dual personalities

Readers of this blog will, I know, find it hard to believe, but last week’s visit was my first to Texas. So you can imagine it was quite thrilling to cross the Arkansas River (Tulsa), the North Canadian (Oklahoma City), and finally the Red River which is the border between the two states. Not quite the same as crossing them with a herd of cattle, but you get the picture.

We had so much fun in the Fort Worth Stockyards–as they say, “nothing embodies Western heritage better than the Fort Worth Stockyards National Historic District.” We saw a mock cattle drive…

…sat outside and people watched…

…and rode in a wagon through the brick streets…

But, of course, the highlight and raison d’etre of our visit was the John Wayne: an American Experience exhibit.

It was, as previously stated, fabulous.

So much credit goes to the Duke’s family, who have, since his death in 1979, taken great care to preserve his memory in a positive and generous way, raising millions for cancer research and now sharing his personal archive with the public. Here’s a quick tour with his son Ethan Wayne.

“Sprawling over 10,000 square feet, the John Wayne: An American Experience exhibit is structured to give you an intimate tour of the life of John Wayne. Starting with his early childhood and career, each room highlights an aspect of The Duke’s legacy. For the film aficionados, an extensive gallery called the “Life on Screen” highlights the most iconic film props and costumes. In the “America, Why I Love Her” gallery, guests can immerse themselves in patriotism through Grammy-nominated original poems, recited by John Wayne.”

As I said, the Wayne family is a class act. My only criticism is that the gift shop, which is the flagship store of John Wayne Stock & Supply, is too classy. They don’t even sell postcards! I would have bought a boatload. I wanted t-shirts for my grandchildren and there was nothing available small enough. C’est la vie. I did buy the Big Book…

which is awesome.

We drove south and crossed the Brazos River to Waco the next day to visit the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum, which our friend Tim had recommended.

It was pretty cool too and I learned more about the famous John Coffee “Jack” Hays…

There were a lot of great guns…

…but the museum leaned heavily on the more modern rangers who dealt with Prohibition and the likes of Bonnie and Clyde, which don’t really interest me.

While in Waco we also visited The Silos which is just what one expects from Chip and Joanna.

It is amazing to see what one couple has managed to do–transform a dying town into a design mecca. I salute them. We had fun there, but I only seem to have taken a picture of the inside…

…and outside of a church they moved and renovated. Lovely.

Well, I could go on, but suffice it to say, our little road trip did not disappoint us. There is so much to see in the U.S.A. and it is good to get out there and see it. Americans are good people, friendly and kind and helpful. It is good to be reminded of that.

Here’s one more quick look at one of the greatest exhibits ever:

Meanwhile, it’s good to be home!