To & From:
Dallas is perhaps an odd location for a visit unless you have an interest in JFK which we are big fans, the famed TV drama, or more unlikely you wish to relive a cattle drive featuring cowboys and a herd of Longhorn steer.
Dallas, Texas is the state’s third most populous city, after Houston and San Antonio and a commercial hub sprawling 30 miles to meet up with Fort Worth still a cow town to the West. A temperate climate makes it an all year round destination although it has searing temperatures in the summer months.
Served by Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport ( DFW), when we were there, there were no direct flights from Dublin however American Airlines did begin one in 2019 but it was short lived due to Covid19. Hopefuly it will be resurected in the future! So like many of the second tier cities we had a choice of one short & one long leg from a European Capital or a hop through a connecting US one benefitting from US pre-clearance. We opted for a route via Newark, dependant on connection it takes the bones of 12 hours but you benefit from the -6 hours GMT differential heading out. The transfer to the city is easy DFW being roughly 20 miles North West of Downtown, they even have the DART ( Dallas Area Rapid Transit ), or as we decided catch a cab, they are cheap and easier sometimes in America, especially after a long enough flight.
Our introduction to Downtown was our arrival at the Dallas Fairmont , a brand we recognise & like, a well located Hotel catering mainly for corporate clients and conferencing but still with a great pool and plenty of amenities.
See Useful Link 1 below.
After a swift check in we decided to head out to find a local diner, and plumped for a Mexican restaurant, you are frequently reminded through culture and cuisine of the cross border influence in these parts.
See Useful Link 2 below.
Day 1.
We had planned a trip out to Plato to visit Southfork, so after a generous breakfast we were ready to catch a small group excursion, this was arranged by the hotel concierge. Turned out we were the only pair on the trip. Southfork is somewhat underwhelming, but non the less nostalgic, many a tempestuous breakfast at this table!
They have done what they u can to make the place as commercialised as possible, you can grab food at Ellie’s diner and visit the museum with Jock’s original Cadillac, but the house is iconic if rather small in real life.
However, the views across the estate are familiar, even though no horses were about and no sightings of Ray or Bobbie, anywhere! As big fans we still enjoyed it !!
As we were the only ones on the tour the driver did a bit of a detour on the way back to the hotel, showing us where Jerry Jones the Dallas Cowboys owner and many other of Dallas’s wealthy live in Park Cities, this affluent area is just a mile or two North of downtown and was decorated like Disneyland for Thanksgiving!
Day 2.
The major attraction in Dallas itself is Elm Street and its intersection with North Houston Street where JFK was assassinated and you can visit the Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza, which provides the fascinating insight and showcases the vantage point from where the shots were fired. As big JFK fans this was a main reason for visiting Dallas!
The museum is, as many are in the US excellent and well worth a visit, the grassy Knoll just to our right in the picture was just the vantage point and where some of famous footage was captured on film.
See Useful Link 4 below.
After our fill of all things JFK we headed across the railway tracks to Reunion Tower with its indoor/outdoor observation tower, possibly a better option for an evening visit when all things are illuminated, as the 360 degree panoramic views are not that exciting late afternoon. We also got in some shopping in downtown Dallas, a must on every trip !!
See Useful Link 5 below.
Dallas is compact so we walked back to the hotel. That evening we stayed local having dinner at a funky Mexican Taqueria La Ventana, serving street food –well worth a visit.
See Useful Link 6 below.
Day 3.
This was our last day in Dallas, and we just explored the area directly south of the hotel, home to Pioneer plaza, and the Longhorn.
A later check out that afternoon was facilitated by the hotel as we made our way to Dallas Love Field Airport and a flight to San Jose, Costa Rica.
Coming soon our BLOG on Costa Rica !!
See useful link 7
Woke Tips : The toilets like most of America were spotless !
- https://www.fairmont.com/dallas/
- https://www.mesomaya.com/
- https://www.southforkranch.com/
- https://www.jfk.org/
- https://reuniontower.com/
- https://www.taquerialaventana.com/
- https://www.texastrees.org/pioneer-plaza/
