Day 9 - Wrapping up the trip

Today we woke up with Scott feeling much better. We decided to have breakfast in the hotel and then checks out of our room.  

We drove back to Deally plaza to get Scott up to date on all the things we learned on our tour yesterday.  Then we headed into the sixth floor museum located in the book depository.  The museum was well done but was pretty full so we paired up and went thru at our own pace. We wrapped up around the same time and headed back out to the car.  

Then we drove past the other places we visited yesterday basically following Oswald’s straps after the assassination.  

Next we drove over to the world aquarium.  From the outside it reminded me of the rain forest cafe but the inside was a fun path thru 4 floors on animal exhibit.  To be honest, it didn’t have many aquarium tanks rather more animal exhibits but it was a great way to spend some time.

After the aquarium we headed out of town for our afternoon stops.  First a visit to Chilis for some lunch.  Then on to MicroCenter - an electronics store that’s not in Michigan but one that Tyler has wanted to visit.  He was thrilled!

Then we drove further north to see the headquarters of Dude Perfect. It’s not much and has nothing for the public but Sammy wanted to see where the magic happens.

After that we stopped by The Gaylord Resort to show the boys this space.  Sammy and I stayed in a Gaylord resort in Nashville last fall and were really impressed.  

Then grabbed some fuel and headed to Hard Eight BBQ for a quick snack. I had visited this restaurant with my grandma years ago when we flew out to visit my aunt.  It’s an open pit BBQ with all the meats made fresh; nothing like it back home!  I knew it would be a favorite for my fam so we grabbed some sausage, brisket and pulled pork even though we were all still pretty full from lunch.

We were hoping to connect with some family while in town but with Scott’s sick day, we were trying to wrap up all the other activities I had promised. 

After our “snack” we headed back to the airport. Scott dropped off the bags other Sam and I while he and Tyler returned the rental car.

Tyler and I worked on school work while Sam and Scott watched some fails.  It was a pretty quiet night.  I think we are all ready to sleep in our own beds tomorrow!

Weather: high of 66* and overcast

Day 8 - Back to Dallas

I’m so grateful of that we did decide to make progress up north last night because Scott woke up with a lot of sinus pressure.  He was insistent that he was good to travel. But about an hour into the ride, he asked if I could drive.  We pulled into our hotel in downtown Dallas around 11:30 AM much earlier than a standard check-in time but the front desk clerk pulled some strings and had housekeeping clean our room right away, so we only had about an hour wait.

He settled Scott on a couch in the air conditioned lobby and the kids and I walked to a nearby sandwich shop to grab lunch.  We have a JFK Assassination tour today at 1:15pm which unfortunately can’t be rescheduled.  So the kids and I left Scott on the couch and headed out - just a few blocks to meet the tour guide at the JFK Memorial.  (The room was ready within a half hour so he didn’t have long to wait)

The tour was fantastic. Richard is a photo journalist who has studied the JFK assasination for years.  His van is equipped with a speaker system and tvs so he not only drives and narrates the tour but also runs the multimedia including diagrams, videos and original photos from the various investigations.

It was 2.5 hrs and we visited Deally Plaza, the grassy knoll,  the book depository, the home Oswald lived at the time of the shooting, the theater he was found in, the jail and city building where Oswald was later killed, and the spot where JD Tippit, local policeman, was shot as well. 

 

Left - Deally Plaza, where the parade for JFK was ending.

Right - Book Depository where Oswald work. The shots came from the far right window on the 6th floor. 

After the shooting, Oswald returned to his home to change his clothes and get his revolver. This home was originally a Rooming House that held 17 men. The women who owned it passed it down to her granddaughter who still lives here. She has restored it to its 1960s condition and remembers Oswald helping her with her homework as a child.  She is adamant that Oswald is innocent.

Oswald was separated from his wife at the time and had this room to himself. Here is his bed along with the coat he wore following the assassination.

After he left his home, he walked up the street several blocks and eventually shot a local policeman in the street. An X marks the spot on the road where the officer fell. Here is the memorial left on the side of the road.

Then Oswald walked down the street, hiding his coat behind a gas station and popping in to stores to avoid the increasing police presence.  Eventually he slipped into the Texas Theater which is where the police caught up to him.

The tour was so informative and explored Oswald’s life prior to the shooting, the habits and events that led up to Ruby shooting Oswald, as well as the full week of the Kennedy campaign plus the geopolitical climate post Cuban missile crisis and Vietnam.  

The tour ended at the museum in the book depository but Richard ordered out tickets for tomorrow so Scott can join us.  He dropped us off at our hotel and we headed up to our room.

Our room was amazing!  It was a 2-room suite with spacious bedrooms as well as a large living room, dining room and kitchen.  

Scott needed another hour of so of rest, so the kids and I welcomed some down time.  The tour was phenomenal but was like drinking from a fire hose.  We decided to stay in for dinner and order from Uber.

We had steaks and all the sides in our dining room and then relaxed a while catching up on some shows we’ve missed.  Scott headed back to bed around 8 pm so the kids and I just snuggled up on the couch and relaxed.

Hoping Scott is feeling better tomorrow.  

Today’s high: 72, overcast with a few sprinkles (quite cold outside)