tourist attractions Archives

IgoUgo’s Social Media Manager, Julie Janak, reports on memorial events being held at Southfork Ranch this weekend in honor of Larry Hagman’s death.

Photo credit The Hollywood Reporter

When Larry Hagman’s character, JR, was shot on the television drama “Dallas”, it was the shot heard round the world. The question of “Who shot JR?” is almost as famous as Ayn Rand’s “Who is John Galt?” The beloved “Dallas” actor lost his battle to throat cancer last weekend, and thousands across the globe will be remembering him fondly.

Hagman was pivotal in the success of “Dallas”, which subsequently garnered a cult following and put the city of Dallas on the map. As many of you know, the show was set on the sprawling Southfork Ranch, which is in fact, an actual house and very popular tourist attraction to this day! Just a few days after his death, the gates of Southfork are already being adorned with mementos and flowers in honor of the late “JR”.

Located in Parker, Texas-26 miles Northeast of Dallas proper- the mansion was originally procured by the TV production company in 1978. The original owners actually lived in the home when filming first began, however once the show’s popularity soared, they clearly weren’t able to live comfortably in the privacy of their own home. The ranch grew, an external building was erected in order to house special events and conventions and tourists have been flocking to this iconic destination ever since.

In honor of Hagman’s death, the ranch will be opening its doors this Sunday, December 2^nd for free tours between 2-4pm. Following the touring hours, there will be a memorial service for mourners to leave flowers or mementos.

Tell us: did you watch Dallas? Or do you watch the new rebooted version?

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Once upon a time (or 1911, actually,) a Yale professor traveled to Peru, hiked for six days and ultimately became the first Western scholar to experience the “lost city” of Machu Picchu. The famed ruins – inexplicably designed without so much as a hammer – continue to draw thousands of worldwide visitors. The best way to get there is to hop a LAN Airlines flight, relax, and think, “I am about to visit one of the Seven Wonders of the World.”

Over the years, IgoUgo members have hiked the ruins of Machu Picchu and shared their most inspiring photos. Today, we share our favorites with you. It’s like being there…but without all that hiking.

photo by nora_yusuf

Baby Llama – photo by nora_yusuf

Although tours are readily available,the amount of visitors allowed to visit Machu Picchu per day is restricted to 400. It’s a fun challenge for the fittest among us, as the climb promises to tire even the most experienced climbers.