Dallas, Texas
Dallas, Texas
by Jim Leandre
by Jim Leandre
When you hear the word 'Dallas', you are probably reminded of the hit TV series of the same name. You'll recall the moment the thoroughly nasty JR Ewing was gunned down, an episode that had the viewers worldwide on the edges of their armchairs. It was a show that made Dallas a household name in villages and towns across the globe. If you're too young to remember that, you may think of the Dallas Cowboys, one of the most successful football teams in America, or recall the city as the place where John F Kennedy was shot.
However, the Dallas of today is a far cry from its roots as the home of the Stetson, oil barons and cotton plantations. It is a thriving metropolis and, somewhat surprisingly, a great destination for families. We discovered that when, in a moment of generosity, I announced that I would take the whole family when I attended a conference there.
As the announced, my wife gave me a 'you must be crazy' look. Later she confronted me: "What on earth I am going to do to keep the kids amused while you are working?" We decided that the best strategy was to let our three children research the city's attractions and decide what they wanted to see. By the time we arrived in the city on a warm Sunday night, we were armed to the gills with information, maps and computer print-outs.
We had pre-booked our hotel through HotelTravel.com at an excellent rate and we checked into the Country Inn & Suites by Carlson Dallas Park Central Hotel. We went to bed early, with the children excited at starting off their holiday with a tour of the downtown area the next morning.
As a city, Dallas is not that big, with around 1.5 million residents. However, when you take into account the greater metropolitan area which includes Fort Worth and Arlington, the number soars to at least six million. Its heart, however, remains the Dallas downtown area. I joined the family for a city tour, as my conference was starting that afternoon.
The tour started with a visit to the fascinating Sixth Floor Museum. This is located in the Texas School Book Depository, where Lee Harvey Oswald allegedly shot and killed President Kennedy. The exhibition chronicles the life, times, assassination and legacy of President Kennedy. The corner window where Oswald fired from has been recreated to look like it did in 1963. Standing there was a chilling experience. There is a separate audio tour for adults and children, which made it great.
We then stopped off for a few minutes to admire the magnificent Old Red Courthouse built from red pecos sandstone and Arkansas blue granite. That set the tone for our visit to the West End Marketplace with its horse-drawn surreys, cart vendors and vintage streetlights. A great area for tourists, it has many shops, restaurants and a movie theatre.
Our final destination was to check out the historic homes of the Swiss Avenue area, which gives a glimpse of what it was like to live in Dallas during the city's early years. Overall, the tour is a great launch pad into city, especially if you base it on the commentary provided on cassettes by the Museum of Art.
The next day I was stuck at the conference while the family travelled to Southfork Ranch, the estate where Dallas was filmed. My wife, Cynthia, was a real Dallas fan, so she could explain the storyline and all the important locations to the children. On the 'Dallas Legends' exhibition, they saw the gun that shot JR, Lucy's wedding dress and video clips from the series.
The show was on the air for an amazing 13 years, with 356 episodes, making it one of the longest running series in TV history. It is still being shown in some countries. My youngest son, Aaron, was delighted to tell me the latest news - that a feature film based on 'Dallas' is being considered.
On the third day, I managed to slip away from a meeting to join up with the family at the state's most famous theme park, Six Flags Over Texas. Located in Arlington, midway between Dallas and Fort Worth, it is only 20 minutes drive from downtown. What an amazing park it is! Even the names of the shows on offer conjure up excitement; The Crazy Horse Saloon's "Raise a Ruckus", Merlin's Magicademy and "Rangers & Outlaws".
But the real reason people come here is for the roller coasters. Batman is one of the older favourites, throwing you around at 50 miles per hour, but it is dwarfed by the Texas Giant, the famous wooden coaster that reaches a speed of 62 miles per hour, and Mr. Freeze, which launches you from 0 to 70 miles per hour and to a height of 238 feet in less than four seconds.
You can also try Flashback, which turns you upside down six times, but the undisputed number one coaster ride is Titan. It has a drop of 255 feet at over 85 mph. You get three-and-a-half minutes of hair-rising plunges, plus a a series of spirals and high-speed helixes. Finally, you also go through a 120-foot dark tunnel, which is the scariest part of all. My older son, Jon, and I waited a long time in line to do this one - it was worth every minute. What a thrill!
With me back at work, the family spent the next day visiting a dinosaur park and an aquarium. The Dinosaur State Valley Park boasts two life-size dinosaur models and, in a riverbed, the world's best-preserved dinosaur prints. Aaron was in his element. In the afternoon, they trekked through the Dallas World Aquarium>. With around 6,000 aquatic animals in a huge lake pool surrounded by a rain forest, it is an impressive facility. Proving most popular with my family were the piranhas, jellyfish and sharks.
One of the attractions they wanted to visit, but never went to, was the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame, which honours 58 of the state's top cowboys and cowgirls. The other was Ripley's Believe It Or Not and Louis Tussaud's Palace of Wax, which features 225 lifelike statues including Marilyn Monroe, Brad Pitt, Britney Spears, Tiger Woods and all the American presidents. Sally had been itching to photograph some of them, but time ran out.
On the final day, I insisted on visiting the Dallas Cowboys stadium. This decision was heartily backed by Jon. The team is one of the most successful in NFL history, having appeared in eight Super Bowls, more than any other team. And they have won five, a record matched only by the San Francisco 49ers.
Our tour gave us an insider's view of the stadium. We entered through the players tunnel (and imagined the roar of the crowd) and stood in the centre of the field, where we could see ourselves kicking the winning goal. Finally, we got to see the inside of a luxury suite and into the Cowboys' locker room. What a treat. In 2009 the team moves to a magnificent new purpose-built stadium in Arlington, signalling the start of another era in this great team's history.
On the way to the airport, we had time to stop off for a last taste of real Texas beef. We had certainly made the most of our stay food-wise. But we had good company. Dallas residents eat out an average of four times a week, so there are plenty of places to dine. In fact, the city has more restaurants per capita than New York City! Among our favourites were Sonny Bryan's Smokehouse, Bone Daddy's Barbecue and Bob's Steak & Chop House.
Our stay in Dallas was over. We now know that the old expression is true: Everything is bigger in Texas! And what a lot of fun it was.
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