2 Trains, One Bus, and a LONG walk....or how NOT to get to the Zoo!

Linking up this morning with Shawn & IA to tell y'all all about our CRAZY adventure this past weekend...seriously (no pun intended), you will not believe it....

While in Dallas this past weekend, I wanted to do something different and fun with the kiddos.  Sis suggested we go to the zoo - simple enough.  The Fort Worth Zoo is phenomenal!

Let's make it a little more adventurous.....

Let's take the train to the zoo.  Sounds fun?? At the time......

To get from Carrollton (suburb north of Dallas), we hopped on the DART rail (the local commuter train) to catch the TRE (Trinity Railway Express - a fun train that connects Dallas with Fort Worth).  From there, I read online that the zoo is a "half mile walk from the stop".  

We can do this with 5 kids and 3 adults!  Let's go!

We left the house at 9:45 am and hopped on the DART at 10:15 to get off in Downtown Dallas to catch the TRE at 10:58 am.

My little Bubba was so excited to be on the train.

We get to the Victory stop with 3 minutes to spare to catch the TRE.

We wait.

And wait some more.

Finally, my very intelligent brother looks at the posted train schedule and points out that "someone " (ahem...me) read the weekday schedule.  The next TRE is at 12:24 pm. awesome.

What to do in Downtown Dallas with 5 kids on a Saturday at 11:00 am?

So we explored........

It was a ghost town.  It was windy & cold so we finally found a "Dick's Last Resort" to hang out in for a while.

Not the most appropriate place to take 5 kids, but we were desperate.  I mean, when was the last time you saw one of these babies?

Brody asked me "What kind of candy machine is that???"

Fed the kids a few snacks, hiked back to the Train station, and we were ready to head to the zoo!  Or so we thought.

At 12:20 (remember the TRE is coming at 12:24), I can't find my camera bag.

AGGGGGGGHHHHHH!!

Yep, Dick has it.

PANIC.

Mom calmly suggests that she will go back to the restaurant, pick it up and just take the DART back home.  She was so wonderful to do that.  I don't think I could have enjoyed the zoo, not knowing who had their hands all over my camera lens....

Cool.  The TRE showed up on time and we are on our way again.  ha.

Again, my little man adored the train and for the most part, was great the entire trip.

Until we get to the last stop in Fort WOrth, get off the train and see nothing but a parking lot.

"Excuse me Mr. TRE Conductor...but I read online that the zoo was half a mile away??"

I must have looked like a dumb blonde to him as he laughed his head off and took joy in telling me the zoo must be "over 10 miles away."

Oh dear.

So we had to wait 30 minutes to take the train back one stop to get off at the FW Bus Station.  To catch a "Number 7" bus at 2:15 p.m.  It was only 1:45.

Deep Breath.

Catch the Number 7, enjoy a 20 minute ride around FW to the zoo.  Hop off the bus to finally walk that "Half mile" that I read about.  finally.

And these amazing children did not complain.  hardly.

5 Hours later.....we finally make it to the zoo.  It's 3 pm.  I very happily go up to buy tickets only to have the snotty teenage girl take joy in telling me....

"We are only open for one more hour."

WHAT?!?!?!

2 Trains, a nasty & inappropriate bar, lost camera bag, a smelly bus ride, hike across the park and I am suppose to deny the zoo to these amazing kiddos?

no way.

Come on kids! Let's RUN!

Come back tomorrow to see some fun pics we took during that glorious hour.

Was it worth all the pain?  You can be the judge!