A Series of Observations

Howdy! This past weekend I took a trip to Dallas, Texas for a childhood friend’s wedding. The trip was a lot of fun, and the wedding absolutely beautiful…I cried multiple times.

I figured since I’ve taken a little bit of a break from non-fiction content for a while it would be a great time to give a little life update of sorts!

The wedding was technically in Rockwall, Texas, but we explored the Dallas and Fort Worth areas as well. The weekend was long because travel is brutal no matter how far you go, but also quick because it was only a long weekend. We were absolutely exhasted by the end!

I will say, I was incredibly surprised by the atmosphere of the south. Truthfully, I expected some unsettling things with how outwardly the south supports Trump, but I see more Trump peraphenalia and outspoken supporters where I live in update New York than I saw in the entirety of my trip to Texas. Legitimately did not see one Trump bumper sticker or flag, and everyone we met was so incredibly kind and welcoming. I was very happy to be wrong about my assumptions of the south.

I also completely underestimated just how big the cities are down there. As a big NYC gal, I was expecting something similar, where everything is where you need it but huge…that was so not the case in Dallas! Everything is a million times bigger than we expect it to be, and the cities are so vast they span hundred of miles! I suppose that makes sense with how flat the terrain is out there. This was my least favorite part about travelling here. Everything is so big and so far apart, you spend the majority of your time in the car getting to where you need to be. I definitely could not live here.

The weather when we left NY was horrific, with a lot of snowfall and temperatures that felt sub-level. Unfortunately Texas’ weather was not much better. Although no snow, it was quite cold and rained the entire time we were there…I did not pack good enough shoes for the trip.

Regardless, we still had as much fun as we could in the short amount of time we were there. So let’s get to the good stuff shall we?

Shopping

We had the best time vintage and thrift shopping in Dallas! Each of the stores had such unique atmospheres, and genuinely vintage finds; antiques and nick-knacks included. I wish we could’ve had more time, and a bigger budget, to shop some more because I would have loved to ship some things home.

Stores we enjoyed were:

1. Ditto
   • 1322 N Peak St, Dallas, TX 75204
2. East Dallas Vintage (right across the street from Ditto)
   • 1327 N Peak St, Dallas, TX 75204
3. Dolly Python
   • 1914 N Haskell Ave., Dallas, TX 75204

I really wish that places were a lot closer because I had a lot more shops I would have hit on my list, but just not enough hours in the day to get to them.

We also had a tiny bit of extra time one day and went to the Galleria Mall to walk around! It was huge and even had an ice skating rink inside, very festive.

Food

The restaurants in this area all have very cool vibes and well decorated interiors, with the kindest and most welcoming staff. Though I will alway be a NY girl through and through, our tastebuds were enjoying every bite.

Lots of seafood on the menus we saw, which sort of surprised me, but of course there was lots and lots of beef as well…it would have simply been sacreligious for me to travel to the south and not indulge in a damn good steak. I would have loved to of course explore more restaurants, especially authentic Mexican food, but we were packing as many activities as we could in, so sitting down for meals was our last thought of the day. Literally, we only went out for dinner.

If I can avoid it, I don’t get coffee in chains when I travel, I want to explore the local places! Also, Giovanni’s had the best lobster bisque soup I have ever tasted…

Here are the places we enjoyed!

1. Huckabee’s Coffee – Located in the Rockwall Harbor
   • 2083 Summer Lee Dr Suite 111, Rockwall, TX 75032
2. Perry’s Steakhouse and Grillle
   • 2100 Olive St Suite #100, Dallas, TX 75201
3. Giovanni’s Italian Restaurant – Located in the Rockwall Harbor
   • 2091 Summer Lee Dr Suite 111, Rockwall, TX 75032

Activities

The only activity we enjoyed, besides the wedding, was an authentic rodeo in Forth Worth! It was so fun to see, and I was even luckier that it started super late because we happened to not be able to find parking that day.

The Fort Worth area was the most fun because it was all historical, with really amazing buildings that maintain their historical flare, cobblestone streets and of course a lot of people in cowboy hats, boots, and various historical costumes.

We walked through the Fort Worth Stockyards, which had a lot of various shops with souvenirs, real leather goods and other fun finds. We even watched an “authentic” (not really, it was more comedic) gun fight between old time marshalls and bandit cowboys. While not authentic, it was super cool to see acting as well!

In general, we had a really great time, and wish we had more time to explore! This seems like the kind of place you need more than a couple days to really see it all. There were so many more places on my list I will have to see if I can hit next time!

I was thrilled beyond belief and completely honored that I could be there to support my friend on her wedding day. As one of my oldest childhood friends, we used to play dress up and pretend weddings all the time, so it was sureal to be at the wedding we always pretended to have as little girls. She was the most stunning bride that brought tears to my eyes more than once, and I wish her and her husband many years of happiness and health to be able to build a beautiful life together as they have already started to do!