Downtown Dallas Urban Walking Tour and City Lights Christmas Festival

This will be the same tour as usual but the Christmas festival will be a bonus and happens to be on the route. We will also check out the new deck park. Here is some info about the festival: http://thescoopblog.dallasnews.com/2012/10/downtown-dallas-now-three-weeks-from-holiday-season-as-city-lights-is-announced-for-november-17-first-twinkle.html/

This popular urban hike beneath the glistening skyscrapers of Big D combines the walking routes suggested by the city's visitor center into a loop of some of the best points in the downtown jungle. Though you will not see traditional nature sites along the hike, you be impressed as you trek past urbanized versions, including a herd of cattle stampeding over a brook, a multilevel waterfall, a sculpture garden, and an infamous grassy knoll.http://photos4.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/4/8/0/event_101461152.jpeg This hike is taken from Joanie Sanchez's 60 Hikes within 60 miles book. Totaling about 3 miles it should take about 2 hours.

You will see The Pioneer Plaza Cattle Drive. An amazing creation of 70 bronze Longhorn cattle being driven down a hill and over a stream by 3 mounted cowboys. That is Shawnee trail, an old route along which cowboys herded cattle in the 1800's. The detail on this artwork is so intricate you can see the veins buldging in their necks and muscles buldging under the skin. This place is next to Pioneer Cemetery. This is where some of Dallas' founders were laid to rest such as Harwood and Stemmons.

Let's meet at the Kennedy memorial behind the Courthouse at 5:15. We will start walking at 5:30. **Please make sure you do not end up the Kennedy MUSEUM. We are meeting at the MEMORIAL which is behind the Red Courthouse.

Note: This is a long, slow walk. We will stop at numerous parks and points of interest along the way. So if you are thinking this is a fast paced hike then this may not be for you.

Click here for details (http://books.google.com/books?id=A1IaS3-9wYEC&pg=PT12&lpg=PT12&dq=Downtown+Dallas+Urban+Trail&source=bl&ots=WIWFrxbRW-&sig=Yq8Jnvn58QhQ_fVpdqMCdY9saeY&hl=en&ei=3eBLS8DJDciXtgf_0sXdDA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=5&ved=0CBIQ6AEwBA#v=onepage&q=Downtown%20Dallas%20Urban%20Trail&f=false)

We will stop in the West End for Dinner afterwards at TGIF or West End Pub. Dogs are welcomed on the walk and at both restraunts noted.