"Dallas on a Saturday, and not a Ewing to be seen!" Dallas by gordonilla

It was my first full day in Texas, and my friend Erik decided that I should go to several famous or more correctly infamous locations in the State. In fact the plans were to visit Waco and then on to Dallas. He then became a little nervous about the Waco visit, but held firm about Dallas. His wife and I prompted and urged, so we did both afterall.

We journeyed from Austin to Waco, then onto Dallas. It was gloriously warm and sunny. The weather was not what I had expected, and it made the driving more enjoyable. When we arrived in Dallas, my first thought was that it did not seem to be anything like what I had expected. This view was created by my impressions created by watching the Ewing family from the series on television, Dallas.

The plan had been to visit one specific place in the city. It was made world famous by the assassination - really the cold blooded, and planned, murder of President John F Kennedy; Dealey Plaza and the former Texas School Book Depository. So 40 years after the event I visited both Dallas, and the scene of the crime.

The museum exhibition is good and informative - but was it a conspiracy? They speak about the conspiracy, but leave the visiotr to make up their own minds about who did what and what their motivations were in doing the deed. There is also a gallery on the top floor; during our visit there was an exhibition of work by Andy Warhol, I am not a great fan of his but it was enjoyable. The exhibition was about someone who he had a huge attraction to, who also had a link to Kennedy and the events in Dallas in 1963....yes, it was Jackie Kennedy Onassis.

in memorium

This modern monument is located in central Dallas a very short distance from the old School Book Depository Building and Dealey Plaza. It sits back from the main thorough fare, and although it was late Saturday afternoon - there were quite a few visitors milling around, walking through the memorial and of course sitting thinking and enjoying the sunshine.

the inscription

The joy and excitement of John Fitzgerald Kennedy's life belonged to all men.

So did the pain and sorrow of his death.

When he died on November 22, 1963, shock and agony touched human conscience throughout the world. In Dallas, Texas there was a special sorrow.

The young President died in Dallas. The death bullets were fired 200 yards west of this site.

This memorial, designed by Philip Johnson, was erected by the people of Dallas. Thousands of citizens contributed support, money and effort.

It is not a memorial to the pain and sorrow of death, but stands as a permanent tribute to the joy and excitement of one man's life.

John Fitzgerald Kennedy's life.