We fervent Washington fans (and one rogue Vikings fan, a birth anomaly) actually looked into doing a tour of Texas Stadium in Dallas.  Officially known as AT&T Stadium, it is, apparently, the largest domed structure in the world.  What else would you expect in Texas? And ever since I read Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk, I’ve had a morbid curiosity about seeing the inside of the Cowboys locker room.  That was my rationale. 

What tipped the scales was the price tag for the tours–$17.50 for adults, $14.50 for kids. For the self-guided tour.  Granted, it would have included access to the locker room.  The Cowboys organization made it easy to Just Say No.

Okay, the week was also blacked-out for tours of any kind.

Instead, we took advantage of the singular accomplishment of another towering Texan–the five-foot, five-inch Ross Perot.  Many of us know him as an unsuccessful, but compelling independent candidate for president in 1992 and 1996.

He is also the major benefactor of the Perot Museum of Nature and Science in downtown Dallas.  Just opened at the end of 2012, this may be the single coolest museum we’ve ever seen.  Highly interactive and geared to kids of all ages, the museum’s biggest challenge for us was to keep the kids moving through the four floors.  Each stop captured their attention and imagination, and wouldn’t let go!

We only had four hours to spend, and we could have easily stayed three times as long.  The staff was helpful, and manned special-activity tables to entertain and educate.  What a gift–to educate while mesmerizing. Now I know why magicians loves schools! We dug for dinosaurs and raced cheetas and professional athletes in a footrace and built our own birds!

We joined the Perot Museum to gain access to partner museums across the country. It also got us into their special Dinosaurs exhibit in advance of non-members!

In the museum’s Sportscenter, I stumbled across this–signed by Roger Staubach of the Dallas Cowboys, the man every ‘Skins fan loved to hate back in the day.  And we didn’t even have to tour Texas Stadium to see it!