I very early on felt that the worst of the shut-down decisions were closing the parks. Few metal surfaces, easily to social distance, a good way to get sunshine and fresh air when you have to be sheltering indoors so much. Among the entities affected was the Dallas Arboretum (which, at about the same time, was named Readers Voice Award winner for best public space). So I was delighted that the arboretum has reopened, as of yesterday, with new protocols, among them:
• You have to buy your ticket (including parking) in advance.
• You get four hours in the arboretum, with about 1,000 other visitors at a time.
• You are encouraged to wear a facemask (but they won’t make you).
• Many paths are one-way, and there are signs indicating whether you are walking a one-mile loop (as I did) or taking short cuts.
What was interesting about touring the space with these new rules in place was how much I discovered in a place that I usually go to about every other month — spaces and walkways and foliage and scenery that had seemed to pass by me. So I decided to put together this photoessay of some of the sights I discovered or enjoyed under the new normal. All are better in person, so go when you can.
— Arnold Wayne Jones
