I’ve explored Downtown Dallas to the point where I can give an informative tour to guests. I can point out historical markers, buildings that are important in Dallas’ history, and places where important events happened.
This day, took me and my explorer friend Beth to the neighboring city of Ft. Worth to see what that Downtown offers. We chose to take the TRE train from the EBJ Union Station to the Ft. Worth Central Station. After downloading the app, (gopass.org) I bought us a round-trip/day pass from Dallas to Ft. Worth (NOTE: this train only goes this route) for $12 each. We boarded the near-empty train and a fast hour later, we arrived.
We explored Sundance Square, where we heard piped-in saxophone music and watched people drink coffee and mill around the twinkle-lit canopy over tables and chairs inside the quadrangle of buildings. Then we ducked into the St. Patrick’s Cathedral during a Mass and appreciated the beautiful architecture, inside and out. Maria, the lovely, helpful FTPD officer guided us to our next stop, the Water Gardens. Along that route, we saw the original Texas & Pacific Railroad Passenger Terminal that is now home to lofts and a closed on Mondays restaurant. We found the Water Gardens (historically called Hell’s Half Acre) and each threw in a lucky penny as we made our wishes. The Parks & Rec ambassador John told us stories about visitors to the area and one man’s escapade to leave his clothes and boots near the wall. Upon returning to the train station for our journey back to Downtown Dallas, we met Ron, who has worked in transportation for over 30 years. He told us stories about the trains and topped off our trip with smiles and graciousness.
Tips for explorers:
- Say, “Yes!”
- Say, “Hello!”
- Be curious.
- Have FUN every day!!
Aloha🌺,
Denise
