The following is an adapted excerpt from Unexpected Texas – my best-selling travel guide to quirky, offbeat and overlooked places near Dallas and Fort Worth. Check it out if you enjoy learning quirky facts, or are looking for offbeat road trip ideas in north Texas. Munster Mansion Replica While there is no official address for, “1313 Mockingbird Lane,” in north Texas, there is an excellent replica of the Munster family home over in the town of Waxahachie where, in 2001, Sandra and Charles McKee built a replica of the house depicted in the classic TV sitcom. Since it’s a fictional house, the pair watched and…
Tag: Texas road trip
The World’s Smallest Skyscraper Built in 1919, the Newby-McMahon Building in downtown Wichita Falls (701 La Salle, Wichita Falls, TX) is more commonly referred to as “the world’s smallest skyscraper.” J.D. McMahon was an engineer and oilman from Philadelphia who proposed adding a high-rise section to the original building to that it could house more office space. McMahon quickly raised $200,000 (a fortune for that time) to construct an office building according to plans he drew up. At a glance, it appeared that the finished building would stand 48 stories high, and McMahon never said otherwise. Unfortunately for the investors,…
In Texas, Every Day is Flag Day Technically, Flag Day is June 14th, but it’s easy to get the impression that Flag Day is every day here in the state of Texas. The Dallas – Fort Worth region is quite breezy, which makes it easy to express your pride for state and country with proudly waving flags. Texas State Flag: A Popular Urban Legend Since moving here, I’ve heard over and over that, “Texas is the only state in the USA allowed to fly its flag at the same height as the US flag.” This, it turns out, is an…
Texas Eiffel Tower Replica In the early 1990’s Babcock & Wilcox Company built an Eiffel Tower replica in Paris, Texas using volunteer parts and labor. This metal structure replaced an earlier wooden version that was destroyed by a tornado. Unlike other Eiffel Tower replicas around the USA, the city of Paris, Texas chose to add a touch of “yee haw” to their “ooh-la-la” by topping their tower with a bright red cowboy hat. I think it looks pretty spiffy! At a height of 65 feet, the replica is pretty teeny compared to the original Eiffel Tower in that other Paris.…
A to Z Texas: D is for Dinosaurs While many American states have official fossils, only eight – including Texas – have an official state dinosaur. (For those interested, here’s a full list 8 Official State Dinosaurs) The Lone Star State’s official dino is called Pauluxysaurus Jonesi and looks like a huge brontosaurus. Biggest Dinosaur Ever Just as you might expect, this being Texas, our state dinosaur isn’t just big, it is – arguably – the biggest creature ever to walk the earth! Dinosaur Tracks in Glen Rose, Texas What’s great about the Texas state dinosaur is that you don’t…
Welcome to the October 5, 2012 Traveler’s Show and Tell blog carnival. While this edition of the Traveler’s Show & Tell blog carnival includes sightseeing tips, photos and foods of the world, several submissions I received were on the theme of honing your travel mindset and making realistic travel goals so that you can get out the door and make your travel goals happen. For instance: Byteful Travel helps us cut through our mental clutter and clarify our travel goals. Rob explains how he quit his job to travel the world. Jeremy Biberdorf offers money management tips for travelers.…