Texas State Capital

Friday, January 29, 2010

We didn’t have a tornado last night, but we did get rocked by an all night thunderstorm.  We had a huge crack of thunder that made me sit straight up but Mrs. Light Sleeper didn’t hear it.  Apparently the area received about 2 1/2” of much needed rain. When we woke up this morning it had stopped raining but it had swollen the creek behind us.

 

  The temperature this morning was 7 degrees Celsius but the wind made it feel much colder.  We went to see the Texas State Capital Building.  Like everything else in Texas; this building is BIG.  It is also really beautiful.  The exterior facade is Texas pink granite which was quarried just 50 miles away.  The original exterior was originally supposed to be local limestone however it was found to discolour badly.  (We have seen several examples in other buildings surrounding the capital building and it is not at all attractive, not like the limestone used in the Manitoba Legislature Bldg.)  The floors at the entrance foyer are inscribed with the names of significant battles in the history of the republic of Texas.  The dome is massive with multiple tiers and a spiral staircase leading to the upper levels. The top of the dome is 216 feet above the floor, which bares the coats of arms of all the nations that have been a part of Texas history. 

One thing that we found out about and particularly liked about the Texas Senate chamber was that during a filibuster a Senator can talk for as long as he wants but he can not sit or lean on his desk, he can not eat or drink or otherwise excuse himself and he must stay on topic.  Seems quite different from our parliamentary way of doing things.

Some miscellaneous observations – Lots of security staff around the grounds (we spoke to a Security Guard who told us that her best friend had moved to St.Anne, MB); the Visitor Information Centre and in the State Capital Building in particular.  Vehicle traffic entering and exiting the grounds is blocked by huge pollards that raise and lower to ground level.  The wrought iron fence surrounding the grounds has gold Texas stars all along it’s length.  The door hinges are all inscribed with the words “Texas Capitol” .

Austin City Limits

Thursday, January 28, 2010

We left Waco around 10:30 and headed south down I-35 towards Austin, Texas.  We had drizzle and rain most of the way.  We have seen some reports of a tornado watch for the surrounding counties and heavy thunderstorms.  As I am writing this the power just went out so I am hopeful that it isn’t the result of a tornado. 

We arrived at the Cottonwood Creek RV Park, just west of Dripping Springs, TX just after 1:00 PM and were met my the manager as we drove in.  Sherry, helped us to get parked in our spot and showed us where all the utilities were located.  We are parked in a well treed secluded spot and there is a stream behind us, which we were told has just started running for the first time in two years.  Seems that they haven’t had a lot of rain here until the last couple of days.  We are also fairly close to Lyndon Baines Johnson (LBJ) National Historic Park as well as Johnson City.  Apparently, this is the boyhood home of LBJ; so, we may be headed up there on a day trip to tour around.

Austin City Limits has been running on PBS four years and yes it is taped in Austin.  It is apparently harder to get a ticket for one of these tapings than it is to get a ticket for the University of Texas Longhorns football game.  Needless to say that will not be on our itinerary.

Be a Pepper

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

First the answers to yesterday’s trivia questions (but of course anyone who didn’t read yesterdays blog first, will now have all the answers):  Tonto’s horse was named “Scout” .  The William Tell Overture by Rossini, was the musical theme music. The Canadian connection to the Lone Ranger TV series; Jay Silver Heels who starred as Tonto was a Mohawk Indian from Brantford, Ontario.  And for added info Tonto referred to the Lone Ranger as “ke-moh, sah-bee” which means “trusted scout” or “faithful friend”

Dr Pepper (the soda pop) was developed in a small, corner drugstore in 1885 by Dr. Charles Alderton.  Alderton had been playing around with some soda-fountain flavours and some of the chemicals from the drugstore until he perfected the right combination of 23 ingredients. With the help of a particularly skilled truck driver/salesman (Woodrow Wilson “Foots” Clements –>Foots because he had big feet), the drink was marketed throughout Texas, Alabama and the southern states.  It eventually went on to international fame.  The Dr. Pepper museum is unique and very well executed; leading the visitor through an old bottling plant and then through a history of the advertising and marketing programs through the years. 

We drove north, out of town to the Homestead Heritage Craft village.  This is partly hippy, partly fundamentalist Christian communal living village. The residents are involved with woodworking, blacksmithing, pottery-making, weaving or mixed-farming.  They seem to be fairly self sufficient and market their hand crafts out of their craft barn.  From our perspective it appears that the crafts are extremely well made but tended to be quite pricey.  One small jar of preserves was $12 US.

  On our way home we drove through the Oakwood Cemetery quite close to Baylor University. Many Confederate Army generals are buried here; and I must say that the monuments tended to be very elaborate.

We have pretty much seen what we wanted to see in Waco and will be pushing  southward to Austin, TX tomorrow.  Austin is south-west of Waco and is the capital of Texas.  With a population similar to Winnipeg, it is the home of the University of Texas Longhorns.  The weather is forecast to change in the next couple of days with some rain and temperatures in the low to mid teens.  

Texas Ranger Museum

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Hi-yo, Silver! Away!!  These are the words that were used by the Lone Ranger whenever he would charge after the bad guys on his trusty horse Silver. 

Trivia – for the old folks!

• What was Tonto’s horse named?
• The music from the series was …??
• What is the Canadian connection to the Lone Ranger TV series?

The TV series was based on a fictional Texas Ranger from the old west.  The early Texas Rangers were the first organized lawmen in Texas.  They were formed to provide protection for the early settlers against cattle rustlers and marauding Indians who were fighting to retain their land and lifestyle.  The Texas Ranger Museum traces the history from those early days to the present time.  Most people are unaware that it was a Texas Ranger who tracked down and killed the outlaws Bonnie and Clyde.  The museum has on exhibit many of the pistols and rifles used by the Rangers.  One display allows you to lift an old Colt revolver – which weighed close to five pounds. 

We visited the cemetery across the street from the museum; where the earliest known burials were from 1852.  There is still a very strong Confederate sentiment in Texas as some of the graves of former Confederate soldiers are adorned with new Confederate flags.  Seems like some people want to continue the Civil War.

Afterwards we drove along the Brazos River through Cameron Park and visited the old Waco suspension bridge.  It was built around 1870, and was the longest suspension bridge west of the Mississippi River at that time. 

Waco Texas

Monday, January 25,2010

We had spent 10 days in the Dallas area and it was now time to move on.  It felt quite chilly this morning, compared to what we had become accustomed.  The locals tell us that this is unusually mild for January and from the weather forecasts it seems that change is coming so we are going to head further south looking for those elusive, warm temperatures.  I had a bit of a start this morning as we were preparing to leave. Janet started retracting the slides into the trailer when I heard the sound of breaking glass.  I looked around fearing that the windows had broken and just as I did I saw another piece of ice fall from the top of the slide.  The canopy that protects the top of the slide has a tendency to collect water and a thin layer of ice had formed on it.  I suppose it got colder than I had originally thought last night.

We had seen a place where we could wash the trailer just down the Interstate from where we were camped so we decided to lather off the grime that we had accumulated travelling down here.  The coin slot asked for 10 quarters to start, which I thought was kind of much but I soon realized that had it asked for only one at a time I would have spent more time running back and forth feeding it.  Forty quarters later, the trailer looked respectable once again and we headed south through Dallas to Waco, Texas.

We found a nice little campground just east of town and will be camped here for a few days.  It is located in a rural area with many small farms surrounding it.  There is a pecan farm just across the road from us and horses are grazing in the field behind the campground.  On our way here we drove through the grounds of Baylor University, (FYI – Baylor plays in the Big 12 Conference).

Fair Park - Dallas

Friday, January 22, 2010

In 1936, Texas celebrated it’s centennial as a state of the union.  To help celebrate the event the Fair Park was built.  It covers 277 acres and houses one of the largest collections of Art Deco architecture anywhere.  It also contains an amusement park, several museums and the Cotton Bowl stadium.

We spent the afternoon touring the Museum of the American Railroad.  This outdoor museum contains hundreds of pieces of rolling stock and engines.  A number of the engines are particularly interesting.  The big, red Santa Fe engine #97, hauled the Super Chief from Chicago to Los Angeles at speeds up to 90 MPH. The fuel tank holds over 4,000 gallons of diesel fuel.

The Big Boy is aptly named. This steam engine was the largest of its kind.  The drive wheels are nearly 6 feet in diameter.  And there are 8 drive wheels on each side.  It was used by the old Union Pacific Railway to haul freight over the Wahsatch pass in Utah.

The temperature on the truck thermometer hit 27 degrees Celsius. (I think that this reading may be a couple of degrees higher than the true temperature.)  We are getting a bit of Vitamin D from walking around in the sun.

Saturday, January 23, 2010

It rained and drizzled fairly steadily throughout the day.  We had planned to take the day off anyway so it worked out well.  We did some laundry, cleaned the trailer and just generally relaxed. 

Sunday, January 24, 2010

Quite a bit cooler today. It only got up to 13 degrees Celsius and it was fairly windy.  We got out for a little walk, just a couple of kilometres, but it was nice to stretch our legs.  The balance of the week is predicted to be 17 degrees.

I spent the afternoon installing a surge protector in the basement of the trailer.  Most of that time was spent unloading our stuff and then trying to figure out where I could find a solid surface. to mount this thing.  Anyway got it done just before Janet started dinner. She finds it is very difficult to cook without electricity!

Where’s the Beef

Thursday, January 21, 2010?

When you think of Texas, you also have to think about beef!  Oprah Winfrey stirred up the Texas Cattlemen back in 1996 with her statement about never eating another burger again.  You’ve got to understand that cattle have always been big business in Texas and Fort Worth was the former home of one of the biggest stock yards and livestock exchanges in the United States.  Today, most of the trading is done over the Internet and cattle are trucked directly to regional processing plants, from the farms and feedlots.  The Forth Worth Stockyards and Exchange are now a collection of gift shops, restaurants, bars and Texas Barbecues.

The Fort Worth Stockyards has been declared a National Historic District and preserves the history of the this area which covers approximately 120 acres.  The stock pens are still visible and cover a good portion of the park.  How they ever kept track of all those animals is amazing.  (Most cows look alike to me.)  Probably the biggest highlight of the day was the cattle drive down the main street of the area.  They keep a small herd of Texas Longhorn cattle for use in this mini-cattle drive.  They all seemed very docile and only one seemed like he was ready to escape from the herd.  But a cowboy was soon there to nudge him along and he lost interest in freedom.  I suppose he’s got a pretty good life here and he won’t soon land up as a quarter pounder.

We probably came at the wrong time as there is not a lot of activity during a weekday morning.  I would imagine that it is absolutely mobbed with young people in the evenings and on weekends or during a rodeo.

Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Everyone says that they can remember what they were doing when they first heard the news.  I was thirteen at the time and in grade 8.  It was a history class in the middle of the afternoon, when our teacher came in and announced to the class that, “President Kennedy has just been shot.”  I thought that this couldn’t happen in this day and age.  But in fact it was true. It was a day that changed so many of us.  That was Friday, November 22, 1963. 

We were riveted to our TV sets as the networks broadcast every detail of the assassination and the state funeral.  The arrest and subsequent murder of the assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald filled many hours of that very long weekend.  That was the first time that many of our generation ever experienced a loss like this.

The story of JFK, the assassination, conspiracy theories and the ensuing enquiries are told in the Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza. (WARNING! – The Abraham Zapruder film is very graphic-it is a home video so there is some personal stuff before the motorcade commences.) The museum is extremely well done and well presented. The corner of the sixth floor where Oswald had setup a sniper’s nest is glassed in much the same was as it would have appeared that day.  No photography was allowed in the museum.

In this city of growth and change, we were surprised to see little has changed since 1963.  Judging from the many photos that we saw the only difference is a couple of additional overhead traffic signs and the increased height of the trees.  There are a couple of white X’s on the road where the shots were fired and a simple, unassuming National Park Service marker near the grassy knoll that says, “ Dealey Plaza - This site possesses national significance in commemorating the history of the United States of America.”

One thing that we also noticed is that the Downtown area is kept immaculately clean. We saw two cleaning crews in the span of two blocks walking from our parking spot to the museum.  We also got a super deal on parking again in Downtown Dallas…$2.00 / day.  And there were attendants patrolling the lots.

Who knew – Two Zoos!

In our travel research we had always assumed that most of what we had read about Dallas included the surrounding area; such as Irving, Arlington and Fort Worth.  Not so, each city is totally and fiercely independent.  When we read about Dallas in the CAA Tour Guide, it mentioned that it had a Star rated zoo. We did not realize that Forth Worth also has a Star rated zoo and has been recognized as one of the top zoos in the country.  We decided on the Fort Worth Zoo. 

GPS’s are nice they take you where you want to go with not too much trouble and they take you there usually the fastest way.  Unfortunately they don’t always consider traffic flows on Interstates and don’t allow you enough time to cross several high speed lanes to get to your exit immediately following your last death defying manoeuvre.  We missed the exit.  But GPS’s also correct your goofs and then re-route you usually by a much more quiet,, scenic route.  That was our luck today  as we got a chance to drive around the Colonial Drive area of Fort Worth.  Very nice, older homes large but not the behemoths seen in the rural areas. 

We arrived at the zoo, just after the 10:00 AM opening and found the parking lot already fairly full. We were greeted at the entry gate by flower boxes full of pansies in full bloom.  The climatic advantages of southern zoos is significant.  Fifteen foot high bamboo plants form natural barricades between exhibits and define other spaces.  Large oaks (I don’t know what type) are in full leaf and are incorporated into the walkways and enclosures.  They use natural surroundings and materials wherever they can.  It is exceptionally well designed, in that you can see all the exhibits without having to retrace your steps.

 

 

 

We spent the most time at the World of Primates .  The keepers try to hide special food and treats for the monkeys in different areas.  This tends to get the animals moving, in search of these treats.  The orang-utans put on a terrific show.  One smaller orang-utan had a burlap sack which he carried with him almost constantly like a security blanket.  He would actually put the sack over his head and walk around with it.  He would hit the larger orang-utan (we assumed the mother) with it.  Finally, they would seem to kiss.  (Don’t know if they were kissing or just grooming each other.)

The large African and Asian mammals are always neat to watch.  Rhinos, Hippo's and elephants as well as tigers and lions, were all fairly active as the temperatures were a cool 21 degrees Celsius this morning.  One bull elephant kept trying to get through a gate to the side where the cows were kept.  He seemed to have quite a ritual and would walk from one gate to another to see if it was open.  Poor guy was frustrated!

It is amazing the great pictures you can get when animals pose for you.  This kind of wildlife photography I can handle.  (see them in the Photo Section – Fort Worth Zoo)

After 4 1/2 hours of tramping around the zoo we headed back to our trailer.  We have decided that our next trip to the Dallas area we will go to the Dallas Zoo and then compare notes. On the way home we passed the Texas Motor Speedway, a NASCAR race track that is so typical of everything Texas.  BIG!

Texas Bound or Driving Out of Winter

Tuesday, January 12, 2010 – Day 1

We pulled out of the driveway at 08:00 AM.  The temperature was a mild –7 degrees Celsius, (not too bad for a January morning in Winnipeg). We drove to the storage compound in Sanford and installed the battery into the trailer.  I just started to tighten the hold-down strap and the plastic buckle broke.  What an inauspicious start to the trip.  I tied down the battery with a cargo strap and we were on our way south before 9:00 AM.  We crossed the border at Pembina, North Dakota around 10:30, with only a minor search for contraband fruit…they seized an orange and some grapes and let us go.

Anyone who has owned an RV will know that the wind always blows from the opposite direction that you are driving   So it was today; approximately 30 Kilometres per hour out of the south.  It caused some minor ground drifting but really adversely affected the fuel economy.  We continued through North Dakota and into South Dakota in the afternoon.  The wind really picked up between Sisseton and Watertown, SD., causing near white-out conditions in places.  The rest of the trip into Sioux Falls was uneventful.  We pulled off the road just before 06:00 PM and stayed at the Comfort Inn, just a short distance from Interstate I-29.  472 Miles south of Winnipeg and they have more snow than at home. Hopefully better news tomorrow.

Wednesday, January 13, 2010 – Day 2

When we pulled out of Sioux Falls this morning the sun was trying to burn off a heavy fog that seemed to hang over both sides of the Interstate.  As we travelled south through Iowa and Missouri it seems as if the snow is starting to melt.  By the time we reached Emporia, Kansas it was as though we had gone through the whole typical Winnipeg Spring season in one day. 

The roads in Iowa seemed particularly rough, with lots of potholes and surface breaks.  Missouri seems like it would be a pretty state especially when the snow is gone and things start to green-up.

We got onto Interstate I-35, just before we got into Kansas City and headed south-west toward Emporia, Kansas.  The traffic around Kansas City (Missouri and Kansas) was wild.  Just not used to driving on freeways.  We logged 474 miles today

Thursday, January 14, 2010 – Day 3

On the road by 08:00 AM again this morning and onto the Kansas Turnpike (Interstate I-35). The temperature was a balmy +4 degrees Celsius. I-35 was in excellent shape, of course being a toll road, it should be.  The road travels through the Flint Hills which we understand is very scenic although we didn’t see much through a heavy fog that limited our speed to about 55 Miles per Hour.  The fog didn’t lift until we reached the Oklahoma border. It was around here that we noticed that most of the snow was now gone except for a few traces in the ditches.

The weather continued mild but overcast through Oklahoma and into northern Texas.  The truck thermometer hit 16 degrees Celsius at one point while travelling through the Pauls Valley and Turner Falls area of Oklahoma.  Again if it was a little later in the season and there was a little more greenery this would be a really beautiful area. 

We stopped at the Texas Visitor Information Center to pickup some travel planners, maps and event brochures.  We have now noticed that there is some green returning to the grass and livestock is out grazing in the pastures with some babies.  The temperature is now consistently 12 degrees Celsius, so we were able to stay in our trailer for the first time on this trip.  Our campground was the Lone Oak RV Park in Valleyview, Texas.  Once we were setup and had supper we went into Gainesville, Texas to do some grocery shopping.  By time we returned home it was late and we just put away the perishable food and crashed by 10:30 PM.

Friday, January 15, 2010 – Day 4

We slept-in today as we didn’t have anything major on the agenda.  We decided to move a little closer to Dallas as we will be spending several days there.  We found a beautiful campground in the town of Denton, TX called Post Oak Place RV Park. (The Post Oak is a species of Oak tree and the name Oak or Post Oak can be seen in numerous places and small businesses.) Denton, TX is approximately 35 miles north of downtown Dallas just off I-35; so we will be accumulating a few miles commuting back and forth.  As is the case with most RV parks, this one is located near a rail line but at least the trains going past are not  sounding their whistles.

 

Saturday, January 16, 2010 – Day 5

We had to go shopping again today as we keep finding things that we had forgotten at home…next time we go away in the winter we will have to be better prepared.  The issue is, we are unable to leave any liquids in the trailer while we store it in the fall and early winter.  As it was, I came across a few things that I had forgotten about that were frozen solid.  Fortunately none had burst. 

We returned from Wal-Mart by a rural route, which led us past some beautiful rural estates.  The homes are massive and many have a horse or two in front.  I guess that is one of the status symbols around here.  My guess is that the folks around Dallas have a few dollars.  I’ve also noticed that most of the cars are newer models.  My thought is that they have to drive so far to get anywhere that they wear them out or the mileage on their lease expires.

Sunday, January 17, 2010 – Day 6

Who Shot JR?? - During the 1980’s, Janet and I would tune the TV every Friday night to watch “Dallas” and to get our fix of the villain JR Ewing.  We wanted to see the infamous Southfork Ranch where the series took place. So we drove the 41 miles out to Palmer, Texas to see it. 

Southfork Ranch (the outdoor set for the series) was an actual working ranch at that time and Lorimar Productions approached the owner for permission to shoot there. The owner, a builder by the name of Joseph R Duncan, refused several offers before relenting and giving permission to film outdoor scenes at the ranch.  All indoor scenes were done on a sound stage back in Hollywood.

JR, (as he called himself after the series became successful) Duncan, the original owner, got tired of fans and paparazzi constantly hanging around the property after the series ended and he sold it for $7.5 million.  The property has changed hands a few times since. The current company which owns and operates Southfork Ranch has tried to recreate the same interior as the TV series.  The house is not as big as it appears on the TV although it is still palatial by most standards.  Jock Ewing’s big Lincoln Continental is still here and you can just imagine him driving up that long driveway headed for another confrontation with JR, the person that we loved to hate!

Monday, January 18,2010 – Day 7 – Martin Luther King Day in the US — Kevin’s 23rd. Birthday

We’ve decided to stay in Dallas for another week so we renewed our site with the campground office when it opened at 09:00 AM this morning.  We decided to visit the new Dallas Cowboys Stadium, which just opened in 2009.  It seemed like a good day to visit as the Dallas Cowboys had just been crushed by the Minnesota Vikings 34-3; and we thought that no one would be at the stadium buying Cowboy paraphernalia.

The tour started in the Pro Shop, which features every type of souvenir you could imagine.  They had a plaque with a piece of the turf from the former Cowboy’s Stadium, for $40.00.  (At this point we still have not seen inside the stadium.) Our guide then took us up to the general seating area. WOW! The first thing you notice is the giant TV screen.  180 feet long by 120 feet high with High Definition resolution (1080p).  Stretching between the 20 yard lines, this thing consumes 63,500 watts of power.  The seats are comfortable and well padded with a removable drink holder, designed to be removed to add extra seating.  The current seating is about 80,000 but will be expanded for next year’s Super Bowl to over 100,000.  We then went to the luxury suites.  These are really opulent and must be close to 2,000 square feet each.  There are about 300 of these suites. (I think there is a fair amount of money here in Dallas.)

We were then taken down to the locker rooms.  All of the players are brought to the stadium in two private bus which drive right up to the locker room door.  The lockers are made of rosewood and each player’s locker is identified by their name over their space.  Everyone tried to have their pictures taken in front of Tony Roma’s locker, the current quarterback for the Cowboys.  We then went to the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders locker room. The setup is similar to the football team locker room, just a little smaller with lots of mirrors, chrome and pink. 

 

Finally we were able to take to the field.  The turf is surprisingly soft and springy.  We were told that the turf is covered with very small rubber pieces that settles in between the “blades” of grass which gives it the cushioning effect. This also explains why it appears as if there is sometimes a “splashing effect” when a player slides or drags his foot.  These beads of old rubber tires are being sprayed up into the air. Being down on the field you have a whole new appreciation for the athleticism of the players.  That’s a LONG way between goal lines!  The final stop on the tour was up to the Data Centre.  700 Computer servers are networked in this massive room and they control almost every aspect of the building.

When we got back to the car the temperature had reached 23 degrees Celsius.  So we headed home and got into our shorts and sandals.  We called Kevin to wish him a Happy 23rd. Birthday and tell him about the nice weather.  I think I could get used to this.