Lake Ray Roberts Views along the Johnson Branch

Dead Wood on banks of Lake Ray Roberts



Lake Ray Roberts shoreline - great walking locale

Downtown Fort Worth

Old Red Museum in Downtown Dallas

I had the opportunity to revisit Downtown Dallas and take in some of the sights it has to offer. Of course the Old Red Museum which used to be prison is one stately building that everyone should take a look at. Here are some pictures of the museum as it stands. I like the way it has been maintained with public funding. It is interesting to note that national and state pride makes these people spend enormous amounts of money to showcase their history and heritage to their own people and visitors alike.

The main signage for the Old Red Museum

Interior of the Museum - iron stairs leading to the main galleries

One of the exhibit halls of the museum

Dallas Love Field airport Showcased in the Museum

The representation of the General Store that existed in Dallas a century ago

cycle - strange looks and hard to ride

Native American Figurine

Mineral Wells Fossil Park: Images from the web

I blogged about my visit to Mineral Wells Fossil Park. The pictures I posted were far from award winning. They just depicted what I saw. I found several better pictures of the same location and the finds out there. Thought it'd be better for my readers to check out these images so as to get a better idea of the place.

Fossils found at the park - Image from Flickr

Beautiful picture of grasshopper at the park - Image from Flickr

Mineral Wells Fossil Park

Last week when I went to Mineral Wells, TX for work I took some time off to visit the Fossil Park. This is an open piece of slightly undulating terrain where fossils of prehistoric creatures can be found. Entry to the park is free and apart from a fence, gate, board and a portable restroom, there is nothing else on the site. Sited amidst ranches and farms this park is one of the most under developed locations I have been to in the state of Texas.


It is so remote that the road leading to the park is not surfaced. I had to drive bumping on the gravelly surface for about 7 miles to reach the park. Nevertheless it is a worthy place to visit.

Here are some pictures:

Vistas of Lake Mineral Wells State Park, Texas

Lake Mineral Wells State Park

Texas State Parks system comprises of several vast natural spaces, each with a lake, forest and recreational areas. Among the parks I like the Lake Mineral Wells State Park for its beautiful environment including the lake, rock formations and nice forested hiking trails.

Vietnam War Memorial near Mineral Wells, TX - II

Continuing my post about the Vietnam Museum near Mineral Wells, TX I would like to present some more pictures of the place. This place is located on a fairly large parcel of land on the highway. The impressive feature is that this land was donated by four individuals towards building this museum/ memorial. Then there are others who have donated in various capacities to create the verdant and peaceful place that it is. There is a nice flower garden with a Gazebo in the center, military vehicles of the Vietnam war era are on display on one side of the property. This museum is still under construction and as such it is not fully operational. Even for a project under creation it is totally visitable.


Here are more pictures of the project.

The wall in which names of martyrs are etched.

Soldiers Cross - sculpture

The Gazebo amidst flower garden

Powerful message - if only Indians were to understand this message

Lake Tawakoni State Park

English: Seal of the City of Dallas (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Yesterday was a rare summer day when it didn't hit triple digit temperatures. So me and few friends decided to hit the outdoors and visit Lake Tawakoni State Park which is sited within a stones throw away from Dallas. Just under an hours drive is this vast aqua forte that is a pleasure to behold.

Like all other state parks Lake Tawakoni State Park also offers walking trails, boat ramp, swimming beach, hiking, woods, and picnic tables with grills. These features make it family friendly and an amazing weekend getaway throughout the year.

Of course during the ice cold winter months the attendance to the park drops a little, but the summer crowds are more than enough make up for it. Anyway Yesterday we didn't do much at the state park except for swimming in the public swimming beach. It was good to spend time out of the four walls and feel the free wind blowing around.

The Lake Tawakoni State park is also home to the world's largest spider web. We didn't visit it this time, maybe next time around.

Photos of the 200 yard spider web found in Lake Tawakoni State Park, East Texas (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Flowers in Sheldon Lake

Sheldon Lake State Park in Houston, TX is one of the few free-to-enter and enjoy state parks in the state of Texas. We visited the state park during spring break and found it to be quite calm and peaceful. It is currently more an education center for local school kids than a recreation area for families. They are constructing some cool new places and once it is ready this park will become like all the others - crowded, popular and of course charged for entry.

Anyway Here are few flowering plants I saw out there and took pictures of.

Galveston Beach Front

Here are some pictures that depict the beachfront area of Galveston, TX. I would say this is the most frequented spot in this island city. Of course there are other beaches, the state park, private communities close to the sea but for the common man who doesn't have access to rich man's properties, the city beaches provide enough space for entertainment, fun and frolic. Here are some pictures of the beach:

View from the top of San Jacinto Monument

The San Jacinto monument is one tall tower reaching up about 285 ft. Atop the tower there is a small viewing gallery that can be accessed by visitors at a small fee. The elevator takes visitors to the top in record time and then we could spend as much time as we wished at the top absorbing the views of nature, sea, industries, oil rigs, etc and come down via the same route.


Here are some pictures of what we can see from the top:

Battle Ship Texas

The Battleship Texas is one of the older warships that belonged to the US Navy. Today it is a floating museum in the channel waters off the coast of Houston. This is part of the Texas State Parks network and being a member of the state parks I got free entry. The battle ship is meant to give a sneak preview of how warships operated and housed their officers and sailors. Who ate in silver cutlery and who ate on steel plates, etc, how the guns operated, where ammunition was stored, who did the laundry, etc. It is an educative exhibit for those who are not aware of the workings of the Navy. For us it was another state park visit and learning history of this country, one site at a time.


Here are few pictures of the battle ship.

San Jacinto Battleground State Historic Site

The San Jacinto Battleground State Historic Site is a 1,200 acre is a sprawling green space for everyone to visit and enjoy. Sited on the site of the historic San Jacinto Battle which brought Texas its independence from Spanish/ Mexican occupation is a nice weekend getaway from the oil metropolis of Houston. It is thronged by millions of visitors annually, given its close proximity to the golden beaches of Galveston, the oil-business-hub of Houston and other important towns.


A visit to this monument provides an important lesson about the history of the state of Texas. Another important landmark here is the Battleship TEXAS State Historic Sites which is an old fully fitted battle ship which people can visit and learn about the living and working conditions of sailors and officers of the Navy. Here are few pictures of the monument and the battle ship

Entrance of old building in Galveston, TX

Galveston is one of the older towns in the state of Texas as such it becomes contingent upon the city government to protect the older homes, office-buildings and churches so that tourists keep coming to the city. During my recent visit to this beach resort town I chanced upon this unique home with no front yard, and an arched entrance. The board above the entrance suggests that this is currently being used as an office/ commercial space.