Shark Week 2011: When and where to see the fin!

We wait all year for it!

SHARK WEEK!

Check out some fun places to get close, maybe too close, to the majestic creatures that fascinate children and adults, alike!







Sea Life Grapevine

Visit the newest North Texas attraction,
Sea Life in Grapevine!

SEA LIFE Grapevine Aquarium transports you into the amazing underwater world. Prepare for astonishingly close views of everything from humble starfish and seahorses to graceful rays, to get any closer you would have to get wet!

• Amazing 360° Underwater Ocean Tunnel
• 30 Incredible Displays
• More than 5,000 Sea Creatures
• Take the Shark Walk if you're brave enough!

http://www.visitsealife.com/Grapevine/


















Children's Aquarium of Fair Park

In cooperation with the Dallas Zoo, the Children's Aquarium of Fair Park offers visitors the chance to see aquatic animals with the child's perspective in mind.  Tanks are built at child's eye level, including the touch tanks! Lots of interactive exhibits allow children to learn about creatures of the deep and not so deep!
Sunday, Wednesday and Friday Shark Feeding
http://childrensaquariumfairpark.com/


Dallas World Aquarium

The Dallas World Aquarium, located downtown in the Dallas Arts District, offers Shark feeding daily at 11:30am and 4:30pm
http://www.dwazoo.com/








Sea World San Antonio

You could spend days seeing all the sights at Sea World San Antonio, but for sharks, you must visit the   shark habitat!  Pictures and information of each of the sharks living inside the 450,000 gallon tank, and a close enough view to make you appreciate what swim in the seas!
http://seaworldparks.com/en/seaworld-sanantonio/Attractions/Exhibits/Sharks-and-Coral-Reef



Texas State Aquarium
Corpus Christi

Saturday, July 30th, the Texas State Aquarium is kicking it off with fun games, activities, giveaways and more!

Visit the Islands of Steel exhibit, where all of the animals can be found around an oil platform in the Gulf of Mexico: nurse sharks, green morays, spadefish, amberjack, tarpon, grouper and Hans, the sand tiger shark. 
http://www.texasstateaquarium.org/

Sea Center Texas, located in Lake Jackson is operated by Texas Parks and Wildlife.  Tours are offered Tues. - Sunday, and the largest Redfish hatchery in the world.
http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/visitorcenters/seacenter/


Moody Gardens, Galveston

There are lots of new exhibits at Moody Gardens in Galveston! Sharks In Depth, the latest exhibit in the Aquarium Pyramid® at Moody Gardens®, explores shark fact versus fiction, anatomy and behavior through a series of hands-on activities. Visitors can learn how a shark survives without a swim bladder, how they sense prey through vibrations and smell, what currently threatens shark populations and more. A new Aquarium Pyramid® Shark Passport will be available to visitors so that they can learn to identify shark species from around the world.

Texas Shark Fishing
Galveston

Captain Mike Williams and his Tarpon Express offer exciting shark fishing trips to famiilies.  Some of the different types of sharks they encounter are Blacktip sharks, Bull sharks, Tiger and occassional Hammerhead sharks. 
http://galvestonsharkfishing.com/






Downtown Aquarium Restaurant
Houston
http://www.aquariumrestaurants.com/downtownaquariumhouston/default.asp

Snow Cones - A Texas Original!

In Texas, we take snow cones seriously! 

We should, the snow cone was first introduced in Dallas at the 1919 Texas State Fair!

Since then, ice consistency and flavors have certainly changed!  There are lots of corner snow cone stands, but how do you know where to get the best?  The line, of course!  The longer the line, the better the snow cone, although I think the anticipation has something to do with it.  

Here are some of the favorite hot spots for the cold stuff.  

The Frisco Snow Cone Lady

8760 John Elliott Rd., Frisco

In Frisco, Mary Mathis IS the Snow Cone Lady!  She has been selling her snow for 30 years, and people travel from all around North Texas to treat themselves to these wonderful concoctions.  

She has over 50 flavors, and also offers sour and cream add ins.  

In fact, she is SO popular, she even sells T-shirts!  

See her Facebook page for more information,  http://www.facebook.com/pages/Frisco-Snow-Cone-Lady/21539646495?v=wall#!/pages/Frisco-Snow-Cone-Lady/21539646495?v=wall 



Aunt Stella's in Oak Cliff

2002 W. Clarendon Drive, Dallas

Aunt Stella's, an Oak Cliff landmark that has been selling Sno Cones for over 40 years at the same location!  For many an obsession, you have to wait for Aunt Stella to share her love. They are only open Fri-Sun 2-9pm. 

Once frequented by Stevie Ray Vaughn, think of the conversational doors you can open with your children, IF you can avoid a brain freeze!

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Aunt-Stellas-Snow-Cones/110454372326791?sk=wall#!/pages/Aunt-Stellas-Snow-Cones/110454372326791?sk=wall

32 Degrees at LaGrange in Deep Ellum
2704 Elm Street, Dallas

The Dallas Observer named the snowcones at LaGrange, in Deep Ellum, as the Best in 2010.  LaGrange opens at 10am, so take the kids out for an eclectic field trip, browse the art galleries and stop in for lunch and some cool refreshments.  Enjoy their patio and their taco bar.  Taco bar and snow cones.... Heaven is in Texas!  Find out more at http://www.lagrangedallas.com/

National Day of the American Cowboy - July 23, 2011

"Tomorrow is the most important thing in life. Comes into us at midnight very clean. It's perfect when it arrives and it puts itself in our hands. It hopes we've learnt something from yesterday." ~ Inscription on John Wayne's headstone

Saturday, July 23rd, is the 7th Annual National Day of the American Cowboy!
Here are some exciting and family focused ways to celebrate and explore this iconic Texas tradition!

Fort Worth Herd's Cow Camp

Join the Fort Worth Herd on Saturday, July 23rd from 1:30-2:30pm for this family friendly event in the Historic Fort Worth Stockyards
 “Cow Camp” allows children and adults to have hands on, interactive experiences with the equipment used during the Cattle Drive Era. Activities include; roping, sorting, saddling, cattle drive demonstrations and chuckwagon stories.
http://www.fortworthstockyards.org/Event.aspx?eId=27



Fort Worth Stockyards National Day Of The American Cowboy

This Annual event has been named The Best Event of its kind in the nation by western lifestyle magazine, American Cowboy. So, don't miss out on a day dedicated to the cowboy and lots of fun!

• Texas-Size Art contest
• Cowboy Celebration Parade
• Watermelon Eating Contests
• Fort Worth Herd CowCamp
• Most Worn-Out Boot Contest $5 Entry Fee
• Best Mustache Contest
• Riscky's Rib Eating Contest $5 Entry Fee
• Cowboy Idol
• Fort Worth Herd Cattle Drive

Activities will take place along East Exchange Avenue in the Fort Worth Stockyards. 

http://www.stockyardsstation.com/eventdetail.php?id=71&date=2011-07-23

Frontier Times Museum in Bandera, Texas,

the Cowboy Capital of the World

For more information, go to http://banderadayofthecowboy.com/

Lone Star Regulators Mounted Shooting Competition

Stephenville, Texas

Here's another true Texas event going on this weekend! Watch as mounted riders shoot balloons in timed contest! See their website for more information. Make a day or weekend of it, and visit Dinosaur Valley State Park, too!

http://www.glenroseexpo.org/in​dex.php/events/details/285-lon​e-star-regulators-mounted-shoo​ting-competition

Here is the link for Dinosaur Valley State Park, http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/findadest/parks/dinosaur_valley/