Paris Texas

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Looking for a great day trip? Try Paris. Paris Texas, that is. Just 100 miles northeast of Dallas, you can take your picture at the Eiffel Tower, explore antique shops, and visit the Sam Bell Maxey historic site.

Eiffel Tower, Cowboy Style

Erected in 1993 by the Boiler Makers Local #902, the Texas Eiffel Tower is just 65 feet tall. What the tower lacks in height, it makes up for with its jaunty, fire engine red, cowboy hat. North Texas Ramblings Eiffel Tower at Paris TexasStart your trip to Paris with a picture next to the iconic city symbol. The Texas tower is located adjacent to the Love Civic Center, 2025 S Collegiate Drive.

Sam Bell Maxey Historical Site

Operated by Texas Historical Commission, the Sam Bell Maxey house gives visitors a glimpse at life in early Paris. Maxey had the home built following the Civil War. A prominent Confederate general, Maxey went on to represent Texas as a two-term senator. His family continued to live in the house, until it was donated to the City of Paris in the 1960s. As a result, all the household furnishings are original to the family. You’ll see period pieces from the post-Civil War era to the early twentieth century. In total, the home contains thousands of artifacts including Maxey’s impressive book collection. The Maxey house was one of just a few grand homes spared during the 1916 fire which decimated over half the city. Located at 812 South Church Street, guided tours are given on the hour from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., daily (closed Monday).

Find a Treasure

Commemorating the great fire of 1916, the Culbertson Fountain anchors the city plaza. Surrounding the town square are half a dozen antique and gift stores. Some, like Lillian Kelley’s Design (4 North Plaza) combine a gift shop with antique store. Others like the Antique Mall (2 West Plaza) host independent dealers. Four times a year at the Paris Horse Auction grounds, area vendors hold the Horse Flea, a market of antique, vintage and handmade items. Check for upcoming dates on the Horse Flea Facebook page.

Paris Bakery

All that antiquing works up an appetite. Before returning home, grab a bite to eat at the Paris Bakery. The café offers sandwiches, salads, soups, and baked goods. The small café prides itself on serving fresh food made with locally produced ingredients. Take advantage of their daily specials. There is no children’s menu, but staff are happy to accommodate youngsters with off-menu items. Paris Bakery is located across from the courthouse at 120 North Main.

Grapevine Farmers Market

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North Texas Ramblings Farmers MarketAlways a great place to visit, Main Street in Grapevine is even better early on Saturday morning. April through October, you’ll find two open air markets just as you enter the historic district from Northwest Highway.

Grapevine Market

Situated in Liberty Park (299 South Main), Grapevine Market is an eclectic mix of crafts and collectables. If you are looking for a handcrafted gift, you might just find it here. There are vendors selling jewelry made with fused glass, hand turned wood vases and bowls, quilted kitchen items, crocheted shawls, and much more. Parking is free. The market is open Thursday and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Grapevine Farmers Market

Just a little further on Main Street, is the Grapevine Farmers Market at 325 South Main. A dozen vendors sell everything from fresh fruits and vegetables to treats for your dog. There are all sorts of canned goodies from jams to salsa, and even fresh tamales. The market is not large, but the variety of vendors makes it worth the trip. Produced under the Grapevine Farmers Market label, you can purchase many of the canned products also at Texas Belles and Beaus (409 South Main). The Grapevine Farmers Market is open Thursday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Grapevine Shopping

Finish out your Saturday morning shopping at the boutiques and specialty stores on Main. Every foodie should visit the Spice and Tea Exchange (319 South Main). Not only do they sell exceptional bulk tea, but also have 17 different types of sugar and 30 different types of pepper. It’s awesome! The Corner Store (401 South Main) is a collection of vendors with small stalls – just what you need for some joyful junking. If you’re a fashionable cowgirl, check out Coyote Cowboy (417 South Main). Beyond the Red Door (419 South Main) is a cute little boutique, and Little Orange Fish (601 South Main) carries a unique collection of children’s clothes and toys.

Enjoy your Saturday morning in Grapevine!

Central Park in Frisco

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‘You can warm your socks in the oven but that don’t make them biscuits’
North Texas Ramblings Central Park StatueThis and other tidbits of cowboy wisdom etch the Wild West into steps and flagstones at Frisco’s Central Park. Located just north of Dr. Pepper Arena, many Frisco residents know the park only from the confines of their cars as they whiz past Anita Pauwels’ bronze statues of cattle and cowboys at Parkwood Drive.

A seven acre oasis in the city, Central Park celebrates that time in history when cattle not cars traveled up Preston Road. Climb the steps from the parking lot and read about the Shawnee Trail. Carved into each stone is a bit of cattle trail lore. Learn that over 350,000 Texas cattle headed north each year on the Shawnee, Chisholm and Goodnight-Loving trails. Be inspired by the simple wisdom of cowboys with whimsical sayings like ‘A go-getter is a cowboy who forgot to hobble his horse’ and ‘I reckon the Lord done put tumbleweeds here to show which way the wind is blowing.’ On the hilltop, three large bronze reliefs depict cattle drives, from stampeding herds to chuck wagons.

The oldest north-south route in Texas, military surveyors set up the Shawnee Trail with small forts to protect settlers moving from the Red River to the Brazos in the 1840s. According to Wayne Gard, author of a Southwestern Historical Quarterly article on the Shawnee Trail, it was the chief route used to trail longhorns from Texas up to Kansas from 1850 until 1867. The Shawnee Trail roughly parallels what we know today as Preston Road.

Central Park’s outdoor art gives insight into those rough cattle trailing times. Pauwel’s bronze statues capture both cowboy and longhorn as they must have looked over 150 years ago. Two fountains on top the plateau represent the historic Twin Wells, a source of water on the Shawnee Trail. Frisco can trace its roots to the Shawnee Trail and its cattle drives. At that time, however, there was no Frisco. A settlement called Lebanon — near our modern day Lebanon Road — provided Texas drovers a stopping place on their way north.

In addition to the dose of history, Central Park is a peaceful park with ample walking trails and paths. The twin fountains feed a small stream bubbling down the hill, over a small waterfall and into a man-made lake. Walking paths circle the lake, and egrets hunt along its shore.

Central Park has no children’s playground. It’s not that type of park. It is, however, a park with an exquisite mix of green space, public art and local history –well worth the visit. Frisco’s Central Park is located at 3155 Parkwood Drive.

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.

Eastern Cottontail

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If Nature held beauty contests, the eastern cottontail would win by a tail.  The small rabbits endear themselves to Texas naturalists with their long ears, saucer-sized brown eyes and cute little white cotton puff tail.

Eastern cottontails are a sure sign of spring in North Texas.  Read more