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Texas

Visiting The Dallas Fort Worth Texas Area

Karen · Leave a Comment

The Dallas/Fort Worth Texas area is a fairly popular destination for families looking to enjoy some quality time together. Dallas and Forth Worth are actually two different cities, but they are so close together that they are often thought of as one.  I-20 goes through both of them, to the south of downtown. I have been through that area of the United States many times, either going to visit my son when he lived in San Antonio, or on my way to Arizona or California. I even went on a business trip to Plano, Texas many years ago for a week. This area of Texas features a variety of kid-friendly fun and adventures the whole family will enjoy while visiting Dallas Fort Worth. 

visit dallas fort worth

Here are some things I would add to a list of things to do if I was going on a road trip myself to visit Dallas Fort Worth.

Heritage Farmstead Museum

I am a huge fan of farms and museums, so this tops my list! This living museum will help your kids understand more about farm life. The Heritage Farmstead Museum features livestock like sheep, pigs, and chickens. You’ll also see one-room schoolhouses and old barns when you opt to tour this living farm museum. Permanent exhibits include the Plano Elegance, a Blackland Prairie Farmstead. It is an overview of Blackland Prairie farm culture and history from about 1890 to 1936. Another exhibit of interest to me is the displays of Girl Scout and Boy Scout memorabilia. This includes uniforms, books, sashes with patches, pinewood derby cars, and Girl Scout cookies.

National Videogame Museum

Who wouldn’t love to visit a museum dedicated to video games?! That’s why I had to include the National Videogame Museum on my list of fun things to do in the Dallas Forth Worth Texas area. This museum features over 100,000 artifacts. The mission is to preserve the history of videogames, and they do a pretty good job. This museum is fascinating for both kids and adults. Displays include a Timeline of Consoles, an 80’s Arcade, and “Pre-Historic Games”. (Pong anyone?)

Dallas Zoo

This is the largest zoo in Texas, at least as far as animals to see goes. The Hippos at Hippo Outpost are pretty cool to witness, and you’ll enjoy seeing giraffes and penguins. During your time at the Dallas Zoo, your family will be able to understand more about why zoos are important in our world.

Stockyards National Historic District

Enjoy an old-fashioned train ride on The Grapevine Vintage Railroad for a little history lesson and then dive back into all that you can enjoy in Stockyards National Historic District. Witness a cattle drive twice daily where you can meet longhorns and drivers. This district is the best place to learn more about Fort Worth’s Western heritage. One of the only places where you can see a year round rodeo, every Friday and Saturday. 

There you have it, my list of things to do in Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas with kids. This list is far from complete, but it can give you a starting point and help you think of other things to do to fill in your days. From old fashioned cowboys, to cattle hurdles, and fun museums, Dallas Fort Worth in Texas surely offers you much fun to be had while visiting Dallas Fort Worth on your next family road trip vacation. 

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Filed Under: Texas

Road Trip To Abilene, Texas

Karen · Leave a Comment

If you have recently retired and plan to take a rambling road trip, and that trip takes you through Texas, then stopping for a day or two in Abilene is definitely worth the time. 

Abilene, Texas

Abilene is on I-20, and is about 180 miles west of Dallas, and 450 miles east of El Paso. When my husband and I were travelling, we would rather stop at smaller towns than big ones. Abilene would have been one of the places we would have spent time in if we had travelled I-20 much. 

So, what is there to do in Abilene? If you like zoos, they have one of those. There is a dog park, to take your four legged travel companions for a run. History buffs might like a walking tour of downtown to see the old buildings there and hear about their history. And don’t forget the song, “Abilene, Abilene, prettiest town I’ve ever seen” written by Bob Gibson in 1956. 

If you are like me and like to visit museums, then you will find several in Abilene. Frontier Texas! is one of only a few museums in the world to feature life-sized holographic figures. Experience the dramatic Texas frontier as the story comes to life in this multimedia history facility. The Grace, located in the heart of downtown in a historic building, is an AAM accredited museum. Changing exhibits feature the best of Texas art, past and present, within the context of American art. Experience World War II through the eyes of the 12th Armored Division ‘Hellcats’ as you explore the three floors of this remarkable museum. Artifacts, photographs, oral histories, weapons, uniforms, vehicles, dioramas and a Holocaust memorial bring the story to life and honors the sacrifice of the great men and women who comprised the 12th. The Taylor County History Center features Indian artifacts and a collection of frontier firearms. 

Added to all that, you can choose from outdoor activities, night life, movies, and live theater, and much more. You might even want to make Abilene, Texas a destination on your next vacation just to have time to see it all! If you need to find a limo or a car for hire, you can check this page out https://www.limofind.com/

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Filed Under: General, Texas

The Monarch Butterflies Migration: Have You Ever Seen It?

Karen · 1 Comment

Back in October of 1996, when my grandson, Michael was born in San Antonio, I went there to meet him with two friends. We stayed in San Antonio for five days. Before we left to come home, we decided to drive down to Laredo so we could go shopping across the border in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico. Little did we know that we would encounter thousands of the beautiful Monarch Butterflies.

Monarch Butterflies
Monarch Butterflies are so beautiful!

At the time, I had a Dodge Ram 1500 pick up truck. It was white, with tan interior, and so comfortable for taking long trips. That truck had four doors, and could seat six people with no problem. We got on the road very early in the day so we could get in as much shopping as possible once we got there. 

On the trip down I-35, we ran into clouds of Monarch Butterflies that were making their annual migration. I had heard about the migration of these beautiful butterflies, but had never seen it before. There were thousands of them, all along the route down to Laredo. 

Monarch Butterflies are the only insect that migrates. If they are from east of the Rocky Mountains, they migrate to Central Mexico. If they live west of the Rocky Mountains, they migrate to the Pacific Grove, California area. In California, they hibernate in eucalyptus trees. In Central Mexico, they hibernate in oyamel fir trees. No matter which location they migrate to, they always use the same trees! I find that to be interesting. 

As we drove down the highway, there were so many butterflies. They hit the truck and the windshield, making it almost impossible to see. By the time we got to Laredo, my white truck was orange on the front. It made me very sad to know that I was responsible for killing so many of the beautiful Monarch Butterflies. I will never forget seeing the migration, and being in the middle of it. Have you ever seen the migration? 

 

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Filed Under: Fun Stuff, General, Texas

Texas: So Many Landscapes

Karen · Leave a Comment

Of all the states I’ve been to, I think Texas has the most varied landscapes.  If you drive from east to west, or from north to south, your scenery will change hour by hour. From the beaches of the Texas coast, to the desert of west Texas, with rolling hills, flat plains, and piney woods, all the “looks” Texas has each have their own beauty. Here are a few pictures of my favorite places in Texas. 

Santa Ana Wildlife Refuge

The Santa Ana Wildlife Refuge is on 2800 acres bordering the Rio Grande River in deep south Texas. At an ecological crossroad, Santa Ana is strategically located where subtropical climate, gulf coast, great plains and Chihuahuan desert meet, and is home to more than 400 species of birds and 300 species of butterflies. I loved going there to see what we could see when we lived in Pharr, Texas. 

A Resaca, or Oxbow lake, at Bentsen Rio Grande Valley State Park.

Bentsen Rio Grande Valley State Park is located south of Mission, Texas. It is another great birding site in the area, where you can see Orioles, Green Jays, Chachalacas, Great Blue Herons, Roseate Spoonbills, and thousands of Hawks during their migration each spring. 

A field plowed to ready for planting in spring.

South Texas, especially the Rio Grand Valley of Texas, is known for fresh produce. From oranges, grapefruit, and other citrus to onions, pineapple, herbs, swiss chard, cabbage and lettuce, you can see them all growing in fields in south Texas. On this day, the field had been plowed and was ready to be planted with spring crops. It was a common thing to hear of people going “gleaning”, or picking up leftover vegetables from the fields after the main crop had been harvested. 

Rolling farmland in east Texas

The drive between Corpus Christi and Harlengin, Texas was mostly rolling hills, dotted with farms. The farmers grew lots of corn and hay for livestock. 

Cadillac Ranch west of Amarillo

This was one of my favorite sights in Texas. Cadillac Ranch is west of Amarillo on Route 66, and is a fun stop to see the cars planted in the dirt. 

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Filed Under: Texas

An Impromptu Road Trip To South Texas

Karen · 1 Comment

Many years ago, Fabgrandpa and I were hot shot delivery drivers, delivering frozen food in a Dodge Ram pick-up truck, using insulated blankets and dry ice to keep the foods from thawing out. We also had a pop-up camper, that we took to the closest state park, and camped there while waiting for the dispatcher to call us. We went to work from the campground, and returned there after the delivery was done.

Fabgrandpa at Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park in Mission, Texas.

One day we had a particularly frustrating delivery. When the dispatcher called us to do another delivery on the same day, I was just plain fed up with the job, and told the guy that we quit. It was a spur of the moment thing, but it immediately meant that neither my husband nor I had a job!

When I told Fabgrandpa what I had done, he asked me what I wanted to do. I told him I wanted to go on a road trip to south Texas, and go shopping across the border in Mexico. I wanted to get pottery and tiled mirrors, and other pretty things, and bring them home to Georgia and sell them. And so it was that we loaded up the pop-up, hitched it to the back of our Dodge pick up truck, and headed to Mission, Texas.

It took us three days to get there. We went down to I-10, through southern Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas. We turned south off of I-10 at Schulenburg, taking Alt 77 through Cuero to 72, which took us to Three Rivers. From there it was a straight shot all the way to McAllen. In McAllen, we followed US 83 to Mission, were we had a reservation at Bentsen-Rio Grand Valley State Park to camp for a week.

Back in 1997, when we took our spur of the moment road trip to Mission, you could still camp at Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park in an RV. The campground closed shortly after our stay there, and is only primitive walk in campsites now. While we were camping there, we saw, and heard, flocks of chachalacas. Those birds were very loud, and woke us up every morning. Green jays are also found there. There were also raccoons, armadillos, and more. It was a little un-nerving to hear these animals scurrying around our camper, and sometimes fighting under our bed at night.

We did go across the border to Mexico a couple of times to go shopping for pottery, chimineas, tinware, tiled mirrors, and Mexican blankets. We got some really good prices on the things we bought. Even with having to pay a customs fee, we were still able to make a profit on the things we bought. The funny thing is, when we got back home, I called the dispatcher and told him we were ready to come back to work, and he gave us delivery the very next day!

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Filed Under: Texas

San Antonio The Second Time

Karen · Leave a Comment

In 1996, my son was still living in San Antonio, Texas. He and his wife announced that they were pregnant, due in October, 1996. I decided to take a road trip to San Antonio from Atlanta so that I could take the bassinet that he slept in to use for his new baby.

San antonio, Texas
Donna and I on our way to San Antonio in 1996

Donna, a friend since childhood, went with me. We left Atlanta early in the morning, headed for Texas. It took us two days to get there. Once we got there, we visited with my son and his wife. They lived in an apartment off base. My son took us on a tour of Lackland Air Force Base, showing us where he worked and some of the planes that were there.

At Riverwalk

The next day, Donna and I went to Riverwalk, and went on the boat tour on the river. Yes, I wind up at Riverwalk every time I am in San Antonio. It is just a beautiful place, with lots of places to eat and spend time with friends and family.

san antonio, texas
Here we are in a little street market in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico. We bought so many of those blankets!

The before we left to go home, we decided to take a side trip to Laredo, Texas, so that we could visit Nuevo Laredo, Mexico. I love going across the border to Mexico and exploring all the little shops. The trip from San Antonio was about 160 miles from my son’s apartment. Donna and I decided to spend the night in Laredo so we would have plenty of time to shop.

We bought about twenty of those Mexican blankets for $2 each (remember, this was in 1996). Donna bought a longhorn steer skull with horns so long that it barely fit in the back seat of the car. We named it Harry. While we were driving home to Georgia, with Harry on the top of all those blankets in the back seat, so many truck drivers honked their horns at us. It was a hoot! That road trip to San Antonio was one of the best trips I ever made.

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Filed Under: Texas

My First Trip To San Antonio, Texas

Karen · Leave a Comment

My first visit to San Antonio, Texas, was back in 1994, when my son graduated from Air Force Boot Camp. I flew from Atlanta to San Antonio in November of that year. When I boarded the plane in Atlanta, it was winter. When we landed in Texas, it was almost 80 degrees at eleven o’clock at night.

One of those men is my son.

Since my son could not leave the base before the graduation, his girl friend and I had a whole day and night to kill before we could see him. I decided to do drive to Luckenbach, the town made famous by Waylon and Willie.

Luckenbach is approximately 75 miles from San Antonio. The drive is quite pleasant, through the countryside of Texas. It takes about an hour and twenty minutes to get there. The town of Luckenbach consists of a ramshackle old dance hall, a post office/general store/saloon, and a stand of trees alongside a rutted dirt road. Not much there other than a great history, and a souvenir stand. It was fun to go, though, and know that I had been in the same place as Willie Nelson had once been.

We made our way back to San Antonio with enough time to visit The Alamo before heading back to our hotel for the night. The Alamo was very interesting to visit, and re-live the history of the place. The mission is still standing after 300 years!

The next day, we made our way to the parade grounds at Lackland AFB to watch the graduation ceremony. It was a very proud moment for me to see my son march by. After the ceremony, the Air Force treated the new graduates and their guests to a San Antonio Spurs basketball game at the Alamodome. The guys were required to ride the bus provided by the Air Force, and we followed in our rental car.

Finally, on our last day in San Antonio, my son was allowed to leave the base. We went downtown to Riverwalk, then to Landry’s Seafood for dinner.

I was sad to leave to go back home. I really enjoyed my visit to San Antonio. I have been back several times, and each time I discovered another place to explore.

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Filed Under: Texas

Roadtrip: Georgia to Arizona, 6th Day

Karen · 5 Comments

A yard full of birds

A late start again today, but another very short driving day. We pulled out of 40 West RV Park in Shamrock, Texas around 11:00 a.m. heading for Tucumcari, New Mexico, only about 200 miles or so. We had an incredibly beautiful day and not much traffic. How lucky and a girl get on a Friday the 13th?

This rest stop is partly underground

I love the Texas sky on days like today. So blue, and the clouds are awesome!

A grain elevator along I-40

Isn’t this just gorgeous! Those are the big round hay bales in a field of green grass under a blue and white sky.

Let's make hay!

This water tank has been leaning since we started driving up and down I-40 in 2008. We always wonder if it is going to still be standing the next time we come through.

What the?

P.U! That is a feed lot full of cows west of Amarillo. We smelled it quite a ways before we saw it. Still want that burger?

this is one stinking place!

Every once in a while, we are rewarded with a truly beautiful scene, such as this one:

Beautiful!

We crossed over into New Mexico and had about forty miles to go to Tucumcari.

Crossing the New Mexico State Line

We pulled into the Flying J in Tucumcari for fuel before going to the campground for the night. They are getting $3.999 for diesel here.

A fuel stop before going to the campground for the night.

Then it was just about a half mile to Mountain Road RV Park to spend the night. Not a bad day at all.

Mountain Road RV Park

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Filed Under: Life on the road, NewMexico, Texas

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