Beautiful Dallas Texas

Dallas Texas is a huge town though when I looked it was half the size of Seattle. It has some unbelievable skyscapers.

This is a Hyatt hotel. It was my favorite one.

Huge is the only word that can describe this one.

This is my second favorite building. It is the Wells Fargo building. It is really different.

If you ever get to Dallas a must see is the John F. Kennedy Museum in the Book Depository on the Sixth floor where that he was shot from. It is amazing. I teared up when they got to the point where he was shot. Do you remember where you were when you heard? I do.

They did not let you take any pictures and the crowds were heavy for a Monday afternoon. The museum was very well done with original film of the news accounts, even the original AP wire announcing JFK's death. Discussion of the conspiracy theories, personal interviews with news journalists, doctors, nurses and even some short films were shown to describe the events of November 23, 1963.

Dallas has more than thirty pieces of art work in the downtown area. We went looking. The one pictured below is by native Texan Rober Temple Summers II who was commissioned by the Dallas Trees and Parks Foundation in 1992 to sculpt three cowboys on horseback and 70 longhorm steers (each 130% of life-size). The bronze sculptures covers four acres in downtown Dallas in front of the Convention Center.

The Money Factory

One day on our way to Fort Worth TX I saw a sign that read -- The Bureau of Engraving and Printing. I got curious and did some googling and discovered this facility and another one in Washington D.C. are the two places where United States currency is printed. I also discovered you could take a tour. So we did!!!!

When you arrive at the BEP (Bureau of Engraving & Printing) transfer station you are greeted by four BEP police (yes, their uniforms call them police). You cannot take cell phones, cameras, any other electronic devices plus the usual -- weapons, backpacks (purses are hand searched), and food or drink. You put all the metal you are carrying into a plastic container. Then you go into a circular room, stand on the grey square and when cued move out the other side.

NOTE: Since I could not bring my camera all the pictures here are "taken" from the BEP website: http://www.moneyfactory.com/

The Transfer Station

The Visitor Center and Bureau of Engraving and Printing -- Department of Treasury



The Visitor Center Lobby

After registering for the tour and while we waited for it to start we had the good fortune to see some special displays tht were there for the week. One that was especially interesting was the "spider" press. It got its name from a large wheel with spokes in it that when rotated rolled the paper over the engraved plate. The man at the display actually used a replica of an old $5 plate and printed a $5 bill. The detail was amazing. Also fascinating that even these samples he printed are counted and recorded.

The tour was amazing. Million and millions of dollars were before us. The minimum amount that is in the process at any one time at the facility is $2.59 billion. Yes, billion.

As a stragety to prevent counterfeiting the US currency is redesigned every 7 to 10 years. In keeping with that a new series of currency with more color have been created. The $20 bill was introduced October 9, 2003, the $50 bill on 9/28/04, the $10 bill on 3/2/06 and the $5 on 3/13/08. The $100 bill is in the process of redesign and printing and at the BEP every place that works with the $100 bill is hidden by curtains. Years ago they also had $500, $1000, $5,000, $10,000 and $100,000 denominations which were not out in general public circulation but used by financial institutions. However, with the advent of electronic transfers these denominations were eliminated.

We learned about the paper, the several times it is printed, how much pressure is applied, how long the ink is allow to "cure" and how the serial numbers, seal and some other thing I cannot remember???? are put on. We also learned that the bills are not officially "money" until the serial numbers, etc. are put on and they are packaged and cataloged and put the the value "somewhere" on the premises. Additionally, we learned that the bills printed in Fort Worth actually have a FW on it.

It was particularly interesting to learn that the Federal Reserve meets several times a year to order the money. All the damaged and worn out and written on bills are destroyed and replaced by new bills.

One of the displays was that of a stack of sheets of $5 bill with 32 bills to a sheet and 6,250 sheets which equals $1 million. The stack was about 3 feet high.

A Gene Autry Museum in Gene Autry Oklahoma

We are the adventuous type, as you know, and when we saw this sign we just had to take a look. Lance has some country roots having a brother who had a country western band and he claims to have memorized 300 country songs when he was a teen. I remember Gene Autry, Roy Rogers, Dale Evans and the Sons of the Pioneers -- Tumblin Tumble Weed and Cool, Clear Water.

So off we went....

And followed the Happy Trail...

To Gene Autry, Oklahoma -- Yes, that is a working post office.

And, the Gene Autry First Baptist Church...

There it is -- the Gene Autry Museum. Turns out it is an old school house. Every room is filled with memorabilia of not only Gene Autry but many other western entertainers as well. It was unbelievable.

I had no idea how many movies Gene Autry was in. He was in 93 movies and 91 television productions.

According to the Internet Movie Data Base -- Orvon Gene Autry is considered by many to be the greatest western star of all time. He earned the designation of "America's Favorite Cowboy". He was "discovered" by Will Rogers while working as a telegraph. One of his stars on the Wal of Fame is for Live Performance (including rodeo), not live theater. Also, "That Silver-Haired Daddy of Mine" sold over 500,000 copies in its first release. He is the first artist in history to have a gold record. Also, he is the first artist to ever sell 1,000,000 of a record. He was also the first artist ever to sell out Madison Square Garden. His son "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" is the second highest selling Christmas song of all time. It has sold over 30 million copies. By 1948, Dell Publishing was printing over 1,000,000 Gene Autry Comic Books per year. It seems everything Gene touched seemed to turn to gold. After he retired from acting, he had many successful business ventures, including radio and television stations. He also owned the California Angels. Gene passed away in 1998.

Could not be a complete museum without Champion and one of Gene Autry's saddles. After seeing this Lance launched into a trivia discussion of the names of all the famous western stars' horses names.

Speaking of trivia -- Did you know Gene Autry owned the Anaheim Angels?

When we came out we got a little bonus with a old car. Pretty nifty huh!

Thunderstorm

Had our first "severe" thunderstorm alert. We watched it go through sitting in the front of the motorhome and listening to our First Alert radio. The radio gave very detailed information as to what could possibly happen where and when. Here in Valley View Texas it actually went through pretty fast and though the wind whipped up a little the possible 80 mph winds or quarter size hail did not materialize.....then the sun came out. How cool is that?

Texas Highways

Everywhere we go we notice differences in the highways and even the drivers. Some are subtle and some are not so subtle. The first thing we noticed Texas was people drive friendly. Maybe the signs that say, "Drive Friendly, are the reason???

In Washington there are a lot of freeway entrance and exit "circles". Here in Texas it is mostly straight on and straight off. When you get off you have the right-of-way on the road you go to. When you get on you have the right-of-way to cars coming toward you. A little different!

And, there are a lot of side roads along the highways.

Then there are the turnarounds. It is an actual separate exit lane that takes you around under the freeway and back on (whether you want to or not -- did that once!!).

Now, here in the Dallas/Fort Worth area we noticed something we have not seen before. An enormous amount of shredded tire pieces. They even have crews that go along picking them up!! One day we were going by such a crew and the guy threw a piece of tire up into the truck -- except it kept on going and ended up on the other side of the truck and back on the highway. Oops!!!

The other thing different in Texas is they have fewer rest areas and instead many more "picnic areas". They are just a straight in and straight out simplier spot along the road with some picnic tables and trash cans -- no restrooms though.

Speaking of driving...down the road is a NASCAR raceway.

Here in Texas they even drive through lakes. Yes, there are three cars in that "lake".

One other thing we noticed was, as they say, things are bigger in Texas -- and HIGHER. Look at these freeways.

Texas, the lone star state, is very proud of their star.