On the road again....

Wednesday, April 2

Gosh, it's hard to say goodbye!! After farewells to Connie & Stan, "have fun this summer, be safe" we left Johnson Creek RV.  We're headed to Fort Worth.  We arrived at Holiday Park which is located on Benbrook Lake, in the town of  Benbrook. We're approximately 15 miles southwest of Fort Worth. Holiday Park, which is a beautiful park, is an Army Corps of Engineers Park.  The sites are very roomy, some are right on the lake.  There are many pull-thru sites.  The sites here range from those without water or electricity, to some with 20/30 amp with water, to 50 amp sites with water.  We will stay here until April 10.

loving all the green grass!

the lake is right across the street from us

looking down the road. weeds are overtaking this part of the lake

one of the local residents hanging out in the lake

they sure have a pretty home...

another view of Benbrook Lake

Thursday, April 3

Whew!! It's a Hot one today.  High of 91.  Storms moved in this afternoon, along with a cold front.  We had some hail, and a tornado watch.  Sure wish we could have sent some of this rain down to the Hill Country. They sure need it!!

Friday, April 4. 

We sure picked a busy weekend to be in the Metroplex!  Nascar's Sprint Cup Race is being raced at the Texas Motor Speedway (between Dallas and Fort Worth).  It's also March Madness ~ Final Four games are being played in Arlington! 

We spent the day in the National Historic District of Ft. Worth.  We headed down to the Stockyard Exchange, which is (appropriately enough) located on Exchange Road.  The road is paved with bricks.  Very cool.  Reminds me of visiting the Detroit Historical Museum with the brick roads as part of one of their exhibits.

Exchange Road (location of the stockyards and the Fort Worth Live Stock Exchange) is lined with shops and museums ~ The Cowboy Hall of Fame as well as the Cowgirl Hall of Fame, among others.

Exchange Road. Look closely and you can see the bricks on the street...

tried to talk him into a rangers cap, but he wasn't having any!

The sidewalks on either side of the road are lined with Texas Stars with the names of those who were an important part of the West.  We saw stars for Lyndon and Lady Bird Johnson as well as

Twice daily they have a cattle drive down Exchange Road.  That was the highlight of my day!!! Very cool to see the longhorns!

As it was nearing lunchtime and we were hungry, we made our way to Billy Bobs.  Bill Bobs is accessible off of Exchange Road.  It is the oldest Honky Tonk in the country.  An amazing place (and quite large). 

If you so choose, you can ride the mechanical bull.  We did not!!!  

You can also shoot pool, watch bull riding in the indoor bull riding arena...  

Of course, there's always lots and lots of dancing!!  Every night they offer entertainment.  The venue will hold up to 500 people.  Lining the walls leading into the venue are hand prints (cast in concrete) of those who have performed there. 

Johnny Cash, Garth Brooks, the Temptations, Patty Loveless, Trace Adkins, Rascal Flatts, and Blake Shelton were among the names we saw.

We had great fun at Billie Bob's!!

After we left Billy Bobs we headed to Main Street and the White Elephant.  For those of you who are old enough to remember watching Walker, Texas Ranger, the White Elephant is the bar that CJ owned.  The bar scenes were all filmed at the White Elephant.

One of the rooms in the White Elephant is filled with shelves and shelves and shelves (all encased in glass) of what else? White Elephants!

hats were everywhere!!

An interesting bar to be sure.  So glad we checked it out!

cool shop on main street, near the White Elephant

A perfect day.  Sunny and much cooler (upper 60's).  Perfect for walking around and seeing the sights.  

Saturday April 5

We headed into Dallas this morning to Dealy Plaza and the Dallas Book Depository.  The sixth floor of the Book Depository has been turned into a museum; the remainder of the building houses administration offices.

museum entrance

Once we entered the building, we were given headsets for our tour.  We rode the elevator to the sixth floor.  Governor Connally's Press Secretary road up with us.  He was scheduled to speak later that afternoon.  Unfortunately, we didn't have tickets to his presentation.

only location in the museum where you may take photos

The museum is very well-done and very comprehensive.  Aspects of the culture of the 60's to the Bay of Pigs, to conspiracy theories of JFK's assassination were covered.  We were able to look out the same windows as Oswald did and were able to visualize the motorcade coming down Houston Street and turning left onto Elm Street. The museum was moving and intense.  Several times we both had chills as we looked at the photos and heard audio of newscasts.  Unfortunately, pictures were not allowed inside the museum.

After touring the museum, we walked around Dealy Plaza...

fountain in the plaza.  the plaza is on the corner of Houston (road to left) & Elm Street

As we walked around, we could hear the music coming from Trinity Park (a couple of blocks away. Trinity Park is where the entertainment is held for the Final Four.  Tim McGraw and Bruce Springsteen are in town and are scheduled to perform).

Dealy Plaza is much smaller than what we had thought it would be.  Elm street (the street the motorcade was on when JFK was assassinated is a very short street.

route of motorcade on Elm Street

almost to the "X"

the X on the pavement designates the spot where the fatal bullet hit JFK

view from the grassy knoll. you can see the X in the road

another view from the grassy knoll...

Zapruder stood just left of the grassy knoll...

As we left Dealy Plaza, the rains came.  It rained for the rest of the day. More rain is scheduled for tomorrow...the Race will more than likely be rained out. 

Spring has arrived here in the Metroplex...not only is everything greening up,  we saw a lot of bluebonnets growing along side the freeway on our return to Benbrook...

Monday, April 7

  We're enjoying our stay here at Holiday Park. Especially Coop. He's really enjoying the grass!!

Because of the draught in the Hill Country, there is a decided lack of grass.  His allergies were horrible this year.  Poor guy.  He's barely scratching since we've arrived at Holiday Park.  With all of the rain we've had, everything is very green.  It's been a long time since we've seen so many trees...We took full advantage of the nice weather and went for a hike through the park...arrived home just as it began to (you guessed it) rain again.

a dry river bed we encountered...

leaving the dry river creek and headed to green grass...

free at last to run and run and run!

Tuesday, April 8

Beautiful, sunny day today, albeit a tad breezy (gusts of 40 mph).  Great to see the sun after all of the rain we've had.

This morning we went on a tour at the Bureau of  Engraving and Printing in Fort Worth.  This is one of only two Bureaus of Engraving and Printing in the country.  The other one is located in Washington, DC.

After passing through security (no cell phones, cameras, backpacks etc., etc.) we rode a shuttle bus across a fairly large parking lot to the Visitors Center.  The tour is self-guided, approximately 45 minutes long.  After viewing the history of the Bureau on the main floor we rode the escalator to the second floor.  We viewed a movie which explained how money is printed, the type of presses that are used, how the engravings are made, how the sheets of bills are cut, etc.  Following the movie, we were given hand-held audio guide as well as a map.  The tour was basically along a long L-shaped hallway, enclosed in windows so that we were able to look down on the entire process of money making.  We moved from station to station, beginning with the introduction to the process.  Money is printed in three stages.  The first stage is where the security is printed on the paper.  Next, using intaglio (in-tal-ee-oh)  presses, the black front and green back are put on.  Finally, the serial and the treasury seal are added.  After each process there are multiple inspections, both manual and electronic. 

Some fun facts we learned:

• U.S. paper currency that is produced in Fort Worth, TX is distinguishable by the small "FW" on the face of each currency note
• Denominations larger than the $100 bill were last issued in 1969
• The legend, "In God We Trust," became a part of the design of U.S. paper currency by an act of Congress in 1955
• You can fold a piece of paper currency forward than backwards about 4,000 times before it will tear

We certainly learned a lot on our tour!!! More info can be found at www.moneyfactory.gov

Later this afternoon we went for a nice walk.  The wind died down and Coop was able to play in the lake...

Signs of Spring are everywhere!!

bluebonnets!

Thursday, April 10

It's a great morning to hit the road... 

sun over Benbrook Lake

almost ready...

We're leaving Texas and heading to Oklahoma...  

where we will visit our son Chris, grandson Cory (Chris' son) as well as Chris' friend Kellie and her children Peyton and Sabin.

three generations...Cory, Ron & Chris

Chris & Kellie

It'll be a short visit as we're heading out Monday morning...while here we're staying at

poor Coop, there's very little grass.  and the grass there is is covered with burs

Rockwell RV Park in Oklahoma City

Friday, April 11

This morning we decided to revisit the Oklahoma City National Memorial.  We visited the Memorial as well as the Museum last year.  We decided not to revisit the Museum.  It's a very intense experience. We visited there on April 15, 2013 which was the date of the Boston Marathon bombing.  We find the outdoor Memorial to be very peaceful and serene.  As we along the Reflecting Pool we heard church bells which added to the peacefulness of the Pool...

Walking towards the East Gate

The Gates of Time 

The twin gates frame the moment of destruction 9:02 am and mark the formal entrances to the Memorial.  The East Gate represents 9:01 am on April 19, and the innocence of the city before the attack.  The West Gate represents 9:03 am, the moment we were changed forever as well as the hope that came from the horror of the bombing.

Reflecting Pool

The Pool occupies what was once N.W. Fifth Street.  The gently flowing water provides a peaceful setting...

Field of Chairs

Each of the 168 chairs symbolize a life lost.  The smaller chairs represent the 19 children that were killed.  The chairs are arranged in nine rows, one for each of the nine floors of the building.  They are placed according to the floor on which those killed were working or visiting.  Each bronze and stone chair rests on a glass base etched with the name of a victim.

The field's perimeter matches the footprint of the former Murrah Building.  It is lined by a granite patch that was salvaged from the Murrah Plaza.

The Survivor Tree

The Fence

The first Fence was installed to protect the site of the Murrah Building.  Almost immediately, people began to leave tokens of love and hope on the Fence.  The items now total more than 60,000.  Some our preserved in the Museum Archives.  Today, more than 200 feet of the original Fence gives people the opportunity to leave tokens of remembrance and hope.

Survivor Wall

On the east end of the Memorial stand the only remaining walls from the Murrah Building...

Children's Area

Rescuers' Orchard

An inscription encircling the Survivor Tree facing the orchard reads:  To the courageous and caring who responded from near and far, we offer our eternal gratitude.  A thank you to the thousands of rescuers and volunteers who helped...

We're very glad we took the time to revisit the Memorial.

Having been to the stockyards in Ft. Worth, we decided to make a return visit to the Oklahoma City Stockyards.....

hey Becky, any of your kin own this western wear shop??

While there, we grabbed a quick lunch at Cattlemen's Cafe...

Cattlemen's Cafe opened it's doors in 1910.  The Stockyards City area was a beehive of activity back then, as herds of cattle were driven to Oklahoma City to satisfy the East's growing demand for beef. By 1926, Stockyards City was the home of two major meat processors and the area became known as "Packing Town."  

During Prohibition, Cattlemen's was known for its home-brewed 'liquid delights.'  In 1945, Cattlemen's was owned by Hank Frey, a gambler of sorts.  In a smoke-filled room at the old Biltmore Hotel in downtown Oklahoma City, Frey was running out of luck and money in a dice game attended by a local rancher, Mr. Gene Wade.  Frey put up Cattlemen's as the pot if Wade could roll a 'hard six,' otherwise known as two 3s.  Wade put up his life savings, which was a sizable amount of money.  With one roll of the dice, Gene Wade was in the restaurant business.

Cattlemen's is known far and wide for it's great food.  It did not disappoint!!



Chris is coaching Sabin's little league team.  We went over and watched practice...

After practice, we all went to Olive Garden for a late dinner.


Saturday, April 12

Drove around Bricktown today (a neighborhood of Oklahoma City)...

home of the Red Hawks, Oklahoma City's Triple A team

Johnny Bench

Mickey Mantle

Headed over to A&E Grill tonight to meet Chris and all for dinner.  So glad Cory was able to join us!  It was wonderful to be able to see him and get caught up.

yep, it was very windy!!!!

Sunday, April 13

The wind blew hard all last night...it continues to blow with wind gusts of 51 from the south southeast.  Very glad we're not traveling this Palm Sunday!!!  We're under a tornado watch (of course, this is Oklahoma City) with some severe storms.  So far the weather is to the north of us.  We had a temperature swing of 40 degrees.  It was 85 today, after the rains came and the cold front swept through, the temperature dropped to 45.  There's a freeze warning in effect tonight.

This is the second year in a row that we've had severe weather while here.  Hmmm, perhaps we should consider changing the time of the year that we visit!!!


Monday, April 14

We had planned to leave today, however due to the weather, we've decided to stay an extra day.  It's cold and nasty today. The wind is still blowing at gusts of 51 mph.  Tomorrow should be a much nicer day, sunny and winds of 5 mph.


Tuesday, April 15

A beautiful day for traveling, sunny and most important, calm winds!  We hit the road early and we're headed to......