Located in the state of Texas, Dallas is still a relatively young city. Its reputation is mostly based on oil refining and cattle ranching enhanced by the media and the famous 80’s TV show named after the city.

Since it’s founding in 1839, the city has come a long way and seen rapid development on all levels but in particular in a business capacity, with its role as the centre for the Texas oil industry helping to elevate its status. The fact that its airport is among the busiest in the world gives some indication as to its importance to the US as a destination for both tourists and business visitors.

The unique character of Dallas has an endearing quality. People are drawn to this city not only because it is an industrial giant, but also because of the friendliness of its residents and the southern charm which they possess. Great shopping and dining opportunities also help to make Dallas the popular tourist centre that it is today.

Districts such as Deep Ellum and Greenville Avenue are brimming with trendy bars, restaurants, nightclubs and shopping outlets and have helped put Dallas firmly on the map as a place offering more than just cowboys and oil. The local evening entertainment scenes in these areas are comparable with any of America’s best.

Let your Dallas holiday be about seeing sights such as the Reunion Tower and the Sixth Floor Museum, getting a spot of culture at the African American Museum and the Dallas Museum of Art or just simply shopping till your drop at fantastic malls such as the NorthPark Centre and Grapevine Mills.

The city has an excellent selection of accommodations with big names such as Radisson, Best Western, Hilton, Holiday Inn and Crown Plaza all providing reputable hotels. Smaller and cheaper hotels are also available and generally speaking, Dallas has something to suit all tastes and budgets.

Good accommodation, great restaurants, trendy nightlife, extensive shopping options and numerous places of cultural and historical interest are just a few of the reasons why Dallas is a great place to take a vacation.

In early written history Dallas, like much of Texas, was inhabited by Native Americans and later became a part of the Spanish Province of New Spain prior to its establishment as a city. French territory bordered the Texas area but the Spanish control of the area remained and was actually extended in 1819 via the Adams-Onís Treaty. The Spanish retained control until 1821 when Mexican independence from Spain was declared. Further developments occurred in 1836 when the Republic of Texas officially broke free of Mexico and the area we now know as Dallas began to materialise.

In 1839, the Tennessee lawyer and keen explorer John Neely Bryan, came into the Dallas area and immediately decided that it offered great potential for success as a trading post and a future town. Bryan returned to Tennessee, closed his affairs and then came back to Dallas two years later with bold plans for development. He claimed some 640 acres of land and set about implementing his plans for building a town.

In 1856, Dallas saw its formal incorporation as a town then later, in 1871, it legally became a city. The 1870’s signified a period of significant growth for Dallas assisted by the arrival of the railroad. Dallas initially attempted to bring the railroad route closer to the city by paying for the Houston and Central Texas Railroad however, this strategy failed and underhand means were employed which resulted in the major north-south and east-west portion of the railroad intersecting at Dallas in 1873.

Growth over the next half century was marked by events such as the establishments of a Federal Reserve Bank in 1914, a Southern Methodist University in 1915 and the Dallas Love Field Airport in 1927.

The discovery of oil in 1930 by C.M. Joiner and the subsequent development of the East Texas Oil Field led to Dallas becoming an integral part of America’s oil industry and secured the city’s position as the technical and financial centre responsible for overseeing the greater part of Texas’ drilling affairs. With the development of the oil industry came increased prosperity for the city.

The shooting of John F. Kennedy on the streets of the city in 1963, brought negative publicity to Dallas however the building of the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport in 1973 and the Republican National Convention in 1984 helped put it firmly back on track as one of the Texas’ most important centres.

Dallas experiences a subtropical climate which sees plenty of humidity, hot summers and mild winters with rainfall throughout the year.

Temperatures in Dallas are warm all-year round with summers (June to September) seeing maximum daily highs of 30 to 35ºC. For many people, this season is unbearably hot and not the most ideal time to visit, especially if a sightseeing holiday is planned.

Winters can also be warm with temperatures hovering between 12 and 15ºC for the period December to February and several degrees higher in the months either side.

From a visitor perspective, the spring and autumn months are the best time to take a holiday in Texas as temperatures are between 20 and 25ºC. Volume of rainfall is highest in May but that needn’t be a significant reason to prevent you choosing to vacation in the spring.

Those not accustomed to hot temperatures at all, will find winter a very agreeable season and one in which moving around the city can be done comfortably without the high levels of humidity that the summer season experiences.