Texas in July

[firvulag]

So, work is sending me to the Dallas-Fort Worth area for about a week or so and while I won't have a lot of free time, I was wondering if the board's resident Texans had any suggestions about things I should see or do while I'm there.  Specifically I'll be in Arlington, near the Six Flags if that helps at all.
So far my co-workers have only been able to suggest that it'll be helpful if I like steak, and that a cowboy hat would make me look rather silly.

-- 
With a Dremel tool and a cut-off wheel, _everything_ takes a flat-blade
screwdriver.
-- Matt Roberds in the Monastery

[Logan Darklighter]

Bring a rotary fan and set it up in your hotel room. Even with A/C you are going to want air circulation or a blast of cold air straight to the face after any amount of walking around outside. (One of those battery operated fans with the flexible fabric blades that'll fit in your pocket like an over-sized pen will be quite handy as well. Bring lots of batteries) 
If you're driving down, make sure the A/C is purged, cleaned and works well. Also do all the usual oil, fluid, filter and tire pressure/wear checks you'd do before the trip. 

If you're renting a car, it doesn't matter what kind you get, but ask for the one with the most robust A/C you can get. 

(Noticing a theme here?) 

I'm. NOT. KIDDING. 

It's like Robin Williams/Adrian Cronauer doing weather report in Good Morning Vietnam: 
"Well, thank you, Roosevelt. What's the weather like out there?"
"It's hot. Damn hot! Real hot! Hottest things is my shorts. I could cook things in it. A little crotch pot cooking."
"Well, can you tell me what it feels like."
"Fool, it's hot! I told you again! Were you born on the sun? It's damn hot! I saw - It's so damn hot, I saw little guys, their orange robes burst into flames. It's that hot! Do you know what I'm talking about."
"What do you think it's going to be like tonight?"
"It's gonna be hot and wet! That's nice if you're with a lady, but it ain't no good if you're in the jungle."

Now, having gotten THAT out of the way... 

Well if you're near Six Flags in Arlington, you're probably in the best spot as far as proximity to good eating spots and things to do you could possibly be in. Lots of stuff in the immediate area. 

Check out the game times for the Texas Rangers. Even if you're not a fan, you've GOT to see the Ballpark in Arlington. (It's got some bullshit corporate name on it now, but no locals in the area who aren't PAID to say it calls it that. It's still "The Ballpark in Arlington." ), It's truly a shrine to baseball if you're into that sort of thing. And still impressive even if you're not. Even the cheap seats in the outfield seating are good! 

Six Flags - yes. But don't go alone. It's always better to go with at least one other person. No idea what the current rides and shows are. But it's probably still good. 

Across the highway from Six Flags and down west a few blocks is "Hurricane Harbor" (locals often still refer to it by it's old name "Wet and Wild"). It's a nice water park with slides, wave pool, and stuff.

Look up "Lone Star Comics" online and find the local store. Good stuff. Good selection. Lots of gaming and anime as well as the usual comic books. The Arlington store should be only a 10-15 minute drive from where you'll be. 

On a similar note - check out "Half-Price Books" they are everywhere! Don't go in there looking for anything specific - just go with a general idea of a genre. If you're into sci-fi fantasy and willing to hunt a bit, you might find something surprising - and maybe even out of print! 

Going further afield - Over in Dallas, I'd make a similar recommendation for "Keith's Comics". Friendliest comics store in the area. And at least a couple of old friends of mine work there. 

If you have time and are willing to walk around some more in the humid furnace, check out the Fort Worth Botanical gardens. In particular - check out the Japanese Botanical gardens. I've seen more than one cosplay photo shoot that used that area as a perfect backdrop. 

Ever seen Logan's Run? Remember the end with the concrete waterfalls? That's actually real, and it's in Fort Worth downtown. Look up "Fort Worth Water Gardens" and go if you're curious. Very interesting. Once you're in there, all the water noise completely cuts off all the city sounds, even from a highway running close by! 

As for food close to your area - yeah - lots of steak places. But if you're interested in some really authentic local cuisine, check out Mercado Juarez.  The Arlington location is in an odd location - it's not on any restaurant row and in a residential area. (I used to live right next to the place!) So I don't know how the zoning rules allowed it to be placed there. But that also means it's off the beaten path for tourists. And the food is GREAT! One of the two best salsas in the area. Be careful not to stuff yourself on the chips and salsa before your meal proper arrives! And ask for the sopapillas for an after dinner chaser/desert. It's not true Tex-Mex without them!
Anything more specific, just ask. 

[Black Aeronaut]

If you had said San Antonio, you would have caught an earful from me besides the Alamo. :p

Oh, and if it's your thing, you might want to check out the area where JFK was assassinated. Quite the tourist attraction.

[firvulag]

The heat is one of the things I'm slightly apprehensive about.  I find Canadian summers a bit on the warm side, so I may end up melting when I go outside.  Thankfully the site I'm working at has a lot of computers and thus a lot of air conditioning.
I don't know that I'll have enough free time to properly visit Six Flags or Hurricane Harbour, and almost definitely not enough to take in a ball game.  I will see if I can get to the ball park just to see it though.

Thanks for the recommendations both of you,  I'll do my best to check some of them out.

Hopefully the actual trip will go better then the run up to it. So far they've managed to loose my visa paperwork between the mail room and the HR person who needs to sign it, and when calling to confirm my hotel reservation yesterday I learned the hotel has never heard of me and is booked solid.  I'm hoping my luggage won't be lost for too long after I change planes at LaGuardia.  No matter what happens though, I won't be completely out of luck. I packed my towel in my carry on.

-- 
No, it's fine. So long as they'll get in a carriage and be waved at, they'll
do. Our monarchy is old-fashioned, ineffective and faintly embarrassing - and
hence very, very British.
-- Matt S. Trout

[Ebony]

Yes, the Kennedy Memorial in Downtown Dallas is a fairly central location. Nearby are the Sixth Floor Museum, which is the actual Dallas Book Depository and is centered around the spot where Lee Harvey Oswald took the shots. Nearby is John Neely Bryant's cabin; Bryant is the founder of the Dallas Trading Post. There's not much to it, but if you're walking from Point A to Point B, it's a quick look.
Also nearby is the Dallas Holocaust Museum, which is more for locals than tourists, but if you're interested in that sort of thing, it's there. Also nearby are the West End, which is full of restaurants, and the Dallas World Aquarium, which is the privately-owned aquarium/zoo that is better than either of Dallas' city-owned establishments (not entirely true, but the Dallas City Aquarium is kind of small and old, and the Dallas Zoo pales in comparison to the Ft. Worth Zoo). Also nearby, but further from the Memorial, are the Dallas Museum of Art and its companion, the Nasher Sculpture Center, and the Trammel Crow Museum of Asian Art. The Crow is free (though donations are appreciated), but may be closed on weekends. (I only ever went when I was working Downtown, on my lunch hour.) Near the DMA and the Crow are the Meyerson Concert Hall and the AT&T Performing Arts Center, homes of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and the Dallas Opera, respectively.
On the other side of Downtown is Fair Park. Fair Park is, obviously, home of the State Fair of Texas, but that isn't until October, so you won't see it. But, there are a number of places in Fair Park, including the aforementioned Dallas City Aquarium (small, but a gorgeous old building). There are often events held at Fair Park, so you should check the calendar.
In the Arlington area, in addition to Six Flags, there's Hurricane Harbor, a waterpark, and the Grand Prairie Wax Museum (owned these days by Ripley's). It's no Madame Tussaud's, but if you're in the area, it's a nice stopover.
In addition to keeping cool, be sure to keep your phone charged. Dallas is fairly easy to get around, in my opinion, but it's spread out. Google Maps is your friend. Most of the highways are freeways, except for the Dallas North Tollway (runs from the suburbs into Downtown) and the George Bush Turnpike (connects the suburbs to each other, running east-west), and sections of State Highway 121, between the northern suburbs and D/FW Airport.
Ebony the Black Dragon
http://ebony14.livejournal.com

"Good night, and may the Good Lord take a Viking to you."

[Rajvik]

Also they have one of the best mass transit systems i have ever seen. Tram routes all over dallas, rail ride over to fort worth downtown, ( where if you like karaoke then you should go by City Streets) pplenty of bars and restaurants all around. I would stay out of Deep Ellum unless you're looking for a bar crawl from hell, but when I was there last they did have a Coyote Ugly. Back to fort worth and out of downtown you have the Stockyards with all its history, bars and restaurants.
 

[firvulag]

Okay, so lots of stuff to do/see, more than the available time most likely. Cool.

Now to see if I've gotten stuck with the night shifts or if that was some other poor, unfortunate soul.

Thanks all.

[firvulag]

Sadly I am the one who's gotten stuck with the night shifts. But I have managed to get out and do a few things. Toussad's is interesting, and somewhat creepy, for example.

Also, downtown Dallas is surprisingly empty at 9 pm. Although Ottawa's nightlife is kind of dead too, and the less said about my hometown the better. I guess I've been living in Montreal too long.

Oh and Logan, I apologize for briefly doubting you about the heat. You and Mr Cronauer were understating things. However, I've been assured by one of our client's employees that things won't be so unseasonably cool this coming week. Yay?

F

[Black Aeronaut]

Whatever you do, don't pray for any more rain.

Seriously.

Don't.

Not unless you want to see what two inches in thirty minutes can do to a major metropolitan area.

And yes, the rain storms at this time of year are LIKE THAT. All you need is a cold dry air mass from where you hang your hat to decide to swing on down here and decide to party with the warm wet air that is currently making you miserable. Such a storm may grant momentary relief, but it brings all kinds of headaches, and once it's over the oppressive humidity is back in spades.

So yeah. Please do not pray for rain.

Not while in Dallas.

[Ebony]

Firvulag wrote:

---

Sadly I am the one who's gotten stuck with the night shifts. But I have managed to get out and do a few things. Toussad's is interesting, and somewhat creepy, for example.

Also, downtown Dallas is surprisingly empty at 9 pm. Although Ottawa's nightlife is kind of dead too, and the less said about my hometown the better. I guess I've been living in Montreal too long.

Oh and Logan, I apologize for briefly doubting you about the heat. You and Mr Cronauer were understating things. However, I've been assured by one of our client's employees that things won't be so unseasonably cool this coming week. Yay?

F

Downtown is mostly businesses, so yeah, it does get quieter after 9. If you're looking for the club scene, you want to get over on Greenville Avenue, or go over to Deep Ellum (aka Elm Street). There's also some good bars and such over on McKinney Avenue. The West End also has some bars, but it's mostly restaurants, and it's kind of pricey.
Dining Advice: Find yourself a Sonny Bryan's. Best barbeque in town. Barring that, find a Red, Hot and Blues. If you get down to Deep Ellum or on Greenville, and you're looking for a burger, eat at the Twisted Root Burger Co. You won't be sorry.
  
Ebony the Black Dragon
http://ebony14.livejournal.com

"Good night, and may the Good Lord take a Viking to you."

[zojojojo]

If you had said San Antonio, you would have caught an earful from me besides the Alamo. :p

I hear the basement is worth the trip all on its own....
-Z, Post-reader at Medium
----
If architects built buildings the way programmers write programs, the first woodpecker to come along would destroy civilization.

[Black Aeronaut]

Zojojojo wrote:

---

If you had said San Antonio, you would have caught an earful from me besides the Alamo. :p

I hear the basement is worth the trip all on its own....

*Runs into Zojojojo, going full-tilt-boogie on an incredibly flamboyant red, white, and chrome bicycle, and sends him flying off Team Rocket style.*

[zojojojo]

Zojojojo wrote:

If you had said San Antonio, you would have caught an earful from me besides the Alamo. :p

I hear the basement is worth the trip all on its own....

*Runs into Zojojojo, going full-tilt-boogie on an incredibly flamboyant red, white, and chrome bicycle, and sends him flying off Team Rocket style.*

i meant to do that!
-Z, Post-reader at Medium
----
If architects built buildings the way programmers write programs, the first woodpecker to come along would destroy civilization.

[gamlain]

Firvulag wrote:

---

Sadly I am the one who's gotten stuck with the night shifts. But I have managed to get out and do a few things. Toussad's is interesting, and somewhat creepy, for example.

Also, downtown Dallas is surprisingly empty at 9 pm. Although Ottawa's nightlife is kind of dead too, and the less said about my hometown the better. I guess I've been living in Montreal too long.

Oh and Logan, I apologize for briefly doubting you about the heat. You and Mr Cronauer were understating things. However, I've been assured by one of our client's employees that things won't be so unseasonably cool this coming week. Yay?

F

Firvulag: You can treat that last as less of a brag than a warning. I know it's hitting 98-99 degrees right now and occasionally touching 100...but for the last several years, by this time of summer it has been hitting 104-105 nearly every day - and when it was doing that, it stayed in the nineties a lot of nights; waiting till after dark stopped helping much.   For those of us living here it only just now feels like really being summer...but once it starts doing this, unless theres a moment of rain, it can get back to that mode quite fast. Keep water with you if you go out during the day - even if you're planning to stay in the car.  Think real hard about doing that at night too.