2015 Trip – Dallas, TX to Amarillo, TX

Wed. 7/1… (Dallas, TX)  This morning we left about 9:00 to head up to Dallas to go see The Sixth Floor Museum.  If the name doesn’t sound familiar, this is the location of President John F. Kennedy’s assassination and is on the sixth floor of the Texas Book Depository at Dealey Plaza in downtown Dallas, TX. We arrived just before they opened at 10:00am (note – wait until the initial line dies down before going in – we didn’t L). We paid the $14. (senior) admission and were given our audio device w/headphones and headed up the elevator to the sixth floor. You work your way through various stations on this floor while you listen to a narrative about the timeline leading up to and after the assassination. We saw videos from the day from many sources. The corner window that Oswald set up in and fired the shots that killed the President is glassed off with the book boxes (reproductions since most of the originals went into evidence) in their locations.  I must say here I am of the theory that Lee Harvey Oswald was acting alone when he shot Kennedy. There are many opinions of their being a grassy knoll shooter and a conspiracy so these are my opinions only.  From the second window next to the corner you could look down and see the path of the Presidential motorcade as it went down Main St. to Houston St. and turned onto Elm St. It was very moving to stand there and picture that day.  I think I paused the narrative for ten minutes as I couldn’t leave that spot. You could see the grassy knoll and the monitors there showed the exact spots where the car was when each shot was fired. It was a sad day for all of us and I’m sure you all can remember exactly where you where when you heard the news.  We also saw the rifle that was found in a stack of boxes and they showed us where the pullsheet was left that Oswald was working on that day.  It was unfilled. The exhibit hits on the Warren report, complete with the Zapruder film images and everything, but also examines the conspiracy and other theories of a second gunman, so believe what you will. In all, the exhibit was beautifully done and well worth the time if you are in the area. As I mentioned we went in with a line of folks.  That caused a bunchup of people in front of each exhibit.  We had to nose our way through the crowds.  My advice – wait for a break to go upstairs and start the tour. They do not allow photography on that floor so I only have a shot of the building and a photo collage from the 7^th floor art exhibit.

 

Afterwards, I decided to drive home via Ft Worth so we headed west on I30 and drove to the Stockyard area in old town.  We went past Billy Bob’s and then stopped for lunch at Riscky’s Steakhouse for a terrific meal. Lydia and I both had the chicken fried steak sandwich and it was reaaallly good!  Great place to go back to. This is the street that they walk the cattle down twice each day but we missed the morning run and couldn’t stay for the late afternoon drive.  So we headed home and drove our own cattle - oops I mean we walked the dogs.

 

We had next door neighbors move in so we chatted with them for a while and came in and rested for the evening.  We watched TV for a while but since tomorrow we have a 200 plus mile drive and will leave early (if 9:00am is early?) we started putting some stuff away before heading to bed.    

Thurs. 7/2…  (Goodlett, TX) As I said yesterday, the drive today was longer than most.  We want to get through Texas!  This morning we drove the 220 miles to get to Goodlett, TX.  This means we only have 140 miles to go tomorrow to get to Amarillo where we will spend 3 nights, including the 4^th of July. We are at Ole Town Cotton Gin RV Park.  The office and rec room and laundry room are actually an old refurbished cotton processing plant. Pretty neat. This place doesn’t have too many rigs in it now but we’ll see how it fills up later.  They have a pool, which wasn’t quite up to Lydia’s temperature (bathwater!) plus it was small and other folks showed up with kids so we didn’t go in…..  It’s later in the evening now and the campground has been constantly getting a rig in the registration area.  Our row is now filled with rv’s!  I noticed most have not unhooked their tow cars or trucks from their trailers and 5^th wheels.  This park is perfect for folks crossing the state and looking for a one nighter stop as we are.  

 

Fri. 7/3… (Amarillo, TX) Our drive today was 140 miles to Amarillo Ranch RV Park, Amarillo, TX.  We have been here several times before so I knew which spaces to ask for.  We are parked in nice pull thrus with shade but a satellite signal.

 

 

 

 

After getting set up we got together to plan out our three days here.  We know on the 4^th we’re going to Palo Duro Canyon to have dinner and see the play Texas. We decided to go out to dinner tonight and where else do you go than the Big Texan!  They have a challenge – if you can eat a 72oz steak complete with all the trimmings, in an hour, it is a free meal for you.  They have a large table elevated so anyone taking this challenge can be seen by all.  If you can’t finish it you pay for the meal - $72.00! Lydia and I split a 12oz ribeye and that was more than enough!   

No one was trying it when we were there but it was early and the place was just starting to get busy.  We took some pictures out in the patio area and then headed home. 

 

We sat out for a while and decided to go to Walmart. When we left the store clouds were starting to build northeast of us and it was heading our way.  When we returned to the rigs the campground sent out a person to our rigs.  He was telling everyone they expected 70mph winds and that we should put all of our awnings in.  If there was a requirement they would come get us to go to shelter. We waited it out and the winds and the rain did come and lightning and thunder hit right around us.  I even brought the big slide in just to be sure.  The slide topper (awning cover that comes out with the slides) was flopping pretty good and I was afraid it would rip off so we didn’t take chances.  After an hour or so everything settled down enough where we could go to bed.  Tomorrow’s weather looks good.

 

Sat. 7/4… (Amarillo, TX)   We woke up to a nice morning.  We ate in and then took off to go see the RV Museum.   This place is actually in a part of an RV dealer’s lot.  Turns out they were closed for each of the 3 days we are here.  Oh well, the reviews said it was just ok so we weren’t disappointed.  We came back to the rigs and walked the dogs and then fixed lunch and relaxed.  We had several hours to just hang out before taking off (around 4:30) to drive to Palo Duro Canyon.  For fifty years they have been putting on this show in the outdoor theater in Palo Duro Canyon, located about 25 minutes south of Amarillo.  We had seen the show in 1987 on our way to the National Square Dance Convention in Houston but were anxious to see it again.  I had purchased the tickets online several months ago so I got to pick the seats.  I noticed that those already filled were toward the top so I chose four seats two rows down from the top.  Turns out they were terrific seats!  We got there before 6:00 as we also had tickets for their dinner (bbq complete with all the trimmings) which was pretty good.  The show started at 8:30 and lasted until about 10:30pm.  They added extra fireworks after the show.  We then made our way out and actually got going before the crowds so we made it home by 11:15 or so and after walking the dogs we stayed up a bit then went to bed. The pictures are from before the show started as they do not allow photography of the play.