Dallas is a pretty cool city – it’s vibrant and warm with a small town feel. I got the opportunity recently to attend a conference there for work and got the chance to see some of its fun sites. Because we had limited time around the conference, we basically crammed in the to-see places in Dallas in what essentially amounted to a long weekend. It gave me good insight into what to see and what to skip in Dallas and some good restaurants to hit. You’ll want to hit the site of the JFK assassination, the Depository, the Giant Eyeball, and the George W. Bush Presidential Center.
You’ll hear a lot of geographical references to the site of the JFK assassination. You’ll hear “Dealy Plaza,” “the Depository,” or the “Grassy Knoll.” The actual exact site of the JFK assassination is located right in the middle of Elm Street as it curves away from Main Street right after coming out from under the railroad overpass. The site of where the actual shots hit the President are marked by two white X’s in the middle of the road.
The best place to see these X’s are by standing on the Grassy Knoll, which is a sloping hill (which is part of Dealey Plaza), that overlooks Elm Street at the site of the assassination. The knoll was to JFK’s right when he was shot. On the Grassy Knoll is Bryan Pergola, a framed archway that’s part of Dealey Plaza. What makes the Grassy Knoll famous however is the “Zapruder Film,” a silent video of JFK’s motorcade that unintentionally captured JFK’s assassination. It was shot by Abraham Zapruder while he was standing on the Grassy Knoll. You can stand in the exact spot this historical video was captured.
The Grassy Knoll is technically located in Dealey Plaza, a city park in the West End District of Dallas located at 411 Elm Street. The Plaza itself is large; it was built in 1940 and was designed to honor city residents. It was named after George Dealey, a civic leader of Dallas. It has become inextricably linked to the JFK assassination, to such a degree that people refer to the site of the JFK assassination simply as “Dealey Plaza”, which, as noted above, is not entirely correct. In reality, the plaza is much more than that; indeed, the monument honoring JFK is located a block away from Dealey Plaza.
Now comes the Depository. The JFK assassination site is often called “the Depository” in reference to the site from where Lee Harvey Oswald shot JFK. At the time, the building was the Texas School Book Depository, a warehouse that stored textbooks for Texas schools. Oswald was a temporary employee at the Texas School Book Depository and shot JFK from a window on the 6th floor.
Now, the 6th floor of the Book Depository has become a museum, called “The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza.” The other floors contain other museums, stores, and a café. According to the museum’s website, they “explore the life, assassination and legacy of JFK within the context of 1960s history and culture.” The museum winds you through JFK’s presidency, his assassination, and the aftermath. You can even stand in the exact spot that Oswald stood on the 6th floor.
From the Depository, head straight up Main Street heading East. Once you cross over North Akard Street you should see the eyeball to your right, located at 1601 Main Street. We’re really suggesting the giant eyeball because it’s so alarming and odd you can’t not stare at it. Complete with vivid blue colors and shockingly real-looking veins, the eyeball is a well-known Dallas sculpture created by artist Tony Tasset. If it wasn’t obvious, this statue wasn’t designed to be so in-your-face. The eyeball’s original home was the Joule Hotel which has an extensive art collection that, at one point, started to grow beyond their housing abilities. Thus, they set up a sculpture garden across the street. And there went the eyeball.
From the eyeball, head to the Akard DART Station (Dallas Area Rapid Transit). Get on the red line and ride it for about 11 minutes. Hop off at Mockingbird Station and catch the 768 SMU Express bus. A quick 4 minute ride will spit you out at the Binkley @ Bush stop on the corner of Binkley and Bush avenue, right outside the Presidential Center located at 2943 SMU Boulevard. Love him or hate him, the George W. Bush Presidential Center is beautifully done and is a must-see for any history fans. The center weaves you through the life of George W. Bush and his presidency including an extensive section dedicated to September 11, 2001 and its aftermath. There’s even a replica of the oval office you can stand in and get your picture taken. The walls are covered in the President’s famous quotes, there are numerous interactive areas, and sections on the different challenges and achievements of his presidency. The center also has rotating exhibits – right now through October 1, 2018 there is an exhibit honoring first ladies and their impact on history and American culture.
Sadly, Barbara Bush had passed away just a few short days prior to our visit to the center. Outside is a beautiful little fountain and people had placed loving signs, flowers, and cards.
While bumming around Dallas consider renting these awesome “Limebikes” sprinkled throughout town, with pick up and drop off locations basically everywhere. Download the app on your phone, enter your payment information and start riding! Take a ride to some of our suggested food spots.
If you were to ask my fellow travel companions, they’re going to steer you immediately towards the Pecan Lodge located at 2702 Main Street in the Deep Ellum section of Dallas. They first started as a Farmer’s Market stand and quickly grew into one of the most popular and deeply loved BBQ restaurants in Dallas. Not a day goes by where the line is not out the door at this place. They make as much as they can from scratch, fuel their BBQ pits by wood 24 hours a day, and grind and stuff their own sausage. Dallas loves them not only for their food but for their commitment to their patrons and their family roots.
Their menu is to the point – brisket, beef ribs, pork ribs, pulled pork, and sausage are your choices. You can get mac and cheese, beans, okra, collard greens, or cole slaw. You can order this in different ways, from simply a variety of half pound meats, or go all out with “The Trough,” which is 1 beef rib, 1 pound of pork ribs, 1 pound of brisket, 1/2 pound of pulled pork and 3 sausage links.
Our other recommendations would consist of the Iron Cactus on 1520 Main Street, Spice in the City located at 4438 McKinney, and Pera Turkish Kitchen located at 17479 Preston Road.
Happy Dallas travels!