Dallas-Fort Worth Family Trip

Dallas is the third largest city in Texas, yet is the center of the state's largest metropolitan area, having contributed significantly to the petroleum, telecommunications and computer technology industries. It’s also a popular destination for conventions. Because of all this, it has a reputation as being "less Texan" than Houston or San Antonio. If you want to see a cowboy hat, you may have to venture into a honky-tonk. Fort Worth is 30 miles away and a much better bet for "cowboy culture."

In September and October, the State Fair is held at Dallas, vying with its Iowa counterpart for the title of the country's largest state fair. There are a large variety of wonderful golf courses in the Dallas area, and the city boasts five municipal courses. Other attractions include the Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas Mavericks (NBA) and Cowboys (NFL), and the Dallas World Aquarium. More than just an aquarium, the zoo tour starts at the canopy level of a rain forest. Visitors wind their way down past many types of animals to find the aquarium at the bottom.

The Hyatt Regency Dallas is located in the heart of downtown Dallas beside the Dallas landmark Reunion Tower. Guests of the hotel enjoy a great number of restaurants, including Wolfgang Puck's Five-Sixty, revolving 50 stories above the city in the famed Reunion Tower; Parrino's Oven, serving Italian cuisine; Centennial Cafe's Southwestern cuisine; Monduel's Lounge in the hotel's 18-story atrium lobby; and Coffee's Post, a casual coffee bar serving an array of coffees and sandwiches. In addition to all of these dining venues, guests of the hotel enjoy a fitness center and an outdoor pool and whirlpool. The hotel also offers direct, easy access to DART Light Rail line via a walkway to Union Station. All guest rooms include coffeemakers, cable TV and pay-per-view movies, two dataports, daily newspaper delivery, clock radios, and full bath amenities including bathrobes, hairdryers, and irons and ironing boards.

This Dallas landmark has graced the downtown skyline for 21 years. Three levels of activity top the 50-story structure, which are encircled in a dome of lights. The triangle formations of the structural cylinders encase the elevators that carry passengers to the top levels in 68 seconds. For the more actively inclined, an 837-step stairwell is located in the middle of the tower. Over 200 lights add shimmer to the geodesic dome, which can be programmed to form an infinite number of patterns. Some of the more famous include "The Electric Moon," "Texas Raindrops" and "Dallas Disco Fever." The tower opened in 1978, just two years after construction began and only five years after its conception. The Lookout is the lowest of the upper levels and provides both an indoor and outdoor observation area. Visitors can view many points of interest throughout the Dallas area from 360-degrees.

The Old Red Courthouse is an outstanding feature of the Dallas County Historic Plaza. It was built in 1892 in Romanesque Revival style. It is constructed of rough-cut, red pecos sandstone and trimmed in Arkansas blue granite. The courthouse is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a City of Dallas Landmark and a Recorded Texas Historical Landmark. Four prior courthouses have graced the same location. The Visitor Information Center is on the ground level, and the high tech Internet Cafe is housed in one of the turrets.

Built in the late 1930s, Dealey Plaza, with its Art Moderne style, was once considered the ceremonial gateway to Dallas. It was built to honor publisher and civic leader George Dealey. This small park was once Dallas' original riverfront settlement. All of that was eclipsed by the assassination of President John F. Kennedy as his motorcade passed the park's grassy knoll toward the triple underpass. A National Historic Landmark, reflecting pools and a bronze memorial plaque give one pause.

Northern guests wanting to experience Dallas nightlife will love Y.O. Ranch, which opened in the historic downtown warehouse district in 1996. This restaurant named for a 60-square-mile ranch near Kerrville offers succulent steaks as well as a popular repertoire of Tex-Mex foods. A reasonably priced lunch menu is served in a very casual atmosphere, while the dinner setting is upscale with servers in formal attire. Menu items include grilled quail, 12-ounce pork chops and top sirloin. The food is billed as frontier fare with a light health-conscious touch. Lunch offerings are more along the Tex-Mex line with Prairie fire nachos, chicken-fried steak in five versions and the foot-long enchilada.

The homestead of the fictional Ewing family has become the "world's most famous ranch." The sprawling acreage of this North Texas ranch is located 20 miles north of downtown Dallas and, although the long-running television series Dallas has been off the air for several years, the mansion and grounds are still a popular place to visit. Tram tours carry guests on a voyage through the history of the series every half-hour throughout the day. The Ewing mansion is the key point of the tour, offering insight to the characters and filming of the series. Shopping is available at Lincolns and Longhorns, where inspired clothing is sold, and at Ranch Roundup, focusing primarily on souvenir merchandise. Snacks and beverages can be found at Miss Ellie's Deli.

Located just north of downtown Dallas, Texas Land and Cattle is a popular restaurant serving mesquite-grilled steak, seafood and chicken at reasonable prices. In true Texas style, portions are large with a home cooked flair. The log walls and wooden floors are reminiscent of the cattle ranches that sprinkled the Texas landscape over a century ago. Start off with a true southern specialty such as fried pickles or the Trail Quail-grilled fowl at its best. Texas land serves up Angus with a tasty mesquite grilled flavor along with delicious chicken, shrimp and fish entrees that will leave you satisfied. And of course no true Texan would pass up the Blue Bell ice cream-that comes with or without the Jack Daniels pecan pie.

One of the largest urban cultural districts nationwide, the Dallas Arts District is home to numerous performing and visual arts venues. Visitors will marvel at unique masterpieces on display in the district's museums and galleries. World-class culture abounds with ongoing art, music, drama and dance performances. The Dallas Museum of Art and the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center, home to the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, offer a multitude of premier attractions. The 17-block area also includes the Dallas Theater Center and Cathedral Santuario de Guadalupe.

The cornerstone feature of the Arts District, this museum holds a renowned collection of treasures and timeless exhibits. Permanent collections include Ten Treasures, highlighting the key areas of the museum's interests and the Wendy & Emery Reves Collection, a personal gathering of quality pieces from their mansion. A multitude of temporary exhibits travel into and out of various galleries, such as the Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs. Previous exhibits have included Degas to Picasso: Painters, Sculptors and the Camera, Watch the Skies! The Art of David Weisner and Art in Post-Revolutionary Mexico. A restaurant and café are located in the museum to quench your appetite. Extensive selections of books, posters and designer items are available for purchase in the Museum Store.

This historic site sprawls over 227 acres and embraces one of the nation's largest collections of Art Deco buildings. Fair Park, built in 1936, is registered as a National Historic Landmark. It was built by the WPA to house the Texas Centennial celebration of independence from Mexico. It boasts an inspiring list of museums including the African American Museum, Age of Steam Railroad Museum, Museum of Nature and Science, Music Hall At Fair Park, Dallas Aquarium and Dallas Horticulture Center. You will also find concerts at the outdoor Coca Cola Starplex, college football in the Cotton Bowl, and the annual State Fair of Texas. The Visitor Center shows a 10-minute film about the park and offers walking tours by appointment.

Discover a South American rainforest filled with unique plants and animals such as monkeys, colorful toucans, crocodiles, manatees and otters. The aquarium portion features 85,000-gallons of saltwater with marine life from around the world. Rare sea dragons, giant clams and endangered sea turtles are but a few of the intriguing animals on display. An outdoor lagoon-like exhibit features Black-footed penguins. See their website for information on special exhibits.

In 2006, the Dallas Museum of Natural History and The Science Place merged into one institution. The Natural History Museum, founded in 1936, is collections-based and research-driven. It has a vast collection of rare and extinct wildlife; rocks and minerals; and the first mounted dinosaur in Texas. Archaeologists and paleontologists ensure the continued growth of each intricate exhibit as well as a deeper understanding of what it represents. Permanent exhibits include a paleontology lab, a wildlife diorama, Lagoon Nature Walk, and Prehistoric Texas. The Science Place, founded in 1946 as the Dallas Health Museum, takes a hands-on approach to learning. Exhibits include a dental gallery, dinosaur dig, physics gallery, medical gallery, electric theater and laser lab. The planetarium produces programs exploring the far reaches of space. The IMAX theater features true adventures in a larger-than-life format.

The city's oldest park, Dallas Heritage Village at Old City Park, is full of lush and landscaped gardens and a recreated Victorian age town. Nestled near downtown, the 13 acres of sprawling green are accentuated with Victorian-era homes and stores. Inside each of these buildings, visitors will find volunteers demonstrating weaving, cooking, black smithing and other historic crafts of the era. The park is an accredited history museum and is under the leadership of the Dallas County Heritage Society. The society plans several events throughout the year at the park, including the yearly Candlelight Country Fair and an Old Fashioned Fourth of July.

Located just south of Oak Lawn on Lemmon Avenue, Bob's Steak and Chop House is dimly lit and layered in warm, dark woods creating an elegant, classy atmosphere—an excellent location to enjoy good food for lunch and dinner. The menu is mouthwatering. Specialties include the Maryland-Style Crab Cakes, 120-ounce Ribeye Steak and Roasted Duck with green peppercorn sauce. Aside from the great food, Bob's is an excellent place to dine, because the staff is known for its friendly and attentive service. A business casual dress code is preferred, so dress to impress.

Dallas's historic trolley system transports visitors and residents along a three-mile stretch from downtown to uptown McKinney Avenue seven days a week, 365 days a year. Workers discovered the original trolley tracks under layers of asphalt and concrete in 1983, and today five authentic streetcars use those restored lines, preserving a piece of Dallas history. In the future, the city plans to extend the tracks to run farther south into the West End Historic District. Current stops include the Dallas Museum of Art and Hard Rock Cafe. The trolleys can also be chartered for private events, including birthday parties and wedding receptions.

Once the second-largest cattle market in the world, this area west of downtown has been preserved by The National Historic District for its rich history and architecture. Renovated in 1976, the area contains Western-themed events, shops and saloons. Attractions include the Cowtown Coliseum, home to the annual Southwest Exposition and Livestock show; the Cowtown Opry; and the Tarantula Steam Train. Western and antique shops line the streets once traveled by Butch Cassidy. The area is alive with nightclubs and saloons, a favorite among the locals. Admission price depends on event. Guided walking tours of the historic district are available daily beginning at the Stockyards Station.

Often referred to as "The Entertainment Capital of Texas," Six Flags offers 200 acres of rides, shows and attractions. For 38 years, this family amusement park has delighted Texans and others from around the world. Ride the 109-foot-tall "Batman the Ride," which travels up to 50 miles per hour and watch stuntmen perform as Wild West gunslingers in an action-filled street shootout. Rates vary during the winter months. The park is usually closed between early January and early March, reopens daily for two weeks in March and then opens on weekends until the area schools let out in late May. Phone ahead or visit the website to check on any schedule changes. Timings vary widely by month and season.