Tales from Ivy Creek: Dallas Visit with the Wilsons

On Memorial Day weekend we paid a visit to our friends Rob, Robyn and Brooke, who have recently relocated to Dallas. We headed to Texas for a weekend of fun and play.

We spent our first day in Fort Worth, visiting the Zoo and the Stock Yards. It was an excellent day for sightseeing; the cloud cover kept the temperatures down and the crowds away. At the zoo, we of course spent lots of time with the primates...

The gorillas were particularly impressive, they were very active and the ape house allowed us to get within a foot of them (with a very thick pane of glass in between us - not that this was any comfort when Fran got stared down by the silverback from 12 inches away!)

The orangs were just chillin' in the cool weather.

The Wilsons hopped on the zoo carousel for a family ride. Look at how much fun Brooke is having! Funny thing is, it wasn't actually moving, and never did, because a thunderstorm broke out right after this photo. Brooke didn't seem to mind though - apparently just sitting on the horse was thrilling enough! Ah, to be a kid again...

After the Zoo, we headed over to the Stock Yards area.

This historic landmark has now been converted into a shopping and entertainment district. Most of it was a tourist trap, which was just the sort of kitchy fun we were looking for! However, we did make two authentic discoveries there. The first was the Star Cafe, a nondescript hole in the wall on a side street. It had been recommended by a local, and it didn't disappoint! $12.95 for a fantastic bacon-wrapped filet! Beef, it's what's for dinner. And in Fort Worth, it's cheap and tasty.

On the way back to the car we passed the rodeo, which was getting ready to start for the night. Around the back, we visited with some real-life rodeo cowboys getting their horses ready to compete. They were happy to let us hang out while they worked.

The rest of the weekend was spent relaxing in Dallas. When the Fabrizios and Wilsons get together with free time on their hands, it usually involves the kitchen and lots of food. Here is a rare shot of me in the kitchen -not- eating. I was entertaining Brooke while Bear, the newest addition to the family, decided he wanted in on some photo action as well, and right before this was taken he walked in and posed.

Then we got down to the business of eating. It just so happened that the weekend turned into an unofficial celebration of bacon. Through no special planning, we ended up eating bacon either 4 or 5 times, including at every meal on Sunday!

In the afternoon Rob, Katie and I snuck out for some go-karting fun while Robyn and Brooke rested. Even though the go-karts were a little on the small side for Rob, he made it work!