Spring Break Road Trip Day 2: Cooper/Commerce and Dallas

We woke up (late!) to a windy and rainy day.  We went down for breakfast, and luckily used the waffle iron/toaster/water and juice machine/etc in time before the power went out!  There was chatter about Tornado sirens going off in Fort Worth, and the hotel maintenance man was on his phone getting details about his friends/family with roof damage and hail damage.  After about an hour the power was back on and we finished getting ourselves organized and checked out.

We went to the town square but the fountain was off and I forgot to get pictures by it.  But we went up the street to the Paris Bakery.  It was lunch time, and I had read great things about several restaurants in Paris, but we wen't really ready for lunch so hoped to find some yummy baked good at Paris Bakery.  It did not disappoint!  The kids had cinnamon rolls (which apparently were fantastic, but they licked every crumb from their plates so we never tasted them!  Roy had been planning on finishing Riley's, at least!!!).  We also shared a baguette with butter and amazing raspberry jam - just like the breakfast Roy and I had every morning in the REAL Paris many years ago!

After a quick visit to the Chamber of Commerce for some souvenirs for the kids, we went back to the Eiffel Tower.  It was windy and chilly, so we weren't there long.

We then set out for Dallas, where the weather forecast was much better for the afternoon. The sky was divided in this amazing way - bright blue on one side and storm clouds on the other:

A few minutes after starting the drive, a weather alert came over the radio warning of a severe hail storm traveling from Commerce to Cooper and that vehicle damage was predicted and to take shelter in the lowest level of a building.  Hmmmm.  We were driving in the wide open farm land STRAIGHT for Cooper and then Commerce.  Not a single town to stop in on the way.  It seemed like the storm clouds were far off, but it didn't take long until the downpour of rain and hail and pounding the car.  I've never heard anything that loud (although, our children didn't seem to notice because they just raised their voices and kept playing with their stickers and asking me random questions!!!).  I should have taken a video but just watched out the window in amazement and hoped there was no damage to Roy's car.  After several minutes the worst of it passed and we pulled into a gas station for a moment. The car was fine and the storm seemed to have moved on, so we did as well.  The roads were covered in hail and were really slippery.  We have certainly learned this year that you never under estimate the power of weather in Texas!!

The rest of the trip to Dallas was uneventful.  We passed the giant seahorse and swordfish in Greenville (side note - if you've never checked out Roadside America, you'd be amazed at all the random things you can find to see during a road trip!).  We easily found out hotel and checked in.  We got a decent price for a hot downtown on Hotwire, so went for it even though it meant the high parking prices so that we could wander around and explore.

Both Lindsey and Erin had recommended Kyle Warren Park, and since it was already late afternoon, we figured it was our best option for an activity before dinner.  The park is a similar concept to Discovery Green here in Houston, but I think it gets WAY more action.  The kids play areas were fun and unique, and even though it wasn't hot, there were plenty of kids in the fountains.  We didn't bring Leighton's balls, but there were plenty of people playing on the big field.  There were also reading materials and games you could borrow, and there was a Jazz band playing.  And there were many food trucks there.  We had planned to go to a pizza restaurant we had heard about on Diners, Drive Ins, and Dives so we skipped the food trucks, but the food looked great and we'd love to go back to try some out!

We then started our walk to dinner.  Along the way we passed some sculptures the kids liked and saw the Cancer Survivor's Park.

We then ended up in an area we weren't crazy about walking in so turned around (it meant we didn't make it to the big metal sculptures of the robot playing the guitar and the 'peeps').  The kids had their hearts set on pizza at that point, and it was a bit late to research much out of the downtown core to drive to, so we just went to a generic sounding Italian place close to the hotel.  It was right by the 30ft eyeball and neon pegasus we wanted to see, so that was a bonus!

The restaurant could have been a 'dud' based on the meals Roy and I got (but we did make it in time for a happy hour drink!), but the manager offered to take the kids into he kitchen to make their own pizzas, so it was a super fun time!  They made their pizzas, got their own drinks from the soda machine, and brought their pizzas from the kitchen to the table themselves!  Riley and Leighton ate every morsel - they were starving!  So, it was a success!

We then went to a cupcake place down the street so they could have some dessert.  They liked the cupcakes, but Roy and I both were not fans of the tastes we had.  WAY too sweet and the texture was more like some boxed mixes.

When we got back to the hotel, it was way past bedtime, but I knew there was a rooftop pool and though there might be a nice view to show the kids.  I checked it out and the water felt warm-ish so I suggested a quick swim.  Leighton was the only one brave enough to get in!  But it was fun to see the night skyline, including the Reunion Tower.

After a bath, the kids snuggled into bed and watched a movie until late while we did a little research and planning for the following day.