Judy Wiley - Explorers Guide West Texas: A Great Destination

A lot of people helped make this book happen. Visitors and convention centers in the cities and towns were an invaluable help and resource. Friends who live in some of the locations put me up during research trips and helped me stay current after I left. Still more friends of the editing persuasion looked chapters over in draft and final form. Others took care of my dogs while I was gone, helped me get where I needed to go, and listened to me talk endlessly about the project. Some of you didnt even have to be physically with me to cheer me on and listenyou were there on Facebook or email. My current boss and a former one were kind enough to give me time off for trips and to write over the past year and a half. Food critic and author June Naylor passed along the word that Countryman Press wanted a writer, encouraged me all along the way, and finally wrote an essay for this book. Kim Grant, my editor at Countryman for most of this process, was incredibly patient and endlessly helpful.

And then theres my family. My mother, Gwen Bonner, to whom this book is dedicated, was born in Ranger, Texas, and showed me all her life what it means to be a hardworking, determined West Texan with that inimitable, dry sense of humor they all seem to be born with. She, along with my brother and sister, read over chapters and gave me their thoughts. My daughter, Sara, put up with my distracted, slightly crazed state of mind as the deadline drew nearerand so did her wedding.

To all of you and anyone Ive left out: Thank you. I appreciate you more than you know.

If youre lucky, you might see a roadrunner at Palo Duro Canyon.

Visitors to west texas are likely to get their first taste of the state at DallasFort Worth International Airport, which lies between two cities that once were intense rivals.

Fort Worth Star-Telegram publisher Amon G. Carter drew the line in the sand back in the 1920s and 30s, when he used his newspaper to push Fort Worth into the national spotlight and decry the fact Dallas even existed. Legend has it Carter would take a sack lunch when he traveled to Dallas, so he wouldnt have to spend any money there. About the same time, the flamboyant civic booster declared Fort Worth WHERE THE WEST BEGINS.

The rivalry between the Dallas County and Tarrant County seats continued well into this century. Dallas figured it was bigger and richer, and looked down its nose at Cowtown as a hick village trying to be a city. Fort Worth viewed Dallas as a land of too much makeup, bad traffic, and a pretentious attitude.

But over the past decade or so, the edges have softened considerably. A big fence came down when the deep and intense competition between the two newspapers, The Dallas Morning News and the Star-Telegram was exchanged for cooperative agreements, as the Internet grew more accessible and readers turned away from the printed page. Today, each city agrees the other has something to offer.

Dallas is, for a fact, bigger (2.4 million compared to about 741,000) and probably richer overall. Even today, the Big D hasnt lived down the big-haired ostentatiously rich reputation that the television series Dallas helped to foster from the 1970s to 1991. After all, the shows Southfork Ranch outside town still is a tourist stop, and former President George W. Bush chose post-White-House life in tony Preston Hollow. Youll find more glitzy upscale shopping, dining, and lodging in Dallas. But Fort Worth is more walkable and easier on the wallet, harboring nationally respected museums and an increasingly interesting collection of restaurants, both upscale and moderately priced.

A tour of the Sixth Floor Museum in Dallas includes the book depository from which Lee Harvey Oswald shot President John F. Kennedy.

They remain as different as an oilman and a cowboy, in many respects. And thats what makes a trip to the DallasFort Worth area so interesting. If you crave world-renowned chefs and over-the-top shopping, spend more time in Dallas. If youre more into cowboy culture and the history of the frontier, lean in the direction of Fort Worth. Or, get the best of both worlds and spend several days in eachtheyre only 30 miles apart.

Whichever way you choose, youre bound to see something you dont get at home, whether its a Wolfgang Puck restaurant in a revolving ball atop a tower, or policemen on horseback.

Crisscrossed with freeways full of commuters and residents, Dallas is impossible to explore fully on foot. But you can drive, or take a bus or trolley to sites that you can then explore on foot.

For example, park at the Old Red Courthouse and walk to Dealey Plaza and the Sixth Street Book Depository; or, park at AT&T Performing Arts Center and walk to any of its venues plus the Dallas Museum of Art, the Nasher Sculpture Center, and the Crow Collection.

If you choose to stay downtown, the lodging prices will be considerably higher, but that also buys quick access via trolley or rail to museums and other sights. Otherwise, bring a GPS and make sure youre comfortable with big-city freeway driving.

Despite its reputation, there are plenty of moderate and inexpensive places to eat and stay in Dallas, as in any large city.

And besides, just gazing into the display windows at the Chanel boutique can be fun.

Guidance

Dallas Tourist Information Center (800-232-5527; www.visitdallas.com), 100 S. Houston Street. Open daily. The center is in the Old Red Courthouse, itself a fun site to visit with its Pegasus neon sign and countless more Dallas artifacts. Youll find Internet access, as well as a helpful staff with tons of information, and usually coupons with discounts to some popular attractions.

Media

The Dallas Morning News is the daily newspaper (www.dallasnews.com). Other sites to watch for local news and entertainmentand some provocative blogs: D Magazine (www.dmagazine.com); and the alternative weekly Dallas Observer (www.dallasobserver.com).

Medical Emergencies

There are several major hospitals and many urgent care clinics in Dallas. Dial 911 in an emergency.

The Dallas skyline from the Hotel Belmont.

This neon pegasus in the Old Red Courthouse is a part of Dallas history.

Getting There

DallasFort Worth International Airport (972-973-8888; www.dfwairport.com) in Grapevine (between Dallas and Fort Worth) is the hub for American Airlines and a stop for 16 more airlines, 10 domestic and 6 foreign. More than 155,000 passengers move through it daily, the eighth-largest number in the U.S. Built in 1974, the airport began renovations to four of the five terminals in 2011. DFW has volunteers stationed throughout the airport who will guide you to your gate, ticket counter, rental car agency, or wherever you need to go.