Discovereighng with Dana: Dallas Bucket List

Oh it is one of those weeks where the weight of the world is falling on me, and I just can't keep afloat! I just binged on way too much candy, rid my to do list of things that just don't matter, and am looking forward to heading home for a shower & jammies. I really need to work on homework, I'm taking a Photoshop class this semester, and, though I am loving it, I'm a bit behind on homework. BUT relaxation & nothingness is really what I need right now. Our time in Dallas was just two weekends ago, yet seems like it was forever ago. Perhaps digging in to sharing our fun time there will help me relax a bit. #traveldreaming I'm also excited to share my own Dallas Bucket List with y'all!

We sat out early on a Saturday morning to get to the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden when they opened to see the pumpkins! We arrived at just the right time, because by the time we left the entrance line was a mile long! Anyway, this spot was super high on my list, mainly in the Fall when there are some 90-ish THOUSAND pumpkins on display. It was pure magic!

From there we headed to Dallas-Lovefield to the Frontiers of Flight Museum. We hope to hit all of the flight museums in the DFW area someday, but this was a great start! The museum houses exhibitions on all types of flight including planes, military, space flight, and even hot air balloons. Coolest bit? They even offer areas for children's birthday parties!

Our next stop was Downtown Dallas to a spot called Thanksgiving Square. It is a STUNNING chapel and gardens right among a sea of skyscrapers. This tranquil spot is for all people, of all walks of life, of all religions. Can you think of a more beautiful place?

After Thanksgiving Square, we headed to lunch in the West End at Ellen's Southern Kitchen, a very yummy spot, and featured as one of the top 100 restaurants in Dallas. From lunch, we walked a couple of blocks up to the 6th Floor Museum in hopes of learning more about John F. Kennedy and his assassination. However, the line was exceptionally long, so we opted for a stroll around Dealey Plaza, the infamous spot where JFK was shot.

By then we were ready for a bit of a break, and drove on to check into our hotel, The Adolphus Hotel downtown. Let me just say this hotel is gorgeous! From the outside to the lobby to the rooms, grandeur is everywhere, so much so Queen Elizabeth once stayed here during a stay in Dallas. After oogling over the lobby, we rested a bit in our room.

After a quick nap, we took a quick walk 2 blocks up to the original Neiman Marcus. Although the building was not as glamorous as I'd envisioned, it was still fun to say we'd been. I didn't find anything I couldn't live without, though it was difficult to keep walking past all of the Christmas lovlies, my favorite of course.

For dinner, we cleaned up ~~a bit~~ a lot and headed back to the West End to Y.O. Ranch Steakhouse. This was a delicious and beautiful spot for a nice dinner! It was rustic, yet elegant, if that can even be, and our steaks were perfection! After dinner, even though it was a bit early, we were exhausted from the heat and packing so much in one day, so we opted for a quite route back to our hotel. So we called upon our very first Uber ride! We had a great experience, and plan to use it again during our trip to NYC later this year.

Sunday morning, we headed to brunch to one of our favorite spots in the city, Bolsa in the Oak Cliff district. The menu is ever changing with a few staples sticking around. This time I enjoyed the chilaquiles, a Tex-Mex breakfast staple, and they were delicious! After brunch with friends, we wrapped up our weekend with a stroll through the Bishop Arts District, just a block or two down from Bolsa. This trendy area is home to popular restaurants, boutiques, and antique shops. It's just the sweetest little area, dreamy for a Sunday stroll!

We had such a great time that weekend, and marked off so much on our Dallas Bucket List. We still have more to see though, but that will be another time. Check out some of my favorite places in Dallas, some we have yet to see & do! Check back later for more details on the spots we visited during our Dallas weekend.

Hotels
Hotel Zaza
The Crescent
Hotel Adolphus
Four Seasons Las Colinas

Theatres
Music Hall at Fair Park
Bass Hall Fort Worth
Winspear Opera House

Museums
6th Floor Museum
Perot Museum
Frontiers of Flight Museum
Cavanaugh Flight Museum

Aquariums, Gardens, & Parks
Fair Park
Dallas World Aquarium
Dallas Arboretum & Botanical Garden
Kylde Warren Park

Shopping
Bishop Arts District
Galleria Dallas
Southlake Town Square

Attractions
State Fair of Texas
Reunion Tower
Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge
Dealey Plaza

Restaurants
Bolsa
The Theodore at Northpark Center
El Fenix
Spaghetti Warehouse in The West End