Local Guide to Dallas and Fort Worth
At Grapevine Mills Mall, one of the largest shopping malls in Texas and on the way to the DFW airport, many of the stores are touted as outlets stores. Go to grapevinemills.com to see all the attractions ahead of time.
Travel to the West End located in downtown Dallas for restaurants and shopping. Access dallaswestend.org for all the details. It has numerous bars, services, houses, hotels, a college, and history.
For a history lesson, hit the Sixth Floor Museum, a popular site which chronicles the assassination of the late President John F. Kennedy. The website is sixthfloormuseum.com. On July 1st “Covering Chaos,” a reporter’s exhibit opened which details all the journalists’ work who covered the shooting.
For amusement, located between Dallas and Fort Worth, Six Flags Over Texas is a hot spot for family fun. Next year the amusement park is adding ten new rides. They also have a virtual ride reservation system online at sixflags.com. Batman The Ride, Mr. Freeze, Tower of Power, Shock Wave, and the Texas Giant are some of the more popular rides.
Head on over to Fort Worth and visit the Fort Worth Stockyards or get a sneak peek at fortworthstockyards.org. Featuring holiday fun, shopping, lodging, nightlife, restaurants, entertainment, and history exhibits, this attraction is a favorite for tourists. You can ride the Tarantula Train to get a quick view of part of the city and stay at Miss Molly’s Bed and Breakfast. If you’re getting married, consider the Stockyards Wedding Chapel.
The Fort Worth Zoo (fortworthzoo.com) is located in a great part of the city. Kids can take a ride on the Country Carousel and the family can take in a “wild” movie at the Mining Company Movie House. Some animals are available for up close and personal visit at the Petting Corral. Race your friends to the top of the Tasmanian Tower then hop on The Yellow Rose Express Train. For an education in the outdoors, check out the Weather Theater.
Drive up to Southfork Ranch and you’ll recognize it if you were a fan of the show “Dallas.” Access southforkranch.com and get a feel for what you’ll be seeing. History at Southfork began in 1978 when Lorimar Productions asked a couple living in the house if they could buy their home to film a t.v. series. In 1985 the ranch became strictly a tourist attraction. In June 1992 Mr. Rex Maughan, a businessman bought the property. Never envisioning being the winner it became, the show was originally scripted to be only a five-part series.
Many consider the nightlife of Deep Ellum the happening place to be.
The Dallas World Aquarium is the world’s largest aquarium.
Wrap up your plans with the State Fair of Texas at Fair Park if you come in October and enjoy the largest state fair in the U.S.
Avoid Oak Cliff in Dallas and the Como area. At night stay away from Hemphill Street, 8th and Allen Avenues, the end of Berry Street near Interstate 35, and Seminary Road in Fort Worth because of the crime.
