Dallas/Ft. Worth

...attractions and entertainment venues, then Dallas/Ft. Worth is the place to go! Now, I used to live in the heart of Dallas, and was therefore very close to the action. However, for the past decade or so I've lived outside of the big city - I moved an hour south of Dallas/Ft. Worth in order to enjoy the peaceful life of a town boasting a whopping 500 citizens. With that out of the way, let me go into a few details to explain why DFW is one of my favorite ...
...personally hate amusement parks, as they are often expensive and repetitive. However, many people enjoy Six Flags Over Texas (located in Arlington) as well as Splashtown (also in Arlington). Ride rollercoasters, get soaking wet in the tube rides, eat over-priced junk food, get a nice sunburn, or try to win prizes by tossing a basketball through a hoop (which, of course, is suspiciously small). All in all, it's great fun to visit these parks once ... more

If you want to see a metroplex that is rich in culture, with many different attractions and entertainment venues, then Dallas/Ft. Worth is the place to go! Now, I used to live in the heart of Dallas, and was therefore very close to the action. However, for the past decade or so I've lived outside of the big city - I moved an hour south of Dallas/Ft. Worth in order to enjoy the peaceful life of a town boasting a whopping 500 citizens. With that out of the way, let me go into a few details to explain why DFW is one of my favorite places to visit.

*Amusement Parks. I personally hate amusement parks, as they are often expensive and repetitive. However, many people enjoy Six Flags Over Texas (located in Arlington) as well as Splashtown (also in Arlington). Ride rollercoasters, get soaking wet in the tube rides, eat over-priced junk food, get a nice sunburn, or try to win prizes by tossing a basketball through a hoop (which, of course, is suspiciously small). All in all, it's great fun to visit these parks once or twice, but it's certainly nothing I would recommend doing every single year!
The best time to visit these parks is in springtime. Children are back in school, the lines are shorter, and the Texas sun isn't quite as harsh - which means your chances of getting roasted are slightly decreased. Don't forget to bring plenty of sunblock, and drink lots of hydrating beverages such as water.

*Professional Sports. We have the AA Center (a brand-new stadium in Dallas which is home to our hockey and basketball teams, the Dallas Stars and the Dallas Mavericks respectively). You can also travel to Arlington and check out The Ballpark In Arlington - it's not quite as new as the AA Center, but it's only a few years old. It is, incidentally, an enormous baseball park with a retro look (intentional) - home of our very own Texas Rangers. (So what if they got their butts stomped last season? I still love 'em!)
Despite the fact that I'm NOT a football fan, I still have to tell you that Irving (still in the DFW metroplex, mind you!) is home to Texas Stadium. It is an enormous domed stadium with a rather gigantic hole in the center of the roof. So, is it covered, or not? People still argue over that one: Whatever the case, the Dallas Cowboys football team as well as local high school and college teams can be seen here during the pro season. The tickets are upwards of fifty dollars each, but some people say it's worth it simply because they're the Dallas Cowboys. (I disagree, but to each his/her own.)

*JFK. Yeah. You can check out the grassy knoll and the Dallas Book Depository, but I personally couldn't give less of a rat's furry behind about it. Even so, it's still a very popular tourist attraction, so I suppose I had to include it here.

*Reunion Tower. This is in the heart of downtown Dallas, and is one of the strangest darned buildings I've ever seen. It is constructed of pillars, with a large dome on the top - sort of like an old-school microphone would look. The enormous ball on top is a restaurant, where patrons can eat fine cuisine (actually, it's overpriced garbage, but you can still go up to look at the view). The ball is made of clear glass, so you can look out while you're eating. It is also covered with lights that flash randomly - WHILE THE TOWER ROTATES. Some tourists throw up because of the lights and slow rotation, but I think it's just plain fun.

*White Rock Lake. A very enormous lake with cement trails around it so that people can ride bikes, skate, or walk if that's their preference. The scenery is beautiful, there are often boats and jet-skis on the water, and the sun is brilliantly warm. Don't forget the picnic lunch.

*Fort Worth Stockyards. Have you ever wondered what Texas cowboys look like? This is where you need to go! It's a large, historical section of Fort Worth that is home to the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo - one of our most popular events. I don't take much pleasure in it, but many "real cowboys and cowgirls" here do. You can catch everything from bull riding to calf roping here, and tickets aren't that expensive. It's a great form of entertainment for the entire family, so long as you don't mind breathing dust and smelling cow patties.

*The West End. Oh my God, this is my favorite part of Dallas! It's a tiny little strip off of West Commerce street that looks like a homeless shelter in the daytime. The buildings are old, with peeling paint and a few broken windows. There are winos staggering about all day long. It's truly a nightmare - that is, until the sun sets and the lights in these various bars and clubs come on. It is a very small section of Dallas, but packed with loud sounds. Take a walk down the street and you'll be bombarded with the sounds of live music - everything from jazz and latino to modern rock and even blues. It's the best place in Dallas to unwind - especially if you enjoy our local bands (The Toadies, The Nixons, Pantera, et cetera).

*Several Concert Venues. The DFW Metroplex is a very popular tour stop for many artists - from Boyz II Men to Madonna. We're still upset with Ozzy Osbourne for taking a leak on the Alamo, but we've sort of forgiven him now.
You can check out the Starplex - near downtown Dallas - if you're interested in an indoor/outdoor venue. There are lawn seats at about fifteen bucks per person, which are quite nice if you're only present to listen to the live music. However, if you want to actually SEE the musicians, you'd best purchase a seat under the awning cover. Either way, the acoustics are generally crystal-clear in the Starplex, and paying for a ticket to see major OR unsigned acts is not a big deal.
We also have concerts at Reunion Arena - up until last year, it was a sports arena for the Stars and Mavericks. The acoustics here aren't great, and seating is very limited, so I would pass this one up if I were you. Instead, check out either the Starplex or, my personal favorite, the Bronco Bowl. The Bronco Bowl is an honest-to-God bowling alley, but they also have an enormous concert stage. Mostly older classic rock acts such as Jethro Tull perform here, but some newer ones have been known to come around. Tickets are very cheap here, and you can often bowl while you listen to the music.
But, of course, for you wannabe cowboys out there, there is Billy Bob's Texas. It is a fairly large bar, actually, but they have a concert stage with terrible acoustics. Country-western acts such as Chris LeDoux are the only ones you'll catch here, but tickets are remarkably cheap (I think I paid five bucks to see Chris a couple of years ago - not because I like Chris LeDoux, but because my then-boyfriend wanted to go so badly it was killing him). Mostly what you'll hear is a lot of beer bottles crashing to the floor - this is NOT a good place to bring kids, as almost everybody is roaring drunk, and some are fighting.
If you don't want to stand around and watch the country singers, you can go ride the mechanical bull for a nominal fee. This is fun, actually - if you don't mind grown men in cowboy hats and tight Wranglers laughing at you, that is.

*Two airports - both of which suck. Dallas Ft. Worth International Airport is enormous. You can't walk from one end of it to the other without getting very, very tired! I've only been in it a couple of times, and was not impressed at all. It's a mess right now due to construction and remodeling, which only adds to the already-present confusion of jet-lagged travelers and exhausted tourists. If you have the choice, I suggest you land at Dallas Love Field. Its main contract is with Southwest Airlines, but other flights land there as well. It is a smaller airport, and is a bit more personable: You're about eight to ten times more likely to get customer assistance here. Besides which, their parking lots and garages aren't nearly as confusing and enormous as those of DFW.

*Plenty Of Restaurants. You can eat Indian, Italian, Greek, Mexican, Fast Food, Buffet, et cetera in the DFW Metroplex. We have something for everybody - including a tiny little shop on Main Street in Dallas that sells INCREDIBLY tasty pizza by the slice.

*More Hotels And Motels Than God Himself Knows What To Do With. I dare you to drive three miles on the highway and not see yet another hotel, motel, or inn. We've got just about all of the major chains as well as several decent, non-fleabag local operations. You can pay anywhere from thirty to two hundred dollars per night for one person: If you don't like the rates at one, drive a couple of miles and you'll find something better.

*Courteous Drivers. Most of us don't believe in force merging, tailgating, or crossing three highway lanes to make an exit. Some of us will actually give you breathing room, too.

*Interesting Weather Patterns. If you're coming here during the summer, don't hesitate to bring the skimpiest clothing you've got. It's bloody HOT down here - over 100 degrees most summer days. I even like the winter season. We here in the metroplex haven't seen snow but a couple of times in the past decade, and temperatures below freezing are virtually unheard of here. It's generally about forty degrees (F) here in the metroplex, but there HAVE been exceptions. Don't forget your ski jacket and warm boots if you plan on visiting!

All in all, the DFW Metroplex is a great place to visit. You can stay here for a week and not run out of new things to check out, and you'll almost never be bored by the weather, as it changes daily. If you want more information, you can log on to http://www.yahoo.com and browse through the City Guide - the pages that follow will give you more information than you know what to do with! 

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