It’s been a few months, hasn’t it? Sorry about that. DaveTX is a busy guy. A few days ago he asked if I could fill in on the hotelbook blog, write a few travel-related posts, and perhaps entertain with grand stories of globe trotting adventure and international intrigue. Apparently DaveTX has me mistaken for someone else – I’m not that entertaining. However, I do love travel and hotels, so I appreciate the opportunity.
Despite the ongoing recession that may or may not be happening, more people are traveling than ever before. Interestingly enough, it’s Texans that are doing their darndest to lead the charge. If you’ve recently popped open an overhead storage bin to find a cowboy hat inside, now you know why. Texans are traveling almost 5% more than they did in 2007, likely fueled by their booming oil and gas industries. With all these Texans darting about the skies, maybe it’s not a bad time to drop in on the Lone Star State.
Keep reading. You'll find everything you ever wanted to know about Dallas after the jump.
Any trip to Texas should start with Dallas. Why? Because you’ll eventually wind up there, one way or another, as DFW International is the 3rd busiest airport in the world. But more importantly, you’ll want to acclimate yourself to Texas before you even begin to think about setting foot in Austin or San Antonio. Dallas’ wealth and renown are thick enough to lend the city an international feel, which should help to mitigate any culture shock. Let’s just say you won’t be riding any horses… unless you really want to.
Texans may not have a reputation for sophistication, but the Dallas arts scene is really something, if not well financed. Most notable is Ray Nasher’s world-famous collection of sculptures at the Nasher Sculpture Center. He also built what is surely one of the most elegant malls in America, Dallas’ very own NorthPark Mall, which is a piece of art in its own right.
The Nasher Sculpture Center shares its “Arts District” locale with the Dallas Museum of Art, just down the street. On select Friday nights in the summer, the DMA remains open till midnight, featuring live music and films. A bit further south, historic West End entertainment district has more than its fair share of steak houses, along with incredible exhibits of reptiles, fish and the cutest otters you’ve ever seen at the Dallas World Aquarium. Unfortunately, their website doesn’t do the aquarium’s exhibits justice.
The first rule of visiting Dallas is stay downtown or uptown. In Dallas, they’re almost the same place, with the Arts District bridging the gap. One of my favorite hotels in the entire world is the Stoneleigh Hotel & Spa, nestled into quiet residential uptown. The Stoneleigh just re-opened a few months ago following a $33 million-dollar revamp, restoring the historic property to its original glamour, with a few modern touches. Check the Stoneleigh’s hotelbook rates. The last time I did (hint: just now), they were a steal.
My second favorite Dallas hotel is the Adolphus, in downtown. The Adolphus is another historic hotel, this one built by the beer baron Adolphus Busch. It somehow manages to be elegant with a swagger—and always has a way of making its presence known. That typifies Dallas, if you ask me. Most recently, the Adolphus Hotel made a cameo appearance in Borat. The hotel has a perfect location in downtown, just a block from Pegasus Plaza, a lively little urban square that has become a nexus for Dallas nightlife and cuisine, with several hip ultra lounges and fantastic Mexican food restaurants nearby.
On a far more somber note, Downtown Dallas is also the site of President John F. Kennedy’s assassination. A faded white “x” marks the spot on Commerce Street’s asphalt in Dealey Plaza, which has otherwise remained eerily untouched since the tragedy. Mourners find the legendary grassy knoll a peaceful place to ponder the event. Meanwhile, the book depository where Lee Harvey Oswald fired down upon the President’s caravan, has since become the Sixth Floor Museum. It’s both a sentimental tribute to the President, and an intriguing look into the events surrounding his assassination.
If Dallas is your first stop on a Texas tour, don’t bother venturing back out to DFW International. Instead, book a quick flight on Southwest Airlines out of Love Field, a more convenient regional airport near downtown. It’s how the Texans get around the second biggest state in the union. While you’re there, let us know whether the TSA’s new line designations make much of a difference. They debuted at Love Field on Monday.
In my next post—which will hopefully come next week—we’ll mosey on down into Austin and San Antonio. They’re more Texan than you can even imagine. By then, maybe I’ll have my very own hotelbook blog username. Hey, a travel blogger can dream, can’t he?
-brint
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