“I have said that Texas is a state of mind, but I think it is more than that. It is a mystique closely approximating a religion. And this is true to the extent that people either passionately love Texas or passionately hate it and, as in other religions, few people dare to inspect it for fear of losing their bearings in mystery or paradox. But I think there will be little quarrel with my feeling that Texas is one thing. For all its enormous range of space, climate, and physical appearance, and for all the internal squabbles, contentions, and strivings, Texas has a tight cohesiveness perhaps stronger than any other section of America. Rich, poor, Panhandle, Gulf, city, country, Texas is the obsession, the proper study, and the passionate possession of all Texans.”
― John Steinbeck, Travels with Charley: In Search of America
While I was completely thrilled to be going to a wedding celebrating the union of two friends of mine, I was even more excited to be exploring an area I had never been to (travel blogger much?)! I had previously only been to Texas once, and that was for the Formula 1 Grand Prix in Austin (which was awesome by the way). So, I was all geared up and ready to see what Dallas and the greater metropolitan area had to offer!
Itinerary
The beginning of my trip to Dallas was less than optimal. I’ll spiel about that later, but eventually I did get to Dallas and Victor did too. But literally, the number one thing we noticed was the heat (hence me putting the highs of each day, just so you can imagine what it was like).
Day 1 – High of 97 °F
As soon as I landed in Dallas, it was immediately time for me to fulfill my wedding duties. I was sped away to the rehearsal at the church in Richardson, and then Victor went to the rehearsal dinner in Plano. My immediate impressions included ‘wow, it’s hot’ and ‘oh man, I’m sweating in this dress.’
Day 2 – High of 97 °F
Wedding day! I arrived at the bride’s house around 10am and immediately worked on hair and makeup. The ceremony was at 2pm, lasted about 45 minutes, and then it was picture time. The bridal party took plenty of photos before the ceremony, but also plenty at the Royal Oaks Country Club in Dallas.
Day 3 – High of 93 °F
Our third day consisted of a lovely brunch at the bride’s house, as well as gift-opening. We said our goodbyes and then met up with a dear friend of ours to go to the Dallas Heritage Museum (more on that later). Afterwards, Victor and I went to the Dallas Farmers Market. For dinner, we had some good amazing Mexican food at Meso Maya.
Dallas Farmers Market
The Dallas Farmers Market may not be one of those cute outdoor markets that sells only vegetables and fruit, but it’s really redefining market shopping! Yes, it is one of those cool, hip artisan markets and I couldn’t be more obsessed.
There’s so much to investigate and learn. While prices are steep, you can be guaranteed that every product is of the highest quality. I had to seriously resist buying one thing (an/or food) from every kiosk.
But what I couldn’t resist was some ice cream from Coolhaus – “Architecturally-Inspired Ice Cream.” The co-founders had backgrounds in design and architecture, so so started naming their awesome ice cream sandwiches after architects. They started in Los Angeles, but they’re still unique to Dallas because Coolhaus only has locations in Southern California, NYC, and Dallas.
If you crave the local produce side of the market, don’t rule out this market yet! The Dallas Farmers Market actually has two large structures. One is the main building, and the other is called ‘The Shed,’ which is exclusively for farmers (and all that yummy fresh produce).
Day 4 – High of 96 °F
We were all prepared for the ever-increasing temperature, and made our way to the Metropolitan Cafe for lunch. We then did a sort of Art Walk through Dallas, trying to find as many public art displays as possible. Unfortunately it was so hot outside that we had to move a bit quickly and find the nearest pharmacy to get some sunscreen and and after-sun. Afterwards we made our way downtown to have drinks at the Iron Cactus, where they had the most delicious margaritas made with blood orange. We explored Pegasus Plaza and then had dinner at Wild Salsa.
Pegasus Plaza
Pegasus Plaza is one of the many squares/parks in Dallas. This one is particularly unique because it is inspired from Greek mythology. This immediately peaked my interest!
The design retells the story of when the warrior Perseus slew the serpent-haired monster Medusa and Pegasus sprang from her severed head. He stamped the earth with his hoof, creating the Fountain of the Muses.
Day 5 – High of 98 °F
Our last day in Dallas, today was the dedicated Arts District day. However, to our dismay, we found out that the Dallas Art Museum doesn’t open until 11! We were already in our uber at 9:30am when I realized. But not to worry! We took this opportunity to explore the Klyde Warren Park. And yes! 98 degrees Fahrenheit and we were outdoors! I think we deserve a medal for not getting sunburned.
Klyde Warren Park
I think at some point I’m going to post something about my favorite parks in the US. There are some pretty amazing ones, and Klyde Warren may well be on that list. Set up the freeway, the park is a breath of fresh air with its green grasses and shady pathways.
The coolest parts about the park though are the interactive components. It has a reading and games room, from which you can choose something to read or check out some board games! Victor and I picked Sorry! and I loved playing in the park. This may have been one of my favorite moments of the trip.
So, do not miss out on this park! It’s truly unique, and you can visit it even on the hottest day because of the trees.
No Comments