Have fun in traffic...

I hate Dallas.

CMSturgeon, make sure you stop in the store LUSH and get some products to pamper yourself, you won't regret it. I forget where there store is but if you go to their website, you'll find their location in Dallas.

ditto

I completely agree with you. I would love to shop at a local Central Market.

I guess I am one of the lucky ones...I only have a 10 minute commute to work (wife's is 15 min). But I'll admit traffic can be a nightmare for those who live in the northern suburbs.

A couple restaurants that we really like in Dallas are Mi Piaci and Terilli's. Both Italian restaurants with great food and drink. Mi Piaci is a little pricier and well known for their wine menu while Terilli's is a little younger crowd with great jazz.

Traffic was a nightmare just trying to get around downtown and Midtown.

I absolutely love driving in Dallas, it's a rush. Stopped traffic is of course no fun. But it's a city full of aggressive drivers and I love that, I love satisfying my need for speed and urge to weave in and out of traffic once or twice a year.

__________________
If you can dream it, you can do it!

Dallas traffic sucks compared to Southern California's. You should try it. Hit the 5 between LA and San Diego around 3am. Triple digits and STILL getting passed.

the smell...... you had me at triple digits.

Anyway.

I had a wondeful weekend in Dallas.

Hotel: Let me say this, I was really nervous about booking a hotel that was only $66 a night and when we got there Hawthorn Suites was the coolest hotel I have ever been in. Our room was huge, fireplace and all, the service was awesome, the breakfast was awesome.... tennis court... pool (told us it doesnt really close as long as youre quiet)... hot tub. It was right near the Galleria and about 12 minutes from downtown. It was really great. We plan to stay there many more times when we go to Dallas. And we only have the Queen Executive Suite, online the King Penthouse suite looks insane.

Transportation: Saturday morning we stopped by the front desk to get directions to downtown and the guy said, why don't you take the train? So we obliged and had a great time. $3 for an all day pass and we went everywhere downtown. We saved so much gas and the stress of trying to find out where we were going. This train would be great to use if you're going to go clubbing and don't want to drive and it cost like $30 less than a taxi!

Things we did: We dined at Chipotle twice. Last time I really hated this place but I tried something new and absolutely loved it. Good experience at the one downtown but the one right across from the hotel had one of the rudest employees I've ever seen before..... but the food was still great. We also dined at Dakota's Restaurant... this is the most romantic place I have EVER been. It was fully worth the $90 (incl. tip) bill for two. Valet parking and it's underground with a beautiful waterfall for the outdoor seating and the indoor area is beautiful as well. The service and food was exceptional.

Lastly........ we were going to go to the Aquarium until we realized it was $16.95 a person... we were trying to save for dinner! Has anyone been? Is it worth the price?

__________________
If you can dream it, you can do it!

the aquarium is awesome, but it's only worth it when we had a buy 1 get 1 free coupon!!

The Aquarium was pretty cool. If nothing else, the size of the place, and therefore the time you will spend there, make it worth the price. I wouldn't want to spend $17 for something that took less than an hour, but I think we spent 3 or 4 hours there when we went.

Of course, it also helps if you like animals.

Personally, I hate Dallas. It just feels... I don't know... soulless. (Does that make sense?) It's like they try too hard to be a "cutting-edge" city. Too many freeways and all the highrises start to look the same after you've been there a while. It feels very fake to me. The last few times I visited, I couldn't wait to leave! On the other hand, Kansas City (in my opinion) is the coolest nearby major city that we've got. It has the rustic, old midwestern city feel, yet it has elements of modernity.