Hello, Voyagers!
I just recently realized that I have never done a blog post about my own hometown. It is time to correct that and talk about some of my favorites in & around uptown (my ‘hood) to see, dine, & shop!

Dallas has many, many vibrant and interesting neighborhoods…far too many to cover in one blog post. My ‘hood, Uptown, is just enough for you to cover one weekend, and for me to do in one post as well! So, stay in the middle of things at the über-hip Hotel Zaza, and explore from there.
Get your day started with some coffee & a pastry. There are of course many Starbucks around, but head up McKinney Avenue on the trolley to the West Village…

13.001.png — Gotta ride the McKinney Avenue trolley

It’s free…for now!

13.002.png — Bisous Bisous French Style cafe

Yum. Me!

…and get some deliciousness at Bisous Bisous. This is the perfect launching point for shopping & pampering yourself in Dallas’s famed West Village.
Get a blowout and even some makeup done at BAM Beauty Bar, a great mani-pedi at Miniluxe, all right next door to the pâtisserie! Legendary Tex-Mex place Mi Cocina and their Mambo Taxi! before or after your spa treatment at Spa Habitat (ask for Kim for your massage!) makes this afternoon perfection. Then shop at adorable boutiques like Pitaya or chains like Banana Republic and Kendra Scott, all in a few city blocks.
Now, if at any time you’re feeling like you gotta exercise a bit before you get your drink on, then you’re in luck here. Stroll or bike the Katy Trail and get really cool views of uptown and downtown from what feels like the middle of a forest.

the katy trail

If you’re feeling like a 5K, get here in September & **do it or watch it**!

v iew from a spot on the katy trail

Built over an old rail line, it’s now 3.5 miles of a lovely tree-lined path

Then when it’s time to take a break, you’ll find that one thing we do right in Dallas is patio drink. And one of the top spots for that is The Katy Trail Ice House. Be prepared to wait, though, ‘cause in good weather, it could be HOURS.
If shopping is where your heart is, then don’t neglect the largest independent department store in the United States, all snuggled into 500 Crescent Court in Uptown Dallas: Stanley Korshak is THE way to get your luxury on. And the shopping center it is in has fab restaurants as well.
If you want a steak for dinner, there is no shortage at all in my hometown. Nick & Sam’s - be prepared to pay - is fancy and outstanding and everything you could want from a Dallas high-end steak place. More casual yet still tasty & high quality? Del Frisco’s Grille. We’ve also got some fabulous Chinese food at Howard Wangs.

IMG_1099 2.jpeg — Chinese food in Dallas? Yes!

Get it delivered to your hotel if you’re too sleepy or had one too many margs on the patio!

Best for last: By far my favorite spot in uptown for a great meal, awesome service, and a unique environment is S&D Oyster Company, which is where the pic at the top was taken. Their courtyard is lovely and serene (there’s a fountain!) and the menu is elevated gulf coast southern comfort food. Hint: get the Loafs 1-1-1 (Oyster, Shrimp, Fish, and/or Crab Maison) with a side of fresh-cut thin fries (my fave!). You will LOVE it.

balcony 1.jpg — You’re going to want to do a Juliet on the balcony*.

*DON’T. But do tell Dave the manager I said hi.

Next time we’ll talk about where to stay & some of the touristy things to do downtown! Until then, enjoy Dallas, Voyagers.
And stay Veracious.
VV
P.S. If you are here for an extra day, you gotta go to the best Tex-Mex in town, Ebar. I have talked about it on my podcast ‘cause it’s also got a tie to a creepy disappearance, is close to my house, AND has truly amaaaaaazing food.

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Travel

A hometown girl's guide to Uptown Dallas, Texas, USA!

Hello, Voyagers!

VV

Previous Travels…

**You know, some people, I've heard tell, are opposed to wearing makeup while on vacation. (WTF?!, you're thinking. I KNOW!!!!) Anyhoo, I, myself, am against that, #obvs.**

Always, always drink a local beer wherever you go. No, not a Coors Light. A local beer. Start on day one. That and a Pepto tablet each day will keep food sickness at bay. (In Thailand, it’s a beer called Singha.)

What did I wear? A blue one-shoulder dress.

And, of course, ALL the beauty products. #gottabeme

Not everything needs to come from the big chain stores, and when someone has had to solve their own beauty and skin issues in their own kitchen, you often end up with lovely products that work like a charm.

Lots of strange things were afoot at Miami Art Basel. One was a celebration at Arsenale for the launch of a prototype of the world’s first all-electric personal water craft.

Turns out, graduating as a “non-traditional” (read: older) student? It involves the same level of elation as graduating as a youngster. Maybe more. Wouldn’t trade it for the world.

Driving along the left side of the road takes patience and practice. Unfortunately, you don’t get any actual…practice. And make sure you get an automatic transmission!

The first night we landed in Rio, we went out for pizza on a patio. And, much to my joy & surprise, the ACTUAL OLYMPIC TORCH came by on its final leg to the opening of the Games.

I recently realized that I have never done a blog post about my own hometown. It is time to correct that and talk about some of my favorites in & around uptown (my ‘hood) to see, dine, & shop!

Recently, I stepped on the scale for the first time in 2021. Then I pretty quickly opted to try and change course. So, that’s how I found myself hiking the Appalachian Trail.

The sounds of the breeze hitting these trees is intoxicating. Here, the waves crest so far out that there is not a lot of ocean sound, but that’s okay. More than okay. Cue Madonna: “tropical, the island breeze…

If you are worried about conflict amongst the people who will be in the car, discuss it beforehand, and have a plan for how to make decisions while on the road (who controls the radio, when/where to stop and eat…)

This site gives ideas on the best road trips for each time of year. I’ll focus on the trip itself. It’s all about comfort, relaxation, taking in the sites and sights, and, oh, yeah. Junk food.

If you’re planning your first trip with your dog, you may be feeling a little anxious. While traveling with pets is becoming more common, it can still be a challenge for dog owners to avoid extra expense and stress during those trips.

So, how’d you spend your 4th of July weekend? I spent mine immersed in murder. To be more specific, immersed in my dissertation’s topic: using intuition to prevent murder.

If you have been to my site before, it might come as no surprise that Montana is my favorite place in the world, with Yellowstone as its centerpiece.

Being there is like no other experience. I made a visual love letter to it a while back, and just updated it with some more recent photos:

It is a bit surreal, trying to research on the Cambridge library web sites, and writing papers to submit on crime and violence, referencing theories of crime and deviance that I learned at Cambridge, with the Dallas skyline as my backdrop.

What’s it like heading back to school, in another country, for another master’s degree, in a different field, and with kids my former students’ age now being my peers? Odd. But whereas I had fears of being rejected like Elle Woods in Legally Blonde…

The Fête des Vignerons began in 1797, and only happens every 20 or so years, so we jumped at the chance to go. Turns out, they don’t really export their wines, so, you know, they drink them themselves.

The Garden Route is one of the main tourist attractions in South Africa. The odd thing, though, is the 3-4 hour drive before you get to the Garden Route is prettier than that. The sunrises and sunsets along the southern drive are simply breathtaking.

Light packing is right packing. Trust moi, you do NOT want to be schlepping your giant or super-heavy bags all across New York.

Veracious Voyager

Oh, the places you can find me!