Vacation destinations in driving distance

[FarNorthDallas]

You can get to the Panhandle of Florida in a day.

[pepper131]

Originally Posted by Lakewooder

North Texas One-tank Getaways | Dallas Morning News | News for Dallas, Texas (http://www.dallasnews.com/lifestyles/daytrip/ - broken link)

Thanks for this!
I found a couple of things to do with my mom when she visits next month.

[caligurltotx]

Honu1, I go to New Orleans every year July 4th for a music festival. Have NEVER had any problems and this festival attracts over 200,000. The places where tourist are going to frequent are generally safe. Of course I am not going to venture out into 7th or 9th wards. But the french quarter, downtown, Riverwalk, Harrahs, etc are all okay.

Sometimes we create unnecessary fear by throwing out how bad crime is in any particular city. I LOVE Nawlins and the comments about crime is a bit unfair.

[honu1]

Originally Posted by caligurltotx

Honu1, I go to New Orleans every year July 4th for a music festival. Have NEVER had any problems and this festival attracts over 200,000. The places where tourist are going to frequent are generally safe. Of course I am not going to venture out into 7th or 9th wards. But the french quarter, downtown, Riverwalk, Harrahs, etc are all okay.

Sometimes we create unnecessary fear by throwing out how bad crime is in any particular city. I LOVE Nawlins and the comments about crime is a bit unfair.

I speak from experience and of course it is just that. Not trying to speak for anyone else. I will add that my parents have lived there for 20+ years and I lived all over south LA including NO for 6 years myself. I've been to Jazz fest, etc and,yes had fun but also consider myself lucky. While visiting NO, at least three friends of mine who traveled into NO were assaulted (including one being stabbed with a knife ) and mugged in "tourist friendly" well lit / populated areas. They weren't walking around with lots of jewelery or large cameras or other things that particularly mark someone as being from out of town. So, IMO, its not a family friendly destination, which is what I believe the original poster was asking for. As for the crime comment being unfair, my parents LIVE there and watch the news and read the papers every day. The crime is bad. Even city data's website which goes through 2006 and reflects the drastic drop in people living there that year reflects NO is still well above the national average.

In sum, I'm all for the city rebuilding, but personally would not recommend a to any of my friends with small children that they travel there until there is more infastructure and the crime is under better control.