Virtual Cache: The Grassy Knoll

The Infamous Grassy Knoll

While in Dallas, I had the pleasure of capturing the virtual geocache located in Dealy Plaza, directly across the way from where 3 shots were fired and the world was robbed of one of its most promising leaders, President John F Kennedy.

 In honor of this cache, I thought that I would post a few random facts about the area where the horror and chaos went down.

Capturing the Virtual.  It was sooo freaking cold that day!

Even 50 years after the Kennedy Assassination, it is still unclear where the term "Grassy Knoll" began, but a popular theory is that it began circulation when news reporter Bill Newman who had been riding in a news crew car five vehicle behind the president.  Newman supposedly appeared on WFAA-TV in Dallas about 15-20 minutes after the shooting stating that the shots came from behind him, "up on the mall," or "up on the knoll." Due to the quality of the broadcast, it is completely possible the "m" in mall sounded more like a "n" and thus a term that has become synonymous with subterfuge and hidden plots was coined.

 




Dealey Plaza is a significant part of Dallas history. The site marks the birthplace of Dallas, originally founded by John Neely Bryan in the 1840s.





Did you know that the Grassy Knoll is located just off of Elm Street, the very street upon which the movie "Nightmare On Elm Street" was named? (according to my tour guide for the day.  May not be true, but a fun fact none the less)

The window from which Lee Harvey Oswald allegedly fired the shot that killed the president.

In the Stephen King novel based on the assassination, 11/22/63, the main character of George/Jake states while sitting on bench across the street from the Book Depository that the building itself seems to resonate with evil, as if you feel the need to do horrible and unspeakable things simply by being in a close proximity of the structure. I am not sure if I felt that because I had just finished the book or whether there is an unusually creepy vibe emanating from within. 



The Book Depository with the sniper's nest located at the last window of the 6th floor (second from the top)

Several people who saw the Kennedys in Dallas and Fort Worth in 1963 have toured the Museum and found pictures of themselves among the crowds, including Fort Worth native, actor Bill Paxton.

 

and finally, did you know:

 

The lowest grossing film of all time had its premiere in Dallas in 2006. Zyzzyx Road, starring Katherine Heigl and Tom Sizemore, had only six paying customers and earned only $30 at the box office.

 

And now you know, and knowing is half the battle. 

Where Have All The Cowboys Gone?

Statue found in the Cowboy Hall of Fame Museum

The idealistic American West of my childhood highlighted many characters ranging from lawmen to outlaws, but none featured as centrally as the iconic cowboy.  On Saturday afternoons, it was hard to turn on the TV and find a movie that did not feature such names as Billy The Kid, Jesse James, or Annie Oakley conquering the untamed wild. 

Leather Saddle

Images such as stagecoaches, barbed wire and shoot outs in the street were fuel for the juvenile imagination and became key in forming an admittedly unrealistic idea of a utopian pioneer world where the bad guys always wear black and the good guys always win in the eleventh hour.



So I admittedly had a silly and slightly romanticized idea of what I would discover in Texas, but was beyond surprised to find that the Capital of the American Cowboy was shockingly devoid of any cowfolk at all. 

Ride 'Em Cowboy!!

This is not too surprising as in the last few decades the superhero has slowly replaced the heroes of the wild frontier as a focal point in the media and cinema blockbusters (Although it is heartening to see them trying to make a comeback in the form of such films as The Lone Ranger and A Million Ways To Die In The West!).  But still, what the mind knows and what the heart accepts are often two completely different ideas and my heart had been set on finding the classic western hero sitting high upon his white steed.  Ok, perhaps I am exaggerating, but you get the point.

I had begun to believe that I would, in fact, not see a single Stetson during my stay, but was rescued from such disappointment by the appearance of an honest to goodness post-modern cowboy. I was enraptured and probably scared the daylights out of him when I asked for a picture, which he graciously (southern gentleman, after all. Never refuse a damsel in distress!) agreed.

 Below is a copy of that moment that brought such joy and will live in my mind for years to come as the day I found my own John Wayne to rescue me from ho-hums of modern cookie-cutter normalcy. 

My Hero!

Eye See You!

Ever get the feeling that you are being watched?  Well, if you are touring the Dallas area, there is a pretty good chance that someone or some-thing might just, in fact, have its eye on you.  And it is not bothering to pretend not to stare.

The sculpture that captures your eye (wow, even I have to groan at my puns) is a giant 30 foot tall ocular oddity simply named "Eye" by the artist Tony Tasset. 

It's modeled after the artist's own eyeball and serves to echo pop culture elements, feelings of surveillance, themes of knowledge and power and the shared experience of living.

 

If you're unfamiliar with Tasset's other work, this isn't his first trip down unsettling alley. His "Capuchine Chandelier" is a skeletal tribute to the mummies of the Capuchin Monastery, and he also created a depressed Paul Bunyan slumped in a field, as well as some eternal snowmen.

Go ahead and take a moment to google some of his other work, I actually found it to be rather stimulating and thought-provoking.

The sculpture will only be in the Downtown area for a limited time as part of a temporary exhibit.  Eventually, I like to imagine that Dallas will get tired of it always having its eye on them and will start to scream "Stop Looking At Me!!"  So I suggest you get by there as soon as possible to experience this eye-sore for yourself!  (ok, yes, I'm done now. "Eye" promise!)

An Up Close Look at the World's Largest Bronze Sculpture

Note how they incorporated the water into the sculpture

On my tour of Dallas, one of the first sites our tour guide took us to was that of the Cattle Drive sculpture, the largest bronze sculpture in the world (and with 2 cattle being added every year, it continues to grow!). 

 

 

 

The sculpture, located in the historic Downtown area, is larger than life and very impressive to see up close! I would list it as a definite must-see for anyone visiting the area.   Each piece of bronze art was created by artist Robert Summers of Glen Rose, Texas.

 

 

In 1995, the Texas Trees Foundation dedicated Pioneer Plaza to the City of Dallas providing a focal point with historical significance for downtown Dallas. The Plaza commemorates Dallas’ beginnings by celebrating the trails that brought settlers to Dallas. The site features native plants and trees and a flowing stream in a natural setting and a re-creation of a cattle drive in bronze with longhorn steers being driven by three cowboys on horses.

It is located adjacent to the Dallas Convention Center at Young and Griffin between the historical Pioneer Cemetery and the Dallas Convention Center. Pioneer Plaza represents the largest public open space in the central business district.


Getting up close and personal with one of the larger than life denizens of the park

Other features of Pioneer Plaza include a waterfall, man-made cliffs, native plant life and the small historic details on the sculptures.

This was an awesome sight to behold and I highly recommend you take the side excursion to visit while you are here!

Muggle No More!

This week, I had the extreme pleasure of bringing my 9 year old cousin over to the Dork Side! She is now a muggle no more! 

It was worth braving the bitter cold elements and crazy drivers to see the look on her face when she finally discovered her very first geocache, Flood Zone AE, which was a mere .10 of a mile from her house in Plano!!  It was a well hidden micro that could have given a beginner some trouble, but she found it within minutes of looking, a natural born cacher. 
 

 

Now the addiction has begun, so Texas geocachers be on the lookout for logs from AvaLava coming to a cache near you!! 

There Be Gold in Them There Hills...or at least in my mail box.

Today I was super psyched to find my own Texas S Coin.  But unlike the characters of the debut novel by Jason L Bradshaw, upon which the coin and its contest are based, I did not have to come face to face with many dangers in order to discover one.  I simply went to my mail box and opened the letter. (In and of itself, not without dangers, if you stop to consider how uncomfortable a paper cut can be.)  I admit that I was hoping the coin would have come before my trip to Texas last week, but I am sure I can still find some interesting places for it to visit here farther north!

This is the piece of golden treasure that I found inside:

The geocoin is actually a promotional piece that ties in with Bradshaw's book, Beneath Creek Waters, and is your chance to win several fun prizes by taking photos of the coin as you hide and pass it along on its grand adventure.  Although all of the 200 coins have been mailed out, you do not have to be the original owner to win, there is the opportunity to discover one in a geocache close to you!  If you are interested in learning more about this really fun and exciting contest and its rules, then here is the link to the contest page:  http://authorjasonlbradshaw.com/hunt-for-the-texas-s-coin.html  Good luck!!

As for the book, I have every plan to download it to my Kindle and read it right away!  So far, I have seen many good reviews and am looking forward to doing my own review of it right here on my blog after I finish reading, so stay tuned.  Here is a brief Synopsis from Good Reads of what it is you can expect to find inside:

 

In 1845, 200 gold coins were minted to commemorate Texas’ entry into the United States. Slated to be given to all major players that helped Texas into the Union, the coins were loaded onto a wagon on rainy night near Dallas, Texas and never seen again.  Over a century later, traces of the coins resurface, after a couple of local kids stumble upon what appeared to be one, in a Southeast Texas creek. News of the find reach Parks Leslie and Stan Atcher, both treasure hunters and historians, always looking for their next big find and long-time seekers of these coins. Parks and Stan's interest proves to be an unexpected journey, tangled with blood history ties, new friendships and near-death experiences, calling for sacrifices no one could have predicted.

Although I have not yet decided where my coin will begin its journey, it suffices to say that I am thrilled and excited to see where its path will lead! 

Goodbye, Mr. Spock

Goodbye to one of the most amazing and legendary men to have ever captured my mind as a child and my heart as an adult.

Goodbye Leonard Nimoy. 

You taught me how to live long and prosper and what it means when the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, or the one.  I wish you well on your journey to a brave new world.