Visiting Dallas -early April (Fort Worth, Arlington: spring break, chapel, hotels)

[Johnny Bananas]

Howdy y'all! I did a search on here before creating a new thread and nothing answered what I was looking for so hopefully y'all don't mind me creating this.

My 18 year old brother and myself (23) are visiting Dallas (first time for both) from April 6-10 (Spring Break trip for the bro. ). I've looked all over the web on what to do there and there's so much but so little time (kinda) to do everything so I wanted to get y'alls opinions on what is a must see/do in Dallas.

We are sports 'nuts' so we'd definitely be up to check out some sports stuff. We are going to try to catch a Rangers game. I know it's a long shot since it's opening weekend but hopefully there will be some seats on Saturday or Sunday.

We're also big eaters so any good places to grab a bite to eat. Something different than Applebees, McDonald's, etc. Any small diners or good bars (something that'll allow 18 year olds in too).

Also, we are really into the Hispanic culture.

One last question.. any areas we should avoid when looking for a hotel? We don't have the money to splurge at the Hilton so we're going to be staying somewhere near downtown or around the areas of Dallas and/or Arlington.

Sorry this is so long.

Any advice, ideas, suggestions, etc. would be greatly appreciated. If you have any questions, please ask.

Looking forward to going to my favorite state again!

[Squirl]

First piece of advice......don't use the word HOWDY with us...and go easy on the y'all, too. This is a cosmopolitan city and we really don't ride horses for transportation, wear spurs or say howdy. I did see someone wearing a cowboy hat at Ruth Chris Steak house a couple of weeks ago......bet it was a visitor!

There are wonderful places to eat all over the DFW area (commonly referred to as the "metroplex" or "metromess"). Many visitors are interested in barbeque and Mexican food. What kind of food do you like?

If you are looking for budget hotels, there will be more options away from downtown.

You have picked a wonderful time to visit! The weather should be fabulous.

[TrueDat]

I assume you'll have a car? If so, stay in Dallas and just drive out to Arlington for the Rangers game. I think the Mavericks will be in town when you're in so you might catch a basketball game, too.

As for other things you might be interested in:

1) Sixth Floor Museum: Don't know if either of you are interested in history but this chronicle of JFK's last days and assassination in Dallas is well done and is uniquely Dallas.

2) Stockyards: Drive out to Fort Worth for the Stockyards, a very touristy but still fun take on the Old West. They have rodeos on Friday and Saturday nights.

3) McKinney Avenue: This street which stretches from near downtown through Uptown, is lined with bars and restaurants and gets quite busy on weekend nights. You can leave the car somewhere and take the free trolley up and down McKinney for restaurant hangouts like Taco Diner or Union Bear, which are more eateries than bars so it shouldn't be a problem if you're under 21. Though the are tons of bars and pubs along McKinney as well.

4) White Rock Lake and Dallas Arboretum: If the weather's nice, there's nothing better than a stroll along the lake or a visit to the Arboretum which is nearby. Though there is no swimming in the lake, there is rowing and sailing. Things To Do | White Rock Lake Dallas TX | White Rock Lake Conservancy | White Rock Lake Conservancy Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden | Yearly Festivals

5) Bishop Arts District: In the neighborhood of Oak Cliff, southwest of downtown, is the Bishop Arts District which has become a destination for good restaurants like Veracruz (Mexican) and Eno's (pizza). While in Oak Cliff, go to BarBelmont at the Belmont Hotel whose patio offers a great view of the Dallas skyline.

6) Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge: Maybe by the time you get here, the multi-million dollar bridge between downtown/design district and West Dallas/Oak Cliff will finally be open for vehicular traffic. Just in terms of looks, it's an impressive piece of design and engineering.

[VonHuffenHausen]

Dallas is huge, if you are more specific about where you are going to stay then we could provide better advice. McDonalds??? Dallas has a million restaurants. Small town chain eateries are not necessary. You would have to be specific to get personalized recommendations, but in general for your age, eating Uptown, the West Village, lower Greenville, Deep Ellem arts district etc should be fine. Not being 21 can be problematic for bars, but your brother should be fine to eat most places daytime to early evening. You could take the train to Fort Worth and have a nice day walking around downtown and even go to the Stockyards, a fake Western tourist place.

You would be best served staying somewhere downtown/uptown or near lower Greenville. Be sure to have a car to get to Arlington. They are two separate cities (you said around areas of Dallas/Arlington). Dallas is massive, Arlington is a separate small city about 30 minutes from Dallas if there is no traffic.

I am hesitant to say this, as I am anti thought police and feel people can say what they want, but I would halt the Ya'lls and not wear any ridiculous tourist clothes like cowboy hats or boots, fringe etc. I don't know anyone who says ya'll except for some friends from small rural towns. Dallas is actually very diverse with many subcultures and types of fashion, you can get anything and high fashion is very prevalent. Unless you are at a Mexican night club or out in rural areas, you are not going to see boots, hats or buckles.

Last thing, "Hispanic" culture. I don't know if there is a "hispanic culture" since it is a frequently misused blanket term for very ethnically and culturally diverse nationalities. Argentinians are different form Mexicans (regional differences too) and Columbians different from Peruvians, and Brazilians, as well as many Americans. In Dallas you will find a wide variety of people from different backgrounds, but if might not be easy to explore 'authentic' cultures if spending time in mostly touristy areas. You can try Brazilian food, Salvadorian food (YUM) Mex-Mex food from different Mexican states, Tex-Mex, Tex-Mex Korean BBQ, various other fusions and more.

Hope you enjoy all the diversity that the city has to offer.

[kenshi]

You say you're interested in hispanic culture (and I presume food). You'll find a lot of that around Webb Chapel Rd and Northwest Hwy and along the nearby part of Harry Hines. I've eaten at a few places around there and it's the real deal. I've even gotten a waitress who didn't speak English. Most of the places are Mexican but I do know of a Honduran restaurant. Expect to stick out (unless you're hispanic yourself) but I've never gotten any stares or anything.

[carroll4628]

Check out "trip advisor" as their forums are geared specifically for travelers.

[Johnny Bananas]

Thanks for the replies everyone. I will look into all your suggestions.

I have booked a hotel that is about 10 minutes east of Rangers Stadium in Grand Prairie (about halfway between Arlington and Dallas).

@Squirly, I apologize about the slang.
I do actually use 'y'all on a regular basis' as it is a common thing to say in the deaf community but I will definitely try to keep those to a minimum when I'm there.