can have a great day without breaking the bank - in fact, you can have it for free! Keep reading for ten fun and free things to enjoy in the Big D.:”   More at: http://voices.yahoo.com/ten-fun-free-activities-dallas-texas-8179243.html

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The Dallas, Texas Fifty Free
50 Great Things - Yours "Free to Enjoy"

“Having fun doesn't have to be expensive! The many things to see and do in Dallas include those that can be enjoyed absolutely free. Consider these offerings at: http://www.tourtexas.com/content.cfm?id=136 "

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Dallas Cowboys and Stadium

“An article from Forbes Magazine, dated September 5, 2012, lists the Cowboys as the highest valued sports franchise in the history of the United States, and second in the world (behind Manchester United of the English Premier League), with an estimated value of approximately $2.1 billion. They are also the wealthiest team in the NFL, generating almost $269 million in annual revenue.

The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise that plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference (NFC) of the National Football League (NFL). They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas. The team plays its home games at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, within the Dallas–Fort Worth metropolitan area, which finished construction in time for the 2009 season.”  More at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dallas_Cowboys 

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Offbeat Places:

Dallas, Texas: Muffler Man - Happy Half-Wit

 

“A giant country goof with an Alfred E. Neuman head stands over a muffler repair shop parking lot and holds a muffler.

So you if you can't read, you might still figure out what they do here.”

 

 

 

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Giraffe statue at Dallas Zoo

“When the Dallas Zoo was remodeled, they constructed this massive giraffe statue that can be seen from I-35. The statue is really a neat thing to see, and the zoo is good too. Catch the train from a park and ride to save money on zoo parking.

The Giraffe is promoted as the "Tallest Statue in Texas," a metal sculpture over 67 ft. tall just outside the zoo parking entrance. Randy Stevens writes: "Don't know exactly how tall it is, but it reportedly was going to be a tad shorter. When the giant Sam Houston went up on Hwy 45 it was designed to be barely taller.

So Dallas put a blade of grass on the giraffe's tongue to gain the 'Tallest in Texas' title."

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Muffler Man Blood Feud

“Bud and Ben's used to be Bud and Ken's. Some time ago, at least 20 years, they had a falling out and parted ways.

Bud changed the ''K" in Ken's to a "B" because he was too cheap to change the whole sign. There is NO Ben!!!”

 

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Traveling Man - 38-Foot-Tall Robot Gumby

 

“Traveling Man towers over the Deep Ellum station of Dallas's downtown light rail system.

He was conceived and built by a group of local artists as an allegory of the neighborhood: a guitar-shaped head honors nearby musicians, a stainless steel body reflects the industries that moved away so that the musicians could move in, etc.

We like Traveling Man because he's 38 feet tall, weighs 35,000 pounds, and looks like a truckin' robot Gumby. There are two other, smaller, Traveling Men at the station as well.”   [RoadsideAmerica.com Team, 12/03/2009]

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Robot Playing Guitar

“This 9 ft. robot dubbed the "Traveling Man Waiting on a Train" is one of three giant robots in the Deep Ellum neighborhood of Dallas. This one in particular is leaning against a piece of concrete from a tunnel that was removed.

There are also birds that function as seats. I didn't see the other two, but they are on the same street.”

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On This Day:

Baseball owners allow Dodgers and Giants to move, May 28, 1957:

“On May 28, 1957, National League owners vote unanimously to allow the New York Giants and Brooklyn Dodgers to move to San Francisco and Los Angeles, respectively, at the mid-season owner’s meeting in Chicago, Illinois.

There were, however, conditions attached to the owners’ decision. First, either both teams had to move or neither could, which meant that if one team reconsidered, the other would have to change their plans as well. Second, both teams had to announce their plans before October 1, 1957. In the end, both teams did move: The Giants hosted a farewell party at a game on September 29, and the Dodgers formally announced their move on October 8. West Coast baseball fans were overjoyed, and the people of New York City were heartbroken.

The Giants were an up-and-down team leading up to 1957, both fiscally and on the field. In spite of winning World Championships in 1951 and 1954, the team could not draw fans as consistently as their Brooklyn rivals did. Owner Horace Stoneman thought the relocation to San Francisco would revitalize the team, but they continued to suffer from inconsistent play and attendance even after the move. On their final day at the Polo Grounds in Coogan’s Bluff, after fans stormed the field, former baseball writer and the Giants PR man Garry Schumacher chided, "If all the people who will claim in the future that they were here today had actually turned out, we wouldn’t have to be moving in the first place."

In 2000, the two teams faced off in the World Series, the first "subway series" since the Dodgers and the Yankees met in 1956. The Yankees prevailed, four games to one.”

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Yesterday

Misty and I went to get Jay, and Misty was a lot more enthusiastic about her walk than she has been the last couple of weeks.  I had trouble keeping up with her, even though I am getting over my bronchitis/allergy, whatever it is.

Ray took everything out of my van and vacuumed all the debris out of it from hauling all that trash and form lumber from the church the day before.  Even the cup holders had cement dust in them. I went through everything and cleaned it before putting it back.  There are umbrellas, sweaters, blanket, tool box, two 12v. refrigerators, sunshades, and a bin with extra oil, tranny fluid, coolant, funnel, rope, etc.  Nothing like being prepared.

Jay took down the last of the framework over the front porch, and Ray helped him as it was the heavy part.  Then Jay removed what he had attached to the side of my house.  Now we are back to square one.   New plans will have to be drawn up.

The weather is alright in the mornings, but it gets muggy and hot later in the day.