Some of my out-of-town friends ask me which of the DFW malls are the best to visit when they come in for a shopping weekend. That’s kind of like asking, “Which of your children do you love the most?”

I like them all.

It’s hard for me to choose, since they each have a particular atmosphere, unique combinations of merchants, and even architecture.

Yet my friends would be expecting me to answer their question and help them out. As their friend, I would do my best. So I’m going to do my best for you.

We looked at things like architecture, variety of merchants, number of perimeter stores, but I also considered the “WOW” factor. It’s about an experience, not just shopping. So here is our opinion of the 6 must-see shopping center malls of DFW; 3 in the Dallas area and 3 in the Fort Worth area, in no particular order:

Galleria Dallas (Dallas area – Dallas): For sheer “Wow” factor, Galleria Dallas is impressive. Modeled after the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele in Milan, Italy, it’s four levels ooze élan and luxury. There are one-of-a-kind high-end stores, but also a good variety of mainstream merchants.

Stonebriar Centre (Dallas area – Frisco): Stonebriar may have the most interesting exterior architecture of any shopping center mall in DFW. This open, bright mall has it all, and has the most children’s apparel merchants of any other mall.

Town East Mall (Dallas area – Mesquite): Town East is instantly recognizable by its large center structure that covers the center part of this huge shopping mall. Remodeling in 2005 added many stores and updated the interior. Town East resembles a large wheel, with the Food Court its center hub.

Grapevine Mills (Fort Worth area – Grapevine): Grapevine Mills has more merchants than any other shopping mall in DFW – 237 of them! If you can’t find it here, it probably isn’t made. Wear comfortable shoes, as the rectangular concourse is almost one mile around.

Southlake Town Square (Fort Worth area – Southlake): Although not an enclosed mall, it’s uniqueness makes it an experience unlike any other in this list. Southlake Town Square is designed to resemble a small town square, with the stores branching off onto small side streets. The best way to enjoy Southlake Town Square is to park your car, and take your time walking around, soaking it all in.

The Parks at Arlington (Fort Worth area – Arlington): In 2002, The Parks added 400,000 square feet of space, making it one of the largest shopping malls in DFW. More than just a place to shop, The Parks is a place to have fun, with an ice-skating rink, theaters and a carousel ride. Traffic around The Parks can be heavy at times, but the trip is worth it.

There are our top 6 recommendations – now it’s time for you to hit the mall trail and have fun!

Florida is known for many things, including its abundant sunshine, sandy beaches on the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico, juicy oranges and, last but not least, numerous opportunities for sport fishing. South Florida especially is renowned for its sports fishing. As evidenced by the multitude of deep sea fishing charters located in south Florida, sport fishing is big business and appeals to both the novice and the seasoned angler. With its portion of Intracoastal Waterway and warm ocean waters, Fort Lauderdale is one of the best sport fishing locations in south Florida. Sport fishing in Fort Lauderdale includes both freshwater and saltwater fishing.

Within a few feet of the shore, the water off of Fort Lauderdale reaches depths of 200 feet to 300 feet. It does not take long, approximately 5 miles, until the water reaches depths of over 700 feet. In general, deeper waters signify larger fish. The variety, size and species of fish may vary based on season, but in general one could expect to catch fish such as: sailfish, dolphin, barracuda, mahi mahi, grouper, snapper, wahoo, tuna, and shark. King mackerel and swordfish are popular sport fish in Fort Lauderdale. King Mackerel are migratory and usually spend the winter months in Florida. Swordfish are generally found in the waters off of Fort Lauderdale, but since they are nocturnal feeders they are best caught in the hours between dusk and dawn.

Sport fishing in Fort Lauderdale offers several methods of fishing for bringing in the big catch. These methods include the following:

Wreck Fishing

A popular fishing excursion with both private and chartered boats is wreck fishing. Wreck fishing involves sunken ships or artificial reef programs, which create habitats for fish. There are approximately 25 wrecks in the Fort Lauderdale waters from which to choose. Some of these wrecks are located in deep waters, while others are in shallow waters. When trying to determine whether to fish a deep or shallow wreck, consideration should be given as to the type of fish targeted. Barracuda and snapper can usually be caught around the shallow wrecks, and amberjack and shark may sometimes be caught around the deep wrecks. At times, sailfish and mahi mahi can be found feeding on the top of shallow wrecks.

Kite Fishing

Kite fishing can be a year round activity in Fort Lauderdale due to the winds that blow almost constantly in the area. Preferably, winds should be somewhere between 5 and 30 miles per hour for successful kite fishing. The type of kite used is based on the wind speed, which can change daily or even hourly. Generally, kite fishing is set up in 100 to 150 feet of water. The type of fish generally caught using this method is marlin, tuna, mackerel, sailfish and mahi mahi.

These are just a few of the many opportunities for sport fishing in Fort Lauderdale. Numerous charter boats are available for any type of fishing experience that one could desire including private or guided fishing.

Fort Myers Beach is the perfect choice for your family’s summer beach vacation. Though other beaches in Florida are better known, the Fort Myers Beach area has everything you could want, from quiet natural park preserves to festivals bustling with activity. Many families have made it their “go to” beach destination. Spend a week or more at Fort Myers Beach and you’ll discover why it has become such a popular choice.

Fort Myers Beach is located primarily on Estero Island. The island is about five miles long, with lots of beach vacation rental homes, condominiums, hotels and resorts that cater to vacationers. The beach front is a fun place for families. It’s easily accessible and has places close by to grab some lunch or stock up on sunscreen and beach supplies.

If you are looking for a quieter, less developed beach, drive or bike to the south end of Estero Island and cross the bridge to Lovers Key State Park. The two-mile long beach has lots of space to find a sandy spot with some degree of privacy. If you get bored with shelling, swimming and sunning, there are over five miles of trails for hiking and biking. There is a concession station for renting bikes, canoes and kayaks.

For a fun family day trip, consider an excursion into the Everglades. There are private companies that will will pick you up in Fort Myers Beach, take you on a tour of the Everglades and return you safely at the end of the day. Depending on the operator and options you choose, you can enjoy airboat rides, swamp buggy adventures and driving tours through various habitats in the Everglades. You are likely to see a wide range of wildlife and learn much about the ecology of this area. There are also several options for kayaking eco-tours.

If you need a day out of the sun, or if it happens to rain for an afternoon, Fort Myers Beach has several enjoyable ways to spend some time indoors. The Fort Myers Beach Theater has four movie screens and even serves dinner, beer and wine. The food options are basic, but it’s a fun way to combine dinner and a movie.

The Ostego Bay Marine Science Center is on San Carlos Island, which is between Estero Island and the mainland and is still part of Fort Myers Beach. The Center has interactive exhibits and displays, aquariums, touch tanks and several special collections. It’s another fun way to learn about the natural environment of Southwest Florida.

There are many other family activities in the area, including adventure golf, amusement parks, state parks and water-based tours. Just be sure you leave some time for relaxing on the beach. Sometimes the best beach vacation activity is the short walk from your beach rental house down to the sandy shores of the Gulf of Mexico. You’ll find the Fort Myers Beach experience is worth returning to year after year.

The Battle of Fort Sumter is often cited as being the “bloodless battle” that marked the beginning of the American Civil War, but there is much more to it than that. Here are the top ten facts about the Battle of Fort Sumter. I’ll bet there are some you haven’t heard before…

1. Union commander Major Robert Anderson not only knew the Confederate commander at the Battle of Fort Sumter, General P. G. T. Beauregard, the two were friends. The friendship went all the way back to Beauregard’s time at West Point Military Academy, where Anderson was his artillery instructor.
2. At 3:20 on the morning of April 12, 1861, General Beauregard informed Major Anderson that he would begin bombardment of Fort Sumter in one hour. The first gun opened fire on the fort at about 4:30.
3. The Union second-in-command was Captain Abner Doubleday, from Cooperstown, New York. For many years Doubleday was credited with having invented the game of baseball, but that story has now been debunked.
4. There were a number of Union Navy ships just outside of the harbour during part of the first day and all of the second day of the Battle of Fort Sumter, but these ships made no effort to enter the harbour to aid or defend the fort.
5. While Southerners generally praised the bravery of the men in the fort (Confederate soldiers and citizens cheered when the Union guns resumed firing after stopping to fight fires in the fort on the second day), they viewed the actions of the Navy ships as cowardly and embarrassing.
6. The Union troops ran short of cartridge cases to fill with powder, so they had to improvise. They used Major Anderson’s socks, and tore up all the shirts they could find in order to prepare the powder cartridges to fire the cannons.
7. The bombardment of Fort Sumter lasted roughly thirty-four hours, and ended on the afternoon of April 13, 1861, when Anderson and Beauregard agreed to terms for the surrender of the fort.
8. Despite the fact that there was no loss of life during the Battle of Fort Sumter, the entire event was not entirely bloodless. On April 14, immediately before they evacuated the fort, Union troops fired a salute to their flag as it was taken down. During this salute, there was an accidental explosion which killed two Union soldiers and injured four more.
9. In 1863, the Union Navy tried to retake Fort Sumter, and succeeded in battering it almost to ruin; but they were unable to capture the fort from the Confederates. It did not return to Union control until after Charleston, South Carolina fell in February of 1865.
10. On April 14, 1865, a ceremony was held in the newly recaptured Fort Sumter. During this ceremony, Major Anderson (by then a General) re-raised the same flag he had taken down while evacuating the fort exactly four years earlier.

Did you learn anything new? I hope so, and I also hope that these Battle of Fort Sumter facts have given you a new appreciation of this battle and the men who fought in it.

Robert E. Harrill, also known as the “The Hermit” is a character woven into the history of Fort Fisher, NC. Surely one of the most famous people of Pleasure Island. He has been the subject of a documentary, a book, a “society” and has had many articles written about his life and times. He lived “off the land” in an old, abandoned War World II bunker for 16 years. Harrill hitchhiked to Fort Fisher, on the coast of North Carolina from the mountains seeking peace and sanctuary from an abusive and disappointing life. In his early 60’s, he finally decided to move away from society and closer to nature. His life was sad, sweet, inspirational and courageous; his death surrounded in mystery only adds one more layer to his story. He was gregarious, teaching his version of “the school of common sense”, by the late 1960’s he was deemed to be the second largest tourist attraction in the state of North Carolina after the Battleship U.S.S. North Carolina.

I followed the “Hermit’s Trail” to the bunker he used to call home. Like everyone else, I find myself intrigued by a man who lived in the middle of a salt marshland, just beside the ocean, so independently for so long. He lived off the “fat of the land”;here at the coast it was oysters, fish and a garden he planted himself. He braved hurricanes, the humidity and heat of the Carolina summers, he fought for his right to stay in his “home” against developers and other authorities who considered him a vagrant. Mainly, his friends were the animals, stray cats, dogs and wild raccoons. Although, I do not imagine he was lonely for human company-it has been said that he kept a guest book that by his death contained no less than 100,000 entries. These passers by made their contributions to him-dropping money in his frying pan or sharing some food. He also accepted donations for posing in a photo.

He was quoted in 1968 in the New Hanover Sun with regard to his popularity,

“Everybody ought to be a hermit for a few minutes to an hour or so every 24 hours, to study, meditate, and commune with their creator…millions of people want to do just what I’m doing, but since it is much easier thought of than done, they subconsciously elect me to represent them, that’s why I’m successful…”

I imagine he did not miss much food or drink. There is an entry on his website from a local who was about 16 at the time used to ride him into town for groceries. The man remembers piling 30 bags of groceries into his trunk!

letters and stories, along with his personal collected writings indicate he lived a hard life. He grew up through the depression in an abusive household as a child. His marriage ended in divorce and his eldest son committee suicide. I can relate to his desire to escape to a simpler life. To continue his story however, his younger son Edward founded The Hermits’ Society. The Hermit’s inspirations, “teachings”, and thoughts are recorded in photograph and movie

His death on June 3, 1972 was listed as a heart attack. The Hermit was found by a group of teenagers early in the morning. His body was in a spread eagle position on a pile of trash. I find it hard to convey how this saddens me.

You can still visit his bunker and walk the trail from the Fort Fisher/South End Beach Access. The trail begins across from the Visitors Center. The trail is approximately ¼ mile to the bunker. You can continue on to the Observatory deck at the very top if the island where you can view heron, ibis, egret and other amazing coastal colonial birds. A regular sight for our friend the hermit.

Having learned all of this about Robert Harrill I felt compelled, to follow it through and find his grave. It is located on Dow Road in the Federal Point Methodist Cemetery. It is a peaceful spot beside the River in a shady, historic area of the grounds. The grave itself is covered in shells that have been left as mementos, in fact I left one myself as I knelt to read the headstone. It reads “He made people think”. I am not the only one, his visitors still seek him out, most recently a DVD of the Fort Fisher Hermit Movie was also left on Robert’s grave. The story of his life, “The Battle for Independence; The Life and Times of the Fort Fisher Hermit” is for sale on lulu.com.