According to a Sunday editorial in the Dallas Morning News, “North Texas is a tourism gem.” Although the Dallas Convention and Visitor’s Bureau found that 58.5 percent of Super Bowl visitors this past year had “no impression of Dallas whatsoever,” the editorial admonishes us to stand up straight and tall when we talk about all our city has to offer — “everything from Six Flags Over Texas to the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden to the Sixth Floor Museum.”
My husband asked me why I was laughing. Well, Six Flags is pretty much a franchise all over the country, and as much as I love the Arboretum, most large cities have their version of beloved gardens. And — is it just me? I find those two venues too hot in June, July, August, and September.
The one place that no other city has is the Sixth Floor Museum — and to its credit, despite our emotional pain involved with the venue, Dallas has done a good job improving the museum in recent years. Unfortunately, the surrounding areas at West End and Deep Ellum aren’t as interesting as they used to be.
I applaud improvements at the Farmer’s Market, the Arts District, and the Trinity Riverfront (can we call it that yet?) Also, our (slow) improvements to DART rail will help eventually. But my real question is — if those of us who live here don’t know what to do in Dallas, then how can we expect visitors to fare any better? Especially in the summer. If you have visitors this summer, where will you take them?
OK, I’ll start. I continue to love the Dallas Museum of Art, an air conditioned venue that is worth the visit, although if you aren’t a member you are made to feel like day-old fish. Once you get past the parking fees (for non-members) and a few other affronts, and are finally inside, it is a lovely place to visit. My point is, if that’s how I feel when I know what to expect, then it’s pretty much the same with the visitors I bring along with me.
The revolving restaurant atop Reunion Tower (powered by chef Wolfgang Puck) is a place I recommend, because the food is so good, it is worth the price. The problem is, the prices can be shocking, which tends to dampen some of the joy of the visit, and probably forces many to cross it off their list. There used to be an observation level, but that is closed. You can, however, try to pop in for drinks, to enjoy the ambiance.
If you have any other tips, especially for the summer months, please let me know.
(The Dallas Morning News editorial can be read at http://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/editorials/20110527-editorial-tourism-is-one-of-north-texas-hidden-secrets.ece , behind the pay-wall),
