One of the downsides of flying everywhere is that you never get the chance to see what is at ground level, so, as I had time, I decided to take the train from Dallas to Austin. The Amtrak Texas Eagle, is a daily train between Chicago, San Antonio and Los Angeles on the Sunset Limited, which includes Dallas and Austin Texas as stops.
The trip from Dallas to Austin Texas on the Amtrak Texas Eagle takes about 6.5 hours and stops at:
Americano is an Italian Restaurant that was near my hotel in Dallas Texas. The menu looked pretty good so I decided to give it a try for dinner.
From Americano’s website:
Americano is a vibrant, casual Italian restaurant with a prime location on Main Street adjacent to The Joule. The experience, full of whimsy, is an inviting atmosphere punctuated by Americano’s eclectic design inspired by 1960’s Italian cinema. Some of the menu features include hand-made pastas, neapolitan pizzas, and creative takes on classic Italian-American dishes. With a flexible outdoor patio space, Americano is a go-to spot for an assorted audience and perfect for large and small parties. From a celebratory al fresco meal, to a cozy corner for two, or a seat at the bustling bar, Americano offers an array of dining options.
The main reason I visited Dallas Texas was not to sight see but to catch up with a couple of friends, Annie and Dighton. As we all like a good meal and a drink or two, a dinner was in order. The place chosen by my hosts was Cafe Pacific in Highland Park.
Cafe Pacific has been around for around 35 years and is considered a Dallas institution, according to themselves. It definitely had the feel of an upscale neighborhood restaurant. Whilst it is not exactly what I would call a casual restaurant, in Singapore that means drinking shorts and a shirt, covered footwear optional, Cafe Pacific is fairly relaxed.
The restaurant is known for its Seafood and Steak and impeccable service, the wait staff are all dressed in formal white servers jackets, dark pants and a black tie, nice touch. They have an interesting wine list, although I had no idea about most of the wines on the list, luckily for me Dighton knew a good red on the list. For more
Reunion Tower is the place I decided to visit to get a bird’s eye view of Dallas Texas. The tower is 171m (561ft) high and was originally a free-standing structure, it is now a part of the Hyatt Hotel.
A nice view!
The tower was built in 1978 and has three floors at the top:
The last installment of my day exploring Dallas Texas, this is a collection of random photos from my wander around downtown. One of the things that did surprise me was how quiet it was. Most, if not all, downtown areas of big cities are usually always busy on a work day. Has anyone seen Cyrano?
The Dallas County Courthouse was built in 1892 and was designed architect Max A. Orlopp, Jr in the Richardsonian Romanesque architecture style, had to look it up!
The Dallas County Courthouse is now the Old Red Museum. For more
One of the mandatory sites to visit in Dallas Texas is Dealey Plaza, the site of JFK’s assassination. Whilst there a lot people, including me, also visit the 6th Floor Museum which is in the building formerly known as the Texas Book Depository.
On Friday, November 22, 1963 at 12:30 p.m John Fitzgerald Kennedy (JFK) the President of the United States of America was assassinated in Dealey Plaza, Dallas Texas, by Lee Harvey Oswald. JFK was the 35th President of the USA and was 46 years old at the time of his death.
Not far from Dealey Plaza is the John Fitzgerald Kennedy Memorial. Built in 1970 according to a design by Philip Johnson, apparently a close friend of the Kennedy Family, and was approved by Jackie Kennedy. The memorial is a square cenotaph that is 9m high and 15m wide, the walls are composed of 72 white pre-cast concrete columns that are raised about 25cm from the ground. I like this simple, striking and peaceful memorial.
The joy and excitement of John Fitzgerald Kennedy’s life belonged to all men. So did the pain and sorrow of his death. When he died on November 22, 1963, shock and agony touched human conscience throughout the world. In Dallas, Texas, there was a special sorrow. The young President died in Dallas. The death bullets were fired 200 yards west of this site. This memorial, designed by Philip Johnson, was erected by the people of Dallas. Thousands of citizens contributed support, money and effort. It is not a memorial to the pain and sorrow of death, but stands as a permanent tribute to the joy and excitement of one man’s life. John Fitzgerald Kennedy’s life. For more
