It makes you think of glamor and high-speed lifestyle, the Texas way.
Instagram/visit_dallasThere’s something about the name Dallas that immediately makes you think of glamor and high-speed lifestyle. Few people who remember the 1980s will fail to recognize the theme song of the great TV series of the same name, especially its opening credits – comprised of a series of helicopter camera sweeps over the skyscrapers of downtown and the parklands of the city. Those credits are still a good introduction to the range of attractions in Dallas, not least its great open spaces. Here are three ways to connect with nature in Dallas!
1. Choose Your Base Hotel
Dallas is about more than business, shopping and 24-hour entertainment. Not surprisingly, it also hosts plenty of high-octane thrills. More surprisingly, it has a wealth of places where you can find peace and tranquility, both inside and out.
Where you choose to base yourself will depend on your budget, what you plan to do while in town, and how long you plan to stay there. Downtown Dallas is full of hotels from the simple to the luxurious, but if you are arriving at Fort Worth there may be a lot to be said for stopping at an airport hotel like the comfortable Marriott Residence Inn, with easy access to the outlying areas as well as quick transport to the center.
2. Enjoy Strolling Through Parks
There is no shortage of attractive parks in Dallas. Top of the list is the beautiful Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Gardens. About a million visitors come every year to one of the highest-rated parks in the country, which is located near White Rock Lake. You can walk for hours and enjoy the trees and flowers, and there is plenty to keep the kids happy here, too.
The Arbor Hills Nature Reserve is a bit further out. There are miles of trails that let you wander through a variety of habitats, and you will hopefully spot wildlife, including armadillos and deer. Again, there is an area set aside for kids to enjoy.
For something completely different, try to find your way to Dragon Park. Though it has nothing to do with Game of Thrones, this is a gem full of eccentricity artfully hidden in suburbia.
3. Embrace The Green Connection
Dallas is developing into one of the greenest of American cities, and it is largely down to the policy of connecting a series of nature projects along the Trinity River Corridor. When complete, these will connect 75 miles of riverside greenery from Fort Worth to the other side of Dallas.
It’s a seamless progression boasting some impressive attractions, including wide open spaces for biking, horse-riding, and golf; beautiful river and lakeside walking paths with opportunities to sail, kayak, and canoe; educational facilities, including a once huge dumping ground, now transformed into a nature reserve; and forest land populated with bobcats, raccoons, wild boar and dozens of bird species.
If you have been postponing a trip to Dallas because you fear it will be all about shopping and taking the kids to theme parks, think again! Dallas has all those things and more for those who want fun and adventure, but it also has more than enough to keep lovers of nature and tranquility happy.
