Hello Texans,

I am looking for a little help. I am traveling to Dallas in October for the Notre Dame game at Cowboy stadium. Never been there except for a two hour wait at customs in your airport.

Anyway, coming down with a group of 10 or so people for the game, from their twenties to their seventies. I am looking for an area to stay that is kind of walkable, safe with some decent hotels and restaurants. I know there is no River Walk like San Antonio, but is there a convention/touristy zone to look into? This group generally travels lots of college football games and stays out late bouncing to different watering holes and looking for something touristy, not too much on the college night life side of things if you know what I mean. Sports bars with good food a plus as this group will tip pitchers and watch lame Friday night games all night long.

We will have a few cars in the group so we can drive, but a walkable area with stuff to do would be great.

Secondly, any restaurant recs that would be in the area above would be spectacular. Love good Mexican or Tex-Mex. But anything good and local would be great.


Lastly, what to do to fill up a full day poking around the area? I see there is an aquarium, I kind of dig those if it is any good, and I see there are a ton of little museums but anything novel would be cool too. Like a high speed karting place if it exists, or anything fun. Need to fill up a full Friday before the game, and then game day will be tailgaiting and post game eats.

Anyway, thanks in advance for any help.

John

 

What about staying in downtown Fort Worth? The night life is tame.

There is the water gardens on the South side of the downtown area
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Worth_Water_Gardens

Fort Worth Botanical Gardens is also close by
http://fwbg.org/

Joe T Garcia's is a must for Tex-Mex!
http://joets.com/

Lots of other restaurants in the downtown area.

 

I think your best bet will be Fort Worth. Dallas is not the best walkable city (like NYC).

For Dallas. Walkable areas is Mckinney Ave (take the free trolley):
Uptown Dallas"]Map of Uptown Dallas

Arts Center is walkable from the last stop on the Trolley. Aquarium is walkable, but a good long walk from the last stop.

The Dallas area have a few "fake" city centers. They create large shopping, living, etc. centers to make a "city". There is one by Legacy/Tollway (Shops at Legacy), Bethany off of 75 (Watters Creek) and 78/George Bush (Firewheel) and in Southlake (Southlake Town Sq

 

Another vote for Fort Worth - downtown is very walkable, safe, family-friendly, yet fun.

During the day, there are several world-class museums to check out, and the Stockyards are fun as well.

Dallas Karting Complex (http://dallaskartingcomplex.com/) has very fast karts, but would be a good hike to reach.

As mentioned, Joe T. Garcias is a great place for Tex Mex, esp. if the weather is nice enough to sit outside in their beautiful patio area. Just bring cash, they don't accept credit cards.

Reata is a nice restaurant downtown right in the middle of Sundance Square (the area of downtown Ft. Worth you'd want to focus on). There's also a lot of cool clubs/restaurants in the 7th St. area.

 

If I were you, I would drive into Dallas on friday, head to the Gingerman for a GREAT selection of beers, maybe check out the 6th floor museum, and then stay the night in Ft. Worth because (the next day) the drive to Texas Stadium would be a piece of cake. Then after the game, you can head back to Ft. Worth and enjoy the Flying Saucer which probably has an even better selection of beers (100's of choices at both the Gingerman in Dallas and Flying Saucer in Ft. Worth).

 

Reata is good food.

 

FYI, Fort Worth has a Gingerman as well on Camp Bowie or 7th. I'm biased, but I'd just bypass Dallas. Fort Worth is a lot more to my liking.

 

Thanks for all the responses. I am just starting to get this travel all sorted out and this will help.

 

oh nice!

 

Just got back from my trip to Dallas, thanks for all the help. The AT&T stadium was great and also liked checking out the TCU campus and stadium. Nice little facility TCU has. The game was also a good time.

Really enjoyed Joe T's, Torchy's Tacos, and Cattleman's steakhouse. All the steak I get here tastes like a shingle by comparison.

Thanks again.