Author – Grant
Based In – Grand Prairie, Texas (between Dallas & Fort Worth)
Today’s Photos – http://www.flickr.com/photos/32017704@N03/sets/72157614888375198/
So much to tell, so little interest in writing today. Let’s plough on regardless…
Today’s daytime activity once again revolved around learning about dead, influ
ential Americans. The Sixth Floor Museum is set up in the infamous Book Depository on the corner of Elk and Houston Streets in Dallas where Lee Harvey Oswald supposedly fired one shot into the pavement and two into President John Fitzgerald Kennedy in 1963. Now generally I’m not a big fan of conspiracy theories as I normally naively accept the party line fed to us by people in authority (for example I may be the only remaining Brit that STILL thinks that Blair took us into Iraq with the very best intentions) but the conclusion that Oswald did it just stinks. Clearly this has been argued for nearly half a century but I am happy to add my own amateur sleuthing to the equation which might prompt the CIA to officially re-open the
case. My main gripe is that the guy was an ex-marine turned Soviet spy yet he supposedly left behind 1) the gun, 2) his fingerprints all over the place and 3) a half eaten sandwich. I ask you, is this really the sort of activity that required an accompanying picnic? Is it buggery. And his live TV assassination two days later by local nightclub owner Jack Ruby looked about as convincing as a scene from Prisoner Cell Block H (Americans think “Days of Our Lives”)
Still, it’s a fascinating museum that covers JFK’s presidency and legacy just as much as his assassination and kind of put into light why he is such a revered chappie. In the all-too-brief 1000-ish days of his presidency, the guy managed to stick a man on the moon, establish the Peace Corps, avert a nuclear war with Cuba, lay the foundation for the civil rights movement and, most importantly, give the US some much needed global credibility. As such, it’s no coincidence that the US suffered a very wobbly decade after his death. And you can’t help draw parallels with the recent appointment of another hugely popular, liberal, forward thinking president but let’s not dwell on that – this is supposed to be a first world country after all…
After tastelessly re-enacting the route of the fateful motorcade (complete with crosses on the ground indicating where the shots struck just in front of the grassy knoll where the second mystery gunman apparently wasn’t), a quick change of clothes and mind-set were needed before the evening’s entertainment back in The Stockyards historic district in Fort Worth. Kate has been to a rodeo before but this was my first so I was probably just a wee bit too excited although a little apprehensive that it would be a torrid tourist affair. However, for the second night in a row, The Stockyards authenticity gave us a nice surprise. The rodeo started with a god-awful singer who ticked the pretty, thin and blonde boxes but scored a
D- for singing ability. Her rendition of the national anthem was impressive but mainly because it was accompanied by a woman doing increasingly quick laps of the paddock on horseback whilst carrying a monstrous flag. Then into the dangerous stuff – young chaps strapping themselves onto a tonne of muscle and trying to stay on for 8 seconds without becoming a horn accessory. Rather them than me. Next up, the calf round-up. Average time taken to chase down a calf on horseback, flip it on its back and tie up three of its feet was about 15 seconds…mighty impressive stuff. Time to get the kids involved – tie a ribbon on the back of a calf, set it loose and the first kid to rip it off its back wins. A similar version for the under 8’s involved a sheep rather than a calf which still looked incredibly dangerous but the kids had a great time and I don’t think anyone died so that was good. After some great half time entertainment involving the public humiliation of an early teen girl which she will probably require therapy for eventually, the life-threatening competitions continued whilst we heartlessly chugged beers, wolfed down popcorn and laughed at the injuries. I wonder if there’s a matinee tomorrow?
This will sound like a made up sentence but our rodeo ticket stubs entitled us to free entry to Billy Bob’s Honky Tonk bar…only in Texas, eh? If it sounds shocking
ly redneck, well, that’s because it was but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t awesome. If this place were to suffer from the same fate as Pompeii then it would serve as the perfect snapshot of all things Wild West for future generations to learn from. For starters, it had its own bull ring – not with a mechanical bull, but with real, snorting, frightening beasties. Then there was the dance floor easily capable of taking 100+ drunk hip-hop line-dancers (trust me, it happened on numerous occasions) lit by a revolving rhinestone clad horse saddle. Add a gift shop, a pool hall, amusement games (including donkey derby), a mini-casino, multiple bars, it’s own BBQ joint…oh, and did I mention the full concert hall in the back where Reckless Kelly played to a couple of thousand, drunken, two-stepping cowboy and cowgirls? I’m sure there was more but my little brain couldn’t take in any more. A truly awesome place and a must-see for anyone visiting this neck of the woods.
Based In – Grand Prairie, Texas (between Dallas & Fort Worth)
Today’s Photos – http://www.flickr.com/photos/32017704@N03/sets/72157614888375198/
So much to tell, so little interest in writing today. Let’s plough on regardless…
Today’s daytime activity once again revolved around learning about dead, influ
ential Americans. The Sixth Floor Museum is set up in the infamous Book Depository on the corner of Elk and Houston Streets in Dallas where Lee Harvey Oswald supposedly fired one shot into the pavement and two into President John Fitzgerald Kennedy in 1963. Now generally I’m not a big fan of conspiracy theories as I normally naively accept the party line fed to us by people in authority (for example I may be the only remaining Brit that STILL thinks that Blair took us into Iraq with the very best intentions) but the conclusion that Oswald did it just stinks. Clearly this has been argued for nearly half a century but I am happy to add my own amateur sleuthing to the equation which might prompt the CIA to officially re-open the
case. My main gripe is that the guy was an ex-marine turned Soviet spy yet he supposedly left behind 1) the gun, 2) his fingerprints all over the place and 3) a half eaten sandwich. I ask you, is this really the sort of activity that required an accompanying picnic? Is it buggery. And his live TV assassination two days later by local nightclub owner Jack Ruby looked about as convincing as a scene from Prisoner Cell Block H (Americans think “Days of Our Lives”)Still, it’s a fascinating museum that covers JFK’s presidency and legacy just as much as his assassination and kind of put into light why he is such a revered chappie. In the all-too-brief 1000-ish days of his presidency, the guy managed to stick a man on the moon, establish the Peace Corps, avert a nuclear war with Cuba, lay the foundation for the civil rights movement and, most importantly, give the US some much needed global credibility. As such, it’s no coincidence that the US suffered a very wobbly decade after his death. And you can’t help draw parallels with the recent appointment of another hugely popular, liberal, forward thinking president but let’s not dwell on that – this is supposed to be a first world country after all…
After tastelessly re-enacting the route of the fateful motorcade (complete with crosses on the ground indicating where the shots struck just in front of the grassy knoll where the second mystery gunman apparently wasn’t), a quick change of clothes and mind-set were needed before the evening’s entertainment back in The Stockyards historic district in Fort Worth. Kate has been to a rodeo before but this was my first so I was probably just a wee bit too excited although a little apprehensive that it would be a torrid tourist affair. However, for the second night in a row, The Stockyards authenticity gave us a nice surprise. The rodeo started with a god-awful singer who ticked the pretty, thin and blonde boxes but scored a
D- for singing ability. Her rendition of the national anthem was impressive but mainly because it was accompanied by a woman doing increasingly quick laps of the paddock on horseback whilst carrying a monstrous flag. Then into the dangerous stuff – young chaps strapping themselves onto a tonne of muscle and trying to stay on for 8 seconds without becoming a horn accessory. Rather them than me. Next up, the calf round-up. Average time taken to chase down a calf on horseback, flip it on its back and tie up three of its feet was about 15 seconds…mighty impressive stuff. Time to get the kids involved – tie a ribbon on the back of a calf, set it loose and the first kid to rip it off its back wins. A similar version for the under 8’s involved a sheep rather than a calf which still looked incredibly dangerous but the kids had a great time and I don’t think anyone died so that was good. After some great half time entertainment involving the public humiliation of an early teen girl which she will probably require therapy for eventually, the life-threatening competitions continued whilst we heartlessly chugged beers, wolfed down popcorn and laughed at the injuries. I wonder if there’s a matinee tomorrow?This will sound like a made up sentence but our rodeo ticket stubs entitled us to free entry to Billy Bob’s Honky Tonk bar…only in Texas, eh? If it sounds shocking
ly redneck, well, that’s because it was but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t awesome. If this place were to suffer from the same fate as Pompeii then it would serve as the perfect snapshot of all things Wild West for future generations to learn from. For starters, it had its own bull ring – not with a mechanical bull, but with real, snorting, frightening beasties. Then there was the dance floor easily capable of taking 100+ drunk hip-hop line-dancers (trust me, it happened on numerous occasions) lit by a revolving rhinestone clad horse saddle. Add a gift shop, a pool hall, amusement games (including donkey derby), a mini-casino, multiple bars, it’s own BBQ joint…oh, and did I mention the full concert hall in the back where Reckless Kelly played to a couple of thousand, drunken, two-stepping cowboy and cowgirls? I’m sure there was more but my little brain couldn’t take in any more. A truly awesome place and a must-see for anyone visiting this neck of the woods.Tomorrow promises to be less interesting as we’ve got a monster drive up to Tulsa which sets us up for some westbound Route 66 exploring the following day.
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