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Just a few weeks ago, my Belgian friend (whom I hadn't seen in 19 years) came to visit us in Texas. When she initially started planning her trip stateside last year, the plan was to visit several different parts of the U.S. with friends. Well, those plans fell through, but we decided she should just come to Texas and hang with us for a week! Since she wouldn't be visiting New York, Niagara Falls, or other parts of the U.S, I wanted to give her a Texas-size tour of the Lonestar state and all (or a lot) that we have to offer. As she quickly learned, the saying- "Everything's bigger in Texas" really is true.
Day 1 - I picked her up from the airport. It took a long time (enough said). We met the family for dinner at Rudy's BBQ. Just a little background on Rudy's - this BBQ joint started in a small submarket of San Antonio called Leon Springs. Hubs, my youngest daughter, and I actually lived about a mile from the original Rudy's for about six months in 2007. We became HUGE fans. We now have Rudy's in North Texas, thank God!
Day 2 - I had to work for a bit in the morning, so we decided to meet my sister for lunch at Breadwinners in Uptown. Breadwinners is one of my favorite lunch and brunch spots in Dallas and the 'burbs. From the little sweet breads they put on the table to start, to the pulled pork tacos (my new favorite) to the decadent desserts, this place is the bomb. Then, we only had a few hours, so we decided to hit up the JFK museum. I have lived in Dallas for 12 years and never been, but as a self-professed history buff it's always been on my 'to-do' list. Obviously I wasn't alive when JFK was shot, but the event made a huge mark on Dallas history. The city remembers it every year on the anniversary of the assassination. The museum offers audio with the tour, and I was impressed that the museum actually had a French version, so my friend was able to listen in her native language. Overall, the museum is definitely worth experiencing. And, I had forgotten Jack Ruby shot Lee Harvey Oswald! Gasp! (Hopefully I didn't give anything away...)
That night, we went to a Texas Rangers game. I knew my friend Isabelle had never experienced American baseball, and no Spring-time trip to the U.S. would be complete without it. It was a great game too - the Rangers had a lot of home runs and we beat the White Sox 10-6.Go Rangers!
Isabelle, left, and me in our Texas Rangers gear
Day 3 - The Dallas Arboretum has been one of my go-to destinations for out-of-town visitors since we moved to Dallas over 12 years ago. Nationally-recognized, the Arboretum is 66 acres of beautiful gardens which are meticulously manicured. Having moved to Dallas from a small town, I had never seen gardens like this - so many colors and varieties - and they go on and on. It's truly extraordinary. The Arboretum has been recognized by Southern Living as "the best spot this side of Holland to see tulips." While we were a little late to see the tulips, there were plenty of things in bloom including azaleas (and lots of other pretty flowers of which I don't know the names). We had my youngest R with us this day, so most of my photos were taken while yelling "Rylee look at mommy! Rylee, smile! Rylee woo hoo! Look this way!!!!"
Snack time at the Dallas Arboretum
Group photo at the Dallas Arboretum. Someone is very tired!
No trip to Dallas is complete without visiting the scenic, expansive gardens of the Dallas Arboretum.
Stay tuned for parts two and three of the Tour de Texas - including our visit to the new George W. Bush Presidential Museum, and our girls' road trip to the Texas Hill Country.
