Dallas in a Day
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My adventure in Dallas didn’t exactly go according to plan. I intended to have a few days to wander and explore the city at my leisure. However, due to a monsoon that overtook Dallas while I was there (seriously, they had flooding and record rainfall), and a flu bug that landed me in my hotel room for a whole day and a half… I wound up cramming all of my sightseeing activities into one afternoon!
I did get to check out Reunion Tower, which I talked about in my last post. I was also able to see the JFK Memorial, which weirdly enough, is not where JFK was assassinated…and I did see the Grassy Knoll.
I had also heard wonderful things about The Dallas Museum of Art, as well as The Sixth Floor Museum. However, I felt like I’ve been to quite a few museums this summer…and I wasn’t feeling the best…so, I wasn’t sure how well I was going to be able to concentrate on the content. I, therefore, made the logical decision to spend my only afternoon in Dallas at the Dallas World Aquarium. I swear it made me feel better, and I had a blast watching the penguins! (Kind of like the equivalent to watching Saturday morning cartoons, haha.) Prepare yourself for all kinds of critter pictures!
I was so happy I decided to spend my afternoon at the aquarium! The only other aquarium I’ve ever been to is the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago. And while that aquarium is huge and impressive, there are an absolutely insane amount of people there, and it’s a bit hard to enjoy yourself. But the Dallas aquarium is much smaller, which I personally liked! And even though I went on a crummy Saturday afternoon, I didn’t feel as though the place was too crowded. I was able to wander around and even backtrack without difficulty if I wanted to spend more time at an exhibit.
The Dallas Aquarium also has scheduled feeding times, where you can watch the animals get fed and a zookeeper tells you the animals’ names and fun facts about them. I went to the penguin feeding (they’re my favorites) and watched the little guys swallow their fish whole. Haha.
Another random observation about this aquarium that amused me, was the fact you could purchase beer, margaritas, and other alcoholic beverages at the cafes and bring them with you through the exhibits. I did not sample any of these beverages, but it was fun to see couples sipping on margaritas watching the fish swim by. (I was pleased enough that my water bottle only cost a $1.50!)
I’m going to show off more photos of my time at the aquarium before I show you how I spent my only night on the town in Dallas (you can click on any of the photos in the gallery to make them full-sized).
Dallas World Aquarium photo gallery
My time at the aquarium made me feel so much better, I was actually able to go out for some authentic Mexican food and to a Cowboy Dancehall later that night! I, for the life of me, can’t remember the name of the restaurant we went to (probably for the best, though, I didn’t really like my enchiladas. Haha.). However, the dancehall we went to is called Cowboys Red River Dancehall.
I am really not a fan of country music, really not a fan. However, it was my only night in Dallas and this seemed like the thing to do! I also have to admit, the singers they had on stage were good! I really liked the guy pictured above, he was singing quite a bit of older country music…which I don’t mind as much because it brings back fond memories of my childhood (George Straight, Clint Black, Garth Brooks, I don’t mind these guys so much). I was also super impressed with how well everyone on the dance floor could dance! I’m a terrible dancer and know nothing about dancing…but I really enjoyed watching everyone’s dancing abilities!
And what kind of a Cowboy Dancehall would this be if it didn’t have a mechanical bull? Haha. I did not participate in this either. (I didn’t think I would be able to gracefully do this in a dress!) But my husband decided to try it out – and he did really well! You can check out the video below if you want to see it. 🙂
Not too bad, right? The band was on an intermission, that’s why you are sadly not hearing any country music playing in the background. My husband said that was the dizziest he has ever been, and that was probably the hardest part of riding the bull!
While the trip didn’t exactly go according to plan, I was very happy with all that I was able to see in my very limited time in Dallas! I will definitely have to return for the full Dallas experience, though!
I do have a question for people who have visited Dallas, though…is it just me, or are there hardly any people in the city? I thought it was so strange that I never saw anyone on the streets, ever! I know the weather was crummy, but it still struck me as weird. Was this just because of the weather, or did you guys think Dallas wasn’t all that populated of a city either? Let me know in the comments!
This is the last chance to vote for me in the Pullman Workation competition! Just click here to cast your vote! Thank you so much! (Also, if you don’t immediately see my smiling face when you click the link, X out of it and try again! The site doesn’t seem to always load properly.)
Hi Lindsey!
I went down a Pinterest rabbit hole and ended up here, reading about your trip to Dallas. I have iived in Dallas for 27 years, and, while I have been to the aquarium, it was a very long time ago. Seeing your photos has me waxing nostalgic. Most of the city is closed due to Covid19 risk mitigation orders, but when the powers-that-be decide to open our city again, I will be going to see the penguins, again, for sure. Thanks so much for sharing your adventures!
Oh gosh, that is awesome! I’m so glad you enjoyed this post! Thank you, Kimber!
Your aquarium pictures are awesome! So cute. I was cracking up at the bull riding video – there’s no way Dave would do that, and if for some reason he did, he certainly wouldn’t let me post the video online. Hahah! Zac’s a good sport (unless you didn’t tell him you posted it….lol)
You should have tried it – I’m sure you wouldn’t be the first to ride in a dress!
~Jen
dressingwithclass.wordpress.com
Thank you, Jen! Haha, and Zac actually wanted me to film this! I was just going to take a photo of him on the bull, but he was convinced that this would go smoothly and he would want video proof. 😉 And there was actually a woman who was wearing a dress in front of us who road the bull…and that’s when I decided it probably wouldn’t be a good idea for me to do it. Haha. (Let’s just say, it wasn’t pretty.) 😉
I visited Dallas a few years ago and really liked it and probably because the weather was really good too. We did visit the JFK museum which I think was the highlight of our trip. I did also find that when I was there I barely saw as many people either dt… I seriously wondered the same thing. I love country music hahah and was having the best time visiting the awesome country bars! Great photos:-)
www.wunderbliss.com
Thank you, Ela! I feel like the weather is generally beautiful in Dallas…except for the weekend I was there. Haha. I will definitely have to check out the JFK museum next time! And yes – downtown felt like a ghost town! It was so strange. If you love country music, Dallas is definitely a blast then haha. Even not being a country music fan, it was still a good time for me. 🙂
Sorry that your trip didn’t go according to plan, but watching those penguins get fed seems like a lot of fun! Haha. XO
Lauren-Blair
www.prefertobedemure.com
If there is penguins involved, your trip can never be bad (even if it wasn’t what you expected). Haha. Thank you, Lauren! 🙂
This seems like fun! I am sorry you were sick!
Dora www.BangsBang.com
Thank you so much, Dora! It will still a ton of fun, despite being sick. 🙂
Such lovely photos, looks like a great time. Those penguins are too cute 🙂
Laura
http://thefoxtrails.blogspot.com
Thank you so much, Laura! The penguins could not be any cuter if they tried. Haha.
I hope you’re feeling better! Being sick in a strange city is the worst. I love that you got to go to the aquarium though! And being able to sip a margarita while looking at fish? THE BEST. I’ve been to Dallas only once…and totally agree about the lack of people! I was there in the summer and just assumed everyone was staying in the air conditioning to avoid melting. 😉 I also voted for you – the page was acting all cranky, but I finally beat it into submission. 😉
-Kara
www.thedressedaesthetic.com
Thank you so much, Kara! I am on the road to recovery – but holy smokes was that a persistent flu bug. Haha. And I couldn’t agree more – sipping a margarita and watching the fish swim by is THE BEST! 🙂 And staying out of the Dallas heat definitely seems like a good enough reason to not be out on the streets..maybe people just kind of get used to not being out in the elements, then? And thank you so much for voting and beating that darn website into submission!
You definitely got a lot done for being there a short amount of time and with a sickness! Im sorry that you caught the flu in Dallas. What a time to get sick! Thankfully, those little cuties at the zoo made you feel better. They seriosily are too cute! You know Im jealous about the gradsy knoll too haha. The concert sounds like fun! Im not a big coutry music fan either, but seeing it in person would be fun.
amandabrezovsky.com
Thank you, Amanda! And it’ll just leave some things for me to see the next time I visit. 🙂 And I swear those little guys could cure any sickness haha. I totally thought of you at the Grassy Knoll and JFK Memorial. 🙂
It looks like you had so many fun adventures here. I have never been to Dallas, so I really couldn’t say. I voted for you!
astylishlovestory.blogspot.com
Thank you for voting, Joanna! That means a lot! 🙂 And we did get to have quiet a bit of fun in the short amount of time we were here. 🙂
I’m sorry you weren’t feeling well, but it sounds like you were still able to have fun!
lesdeuxlapins.blogspot.com
Thank you so much, Mel! This was the first trip that I had actually caught a flu bug on, but thank goodness it didn’t last the entire time! It didn’t damper the fun for the last day. Thanks for stopping by! 🙂