I keep track of the college campuses that I visit much in the same way that I keep track of states and countries I visit.  I’ve found that visiting a campus is a little snippet of real life, a trip off the beaten tourist path to people live, work, and play.  In addition to some great campus architecture, there’s a host of businesses and activity that go into into supporting what is, in essence, a mini-city.
Earlier this summer, I had a chance to visit Southern Methodist University in Dallas.  It’s officially located in University Park, a part of the greater …read more

Terra Cotta Warriors:  Guardians of China’s First Emperor is currently on exhibit at the Houston Museum of Natural Science, and represent one of the greatest archaeological finds of the 20th century.  Since it’s discovery, many have called this terra cotta army the Eighth Wonder of the Ancient World.
I’ve been interested in this exhibit for some time, and not that’ we’ll be starting non-stop service to Houston, it’s moving up to the top of my must-see list.
The exhibit features thousands of terra cotta warriors that were found buried in the tomb of China’s First Emperor, Shi Huangdi.  The warriors were entombed …read more

There are so many great places to see public art, that it’s sometimes easy to pass right by without paying any attention to it.  What a mistake!
I’ve always enjoyed the Mustangs at Las Colinas, a bronze sculpture of nine wild mustangs that are in the Williams Square in Irving, Texas.  Created by wildlife artist Robert Glen, the mustangs are the largest equestrian sculpture in the world, and commemorate the wild mustangs that inhabited Texas.

The mustangs are portrayed bigger than life, roughly one and a half times their true size, and are shown crossing a stream of water.  Fountains on the …read more

Some of my favorites artists have works hanging at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, and visiting the museum is a great way to spend an afternoon out of the Texas heat and humidity.
The Modern, as it is generally called, specializes in post-World War II art, housed in five long pavilions set into a reflecting pond.  Located in Fort Worth’s Cultural District, about two miles west of downtown.  The impressive building is as much a work of art and what’s contained within.
The permanent collection includes pieces by some of the great modernists, including Picasso, Jackson Pollock, and Andy …read more

Today’s Matchbook Monday was picked up at a recent event that I attended, and simply says “Pick Abilene.”  It was a giveaway from the Abilene Convention & Visitors Bureau as part of an event promoting Abilene as a destination for travel
Since you have to know a little something about a destination, before you can decide if you want to go there, I did a little research on what Abilene has to offer.
Abilene calls itself the “Friendly Frontier”, positioning itself as a balance of traditional Old West heritage and contemporary city.  It is in the central part of Texas, …read more

Blogging pal, Astroprof, sent information on spooky Halloween events in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
The first option is The Boneyard, which calls itself the Largest Haunt in Texas.  At over half a mile long, last year’s Boneyard was recorded in the Guinness Book of World Records as the “largest walk-through haunted house in the world.”  This year it’s back, and bigger!
This is a “performance” haunted house, with dramatic music and skilled actors drawing the crowds into the sets.  The Boneyard features over 50 chilling scenes, along with food, music, and games in an all-indoor environment.  All net proceeds from The Boneyard …read more

I’m getting lots of Halloween ideas from friends and readers around the country.  Thanks ““ and keep the information coming ““ we’ve still got three weeks until Halloween.
Today’s Halloween idea came from my friend SP at Southern Byways. 
There is actually a Halloween Theme Park ““ called SCREAMS, located in Waxahachie, Texas, 30 minutes south of Dallas/Fort Worth.  Every year over 60,000 visit during the month leading up to Halloween.
SCREAMS opened in 1996, and stakes its claim as the World’s Largest Halloween Theme Park.  A separate, child-friendly area called Spooky Hollow is available for children.  Still, the park advises that some children …read more

My pal, Astroprof, sent me some information about the 20th anniversary of Grapefest, being held in Grapevine, Texas.  This wine festival, “A Sparkling Celebration” is billed as the largest in the southwest, and starts today and runs through the weekend.
There are a wide variety of events, one of which is sure to pique your interest:  the Cooking Pavilion with cooking demonstrations and food and wine pairings, street vendors, wine tastings, the Grape Stomp (a contest to see who can produce the most juice starting with 20 pounds of grapes), tennis classic, wine auction, Italian car show, Kidzone and a carnival …read more