24 Hours via DFW
 

Hello,

In a couple of weeks, I potentially have 24 hours in Dallas, midweek, prior to heading north to OK. Arriving around noon and the next day, need to leave the Dallas area around 1-2 PM. Connected through DFW many times, but never have I left the airport.

Any particular tourism recommendations? I'll have a car and I want to park it somewhere and leave it. Open to neighborhood and hotel recommendations. An area fairly walkable with a cigar and a good dinner (something local).

If there isn't anything to do/see, I'll just head to rural OK.

TIA!

You will be driving to OK, then? Many options around DFW, and much depends on your taste. Which region of rural OK are you headed? I ask because this could affect where you may want to go from the airport also. For example, heading toward the west side and up 287 toward Wichita Falls and toward that side of OK would naturally land you in Fort Worth. There you could enjoy a local and perhaps what you are looking for, when you mention cigar and local dinner experience. If you're leaving up I-35 toward Ardmore, you can still head to Fort Worth of course, but may want to focus on areas closer to just north of the airport--so much depends on how far you want to drive and how much you loathe traffic. And then if you need to head to eastern rural OK (Calera, Durant, etc), that means via US 75 (pray you don't need to do that!).

The difference in these can mean an hour or more in timing, especially on a weekday. Local food is probably steak or Texas BBQ. And hotels--so many! My first choice for all these, to experience local, would be Fort Worth, as it's more uniquely known as the "gateway to the West." But if you need to head to eastern OK, I would not recommend it. Follow up and we'll get you going on the right highway!

Thanks. I hadn't thought about Fort Worth. Checking the map, it looks as if I'm driving US 75N out of Texas. FW doesn't seem to be too far out of the way.

Looking forward to any other thoughts.

75N is not fun. Fort Worth is really a terrific place to visit for many reasons. People in the area are often "More Dallas" or "More Fort Worth"--with exceptions of course. FW is the Stockyards, and the whole "western" idea (Here's a decent link with an overview for that: https://www.fortworth.com/things-to-...rn-experience/ ) I should add, Fort Worth's Kimbell Museum is really great, if you like museums. Depending on what's there, sometimes they surprise me.

Dallas is a typical "big city" in many ways, which is not to say it doesn't have its own culture. The West End is lots of fun and unique. Dealy Plaza (JFK assassination) and the Sixth Floor Museum are in that area. There is plenty to do on that side of the Metroplex too.

Dallas and Fort Worth are about 40 miles apart (maybe 30, depending on how you drive). Doing both is unrealistic if you want to enjoy the visit. Which one to do depends on preference. Terrific hotels in both also. A friend recommends the Hotel Drover in FW (Marriott), but I have not been, so cannot confirm. Downtown Dallas has many nice ones, though check reviews, or ask here.

75N is also North Central Expressway, and people are stupid crazy on that road. I can tell you which windshields I have lost there, which dings have come from that highway, and if it's raining, heaven help you. Dallas and north Texas forgets what water is (anyone reading this, don't come at me. Most of my adult life was spent there. I am speaking from experience.) Based on your signature line, you know how to handle yourself in cities, so you can navigate fine. Just watch the time you leave from wherever, and while toll roads and opt ins on rentals are the worst rip offs, in this case, take them if you are having to dodge across from FW to get to 75, then you want to use the Sam Rayburn (121) toll, which is not cheap, but is probably the most helpful toll around. Unless it's been implemented in the past couple months, Dallas does not have anything like IL or FL where we can buy our own pay-in-advance, so it's the rental car option or no tolls (from what I can gather--I would love to be wrong on that because I still commute to work in the area, but my car is in the Midwest with me. I have taken to Ubering to my office and not bothering with a car rental; cost is similar.)

Finally, take whatever interests you have--history, arts and culture, theatre, etc., and see what fits you best that day/night. I'd use that to choose which to visit. Fort Worth may be the best for a different vibe, unique experience. Stockyards, steak dinner (probably in the Stockyards from a locally supplied cattle company, etc. (many of the most recommended--not all--local steakhouses are in this article. I am linking it just to give you some ideas, not because I think it is a perfect representation). Bypass the city on 121 and head to 75 that way. Get around McKinney before 1 or 2 PM if you can. There is ongoing construction in the Sherman, TX area. Depending on what they are doing this week, it can be a new level of pain. The road narrows, the semis narrow in front and behind you. Watch for those pebbles. Just take the insurance--credit card primary or whatever you use. Just in case. Every day many windshields die on 75. *May the driving gods have mercy on their glass souls*

Great response above!

- Consider the CR Smith American Airlines Museum (adjacent to WHQ’s Skyview campus). It’s just South of DFW Airport.

- Frontiers of Flight Museum at Dallas Love Field (Southwest Airlines’ equivalent of CR Smith)

- Texas State Fair (depending on dates of your visit)

- Tour of AT&T Stadium

​​​​​​- Sixth Floor Museum (JFK assignation, Downtown Dallas)

Enjoy!

Some of the best fried chicken I've ever had, hopefully a local will back me up. Locations somewhat on the way to Oklahoma.
https://babeschicken.com/

You also have Choctaw Casino in Durant, OK (just across the state line in 75N) if that's your thing. They have decent food there.. the steakhouse is good.

Just wanted to report back...

I ended up for a night in FW Stockyards at the Marriott SHS on points - a very good value and a very good property - did a report over in the Marriott forum.

I didn't end up feeling like steak, but I wish I had as I ended up at Cooper's...quite likely the most expensive dinner I've had in a long time. It was quite touristy, but there were a fair number of locals there also. Just need to watch when you buy a meal by weight!

Wandered around Stockyards, a couple of beers at Billy Bob's, and stopped at the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame; in other words, all of the tourist stuff. (And there were plenty of tourists - by the bus load.) Anyhow, I enjoyed it for 24 hours.

Up to OK, I took 35W to Denton, and over to 75 via 380. On the way back, I thought I had plenty of time and took 75 with the intention of stopping at Eisenhower's birthplace (which I did - a relative by marriage) and then on to Sixth Floor Museum, as recommended, before heading to DFW. Well, the Red River Rivalry was in town, and the Cowboys were at home. Didn't make to the museum; traffic was basically stop/go starting about in McKinney.

While I was in OK, I went to some of the American Indian sites, northwest of Durant, including lunch in Tishomingo, and ending up in Sulphur, which had a devasting tornado in spring 2024. The destruction was unbelievable.

I'll be taking the Dallas-based recommendations on a forthcoming trip in early 2025.

Thanks to everyone who gave me ideas!

Thanks so much for following up! Sounds like you definitely had as much of an immersive DFW experience as anyone could for the short time you had to do so. Billy Bobs, Stockyards, TX BBQ, even Eisenhower! I mean, you did a LOT. You seriously experienced Texas with the traffic and Red River Rivalry. Oops. Ha! And yeah, that is the reality of 75 many days. It's a nightmare sometimes, for myriad reasons. But you really seemed to do a lot for such a short period, including the Native American sites NORTH of Durant--that's quite a bit of distance, really. Yes, that tornado was a massive one.

And extra points for driving 380 between Denton and 75. My work is based from a location near 380, and some call it "The Devil's Highway." There are other names for 380. None of those names are nice.

Always appreciate when people come back with a report on what worked out. This was a lot of activity for such a short trip. Great report!

Just wanted to reiterate this post. If you have extra time in Dallas, GO TO BABE'S! God I miss this place. :p Haven't been back to the DFW since I graduated from university... definitely overdue.