Dallas Zoo
If you're headed west to Fort Worth, and one zoo trip will do, you'd be better off waiting (the Fort Worth Zoo, along with the one in San Antonio, are the two best in Texas and two of the best in the country). Otherwise, if the kids are clamoring for some wild animals, the recently renovated Dallas Zoo -- the oldest zoo in Texas, founded in 1888 -- isn't likely to disappoint (one feature, "Wilds of Africa," was named the top African zoo exhibit in the country). The 85-acre park also features a habitat for rare Sumatran tigers, a chimpanzee forest, and a monorail safari ride. A couple of hours spent here should suffice for the kids.

Meadows Museum of Art
On the campus of Southern Methodist University is one of the city's best-kept secrets: the finest collection of Spanish art outside Spain (so significant, in fact, that it spent much of 2000 on display at the top-tier Thyssen-Bornemisza museums in Madrid and Barcelona). A Dallas oil magnate, Algur Meadows, went to Spain to search for oil, entertaining himself at the Prado Museum. He came up dry, but his sojourn into Spanish art history bore fruit: Meadows began to assemble a splendid collection of works from the 15th to 20th centuries, including pieces by Spanish masters from the Golden Age of Spanish painting (such as Velázquez, Goya, Ribera, Murillo, Zurbarán -- just about the only big name missing is El Greco). Having moved into a new building six times larger than the old site, Meadows Museum is one of the best small museums with a singular focus in the U.S. Of special note among the nearly 700 items on display are Ribera's Retrato de un Caballero de Santiago and Goya's El Corral de los Locos (by many accounts the finest Goya found in the United States), as well as a series of 200 works on paper by Goya. The 20th-century Spanish masters Picasso, Dalí, Miró, and Tàpies are also represented.

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.

SpringHill Suites by Marriott Dallas Northwest Highway Stemmons/I-35E
SpringHill Suites is Marriott's new concept in moderately priced all-suites lodging featuring clean, convenient, quality accommodations- all for a great value! Our suites feature complimentary high speed Internet access, a living area with large well-lit work desk, sofa sleeper and two-line telephone with dataport, a pantry area with coffee maker, microwave, small refrigerator and sink and sleeping area with one or two beds. We offer a convenient fax service, free local telephone calls, an ...

Americas Best Value Inn
The Best Value Inn Dallas is located in Southwest Dallas just off I-20 at Exit 463 which is Cockrell Hill Rd/Camp Wisdom Rd. at 4154 Preferred ...

Palace Suites
Palace Suites is located near downtown Dallas, Texas. Unlike other downtown hotels, this hotel is situated conveniently near the Interstate 30, leading to most of the main attractions that Dallas has to offer. The Palace Suites is close to Fair Park, Deep Ellum, Farmers Market, the West End Marketplace, as well as many other business and entertainment areas. Palace Suites is newly renovated with everything new, exterior corridor, nice and clean rooms with high-speed and wireless Internet and ...