Thursday, October 27, 2011

Saunders Park Is The Secret Hidden Gem Of The Fort Worth Stockyards

The Fort Worth Stockyards Secret Saunders Park
In the picture you are looking at the backside of Riscky's Steakhouse and the Love Shack and a couple other backsides, like maybe the White Elephant Saloon, who's frontsides face Exchange Avenue in the Fort Worth Stockyards.

The picture was taken in a location called Saunders Park. I have long been perplexed by Saunders Park.

Why have I been perplexed?

Well, it appears a lot of effort went into building Saunders Park, enhancing Marine Creek. But very few people who visit the Fort Worth Stockyards see Saunders Park.

And yesterday I saw that the sign on Exchange Avenue that directed visitors down the alley that leads to Saunders Park no longer exists.

The Snake I've Seen In Texas I Saw At This Location
I've long thought the alley that leads to Saunders Park was really tacky, what with garbage bins filled with restaurant refuge aromatically lining the way to the park.

The only Fort Worth Stockyards enterprise that seems to embrace and make use of Saunders Park is Tim Love's Lonesome Dove Bistro, which has a patio overlooking the park.

I think I recollect reading Tim Love quoted after he bought the White Elephant Saloon, or maybe after he opened the Love Shack, that he wanted to open up those entities to Saunders Park.

But that has not happened. I would imagine that would be an expensive remodeling undertaking.

If I remember right, and I probably don't, I discovered Saunders Park via riding my bike on the Trinity Trail and then exiting the Trinity Trail to another trail that led me into Saunders Park.

Looking South At Marine Creek In Saunders Park
The paved trail that runs beside the canal looking waterway that flows under the Stockyards continues on for miles along Marine Creek.

I've never been able to learn why Saunders Park was built or why the Fort Worth Stockyards appears to ignore its existence.

I Googled to see if I could find any info regarding this perplexation and was surprised to learn that when you Google "Saunders Park Fort Worth" my Fort Worth Stockyards webpage is in the #1 spot.

And what is in the #2 spot? A blogging of mine on this very blog you are reading right now, written way back on April 20, 2009, titled Fort Worth Stockyards Saunders Park.

Not remembering I had already blogged about being perplexed by Saunders Park is the latest sad sign that my memory is failing. The pictures that I took for the previous time I blogged about Saunders Park appear to be better than the ones I took yesterday.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I was just shown the area behind a few businesses on Exchange. I cannot believe that this area has not been cleaned up and developed. I can see waterfront businesses better than the san antonio river walk. Mainly. Because it's The Ft Worth Stockyards. What's up with not cleaning this up and making it the beautiful area it can be?