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Texas Austin | McKinney Falls State Park

2010-03-08T13:00:00Z

For Austin city folks, McKinney Falls State Park is the nearest state park to their home. Located 13 miles southeast of State Capitol in Austin Downtown, the park can be reached via U.S. Highway 183, followed by McKinney Falls Parkway.

As the name calls, the focal point of the park is McKinney Falls. Although this is the shortest traveled state park from home, we decided to spend a full day at McKinney Park in order to put our newly bought mobile gas stove for good use. Weather was cold in winter, wind chilled on average reaching 50 plus degree Fahrenheit, so guess it would be great to have a 'steamboat' (or hot pot) picnic for lunch to welcome New Year 2010!

Texas Prairie Lights | Drive Through Millions of Christmas Lights

2010-03-05T13:00:00Z

Christmas is the holiday time of year that we wish to see colorful lights brighten up the nights. Folks usually decorate their homes, hang ornaments and displays, put up the blinking lights to welcome Santa and a magical Christmas. Christmas lights are indeed a must-have and a big tradition in The States.

For us, the last Christmas was an unforgettable experience. Our plan on Christmas eve was to see millions of lights at Prairie Lights, which was held at Lynn Creek Park by Joe Pool Lake, south of Grand Prairie Downtown on Lake Ridge Parkway. It turned out that God had a better plan for us, snowing the whole afternoon and below freezing temperature at night and we had a wonderful white Christmas on the following morning!

Texas Grand Prairie | Cedar Hill State Park

2010-03-04T13:00:00Z

Located minutes away from twin metropolitan Dallas-Fort Worth, Cedar Hill State Park is a popular state park among the urban folks to escape into nature without spending too much time on the road.

Encompassed an area of 1,826 acre of nature preserve on the east of Joe Pool Lake, this park features 10-lane boat ramps giving access to the water. Tonnes of picnic tables ranging from shade shelter or open outdoor are provided within the park, majority overlooking the scenic view of Joe Pool Lake. More than 300 campsites are developed in the wood, with basic facilities such as water, electricity, rest room and hot shower. If you are interested for primitive camping, there easily 30 sites to choose from.

Texas Dallas Attraction | Pioneer Plaza - World Largest Bronze Sculptures

2010-03-03T13:00:00Z

It is always never too late to discover something new. My recent trip to Dallas brought me to learn about Shawnee Trail - an early cattle drive trail established before Civil War and prior to the famous Chisholm Trail. Shawnee Trail gathered cattle from east and west Texas, which passed through Austin, Waco, Dallas and ended at Kansas.

To commemorate the legacy of 19th century cattle drive that passed via Dallas, a 4.2 acre plaza was built with a herd of Texas longhorn steers and cowboys on horseback sculptures. Each bronze steer is taller than me, about six-feet high and so does the cowboy, perhaps double of my size. A dramatic feature composed by the designer is amazingly whereby the real scene of cattle drive was mimicked, descending an artificial ridge then crossing the stream in a park with one cowboy driving a stubborn steer and another cowboy watching attentively on top of the hill.

Texas Dallas Attraction | John Fitzgerald Kennedy Memorial Plaza - JFK Cenotaph

2010-03-02T13:00:00Z

One block away from Dealey Plaza, behind Old Red Museum lies an open space with four white walls holding a shape of square. Some called it JFK Cenotaph or an open tomb as the design symbolizes the freedom of Kennedy's spirit. Others may refer as John F. Kennedy Memorial Monument. Ultimately, both talk about the same entity, same object.

Erected in 1970 and entirely funded by Dallas citizens, the monument is a simple roofless room with 4 walls of 30 feet high and 50 feet wide. There are two narrow openings facing north and south. Ornamented with identical circles that runs from bottom to top at each corner, the monument does resemble a mammoth LEGO block in a way.

Once we entered into the white square, we were greeted by a low-hewn granite square carved with the name John Fitzgerald Kennedy in gold. Only that and nothing else.

Texas Dallas Attraction - West End Historic District | Old Red Museum

2010-03-01T13:00:00Z

If you are visiting Dallas Downtown, the red building located at the crossroad of Main Street and S. Houston can hardly be missed. The architecture was built in Richardsonian Romanesque style with round arches and it was formerly the Dallas County Courthouse. Adjacent to Deadley Plaza within the National Historic Landmark District, Old Red Museum is less than a block away from Sixth Floor Museum where the assassin of President John F. Kennedy fired on 22 November 1963.

Serving as the symbol of Dallas's heritage, Old Red Museum was built in 1892 and today it is dedicated to educate visitors about the journey of its past including the political, economics, social and cultural aspects of Dallas County area. The history of Dallas is showcased here with exhibits, galleries, artifacts and mini theaters.

Texas Dallas Attraction | The Sixth Floor Museum - Texas School Book Depository

2010-02-26T13:00:00Z

When we visited Dallas's West End Historic District, we came across a red-brick building named 'Dallas County Administration Building' located a block away from Old Red Museum. Sixth Floor Museum sign is posted on its wall confirmed our instinct that this building was formerly known as 'Texas School Book Depository' - the building that gained a sudden interest in the aftermath of late President John F. Kennedy assassination in Dallas.

Precisely, the address of this building is 411 Elm Street. This land was originally owned by John Neely Bryan. In 1894, Rock Island Plow company purchased the site and constructed a five-story building four years later. In 1901, lighting stuck and burned almost to the ground resulted it to be rebuilt in 1903. Erected in Romanesque Revival Style, the building was expanded to seven stories like what we see today.

Texas Dallas Attraction | Dealey Plaza - JFK Assasination Site

2010-02-25T13:00:00Z

If Dealey Plaza could talk, perhaps we would have answered the speculation how the 35-th President of United States - John F. Kennedy was assassinated on 22 November 1963 in Dallas.

Nestled on the western edge of Dallas Downtown by a grassy knoll near a triple underpass and a railroad bridge atop, there is a small urban park called Dealey Plaza. When I first learned about the name of this place, the first impression I had was a four-wall confined building since it was named a 'plaza'. Guess this is the implication of too much feed from shopping malls context in the concrete jungles.

Standing in-between Commerce Street and Elm Street, the open-air plaza is separated half by the one-way Main Street. Looking towards south gives a good view of Reunion Tower - the iconic landmark of Dallas whilst the opposite is the historic building of Old Red Museum.

On the same ground, there is a bronze statue of George Bannerman Dealey. He was a well-known civic leader and formerly a publisher of The Dallas Morning News. Many of us mistakenly refer Dealey Plaza and the statue were built in honor of President John F. Kennedy since Dealey Plaza is typically cited as the venue where JFK was shot. On contrary, this square has been around since 1940.

Texas Dallas Attraction | Reunion Tower

2010-02-24T13:00:00Z

Rising above at 5600-feet high, Reunion Tower is an iconic landmark of Dallas in Texas, United States. Albeit ranked at 15th place among the tallest buildings in Dallas, this geodesic dome structure formed with aluminum struts is attention seeking. In addition, Reunion Tower is an observatory tower that allow visitors to peek the vista of Dallas skyline.

Located at Reunion District in Dallas Downtown, Reunion Tower was completed in 1978 with 50-story as part of urban redevelopment project. In 2000, Reunion Tower is linked to Hyatt Regency Dallas, after the structure was extended to accommodate an upscale hotel.

The architecture of the tower is supported by a central cylindrical shaft and the dome consists of three floors. The tower has undergone a major renovation since November 2007.

Texas Arlington | Dallas Cowboys Football Stadium

2010-02-23T13:00:00Z

Back in my home country, the most gigantic stadium I had ever seen was Bukit Jalil National Sports Complex in Kuala Lumpur which is described as 'sports complex in a park'.

Since we were visiting Arlington on last Christmas, guess it is worth to wander at the new home to the National Football League's Dallas Cowboys, that was just completed in May last year (2009) and costed $1.1 billion dollar!

Even from afar, one can't miss this stadium. Silver shining walls of a dome shape, Cowboy Stadium was built with a retractable roof located on Randol Mill Rd not too far from Texas Rangers Ballpark and Six Flags Hurricane Harbor.