The USA is full of fantastic sights, fun people, flavorful food, and fiery fiestas. You can find all that and more with a trip to Dallas-Fort Worth in the Lone Star state of Texas. If you want a few tips for getting around the large state, here are some of the biggest and best attractions, and other hidden gems to wander through while you’re there.
Getting around Texas
Texas is big, as most of the residents will be happy to tell you. It has an area of about 430,000 square kilometers or 268,000 square miles. Romania is about half of that size, and it’s an entire country! Dallas and Fort Worth, frequently mashed together into “DFW”, form a sprawling metropolitan area of almost 15,000 square kilometers (9,286 square miles). That’s over 65 times the size of Bucharest, but the public transit system only runs about twice as many bus lines. If you plan to stick to the Dallas-Fort Worth area, most of the major attractions and hubs will be accessible via transit, but it is not the most robust system.
The USA is built around the idea that everyone has a car, so renting one will make your stay much, much easier. You can reserve a vehicle at a DFW car rental service ahead of time to ensure you have a vehicle suitable for your adventuring party’s needs. Between waiting for transit to arrive and time lost on the stops along the way, you can easily cut off-hours from a trip across town by having your own vehicle. You’ll also save money compared to paying for taxi service on every trip. It’s also the best way to venture beyond the confines of the DFW area.
Tourist attractions
Firstly, make a point to stop by as many restaurants as you can especially barbecue and Mexican food spots. Every kilo you gain will be worth it – just don’t call them kilograms in front of Americans.
You could spend an entire day wandering through the luscious greenery at both the Forth Worth Botanic Garden and the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden. Between the two, there are 175 acres of space with millions of plant varieties that can be wandered through at your leisure. The gardens also host events like wine tastings followed by mixing your own recharging beverage.
If you want to get a taste of American football, monster truck rallies, wrestling, rodeos, and more, then stop by the AT&T Stadium for events throughout the year. NFL tickets to Cowboys home games tend to quickly sell out and be pricier than others, but the smaller attractions are very affordable and available.
Dinner on the observation deck of the Reunion Tower might be the best way to end a night in Dallas. You’ll have an unfettered view of the entire Dallas-Fort Worth area as it’s lit up at night, which is especially wondrous around the holiday season. The tower offers special packages for couples looking to ignite or rekindle a spark, including a discount at a nearby hotel. You can get a sneak peek of the view from their Earth-Cam, but it doesn’t compare to the real experience.
The Perot Museum of Nature and Science, housed in a huge architectural masterpiece is another top Dallas attraction for eager and curious tourists and their families. Thom Mayne designed this masterpiece with sustainability as one of its chief most goals.
Interactive educational stations, high-tech displays, and different games constitute the various thematic areas of the wonderful museum. The fabulous themes include energy, earth sciences, engineering and innovation, evolution, and many more. You will also find a 3D theater, a playground, and the Moody Family Children’s Museum over there. Besides, a 54-foot escalator also serves the tourists by facilitating them to overlook the entire property from within a glass enclosure.
Dallas World Aquarium is yet another superb attraction for the young and the old alike. Located within easy walking distance of the city’s historic downtown core, this fantastic aquarium is both a fun and educational excursion. Here, you will find a vast array of sea life housed in some 87000 gallons of saltwater. Bonnet-head sharks, stingrays, jellyfish, sea turtles, giant groupers, and rare leafy sea dragons all make up the sea life living in natural reef settings.
Hidden gems
You won’t find a clearer pool of water than the refreshing liquid in the quarries of the Blue Lagoon. It’s about a 2-hour drive from DFW to get there, which is a relatively short trip when a cross-city journey can take the same time on a bus route. The hidden oasis was formed after the limestone was mined from the area, leaving a solid pool bottom that keeps the water low in sediment. The high visibility makes the Blue Lagoon popular as a scuba diving spot.
If you really want to get off the beaten path and see some unique sights, take a journey further west to Hueco Tanks State Park & Historic Site. You’ll definitely want a rental car to make the several-hour drive out there. A broad area of rocky hills naturally collects water, forming a series of basins that were historically used to survive. The park has both guided and self-guided tours, but it only allows a limited number of people on the self-guided tours each day.
On the way there and back, you can plot a few stops in San Antonio or Austin to hit more unique sites that your other jet-setting friends may have missed on their trips to Texas like the Wild Basin Wilderness Preserve. The preserve is maintained by St. Edwards University as a way of keeping the natural flora and fauna of the area alive and well. It has over 200 acres of natural land with plenty of walking trails to wander through and find beautiful picture spots.
Get out there and explore!
There is far more to see in Dallas, Fort Worth, and the rest of Texas than can be covered in one article. Get in your rental, hit the road, and explore to find your own adventure.
Dallas-Fort Worth guide also available on GPSmyCity.
Mirela Letailleur is a Romanian travel blogger living in the South of France. She writes on The Travel Bunny travel blog about affordable travel in Europe, creator of unique free travel guides, local travel expert. Problem solver. Wannabe coffee guru.
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