Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
so my sister and husband are coming to visit from Oz for a week with us and as I will have only moved to Texas DFW for two weeks prior to them arriving I want a heads up where we should visit-I am going to take them to southlake square(for shopping) grapevine downtown and the wineries tour-thought about a twilight sailing around grapevine lake -someone told me they have fireworks on the weekend in summer-I want to go into Fort Worth proper to see the cattle drive and downtown-does anyone know the best place to park so we can walk everywhere there-also the botanical gardens in fort worth are they good? What about Dallas-where is the best place to park and walk and see the city-and what to see in the city-I want to take them to a good/great texas bbq place to-someone suggested the Hard 8?? near Roanoke(the one in coppel is getting there roof fixed) Also my BIL loves NASCAR so I'm want to take him to the Texas speedway -does anyone know do they have racing everyweek-(not NASCAR I realise) are .there things to do or see there when there is not racing. So if anyone has some ideas-best days to visit Dallas or Fort worth any ideas welcome-I also thought of the botanical garden in Dallas or is the one in fort worth better....
I had put together this list of things to do for some people from overseas I knew were coming this spring. It's a bit Dallas-centric as they were staying in Dallas but I'll paste it here and maybe you or someone else will find it useful as it sounds like you're planning to explore Dallas as well. Tarrant County activities are at the end.
1. The Sixth Floor Museum: At the site where JFK was shot, this museum chronicles his last day. It’s historic, moving and it’s uniquely Dallas. Plus, chatting with some of the conspiracy theorists who congregate outside can be interesting. There’s also the abstract JFK Memorial a block or two away. Home | The Sixth Floor Museum
2. Reunion Tower: That tall structure with the ball on top of it on the downtown Dallas skyline? That’s Reunion Tower. Their public observation deck has been closed forever (for renovations supposedly) but you can still take advantage of the view by going to the happy hour at the restaurant at the top called 560. Now, call and make sure the happy hour at their bar is still going on (it used to be Mon-Thur, 5 p.m.-7 p.m.) and then head up there because it offers a panoramic, rotating view of the urban and prairie landscape. (The restaurant is called 560 because it’s 560 feet up). If it’s not happy hour, the restaurant/bar is a little on the pricey side. Reunion Tower
3. Arts District: The Dallas Museum of Art, the Nasher Sculpture Garden, and the Crow Museum of Asian Art are all right together downtown (as are all the performing arts venues, making it one of the largest arts districts in the US). Both the DMA and the Nasher have late night events once a month or so where they have bands, show movies, and allow food trucks. They’re a lot of fun. Check their schedules for when the next ones are happening.The Dallas Arts District.
4. Uptown: From the Art District, you can catch the free trolley into Uptown, an area of bars, restaurants, and clubs. Many, though not all, of the hangouts are located along McKinney Avenue. Some noteworthy ones in the area include the Ginger Man, the Idle Rich, Black Friar, The Common Table, the Nodding Donkey, Union Bear and the Katy Trail Ice House. If you want to dance, try The Den (which has a pretty awesome rooftop patio) or the more “exclusive” and velvet rope-y Avenu. You can also do some boutique type shopping at West Village. If you saw that Bravo reality TV show “Most Eligible: Dallas,” they did much of their hanging out in Uptown. Uptown Dallas - Main
5. Henderson Avenue: Northeast of Uptown is the Knox-Henderson area. Knox Street is mostly upscale retail but Henderson is mushrooming into a popular bar and restaurant area. The Old Monk, The Dram (a cocktail bar), Vickery Park, Capitol Pub, Barcadia (which has 80s video games which are free on Tuesday nights), Sissy’s (which specializes in gourmet fried chicken), The Gin Mill (which has a really sweet patio), The Beauty Bar, J. Black’s, and the slightly seedy but fun Slip Inn (which plays great music) are all popular.
6. Deep Ellum: This is one of the more historic areas of the city. Deep Ellum, east of downtown, played a big part in the development of American blues music (if you don’t believe it, Google the song “Deep Ellum Blues” and see how many times it’s been covered). It’s gone through periods of boom and bust but seems to be on an upswing now with new bars like Anvil, Deep Ellum Brewing Company, and Sandbar (where you can play beach volleyball!) joining long running bars like AllGood Cafe and The Double Wide. Deep Ellum, Texas
7. Oak Cliff/Bishop Arts District: Like Deep Ellum, Oak Cliff -- southwest of downtown -- is an historic area, the area where three notorious criminals -- Bonnie and Clyde and Lee Harvey Oswald -- lived. It’s undergone a renaissance lately with the development of the Bishop Arts District (the home of a lot of good restaurants like Lockhart’s (BBQ), Veracruz (Mex-Mex, not Tex-Mex), Hattie’s (Upscale Southern), Bolsa (modern American), and Eno’s (pizza). There are also lots of new bars like Whitehall Exchange, 303, Oak Cliff Social Club and the soon to open Ten Bells Tavern. You might want also check out the Texas Theater, which was where Lee Harvey Oswald was captured after he killed JFK, which now programs art and alternative movies as well as the occasional concert or theme night like a 70s Soul Train night. http://bishopartsdistrict.weebly.com/;Historic Texas Theatre in Oak Cliff | Dallas Independent Films, Movie Screenings and Showtimes
9. Pro sports: DFW is home to all of the major sports -- baseball, football, soccer, hockey, and basketball. Since this is summer, you might as well catch a baseball game. The Texas Rangers play at the Ballpark right near Six Flags in Arlington. You’ll also see the massive Cowboys Stadium (I hear the tour is actually good) though the football season won’t start for a few more months. The Official Site of The Texas Rangers | texasrangers.com: Homepage
10. White Rock Lake, Lake Lewisville, and Katy Trail: These are some of the most popular areas Dallasites go when they want to get outside and not travel too far. White Rock is the largest lake in the Dallas city limits and it’s surrounded by a running/cycling trail. White Rock Lake Dallas Texas | White Rock Lake Conservancy If you want to participate in more boating types of activities, Lake Lewisville up in Denton County is better. Lewisville CVB The Katy Trail is a shaded running/cycling trail that runs from the American Airlines Center arena near downtown north to near SMU. Friends of Katy Trail:. While there, grab a beer on the patio at the Katy Trail Ice House. It’s good for people watching. Katy Ice House On the Western side of the Metroplex, there's Lake Grapevine https://www.grapevinetexasusa.com/Th...0/Default.aspx, and farther out, Possum Kingdom Lake.Possum Kingdom State Park — Texas Parks & Wildlife Department
11. Fair Park: This is the home of the Texas State Fair which takes place in September. But it’s also open other times of the year as it’s the home of the African-American Museum, the Science Museum, the Children’s Aquarium, Texas Discovery Gardens, the Butterfly House, and Gexa Energy Pavilion, the main, large outdoor arena for rock/pop/hip-hop shows in the area during the summer. Welcome to Fair Park, TX!
12. Dallas World Aquarium: Not as big as some other cities’ aquariums, like Atlanta’s, but it’s still worth checking out. And it’s located in the semi-historic West End area, not far from the JFK/Sixth Floor Museum. Experience Nature’s Adventure 2 | Dallas World Aquarium
13. Fort Worth Stockyards: Lots of people come to Dallas expecting to see cowboys and they end up disappointed. The cowboy is alive and well in Fort Worth, especially at the Fort Worth Stockyards which is Old West tourist kitsch but still fun. Go on a Friday or Saturday night and go to the rodeo or a show at Billy Bob’s, the country-music club that bills itself as the world’s largest honky tonk. Fort Worth Stockyards
14. Fort Worth’s Cultural District: Fort Worth also has some noteworthy museums including the Kimbell for European art, the Amon Carter for American art and photography, the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, the Museum of Science and History, and the National Cowgirl Hall of Fame. Guide to the Fort Worth Cultural District
16. Fossil Rim Wildlife Center: Located down near Glen Rose, this is a pretty cool experience. You drive through an animal park and animals come up to the car where you can touch them. it can be a lot of fun, especially with kids. It's also a pretty part of North Texas and there are often different activities going on at the center as well. Makes for a really nice day outing. Fossil Rim Wildlife Center
17. Shopping: If someone is a shopaholic, then North Texas is like paradise. Lots of malls, from the upscale (NorthPark, Highland Park Village, Preston Center) to slightly more middlebrow (Galleria, Hulen, Northeast Mall) to more value conscious (Grapevine Mills, Allen Premium Outlets)
18. BBQ/Tex-Mex: Unless they're vegetarian or vegan, a visitor can't leave the region without sampling Tex-Mex or BBQ. I won't get into naming particular ones here as everyone has a different favorite but find someone you trust and get a good recommendation.
When my parents visited from Australia a couple of years ago, here are the places we visited and that they loved:
- Fort Worth Stockyards
- Sixth Floor Museum (Dallas)
- Main Street Grapevine (my dad loved the bakery and the English store);
- Southlake Town Square (we ate at the Cheesecake Factory twice, as my parents loved that place)
- Cowboys Stadium (we did the self-guided tour)
so my sister and husband are coming to visit from Oz for a week with us and as I will have only moved to Texas DFW for two weeks prior to them arriving I want a heads up where we should visit-I am going to take them to southlake square(for shopping) grapevine downtown and the wineries tour-thought about a twilight sailing around grapevine lake -someone told me they have fireworks on the weekend in summer-I want to go into Fort Worth proper to see the cattle drive and downtown-does anyone know the best place to park so we can walk everywhere there-also the botanical gardens in fort worth are they good? What about Dallas-where is the best place to park and walk and see the city-and what to see in the city-I want to take them to a good/great texas bbq place to-someone suggested the Hard 8?? near Roanoke(the one in coppel is getting there roof fixed) Also my BIL loves NASCAR so I'm want to take him to the Texas speedway -does anyone know do they have racing everyweek-(not NASCAR I realise) are .there things to do or see there when there is not racing. So if anyone has some ideas-best days to visit Dallas or Fort worth any ideas welcome-I also thought of the botanical garden in Dallas or is the one in fort worth better....
Yes hard 8 is a very good BBQ place. One of my fav BBQ places to go. Someone had mentioned oak cliff and deep elum. Those are sketchy and just saying to be careful. Not good area. Parts of oak cliff are ok but not all. But deep elum has a fun club called lizard lounge and maybe be worth checking out. Southlake is very nice shopping center so y'all would enjoy that. If you like hibachi, the southlake shopping center has a really good hibachi place. Another good place to go is to walk around the stock yards. Some good activities there. Grapevine lake is great, and the gaylord hotel has a few good activities and eating places inside there in grapevine next to grapevine lake.
Yes hard 8 is a very good BBQ place. One of my fav BBQ places to go. Someone had mentioned oak cliff and deep elum. Those are sketchy and just saying to be careful. Not good area. Parts of oak cliff are ok but not all. But deep elum has a fun club called lizard lounge and maybe be worth checking out. Southlake is very nice shopping center so y'all would enjoy that. If you like hibachi, the southlake shopping center has a really good hibachi place. Another good place to go is to walk around the stock yards. Some good activities there. Grapevine lake is great, and the gaylord hotel has a few good activities and eating places inside there in grapevine next to grapevine lake.
I realize this is a Fort Worth board but I have to say that North Oak Cliff, where the Bishop Arts District and the restaurants are, is not sketchy. When was the last time you were there?
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Thank you RockyJoe...
@ Truedat-thanks for all the tips....
