Category Archives: In the City

Congress Avenue Bats

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Now is a great time to visit Austin and see some of the city’s unique, seasonal visitors. In fact, the city’s population swells by an additional 750,000 between March and October. It’s not a hoard of legislators or even lobbyists besieging the capital. These seasonal visitors north texas ramblings congress bridge batsare Mexican Free Tail bats, and their home of choice is beneath the Congress Avenue Bridge, just blocks from the Texas State Capital.

Bat Bridge

The winged mammals took up residence after a bridge modification in the early 1980s. The bats fit nicely into slots cut underneath the bridge. Each spring, pregnant bats arrive in March to give birth. According to Bat Conservation International, Congress Avenue Bridge is one of the largest urban bat nurseries in the United States.  The bridge can support as many as 500 bats per square foot!

Bat Moms and Pups

At dusk, the mother bats leave their individual pups up under the bridge and fly off to hunt. It’s this dusk flight that draws a different type of animal — tourists — to Congress Bridge. To avoid predators, the bat colony begins its nightly hunt in mass.  As the bats emerge, they form an aerial river of winged mammals flowing out from under the bridge. The bats head east to forage on bugs, nightly consuming 5 to 15 tons of insects helping to keep mosquito populations in check.  After an evening of bug hunting, mom returns to the bridge.  She finds her pup by its unique sound and smell.

Around July, the young bats join mom in the nightly flight. It’s a perilous endeavor for the little critters. Aerodynamically, the bats begin flight by dropping from their perch. If grounded, they are not able to get airborne again. Each night several of the little bats plop into Town Lake. The lucky ones get plucked out of the water with nets by the tour boats and placed on the bridge pilings. Here they can climb high enough to drop and attempt flight again.

Bat Viewing Tips. There are several ways to view the Congress Bridge bat colony. Capital Cruises Austin offers nightly boat excursions. This is a great way to see the bats up close. Reservations are required and can be made at 512-480-9264. You can see the bats from land, too. The east side of Congress Bridge just before dusk is an ideal viewing location.  You can also see the bats quite nicely along the Ann and Ray Butler Hike and Bike trail just below the Four Seasons hotel. Bat Conservation International’s website at batcon.org posts current time frames for the bats’ nightly appearances.

The Kimbell and Dallas Museum of Art

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Beat the summer heat with an outing to one of the area’s free art museums — the Kimbell in Fort Worth and Dallas Museum of Art in Dallas.

Kimbell Art Museum

The Kimbell is now better than ever. The Renzo Piano Pavilion, added in November 2013, allows the museum to organize and more fully display its permanent collection. If European art is your thing, then you’ll enjoy wandering the Louis Kahn building (the main building). The museum’s eclectic collection contains a smattering of works from European artists from Bernini (terra cotta angels) to Rembrandt (Bust of a Young Jew). And its European collection includes Impressionist masters like Sisley, Monet, and Manet.

North Texas Ramblings Kimbell Art Museum in Fort WorthThe Kimbell gives guided tours of its permanent collection Wednesdays at 2 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. Visiting families can obtain an audio guide tailored to children ages 7 – 12.

The museums Buffet Restaurant is a great place for lunch. It uniquely offers a selection of soups, salads, quiche and dessert — the unique part — the cost is based on the plate size. Small plates are $9.50 and large are $12.

Details: The Kimbell is at 3333 Camp Bowie Blouvard, Fort Worth. The museum is closed Mondays. Onsite parking is free.

Dallas Museum of Art (DMA)

The DMA houses an extensive collection of over 24,000 pieces of art. In the heart of the Dallas Arts District, the innovative museum offers visitors an eclectic art experience far beyond just gazing at masterpieces. The innovative Center for Creative Connections (C3) lets you experience art from different perspectives. And it’s in the C3 gallery that you can make and take home your own piece of art. DMA supplies the materials; you the creativity.

Embracing technology, DMA has several self-guided tours accessible via your smart phone and the DMA mobi site. If you don’t have a smart phone, you can borrow an iPod Touch from guest services to take the web-enabled tour.

Details: DMA is located at 1717 North Harwood in Dallas. The museum is open Tuesday through Sunday. Hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., except on Thursdays (open until 9 p.m.). On the third Friday of each month, the museum offers special programming until midnight. Onsite parking is available for $10.

Chua Dao Quang — Vietnamese Buddhist Temple in Garland

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Chua Dao QuangLike most of America, North Texas is a melting pot of culture and diverse ethnic groups.  Over 20,000 Vietnamese Americans call the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex home.  It’s no surprise, then, to also find Vietnamese Buddhist temples throughout the area.  Chua Dao Quang is one such Buddhist temple complex.

You don’t need to be Buddhist to visit the temple and grounds.  Visitors are welcome.  And you don’t need to be Buddhist to engage in mindful contemplation.  Concrete benches litter Chua Dao Quang pathways.  Throughout the grounds, you’ll find several shrines with Buddha depicted in various forms.

There is a happy, smiling Buddha shrine.  This fat and bald Buddha is actually a depiction of a tenth century monk, Bodai, respected for his happy contentment and open heartedness.  Some Buddhist traditions consider him the ‘future’ Buddha.  There is another shrine with a reclining Buddha, symbolic of enlightenment; and, in the middle of a pond, a standing Buddha.  A beautiful stone panel relief depicts Buddha’s life.

At each of the shrine, you’ll find offerings of incense, flowers and fruit.  On the day of our visit, neatly piled, mountains of fresh oranges graced many of the shrines.

The Buddha Dharma Education Association ascribes the following meanings to shrine offerings:  incense reminds us to cultivate good conduct; flowers reminds that all things are impermanent; fruit symbolizes the ultimate goal of enlightenment; and light (a candle) symbolizes wisdom and dispelling darkness.  Just outside the main entrance to the temple, you’ll find a table laden with vases and a barrel of water should you choose to bring a flower offering.

Visitors may also enter the temple, but please first remove your shoes.  And, like all places of worship, be respectful (e.g., ask permission before taking pictures, etc.).

Chua Dao Quang is located at 3522 North Garland Avenue, Garland.  Temple grounds are open daily until 10 p.m.