Trips – Page 68 – Kevin's America

Dallas 2018

The beautiful buildings in downtown Dallas are part of the reason I love Dallas and Texas. When I lived here for 3+ years in the mid-1980s, I spent a lot of time downtown, mostly on weekends. My office on N. Akard Street is long gone, replaced by a more modern, taller building. Enjoy the beautiful scenery of “my city”!

Lunch at Mia’s Tex-Mex Restaurant

Just a hole in the wall, but this place serves perhaps the best Tex-Mex in the Metroplex!

Downtown Dallas

Dallas skyline from Trinity Overlook Trail.

Reunion Tower and the Hyatt Regency Hotel.

I took this same picture of my beautiful bride in 1987. We will compare the two pictures when we get home!

An example of the superb freeway infrastructure that moves traffic in Dallas so well.

The Cotton Bowl and State Fair Park. The Texas Star Ferris Wheel is to the right of the Cotton Bowl.

For those who remember the Dallas TV show from the 1980s, this was the Ewing Oil building. In reality, this is the Renaissance Tower, at 56 stories tall.

This is Bank of America Plaza, the second tallest building in Texas at 72 stories tall. I watched this building being built in 1984-1985. That is Fountain Place behind it, to the right.

This is Fountain Place, 62 stories tall. I watched this building being built in 1985-1986. The really cool thing about this building is it looks quite different depending on which direction it is viewed from. The top seems to point in different directions.

I stayed here when I flew to Dallas for the first time in 1984 for a job interview. It was the Hilton Hotel then. It is the Statler Condos today.

American Airlines Center, home of the Dallas Mavericks.

The Giant Eyeball of Dallas. This 30-foot tall sculpture was created by artist Tony Tasset. It is part of the collection of original artworks belonging to the Joule Hotel.

Pioneer Plaza/Longhorn Cattle Drive Sculpture

The Pioneer Plaza sculptures depict a Longhorn Cattle drive. The sculptures are intricately detailed. Amazing to look at.

The Assassination of President John F. Kennedy

President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas on November 22, 1963. President Kennedy was riding in an open limousine through the streets of downtown Dallas in front of a large, cheering crowd. Lee Harvey Oswald fired three shots from the sixth floor of the Texas Book Depository on Elm Street. The president was pronounced dead at Parkland Hospital.

The assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald, shot President Kennedy from the sixth floor of the red brick building in this picture. The bus on the street in the picture is about where President Kennedy’s limo was when Oswald’s first shot was fired, hitting the president in the head.

This is the Texas Book Depository. Oswald shot the president from the
window on the far right side of the sixth floor on the front of this building.

This is the famed “Triple Overpass”. Left to right, Commerce, Main and Elm Streets meet under the overpass. President Kennedy was travelling on Elm Street.

This “X” in the street marks President Kennedy’s car’s location when the first shot was fired.

I took this picture while standing on the “X” in the street. Today, a tree partially blocks the view of the window where the shot came from.

These two “XX” in the street mark President Kennedy’s car’s location when the second and third shots were fired.

I took this picture while standing on the “XX” in the street. There is a clear view of the sixth floor window (far right) where the shots came from.

This bare square is a memorial/tribute to President John F. Kennedy.

The Mustangs at Las Colinas, Irving

The water has been drained, and the fountains are dry, but the Mustangs at Las Colinas are still beautiful and menacing. Las Colinas and these Mustangs were built/erected when I lived here in the mid-1980s. These sculptures are incredibly detailed, fully anatomically correct, and quite beautiful.

George W. Bush Presidential Library & Museum, Dallas

Wow! This museum was far more incredible than I imagined. This is the best of the presidential libraries that I have visited. There are so many pictures, videos, great stories, and the 9-11 exhibits were powerful and poignant, and so much more!

Entrance to George W. Bush Presidential Library & Museum

Grounds of the library & museum – not cut, on purpose – buffalo grass, native to Texas.

President George W. Bush’s personal motto and philosophy in life.

From President Bush’s inaugural address.

9-11

President addresses the nation on September 11, 2001

This is an actual scrap from the World Trade Center, as it was found.

The docent encourages people to touch it. It is cathartic for some people.

On the walls around the World Trade Center scrap, the names of all those who perished on 9-11 are etched. One story is of George Gerard Howard. A Port Authority Policeman, he was the first person identified as a victim….

…His mother gave his badge to President Bush. The president kept this badge in his pocket every day of his presidency, and is on display here in the museum.

The bullhorn President Bush used when he visited the World Trade Center rubble and declared “I can hear you, the rest of the world can hear you and the people who knocked these buildings down will hear all of us soon.”

The order to commence Operation Iraqi Freedom.

This is the actual pistol that Saddam Hussein had with him when he was caught in the spider hole.

This is all it takes to nominate a Supreme Court Justice.

President Bush awarding Andy Griffith the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

A lion from Tanzania given to President Bush.

An exact replica of President Bush’s Oval Office.

There was a group of school children touring the museum. Here, they pose for a picture at the Resolute Desk replica. The little boy wearing the glasses made us make a double take.

President Bush kept this on display in his Oval Office,

…and this on the wall. A Charge to Keep, by W. H. D. Koerner.

Me, taking a call at the Resolute Desk, along with my First Lady.

National Champions from Texas during President Bush’s term.

President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush wore these outfits for one of their state dinners. The china used for the state dinner is also displayed.

Statues of father-and-son presidents George W. Bush (43) and George H. W. Bush (41).

This is part of a “video” that was shown on the top of the walls of the lobby. The video wrapped around all four walls. It showcased normal, great Americans doing their jobs, and enjoying their recreation. It was very cool.

Video message from former President George W. Bush and former First Lady Laura Bush.

Texas 2018 Day 3

First Baptist Church, Downtown Dallas

We worshiped at First Baptist in downtown Dallas. I used to attend this church when I lived in Dallas in the mid-1980s.

Cross atop a large water fountain beside the church. Loud speakers were playing classic hymns, echoing off the nearby towers!

Inside the sanctuary (aka, “worship center”).

Choir, orchestra and worship team leading singing.

Dr. Robert Jeffress preached from Hebrews 6.

This is the old santuary building, where I used to worship in the 1980s.

Downtown Dallas

AAA Texas 500 race, Texas Motor Speedway

I didn’t expect the opening ceremonies. First, a local pastor prayed a prayer of invocation, and closed the prayer with “in the name of Jesus Christ”! Then the boy scouts led in the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag. Then an Air Force Band played the National Anthem. Finally, four Air Force jets did a flyover, first as a group, then they came back and flew over one at a time. Really neat!

Very loud and colorful! Must use ear plugs! Even with the plugs in, it was still loud, just not as bad. There was still a loud hum, and it kind of runs through your bones, and the smell of oil and hot rubber!

At close to 200 MPH, these cars came very close to the wall!

Car number 4, Kevin Harvick, won the race. Here, he is going 202 MPH!

Dinner at Hickory Steakhouse, Grapevine

Texas 2018 Day 2

Ruth Paine House Museum, Irving, Texas

This was the home of Ruth Paine in 1963. Lee Harvey Oswald stayed here the night before he assassinated President John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963. He had stored his rifle in this garage for months prior to that day. This house is now a museum owned by the city of Irving, and has been restored to its 1963 decor. It is an interesting time capsule.

Lee Harvey Oswald’s bedroom. When he left for Dallas on that morning, he left over $170 and his wedding ring on the dresser.

In the garage, Oswald kept his rifle wrapped in a blue and brown blanket on the floor like this one.

Irving City Building

This fossil is displayed at the Irving city government building, This is an Xiphactinus, which was a 9-foot long fish which was found during construction digging in Irving. It is thought to be approximately 90 million years old.

JFK Memorial Tribute, Fort Worth

Earlier in the day of his assassination, President Kennedy was in Fort Worth giving a speech, and riding through downtown similar to the ride in downtown Dallas.

Texas Christian University

Amon Carter Museum of American Art

The Medicine Man, Charles Russell, 1908.
Russell is known for his extremely detailed depiction of Indians, to the extent that the viewer can determine which nation, and even sub-nation of Indian, a particular Indian subject belonged to. This medicine man is a Blackfoot Indian. The “ruts” are buffalo tracks.

A Dash for the Timber, Frederic Remington, 1889

Thunderstorm on Narragansett Bay, Martin Johnson Heade, 1868
This is interesting because we just sailed on Narraganset Bay a month ago!

The Puritan, Augustus Saint-Gaudens, 1886
This is interesting because we saw the original large statue of the Puritan (Deacon Samuel Chapin) in Springfield, Massachusetts a month ago! After the Springfield statue/monument proved successful, Saint-Garens made many smaller versions, like this one, to sell.

Fort Worth Skyline

Fort Worth Stock Yards

Waiting for the Longhorn “Cattle Drive”.

Longhorn “Cattle Drive”
Can you see why this breed is named “Longhorn”?

Freeways!

Dinner at Luby’s!

We have not eaten at a Luby’s in many years!

Texas!!!

Well, it has been 30 years since I lived in Dallas, and already I realize how much I really miss it! The people are so friendly! It is so big! Downtown! There is so much to see, and there is so much going on all the time! The roads are amazing! And there is always new construction going on everywhere!