Weird Dallas Travel

By FPL_RachaelN

If you live in Texas, you know it’s huge. We are the second largest state in the United States, right behind Alaska (brrr!). With the size of the state comes some pretty interesting travel spots. With the limits on today’s travel, checking out these unusual places is something fun to do without traveling far.

We will be staying close to home for these adventures…Eye in Downtown Dallas. This baby blue was created and based on Tony Tasset in 2007. It started as a temporary display in Chicago, spent some time in storage, made a stop in St. Louis, and finally landed in Texas in 2013 as part of the Joule Hotel’s sculpture garden. Note: Repairs are being made to the eye from December 2020-March 2021 so the sculpture could be worked on during your visit. 

For our second oddity, we also stay in Dallas but travel to Fair Park. Here you will find the mysterious Texas Woofus. Of course you’re thinking, what is a woofus? It’s a mythological chimera made up of the main staples of Texas livestock. You can make out the mane and neck of a horse, a turkey tail, a pig body, duck wings, a sheep's head, and a pair of  magnificent Texas longhorns. It was originally created by Lawrence Tenney Stevens in 1936 for the Texas Centennial Exposition but was damaged in 1941 and was taken away and disappeared. This re-creation was made by David Newton. You can find it on Martin Luther King Jr Blvd heading West towards Cotton Bowl Stadium. 

For our last stop, we will visit The Traveling Man located in Deep Ellum. This shiny giant robot has three different stories to tell it’s visitors - Awakening, Waiting on the Train, and Walking Tall. Created by Brad Oldman The Traveling Man is built from polished metal sheets held together by rivets and is meant to tell the railway history in Deep Ellum.

You can find more interesting travel spots with our DFW Day Trips Travel Backpack and Dallas Travel Guide located on the 4th floor!

 

 

Images courtesy of Carol M. Highsmith [Library of Congress/LC-DIG-HIGHSM-28401], Library of Congress, and Videovisions Videovisions [Atlasa Obscura User]