More Travel Caching in Dallas, TX

It seems that caching is been very slow this month - at least while I'm home. However, I once again spent a few days in Dallas, TX and was able to grab a few caches in the evenings. I don't know how much business traveling you've done but for me caching has made it much more enjoyable. Before I got into caching business travel meant uneventful evenings usually in front of the computer working because there really wasn't much else to do. However, caching changes all of that. Now in the evenings I go caching until dark. Then back to the hotel to log the finds. It makes it all much more enjoyable.

This last trip to Dallas was no different. I was usually finished for the day around 4:30 or 5:00. However, this late in the year the sun goes down around 6:45 or 7:00. Being a stranger in a strange town I don't like to do any night caching. I don't really want to deal with the police when I'm not from around those parts.....

On this trip I was able to snag somewhere around 40 caches. All of them were fun but the rest of this post is about some of the more interesting finds.

The first cache on my list to do was The Grassy Knoll. If you think about it long enough I'm sure you can guess the significance of this cache. It's a virtual cache because the area is considered a US landmark - so I didn't find any container but I learned a great deal.

It made me think back to all of the old news footage that is seen of the events when Kennedy's motorcade drove past this small grassy hill. Standing there I could remember that footage and see how it happened. In the picture to the right I'm standing somewhere near where a shot likely came from. The closest building on the left side of the picture is the "Book Depository" building and the far right-hand window of the second to the top story (just above the trees) is where others claimed to have heard shots. Anyway, there's lots of stories that can be found all over the net. It was just pretty interesting to see the site where it all happened.

I've noticed that Dallas has a great concept for neighborhood parks. They call them "Greenways" which are parks that weave behind houses and across streets. They're very nice. This is one of them. I spent way too long looking for this cache - What a view. I spent a lot of time sitting on the rocks shown in the picture just under the fence on the grass. I even found a friend while searching - a small gardener snake rolled up in the leaves. Made me jump back but I never saw him (or any of his friends) again.

This one 'scuse me while I... was a fun one. You can see from the pic there's a large freeway involved and of course it's on a walking bridge over the freeway. Ok, so that part really isn't that interesting - we have lots of those around here. The interesting thing is that if I were able to follow that freeway for about 25 hours or so I'd end up right back here in Minnesota. That freeway is I-35E - and if you stay on I-35E it will lead from Dallas, Tx all the way back to St Paul Minnesota. I often thought it was funny that I-35 splits into E and W in the Twin Cities, but it was even funnier to see that it splits into E and W in Dallas, too.

In Texas they have an "early voting" capability. Voting actually started when I was there and evidence could be seen all around. The picture to the right was taken as I was coming out from finding a couple of caches. The polling place was about 500' from where all of these signs were lined up. Boy I can't wait until this is over...

I've always been a Dallas Cowboy's fan. I used to follow them a lot. I had Cowboys room decorations, coats, clothes, uniforms, etc when I was a kid. So it was kind of cool when I found Made Me Glad - 'cause it did. This picture on the left was taken from the cache site (and zoomed way in). After finding this cache I headed toward the Cowboys Training camp to check it out - and get a few caches around there. Of course it's all locked up and visitors are not allowed, but it was still fun to see.

The last cache on one evening was planned to put me next to a Fry's Electronics store so I could waste some more time in the store. The cache was "I'm Fryed" and it must have had something very valuable in it at one point. The last picture to the right shows how this cache is guarded - and that thing is less that 50' away from the cache - in an open parking lot. I thought this was a pretty interesting 'unit.' I wonder what it's used for. I can't imagine them needed to use this for the Fry's parking lot but maybe, I guess. It also has a great view of the freeway from here so maybe that's the reason. At any rate, I grabbed the cache quickly and moved on.

Overall it was a great caching trip. I was able to grab some fun and memorable caches. Because of caching I was able to visit some new places, see some new things, and experience the memorable - things that I wouldn't have done otherwise. Thanks, caching, for making it fun!!