Excellent Adventures: Dallas Day Trips and Outings! (by Hannah S.)

When we lived in DC, I created a list of excellent adventures around the DC Metro area for a Stake Relief Society event. That list became my Bible for day trips and outings with my kids. When we moved here, I decided to do my homework and come up with a similar list, which I've copied for y'all below. Although we've been to several, we've not been to all of the places listed below, but I've read great things about them either in Parents' magazines or online. Some are very close to home, others are further away and warrant a full day or weekend trip. Let me know if you go to any of these places and what you think! Happy adventuring!

Aquariums
Dallas Aquarium at Fair Park (under renovation): http://www.dallaszoo.com/aquarium/aquarium.htm
Dallas World Aquarium (West End): http://www.dwazoo.com/d/

Farmer's Markets
Coppell Farmer’s Market: http://www.coppellcommunitygarden.org/coppell_farmers_market.php
Dallas Farmer’s Market: http://www.dallasfarmersmarket.com/
Frisco Farmer’s Market: http://www.friscofarmersmarket.org/
Grapevine Farmer’s Market: https://www.grapevinetexasusa.com/ThingsToDo/GrapevineMarket/tabid/FestivalsAndEvents/GrapevineMarket/tabid/392/Default.aspx

Farms and Orchards
Gnismer Farms (Arlington): http://www.gnismer.com/
Henrietta Creek Orchard (Roanoke): http://www.henriettacreekorchard.com/
Nash Farm (Grapevine): https://www.grapevinetexasusa.com/Heritage/NashFarm/tabid/522/Default.aspx

Gardens
Dallas Arboretum: http://www.dallasarboretum.org/
Discovery Gardens at Fair Park: http://www.texasdiscoverygardens.org/upcoming_events.shtml#Guided%20Garden%20Walks
FW Botanic Garden: http://www.fwbg.org/
Garden Conservancy (look up Dallas): http://gardenconservancy.org/

Horse Parks
Agape Farms (Sanger): http://www.agapefarms.com/
Frisco Horse Park: http://www.friscohorsepark.org/Home_Page.php
Horse Country Tours (Denton): http://www.horsecountrytours.com/
Monastery Mini Horses (Brenham): http://monasteryminiaturehorses.com/

Historical Sites
Dallas Heritage Village: http://dallasheritagevillage.org/
Heritage Farmstead Museum (Plano): http://www.heritagefarmstead.org/
Perry Homestead Museum (Carrollton): http://www.cityofcarrollton.com/index.aspx?page=321

Indoor Activity Centers
Boomerangs (Flower Mound and Plano): http://www.boomerangspartyandplay.com/locations
BounceU (Carrollton and Plano): http://http://www.bounceu.com/
Chuck E Cheese (Plano, Lewisville, Grapevine): http://www.chuckecheese.com/
Factory Tours: http://factorytoursusa.com/StateList.asp?state=TX
Galleria Third Floor Soft Play Area: http://www.galleriadallas.com/#cnt_skating
Ikea Smaland: http://www.ikea.com/us/en/store/frisco
Nicklemania: http://www.nickelmania.com/index.html
Paradise Pond: http://www.fbcgrapevine.com/groups/children/paradise-pond/
Planet Pizza Plano: http://www.planetpizzaplano.com/
Pump It Up: http://www.pumpitupparty.com/
Shops at Willow Bend in Plano Soft Play Area: http://www.shopwillowbend.com/infodesk/customerServices.html
The Tubes at Irving Bible Church, 2435 Kinwest Pkwy, Irving http://www.irvingbible.org/index.php?id=1516

Lakes
Burgers Lake (FW): http://www.burgerslake.com/
Grapevine
Ray Hubbard
Lewisville
Rockwall
White Rock

Libraries
Coppell Library: http://www.ci.coppell.tx.us/
Dallas Library: http://www.dallaslibrary.org/
Launa’s Little Library (Dallas): 9549 Spring Branch Dr.

Misc.
Blue Bell Creamery Tour (Brenham): http://www.bluebell.com/the_little_creamery/visiting_blue_bell
DFW Airport Observation at Founder’s Plaza: http://www.dfwairport.com/visitor/index.php?ctnid=28578
Fire Department (Coppell): Station #123, 133 Parkway Blvd.
FW Stock Show and Rodeo: http://www.fwstockshowrodeo.com/
FW Stockyards Station: http://www.stockyardsstation.com/
Fountain Place (Dallas): 1445 Ross Avenue at Field Street, 214-855-7766
Katy Trail (Dallas): http://www.katytraildallas.org/
Medieval Times (Dallas): http://www.medievaltimes.com/
Mustangs Sculptures (Las Colinas): http://www.mustangsoflascolinas.com/
Pioneer Plaza Cattle Drive Statues (Dallas): Young & Griffin Streets
Planetarium at UT Arlington: http://www.uta.edu/planetarium/
Reunion Tower (Dallas): http://dallas.about.com/od/landmarks/p/ReunionTower.htm
Sandy Lake Amusement Park: http://www.sandylake.com/
SeaWorld (San Antonio): www.seaworld.com/sanantonio
Six Flags (Arlington): http://www.sixflags.com/
Strikz Bowling (Frisco): http://www.strikz.com/
Thanks-Giving Square (Dallas): Pacific, Bryan and Ervay Streets, 214-969-1977

Museums
American Airlines Museum (FW): http://www.crsmithmuseum.org/home.htm
Cowgirl Hall of Fame (FW): http://www.cowgirl.net/generalinfo.asp
Crow Collection of Asian Art (Dallas): http://www.crowcollection.org/
Dallas Arts District: http://www.artsdistrict.org/
Dallas Museum of Nature and Science: http://www.natureandscience.org/
FW Museum of Science: http://www.fortworthmuseum.org/home/index.html
Frontiers of Flight (Dallas): http://flightmuseum.com/
Meadows Museum at SMU: http://smu.edu/meadows/museum/family.htm
Nasher Sculpture Center (Dallas): http://nashersculpturecenter.org/
Old Red Museum (Dallas): http://www.oldred.org/
Printing and Engraving Museum (FW): http://www.moneyfactory.gov/locations/section.cfm/25/493
Trammell Crow Center Sculpture Garden (Dallas): http://www.trammellcrowcenter.com/pages/factsheet.asp?propid=89

Nature Centers
Arbor Hills Nature Preserve (Plano): http://www.plano.gov/Departments/parksandrecreation/Parks/Pages/arbor_hills.aspx
Cedar Ridge Preserve (Dallas): http://audubondallas.org/cedarridge.html
Dogwood Canyon Audubon Center (Cedar Hills): http://www.tx.audubon.org/Dogwood.html
Elm Fork Nature Preserve (Carrollton): http://www.pegasusnews.com/places/elm-fork-nature-preserve/
FW Nature Center and Refuge: http://www.nhnct.org/
Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge: http://dfwandbeyond.com/tours/wildlife/destinations/hagerman-national-wildlife-refuge
Heard Museum (McKinney): http://www.heardmuseum.org/
Lewisville Lake Environmental Learning Area: http://www.ias.unt.edu/llela/main.htm
Oak Point Park and Nature Preserve (Plano): http://www.plano.gov/Departments/parksandrecreation/Parks/OakPoint/Pages/default.aspx
River Legacy Science Center and Park (Arlington): http://www.riverlegacy.org/rss2html.php
Shoreline Trail (The Colony): http://www.ci.the-colony.tx.us/Depts/PARD/Documents/2009TrailFlyer.pdf
Trinity River Audubon (Dallas): http://www.trinityriveraudubon.org/

Parks and Playgrounds
Blast Off Park: 711 W. Arapaho Rd., Richardson
Fantasy Landing: Kiest Park in Oak Cliff, 214-939-2746
White Rock Creek Park

Railroads, Trains, & Trolleys
Forest Park Miniature Railroad (just outside FW Zoo): http://www.fpmt.us/
Grapevine Vintage Railroad: http://www.grapevinesteamrailroad.com/index.asp
McKinney Avenue Trolley: http://www.mata.org/
Model Train Exhibit in Children’s Medical Center: 1935 Motor Street, 214-640-2000
Museum of the American Railroad: http://dallasrailwaymuseum.com/
Trinity Railway Express: http://www.trinityrailwayexpress.org/

Shopping Centers
Allen Premium Outlets
Galleria
Grapevine Mills
Highland Park Village
Irving Mall
NorthPark Center
Stonebriar Center
Southlake Town Square
Town East Mall
Valley View Center
Vista Ridge Mall

Skating
Galleria Ice Rink: http://www.galleriadallas.com/#cnt_skating
Polar Ice House (Grapevine): http://www.polaricehousegrapevine.com/
Stonebriar Ice Rink: http://www.shopstonebriar.com/
Thunderbird Skate Center: http://www.thunderbirdskatecenter.com/index.php

Spraygrounds & Water Parks
Allen Celebration Park: http://www.cityofallen.org/departments/parks_recreation/visiting_allen/celebrationpark.html
Bahama Beach (Dallas): http://www.bahamabeachdallas.com/
NRH20 (North Richland Hills): http://www.nrh2o.com/
Ridgewood Park: http://www.ridgewoodpark.org/
Splash Factory: http://www.grandfungp.com/aquatics/splashfactory.htm

Theater & Puppet Shows
Dallas Children’s Theater: http://www.dct.org/
Dallas Theater Center: http://www.dallastheatercenter.org/
Irving Arts Center: http://www.irvingartscenter.com/
Slappy’s Puppet Playhouse (Galleria Level 3): http://www.slappysplayhouse.com/

Toy Stores
Whole Earth Provision: http://www.wholeearthprovision.com/

Zoos & Petting Zoos
Caldwell Zoo (Tyler): http://dfwandbeyond.com/tours/wildlife/destinations/caldwell-zoo
Dallas Zoo: http://www.dallas-zoo.com/
Dinosaur Valley State Park (Glen Rose): http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/findadest/parks/dinosaur_valley/
FW Zoo: http://www.fortworthzoo.com/
Fossil Rim Wildlife Center (Glen Rose): http://www.fossilrim.org/
Frank Buck Zoo (Gainesville): http://www.frankbuckzoo.com/
Fritz Park Petting Farm (Irving): http://www.cityofirving.org/parks-and-recreation/facilities/fritz-park-petting-farm.html
Green Meadows Petting Farm (Grand Prairie): http://www.greenmeadowsevents.com/gm/grand_prairie.htm
Grisham Farms Petting Zoo (McKinney, by appt only): http://www.grishamfarms.org/index.html
Owens Spring Creek Farm (Dallas): http://www.owensinc.com/ourfarms/springcreekfarm/default.aspx
Sharkarosa Wildlife Ranch (Pilot Point): http://www.sharkarosa.com/index.htm
Texas Fresh Water Fisheries (Athens): http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/visitorcenters/tffc/
Tiger Creek Wildlife Refuge (Tyler): http://tigercreek.org/

Get Ready to Shop! (by Hannah S.)

Ready, set, shop! Sales-tax-free weekend starts tomorrow! In addition to clothes, footwear and some backpacks, Texas shoppers also get a sales tax break on most school supplies priced under $100 purchased for use by a student in an elementary or secondary school. Read more here. Happy shopping!

"Pick Your Own" Farms (by Hannah S.)

This summer, my kids and I had a wonderful time picking blackberries with a few friends at a "pick-your-own" farm in Arlington. Gnismer Farms has strawberries, blackberries, asparagus, tomatoes, and more depending upon the season. The next pick-your-own crop is pumpkins in October! Other local "pick-your-own" farms are listed at this helpful online website. Happy picking!

If anyone knows of a place to go applepicking around here, please let me know in the comments section. When we lived on the East Coast, we picked apples in the fall at a quaint little family-owned farm at the base of the Blue Ridge Mountains, and I'd love to continue the apple-picking tradition here in Texas, if possible!

Summer heat+storage in attic and garage

The following email was sent around earlier this year by Hannah and I wanted to archive it here for easy reference and any future inquiries + advice.

"We're preparing our garage and attic for our first summer here in Texas and would like some info on what melts, smells, combusts, or otherwise deconstructs in the summer heat when stored in the garage or attic. If you have any experience you'd like to share, we'd appreciate it. We've already heard no candles or food storage in the garage. Thanks in advance!"

"I shove just about everything in my attic except candles, wood furniture (warp), photos, dvds, or journals. The elastic on children's clothes can break down and the heat seems to multiply and darken stains. Sometimes decor with glued on items will come unglued.

My theory is: if it melts, it melts. You DO NOT want to have to go up there for the next 4 months!

Good luck!"

-Emily L.

"We had Radiant Barrier Specialists <http://www.stophighenergybills.com> spray on a radiant barrier in our attic last August. The barrier is like a thick silver paint that never completely dries (we wanted the foil type barrier instead but the pitch of our roof wouldn't allow the crew to attach it). The spray was cheaper, so we didn't mind too much (both are quite expensive). RBS was having a deal where you got free insulation with the radiant barrier (looks like it's still going on), so we did that, as well as had our garage door insulated and an extra attic turbine (whirlybird) installed on our roof. Not sure if any of those qualify for the energy tax rebates this year, but they might.

RBS was really great to work with and we'd do business with them again in a heartbeat. The attic is definitely cooler than it was before (so is the garage). We're still waiting to see if our energy bill is noticeably lower this summer (hard to tell since our rates went up quite a bit since last year)." -Kaite W.

"Thanks everyone for your responses! Here's what I've been told by the Texas experts (in addition to what Emily already wrote):

--glue in children's shoes breaks down in attic heat

--otherwise "clean" children's clothes stored in attic may turn up with stains after summer of heat, so soak in BIZ for a day and wash twice for good as new clothes at end of summer

--do not put paint, chemicals in attic, but in the garage should be fine

--you're not supposed to store gas in the garage (even in your lawn mower), but a life-long Texan says she's done it all her life with no problems

--no food storage in garage or attic

--no video/cassette tapes, computer disks, etc.

Any more suggestions welcome. Thanks again!" -Hannah

Banks

Banks. Marylynn suggested that I add a bank category. We have two bank accounts here, but we area always opening new accounts with whatever bank will give us $100 (we seem to get a new mailer about promotions like this all the time). I am trying to remember the names of our local banks...Bank of Texas...Charity is a teller there and we are friends and one time I gave her some sushi from Costco to try because she had never tried sushi before. She is really nice and my kids really look forward to the suckers there. However, we do most of our banking with an out-of-state bank and so one thing we don't like about this bank is how slow the transfers are. Too slow.

I think our other Bank here is Capital One? Like I said, we do most of our banking out of state per my husband's preference. Whatever.

So, since I am not much help in this area, please comment with your bank recommendations!

Mortgage Broker

Need a mortgage broker? Joe Ford is your man. Such great rates that we re-closed on our house a month after closing on it the first time because it was so worth it. If you want lots of nitty gritty details like what rate we got, etc... I don't know/remember I just know that my husband who knows everything about this sort of thing knows all that and is convinced that this man is the way to go. At least three of our friends have also gone through Joe. Joe is the way to go.

Joe Ford

972-691-4045 direct

214-529-8602 cell
214-635-5933 e- fax
joef@networkfundingusa.com

Realtor

Bo Rhodes was our Realtor and he was awesome. Never never did we feel pressured in any way and he spent so much time with us. As a former builder and contractor he is especially suited to help with looking at the structural aspects of a home. The only drawback I would say is that this real estate team does not have a huge presence in Coppell and they may try to convince you to move to Flower Mound:)

Check out their customer appreciation program! Have you ever seen anything like this? Free use of moving trucks, Margarita Machine, popcorn machine, chocolate fountain, Snokone machine...holy cow...I didn't even know about these new perks for past and current clients until just now when I was looking up the truck link...well, it looks like we need to have a party!

They were very very professional and they also offer a comprehensive binder full of information about the entire metro area that is especially helpful to those moving in from out of the area. The binder is free of charge for anyone.

When we eventually found the home that we ended up buying it was for sale by owner and I had heard about it from a friend. Bo told us immediately that we had no obligation to pay him anything because we had found it on our own. Despite this, we felt like it would be very unfair to not pay him after the hours and hours of time he had spent with us so we worked out a deal where we payed him a smaller percentage and over time. They have connections with all the best inspectors as well so our closing process was smoother than had we done it on our own. I highly recommend them. They have a great website loaded with great info about buying, selling and whatever! http://www.rhodesteam.com/

On a different note, my husband loves talking real estate, so if you are a first time home buyer and want someone to talk to, feel free to contact my husband...he is an attorney and has a CPA and his hobby is real estate real estate real estate and we currently own three homes so he is also a good one to talk to about renting out your investment properties.



Pictured above: Bo, our guy; his son Russell who is also very nice, knowledgeable and professional; Bo's wife Verna

Feel free to post a comment with additional Realtor recommendations.

Insurance

We use Joe Coker for our auto and home insurance. He is AWESOME and has great prices, and believe me, we shopped around!

Joe Coker Texas Farm Bureau
Auto, Home, and Life Insurance Agent
Phone: (817) 329-2120
Fax: (817) 251-8359
jcoker@txfb-ins.com

Pediatric Dentist

We go here: http://www.debraduffydds.com/ It is like going to Disneyland. I was super duper impressed!

Dentist

We go here: http://www.gksolomondds.com/ We have spent LOTS and lots of money there, unfortunately. Whatever you do, DO NOT GO TO "Six Day Dental" Please leave a comment with your dentist feedback!

Eye Doctor

I go to: Las Colinas Vision Center, 4030 N Mac Arthur #208, Irving, TX 75038, Phone: 972-717-4040, Fax: 972-650-1796 http://www.lascolinasvision.com (great with kids!) Please leave a comment with your eye doc recommendations:)

Therapist

I have heard good things about this therapist: Cyndi Y. Peters, MS, LPC, LMFT, 702 S. Denton Tap Road, Ste. 140, Coppell, TX 75019, Office: 972-978-3346, www.cyndipeters.com Please put additional recommendations in the comment section!

Family Doctor

Please post your recommendations in the comment section:)

Pest Control

I use: Coby Cahoon, PROZ Pest Control, LLC, 972-241-7800, cell: 972-636-5654 Please leave a comment about your pest control recommendations!

OBGYN

I go to:

Dr. Shelley Ramos
972-401-3200

Please leave a comment about your OB!

{photo courtesy of Whitni:) Babies courtesy of Cherise:)}

Pediatrician

I go to: Dr. George Mcanelly

652 East Sandy Lake Road
Coppell, TX 75019
972-304-9240



Please leave a comment about your pediatrician!

Gate Guy

I feel very lucky that Julie Y. took me under her wing even before we moved here and gave me tons of great information about doctors, dentists, and even her gate guy...we are still pushing ours open and closed since it does not have a motor...no biggie, but we have talked to Diego on the phone and I was really impressed and his prices and quality were MUCH better than the competition.

Diego, gate guy, is (214)325-4954. He's GREAT and very honest.

The Texas Garden

This year (our first in Texas) we attempted our first-ever garden. I am no gardening expert, but I thought it would be fun to share what has and hasn't worked in your Texas Garden.

In my garden cucumbers are thriving and my tomatoes are not doing so well. I did not plant peppers or parsley but Emily L. told me that those both do really well here. She also mentioned that this area of Texas has two planting seasons...I am going to find out more about that so I can plant some herbs!

If you have Texas gardening tips or experiences you would like to share please post a comment!

Whitni's A-List

Thanks Whitni!

"So I made a list a while back of my fave things so when my family comes to visit i can show off the best things around here. I have done almost all of them, a few are things I want to do." -Whitni

Dallas Activities

• Farmers Market
• Trinity River Audubon Center
• Grassy Knoll/ Red Brick Museum
• Fair Park
• Cowboys Stadium Tour/ Field Goal Kick
• Dallas Heritage Village
• Dallas Aquarium
• Dallas Children’s Museum
• Dallas Arboretum
• Speed Zone

Fort Worth Activities

• Fort Worth Zoo
• Fort Worth Botanical Gardens
• Stockyard Rodeo
• Cattle Heard
• Leddy’s Boot Store
• Water Gardens
• Omni Theatre
• Cowgirl Museum

Local Activities

• Gaylord Texan
• Andy Brown Park/feed the turtles, ducks, and fish
• Aquatic Park
• Pets Mart
• Bonkers
• Boomerang
• Library Story Time
• Train Table at Barnes and Noble
• Home Depot Kids Activity (1st Saturday 9am)
• Lowe’s Kids Activity (2^nd and 4^th Saturday 10am)
• Highland Village “Hiking Trail”
• McKinney Children’s Museum
• Chuckie Cheese

DFW Treats

• Soda Gallery
• Sprinkles Cupcakes
• Pokey Oh’s Ice Cream Sandwich
• Bahama Buck’s
• Corner Bakery- Chicken Pomodori Panini
• Jason’s Deli- Soft Serve
• Baker’s Ribs

Day Trips

• Fossil Rim
• Turner Falls
• Canton

DFW Shopping

• Grapevine Mills Outlets
• The Galleria
• Sam Moon
• Stonebriar
• Shops at Willow Bend
• North Park Mall
• Matel Outlet

Fun at the Grocery store

Thanks for this great tip Julie P.! I love little things like this!

"Market Street has kid carts (little shopping carts for kids to push around the store) and gives kids free cookies at the bakery. My little boys LOVE it when we go shopping at Market Street! Not to mention they also load your car with your groceries for you and they're not allowed to accept tips for it. Awesome. Definitely something I wish I knew about sooner."

website: http://www.marketstreetcoppell.com/

Great List of Fun Stuff to do

The following list was compiled by the fabulous Katy. I may or may not have gotten a copy of this when we moved in but I thought I'd post it here if you are like me and sometimes misplace papers. I never lose my computer:)

FUN FAMILY ACTIVITIES IN THE DALLAS-FORT WORTH AREA

PARKS

Allen Road Park

. (400 North MacArthur Blvd, Coppell)

• Activities: Children’s playground; picnic facilities; water canal fishing.

• Other: No swings (plus or minus); Park your car on the grass. Get there by turning onto Waterside (north of the park) make your 1st right and then turn into the alleyway to take you behind the houses and near the park

Andy Brown East

. (260 East Parkway Blvd, Coppell)

• Activities: Kid Kountry playground; picnic shelter; fishing; jogging/walking trails; Frisbee golf; restroom facility/concession.

• Excellent Park Well shaded. Quite large requiring you to run and play with your children if you want to keep track of them.

• My favorite way to get to these walking trails is to park on Glen Lake Drive (off of Macarthur) the trails are paved making it conducive for strollers, bikes, rollerblades etc.

Andy Brown West

. (363 North Denton Tap Road, Coppell)

• Activities: Soccer complex; jogging/walking trails; two lighted multipurpose fields; two outdoor basketball courts; concession/restrooms; 2 Softball fields; football/lacrosse field; concession stand/restroom facility

Grapevine Springs Park

. (700 South Park Road, Coppell)

• Activities: 2 Softball fields; football/lacrosse field; concession stand/restroom facility.

Hunterwood Park

. (553 Anderson Avenue, Coppell)

• Activities: Playground, nature trails, picnic area.

Macarthur Park

. (400 South MacArthur Blvd, Coppell)

• Activities: Playground, 7 baseball fields, 2 practice areas, watch out for the small creek little kids can fall in.

Magnolia Park

. (553 Anderson Avenue, Coppell)

• Activities: Playground, 2 ponds, paved nature trails.

Moore Road Park

. (E. Parkway Blvd. and Moore Road, Coppell)

• Activities: Jogging trail, Large Pond, Fishing

Parkwood Park

. (575 Macarthur, Coppell)

• Activities: Jogging trail

Riverchase Park

. (1401 Glade Point, Coppell)

• Activities: Playground

The Duck Pond Park

. (400 E Bethel School Road, Coppell)

• Activities: Playground, Large Pond, picnic area. Great place to catch frogs and feed the ducks and fish.

Wagon Wheel Park

. (345 State Rd, Coppell)

• Activities: 6 baseball fields, 5 Soccer Fields, 8 Tennis Courts – rental fee $2.50 for Coppell resident ($10 for non resident!!!) 1.5 hours. 972-393-5687

Elm Fork Nature Preserve

. (23 35 Sandy Lake Rd, Carrollton. Inside McInnish Park)

• Activities: Completely wooded area with a nicely mulched walking trail (the loop is no more than a mile - and you can do a shorter loop if you want). Take the detour to the lake it is very pleasant. There is also a great playground. You can get there by exiting the loop toward the south, or you can also start you hike there by passing the parking lot and driving a little further. The playground is located between 2 soccer fields on your left.

Central Park

. (1899 S Edmonds, Lewisville)

• Activities: 2 picnic pavilions, 2 playgrounds, restrooms, hike and bike trails.

Willow Grove Park

. (975 W. Corporate Dr, Lewisville)

• Activities: Playground, picnic area. I love this park because it is surrounded on three sides by houses. It is big enough for lots of fun, but small enough not to lose your children.

Dragon Park

. (Castle Hills)

• Enter Castle Hills from Josey Lane by turning left on King Arthur Blvd (North of Trinity Medical center) take your 1^st left on Merlin Drive and then it will be on your right.

Castle Park

. (Castle Hills)

• Enter Castle Hills from Hebron Pkwy Turn left on Standridge Dr. it turns into Holy Grail Dr. turn right on Merlin Dr it will be on you left.

OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES

Grapevine Botanical Gardens

. (411 Ball Street, Grapevine) (Free)

Founders Plaza at DFW Airport

. (Airfield Drive and Texan Trail at the Airport) (Free)

• Reopens in September.

• The observation area offers a magnificent view to watch airplanes take off and land. In addition, the plaza provides convenient parking, picnic tables, telescopes, beautiful landscape, airport information, a historic monument and an Air Traffic Control Tower Radio that airs FAA.

McKinney Avenue Trolley

. (Uptown Dallas) (Free)

• http://www.mata.org/.

• If you have young kids, try to get a low window trolley so the kids can see.

Fritz Park and Petting Farm

. (312 E Vilbig St, Irving) (Free)

• The petting farm is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, and from 2 to 8 p.m. Sunday (weather permitting) during the months of June and July.

Spring Creek Farm

. (1401 East Lookout Drive at Plano Road) (Free – except petting zoo)

• Mon. - Fri. 9 am - 3 pm.

• Petting zoo $5 on weekdays $3 on weekends.

• See how the famous Owens Country Sausage began as you tour a museum featuring a fully equipped kitchen, workshop, butchery and country store with articles and replicas dating back to the early 1900s. See Belgian draft horses, miniature ponies and other animals. Self guided tours daily.

West End Historic District

. (Downtown Dallas) (Free)

• Features over 50 specialty shops at the West End Marketplace plus a variety of restaurants and clubs. Summertime nights in the Marketplace are often filled with the sound of free concerts.

Mustang Statues at Williams Square in Las Colinas

. (5215 N O'Connor Blvd, Irving) (Free)

• The world’s largest equestrian sculpture.

Longhorn Statues at Pioneer Plaza

. (Downtown Dallas) (Free)

• 3 Cowboys and 49 Steers

• Adjacent to the Dallas Convention Center at Young and Griffin

Nasher Sculpture Center

. (2001 Flora St., Dallas) (Free on Thursday Nights)

• Free Thursday nights with live entertainment from 5-9pm.

• Tricky with young kids. You can’t touch any of the sculptures.

Fort Worth Stockyards

. (130 E Exchange Ave., Fort Worth)

• Parking $5-$10.

• Live Cattle Drive occurs daily Free

• Rodeo Adults $15; Kids are free on Fridays and can come down and chase a sheep as part of the show.

• Check out long horns in the stable. Free

• Lots of Shopping and Restaurants -Love Shack celebrity chef Tim Love (competed in Iron Chef).

Coppell Farmers Market

. (Old Town Coppell at Bethel and Coppell Roads)

• Saturday mornings.

Dallas Farmers Market

. (1010 S Pearl Expy, Dallas)

• Open everyday free samples. Exciting for kids to pick out and try a new fruit or vegetable. Up the street there are flower nurseries and ice cream stands. Has a covered pavilion.

Grapevine Vintage Railroad

. (707 South Main, Grapevine)

• Railroad goes from Grapevine to Fort Worth. Currently running “Train Robbery” shows on the weekends. Polar Express at Christmas.

• $20 per adult; $10 per child (3-12).

• http://www.gvrr.com/.

Forest Park Miniature Railroad

. (Fort Worth)

• The ride is an approximately five-mile, thirty-five to forty-minute round trip from the Forest Park Depot off Colonial Parkway in Forest Park to the Duck Pond in Trinity Park and back with one stop at the Trinity Park Depot in Trinity Park where passengers may board the train if seats are available.

• $3 per adult; $2.50 per child (1-12).

• http://www.fpmt.us/.

Dallas Arboretum

. (707 South Main, Grapevine)

• Buy one get one free Wednesdays and $5 Thursdays for seniors with printable coupons online. Thursday concerts all summer 7:30pm buy tickets online.

• Don’t miss the frog fountains. Run through them to cool off

• http://www.dallasarboretum.org

Fort Worth Botanical Gardens

. (3220 Botanic Garden Blvd, Fort Worth) (Free)

• http://www.fwbg.org/ Print fun activity sheets for kids online

• Japanese Gardens and Conservatory have a small fee

Fort Worth Zoo

. (1989 Colonial Pkwy, Fort Worth)

• Wednesdays are half price. Bring cash to feed the birds. The better zoo in my opinion.

• http://www.fortworthzoo.com/.

Dallas Zoo

. (650 S RL Thornton Freeway, Dallas)

• Walk up the big hill if you can, it’s worth it!

• Play in the concrete river fountain to cool off.

• Ride a pony

• http://www.dallaszoo.com/.

INDOOR ACTIVITIES

Check out a Puppy at Petsmart

. (Multiple Locations) (Free?)

• You can select a puppy for sale to play with in the store and then put him back. Free only if you have the will power to not buy the puppy! Might be too risky for some.

Bass Pro Shop

. (2501 Bass Pro Drive, Grapevine) (Free)

• Kids love to look at the fish and animals. Just forget to mention that all the animals were hunted and are now stuffed for them to view.

• Free fishing classes.

Model Train Display

. (Dallas Children’s Medical Center; 1935 Motor St., Dallas) (Free)

• This is the largest permanent model train display in the US. It is located in the lobby of Children's Medical Center of Dallas. Eight trains run simultaneously at this free exhibit. Children's Medical Center has a small fee for parking.

Dallas World Aquarium

. (1801 N Griffin St, Dallas)

• $18.95 per adult; $10.95 per child (3-12).

• Definitely worth the money it is amazing. It is set up like an indoor rainforest. Look for monkeys in the trees. And don’t miss the manatees on the bottom level.

• http://www.dwazoo.com/.

Coppell Library

. (177 N Heartz Rd, Coppell) (Free)

• Activities include chess, science activities, puppet shows, crafts, movies, story times and, of course, reading.

• June 24th Puppets with Sandy Shrout 3pm

• http://www.ci.coppell.tx.us/.

Lewisville Library

. (177 N Heartz Rd, Coppell) (Free)

• Activities include audio-visual class, knitting class, video game tournaments, science activities and, again, reading.

• Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey Circus Clowns Visit June 12^th at 2:00pm

• http://www.cityoflewisville.com

Gaylord Texan

. (Grapevine)

• Various restaurants and activities.

• Indoor fireworks every Friday at 9pm (free).

• Buy an ice cream cone or another small treat at one of the restaurants to get validated parking.

Slappy’s Puppet Playhouse

. (Galleria Mall)

• Voted the best puppet shows in Dallas.

• $9 per adult; $8 per child (3-18). Check for discounts in the kids meals at Which Wich (at the food court in the Galleria Mall)

• http://www.slappysplayhouse.com/.

Indoor Playgrounds at Malls

. (Various Malls)

• My favorites include the Galleria Mall and the Shops at Willow Bend.

Grapvine Mills

. (3000 Grapevine Mills Parkway, Grapevine)

• Carousel

• Choo Choo Station Ride a Train $2.50 miniature electric Thomas train, 8 train tables to play with (Free)

• http://choochoostation.com/

Wiggly Play Center

. (4944 Preston Road, Frisco)

• Bounce house; climbing tubes; dancing time with Wags the Dog or Dorothy the Dinosaur.

• A little over priced, but a must do for a Wiggles fan. Make sure to bring socks!

• http://www.wigglyplaycenter.com/.

Going Bonkers

. (2565 MacArthur Blvd, Lewisville)

• Large indoor playground (parents can join the fun); video games; sound-proof room with wi-fi for parents that need a break.

• Best inside playground for the money. Make sure to bring socks!

• http://www.goingbonkers.com/lw.htm.

WATER ACTIVITIES

Fountains at 3040 and Morriss

. (Flower Mound) (Free)

Great Wolf Lodge

. (Grapevine)

• Indoor water park resort for hotel guests only. Great in-town vacation. Rooms are pricey depending on size and time of year ($180-$540) but include passes to Water Park.

• Other activities - Kids Scoops Spa with ice cream themed Pedicures & Manicure starting at $15 (don’t have to be a guest at the hotel to participate).

• http://www.greatwolf.com/.

Hawaiian Falls Water Park

. (Colony)

• http://www.hawaiianfalls.com/.

NRH2O

. (North Richland Hills)

• http://www.nrh2o.com/.

Coppell Aquatic Center

. (234 E Parkway Blvd, Coppell)

• Pool with waterslides.

• http://www.ci.coppell.tx.us/.

Sun Valley Aquatic Center

. (801 S. Valley Parkway, Lewisville)

• Pool with waterslides.

• Closed Wednesdays.

• http://www.cityoflewisville.com/.

Old Town Aquatic Park

. (535 W. College Street, Lewisville)

• Pool with waterslides. My favorite for toddlers.

• Closed Thursdays.

• http://www.cityoflewisville.com/.

ENTERTAINMENT

Dallas Summer Musicals

. (Fair Park)

• http://www.dallassummermusicals.org

Coppell High School Football Games

. (Coppell HS)

• Tickets sold at elementary school offices $3 for students $6 adults. ($7 at the door) or free if you want to sit on the grassy hill outside the stadium – bring a cardboard for kids to slide on.

Addison Circle outdoor movies

. (North of Beltline at Quorum, Addison) (Free)

• Movies are shown at 9 P.M. (after dark) on the lawn in the Addison Circle which is north of Beltline at Quorum in Addison. Bring a lawn chair or blanket and picnic. This is a little late for little ones but a wonderful free date night.

• Annual Kaboom Town Movie night is on or near July 4^th so this movie begins after the fireworks at 10:00 P.M. This night is really fun but it can be very crowded so plan on going by 6 P.M. This is a tradition at the Erickson’s House. They go early, bring good food, Uno cards and games, and just visit.

Studio Movie Grill Discount Kid movies

. (1600 S. Stemmons Freeway, Lewisville)

• $1 Kids $2 Adults Monday- Thursday at 11 am

RAVE free kid movies

. (Various) (Free)

• Free every Tuesday and Wednesday 10am

• http://www.ravemotionpictures.com/

Cinemark Movies 8

. (420 Oak Bend Dr., Lewisville)

• Dollar Movie Theater

Cinemark 15

. (Vista Ridge Mall)

• 10 weeks of movies purchased in advanced for $5 or $1 per show

AMC Highland Village 12

. (4090 Barton Creek, Highland Village)

• $1 every Wednesday at 10am

CONCERTS

The Sounds of Lewisville

. (Vista Ridge amphitheater, Lewisville) (Free)

• You get to the theatre by turning right off the 121 frontage road onto Lake Vista (last right turn going East before you get to I-35) There are concerts on Tuesday nights—free and each week has a different type of music

Flower Mound Symphony Orchestra

. (Various) (Free)

• Free Concerts

• www.fmco.org

Summer Rhythms Concert Series in Little Elm

. (Little Elm Amphitheater) (Free)

• Friday nights in June

• Bring lawn chairs and picnics.

Dallas Symphony Summer Concerts

. (Various) (Free)

• During the spring and early summer months, The Dallas Symphony Orchestra performs in area parks and you can also hear "Jazz under the Stars" at the Dallas Museum of Art on Thursday evenings.

• http://dallassymphony.com/

STORY TIMES

Pottery Barn Kids

. (Knox Street or Stonebriar Center) (Free)

• Free Sing alongs at 10 and 11am

• Knox Street 7/23 Willy Welch 8/29 Joe McDermott

• Stonebriar Center 7/24 Staci Gray 8/27 Willy Welch

Barnes & Noble

. (Lewisville) (Free)

• Story time on Thursdays at 10am. Hit or miss depending on who is doing it that day.

Coppell Library

. (177 N Heartz Rd, Coppell) (Free)

• Baby & Me Mondays 11am

• Family Story time Tuesday 7pm

• Toddler time Wednesdays 10:30am

• Ones upon a time Wednesdays 11:15am (for 1 yr olds)

• 1st Friday of the month Gymboree movement and music class 10:30 (arrive early to get a ticket)

• Preschool Story time Thursdays 10:30am

Lewisville Library

. (177 N Heartz Rd, Coppell) (Free)

• Mother Goose Time (Ages 0-15 months) Wednesdays, 1:30pm; Thursdays, 11am

• Toddler Time (Ages 15-36 months) Tuesdays, 10:30am & 11am; Wednesdays, 10:30am; Thursdays, 10:30am

• Preschool Story time (Ages 3-6 years) Mondays, 10:30am; Tuesdays, 2pm & 7pm

• Primetime (Grades K-3) Mondays, 4pm

HISTORICAL SITES

Dallas Central Library Downtown

. (1515 Young Street, Dallas) (Free)

• This public library includes one of the original copies of the Declaration of Independence, printed in 1776 - also on permanent display, is William Shakespeare's First Folio of Comedies, Histories & Tragedies.

JFK Memorial

. (Main Street and Market Street Dallas) (Free)

• Dallas pays homage to one of its darkest times, when President John F. Kennedy was assassinated during his 1963 visit. Designed by Philip Johnson, the John F. Kennedy Memorial is an open-roofed, concrete walled monument symbolic of an open tomb. It is not unusual to find flowers and notes placed here. Nearby, the infamous School Book Depository and Grassy Knoll have changed little since that devastating day in our Nation's history.

Farmers Branch Historical Park

. (2540 Farmers Branch Lane) (Free)

• Home to several historic structures that range in time from the 1840's to the 1940's. Structures include log cabins, the oldest stone structure on its original foundation in North Texas, and a 1930's gas station. Tours free, interactive programs available.

Dallas Heritage Village

. (1515 South Harwood Street, Dallas)

• Adults $5 Kids $3 (4-12)

• http://www.oldcitypark.org/.

FOOD/TREATS

Sprinkles Cupcakes

. (4020 Villanova Dr, Dallas)

• $3 Cupcakes. Not a lot for the money, but one of the few in the nation. I recommend the Red Velvet.

• http://www.sprinklescupcakes.com/

Antares Restaurant atop Reunion Tower. (Dallas)

• With an average of eight marriage proposals and six anniversaries celebrated a week, it is known as one of the most romantic settings in Dallas.

• Quite pricey, but go for dessert so you can still enjoy the view

Central Market

. (Southlake location)

• Outdoor playground and restaurant with live music on Friday and Saturday night. Makes a great date spot where the kids can play and you can enjoy grown-up food.

Pokey O’s

. (3034 Mockingbird Lane, Dallas)

• Create you own ice cream sandwich. Choose from 13 fresh baked cookies and 15 flavors of Blue Bell Ice Cream $3.

Bahama Bucks

. (2320 Valley Pkwy, Lewisville)

• Yummy snow cones.

TJ Hartfords

. (1960 S Stemmons Fwy, Lewisville)

• Restaurant and 5 cent arcade.

Krispy Kreme

. (7955 N. MacArthur, Irving) (Free?)

• Go when the Hot light is on and watch them make the donuts. Kids can get a free one from the conveyor belt.

Chuck E. Cheese

. (Various)

• Grapevine mills location is better than Vista Ridge Mall.

Planet Pizza

. (3000 Custer Rd , Plano)

• Indoor amusement park for young kids (No height restrictions), arcade, and tubes.

• http://www.planetpizzaplano.com/.

SEASONAL ACTIVITIES

4^th of July Parade

. (Coppell) (Free)

• 10am

• Runs north on Samuel Blvd toward Parkway then heads west along Parkway to city center.

• Best to sit on Samuel because they hand out a lot more candy at the beginning of the parade.

Fireworks

. (Coppell) (Free)

• Andy Brown Park over the lake

• Vista Ridge Mall – the Melvilles like to watch these from the hill behind Hearthstone (400 Highland Dr, Lewisville) park in the parking garage area and sit on the lawn.

• Over Grapevine lake

Butterfly Flutterby

. (701 South Main Street ,Grapevine) (Free)

• October

• Celebrate the migration of the Monarch Butterfly from Canada to Mexico. Butterfly releases, exhibits, gardening seminars, arts and crafts, entertainment and a Gossamer Parade. The Parade will line up at 9:30 am at Liberty Park (corner of East Wall and Main Street) and proceed down Main Street to the Cotton Belt Railroad District

North Park Mall at Christmas

. (Dallas)

• Lots of fun activities, puppet shows and 12 days of Christmas clock

• Miniature Train exhibit. $3 kids and $5 Adults

Christmas Parade

. (Coppell) (Free)

• Runs North on Samuel Blvd toward Parkway then heads west along Parkway to city center where they light up the city buildings for the 1^st time.

MISCELLANEOUS

Sam Moon

. (11826 Harry Hines Blvd, Dallas and 2449 Preston Rd Frisco)

• Gigantic warehouse of purses and accessories very cheep. Great knockoffs.

Canton Trade Days

. (130 E Exchange Ave., Fort Worth)

• Giant flee market held on the weekend before the 1^st Monday on each month.

• http://www.cantontradedays.com/.

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

The Quick

• .

Suburban Parent

• .

Dallas Child Magizine

• .

http://tour texas.com/dallas/dallas50free.html

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