2 Years Since Texas Trip

Above, dinner at Cattlemen's Steakhouse at the Fort Worth Stockyards.

It is sometimes incredible at how time flies.

It was two years ago today that Mitch Geriminsky and I flew back to Albuquerque from Dallas Love Field following out little vacation jaunt to Dallas-Fort Worth. Once we got back to Albuquerque, I bought a new set of tires for the motorhome.

Above, at the John Wayne: An American Experience exhibit. Photo by Mitch Geriminsky.

We had a good time wandering around both cities and visited the John Wayne: An American Experience museum, the 6th Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza, Southfork Ranch, Billy Bob's Texas and the Fort Worth Stockyards. We also enjoyed some Texas cuisine at Cattlemen's Steakhouse at the Fort Worth Stockyards. I hadn't been to Billy Bob's Texas since I was in Dallas for the 1984 Republican National Convention. We also stopped at the Best Maid Pickles store in Fort Worth.

Above, at Southfork Ranch.

Flying to Dallas Love Field was a lot easier as it is a smaller airport than the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, which is like a city on its own. 

Above, having a brew at Billy Bob's Texas. Photo by Mitch Geriminsky.

One does not immediately think of Dallas or Fort Forth, Texas as vacation spots, but the trip was interesting. I recommend it for those who need a place to travel to. 

"Dallas" Southfork Ranch Sold To Developer

Above, yours truly at Southfork Ranch last year. Photo by Mitch Geriminsky.

The famed Southfork Ranch that was featured in the prime time soap Dallas has been sold to a developer. But they pledge to keep it open.

The ranch will remain pretty much the same and tours will continue. A friend and I visited the ranch last year.

It is said that actor Larry Hagman's (J. R. Ewing) ashes were scattered on the ranch in 2012. 

According to the Fort Worth Business Press:

The famed Southfork Ranch has a new owner. But the purchaser, Centurion American Development Group, promises nothing will change about the history of the site, which was the setting for the fictional Ewing family’s home in the classic TV series Dallas.

“Our intent is to keep the operation of it as it being the house J.R. lived in,” said Centurion American Vice President Sean Terry. “Maybe upgrade some things a bit, like modernize the events center. But the house itself, you won’t be able to tell a difference.”

And yes, Terry said tours will still be held for the public, even as the work is being done.

“We think the repairs we need to make we can do while keeping it open,” he said.

The purchase of the property previously managed by Forever Resorts includes 241 acres spanning both sides of Murphy Road south of Parker Road in the Collin County city of Parker.  Of that, 40 acres is the area made famous in Dallas, including the Southfork Mansion conference and event center. The  rest is open green space.

Above, yours truly and Mitch Geriminsky on the Southfork ranch house balcony.

To read more, go here. 

Woman Arrested After Shooting At Dallas Love Field

Above, inside one of Dallas Love Field's terminals last year. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Crazies firing guns in public places apparently aren't confined to 20-something males.

A woman was taken into custody after being shot by police after she fired a gun in a Dallas Love Field terminal yesterday. Fortunately, nobody else in the terminal was injured.

She was identified as Portia Odufuwa, 37. She has a lengthy criminal record, including bank robbery.

According to the Gateway Pundit:

 A shooting was reported at Dallas Love Field Airport Monday morning.

According to Dallas police, a 37-year-old woman was shot after firing several rounds inside Dallas Love Field Airport.

NBCDFW reported that the woman was dropped off at the airport and immediately walked into a bathroom where she changed her clothing.

The woman walked out of the bathroom wearing a hoodie and began shooting at the ceiling before police shot her in her ‘lower extremities.’

The woman was transported from the airport and taken to Parkland Memorial Hospital where her condition is unknown.

I was last at Dallas Love Field a year and a half ago when I took a trip to Dallas and Fort Worth to see the John Wayne: An American Experience, Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza and Southfork Ranch.

To read more, go here and here.

T + L: Biggest Travel Mistakes of Retirees

Above, a couple of geezers on the balcony of the main house at Southfork Ranch in Texas.

Since 2015, I have been joyfully retired. Except for a "slight bump in the road" when I had a heart attack (or something) that required two stents in an artery in 2018, it has been an enjoyable time.

Besides the usual camping trips such as the Great American Eclipse trip, the near cross-country trip to Metropolis, Illinois and others, I have also been to Key West, Florida, Havana, Cuba, Wells (Nevada) Fun Run, Idaho Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas and several clampouts, just to name a few.

Retirees have the benefit of plenty of time to travel (just watch the money) and some can be prone to making mistakes. 

Travel + Leisure posted an article on mistakes retirees have made so that others can avoid them.

They begin it with:

Travel is high on the list of plans for many retirees. With time available for longer trips, retirees want to explore new places, visit family, and spend time with friends. Even experienced travelers encounter problems along the way, many of which are unavoidable. For those new to taking extended trips, cruises, or international journeys, there can be a lot to learn.

Travel + Leisure heard from retirees across the U.S. who shared stories about difficulties they encountered on trips, with the hopes of saving someone else from making the same mistakes. Here are a few of the lessons they learned the hard way.

The first one mentioned was a hard lesson, after having to deal with the vast airports of Phoenix Sky Harbor, Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and Las Vegas McCarran International Airport (now the Harry Reid International Airport). 

To read more, go here.

A Year Ago: Arrival In Dallas

Above, Cattlemen's Steak House at the Fort Worth Stockyards. 

They (whoever they are) say that as one gets older, time seems to fly faster.

I don't know about that, but it is hard to believe that it was a year ago today that Mitch Geriminsky and I arrived at Dallas Love Field in Texas to visit the John Wayne: An American Experience, Fort Worth Stockyards, Dealey Plaza/6th Floor Museum and Southfork Ranch. It seems like only yesterday we were there.

As we arrived in winter, it was on the cool side in Texas. But the weather during our time there was nice and sunny. I have been in Dallas during the summer months and the heat can get brutal (112° during my 1984 visit). The weather was at least comfortable.

For some reason, January 11 was in the back of my mind for the past several days and I finally figured out why. It was the Texas trip last year.

One thing is for certain, should I go back to Dallas/Fort Worth, I will fly to Dallas Love Field again instead of the humongous Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. Love Field is a smaller airport and its terminal is a lot easier to navigate around. That includes access to the car rental area of the airport. 

It was a fun trip and one I highly recommend.

It’s Just Not Fun To Travel Now

Above, yours truly at Southfork Ranch near Dallas, Texas last January. Photo by Mitch Geriminsky.

Is travel now worth it? Is it fun anymore?

The answers to those questions is no. At least that is what travel writer Lois After Mark is saying in an article in Forbes.com.

Here's a snippet:

The impact of travel on COVID seems pretty obvious, which is why the industry itself must take action. Scientists can predict surges based on holiday travel, and the number of people (including an unprecedented number of children) infected since Thanksgiving and Christmas, the two busiest travel times of the year, continues to soar. This is not a coincidence and it would be interesting to see how these numbers changed if unvaccinated people were banned from flying.

Airlines are still cancelling thousands of flights due to infected crew members, and because of COVID’s impact on travel (it works both ways), airlines are discontinuing routes, tourist boards are laying off staff, the cruise industry is suffering.

Even if you manage to get to your destination, it’s hard to be spontaneous anymore because you need to reserve entry times to museums and other attractions. Many restaurants and spas have closed and most indoor venues have limited capacity.

Travel just doesn’t seem worth the effort.

I’m sad and angry because it didn’t have to be this way. Travel – getting to experience places, cultures and people different from you – is so important and must be protected.

I have to disagree. I haven't let the pandemic stop me from traveling during the past year(s) of the pandemic. And I haven't contracted the virus. I got the vaccination in February and the booster in October. 

Sure, there are some inconveniences (such as wearing a mask) and some restrictions, but anyone with half a brain can easily adapt and carry on.

To read the full article, go here. 

2021 In Review

Above, the bull-riding event at the Gallup Inter-Tribal Indian Ceremonial Rodeo. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

2021 is nearly over and it's time to do my usuall year in review.

First off, I am grateful that no family members or close friends have passed away. There was one loss that is almost like losing a friend. For nearly 40 years, I've started my days by turning on the radio to listen to Rush Limbaugh. His passing back in February was like a life-changer as my routine for the day has been altered. He is still missed. There was a big void this holiday season without his Christmas shows.

The First Quarter

Above, on the balcony of Southfork's ranch house. 

The first quarter of the year started as it normally does. Except, I decided I wanted to see the new John Wayne: An American Experience exhibit in Fort Worth, Texas that opened in December 2020. Mitch Geriminsky joined me on the trip to Texas that included the Wayne exhibit, the 6th Floor Museum At Dealey Plaza, Southfork Ranch (the filming location for the prime-time soap, Dallas) and the Fort Worth Stockyards. 

Above, yours truly at John Wayne: An American Experience. Photo by Mitch Geriminsky.

We had a great time as we rented a car and roamed around the Dallas/Fort Worth area. I'd like to go back during the summer months.

Also in January, I went to the wedding of Mitch and Holly Geriminsky in Las Vegas. We had a good time there and had a great barbecue dinner at the reception. 

The next big trip of the quarter was the Lost Dutchman Chapter of E Clampus Vitus Spring Clampout in March in Quartzsite, Arizona. I was joined there by Glenn Thornhill and Gary Julian from California. I hadn't seen either since I moved to New Mexico. We had somewhere around 200 Clampers attend. We had a great time.

Above, with Glenn Thornhill and Gary Julian at the Lost Dutchman spring clampout.

The Second Quarter

Above, the Durango train about to depart from Durango Station. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Since New Mexico theaters were shut down due to the pandemic, I headed up to Durango, Colorado (a 3-hour drive) to see Godzilla vs. Kong in April. I made the trip a little mini-vacation and stayed at the Apen Rose RV Park in Durango. The Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad passes the campground across the highway. I had a relaxing good time in Durango, along with good food. I picked up another bottle of rum from Honeyville while in Durango. Good stuff!

I didn't ride the train this trip, but I did tour the train museum at the roundhouse of the Durango train station. Nice collection!

As it turned out, New Mexico theaters were allowed to re-open the following week.

The Third Quarter

Above, at Bella's Cappuchino and Cafe in Wells, Nevada.

In July, the Wild West Days Rodeo in Grants was held. It was nice to attend a rodeo again. It was the only rodeo held last year. 

Also in July, I took a little trip to Chaco Canyon and camped there. It was an interesting place to view up close ancient pueblo Indian dwellings. The drive in was an adventure itself. It is accessible only a rough dirt road for about 20 miles. The Beast handled it fine. 

Above, cliff dwellings at Chaco Canyon. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

In late July, Mitch Geriminsky and I flew to Twin Falls, Idaho to attend the Wells (Nevada) Fun Run car rally and show. This was the event that I missed three years ago when I had my heart issue. This time I was able to enjoy the entire weekend and see friends. Our group joined Linda Wilson in scattering her husband Bill's ashes at the rally. He passed away the year before from leukemia. We had thunderstorms the whole weekend and that caused problems for us when we tried to return home. Flights were delayed or cancelled in Salt Lake City, where we were to catch our connecting flights. I ended up getting a hotel room near the airport and got a flight to Albuquerque the next morning. It was bizarre that thunderstorms were all over the Southwest that weekend. Needless to say, we had a great time at the Wells Fun Run.

In August, I attended the Bloomer Trailers Best of the Best Rodeo and the Gallup Inter-Tribal Indian Ceremonial and Rodeo in August. Both events were held at Red Rock Park Rodeo Arena. The Indian Ceremonial was smaller than in years past, but I had fun there anyway. 

The Fourth Quarter

Above, at the Southern New Mexico State Fair in Las Cruces.

In October, I took a drive down to Las Cruces to attend the Southern New Mexico State Fair. It was a nice fair and it included a rodeo. It seemed like half the city was there during the rodeo.I camped at the KOA Kampground a few miles away from the fair. Along with the rodeo, I enjoyed viewing the livestock and exhibits. I may go back again next year.

Above, at the fall clampout with Harold, one our cook crew leaders. 

Also in October, the Lost Dutchman Chapter of E Clampus Vitus returned to Quartzsite for the fall Clampout. Again we all had a great time. Our chapter's "ambassador" Bill Greene, passed away during the summer at age 92 and a ceremony was held honoring him. 

Following the Clampout, I headed to Mitch's in Lake Havasu and saw Dwight Kuntz, a friend during our junior high and high school years. I hadn't seen Dwight since the 1980s at Dodger Stadium. We had a good time catching up.

Above, yours truly, Dwight Kuntz and Mitch Geriminsky at Lake Havasu. Photo by Holly Geriminsky.

In November, I went back to Lake Havasu, Arizona to celebrate Thanksgiving with Mitch and Holly Geriminsky at their new home. I camped at Crazy Horse Campgrounds at the lake. 

Earlier this month, I attended the Balloominaria at Rio West Mall in Gallup. It was part of the Red Rock Balloon Rally held at Red Rock Park. Balloominaria is where balloonists inflate their hot-air balloons in the mall's parking lot and illuminate them at night. Thousands showed up for this event despite the cold temperature.

Above, Ballominaria at Rio West Mall in Gallup. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Christmas dinner was hosted by Greg and Marlo Lucier at their home here in Jamestown. Since I had spent around $1,100 in car repairs and the high price of gasoline, I decided to stay home this Christmas. 

All in all, it wasn't too bad a year for me. Hopefully, 2022 will be a better one. 

James Bond: One Morning At Southfork Ranch...

Above, the main house at Southfork Ranch. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Now that No Time To Die has been out and many have seen it resulting in lots of online chatter. There's speculation on what will happen in the series since "James Bond Will Return" was shown after the end credits.

Some speculate that the series will pick up from NTTD or be totally rebooted again (sorry, but I am tired of reboots of movie series, as Batman, Superman and Spider Man movies being good examples). 

On a more humorous vein, here's how Bond 26 could start:

Bond 26's beginning:

Pam Ewing (Victoria Principal) will wake up and tells Bobby (Patrick Duffy) that she had the most incredible dream. Bobby tells her she had too many dry martinis at dinner.

This is about as plausible as anything else I've read over the past 24 hours since I saw the movie yesterday. 

RVTravel Poll: How Often Do You Wear A Hat?

Above, in my Stetson hat at Southfork Ranch in Texas. Photo by Mitch Geriminsky.

RVTravel has posted a poll asking the question, "How often do you wear a hat?"

There are two response sections, one for men and one for women.

As for myself, I wear one more frequently than I used to due to living at 7,000 feet above sea level where the air is thinner. They are for protection against skin cancer-causing ultraviolet rays. I usually wear an Australian-style outback hat, a Stetson cowboy hat or assorted baseball caps.

They start their poll with:

When you think of “hat” what comes to mind? A baseball hat? A sun hat? A snow cap? Well, what comes to mind might be very different for each one of you, considering there are more than 100 different types of hats!

There are visors, trucker hats, top hats, fedoras, berets, bowler hats, cowboy hats, bucket hats, sombreros, hard hats, sailor hats, santa hats… We’ll spare you from reading the other 88 hat types, but you get the point.

There are two polls below, one for ladies and one for gentlemen. Thanks for voting!

To vote, go here. 

John Wayne’s Son Debuts Exhibit At The Fort Worth Stockyards

Above, this display includes John Wayne's eyepatch from True Grit (1969). Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Back last January, Mitch Geriminsky and I took a trip to Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas to see some of the attractions there, such as the Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza, Southfork Ranch, the Fort Worth Stockyards, Billy Bob's Texas and the John Wayne: An American Experience. I was in the area once before. It was when I was a part of the 1984 California Reagan Delegation to the Republican National Convention.

It was the Wayne exhibit that spurred me to want to go there this year.

CultureMap Fort Worth posted an article on the John Wayne: An American Experience. Along with details of the exhibit, he article also tells about how the exhibit came to be.

Here's some snippets:

[Ethan] Wayne says he never realized how much memorabilia his father had amassed until he accessed the collection after his oldest half-brother, who previously ran the family business, died in 2003.

“I thought, ‘My gosh, we have a lot of really significant memorabilia here,” he says. “I don’t think the rest of the family really knew. From that moment we started thinking about how we were going to find a home for it.”

An idea sparked when Wayne met Craig Cavileer, executive vice president of Majestic Realty Co. (which developed the Stockyards' Mule Alley complex and Hotel Drover) at the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas two years ago. Ethan had set up a pop-up museum there with a small sampling of his father’s memorabilia — just to gauge interest, he says. 

Cavileer convinced Wayne to visit Fort Worth and consider the Stockyards as a permanent home for the John Wayne Experience. It wouldn't be the Wayne family's first connection to Fort Worth. Ethan Wayne's mother Pilar, the widow of John Wayne, owned a café called Pilar’s on Bryan Irvin Road back in 2006.

"Now that the Stockyards redevelopment is happening and coming to life, we’re really happy because it’s the perfect spot for John Wayne,” he says. 

 To read more, go here.

Restful Day

Above, the lizard on the wall. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

As Ronald Reagan would put it, today marked the 28th anniversary of my 39th birthday.

It was a quiet day, in-between phone calls of birthday greetings. I spent most of the day napping in the afternoon as I didn't get much sleep last night. That, plus the cold temperatures during the day (ranging from the high 30s to the low 40s) kept me indoors.

But I did take a little drive up to Continental Divide, New Mexico after picking up my mail down at the Flying J this morning to browse around Armand Ortega's Indian Market on Historic Route 66.

I did find a porcelain lizard to mount on the outside wall near the front porch. The empty space bothered me after I got the "Country Life" metal sculpture at Southfork Ranch last month. I mounted the lizard there. Since the ladies in the Indian Market know me, they gave me a discount on the lizard.

It is supposed to slightly warmer tomorrow (about 43°). 

Southfork's Real Interiors

Above, the Southfork Ranch house. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The interiors of the Southfork Ranch main house is far different than what we saw on the Dallas television show.

The interiors on the show were in soundstages in Hollywood and designed by Lorimar's set designers.

We toured the inside of the house while at the ranch and here's some of what the rooms actually looked like. Some where named after the main characters of the show.

 

Above, according to the tour guide, this room was actually used as
 the murder scene of J. R. Ewing in Mexico in the reboot show. 

Texas Souvenirs

Above, the throw pillow from Texas Hot Stuff. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

During last week's trip to Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas, I picked up some souvenirs. I was mainly interested in things for the house.

Above, the yard art I bought at Southfork Ranch. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

At the 6th Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza in Dallas, I bought a couple of books on the JFK assassination. One was Twenty-Six Seconds by Alexandra Zapruder (a personal history of the Zapruder film) and Assassination and Commemoration by Stephen Fagin (a history of the Sixth Floor Museum).

Above, Sierra enjoying the pillow. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

At Southfork Ranch outside of Dallas, they have a gift shop at the Visitor Center and I got a metal piece of yard art (I guess one can call it that). And, at the Fort Worth Stockyards, I saw a nice throw pillow at the Texas Hot Stuff store at Stockyards Station.

Along with those, I got the usual refrigerator magnets and shot glasses for my collection. 

Return To The Stockyards?

Since we saw everything in Dallas and Fort Worth we came to see, today will be a "kick-back" day in Texas. Last night, we drove around Fort Worth with no particular place to see. 

There's plenty of brochures in the hotel lobby of attractions in the area, we'll check to see what, if anything, sounds interesting.

We came to see the 6th Floor Museum/Dealey Plaza in Dallas, Southfork Ranch, Billy Bob's and the Stockyards in Fort Worth. We may end up going to the Stockyards Station, which is a shopping mall,  for a few hours. We haven't seen it yet.

We'll be heading back to Albuquerque tomorrow, where, upon arrival, I have to get some new tires on The Beast before going back to Jamestown. 

Probably the best time to visit the Stockyards is in the spring or summer months, when it is warmer and the attractions are in full operation. Even now, it is a fun place to visit.

A Visit To Southfork Ranch

Above, yours truly in front of the Southfork ranch house. Photo by Mitch Geriminsky.

Today was spent visiting Southfork Ranch, the setting of the Ewing Oil family from television's Dallas series on CBS. It is about 30 miles north of the city of Dallas.

We arrived there right when it opened and were the first to be given a tour of the inside of the house and a self-guided tour of the grounds, including Jock Ewing's (Jim Davis) Lincoln town car.

The inside of the house wasn't used in the series, except for a few rooms during the revival series (including the room where J. R. Ewing (Larry Hagman) was killed (as part of his "masterpiece").

There is also a "museum" of Dallas artifacts to walk through before the tour.

Our tour guide told us a little tidbit of trivia. She said John Wayne was approached to play the role of Jock Ewing, but he turned it down due to his cancer and suggested instead Jim Davis. She said Davis was "down on his luck" at the time and Wayne helped him out by suggesting him for the role.

Also, Larry Hagman's ashes are said to have been scattered on the ranch.

The house is much smaller than what is depicted on the show. Tricks were used during filming to make the house look much larger.

Still, it was an interesting place to visit and I recommend it to fans of Dallas.

Of course, I took some photographs:

Above, the actual dining set used in the show. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, a replica portrait of Jim Davis as Jock Ewing on the mantel. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, eagle sculpture once owned by Larry Hagman. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, the Southfork pool from the rear balcony. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, Mitch and I on the rear balcony that overlooks the pool. 

Above, Mitch Geriminsky in front of the main house. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, yours truly in front of the main house. Photo by Mitch Geriminsky.

Above, a view of the pool and the area behind the house. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, Jock Ewing's (Jim Davis) Lincoln. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, a familiar view of the Southfork ranch house. Photo by Armand Vaquer.