Leon Banowetz graciously treated the Team to a day at the Perot Museum of Nature and Science, and to see the current exhibit of Animal Inside Out. If you aren’t familiar with the exhibit, it’s an absolutely amazing (albeit somewhat freaky, slightly disturbing) collection of skinned animals that have been filled with clear plastic. It’s a rare opportunity to see what lies beneath all the hair and fur up close and personal. You haven’t lived until you’ve seen a full-sized giraffe towering over you, in a sense, naked. The process used (Plastination) and the attention to detail are remarkable. It certainly had us awed, despite the inevitable jokes and goofing off that occurs when you get the group of us together off the clock.

While waiting for our turn to see Animal Inside Out, we had to opportunity to explore the rest of the museum (or most of it), which was a first for some of us. Admittedly, it was even more impressive than I expected and it really warranted an entire day to completely take in all of the displays and factoids. An absolute favorite for several of us was the Lyda Hill Gems and Minerals Hall, where the sheer color, geometry and design of some of the various crystals as found in nature was breathtaking. And of course, riding the great big escalator in the glass tube was pretty cool, too. Something about science museums just brings out the kid in everyone — even if they’re kids with achy feet and backs.

After working up an appetite, we relocated to Savor, the gastropub at Klyde Warren Park, for drinks and appetizers where we enjoyed the view of downtown, deviled eggs and a few good laughs before calling it a night. All in all, it was a great outing. I am already looking forward to a return trip to the Perot Museum (this time in tennies), and I’d like to try the patio at Savor when the weather isn’t sub thirty. But it’s nice to live in a city that offers so many great options for a field trip, and to have co-workers that make taking a field trip so much fun.

– Kris Murphy, Senior Designer