Day 51 - Dallas

The Old Red Courthouse, built in 1982. One of Dallas' oldest remaining buildings. Now a museum

The 50 story Reunion Tower in Dallas, Texas

Memorial to where Dallas was first settled in Dealey Plaza along Houston Street. Not far from the Kennedy assassination location.

A skyline view of Dallas' Reunion Tower alongside many tall office buildings

Dallas was a staging point for the 19th century cattle drives. This is in Pioneer Plaza a 4.2 acre park featuring 40 bronze longhorn steers being driven by three cowboys on horseback. The site was the actual location where the cattle would rest. 

Another view of the 40 longhorn steers in Pioneer Plaza, Dallas, Texas

Remember the flying red horse "Mobile gas"? This old pre WW2 icon is still located on top of one of Dallas' oldest skyscraper

Driving to South Fork NE of Dallas we drove under a pancaked turnpike. There is actually five layers of roads.

The old Dallas actors and actresses. There were 13 seasons aired. Can you remember their names? Picture located in the South Fork museum building

This is the new Dallas. Notice that Larry Hagman is the fourth from the left cast member. He died last year and has been taken out of the second season. Picture located in the South Fork museum building. 

The back view of the South Fork mansion. This building was sold a few times and now open to the public. Also it is still used in the new Dallas series. 

A closer back view of South Fork mansion.

No need to write what this is all about????? Inside the South Fork mansion

The $30,000 chandelier inside the South Fork mansion

The master bathroom inside the South Fork mansion

The master bedroom inside the South Fork mansion

A view from the balcony showing the pool - South Fork mansion

The front view of the South Fork mansion

Ready for a murder scene. Inside one of the South Fork mansion bedrooms. Who dun it this time?

The actual 1978 Lincoln that Jock Ewing drive in the first series. Located in South Fork. In pristine condition

Out of South Fork and back in Dallas. Driving through  millionaires' suburb. This building in the background will set you back $30,000,000 if it was for sale

Somewhere near the Theatre Centre in Dallas. The design is unique

The bridge over the Trinity River, Dallas

What we can remember about this building is the slats turn 90 degrees - can't remember what for but it unusual and designed by a world's renown architect. Located in the Dallas Theatre Centre

The hole in the middle of this building was purposely designed. What for? Sorry we've forgotten. So many stories our tour guide told us and this is one we cannot remember. Located in Dallas downtown

A tall condominium in downtown Dallas. A neat few million dollars you'll need to own a bit of property inside the building

This one we do remember - it is the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center in Dallas. A multi-million dollar facility designed by I.M. Pei. It is the home of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra.

Inside the Dallas Catholic Cathedral. Beautiful stained windows.

One of the original Dallas millionaires built this mansion not far from the center of Dallas. Now is another multi-million dollar investment

Outside the Crow Collection of Asian Art, Dallas

It was over 100 deg F today and walking around this cool fountain location was a respite. Located in downtown Dallas - somewhere?

The Sixth Floor Museum - used to be the Texas School Book Depository. If you look at the window in the center, the bottom right is where Lee Harvey Oswald fired three shots at John F Kennedy in 1963.

Look closely there is a white "X" in the middle of the road. That is the site of the third bullet that struck JFK on that fateful day. The distance between the building and that spot looks far in this photograph but in fact it is close (about 180 feet).  

This is the view that Lee Harvey Oswald had when he fired those three shots. The elm trees 50 years ago were not that high as it is now. The first shot appeared to hit the road sign and ricochet, the second and third shots struck JFK

A view of Elm Street where the cavalcade traveled down. The infamous "grassy knoll" is the grassed slope behind the green sign

Anne is standing at the site where the only video was taken of the assassination. The owner of the film - a "dressmaker" eventually received a large sum of money for the film. Talk about being in the right place at the right time. 

Another view of Elm Street - about the location of the second shot. This view shows how close the building where Lee Harvey Oswald was and basically dispels all the conspiracy theories that we have heard about over the years - including the "grassy knoll" version. 

The story behind this location site is explained.

A parting view of Elm Street from the base of the Sixth Floor Museum. 

This is the store that supplies all boots and leather goods for the Dallas TV series. Located in Market Street Dallas. Note that Anne is inspecting the jewellery

Inside the boot shop on Market Street, Dallas. Look at all those cowboy gumboots!

Dallas is proud of their DART a rapid light-rail transport system that now is serving many suburbs

Another reflected building in downtown Dallas, Texas

We took may pictures during our tour today and the most interesting are above - 43 of them. Most of what we saw is explained under each photograph. We had three choices on how we were to travel from our hotel to downtown Dallas - about 12 miles south. One, take Ralph, two catch a cab or three take the bus. Well we took the bus for only $2.50 each. No stress, and on time. We left early and met with our guide at the Sixth Floor Museum on Elm and Houston Street. John Estes took us in his own personal vehicle and showed us the sites in Dallas and then drove us about 30 miles north-east of Dallas to South Fork. The building is still being used for the new TV version and sadly Larry Hagman passed away from leukaemia last year. Apparently they killed him off in the first series. South Fork was a home to a well-off local and the TV company wanted this house in the second series back in 1979. The owner's wife took a shotgun to the uninvited director and after many months later made contact again, this time under diplomatic arrangements and offered a large sum of money for the use of their home. There were two conditions, firstly they could not film inside the house and secondly they had to film during the summer months. After the original series finished the mansion was sold a few times and eventually bought by the film company. Today nobody lives in the house and is open to the public except during filming days. After South Fork we traveled back into steaming hot Dallas and visited more structures around the Performing Arts district. About 3 pm we had tickets to go inside the Sixth Floor Museum where Lee Harvey Oswald had killed JFK. The presentation inside is very informative, giving a detailed account of what occurred in November 1963 - almost 50 years ago. We also walked around the site where JFK was hit by the two bullets and our guide explained that those conspiracy theories that certain people have made money with is a lot of  rubbish. We believe him as when you actually see the site and the distance from the window to where  JFK was hit is short. All films we had seen in the past appeared that Lee Harvey Oswald was an expert sniper. The grassy knoll theory is also rubbish - no way could anybody have fired a weapon from that location. It was extremely sad to see the site and amazingly a local women walked up to us and said that every time she passes this site she gets the jitters! After 10 hours of touring we had dinner in a Market Street cafe and visited the Boot Shop next door. This shop supplies all the leather goods for the new Dallas TV series. We caught the bus back to our hotel after a jam-packed tour. Tomorrow we have a day off and we need to complete our shopping. Cheers.