Playing Downtown

After our Pioneer Day celebration we wanted to continue the family fun and headed go downtown Dallas to catch a ride on the McKinney Trolley Cars.  We boarded the Green Dragon and experienced the 'turn about' at the end of the line, and were off.  The Green Dragon was built by the St. Louis Car Co. back in 1913 and was retired in 1956 when she was stripped of her running gear and wiring to become a hay barn in far North Dallas.

She was cleaned up and put into working condition in the late 1980s.  She didn't smell like a barn, thank goodness, when we rode her.

The trolley ride was fun and we saw a lot of downtown that had been recently revitalized. We stopped in the arts district and headed to Klyde Warren Park. This park is also a recent addition to downtown and is built over a heavily traveled freeway.  It's so quiet and pleasant at the park, you wouldn't even know it.

See the freeway?!

Klyde Warren Park has everything and we spent a couple hours there just taking it in.  By the way God sent us weather in the low 80s--in late July! Some clouds, a nice breeze--it was awesome!

We played on the playground, walked the paths, had snow cones, sushi, and ice cream, petted dogs, read the kids books in the reading area, played Connect Four from their game selection, and watched the kids get soaked in the spray park.  And we missed a lot of other recreational opportunities but it was time to head home.

"Rosie" is the car that took us back.  She is 103 years old, and was manufactured by J. G. Brill Company for export to Porto, Portugal.  She served there from 1909 to 1978. Then she made her way back to the States and ran in San Franciso for a short while before making her home Dallas.  Because of her age, she only runs when the other cars need back up, so we were lucky to enjoy our ride back on her.

The kids standing aside Rosie while the 'turn about' is in action.

It was a great day to stay unplugged to technology and plugged into our family!