How to Spend 24 Hours in Dallas

This post originally appeared on Flight Centre Canada's blog

Whether you’re passing through on a road trip or have some time to kill between connecting flights at the airport, Dallas is worth a visit even if you only have 24 hours. Arienne Parzei's itinerary below takes you through some of the city’s best neighbourhoods, showcasing Dallas’ artistic side and home-grown restaurants and bars.

All spots on the itinerary can be accessed using the city’s public transit system, DART. Just be sure to pick up a local day pass from either a ticket vending machine or on-board a bus. For longer stays in Dallas or further afield, check out our USA holidays.

You’ve got a full day ahead of you, so fuel up with a filling breakfast at Oddfellows in the Bishop Arts District. Located in South Dallas, the Bishop Arts District is a former warehouse area that’s experiencing a new resurgence thanks to independent restaurants and retailers setting up shop in the neighbourhood. Oddfellows is a bustling coffeehouse/diner that offers up American style cuisine and hand-crafted coffee. It’s a very popular brunch spot on Sundays, so get there by 8am to secure a table.

Recommended: Huevos Rancheros, Wild Boar Chorizo and Goat Cheese Scrambled Skillet, and the French Press Coffee.

DART Route: Bus 021 from West Davis St. to Market and Wood St.

Built in 1978, Reunion Tower stands 170 metre above ground. From afar, it looks like a microphone and acts as the centrepiece to Dallas’ constantly changing skyline. The futuristic design underwent a major interior renovation in 2013. To get views of Dallas from above, head up to the GeO-deck. There are interactive maps and an exterior 360° walkway. At night, the dome is illuminated by hundreds of LED lights.

DART Route: From Union Station take the Red or Blue Rail Line to St Paul Station.

Dallas boasts the largest concentrated urban arts district in all of the United States. Spanning an area of 19 blocks, the district brings together museums, performance spaces, theatres, and art plazas. Some notable stops in the district include the Nasher Sculpture Centre, 300 pieces of modern and contemporary sculptures from the personal collection of Raymond and Patsy Nasher, the Dallas Arts Museum, and the Perot Museum of Nature and Science, a great stop for those travelling with kids.

Travel Tip: Walk north to Klyde Warren Park

Opened in 2012, Klyde Warren Park spans 5.2 acres and acts as a bridge connecting Uptown and Downtown Dallas. Although hard to spot at first, it’s quite literally a bridge as it was built over the Woodall Rodgers Freeway. This urban green space offers activities such as ping-pong and putting greens, areas to relax, a dog park, and live music. During the week from 11am to 3pm, you’ll find food trucks serving up a variety of options. So grab something from one of the trucks and give your legs some much-needed rest.

DART Route: From St Paul Station take the Green Rail Line to Deep Ellum Station.

Recommended: Try a beer from the Deep Ellum Brewing Co, served in most bars in the area.

Head back to your hotel to relax and freshen up.

Across the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge and Trinity River is Trinity Groves. This 15-acre area brings together restaurants, retail and artistic spaces, and entertainment venues housed in repurposed industrial warehouses. The development proposal behind Trinity Groves aims to give a space for start-up restaurants and businesses. One notable restaurant in Trinity Groves is Kitchen LTO. Using the concept “limited time only”, or LTO, the restaurant calls itself a permanent pop-up shop. Every six months, a new chef and artist take over the space. Applicants are screened by a selection committee who then choose five finalists. It’s then up to the public to vote and pick the winning chef and artist.

Travel Tip: After dinner, walk over to the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge lookout to snap some shots of this web-like bridge at night.

DART Route: Take Bus 052 from Singleton Blvd to Lamar and Pacific Ave. Walk east to Akard St and then south to Main St.

Head back into downtown Dallas for a nightcap at the Midnight Rambler. This underground craft cocktail lounge pumps jazz, blues, and rock'n'rock tunes in a space mixed with vintage and contemporary décor items.

Travel Tip: Try the Cuffs & Buttons cocktail and their in-house sodas.

For more information on travelling to Dallas, contact a Flight Centre Travel Expert by calling 0800 587 0058, visiting your closest store, or connecting with us online.