A Day in Dallas
American Airlines to Dallas
We are up at 3am in order to get to our 6:35am American Airlines flight to Dallas.
We are travelling only with a carry-on and personal item but they still make us check our carry-on because they say the overhead bins are full. They say for future bookings you should pre-select (and pay extra) for zones 1-7 if you don’t want your carry-on checked. We are in zone 9. We nervously check our carry-ons and board the plane. The overhead bins are half empty.??!!??
Our flight was uneventful except for the dulcet screams of little Tommy Tantrum who is sitting in front of us.
Where’s the Tram?
We arrive at 8:30am Dallas time. It is 10 degrees and sunny. I’m glad I brought my down-filled travel jacket.
It takes us awhile to find the tram that goes from the airport into the city. The signage is non-existent so we finally find someone who knows where it is. Once we exit the airport there is minimal signage pointing the way.
We pay $6 US each for a day pass which seems like a good deal. The train is pretty empty…probably because no one can find it.
Who Shot JFK?
It is a 50 minute ride to get to West End station in downtown Dallas and is the closest stop to the Sixth Floor Museum (which is all about JFK’s assassination).
The Sixth Floor Museum is well worth the $18 US entrance fee. There are picture, item and video exhibits. We can even look out the window next to where Lee Harvey Oswald waited and shot JFK as his motorcade passed. below. 
We head next to the grassy knoll where two X’s on the road mark where both the first and second shot hit the president. Someone is playing that song, “Has anybody here seen my old friend John?” (Abraham, Martin and John,vrecorded 1968).
There is a memorial to the fallen president in Dealey Plaza. Click here for a video of the area.
Pioneer Plaza
The weather has warmed up a lot so we strip off numerous layers and enjoy the bright sunshine.
Next stop is Pioneer Plaza which is filled with lifesize sculptures of longhorn cattle stampeding down a hill and through a stream as they are herded by two cowboys on horses. It is really impressive.
Being Watched
Passing City Hall, we make our way to another sculpture of a giant eyeball. Super cool . The song “Somebody’s Watching Me” (by Rckwell 1984), runs through my head.
Birds, Fish, Reptiles and Animals
Our final stop is my absolute favourite…The Dallas World Aquarium ($30 US per person). It is totally fabulous and is so much more than an aquarium; there are just as many bird exhibits as fish and many animals as well. I had a small toucan fly so close that its wings brushed my hair. It is an open concept place filled with plants and trails. There is a tube through the shark tank and I simply love the penguin pool. Click here for a short video of the penguins. The manatee tank is awesome as are the flamingo and sloth displays. Click here for a video of the little garden eels. Actually there are too many wonderful exhibits to mention You can spend the whole day here. It is not to be missed.
The tram is easy to grab to get back to the airport.
Arrival in Guatemala
Our flight is slightly delayed but blessedly, there are no screaming toddlers on board. We arrive in Guatemala City after midnight.
John booked at hotel that is very close to the airport. We could walk there but it is now after 1am and I have five blisters the size of Texas on my feet so we grab a cab. Probably paid more than going rate but I really don’t care cause I’m pooped.
I’ve been concerned about John’s choice of hotel because it is described as adults only and called “The In and Out Hotel”.
Stinky Situation
I am relieved when we get there because it is super clean, spacious and comfy with big, white, fluffy towels…definitely not a brothel. Unfortunately there is no running water in our room. We try to tell the desk guy but we are unsure if he understands the situation. We just go to bed and hope for the best in the morning.