MJ outside the gate of SMU's Gerald Ford Stadium, Dallas

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 Dallas area.

SMU, founded in 1911, is a private university owned and operated by the South Central Jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church.  The university has an enrollment of nearly 11,000 students, offering undergraduate, graduate, and professional degree in seven schools:  humanities and sciences, business, the performing, visual, and communication arts, engineering, education and human development, law, and theology.  The campus is home to 10 libraries, including the largest private collection of research materials in the southwest, and the Meadows Museum, one of the leading collections of Spanish art outside of Spain.

What brought me to the SMU campus, however, was not related to education, culture, or art.  What prompted my visit to SMU was football.  Specifically, SMU Mustangs football.  I know, you’re scratching your head thinking, “but MJ, you don’t even like football,” but this little side trip, like many in my travels, was about friendship.  Head coach June Jones is a friend, and this was a little glimpse at the stadium and field where his team plays.  (The photo shows me standing outside the gate of the Gerald J. Ford Stadium.)

This was a beautiful campus, set in a largely residential area, and a visit was well worth the time getting off the beaten path.  I’m looking at fall travel plans now, and wondering how many new campuses I can visit!

Do you have a favorite college campus that you’ve visited?

Photo credit:  Mary Jo Manzanares

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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 with him in order that that he would be protected by them throughout eternity.  The exhibit features 100 sets of objects, including 20 complete life-size figures, and is representative of the emperor’s army.

The Houston Museum of Natural Science is located at One Hermann Circle Drive in Houston Texas, across from the Miller Outdoor Theater.  The museum is open daily, 9 am – 5 pm, and the last timed entrance to the Terra Cotta Warriors is at 4 pm.

Tickets are available online, and are for timed admission.  $30 adults, $24 children 3-11 and seniors.  Advanced tickets are recommended.

As a special promotion, you can receive a 10% discount at any Houston P.F. Chang’s China Bistro with the presentation of a ticket stub from the exhibit.  This promotion is good through November 30th, 2009, and some restrictions apply.

This exhibit runs through October 18th, 2009, after which it travels to the National Geographic Museum in Washington DC.  It will be on display there November 19th, 2009 through March 31, 2010.

This fascinates me.  And although I’m not a huge Chinese history fan, there’s something about it that intrigues me.  After I visit the exhibit, I’ll be sure to post a review along with my impressions of it.

Has anyone been that can chime in with some opinions?

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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 ground make it look like water is splashing off their hooves as they run through it.

Adjacent to the sculpture, in the West Tower of the Square, is the Mustangs of Las Colinas Museum.  The Museum shows the story of how Robert Glen created the sculpture, including a short video, and also houses some of his other work.

Williams Square Plaza is located at 5205 North O’Connor Drive, just north of Highway 114, in Irving, Texas.

Do you have some favorite public art that you enjoy?  Please leave a comment telling me about it.  I’d love to know what it is and where it’s located.

Photo credit: flickr

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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 Warhol.  Although it can be partially blocked off when setting up new exhibits, it’s an impressive and diverse collection, and worthy of repeat trips to see everything.  The collection also includes sculpture, photography and video.

Currently on exhibit is Kara Walker:  My Complement, My Enemy, My Oppressor, My Love, running through October 19th, 2008.  It consists of her signature black cut-paper silhouettes, along with other film animation and other paper art.  She is probably best known for her room-size silhouettes depicting historical perspectives, often related to the subjugation of life in the American South.

Although I’ve not seen this traveling exhibit, I have seen some of these silhouettes.  They are both fascinating as an art form and disturbing as a commentary on our history.  It would be worth a trip specifically for this exhibit.

The Modern is located at 3200 Darnell Street in Forth Worth.  Hours are Tuesday – Saturday, 10 am – 5 pm, and Sunday, 11 am – 5 pm.  It is closed on Mondays and holidays.  Admission is $10 for adults, $4 students and seniors, and FREE for children 12 and under.  Additionally, admission is free on the first Sunday of every month, and every Wednesday. 

Photo credit:  Courtesy of Dallas-Fort Worth Convention & Visitors Bureau

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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, about 150 miles west of Fort Worth, and strikes me as a big small town.  Big in the sense that the population is over 100,000, but small in the sense that it is still very much of a community, rather than an impersonal city.  It looks like there’s lot to do in Abilene from visiting animals, enjoying arts and theater, viewing some historical sites, and shopping.

In fact, Abilene has evolved to become the commercial, retail, medical and transportation hub of a goodly sized piece of Texas real estate commonly called “The Big Country” or “The Texas Midwest.”  Housing and services are still considered in the affordable range!  Detailed information about doing business in the city can be obtained from the Abilene Chamber of Commerce.

I’m not sure if I’m driven to visit Abilene yet, but it’s home to some notable folks:

• Boxer Tex Cobb
• Singer Larry Gatlin (and the Gatlin Brothers)
• Actor Fess Parker (I remember his playing Daniel Boone)
• Country Musician Lee Roy Parnell
• Singer & Actress Jessica Simpson

Do you have a matchbook that you’ve been up in your travels?  A favorite hotel, restaurant, or bar?  Or just something kind of quirky that made you stop and smile?  Take a photo, and send it to me for a future Matchbook Monday.

Photo credit: Personal collection

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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 go to support local Special Olympics Teams.

The Boneyard is located in the heart of the DFW Metroplex, at 3000 E. Pioneer Parkway in Arlington, Texas, just south of Six Flags Amusement Park on Highway 360.

And over in Fort Worth, is another Haunted House calling itself the largest in the world:  Cutting Edge. 

Cutting Edge is located in a 235,000 square foot warehouse built in the late 1920’s.  The haunted house features ghosts, phantoms, and all sorts of spooky ghouls.  There’s even a spooky Santa ghost!

Cutting Edge is located in Downtown Fort Worth at 1701 E. Lancaster Avenue (the Intersection of I-30 and Hwy 287).  Hours are 7 pm-10 pm during the week, open till midnight on Friday, Saturday and Halloween.  Admission is $23 (plus tax) for adults, $18.50 for children 10 and under.

Thanks for the info, Astroprof.  Let me know if you check either of them out for yourself.

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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 may be sensitive to the eerie environment.

The park contains four Haunted Houses, all four of which are included in your admission price.  You can go through them as many times as you wish, so arriving at the park early is definitely a plus.

• Castle of Darkness is the park’s most popular haunted house.  It’s a 6,000 square foot medieval castle, complete with twisting corridors and creatures of the dark.
• Terror Visions in 3D requires visitors to put on 3D glasses before entering.  Here you’ll find clowns and a funhouse that becomes your worst nightmare.  And that 3D technology makes everything seem so real!
• The Arcane Asylum demonstrates what happens when the inmates really do take over. 
• The Black Hole is a time travel journey that let’s you visit the age of dinosaurs (that T-Rex is pretty fierce), Ancient Egypt, and Jack the Ripper’s London, The only way out of this time travel vortex is through the Black Hole.

Also included with your admission price is admission to the Maze of the Macabre (can you find your way out?), the Ghoulish Graveyard and Spooky Hollow (for children ages 12 and under).  Other attractions within the park require an additional charge.

SCREAMS is open until October 28th.  from 7 pm-1:30 am.  On October 29th it is open from 11 pm.  Admission is $19.99, children under age 6 are free.  Group rates are available ($16.00) for groups of ten or more.

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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 for the kiddies, musical entertainment, and arts and crafts.  If you can’t find something there that you like, you just aren’t trying!

Some events are free; others require a modest entrance fee.  A full schedule of events and pricing is available on the website.  Directions and parking information is available here.

If you’re going to be in the Dallas area over the next couple of days, you can’t go wrong checking out Grapefest.  Have fun, Astroprof.  Wish I could be there!

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