Travelling to Texas
May 31, 2010 9:15 PM Subscribe
I am traveling to Tyler Texas and Dallas at the end of June. I could use ideas on things to do.
I'm going with my wife and two daughters (2 and .5) to visit her relatives. While we are in Tyler we will be able to have a night out while grandma has the kids. does anyone know of anything to do in the area. Interesting restaurants (bonus if there are vegan options), breweries, historical sites, music, general cool stuff would be appreciated. Ditto in the Dallas area, but I think that might be easier.
I'm going with my wife and two daughters (2 and .5) to visit her relatives. While we are in Tyler we will be able to have a night out while grandma has the kids. does anyone know of anything to do in the area. Interesting restaurants (bonus if there are vegan options), breweries, historical sites, music, general cool stuff would be appreciated. Ditto in the Dallas area, but I think that might be easier.
I lived in Tyler for 4 years, and I honestly can't think of much to do there. There's a normal variety of restaurants, you should find a good barbecue place. I'm sure there must be a vegan place somewhere, but I never came across any myself.
A driving/walking trip around Van and Mineola would be intersting. Lots of old stuff, and a great country feeling. I believe there's a Dollar Cinema somewhere near there, too.
And I don't know where you're from, maybe you've already had it, but Marble Slab Icecream is fantastic! It's in the main mall area downtown Tyler.
posted by hasna at 11:37 PM on May 31, 2010
A driving/walking trip around Van and Mineola would be intersting. Lots of old stuff, and a great country feeling. I believe there's a Dollar Cinema somewhere near there, too.
And I don't know where you're from, maybe you've already had it, but Marble Slab Icecream is fantastic! It's in the main mall area downtown Tyler.
posted by hasna at 11:37 PM on May 31, 2010
Never been out to Tyler, but DFW has two Spiral Diner locations, one in Fort Worth, one in Dallas. It's a great vegan restaurant that this omnivore goes to regularly (the FW location).
In Fort Worth there's also the Rahr Brewery. I'm not big on beer but my beer loving friends here swear by it. They're still recovering from their roof collapsing a few months ago from snow, but maybe they'll be open for tours again by the time y'all are here.
The Cultural District in Fort Worth has several great museums, the top ones being the Kimbell Art Museum, the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, and the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History. The Zoo and Botanical Gardens are supposed to be great as well, but I haven't had a chance to check them out yet.
The Fort Worth Water Gardens is worth checking out at least once, especially if you can catch it at night.
As you can tell, I mostly know stuff about Fort Worth. I work in Dallas but I rarely hang out there. I would imagine the Dallas Museum of Art should be decent.
posted by kmz at 1:11 AM on June 1, 2010
In Fort Worth there's also the Rahr Brewery. I'm not big on beer but my beer loving friends here swear by it. They're still recovering from their roof collapsing a few months ago from snow, but maybe they'll be open for tours again by the time y'all are here.
The Cultural District in Fort Worth has several great museums, the top ones being the Kimbell Art Museum, the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, and the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History. The Zoo and Botanical Gardens are supposed to be great as well, but I haven't had a chance to check them out yet.
The Fort Worth Water Gardens is worth checking out at least once, especially if you can catch it at night.
As you can tell, I mostly know stuff about Fort Worth. I work in Dallas but I rarely hang out there. I would imagine the Dallas Museum of Art should be decent.
posted by kmz at 1:11 AM on June 1, 2010
Nthing Fort Worth Zoo. Also awesome - Dallas World Aquarium. Historical - how about Dealey Plaza/6th floor museum (depending on which hours you will be out here)?
posted by getawaysticks at 5:19 AM on June 1, 2010
posted by getawaysticks at 5:19 AM on June 1, 2010
I have fond memories of wandering around the Tyler rose garden for hours. It is exactly what it says on the tin, an enormous rose garden, but it's summer so it'll probably be ridiculously full of gorgeous flowers in a bazillion colors and types. You could do worse than pretty flowers!
posted by sldownard at 6:49 AM on June 1, 2010
posted by sldownard at 6:49 AM on June 1, 2010
My in-laws are in Dallas so I get up there semi-regularly. The Dallas Museum of Art is OK but I really like the Nasher Sculpture Center. There's also an Asian art museum in the same area as the Nasher, but I haven't been yet and can't give the thumbs-up or thumbs-down.
If you're interested in architecture, I'm told Northpark Mall is a reasonably big deal. The art in it is interesting and it's definitely nicer as an artistic venue than most indoor malls, but it's still a mall.
posted by immlass at 7:00 AM on June 1, 2010
If you're interested in architecture, I'm told Northpark Mall is a reasonably big deal. The art in it is interesting and it's definitely nicer as an artistic venue than most indoor malls, but it's still a mall.
posted by immlass at 7:00 AM on June 1, 2010
Hi, Zito -- I wanted to suggest a spiffy vegan option for you as long as you're in the area -- Suma Veggie Cafe... I am NOT a vegan, and I have eaten there and LOVED it, it's amazing food!
As KMZ noted, there are lots of great things in Forth Worth as well, and I have been to the Forth Worth Zoo and can attest to its excellence. There is also the Fort Worth Stockyards.
Also, I don't know where you are coming down to visit from, but if you've never been to one, you ought to hit a Taco Cabana! If not for the food, then for the fact that they serve beer and margaritas! :D :D
If you like shopping and whatever, the Grapevine Mills Mall is worth a lap or two.
And speaking of laps, you could also get a tour of Texas Motor Speedway if you are into NASCAR or anything.
In downtown Dallas, not far from Dealey Plaza and the memorial and stuff, you'll see the giant ball-looking Reunion Tower... I was going to tell you the view is nice from up there, but in looking at the website, it looks like the old cheeseball restaurant has been replaced by a fancy-schmancy Wolfgang Puck restaurant and the observation deck is currently closed, so I don't know if you'll feel like to paying that much for a meal with a view...
Have fun!
posted by Jinkeez at 7:14 AM on June 1, 2010
As KMZ noted, there are lots of great things in Forth Worth as well, and I have been to the Forth Worth Zoo and can attest to its excellence. There is also the Fort Worth Stockyards.
Also, I don't know where you are coming down to visit from, but if you've never been to one, you ought to hit a Taco Cabana! If not for the food, then for the fact that they serve beer and margaritas! :D :D
If you like shopping and whatever, the Grapevine Mills Mall is worth a lap or two.
And speaking of laps, you could also get a tour of Texas Motor Speedway if you are into NASCAR or anything.
In downtown Dallas, not far from Dealey Plaza and the memorial and stuff, you'll see the giant ball-looking Reunion Tower... I was going to tell you the view is nice from up there, but in looking at the website, it looks like the old cheeseball restaurant has been replaced by a fancy-schmancy Wolfgang Puck restaurant and the observation deck is currently closed, so I don't know if you'll feel like to paying that much for a meal with a view...
Have fun!
posted by Jinkeez at 7:14 AM on June 1, 2010
My kids used to love the zoo in Tyler. It's been several years, so I don't know what it's like lately. It used to be free (maybe that's why we loved it) but it looks like $5 now.
The other thing we've done in Tyler is Pick Your Own Fruit: the blueberries and peaches should be just at the right time. Here's a list; look for Smith County.
And the other thing was Tyler State Park. They have some nice trails for hiking, and boat rentals on the lake.
All of these suggestions should be done in the morning hours (it is HOT), so if your overnight trip meant that you would be staying in Tyler until after lunch the next day, then these would be good ideas for that morning.
Things to do for adults in the evening: no idea. We didn't have that luxury when we visited. Here's a generic website with tourist stuff on it, if that helps.
posted by CathyG at 7:20 AM on June 1, 2010
The other thing we've done in Tyler is Pick Your Own Fruit: the blueberries and peaches should be just at the right time. Here's a list; look for Smith County.
And the other thing was Tyler State Park. They have some nice trails for hiking, and boat rentals on the lake.
All of these suggestions should be done in the morning hours (it is HOT), so if your overnight trip meant that you would be staying in Tyler until after lunch the next day, then these would be good ideas for that morning.
Things to do for adults in the evening: no idea. We didn't have that luxury when we visited. Here's a generic website with tourist stuff on it, if that helps.
posted by CathyG at 7:20 AM on June 1, 2010
Dallas is actually really great for vegans, to my surprise and delight.
- The Spiral Diner is great (though people tend to recommend the Ft. Worth location over the Dallas one, but we've had fine experiences at both) -- all their food is exclusively vegan.
- Roti Grill does lovely Indian food and they don't use ghee or any other dairy products in their prep, we like this place for dinner
- Cosmic Cafe is all vegetarian and everything can be made vegan, including their mango lassi...mmm. It's a great experience to go there because everything is painted in bright colors with fun Indian designs. Definitely sit outside on their bright blue, yellow and orange porch in the evening.
- New Start Veggie Garden is an all-vegan Korean all-you-can-eat $7 buffet. Pretty low-key, and a bit of a drive depending on where you are -- but vegan! and cheap!
- Bliss Raw Cafe is expensive but worth it. As you might imagine from the name, all their food is raw and also delicious. The 'raw-sagne' is really good and their various taco offerings are neat too (the shells are made from dehydrating the dough!) and their 'elixers' are like tasty little smoothie shots.
- Kalachandji's is another inexpensive buffet option, and probably much closer to where you'll actually be. Run by the local Hare Krishna. Check their online menu to see when they're offering vegan desserts (as opposed to vegetarian).
If you need to shop for vegan food to prep yourself, there's several Whole Foods and Central Market locations, and our local grocery store Newflower has tons of stuff too. (Though of course regular Tom Thumb stores have lots of things too.) Whole Foods has the best vegan deli options -- specifically their new flagship store along 75, but their Lakewood location is good too.
There are also three Mexican/burrito places I can think of where you can each cheap and vegan. The two chains are Chipotle and Freebird's, though the latter is a state chain, and the cool little place to go is The Taco Joint -- it's the most 'Austin' place to eat that I've encountered in Dallas, and it's really good. It has super-limited hours though so you have to be there at the right time.
For Dallas sights, most of the good stuff has been mentioned already, but there's enough here to occupy you for several days. Definitely check out Dealy Plaza, the Arboretum, the Nasher, the Fort Worth Stockyards, and the Dallas World Aquarium.
There are lots of music venues, like the Granada and House of Blues. There are several indie art cinemas too (Magnolia, Angelika, Inwood). And there are some hip little areas -- Uptown, lower Greenville, Deep Ellum (sometimes), Bishop Arts district. Check guidelive.com to see what's on.
And feel free to ping me for more advice or tips!
posted by lhall at 11:13 AM on June 1, 2010
- The Spiral Diner is great (though people tend to recommend the Ft. Worth location over the Dallas one, but we've had fine experiences at both) -- all their food is exclusively vegan.
- Roti Grill does lovely Indian food and they don't use ghee or any other dairy products in their prep, we like this place for dinner
- Cosmic Cafe is all vegetarian and everything can be made vegan, including their mango lassi...mmm. It's a great experience to go there because everything is painted in bright colors with fun Indian designs. Definitely sit outside on their bright blue, yellow and orange porch in the evening.
- New Start Veggie Garden is an all-vegan Korean all-you-can-eat $7 buffet. Pretty low-key, and a bit of a drive depending on where you are -- but vegan! and cheap!
- Bliss Raw Cafe is expensive but worth it. As you might imagine from the name, all their food is raw and also delicious. The 'raw-sagne' is really good and their various taco offerings are neat too (the shells are made from dehydrating the dough!) and their 'elixers' are like tasty little smoothie shots.
- Kalachandji's is another inexpensive buffet option, and probably much closer to where you'll actually be. Run by the local Hare Krishna. Check their online menu to see when they're offering vegan desserts (as opposed to vegetarian).
If you need to shop for vegan food to prep yourself, there's several Whole Foods and Central Market locations, and our local grocery store Newflower has tons of stuff too. (Though of course regular Tom Thumb stores have lots of things too.) Whole Foods has the best vegan deli options -- specifically their new flagship store along 75, but their Lakewood location is good too.
There are also three Mexican/burrito places I can think of where you can each cheap and vegan. The two chains are Chipotle and Freebird's, though the latter is a state chain, and the cool little place to go is The Taco Joint -- it's the most 'Austin' place to eat that I've encountered in Dallas, and it's really good. It has super-limited hours though so you have to be there at the right time.
For Dallas sights, most of the good stuff has been mentioned already, but there's enough here to occupy you for several days. Definitely check out Dealy Plaza, the Arboretum, the Nasher, the Fort Worth Stockyards, and the Dallas World Aquarium.
There are lots of music venues, like the Granada and House of Blues. There are several indie art cinemas too (Magnolia, Angelika, Inwood). And there are some hip little areas -- Uptown, lower Greenville, Deep Ellum (sometimes), Bishop Arts district. Check guidelive.com to see what's on.
And feel free to ping me for more advice or tips!
posted by lhall at 11:13 AM on June 1, 2010
There's not much to do in Tyler ... will second the rose garden and point out the adjacent Tyler Rose Museum - it's pretty small, mostly of local interest, and costs a few bucks, but it features some of the very, VERY fancy dresses from past Rose Festivals that might interest your daughters if they are into princessy stuff. The Caldwell Zoo there isn't bad, but you're better off spending a few bucks more and going to the zoo in Fort Worth or Dallas - the latter just opened a big new exhibit this past weekend. There is also a small kids' science museum in downtown Tyler, the Discovery Science Place.
For nighttime stuff ... all I can think of is that the Cowan Center at UT Tyler hosts performances and concerts, but their site right now is devoted to getting membership and doesn't show any upcoming events.
Regarding Dallas taco places - Good 2 Go Taco (located at the Green Spot gas station) is excellent but only open till 3 p.m. Taco options vary by the day and always include at least one veggie taco.
The brand-new flagship Whole Foods is in the Park Lane complex across I-75 (Central Expressway) from NorthPark Center, which really is kind of fun to just walk around.
posted by Ponsonby Britt at 4:31 PM on June 1, 2010
For nighttime stuff ... all I can think of is that the Cowan Center at UT Tyler hosts performances and concerts, but their site right now is devoted to getting membership and doesn't show any upcoming events.
Regarding Dallas taco places - Good 2 Go Taco (located at the Green Spot gas station) is excellent but only open till 3 p.m. Taco options vary by the day and always include at least one veggie taco.
The brand-new flagship Whole Foods is in the Park Lane complex across I-75 (Central Expressway) from NorthPark Center, which really is kind of fun to just walk around.
posted by Ponsonby Britt at 4:31 PM on June 1, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
Vegan options: good luck.
posted by eugenen at 9:44 PM on May 31, 2010