|
During your Dallas vacation, don't miss these great establishments and attractions:
Swiss Avenue Historic District
Toward the turn of the 20th century, the Dallas elite began to abandon the area that now comprises the Arts District and move east (near the modestly funky Lakewood neighborhood). Sprawling, grand homes from the early 1900s -- English Tudor, Georgian, Spanish, you name it -- line a broad avenue, about 4 blocks of which are listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The Wilson Blocks (2800 and 2900), named for Frederick Wilson, who built a number of the homes there, are especially attractive. Around the holidays, Swiss Avenue is a favorite for Christmas lights cruisers. A drive-by can be done in 15 minutes; allow a half-hour if you want to stroll.
Old City Park
Dallas's Old West heritage is on self-conscious display in this downtown 13-acre park of three dozen historic buildings. The complex re-creates a late-19th-century village, complete with a redbrick Main Street, Victorian homes, a log cabin dating from 1847, and Old West standards like a train depot, general store, one-room church, schoolhouse, bank (said to have been robbed by Bonnie and Clyde in the 1930s), and law offices. All have been transported from their original locations in and around Dallas, immaculately restored and reconstructed on the attractive grounds, which have the glittering city skyline as a backdrop. Guided tours escort visitors inside several of the buildings, including a "Living Farmstead," a re-creation of a North Texas farm (ca. 1860). On selected dates during the first 2 weeks of December, the village celebrates "Candlelight at Old City Park," a popular "Victorian Holiday Celebration." (Candlelight admission tickets are $3 more than regular prices.)A pretty good restaurant, Brent Place, occupies an 1876 "architecture catalogue" farmhouse (ordered by mail and shipped by rail to rural areas) and serves lunch Tuesday through Saturday from 11am to 3pm; call tel. 212/421-3057 for reservations. Visitors are also allowed to picnic on the grounds. Plan to spend 1 1/2 hours or so here.
The Studios at Las Colinas
North Texas's major movie and TV studio -- where Walker, Texas Ranger and Silkwood were filmed -- offers daily tours of its grounds, including displays of movie memorabilia and hands-on demonstrations of special effects (from that memorable blockbuster Addams Family Values) and blue-screen technology. You'll see the Oval Office set used in Oliver Stone's JFK, as well as costumes from Star Trek and Forrest Gump. If you've been to studios in Hollywood or the movie museums in other parts, you've probably seen more and better; however, if you've always wanted to visit a movie set, you'll at least get a glimpse here. Tours last about an hour and 15 minutes.
Sterling Hotel
Elegant "Old World European" style full service hotel in the heart of the Dallas-Ft. Worth metroplex. We are located equal distance between DFW International Airport and downtown Dallas on Highway 183 (John Carpenter Freeway) and Regal Row. Offering a fabulous high-rise view of the Dallas and Las Colinas skyline, we are situated in the center of the largest restaurant and shopping area in Texas and are the only full-service hotel close to Texas ...
The Mansion on Turtle Creek, A Rosewood Hotel
Situated on a 4.63-acre site on a terraced hill at the corner of Turtle Creek Boulevard and Gillespie Street, the hotel is just five minutes from the downtown Central Business District, less than 30 minutes from the international airport and adjacent to Dallas' most prestigious residential area, the Park ...
Bradford Homesuites North Dallas/Addison
Bradford Home Suites North Dallas (Texas) is located on the Dallas North Tollway at Keller Springs Road with easy access to major businesses and area attractions such as the Cavanaugh Flight Museum and the famous Galleria Mall. Over 170 restaurants along Restaurant Row are within three miles of the ...
|
|
