1984 Fort Worth, TX (6/10/1984)

Sunday, June 10, 1984 (continued)

I drove on I-30/35 and continued on I-30 towards Fort Worth. Passed a Sunset Strip with Wild Water Amusement Park, Wax Museum, the Six Flags over Texas Entertainment Center, with a double-loop roller coaster. Soon passed downtown Fort Worth, which somehow reminded me of downtown New Haven, CT. I headed first for the Botanic Gardens in Trinity Park. They looked quite extensive and well laid out, but I was going to the Japanese Garden. Bought the $1 admission and a roll of film (only 20 exposures!) for $5. Oh, well!

Japanese Garden map

The garden was really lovely, so full and green and cool. Stone lanterns, meandering paths. The Meditation Garden was unique with manicured sand/gravel and strategically placed rocks.

Meditation Garden

I didn’t take time to contemplate the whys of the sculpting of nature here!
The Moon Bridge was being repaired.

Ivy-covered hill

The three monkeys: Hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil

Stone lamp

Stepping stones

The ponds were absolutely full of colorful carp, which swarmed around when people fed them.

Carp

There were vending machines to dispense fish food.
The Mary K Umstead Teahouse was set up for a tea for two.

Teahouse

The Moon Viewing Deck was interesting with a very flattened cone to symbolize Mount Fuji.

Moon Viewing Deck

The brochure says one views the garden by moonlight here, but there’s no way you could see the garden. It’s for viewing the moon!
The teahouse complex reminded me of Scandinavian architecture.

Scandinavian-like design

Stream

The checkerboard bridge had lattice railings. The pagoda was the least real looking thing here.

Pagoda

There was a ceramic bird house.

Ceramic bird house

I left to drive through Trinity Park and find Thistle Hill (1903-1904), a mansion on Pennsylvania Avenue.

Thistle Hill

A Georgian Revival brick house built by A B Wharton for his wife, Electra, a “honeymoon cottage.” Electra was the daughter of W T Waggoner, a wealthy cattle baron. Wharton owned the Fort Worth Auto and Livery Stable and sold cars. Winfield Scott, Jr later owned the property. I arrived at 13:30, and the next tour was at 14:00. I would have to leave by then, and the man in the gift shop allowed me in the house alone when he heard I was going back to RI today! He wouldn’t let me pay, even after giving his introductory spiel. The house is in the process of being restored and some of the rooms were painted over, like the music room and bedrooms. The entrance and stairway were done with impressive woodwork. Some TV series was filmed here. I was glad to be able to see it. When I was done, the gift shop guy came out to talk my ear off, giving more info then I could retain; names and dates, etc. The Buick Electra was named after her niece of the same name. The house belonged for a time to a girls’ home. And a property behind the house was where Ginger Rogers grew up. He told me about other Victorian houses to see.

Ginger Rogers' childhood home

I went past Ginger Rogers’ house, and to see a couple more on Pennsylvania Avenue.

Ball-Eddleman-McFarland House (1899) in Queen Anne style

I drove down 7th Street, turning down University Avenue. I passed the Casa Mañana, an aluminum domed theater in the round. Returned to I-30 and headed to the airport, first filling the car with gas; only $6 worth. When I entered the car rental place, I was given a ticket. I had the ticket stamped, which I turned in at the desk when I paid the $33 for renting the car. Caught the first bus to the terminal, which happened to belong to Avis.

I checked in for the 15:47 flight, and we didn’t depart until 16:00. Arrived at LaGuardia at 20:20, 20 minutes late. The Ransome flight was to leave at 20:25. There was no one at the Ransome desk, so I followed a sign pointing down the stairs to the Ransome gate. Found myself outside with two planes and no one in sight. Ran back to the Delta desk and was told they were loading for Providence, and to go back down. I saw two people walking from one of the planes, so I flagged them down. They took me back to the plane, had the door unlocked, and let me in! The plane then taxied to the runway. We had a long wait so that I was done with the Ransome magazine crossword puzzle before we took off at 21:00! Arrived in Providence at 21:40, and retrieved my car for $8.