Advertisement
Published: March 9th 2017
We've gotten many visitors over the years, and seeing how much fun they have in our city has made us realize that Dallas has a lot to offer. Even though we've lived here for almost 7 years, we are still always discovering new things about this city every day. If Dallas makes you think of cowboys and southern accents, then you would be right. But there is a whole lot more you may not know about... like that it has a rich and modern art district and a few unusual sights off the beaten track.
I've never really mentioned where we live before. And I never saw it as very special, I guess it's because we often overlook where we live as it becomes so familiar and ordinary, but now that we are moving I find myself reminiscing on all the things that make this place so special. After 7 years of living in Dallas Texas, we are moving back home to the Carolinas. It's where our story as a couple began and where all of our family lives. Ever since becoming pregnant again (yes, we are now going to be parents of
two kids!) it's clear to us now
that that's where we want to raise our children.
This move is very bittersweet for us. We are sad to be leaving the place we've known as our home for almost a decade, as well as all of our close friendships. We also have memories in almost every corner of this city. So I'm going to spill the beans about what I personally love about Dallas, Texas.
A little Intro on BIG Texas Texas is BIG! To put it into a broader perspective, Texas is slightly bigger than the whole country of France. Dallas is a North Texas city that is also connected to the city of Fort Worth, forming the DFW Metroplex. Whenever you talk about things to do in Dallas, you almost always have to mention Fort Worth. The demographic of the people who live here is very diverse too, mainly due to the influx of people migrating to Dallas for work. All major highways have been expanding and going through renovations to accommodate this growing trend. You will often hear Texas called the
"Lone Star State", and even be represented by a flag with a single star. This is a
Texas Cowboys and Long Horns
The two greatest symbols of Texas history and culturereminder of it's struggle to become an independent republic.
The Midwestern
cattle industry was a movement which greatly impacted Texas too. You'll notice bronze statues of cattle and cowboys all over Dallas. You may be wondering if there are still real cowboys around Dallas? Well, yes... sort of! They aren't like the old western cowboys you heard about that frequented saloons, but there are still plenty of ranches, cattle being herded, and farmland owned by men that often wear cowboy hats and cowboy boots... which is pretty much the definition of a cowboy. Currently it's the
oil industry booming here, as well as many major companies that have moved their headquarters to Dallas, including Toyota.
Arts Culture and Sciences I'm very proud of the progress Dallas has made, especially in the arts district. This whole area has gotten a huge face lift since we initially moved here. It has expanded to include the
Clyde Warren Park, The Dallas Museum of Art, the Windspear Opera House, The Crow Collection of Asian Art, the Nasher Sculpture Museum, and the recently built
Perrot Science Museum. People love that the arts district is very
convenient and pedestrian friendly. It's lawns, modern play grounds, and open dining areas makes this place fun to bring your family and dates. There are always plenty of food trucks around too, for those mid-day munchies. It's also very safe to walk around day and night, so feel free to take a midnight stroll if that's your thing. This area is constantly expanding and growing and every time we visit it's like we are in a new city! If you come and want to take a break from all the walking, there is a free historical trolley service that runs every 15 minutes that will take you all around the downtown. Most of these trolleys are unique and have been imported/salvaged from places like Australia, Belgium, and many more places around the world. The Dallas Museum of Art is also free, and houses some very important art and historical artifacts, including mummy remains from Egypt. Not far from here, you can easily take a trolley to the posh
McKinney Avenue for some nice restaurants or laid back bar atmosphere. I'm so glad that the city officials have chosen to improve upon the cultural aspects of the city, which makes living
Dallas World Aquarium
Baby L. doesn't seem as interested in this adorable sloth, as I am! here so much better! I could probably go on and on about the arts district.
Historical District I'd also recommend that you not miss a visit to
Dealey Plaza, which is the
JFK memorial. President JFK was assassinated here in 1933, so this area is now an important historical marker. The memorial includes the 6th Floor museum, a park with fountains, and a photogenic landscaped city block. There is a green lawn where visitors can stroll around and get a clear view of Reunion Tower. We've come here numerous times and have taken countless guests for photo ops and sight seeing.
Also not far from here is the
Dallas World Aquarium which houses gorgeous tropical plants, some animals, and diverse fish species. It's so tropical and humid in here, you'd think you stepped into Costa Rica! One of the most beautiful features is a floor to ceiling waterfall, which the birds get to fly around freely. I only support places like this if their efforts are centered on the well being of their animals. They participate in many rehabilitation and release programs, such as the 15 manatees that they have
JFK Memorial & Reunion Tower
From the street where JFK was assassinated, you can also get this photogenic view of Reunion Tower. released back into the wild. You can read more about this and other projects on their conservation blog.
If you are looking for a unique dining experience, you can head over to the Dallas landmark
Reunion Tower and eat at Five Sixty, Wolfegang Puck's award winning restaurant. It is a modern sky high revolving restaurant, so It doesn't get more fancy then that! I confess that neither of us have actually dined here, but they have a wonderful observation deck on the tower from which to get nice views of the city. Another unique idea and one of our favorite "nights out" is going to the
Addison Stand Up for dining and to laugh hysterically when the funniest comedians come to Dallas. The food isn't really worth mentioning, but the experience of watching your favorite comedians in action up close is priceless.
Deep Elum If uptown Dallas were a trendy business man, then Deep Ellum would be his older hippy cousin! This is the quirky eclectic side of Dallas. We've come here for live music and eating out. It's bounded by three streets including Elm street, which might be where
it's name stems from. One of my favorite features are all the surprise art graffiti murals on all the old buildings. You can make it a fun game and do a mural hunt with your friends. There are cool shops, art galleries, tattoo parlors and more. Don't forget to also search for
giant robots. Just around the corner, and right off the Dart transportation tracks, you may spot a giant robot or two just chilling out or playing guitar. But don't worry, they are really friendly. These giant metal statues are collectively known as the "Travelling Man" by artist Brad Oldham. There's also a giant blue eye ball in the middle of downtown Dallas, which is a sculpture about 5 stories high. If that's not quirky, I don't know what is!
Nature Escapes from the City I LOVE White Rock Lake, probably because its the largest stretch of nature that we have close to the city (a little over 2,000 acres.) Sometimes when I'm here, I forget we are in a city at all! The lake is over 10 miles all around, and offers you an escape from the noisiness of the downtown. The
Lake is slightly hidden behind trails of lined trees and the most beautiful homes. People use the lake to go sailing, and they use the 10 mile cement path around the lake to jog, bike, walk their dogs, people watch, and generally relax. Victor and I have gone kayaking at this lake, but we mostly go to ride our bikes and get some fresh air. It's our favorite form of exercise.
Another great nature escape right off of White Rock Lake is the
Dallas Arboretum, which is a gorgeous set of botanical gardens with ponds and trails to keep you busy all afternoon. They have the most pretty peacock sculptures in the summer, and they also offer pretty seasonal pumpkin displays in the fall. If you don't mind driving an extra 40 minutes to
Forth Worth, their
Botanical Gardens are also one of our favorites and we try to come here once a year. I should also mention the beautiful
Fort Worth Water Gardens, which aren't real gardens but a series of water fountains.
Diverse Festivals and Sports There are so many fun festivals in Dallas every month. Some of our favorites
The Cowboys Foot Ball Stadium
You don't have to have tickets to an expensive game in order to tour the stadium, just drop by! are: the Plano Balloon festival in September, The Independence Day Kaboom town festival in July, Addison's Oktoberfest (complete with German beer and bratwurst) in September, Asian Cultural festivals in the Spring and Summer, The Texas State Fair in October (home of the famous Big Tex), and The Texas Veggie Fair in October. There are hundreds of food and music related festivals, it's so hard to keep up with them all.
We aren't huge sports enthusiasts, but one of the things we have enjoyed and appreciated are the big name sports teams and games that are so easily accessible to us living in this city. We have attended big games in baseball and basketball, and have visited the Dallas Cowboys football stadium on different occasions.
Stock Yards in Fort Worth If you are looking for that old Midwestern side of Dallas, then the most typical cowboy experience would be to visit the Stock Yards in Forth Worth. There you will be transported to the time of the cowboys and the popular long horns. The street will temporarily be cleared of cars twice a day, so that the big beautiful long horns can
march down the street as they're herded by cowboys. During these reenactments of the past, you can stand on the side walk, and see cowboys in their typical gear, which offers you great photo opportunities. If you'd like to purchase your own authentic cowboy gear as a souvenir, then this is the best spot to do it... although Dallas also has a few reputable stores like this too. When you get hungry, there are also Texas steak houses here to have your typical Texas meal. Disclaimer: Dallas is not the healthiest State to live in, especially since they famously serve barbecue platter of ribs, Texas chili (traditionally with beef stew and no beans,) and chicken fried steak. The concept of being vegetarian and living in Texas almost sounds insane, but believe us, there are plenty of food options for everyone to choose from!
Well there you have it in a nut shell! This past year has flown by and we've been very busy packing and gearing up for the big move ahead. I have to say, living in Dallas has been amazing, and it has given us so much to be thankful for. It gave
us the space we needed to grow in our marriage. It gave us excellent jobs which have funded our past travels, and our life in general. And it introduced us to what we hope are lasting friendships, so dear to our heart, that they have been more like family to us. I will cherish the experience of living in Dallas forever.
Thank you Dallas, Texas! And to all our Texas Friends, we love you and we'll miss you
Advertisement
Tot: 0.119s; Tpl: 0.014s; cc: 16; qc: 30; dbt: 0.0339s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.1mb
Home and Away
Bob Carlsen
Congratulations on your 30th blog...
and your nice farewell remarks for a city that you obviously love. We look forward to hearing about NC.