Dallas Arboretum

Yesterday, the folks visited the Dallas Arboretum.  The normal admission price is $15 a person, but in February the price is only $5.  You know that Mom jumped on that.  Parking is $15, but if you pay for it online, it is $8.  However, paying for parking online does not guarantee you a space as you can use it any day and not just on the day that you pay for it.  Luckily, it was not a problem and they found a parking space.  Mom would have been upset if it hadn't worked out. You know what is funny?  The gate was up when they left so they never even had to show their parking ticket.

Mom said it is a really pretty place and she took lots of photos.  Dad said there were a lot of fat squirrels there.  I wish I could have gone, but dogs are not allowed.  People are allowed to picnic on the grassy areas.  There were a lot of people dressed up taking photos and one was a bride.

 

Mom said it would be fun to visit at different times of year because it would look different with each season.

Joey,
The Greyhound Who Has Become Obsessed With Squirrels

Gone With The Wind Museum

Yesterday, Dad was off from work, so he took Mom to the Gone With The Wind Museum in Cleburne, TX.   Mom has always liked the movie and thought it would be fun to visit this small museum.

The museum.

Outside Mural

Mural on side of building.

Another mural.

Close-up of Mural.

 When you enter the building, you are in a very small room where you sign the guest book and pay the $7 admission fee.  You then enter through double doors that were created to look like Tara, the house that Scarlett loved so much.

The museum is mainly made up of collectibles, but there are a few original costume pieces.  Mom was most interested in those.

Painting of Scarlett.

Hat worn by Vivien Leigh who played Scarlett.

Another hat that Vivien Leigh wore.

Yep, that is toilet paper and a toilet seat.

The famous dress worn by Scarlett.  It is not the original though.

This chair was in the movie.

Re-creation of Scarlett's wedding dress.

Worn by Vivien Leigh.

Worn by the actress who played Belle. She was Rhett's "friend".

Worn by the actress who played Melanie.

Worn by the actress who played Bonnie Blue.

Chair was in the movie.  It is in the last scene where Rhett tells Scarlett he doesn't give a damn.

Dolls

Call sheet with the actors and actresses names.

The tree is decorated with ornaments in a Gone With The Wind theme.

The movie plays continuously in the theater room.

 Mom took a lot more pictures, but they didn't turn out.  They were blurry.

The folks liked the museum.  A person probably could spend hours looking at everything. 

Mom would like to visit the museum in Georgia some day.

Joey,
The Greyhound Who Thought Gone With The Wind Was About Racing

Krispy Kreme and Squirrels

There is a Krispy Kreme donut place across from our campground.  Every morning, Mom and I walk to end of our street and just sniff the air.  Mmmm.....donuts!  Mom surprised me on Valentine's Day with Krispy Kremes.  They were everything I imagined.  I chattered until I received a bite.  The glazed donut melted in my mouth.  I chattered some more and Mom laughed at me.  I think I am hooked!

The squirrels here are not very smart.  I almost caught one today.  He ran really close to me. I spun Mom around and started chasing him.  I don't think Mom will let me get that close to one again.  It sure was exciting, just ask Mom! 

There is a couple from Australia that are staying here for just a few days.  They are traveling around the world in their RV.  Can you imagine?  They are here to see where JFK was killed and then they are moving on.  They are not interested in touring J.R. Ewings house. BOL!  They are on their way to South America.  They thought I was cute and Mom talked way to long to them.  I get bored after a minute of talking.  Why do people talk so long?  Just say "hi" and move on.  That is what dogs do. We sniff butts and move on.   Mom thought they were really interesting.

This is the back of their rig.  The top part comes down when they travel.

Here they are leaving for a day of sightseeing.  We will try to get a front view of their rig tonight.

In other news, Mom has started cooking with a cast iron skillet.  She is tired of replacing frying pans every six months and cast iron is supposed to last forever if you take care of it.  She has been using it for a few weeks now.  She likes it, but she is still not happy with how our fried eggs are turning out.  I think she just needs to practice with more eggs.  

Our weather has been really nice the past few weeks.  Our temps have been around 70.  Mom has been riding Buddy all over.

I like it here.  The dog park is nice.  There is one for big dogs and one for dogs under 25 pounds.  Mom actually lets me run here.  She says it is the perfect size and there are not things that I can run into.  Several people have commented that I look so happy when I am running.  Mom laughs when I run because I run in a crazy way.  I like to bounce around.  It's fun.

Me watching a cat.  Yep, there are lots of cats here.  Cats and squirrels!

Joey,
The Greyhound Who Is Hoping More Donuts Find Their Way Into His Mouth

Top O' Hill Terrace

 The folks took of a tour of Top O' Hill Terrace.  Top O' Hill Terrace was known as "Vegas" before Vegas. In the early 1920's, the property was a tea room which also served meals.  In the late 1920's, Fred and Mary Browning purchased the property and converted the facilities into a casino, adding an escape tunnel and secret room for hiding the gambling paraphernalia during raids. Many famous people visited the casino.  John Wayne, Liberace, Bonnie and Clyde, Clark Gable, Bugsy Siegel,  Benny Binion; Ted Hinton,  Hedy Lamarr, Lana Turner, Marlene Dietrich, W.C. Fields; stripper Sally Rand; reclusive businessman Howard Hughes; boxers Jack Dempsey and Max Baer; band leaders Tommy Dorsey and Tex Beneke were among some of the visitors.

 There were guards at the entrance to the hidden casino and only certain people were allowed inside.  If the police showed up for the raid, the guards pushed a button which sounded an alarm in the casino.  Items could quickly be stored in walls and secret rooms.  Gamblers would escape through hidden tunnels.  This worked well until one guest who had a cast on his leg fell in the tunnel and couldn't get up.  All the people behind him were trapped in the tunnel and they were all arrested.  In 1947, officers crawled up in the hill and caught the gamblers by surprise.  The casino was shut down for good.  In 1956, the property was bought and it became a Baptist college.  It remains a Baptist college to this day.  I forgot to mention there was also a brothel on the property in the casino days.

The tour guide has been researching the history of this place for the past 14 years.  Her husband is a pastor.  She said they have never allowed a deck of cards in their home, but she has bought poker chips and roulette wheels for her tour.  She is really dedicated to finding out all she can about the history.  There is one tunnel that has been uncovered, but she thinks there are probably five in total.

The tour consists of sitting on some really hard wooden chairs from the casino days and watching a slide show for about 1 hour and 15 minutes.  Vickie Bryant, the tour guide, showed various items that have been donated to the museum. Then, the tour group rides a golf cart to various places on the grounds.  On weekends, visitors can see the one tunnel and secret room that have been found. It cannot be toured during the week because you have to go into the kitchen of the cafeteria and they prepare food during that time.  The tour is a donation of $5 a person.

One of the two tours that the guards used.

Backside of the entrance.

The tea garden

The fountain inside the tea garden.

Inside the tea garden

Another wall of the tea garden.

The tunnel coming out of the building.

View from top of the tea garden.

 The folks said the tour was interesting. It would be even better if guests were allowed to walk through the tunnel.

On the way home, they saw this:

Dad thought it was really funny.  It is not funny that Carolyn died, but it is just worded funny.  He wonders if Carolyn was on the waitstaff.

If you are interested in learning more, there are several short videos about the Top O' Hill Terrace. Click here: Top O'Hill Terrace.  Click on the left hand side where TV stations are listed.

Joey,
The Greyhound Who Is Getting A Reputation With The Squirrels Here