Trinity River Bottoms
Dallas, Texas
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(click to enlarge)
Her Name in the Wind
Monthly Archives: July 2014
Stand Up Paddleboarders in the Big Easy
Stand Up Paddleboards
Bayou St. John
New Orleans, Louisiana
Bayou St. John
New Orleans, La
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On the Bayou
Goodbye Joe me gotta go me oh my oh
Me gotta go pole the pirogue down the bayou
My Yvonne the sweetest one me oh my oh
Son of a gun we’ll have big fun on the bayou
Jambalaya and a crawfish pie and fillet gumbo
Cause tonight I’m gonna see my ma cher amio
Pick guitar fill fruit jar and be gay-o
Son of a gun we’ll have big fun on the bayou
—-Jambalaya (On The Bayou), Hank Williams
Bayou St. John
New Orleans, Louisiana
During the Bayou Boogaloo festival
Bayou St. John,
New Orleans, La
Bayou St. John,
New Orleans, La
Bayou St. John,
New Orleans, La
Under the Bridge
People walking from the yoga event with their mats under their arms.
All Out Trinity Festival – Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge, Dallas, Texas
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From above, the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge – the Dallas Calatrava-designed cable-stay signature bridge finally reaching across the Trinity River from Downtown to long-neglected, oft-reviled West Dallas – is an architectural marvel of geometry, steel, and curves.
Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge, Dallas, Texas
It has a dirty little secret, though. It isn’t really a bridge over much of anything. It’s more of a causeway with a huge, expensive, and dramatic sculpture tacked on overhead.
This is obvious when you venture into the vast stretches of the river bottoms. You can see the forest of columns holding up the span.
But still, even there, it is a thing of beauty. A different beauty – a more muscular, less soaring beauty – but beauty nonetheless.
I like it. If nothing else it offers up a vast strip of welcome cool shade.
Underneath the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge.
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Underneath the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge.
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Pillar 8N
Spirit of the Centennial – after dark
I love the art deco murals and sculptures in Fair Park. My favorite may be the Spirit of the Centennial sculpture in front of the Woman’s Building.
I have seen it in the daylight many times and took some photos of it. But I had never had a good look at it at night. It glows with a preternatural beauty – worth a gander, for sure.
Spirit of the Centennial, Woman’s Building, Fair Park, Dallas, Texas
Spirit of the Centennial, Woman’s Building, Fair Park, Dallas, Texas
Pillars In the Dog Park
Artwork in Bark Park Central
Deep Ellum
Dallas, Texas
Bark Park Central
Deep Ellum
Dallas, Texas
Bark Park Central
Deep Ellum
Dallas, Texas
Pillar 6N
Some More Sunflowers
A couple of weeks back I went out and took some sunflower shots – wrote about it on this blog entry. Here are a few more photographs.
(click for larger version on Flickr)
(click for larger version on Flickr)
(click for larger version on Flickr)
View From the Levee
The City of Dallas is slowly working on developing the long-neglected river bottoms along the Trinity River. In conjunction with the opening of the Continental Avenue Bridge Park a limited system of hike and bike trails were opened up in the river bottom called the Dallas Skyline Trail.
Map of the Dallas Skyline Trail
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These trails will eventually be extended to the south to connect up with the Santa Fe Trestle trail once the work on the I45/I30 “Horseshoe” project is finished (if we all live long enough).
For the time being, the 4plus miles in place will have to do. I took the DART train down there to explore. The biggest problem right now is lack of access on the downtown (north) side of the river. I had to ride across the Continental bridge where there is a steep ramp down the levee into the floodplain and the trails. The limited (2) trail heads open now, with one more to open in a few months, is fine if the trail system is used for recreational riding, but if it is to help with car-free transportation, they need more access points.
I rode the whole system and wanted to check out another possible point – on Commerce street, behind the city jail complex. The trail climbs the levee and it may be another spot to get to the system – though it’s hard to find and there isn’t any parking very close.
At any rate, the view from there is nice – in all directions.
Part of the Dallas Skyline Trail. The Commerce Street Bridge, Old Railroad Trestle, Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge.
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The paved trail climbs the levee. That’s the Commerce Street bridge in the foreground, with graffiti on the pillars, a bit of the old railroad trestle, and the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge in the distance.
Top of the levee, with the Dallas Jail in the background.
The top of the levee is paved the short distance to Commerce Street behind the sad monoliths of the Dallas Jail and its parking garage.
Dallas Skyline Trail on top of the levee.
In the other direction the trail is paved for a short way along the tip of the levee. Beyond is a gravel road which is rideable with a mountain bike.
Trinity River Floodplain
The open floodplain of the river bottoms, across to Oak Cliff. The construction of the Horseshoe can be seen in the distance.
Nice levee top view of Downtown from the Dallas Skyline Trail.
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To the North, there is a great view of the downtown skyline from the top of the levee.
Bill Chance 