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During your Dallas vacation, don't miss these great establishments and attractions:
The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza
November 22, 1963, is a day Dallas can't live down and the world can't forget. A sniper's bullets assassinated the nation's 35th president, John Fitzgerald Kennedy, in Dallas as his motorcade traveled west on Elm Street. Whether or not there was a single shooter or more camped out on the grassy knoll below, and whether or not the Cubans or the Russians or the CIA were involved, the Warren Commission concluded that 24-year-old Lee Harvey Oswald fired his rifle at least three times from a window perch on the sixth floor of the Texas School Book Depository, killing JFK and critically injuring the Texas governor, John Connally. (Oswald had only days earlier secured a menial job at the School Book offices.)The redbrick building overlooks Dealey Plaza, an otherwise unremarkable spot that is ingrained in the memory of most Americans and people across the globe. The museum, the top draw in North Texas, preserves the spot where Oswald crouched and fired his rifle (now encased in Plexiglas), but it also examines the life, times, and legacy of the Kennedy presidency. The exhibit provides a moment-by-moment account of the day of the assassination and a day-by-day recollection of that harrowing November week. The display, which includes documentary film footage and more than 400 photos, summons the "Camelot" White House before getting to the event that put Dallas on the quivering lips of people across the globe. On view are images from the famous Zapruder film, whose frames have been isolated and examined more than any footage in history. However, there is no original evidence on display; everything examined by the Warren Commission forms part of the National Archives in Washington, D.C. The JFK assassination has been so hashed over and occupies such a place in pop culture that few visitors are likely to discover much in the way of new information. It is, however, a place to revisit the tragic episode and recall (or tell your kids about) the impact it had on you and a stunned nation -- as children's drawings from the period and visitor remarks inscribed in "Memory Books" at the museum's exit attest. Unless the information here is new to you or you want to relive the episode in great detail, spending no more than a couple of hours here should be plenty.Dealey Plaza, which draws two million curious visitors annually, remains a stark public square at the junction of a triple underpass, virtually unchanged from 4 decades ago. A red X marks the spot on the asphalt of Elm Street where Kennedy was struck; incredibly, many visitors to Dallas feel compelled to dodge traffic and have their pictures taken while standing on the X as cars hurtle by. Unless you really want to follow in the footsteps of JFK, however, I strongly advise against such reckless participation in our nation's history.
The Dallas World Aquarium
Housed in a former warehouse in the West End district, the Dallas aquarium not at Fair Park is a good place to hide out from the sun downtown. My niece and nephew enjoy communing with the stingrays, sea turtles, sharks, and reef fish. Their favorite, though, is "Orinoco -- Secrets of the River," an immersion into the tropical rainforest of Venezuela, a cool area teeming with Peruvian squirrel monkeys, endangered Orinoco crocs, jaguars, and soft-billed toucans. The newest exhibit is "Mundo Maya," with a 400,000-gallon shark tank. Plan on about an hour's visit. A restaurant and a cafe are on the premises.
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.
Microtel Inn & Suites
At the Microtel Inn & Suites in Plano/Dallas you will get a room, but not just any room. After a hard day on the road, you're tired and worn out. Even more reason why your hotel shouldn't be. That's why everything at Microtel is new, not a conversion of an old building from another brand. Which means no matter where you go, each property is consistent in construction and design, assuring you a uniform, quality product. Simply put, at Microtel, you'll get the same great hotel everywhere you ...
Econo Lodge Dallas Airport North
Located just North of Texas Stadium and downtown Dallas. Shopping and restaurant row only minutes away. Enjoy the large outdoor pool. Easy access to most of DFW's area attractions. Pet Accommodations: 10.00USD for extended stay only. 24 Hour airport shuttle with charge. Pet Accommodation: 10.00USD for extended stay only. Limit two pets per room. Airport shuttle available with ...
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