Day 1 in Dallas and all was not quite as I’d expected from the desert state of Texas. I hadn’t seen a real cowboy and the sky was gloomy, covered in clouds and with a decent chill in the air.

After debate in the hostel about a plan for the day we settled on a trip to the Arboretum as our first port of call. The issue we’d been debating was how to get anywhere. In the few hours I’d been awake in Dallas (jet lag still playing havoc) my first impressions were of the vastness and flatness of the city. As far as the eye could see from both the plane and taxi you could see no sign of elevation within the natural or manmade landscape. Instead huge wide roads met one story buildings and stretched on and out towards the horizon. It seems the Texans built their city outwards rather than upwards. I’d barely seen a whiff of a skyscraper as tall as those in cities like NYC or London.

The Dallas Arboretum

A 20 minute Uber ride later, with one of the many friendly Texan’s I would meet, we arrived outside the gates to the Arboretum. Out Uber driver hadn’t visited himself and wasn’t even sure what it was. One of my new friends from the hostel tried to enlighten him and explain the concept. “It’s a bit like organised scenery”, said Will. I’ts not how I’d have chosen to describe an Arboretum but it did make me chuckle.

My visit was in the cooler months of January and you could say is a little off season for blooming flowers. But our friendly Texans know this so reduce entry to a mere $5 not the usual $15. Given the Uber ride I thought this kinda balanced out and beat the hour long bus journey alternative.

The travel is a necessity because the Arboretum itself is just outside the main city. It’s next to White Rock Lake — a place the locals usually describe as ‘smooth as glass’. If you visit in the warmer months you might have to verify that one for me! Even in January it’s a picturesque spot, and one I thought would be perfect for a nice long run!

From Acres to English Gardens

The whole place is 66 acres but only takes about 15 minutes to walk from one end to the other along the main path. Instead we explored, abandoning the map and throwing caution to the wind. We let our feet lead the way and wound through the smaller paths and neat gardens.

The start felt oddly like an old fashioned English garden. There were neat rows of vegetables growing in uniform and tidy patches. There was cabbage, pak choi and some unique varieties of kale that I was very much not aware existed. Deeper into the arboretum we found it was pretty much only pansies in bloom. What we could enjoy, despite the lack of variety, was the smell and the tranquility of the fresh outdoors. It was also a good chance for a spot of socialising with the group. With nothing but flowers and a never-ending stream of Japanese maple trees in view, conversation wandered just as our movement through the blossom.

Among the trees and the plants we spotted a few local squirrels. Their behaviour caught our attention. They appeared to have marked their territory, each one confined to about a metre square block. Each time they approached the edge of their space they’d dart away as if determined not to encroach on the neighbouring squirrels space. It was kind of amusing when you looked at them all, one after the other. Regardless of their personal space issues with other squirrels they were not afraid of human beings. They were quite happy to let us get close and snap a few pictures before squirrelling (sorry!) away back into the bushes.

Free Tastings

After having some fun watching the squirrels as they gorged themselves on some tasty nuts we noticed a sign saying ‘free tastings’. With the time now approaching lunch it was an obvious new direction. After tracking down the tasting area it turned out to be a full on cooking demonstration. The demographic was a little more silver haired than our travelling group. We snuck in the back half way through the hour long demo, and watched a little of the soup extravaganza unveiling before us. It was just like something out of a TV cookery show:

• All the ingredients prepped in neat portions in glass bowls
• The host talking excitedly through every step
• The extra tips

“Now don’t forget to use full fat cream, we don’t want any of this skinny stuff.”

We took a sample of the previous soup she’d made, the demo we’d missed. It was a cucumber soup, cold by now. It was refreshing but quite sour and made much better I thought with the addition of a few toasted almonds on top. Neither of the boys were keen at all, turning their noses up with no care for subtlety. We didn’t stay long enough to see the grand finale of salmon soup and instead moved on to the next part of our day.

Dallas Downtown

Another Uber ride later and we found ourselves in Dallas downtown looking for a spot of lunch. Getting out at the infamous Dealey Plaza and grassy knoll — known as the spot of JFK’s assassination back in the 60s. If it weren’t for the people photographing every inch of the road it would have looked insignificant. It could have been any other road in the USA. But once the crowds subsided I noticed that X literally marks the spot. The spot where J F Kennedy was shot and killed transformed this patch of road into something far more sinister. This was the location of one of the greatest shocks the US has ever experienced.

Our quest for lunch took us past the Sixth Floor Museum — the building from which it’s believed the shooter sent those fatal shots. The museum walks you through the events of that fatal day alongside the life and legacy of the man himself. But first…

Liquid Lunch

The charming area of old downtown is home to loads of restaurants. You’re simply spoilt for choice so it’s easy to pick something you fancy or that suits a group. We chose 3 Eleven — a restaurant with a mix of food at a decent price point.

Taking our seats, we ordered some drinks and waited the final member of our group to arrive. Emi had recently moved to Dallas to work in the art department of a local TV show and was getting to know the city just as we tourists were. She’d be another 20–30 minutes so I set about the task of sampling the local beers. Taking a recommendation from the waiter I ended up with a bottle of Texan ‘Blood and Honey’ (from Revolver Brewing’s). It’s a delicious blend of orange and honey that slipped down far too easily for a lunchtime drink. It wasn’t long before we moved onto round two and felt the need to order in some appetisers before Emi arrived to three drunk semi-strangers.

We staved off the alcohol in time for her arrival and I was ready to try beef bacon for the first time. It doesn’t taste that different to proper bacon but I guess it wasn’t as salty. It seemed as if something was missing but I couldn’t quite put my finger on quite what. But local food and local beer is always a must when you only have one day to explore.

Having now consumed:

• Two appetisers (shared),
• a beef bacon and avocado sandwich,
• a plate piled high with sweet potato fries and,
• two strong local beers.

A rest was needed before visiting the sober JFK museum.

Pioneer Plaza — a square of roaming bulls

About a 10 minute walk away is Pioneer Plaza — famous for its showpiece sculpture of 40 larger than life bulls. Claiming to be the largest bronze monument in the World this sculpture is quite a sight to behold. It’s size is part of what makes it so striking, standing proud and in contrast to busy city life in the heart of Dallas. But it’s also fun to be playful with the sculpture and observe the fluid motion of the beasts. Follow their path as they wind their way around the park in an imaginary cattle drive.

Nothing is out of bounds or alarmed, as if in an art museum. Instead you can get close, you can feel the smooth bronze and the detail of each bull. You can even scramble onto them for a photo op or rub their noses for good luck.

The Sixth Floor Museum — an exhibit about the life, and death of JFK

Feeling invigorated from the cool January air we returned to Dealey Plaza and the Sixth Floor Museum. We queued to buy our tickets and were then immediately ushered in a separate queue. The purpose was to stagger entry to the popular exhibit.

To make the queue more bearable each person received an audio guide. This was yours for the duration of your visit, to explore the exhibition in more detail. But it also kept you occupied in the queue and allowed you to learn more about the historical background.

When we finally entered the exhibit itself I understood the need for the staggered entry. I don’t think I’ve ever been to such a busy museum where you actually had to queue to look at the information on display! Sometimes it was hard work as you fought past hoards of other tourists in search of the information that corresponded to the audio guide.

The Corner Window

Despite the crowds, the museum is well worth it and wonderfully put together. There were photographs and audio versions of eye-witness accounts. We also saw firsthand the view Lee Harvey Oswald had standing at the corner window on the Sixth Floor. It was here, with rifle in hand, he took aim at the passing motorcade and its prized cargo — JFK. He rested the rifle on piles of boxes, the scene recreated with replicas to simulate life in the old book depository.

Of course, no one knows for certain what really did happen that day. In fact, the museum doesn’t shy away from this or the American people’ distrusts in the results of the investigation. It also highlights the alternative conspiracy theories into President Kennedy’s assassination. Even in present day America, surveys suggest that many people don’t believe the official story of JFKs assassination.

Standing next to the corner window and looking down over Dealey Plaza I watched a digital re-enactment. I watched as each of the three bullets were fired. The first missed. The second struck the President then continued travelling to wound Governor Connally in the front of the car. The final shot hit President JFK square in the back of the head causing irreparable damage.

Alongside the digital re-enactment there were images showing the sequence of events frame by frame. This gave a chilling and detailed account of JFK’s last moments and his poor wife’s reaction. The shock and grief was so apparent in her actions.

The Real Cowboys of Texas

The JFK exhibit is an absolute must when visiting Dallas. With only an evening left in your jam packed Texan day there are a few other things to experience. The first is to see those real life cowboys and step back into an old Western movie…

Check back to Sage Adventures in a fortnight to read on for Part 2.

Originally posted on Sage Adventures travel & wellness lifestyle blog: www.sageadventres.co.uk.