The lighter side of Dallas

[dcden]

OK, I know there have been several posts on the logistical problems re this year's Adult Nationals, but I want to change topic a bit and ask: What are some suggestions for sightseeing/activities in Dallas? I am done competing on Thursday so I might take some time on Friday to discover Dallas. Any suggestions?

Some I've heard so far are:
* visit the museum at the location where JFK was assassinated.
* someone on another thread mentioned Neiman Marcus and shopping in general
* Ft. Worth is apparently worth checking out in terms of restaurants and night life

I suppose if worst comes to worst I can always just do some shopping or book browsing, but I can do that anywhere. Certainly there should be some way to soak up the local atmosphere. Come on Dallas, this is your opportunity to make amends with us adults!

[Mel On Ice]

I am going to the Dallas Museum of Art on Thursday to conduct an interview with the museum shop's director and browse a bit. If shopping happens... it happens.

[MusicSkateFan]

I plan on going to a big country bar and go two-steppin! yeee haaaww! And if it doesn't grow horns..........:lol:

[Skittl1321]

I plan on going to a big country bar and go two-steppin! yeee haaaww! And if it doesn't grow horns..........:lol:

It's in Fort Worth- which is a bit of a drive from Dallas (whoever coined the phrase "Dallas/Fort Worth area" did it just to convince visitors/commuters it's reasonable to drive 90 miles from one city to another) but Billy Bob's is the absolute best "big country bar" there is! If you haven't picked one out yet- I recommend that one.


(edit- 90 miles is an exageration- I'm used to measuring in time- and with the traffic it might as well be that. Sorry :( I realize the closest points of the closest points of the cities are 30 miles- but the furthest points are much further than that- I'm used to going from Far Fort Worth to middle of Dallas. And I still recommend Billy Bob's. And if you like Fried Pickles find a Razoos. Those things are great)

[coskater64]

The Modern Art museum in Ft. Worth is really good as is the one in Dallas. There is good shopping in Dallas, N-M in Northpark is better than the one downtown. I recall good food in Dallas but some counties are dry, and you have to buy a "membership" to drink. I moved away from Dallas in 87' so I could be wrong, things might have changed. Should you want to play hard I always loved Greenville Avenue while I was in college, I recall large dancing toads, let's leave it at that.:lol:

[Isk8NYC]

I plan on going to a big country bar and go two-steppin! yeee haaaww! And if it doesn't grow horns..........:lol:

I've been to Billy Bob's a loooong time ago. The beef ribs were wonderful. (Now I'm hungry)
Don't go in with a tie - they'll slice it off your neck and nail it to the wall!
But, if you're into that sort of thing, wear the ugliest tie you can find. :D

[dbny]

It's in Fort Worth- which is a bit of a drive from Dallas (whoever coined the phrase "Dallas/Fort Worth area" did it just to convince visitors/commuters it's reasonable to drive 90 miles from one city to another) but Billy Bob's is the absolute best "big country bar" there is! If you haven't picked one out yet- I recommend that one.

I lived in Ft. Worth for many years (too many), and can attest to the fact that there is a mere 30 miles between Ft. Worth and Dallas. I used to take a bus to Dallas for my lessons. The reason it is called the "Dallas/Fort Worth area" is that the entire distance between the two cities is fully developed. When I lived there, there were several distinct towns (Arlington, Grand Prairie, Irving) between the two, with empty land between each. Now it is just one huge, ugly, urban sprawl.

Don't miss the BBQ, the Mexican food, and the steaks!

[nerd_on_ice]

+ Grapevine (where Adult Nats is taking place) is about equidistant between Ft. Worth and Dallas. According to Google Maps, Ft. Worth and Dallas are 34.5 miles apart. As dbny pointed out, the whole area is developed, so although you may do more driving than you're used to, you needn't worry about running out of gas or going hungry from point to point!

+ Indeed, some areas are "dry" and within those areas bars and restaurants are run as "private clubs." But I've never been anywhere that charged for membership. They will want to see your driver's license and you will have to sign something, though. If you want vodka nips to throw on the ice, ask a local. Liquor laws are decided by voting precinct 8O so it can be hard to find a liquor store as the laws vary from one tiny area to the next. If desperate, contact me--I live just a couple miles from a long strip of liquor stores.:halo:

+ Downtown Fort Worth has nightlife and restaurants. Downtown Dallas mostly rolls up the sidewalks after 5 p.m. on Fridays, but Lower Greenville (Greenville Avenue 4-5 blocks south of Mockingbird) is good for wining and dining. Addison--Dallas suburb which is my neck of the woods--has a big Restaurant Row on Belt Line Road, though it's mostly chain restaurants.

+ Museums: Dallas has the Dallas Museum of Art (http://www.dallasmuseumofart.org/Dallas_Museum_of_Art/index.htm) and the Crow Collection of Asian Art (http://www.crowcollection.org/site/PageServer) both pretty close together downtown. You can also see the Sixth Floor Museum (http://www.jfk.org/) which is all about the JFK assassination. Fort Worth has the Kimbell (http://www.kimbellart.org/) and the Modern (http://www.themodern.org/), also quite close to each other. The Modern is quite new and was designed by Tadao Ando, a well-known architect. It's beautiful.

+ For shopping, I'm a fan of Northpark Mall (I-75 and Park Lane in Dallas), but if you're competing you'll be right there at a giant outlet mall, Grapevine Mills.

Hope this helps for a start. If anyone has specific questions I'll try to answer them, or ask my husband, who has lived here all his life.

[dcden]

Nerd, this is a great jumping off point! Thanks for the tips & links!

Any opinion of the Vista Ridge mall? It also appears to be close to Grapevine.

[flo]

I'm going to catch up with friends, sleep, read and see a roadrunner. Beep beep!

[Skittl1321]

I lived in Ft. Worth for many years (too many), and can attest to the fact that there is a mere 30 miles between Ft. Worth and Dallas. I used to take a bus to Dallas for my lessons. The reason it is called the "Dallas/Fort Worth area" is that the entire distance between the two cities is fully developed. When I lived there, there were several distinct towns (Arlington, Grand Prairie, Irving) between the two, with empty land between each. Now it is just one huge, ugly, urban sprawl.



Yes- but it's been called DFW for as long as I can remember (20+ years) and hasn't been fully developed the whole time. At least- I remember a difference between Arlington and Dallas. And, yes, the closest parts of the city are 30 miles apart- but I have at least 6 friends who commute from one close to the far end of FtW to the other end of Dallas. I think they are crazy- but they chose where they live for a reason.

I still think DFW is misleading to visitors because they assume because they are in Dallas they are close to Fort Worth- and it totally depends where in Dallas you are :) Of course, the first time my Grandfather drove to Texas he called us at Texarkana to tell us he was in Texas and would be to our house soon. We lived in Austin! "soon" was not a word I would have chosen- he was used to New Jersey distances!

If the competition is in Grapevine- there are great outlet malls there :) and the Fort Worth zoo is wonderful for those with a free day.

[dbny]

Yes- but it's been called DFW for as long as I can remember (20+ years) and hasn't been fully developed the whole time. At least- I remember a difference between Arlington and Dallas.

I left in 1965 never to return except for brief visits. At that time, there were still distinct open distances between the cities and towns. I also used to skate in Arlington. I guess roller is a lot like ice, in that you go wherever you have to go!


I still think DFW is misleading to visitors because they assume because they are in Dallas they are close to Fort Worth- and it totally depends where in Dallas you are :) Of course, the first time my Grandfather drove to Texas he called us at Texarkana to tell us he was in Texas and would be to our house soon. We lived in Austin! "soon" was not a word I would have chosen- he was used to New Jersey distances!

:lol: :lol: :lol: You could apply the first sentence to NYC too, though. It's said that no romance can survive between a couple if one lives in the Bronx and the other in Brooklyn. Same city, big distance (or travel time, anyway).

the Fort Worth zoo is wonderful for those with a free day.
But watch out for the viscious trees! I turned suddenly and one jumped into my face and whacked my nose. It was the only nose bleed I've ever had!

Does Forest Park still have the mini train ride?

[daisies]

If you're competing you'll be right there at a giant outlet mall, Grapevine Mills.
If anyone's looking for me, this is where you'll find me and my credit card. ;)

[nerd_on_ice]

Any opinion of the Vista Ridge mall? It also appears to be close to Grapevine.
Vista Ridge is nice, though it's mostly the usual suspects: Gap, Victoria's Secret, Nine West, department stores, etc. It's kind of the hub of a larger shopping area, so outside the mall you'll also find Borders, Old Navy, Target, and probably some other good stuff I'm forgetting.

I think they are crazy- but they chose where they live for a reason.
I've lived here almost 10 years so I am used to the distances--I drive ~30 miles each way 3 times a week to the university where I teach. But when I first came here I remember marveling about how far apart everything is and how much driving everyone does. My husband says, "It's the Texas way!" Just goes to show a person can get used to anything.

"The sun has riz and the sun has set, and here we is, in Texas yet." :lol:

[jazzpants]

If anyone's looking for me, this is where you'll find me and my credit card. ;)TAH-da-da-da... da-DAH!!! CHAAAAAARGE IT!!! :twisted: :lol:

[CrossedBlades]

Quote:
Originally Posted by dcden
Any opinion of the Vista Ridge mall? It also appears to be close to Grapevine.
Vista Ridge is nice, though it's mostly the usual suspects: Gap, Victoria's Secret, Nine West, department stores, etc. It's kind of the hub of a larger shopping area, so outside the mall you'll also find Borders, Old Navy, Target, and probably some other good stuff I'm forgetting.
^nerd_on_ice is right on the money. Vista Ridge itself probably isn't anything special on its own, but it's just the center point of a mass of shops and restaurants (there are some good <chain> eats around the mall). That Target is huge, too - iirc, it has a Starbucks inside 8O

To anyone who plans to drive in/around Grapevine - get a good set of directions and have someone to call if possible. I'm a local, and I've never been to Grapevine-Colleyville and *not* gotten lost (and all with different drivers, so unless it's something in the water hereabouts...)

"The sun has riz and the sun has set, and here we is, in Texas yet."
Too true - I just got back from driving Waco to Denver (a very long drive indeed), and it was pretty funny trying to explain to the out-of-staters that yes, we had been on the road for 9+ hours, and yes, we were *still* in Texas.

[twinkle]

The Galleria is a good mall too - I had a great ice cream there and it has a good rink for recreational skating. Lots of designer shops as far as I remember.

[Isk8NYC]

I used to travel to Dallas/Ft Worth for business when my company abandoned NY for Plano, TX. I skated at the Galleria and I felt so out of place walking in that mall wearing sweats and sneakers. I was going to work out and the rink was very nice, but the ladies dress very nicely.

I remember being unnerved by all the people making eye contact with me! I didn't realize that my native NY'er "don't look" approach wasn't the norm outside the Northeast! LOL

I skated in ISI Nationals at three different rinks, including the Galleria. Ice was very nice, the people were nice, and the crowd was great. Especially considering most of the crowd were mid-day shoppers looking down from the upper levels.

[nerd_on_ice]

I remember being unnerved by all the people making eye contact with me! I didn't realize that my native NY'er "don't look" approach wasn't the norm outside the Northeast! LOL

I, a lifelong Midwesterner, had to learn the "don't look" trick when I went to France 2 years ago. The habit has stuck, somewhat, and now I just feel confused when I pass someone in a mall!

Re: the Galleria rink, it has been remodeled in the past year or two and has gone from "kinda small" to "really small." On the other hand, it's probably the only rink in town where no hockey is played, so the ice is soft and the rink is warm. And the mall is lovely: Nordstrom, Saks, Cartier, Tiffany, and Louis Vuitton are all there, plus a lot more. Not that I can afford to shop in those places, but it's fun to dream! And I must say that the one time I went into Cartier and tried on a watch with no intention of buying, they treated me with great respect all the same.

[Isk8NYC]

Is the Galleria the one with the little "islands" in the ice? I'm amazed that I got a silver medal; didn't know the music (interp, right) and the rink was an obstacle course! I was really nervous for that event. It must have been hard to cut the ice, too.

[flo]

Hi,
Does anyone know the layout of the rinks? Will the judges be on the same or opposite sides as the audience?
thanks