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.

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.

Bradford Homesuites- Downtown Dallas
Whether you're here for work or pleasure, a short or extended stay, The spacious apartment-style suites with separate living/work, kitchen, and bedroom areas will make you feel right at home.Why settle for the typical cramped over-priced hotel room? Bradford Suites provide everything you need to live well. Services you'll want, amenities you'll use, facilities you're most likely to need. In short, the best possible stay at the best possible ...

Hilton Dallas Park Cities
Located in the upscale University Park area of central Dallas, The Hilton Dallas/Park Cities, one block east of the Dallas North Tollway. The hotel sits next to Preston Center- a business area with the convenience of having numerous restaurants and upscale shopping within walking distance. Only minutes from Love Field Airport, Galleria Mall, NorthPark Center, Highland Park Village, and Southern Methodist University. The hotel is 8 miles from Downtown Dallas, including the Convention Center, ...

Sheraton Suites Market Center
Nearby Airports: * Dallas Love Field - 6 Miles * Dallas/Ft. Worth International Airport - 18 Miles Nearby Cities: * Irving - 7 Miles * Los Colinas - 9 ...