Fall is officially here and the leaves are starting to change color. I have been cleaning out my closets in an effort to purge my wardrobe and it feels like I am trying to sort out my life before the end of the year. Eek! In light of the stress that has just descended upon me, I have a huge case of the travel bug. Maybe it’s because I want to squeeze in some more travel before winter hits or maybe it’s because B is away for at least 5 weeks on a work trip. Fingers crossed that we get to meet up somewhere fun!
For now, I can relive my trip to Dallas, TX. B is a huge USC, that’s University of Southern California, football fan. USC played Alabama opening weekend of College Football at AT&T Stadium. Let’s just say they could have played better. A lot of my friends had horrified looks on their faces when I said I was going to Dallas for a football game. I would never, repeat, never, step foot in AT&T stadium for an actual Cowboys game. HTTR.
Let’s get to the actual travel details. We left early Saturday morning from Reagan National and landed in Dallas Love Field Airport, which is the “older” and smaller airport in the Dallas/Fort Worth. I say “older,” because it was actually much nicer than DFW airport. It was clean, modern, and had great restaurants and stores. Our flight home was out of DFW. We walked by 3 TGI Fridays and 5 McDonalds before we decided to eat at one of the 2 Chili’s. If you have the choice, fly into/out of Dallas Love Field.
We stayed at the Le Méridien Stoneleigh, which is a SPG hotel. The Stoneleigh is a beautiful boutique hotel right in the Uptown area of Dallas. The staff was great and upgraded us to a suite since they didn’t have our room ready at our requested early check-in time. The room was very spacious, housekeeping was great, and we had zero complaints!
As for Dallas itself, the city is different from any other city I have visited. Dallas is divided into various areas, for example, Uptown (lots of businesses and companies), Downtown (touristy places, i.e., the Dallas Aquarium, Reunion Tower), Deep Ellum (hipster, up and coming), and Lower Greenville, just to name a few. While each area is walk-able and has it’s own culture and shops, you can’t really walk from one area to the next. For exploring, I found things to see, do, and eat in each neighborhood, so we didn’t wind up Uber-ing back and forth the whole trip. My highlights are below.
Bread Winners Café & Bakery – There are various locations in the Dallas area, and it had a line out the door and around the corner! We got lucky and only had to wait about 15 minutes for a table. The menu is huge and there are quintessential southern dishes, as well as some quirky items. I got chicken and waffles, which was amazing. I love fried chicken, so I was in heaven. I also got a mimosa, which came with my own mini champagne bottle! They give you some fresh baked bread to start with, but we also ordered their gigantic cinnamon bun. This brunch place is a must-do if you are in Dallas.
Greenville Area – This area has a lot of construction going on, but there are so many little shops and bars to explore. We stopped at Steel City Pops, as it was over 100 degrees and popsicles needed to happen. JOY Macaronswas just named best macarons in Dallas, and for good reason. Dude, Sweet Chocolate, is exactly what it sounds like. We got some great Vietnamese coffee fudge balls! Basically, this area is for snacking.
Deep Ellum – Take time to explore Deep Ellum simply for the great street art. This area has tons of character and it shows on each corner. Oh, and there’s BBQ. Not just any BBQ, but the famous Pecan Lodge. The couple behind some of the best BBQ in Texas started out at the Farmer’s Market, and now they have their own restaurant. I am going to simply mention that we stood in line for almost 3 hours. Once they sell out, they close the doors. We were worried that our hours of waiting would leave us with hungry bellies. While there is usually a line, I heard from some of the workers that it was the busiest they had seen the restaurant. I forgot to mention it was Labor Day Weekend. They ran out of pulled pork when we got to the front of the line, so we got brisket, which is my favorite BBQ, and their homemade sausage. For sides, we got mac n cheese and coleslaw and their well-known peach cobbler. It was super tasty, but honestly, I think you could go to Sammy’s BBQ or somewhere else smaller, and it would be just as good.
Downtown – For our touristy activities, we visited Pioneer Plaza, which is adjacent to Pioneer Park Cemetery, which has the Confederate War Memorial. The park has a sculpture, which commemorates cattle drives along the Shawnee Trail. A short walk away is Dealey Plaza, the site of President John F. Kennedy’s assassination. It was surreal to stand there and see the window where Oswald was and the exact spots where President Kennedy was shot. There were some conspiracy theorists there and I’ll be damned, they were pretty convincing. I’m a sucker for any theory that has even an ounce of merit or evidence!
Dallas was definitely an adventure and it was interesting to visit a city that I feel is truly unique compared to DC, NYC, and Philly. While I may not revisit the DFW area in the foreseeable future, the smell of fried chicken and brisket will always be on my mind.
