Because I was in downtown Fort Worth yesterday afternoon I thought I'd also go to the
Fort Worth Stockyards, which are a couple miles north of downtown. I had not been to the Stockyards in awhile. The most recent time was months ago when I pedaled from
Gateway Park to the Stockyards. Previous to that it was with my mom and dad, BBQing at Riscky's BBQ, way back in January.
The Stockyards may be my favorite tourist spot in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. It's usually the place I take out of state visitors that they like the best. I think because the Stockyards fits a Texas stereotype with its Cowboys and Longhorns.
I expected there would be more tourists than I saw yesterday. On the weekends the Stockyards are real busy. But in the middle of the week, on Wednesday, the place was not the hopping spot it will be on Saturday and Sunday. I did see some tourists. I sat there thinking us Americans really need to stop dressing so weird when we are in tourist mode.
And it wouldn't hurt to have the Stockyards security guys cowboyed up a bit more than just a cowboy hat.
I watched a particularly strangely attired couple walk into the Visitors Bureau. When they came out they walked to where I was sitting by the misters. And then I hear them talk. They weren't Americans. They were foreigners. German. A half hour later another group of Germans got misted. They were not dressed goofy.
I think no one with a gut should wear a t-shirt. And no one over 21 should wear a t-shirt that says anything on it. Like this other group standing by the mister. The older mister of that group had a t-shirt that said "North Cascades Highway Washington." So, I asked, "Are you from Washington?" He said, "No, why do you think that?" To which I said, "Because you are wearing a Washington t-shirt." To which he said, "No, we are from Texas." That's the misters and the Texan with the Washington t-shirt in the picture.
When I first set eyes upon the Fort Worth Stockyards it was after dark. The place lights up real nice. Back then daylight allowed you to see that the Stockyards needed some sprucing up. Over the years, that I have been here, there has been a lot of sprucing up done. Yesterday I saw a lot of sculptures have been added. One sad thing has not changed at all, that being the New Isis Theater. Ever since my first day in Texas this theater has been boarded up with the marquee saying "Coming Soon The New New Isis Theater." A couple years ago I got email from a guy who said he was restoring the Isis and that he was selling the original theater seats because they had to be replaced because Texans' butts have grown a lot bigger since the Isis last sat people.
I like Stockyards Station. I think it used to be where they put cattle before putting the cattle on trains. Which is why a train track runs through Stockyards Station. Now the Tarantula Train uses those tracks to take tourists to
Grapevine and back. I have not ridden the Tarantula Train. Trains do not appeal to me. I got nauseated from motion sickness, which I'd never had, before or since, riding Amtrak from Seattle to Portland and back. Stockyards Station also looked spruced up yesterday. But there were very very few people in there. Ghost town.
It's been years since I've gone to the Stockyards after dark. I should do that again someday, if I ever decide to do something for fun again.
