Convention Extras

Convention Extras

Elizabeth Campbell

Convention Extras

by Elizabeth Campbell

From the Editor: The following article is the

last pre-convention offering from the Texas affiliate. In just a few weeks we will be

gathering for the 1998 convention of the National Federation of the Blind, and you don't

want to miss it. President Maurer is hard at work on the convention agenda, and you

already know from recent Monitor articles just how much activity is planned around

official agenda items. So if you haven't yet made your hotel reservation, do it today.

Call the Hyatt Regency DFW at (972) 453-1234; do not call the Hyatt's national toll-free

number because reservations made through it will not be honored. Convention room rates are

singles, $41; doubles and twins, $43; triples, $45; and quads, $47. As far as we now know,

the tax will be 12 percent. The first full day of pre-convention activities is Saturday,

July 4, and the closing gavel falls at 5 p.m. Friday, July 10.

Liz Campbell is the President of the Fort Worth

Chapter of the NFB of Texas and a reporter for the Fort Worth Star Telegram. As you will

read, she knows a good bit about the greater Dallas/Fort Worth area. This is what she

says:

Howdy y'all! This is how native Texans and

transplants alike welcome our friends to a state which many say is like visiting a whole

other country.

Indeed, the state has everything from beaches

along the Gulf Coast to mountains in west Texas. You won't have time to travel to other

parts of Texas, though, because your visit to the bustling Dallas/Fort Worth area will

give you so many choices that it will be difficult to decide which local attractions you,

your family, and friends should choose during your free hours. So we'd better get started

on our journey.

The Dallas/Fort Worth Hyatt Regency Hotel sits in

the midst of the busiest airport in the world. From our convention headquarters hotel

fascinating museums, restaurants, amusement parks, and other attractions are not far away.

Most of the sprawling airport is in Grapevine, a

city founded during the 1850's. Now much of Main Street is listed in the National Registry

of Historic Places. Main Street boasts a collection of unique shops including a German

bread store and a doll maker's shop. Behind Main Street artisans demonstrate the

almost-forgotten skills of glass blowing and blacksmithing. Walking tours of the Main

Street area are also available. Main Street is also the home of the Cotton Belt Depot,

where a nineteenth-century train called the "Tarantula Steam Train" takes

passengers from Grapevine to the Fort Worth Stockyards. We'll talk about the Stockyards

later in this article. The "Tarantula" train gets its name from the maze of

railroad tracks that crisscross Fort Worth. The railroad map looks like a tarantula. The

depot is also the home of a free museum that features the history of the city.

Grapevine got its name from the wild mustang

grapes that grew there, and the city hosts the popular festival celebrating Texas wines

called Grape Fest. Several Texas wineries have tasting rooms in Grapevine. For more

details on things to do in Grapevine, call the Convention and Visitors Bureau at (817)

481-0454.

You won't want to pass up a chance to visit

Grapevine Mills Outlet Mall, a new attraction that promises shopping bargains and good

food. Two particularly interesting places at the mall are Dick Clark's Restaurant,

complete with rock-n-roll memorabilia, and the Rain Forest Cafe. As this name implies,

this eatery will transport you to the tropics for food and adventure. NFB shuttle busses

from the hotel to Grapevine will run at various times each day from Friday, July 3,

through Friday, July 10. For more details about the mall and its restaurants call (972)

724-4910.

Irving, another city close to our hotel, features

upscale shopping in Las Colinas. This exclusive community is also home to the movie

studios featured in our convention tours. (See the April, 1998, Braille Monitor for tour

details.)

While in Las Colinas, don't pass up a chance to

see the

sculptures of wild mustangs near the Four Seasons

Hotel. The

horses are standing in a reflecting pool. Irving

is also home to

the Dallas Cowboys and Texas Stadium. For more

details about

Irving call the Convention and Visitors Bureau at

(972) 252-7476

Now, let's head west to Fort Worth, the best spot

in Texas. Okay, I might be just a little prejudiced. Will Rogers coined the saying:

"Fort Worth is where the West begins, and Dallas is where the East peters out."

Fort Worth Skyline

Fort Worth, founded after the Mexican-American

War, grew up around railroads, the Stockyards, and cowboys; it was an important stop along

the Chisholm Trail before cowboys headed north to Kansas City and Chicago. You can still

find these aspects of the West today, but now the Stockyards, in north Fort Worth, is a

historic tour attraction complete with Billy Bob's Texas, the largest honky-tonk in the

world, and the Tarantula Steam Train. The train departs from Stockyards Station, which is

also the home of many shops and restaurants, including the Ernest Tubb Record Shop.

Fort Worth has its cultural side, too. It is

often referred to as the "museum capital of the southwest." Four museums are

located in an area known as the Cultural District, just west of downtown. The Amon Carter

Museum of Western Art, the Kimbel Art Museum, the Museum of Science and History, and the

Modern Art Museum attract many visitors.

Sundance Square in downtown Fort Worth is another

fun place to visit with a coffee bar, restaurants, movie theaters, and shops. It is also

adjacent to the Outlet Square shopping mall. For more information about Fort Worth

attractions, call the Convention and Visitors Bureau at (817) 336-8791.

Now let's head east! If you're looking for

baseball and amusement parks, Arlington, which is between Fort Worth and Dallas, is the

perfect place.

The ball park at Arlington, which offers tours

daily, is the home of the Texas Rangers baseball team. The ball park also features a

baseball museum. Six Flags Over Texas, with rides of every description and shows for

children and adults, is a must for amusement park enthusiasts. For more details contact

the Convention and Visitors Bureau at (817) 265-7721.

Last but not least is Dallas, about thirty miles

from Fort Worth. Don't worry; it's closer than that to our hotel. The city is famous for

many attractions, including art museums and the Neiman Marcus Department Store. It is also

the site of the tragic assassination of John F. Kennedy. The sixth floor of the Dallas

County Administration building is a popular tourism spot.

Dallas is also known for its eclectic selection

of restaurants and clubs. A well-known area for dining is Greenville Avenue, which

features everything from Thai to southwestern cuisine. The West End, located in downtown

Dallas, is another popular night spot. Find out more about Dallas by calling the

Convention and Visitors Bureau at (214) 571-2000.

Now that we've whetted your appetite for a visit

to Texas, there is no excuse for missing a great convention where you will see old friends

and meet new folks.