Few quick questions for my visit next week... (Dallas, Fort Worth: rental car, rental)

[Miss J 74]

So I know I have asked before about moving, but I realized I have questions that are now specific to my visit next weekend.

1. I am renting a car at Love Field, but I know there's toll roads. Do the car rental agencies generally provide a toll tag or will I need to be prepared with change on hand to be safe?

2. My friend and her daughters want me to meet them on the 14th for this junior livestock show in Tyler. 36th Annual Smith County Junior Livestock Show | KETK (http://www.ketknbc.com/events/36th-annual-smith-county-junior-livestock-show - broken link)
How much time should I give myself to get there from the Galleria on a Saturday?

3. I'm into dive bars, or sports bars and karaoke. Where would be a good place for this? I'm willing to go to Fort Worth as well.

4. My nieces are huge hockey fans and wanted me to see if I can get an autograph from Michael Ryder. (One is in love with him) I doubt the odds of this happening are good, but is there anything else I could get instead?

5. Considering my flight gets to DAL at 2pm and the hotel is by the Galleria, should I just not schedule interviews for that day or risk scheduling late in the afternoon?

6. What's the dating scene around there as well? I'm going to be single the minute I step foot off the plane because the BF and I are splitting up and he is possibly moving to DC.

Thanks in advance. I'm sure I will have more questions.

[SouthernBelleInUtah]

I have rented numerous times at DFW and the cars always had a toll tag. They will either send you a bill later or add it to your credit card, lately it's been added to the credit card when Hertz gets the bill (maybe 2 weeks later?). Never flew into Love so I don't know what companies are there but i would assume they are the same.

[BigDGeek]

Originally Posted by Miss J 74

5. Considering my flight gets to DAL at 2pm and the hotel is by the Galleria, should I just not schedule interviews for that day or risk scheduling late in the afternoon?

I wouldn't bother scheduling interviews for the same day; if your flight is delayed or there's a traffic jam, you're screwed.

6. What's the dating scene around there as well? I'm going to be single the minute I step foot off the plane because the BF and I are splitting up and he is possibly moving to DC.

If you like bars, you shouldn't have any trouble getting dates.

[ChristieP]

Allow 2.5 hours to drive from the Galleria area to Tyler on a Saturday. You will want to get on the road early in the morning to avoid traffic.

Don't schedule any interviews that first day. As someone else said, if your plane is late, you will be screwed!

[pepper131]

We can get to Tyler in about 1.5 hours, but we are in East Dallas near I-30. You'll want to take 635 to I-20 - 635 is often jam packed - especially near the Galleria (lots of traffic in this area). Safe to plan 2-2.5 hours to get to Tyler from Galleria area.

Best dive bar/karaoke combo is at Doublewide on Thurs nights. "Every Thursday, Oliver Peck and DJ Hammertimez bring THE ORIGINAL GOOD LUCK KARAOKEE to Doublewide." Starts at 11pm, I think. Here's their FB page. They have a theme every week...crazy fun. https://www.facebook.com/GOODLUCKKARAOKE

Also at Doublewide is is Scaraoke. Rid does a good job too on Monday nights.

A good neighborhood bar is Pour House on Skillman near Live Oak (near La Calle Doce). Has more of a sports bar feel. Then down the street is Lakewood Landing - it's on Live Oak between Skillman and La Vista.

[Johnhw2]

Major rental car companies have toll tag setups as part of the rental options for you. If you go with an off premises rental car company that is more budget focused it wont hae that option. Putting change in is not an optioin as they are un manned but bill the tolls to the address associated with the license. That is how it works for in state tagged cars, for out of ssta taggd cars, whiich a rental car can be, they wont worry about collecting the tolls. The budget agencies will charge your credit card for tolls with an admin fee tacked on. At least this is what happened to a brother with a rental from DFW rather than Love.

[Miss J 74]

Thanks for all of the replies! I get in on Thursday, so it looks like I can make it to Doublewide in time for karaoke.

I was figuring there were toll tags in rental cars (I'm renting through Budget) since it's the same here, but not all the companies here provide toll passes, only a few do.

Thanks for the estimate to Tyler, I was guessing about 2 hours and was planning on leaving around 9. Is this too late or should I plan on earlier? Since I'm on Eastern time, and usually wake up at 9, I was thinking get up at 8 Central time, and head out by 9.