March 11 - 16, 2009
Our 3rd son is in Army Aviation and is scheduled to deploy to Iraq for his 2nd tour of duty mid April, 2009. For how long, we don't know. His first tour was 17 months.
We drove to visit with he and his wife for a few days. Our second trip out to this huge Army base where they are stationed.
Ft. Hood is adjacent to Killeen, Texas but has it's own zip code. It's 50 miles southwest of Waco and is known as the "Great Place", the largest Army base in the entire world. It's residential population is over 70,00. It is a 340 square mile installation on 217,337 acres. Bigger than the state of Rhode Island!
Fort Hood was named for the famous Confederate Gen. John Bell Hood, an outstanding leader who gained recognition during the Civil War as the commander of Hood's Texas Brigade. Today, Fort Hood is the largest active duty armored post in the United States and the only installation capable of supporting two full armored divisions.
Everything imaginable is located on base including but not excluding schools, hospitals, recreational facilities, restaurants, commissionaires, PX (department store) clubs, child care and extensive libraries.
We stayed on base in accommodations reserved for Generals. But none were in town so we had the very luxurious 3 bedroom fully furnished and equipped house to ourselves for the few days while there.
We had a grand time visiting with them and their 4 dogs and 1 cat for a few days. But a cold front moved in and it rained for most of the duration so we were not able to enjoy the outdoors. However that did not stop a grilled dinner at home for one night, thanks to a covered porch.
For lunch one day we went to the Red Onion, an Indian cuisine buffet. Unique foods to try and found several very tasty. One dinner was at Genghis Grill (Mongolian Stir Fry). We don't have this in our local area so it was fun to put together our own concoctions and enjoy. And I learned to eat with chopsticks! Managed to eat my entire meal with them so I passed the test.
We left on another rainy morning and drove to Dallas to visit other friends. When there the rain finally stopped so we were able to visit Pioneer Plaza. "Oil and cattle made Dallas what it is today, and the sculpture that distinguishes this plaza celebrates the city's history. Located adjacent to Dallas Convention Center, Pioneer Plaza measures 4.2 acres and features a world-renowned bronze. The sculpture, considered the largest of its kind, is by Robert Summers and showcases a 19th-century cattle drive. Portrayed are three cowboys on horseback and 39 steers" all life-sized – an impressive sight to behold!
With the intense moisture still in the air we did not bring the camera. But also at this park embedded in the sidewalk are symbols of the actual brands used on cattle; who owned them and the year, mostly 1800's. At the intersection is a huge map of the state of Texas and all the named trails that were used to drive cattle. We also drove out to Southfork, where the TV show "Dallas" was filmed. Just a drive-by but now I can say I've seen it. The house tho is very small in comparison to the show.
This trip was very educational and enjoyable. Check it out if you are ever in the area!
