A trip to downtown Dallas...

On Wednesday Tristen and I went to downtown Dallas to run a few errands. I got some really good photos of the Pioneer Plaza Cattle Drive sculpture for a class I'm going to be teaching called "Shoestring Adventures"...it's nice to know that when people think of someone to teach a class on free things to do with kids, they think of me... or is it because when they think of someone cheap, they think of me... hmmm.

Anyway, it's quite amazing with its bronze, larger-than-life-size steers and their cowboy escorts. What's really cool is that it is located on the actual Shawnee Trail drive of the 1850s - and is the largest bronze monument of its kind in the world. Just to show you the hulking size of these steers, here is Haylee sitting on one:
When we started getting hungry for lunch Tristen suggested Cafe Brazil located in Deep Ellum. I knew nothing about this place but did know something about Deep Ellum..."Isn't that where there was just a shooting?". That's what I love about Tristen...her sense of adventure! Actually, she would never go into a place that was dangerous but she knows where to get some good food because she DOES try different places, unlike me! I eat the same thing at the same place...for example, if I am going to McAlisters , I always get their french dip....if I am going to eat at Pei Wei, I am always going to get their Honey Seared Chicken. I am NOT adventurous!

So, we end up here:

Cafe Brazil, Deep Ellum

I wasn't super hungry so I just ordered the chips, salsa and guacamole. Their guac was GREAT! Tristen had the chicken crepes, Haylee and a cheeseburger and Kaiya had the toasted ham and cheese. This place is quite interesting and I even toyed with the idea of asking the 2 servers there if I could take Haylee's picture with them. There were tatoos, piercings and many other things involved but the thing I loved best were the dreadlocks that we saw!

Now, as a mom of a girl who can't stand to have her hair brushed, I saw a life lesson! As our waitress left after she took our order, I leaned over to whisper in Haylee's ear "do you see how her hair is? that's what happens when you never brush your hair!" I don't think it had the effect I was hoping for, but what can ya do?