Dallas

Because we went into the city last night, we didn't go back to the heart of Dallas today. Zack had a bunch of work to do so we stayed in the house most of the morning. We have been staying with some friends at their in-laws' place. The in-laws have a beautiful ranch and were nice enough to let us all crash at their place for the last two nights. I have definitely had the full Texas experience...or the Texas experience that comes to my mind. The ranch has a few cows (longhorns), horses, and two cute dogs. It's a dream come true for me because I love all of those things! It really is a beautiful place and I can see the appeal of country living. There's plenty of wide open space to roam and explore. It is also quiet and peaceful, which is nice after navigating through Dallas rush hour traffic yesterday.

Commentary by Z: Pretty sure 75% of the Dallas area is covered by freeways. I've never had to take so many on/off ramps and exchanges in a 20 minute drive in my entire life. Didn't help that half of those roads were under construction!
During our lunch break we went on a run. We just ran to the end of the street and back..sooo two miles. Along the road there were a few houses here and there that sit on 20 plus acres. Horses, cattle, donkeys, and even llamas graze the pastures. It totally lived up to my idea of country living in Texas. It's easy to get lost in thought out here while enjoying the animal friends that want to greet me.








Commentary by Z: After growing up in California with lots of hills and then spending the past 10 years in Utah with the mountains, it's weird to be somewhere with open sky from horizon to horizon. Really makes it feel like there's a ton more space, just because you can see all of it!
Tonight was one to remember though. The Schindlers were great and took us on a buggy ride! They hitched up the horses to the buggy and everyone hopped in. It was dark outside, but that added to the dreaminess of it. The air was crisp and a little breezy when riding with the wind, but I loved it so much. There is something majestic to me when I watch horses. The two pulling the carriage were beautiful, powerful animals. They made it look easy when pulling the carriage and 5 people!







Because it was dark outside they were a little more skittish than they normally would be. If a car drove by or something came into view that they were unfamiliar with, they would get nervous and try to pick up the pace, but I thought it just made the adventure all the more exciting. We didn't just take a slow ride through the night, the pace was brisk and always on the verge of turning into a canter. We took a winding 6 mile journey into the night and it went by way too fast for me. The horses were incredible and I was blown away to learn how one even goes about training such creatures. It takes time and a lot of patience. I've got plenty of time right now, but patience I think I might lack. I'm just so glad I got to experience something like this during my time on the Ranch. I loved every second of it! So THANK YOU Schindler family!



After the carriage ride we went out to dinner at a place called Babe's Chicken. They have two items on the menu. Country Fried Steak or Fried Chicken. Once you pick between the two they bring out all you can eat sides and sooo much chicken or steak. I barely made a dent in my food but I ate so much! Too much really. Now I feel sick and need to recover before I eat again.

Commentary by Z: best part was the corn and biscuits. Pretty sure all the nutritional value of corn was thrown out the window, nothing healthy tastes as good as that corn did. Plus there's just something about hot buttery biscuits that satisfy a hunger you never knew you had until they're in front of you.
Before we headed home we were introduced to Buc-ee's. If you have never heard of it (like me) it's... a gas station. But not just any gas station. It was the biggest gas station I have ever seen. There were at least a 100 pumps and the store was almost the size of Walmart. We walked inside and they have food, candy, home decor?? and so many other things. It was overwhelming really. The options were endless. If I wanted jerky or anything for that matter they tons of options/flavors to choose from. Who knew a gas station could be so exciting? Not me!