THINGS TO DO IN FORT WORTH BEFORE THE TCU BEAT DOWN
-
THINGS TO DO IN FORT WORTH BEFORE THE TCU BEAT DOWN
~Try to visit all 1,000 natural gas wells tapping the Barnett Shale formation under Fort Worth. Each well site is a bare patch of gravel 2-5 acres in size. City ordinances permit them in all zoning categories. Some wells are secured by masonry fences, but most are secured by chain link.
~Skip the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History and go straight to the adjacent National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame. Women already in the hall of fame include Georgia O’Keefe, Sacagawea, Annie Oakley, Dale Evans, Enid Justin, Temple Grandin, and Sandra Day O’Connor. As you view the honor to Sandra Day O’Connor recall It was reputedly at the 1985 National Press Club’s Salute to Congress at 529 14th Street NW in Washington D.C. that Riggins drunkenly told Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor to “loosen up Sandy baby” because she was “too tight” when the two reputedly met at dinner.[29] Riggins then reputedly fell asleep under the table.[30] The incident created a national stir.[citation needed] The next time Ms O’Connor and John Riggins reputedly met at a function years later, she reputedly gave Riggo a dozen roses.[31] {The above was found at John Riggins wiki page.}
~Though it is off season, it is probably worth popping by Fort Worth Cats minor league baseball stadium. The Cats were a minor league baseball team from 1876 to 1960,when the team was merged into the Dallas Rangers. The Cats were resuscitated in 2001 and have been a local hit ever since.
~Definitely pop by American Airlines corporate headquarters in Fort Worth so that the next time your American flight is over booked, you know exactly who is responsible for your luggage destined for home winding up in Heathrow.
~Never hurts to take in Bell Helicopter headquarters just outside Fort Worth to see if you can get a look at the V-22 Osprey tilt rotor craft–one of most remarkable aircraft answers to a question no one asked.
~Net geeks have to sneak into Fort Worth’s two big internet radio shows: “DFDubbIsHot” and “Thre Broadband Brothers.”
~Get all Tayhoss Progressive by finding a copy of Fort Worth Weekly, an alternative newspaper that serves both Fort Worth and Dallas.
~You’d have to be crazy not to drive by the Federal Bureau of Engraving, one of only two Fed Debt Note (aka paper money) printing facilities in USA. As you gaze upon it realize that it prints all the fiat money for the privately owned Federal Reserve’s San Francisco, Dallas and Kansas City branches.
~You’d have to be bat guano flippin’ crazy not to drive by Federal Medical Center, Carswell, a Federal prison and health facility for women that is located inside the Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth. The major attraction is of course the federal death row for female inmates. Not many Big 12 university towns can boast Federal death rows for female inmates, eh?
~You absolutely must ride Molley the Trolley. It is a free bus the encircles Sundance Square, a 35 square block retail, apartment and happening district for swinging singles.
~Try to avoid walking in Fort Worth, because it is ranked the 47th most walkable city out of 50 major US cities.
~For live music, you should either go to the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra or Billy Bobs.
~Lastly, if you have survived the rigors of all the above, all joking aside, you really should take in the Kimbell Art Museum designed by famed modernist architect Louis I. Kahn. It is one of the great museum buildings in America and it houses a fine collection masters ranging from Michelangelo, Caravaggio, El Greco, Velazquez to Gauguin and Cezanne. They also have one of my personal favs, Theodore Gericault, though alas, not The Raft of the Medusa.
-
@jaybate 1.0 Good Lord jb, sounds like a thesis from an extended Xavier Cugat whirlwind from Havana to the great state of Texas! How on Earth do you continually come up with the extensive knowledge on this stuff or the time to write all the goods? Sometimes your posts simply just amaze me.
-
@globaljaybird, partly I mine wiki pedia google topics a little and partly I remember odds and ends i happen to know about such places. This was mostly compliments of trivia in wikipedia. But that museum. It is a real special building that brings Kahn’s concept of “bringing silence to light” into clear focus for layman to appreciate and experience. Look at pictures of enclose spaces, especially those that are essentially open air, and he accomplishes his unique obsession beautifully. Kahn was a great, great genius that transcends the modernist movement in architecture. He went beyond modernism into something that no one else has really yet caught up with. It is scary good at times. Transcendantly good. Citizen Kane good. But you really have to go to one of his buildings to get it, then you can look at pictures of what he did and get it just from the pictures alone. But the first experience of it is necessary to really see silence. Even narcissistic and self promoting Philip Johnson said Kahn was playing at architecture at another realm above everyone else. Post modernism, which I like a lot, too, has so far not produced anyone as singularly extraordinary as Kahn. Kahn was an architectural freak. When in San Diego, Torrey Pines, go take a walk on the patio between the buildings comprising the original portion of the Salk Institute. They screwed the front up with a bad addition, but the patio with the long linear water feature survives. Stand at one end and look at it extend out toward the ocean and sky and you will instantly understand why I call him a genius. But I am running on now. Excuse me.
-
@globaljaybird, of late I am trying to get back in shape after my health problems, and so I am probably writing too much to try to push myself back into shape. But I just really don’t have my old zip. What I am doing now is all grind it out. Everything used to be effortless fun. Such is life.
Thank heavens the game is still the thing.
-
@jaybate 1.0 Had to laugh seeing Riggo’s name and antics. He has sobered up and has a web hunting show – Riggo’s Ranch – or something like that.
-
@jaybate 1.0 Run on, JB. When I first moved to SoCal, played Torrey Pines and had a couple of drinks at KC BBQ-(this wasn’t long after Top Gun made it famous.) It was a warm welcome for a homesick Jayhawk.
As for FT Worth, the last time I was in Billy Bobs, Danny and the Miracles were just starting the 1988 run. Memory lane baby.
-
Classic jaybate. Don’t ya just love it?
-
If you’ve only got time for one bar, it’s J&J’s Blues bar over Billy Bobs, hands down.
-
@jaybate Loved this post. Here are some pics of the Kimbell Art Museum I found. His stuff is amazing, thanks for sharing.
-
Practically next door to the Kimble is the Amon Carter museum. Also excellent. And if you like cowboy art, they have a great collection of Charles Remmington sculptures.
