On the sixth day of our trip, we headed north again, planning our day in Dallas. We couldn’t help but take advantage of the $1.60 gas along the way; back home in Nebraska it had been over $2.00/gallon. About half-way to our destination we chose to detour a bit, and stopped at the Dr Pepper Museum in Waco, TX.
The Dr Pepper Museum ~ Waco, TX
The Dr Pepper soft drink had been my “go to” soda for many years; though now I rarely allow myself to indulge in it. I found it interesting to learn that Dr Pepper was developed and first sold to the public in the Central Texas city of Waco, TX in 1885. Neither Chris nor I had any idea soda drinks had been around for so long!
In 1988, the Dr Pepper Company donated the historic building (pictured above) to the non-profit organization that would later (1991) open its doors as the Dr Pepper Museum.
There are so many interesting artifacts and memorabilia to peruse in the museum; if you get the chance to stop by, I highly recommend it.
The original bottling company well that was discovered under the building of the museum.
By the time we reached the end of the tour, the lines at the soda fountain shop were getting rather long. I never did get to try a hot Dr Pepper with lemon, or a cold Dr Pepper with peanuts, though I may have to try a homemade version of both one day!
After a bit of lunch, we continued on to Dallas; The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza was next on our agenda. We considered buying tickets online, but decided to just take a chance; how busy could it be? Well, as you may have already guessed, it was quite busy! As we attempted to pay for parking, the attendant informed us of our unfortunate timing. We decided to drive around the area a bit, and eventually settled on another parking lot, just beyond the Grassy Knoll. This area was quiet, and a little eery if you ask me. Our car was the only one parked in the self-pay lot, and we had to walk under the infamous bridge, aka the Triple Underpass, to make our way to the Grassy Knoll. There was literally not one soul walking through there, and that made me all the more nervous, wondering if someone was hiding in wait behind one of the many pillars.
Of course no-one jumped out to get us, and we’re still here to tell about it. So we spent some time walking around, and on, the Grassy Knoll, and took in as much as we could from the outside. There is actually an “X” on the street, marking the spot where the late President John F. Kennedy was shot.
The Grassy Knoll, just behind the “X” on the street.
My hubby, Chris, after escaping a solicitor who was trying to sell his own version of the JFK assassination. The Triple Underpass can be seen behind him.
The former Texas State Book Depository. The sixth floor corner window, located directly below the top right window, is the location from where Lee Harvey Oswald fired shots, and allegedly killed JFK.
There is no denying, the Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza would have been a very interesting tour, but we enjoyed our time walking around historic downtown Dallas just the same.
The Old Red Museum of Dallas County History & Culture
We made our way out of Dallas, in the crazy, busy traffic, and hopped back on I-35 North. We didn’t make it ten miles before noticing a lot of flashing lights, and stranded motorists in the southbound lanes. My best guess would have been more than ten miles of traffic backed up; likely due to an accident we never did see. Thankful to be heading north, we continued on.
We had traveled a good 15 or so miles past our “intended” exit before we realized our error, and it was an additional 5 miles before we could turn around. So after adding approximately 40 extra miles to our destination of Muenster, TX, we finally arrived. Chris knows a guy who lives there; he’s done some work for him in the past. But he didn’t know him well enough to have his phone number, and Google Maps simply took us to an empty lot, so we ended up doing a lot of driving… for nothing. It was still an adventure, and truthfully, we had nowhere else we had to be.
We decided on driving to Wichita Falls, TX to spend the night, where we found a decent deal on a room at a Best Western. The hotel was nice, nothing fancy, but how ironic is it that this time the shower faucet handle broke on me? I had to wonder, what was it with the two of us and broken shower handles this trip?
Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Lori and FD had planned a day of travel and shopping with Emily & Sid. The first stop was in Norman to check out Campus Corner at the University of Oklahoma. After making a few purchases, the group traveled on to Oklahoma City’s Bricktown area for lunch and a little more shopping. The following photos are courtesy of my sister, Lori.
Emily had no trouble at all finding clothing items she liked (this was no surprise to me :), but Sid found very little until they stopped at one final store. He’s a young man of simplicity, but he can also be a bit particular.
Emily and Sid at OU campus
Stopping for a beverage at Starbucks on OU’s Campus Corner
A definite highlight to their day was stopping at Toby Keith’s “I Love This Bar & Grill” in Bricktown.
Wait…this is WHAT?
It was here that both kids tried their very first serving of “calf fries,” also known as Rocky Mountain oysters, prairie oysters, cowboy caviar, swinging beef, and my favorite of them all, Montana tendergroins. If you have any doubt of what these western delicacies truly are, please click on “calf fries” above and follow the link.
~Check back for the final day of “The Second Honeymoon.”
With Wild Abandon 