Remembering a President’s Last Parade

November 22, 1963, Dallas, Texas, USA. "This was the last parade of John F. Kennedy, the 35^th president of the United States, who was fatally shot on a Dallas street." This might have been the headline on the day that JFK was assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald. Having this deep affinity with US history, I always make it a point to watch any documentary on TV about the Dallas shooting that happened more than 50 years ago. 

So, when I visited Trina and her family in Dallas, Texas, the first outing that we undertook was to the 6th Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza on what was once the Texas Bookstore Depository, now the Dallas County Administration Building.  At the lobby, this famous picture of a seemingly happy first couple was enlarged for those who wanted a souvenir shot of the historic event in Dallas. Of course, I had my picture taken with the famous couple (above).

“The 6^th Floor Museum examines the life, times, death, and legacy of President John F. Kennedy, and is located at the very spot from which Lee Harvey Oswald, according to four government investigations, shot and killed the President on November 22, 1963 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sixth_Floor_Museum_at_Dealey_Plaza.”  Taking pictures was not allowed inside the 6^th floor museum, so we were contented to have some pictures taken on the 7^th floor. Photo above shows how beautiful Mrs. Jacqueline Kennedy was and how JFK was a handsome match to her beauty. 

We went on  the 7^th floor, one floor above where Oswald killed JFK. Photo above shows me with this view (background).

The street on the left, above, is Houston Street where JFK and his motorcade came from,  then turned left to Elm St. going to the Fort Worth Turnpike exit. 

The big X on Elm St. (above) is the exact spot where JFK was shot by Oswald.

Trina (L), Tyler (R) and Tierra on the stroller are in the grassy knoll, where witnesses believed that the deadly shots came from because smoke, allegedly, was seen in the area after the shots were heard.

A view from the ground (above) shows Dealey Plaza (L) and the 6^th Floor Museum (background).

When we arrived in the museum, we were excited to witness an unforgettable part of history. When we left we felt depressed, sad, and devastated. It was difficult for us to get over the grief of losing the last Camelot  in the White House. 

Tips on How to Spruce Up Your Spring Garden

Coming from a tropical country, spring has become my favorite season in Texas. I arrived in the beginning of a very cold, drab, and dreary winter, which automatically froze my aging bones and muscles. Thus, when spring came, it meant life may once again begin, this time, with a visit to Trader’s Village.

Trader’s Village is in Grand Prairie, Texas (https://tradersvillage.com/grand-prairie/). My gracious hosts, the sweet couple, Tita Marj and Tito Renner, remembered to bring me with them because they were starting to spruce up their garden. And the best place to go was Trader’s Village.

Booth with flowering plants at the entrance.

Tita Marj, beautiful as the flowers beside her.

Upon going inside, we chanced upon this booth (above) selling these beautiful plants in bloom. They came in all varieties and colors. The price for a small flowering pot was $1. I wanted to entice Trina to buy for her garden, so I bought a few small ones (below).

Tita Marj is a serious flower enthusiast, so she opted for the bigger ones. The pink hydrangeas (below) are now in her son’s garden. Trina, on the other hand, bought the purple hydrangea (below) when we came back a couple of weeks later (below).

I learned in this trip that the number one tip is: bring the hubby; he is your best ally in bringing all the goodies. Tip number two is bring the tools in shopping: boxes to fit in the plants, and your own trolley, so as not to make your shopping difficult for hubby. 

Tito Ren, our best buddy wherever Tita Marj and I went.

Some of the flowering plants that we bought are found in Tita Marj’s garden (below).

By the way, Trader’s Village is 160 acres of stores where you can buy anything, specially, those in season. In fact, we found more plant booths selling the same variety of plants at a lower cost. Tip number three, do not mind walking a little bit for cheaper plants.

After shopping, you could enjoy the different rides (below) that would thrill, excite, or scare you. Choose your type of adventure. There were also food stalls that offered a variety of meals to satisfy your craving.

Speaking of food, we said goodbye to Trader’s Village after buying our plants and went to a Filipino restaurant, instead, for lunch.

We visited Kizyen (above) in Arlington, Texas, a few minutes away from Trader’s Village . Kizyen is where Filipinos and Americans eat their favorite home-cooked meals, if they cannot home-cook. All those in the buffet tasted so good, you’d wish you could eat here again and again.

They offered the following famous Filipino dishes: menudo, adobo, sinigang, bulalo, bistek (beef in soy sauce), kare-kare (peanut stew), fried chicken, and pakbet.

The 'best sellers' were barbecue, lechon kawali, steamed shrimp, and pork chop. Proof was that they were the first to disappear from the line. I also enjoyed their desert. Also in the menu was halo-halo if your tummy could accommodate more after all those yummy dishes.

After a couple of weeks, I brought Trina and her family to Kizyen because I knew they would like it, too.  Of course, they came and liked it and came back, a second time.  

Perfect Combination of Old and New @ Old Town Coppell

Dallas is the quintessential modern city: glass skyscrapers, multi-level highways, new housing and commercial areas. A breather from this scene is a must to survive the high-paced life in Metro Dallas. This is where Coppell City comes in. Coppell serves as a respite from this hectic, stress-inducing environment.

Trina (L) and Tyler (R) chose to live in Coppell for its old town feel.

Coppell has an old town feel which is very conducive to family living. This is why, Trina, my daughter and her husband, Tyler, chose to live in Coppell. The heart of Coppell is Old Town located in the City's historic district (http://www.coppelltx.gov/about-coppell/old-town-coppell). 

Old Town Coppell is the original town site. Present-day Old Town is home to a walkable community where residential houses, restaurants, and businesses are continuously being built.

Coppell Farmers Market. A popular jaunt in Old Town is the Farmers Market (above). Open on weekends, produce are fresh, on-season, and grown and prepared by locals. (http://coppellfarmersmarket.org/about/).

Photo source: http://www.coppelltx.gov/about-coppell/old-town-coppell

Main Street Interactive Fountain. Interactive fountains are popular in Dallas. Old Town is no exception. The interactive fountain is found near the pavilion which houses the Farmers Market and playground (above).  Tierra enjoyed the fountain during one of our trips to Old Town.

Concert on the Lawn/Old Town Events. To relax and unwind, residents find time to participate in Old Town events. One of which was a Concert on the Lawn during Old Town's anniversary. We were there to enjoy the concert and relax after a busy work week (above).

Sculpture. The sculptures add to a unique art feel to Old Town. One of this is the ‘Moon River’ by Michell O’Michael found near the pavilion (above). http://starlocalmedia.com/coppellgazette/coppell-arts-council-hosting-evening-art-stroll/article_5f2d43a4-05ca-11e7-b687-3329f3024776.html

Restaurants. Where there are people gathered and so are foods. Among the many restaurants in the area, we tried Dodie's (http://www.dodiesreef.com/best-super-bowl-party-coppell-dodies-old-town/) the first time we visited Old Town. Dodie's offers authentic Cajun food from New Orleans. As authentic as it sounds, I ordered Jambalaya. We also ordered Crawfish Etouffee and Pasta Monica.

Jambalaya.

Jambalaya is a dish of Louisiana origin of Spanish and French (especially Provençal) influence. It consists of meat and vegetables mixed with rice (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jambalaya).  

Crawfish Etouffee

Etouffée or etouffee is a dish found in both Cajun and Creole cuisine typically served with shellfish over rice. The dish employs a technique known as smothering, a popular method of cooking in the Cajun areas of southwest Louisiana. Wikipedia.

Pasta Monica.

Pasta Monica is a Louisiana food tradition. Ingredients include pasta (often rotini),

crawfish tail meat, onion, garlic, creole seasoning, cream, wine, salt, pepper, and butter. Parsley can be used as a garnish (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crawfish_Monica).

Beignets.

For dessert, we ordered Beignets (ben-yays) or French donuts, which were too sweet for my diabetes.

A visit to the neighborhood of Old Town Coppell brings neighbors closer to each other. This is why families who want to relax and feel oneness with the community attend the different events planned by the city council in Old Town.

7 Great Ways to Enjoy Fort Worth Stockyards

In the midst of the Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) modern glass high rises and multi-level highways are cowboys, cattle drives, railroads, guns, and more. This is the Texas Fort Worth Stockyards (TFWS). The TFWS is the epitome of the Old West. A visit to modern Texas is not complete without a visit to the historic stockyards.

The Fort Worth Herd. Since we arrived around 11:00 am, the first thing that we did was wait for the "Fort Worth Herd which is the world's only twice cattle drive (11:30 am and 4:00 pm daily). The herd (below) is composed of 15 Texas longhorns - one for each decade of Fort Worth's 150-year history,  http://stockyardsstation.com/attractions/the-fort-worth-herd/ ". 

For the best view of the herd, we stood in front of the Texas Hall of Fame, right beside the Stockyards Visitors Center (below).

L: Adventurouspinay and Tierra in front of the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame
R: Tyler, Trina and Tierra in front of the Stockyards Visitors Center

Moving along the East Exchange Avenue, we chanced upon this horse carriage that can accommodate visitors who want a tour of this historic district without the hustle of walking (below).

Railroad Station. Further along was the Texas Pacific Railroad station (below). This has been responsible for making Fort Worth a major shipping point for livestock, since 1876.  http://stockyardsstation.com/about/history/

Lunch. A little bit of walking and we were ready for lunch at Riscky's Steakhouse. According to their web site, Riscky's offers the best bbq this side of anywhere. https://risckys.com/risckys-bbq/ . There were two branches of Riscky's, but we chose the one near the railroad station. Since it was my birth month, Tyler indulged me with the best that Texas could offer: what else but Steak. I ordered the Flat Iron Steak (below). It came with baked potato, salad, bread, cheese and dips/sauces. Trina ordered Riscky's Famous Pork Ribs and Tyler ordered Riscky's Famous Sliced Beef Brisket .Their orders came with home made potato salad, seasoned red beans, fresh coleslaw, Riscky's famous bbq sauce and other sides.

Of course, what made this meal enjoyable and fun was Tierra, greeting everybody in the restaurant, including the guests and staff, with her shrieks and giggles (below).

Shopping. What we missed by going straight to lunch was the shootout, held in the railroad station right after the cattle drive. Anyway, since we were at the shopping area, we went inside some of the stores for souvenir shopping. Trina bought Leo and me a souvenir shirt, each (below).

 Rides. There were a few horse rides for kids. So, Tierra had fun riding these with her Dad, Tyler.

Western music. It was still early, so after shopping, we walked along the road and found this band belting some Western country songs, which, we enjoyed.

Merry-go-round. There was a live merry-go-round, too. Live horses were driving kids around this pen (below). Tierra may want to ride one when she's a bit bigger.

Some of the original structures were still around, and we took time to admire them. 

When in Texas, enjoy a visit to one of Texas' pride, in the "Cowtown", the Historic Fort Worth Stockyards . 

Discover Happiness @ World of Coke Tour: Atlanta, Georgia

My daughter Trina was able to bag a research assistant post at the University of Georgia in Atlanta. Having come from the glacier cruise in Anchorage, Alaska, we took a ‘red-eye’ flight to Atlanta via Delta Airlines, operated by Alaska Airlines, with a stopover in Seattle. With the different time zones from west to east, I forgot how many hours we spent waiting in airports and travelling on air. We just found ourselves retiring to bed right after dinner in our Atlanta hotel.  

Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta, the busiest airport in the world.

Centennial Inn, Cone St. NW, Atlanta, the CNN building (L) and Omni hotel (R).

I could not contain my excitement the following morning because my childhood friend and classmate, May Guanzon-Godfrey, was about to pick us up from our hotel. May, up to the present, is based in Southern California and graciously offered to host us in this part of the USA. 

Me (L) and May (R) in Pemberton Place, Atlanta, right in front of the World of Coke building, our first-stopover in Georgia.

Coke fans, all over the world should be excited to visit the World of Coke in Pemberton Place which was completed in 2007. Here, we were able to discover the captivating story of the world’s most famous beverage, except for the formula of making Coke, which, most of us know is one of the world’s best kept secrets. Admission ticket costs $16/adult and $12/child. 

The World of Coke building.

Me at the lobby with the names of Coke in different languages.

Truly, an international brand, the lobby shows off photos of the different faces of people who drink Coke. Photo below shows Trina with the people drinking coke from all over the world.

The lobby also features these beautifully designed bottles as shown in the background.

Inside The Loft, a guide explained to the guests about what to expect inside the exhibit areas. The Loft also featured Coke artifacts from the past.  

The friendly guide. 

The Guide and me in the Loft.

Coke artifacts.

Old Coke bottles.

From the Loft we went in the theater where we were treated to a 6-minute film about Coke and the happiness it brings to the world. “It features nine mini-stories of people in various life stages and cultures experiencing universal moments of happiness (http://www.worldofcoca-cola.com/exhibits/moments-happiness-film/).

We, then proceeded to the exhibit area. In the exhibit is the delivery truck (below). These yellow trucks were used to deliver the popular cola to their customers. The delivery truck is an example of a dramatic style of the late 1940s truck design.

Delivery truck in the 1940s.

A description of how Coke was invented is explained below (L) while the popularity of the original Coke is depicted on the newspaper clipping (below R).

How is Coke made? The process of making Coke is shown below. The exhibit also features the different tests made to ensure the quality of every bottle of Coke. 

Coke lovers! We come to the most awaited portion: the free taste of more than 100 flavors of coke produced around the world. 

Trying out the most ordinary and the most outrageous Coke flavors.

Different Coke flavors around the world.

Photo below shows me (L) and May (R) at our bonding moment while tasting the different Coke flavors.

Aside from numerous “interactive experiences, video highlights, images and descriptions”, each guest gets a chance to take home a FREE commemorative 8-ounce bottle of Coca-Cola. Should you want more souvenir items, you can purchase them from the Coca-Cola store. I bought a baseball bat for my husband, Leo, because he is a fan of baseball. Photo below shows the bottles of Coke that each guest could take home.

There are many interesting things to learn and see at the World of Coke exhibition, specially, if you’re a fan of Coca-Cola. Tickets may be bought at their ticket booth or you may purchase your tickets online at their website (http://www.worldofcoca-cola.com/purchase-tickets/). Their website also provides information about your different concerns about the World of Coke tour.