Sharing a post from DEFINITIVE DALLAS Instagram and Facebook’s site dated 3/17/2022:
⭐️ Going to Southfork is always like a homecoming of sorts. You step on the grounds and you are immediately wrapped in warm, familiar surroundings where significant events took place. Brothers fought. Lovers were married and broke up. Parents looked on at their children with pride or frustration depending on what they may be doing. There were celebrations and sorrow.
With the news that broke earlier this week, I knew I had to take the opportunity to get myself to the ranch ASAP. It just happened that I didn’t have to wait very long!
Although I have been to Southfork plenty of times over the years (living nearby helps), yesterday was the first time I had done the official tour since I was in college. My tour group, first one of the day, had about 20 people on it. I wish I could remember where everyone was from, but there were families from the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, New York, and Florida. Several birthdays and an anniversary were being celebrated. I was the only Texan and the only person that had been there before, so I was designated as tour-guide-in-training.
The spiel is a combination of history and tall tale! I thought it leaned heavily on the tall tale and played loose with the facts, but isn’t that what Dallas was all about? A couple of things said struck a nerve, but overall it was a lot of fun and kept things interesting as we walked through the house.
Following a tour through the mansion I was able to spend as much time as I wanted walking the grounds. Since I was alone, it was a very peaceful experience soaking in the sights and the sounds. Although other tour groups were in the mansion by this point and other guests were horseback riding, it really felt like I had the place to myself. It was a completely different experience from being at a Southfork for a concert, book signing, or when I was there for the 40th anniversary celebration. There was no revelry. For me it was solitude and somewhat reverent.
Back to touring through the mansion… I was slow to leave each room. I wanted to take the opportunity to soak it in and take pictures (even though the interior looks just like it did on my last visit). At one point I was asked if I was a mole. A mole? I was told they have had a lot of suspicious tourists In the past few weeks (taking more pictures than ordinary, taking measurements, even flying drones!) I assured her I wasn’t a mole and not there for any other reason than to just visit one more time. The mole comment made me laugh, but it also gave me a great opportunity to explain why I was there and ask about he news of the sale.
Of course, I can’t guarantee anything that was shared with me is 100% fact. I don’t know how close this person is to the source of the details of the real information or if they are operating of of bits and pieces or the rumor mill like we are. Nonetheless, here’s what I learned. There have been multiple offers for the purchase of Southfork. It sounds like it will turn into a bidding war between them. What does this mean for the future of Southfork? Who knows? Y’all, the homes in the area are huge and real estate prices are high. Redevelopment sounds like an easy answer, but the local ordinances may prohibit that immediately. Will the new owner keep Southfork open until the ordinances change? Will things be shuttered and go dark? I don’t know.
The only thing I can say with certainty is that it is open now. Go visit if you can! They are still offering the trail rides and you can still hold events there. The ‘Live Like a Ewing’ package is still available. A little rich for my blood, but you do have the chance to spend the night in the mansion as well as get a steak dinner and hot breakfast as part of the deal. You can even swim in the pool! People that have done it said It was a blast! The booths for the trades days were setting in the event space south of the mansion. That’s taking place this weekend and still advertised as a monthly event. It sounds like business will go on like normal until a sale is final.
I left with a small bag of souvenirs and a full heart. Southfork just might no longer remain a real place bridging the gap between Hollywood and real life. It may become a state of mind. It won’t be the same as being there, but I will get to revisit each time I watch Dallas! Somehow the events onscreen get intertwined with my memories of being there myself. In the meantime, we will have to wait and see.
PS: I’m revisiting the Meadowlark Sanatarium tomorrow. The lawn is always looking lovely this time of year. I’ll be sure to post a photo!
