Weekend Dash to Dallas 🏰👁️🍖🐘

Friday morning, we took off from Seattle 🛫 and landed in Dallas around 4:30 PM 🛬. While a taxi downtown would take about 30 minutes, being the thrifty traveler I am, I opted for the $3 Orange Line train… which took a full hour 😅 (Not the best idea — the airport is huge! It took me 30 minutes just to get from the gate to the train station via the airport shuttle and on foot 🚶💨). Dallas struck me as a city that’s not too crowded. Downtown felt pretty quiet, with sparse foot traffic — and hardly any Chinese faces around. From Friday to Sunday, my boyfriend and I barely saw another Chinese person walking around, on trains, or even at bubble tea shops (where the staff were all non-Asian). For sisters traveling alone, I’d definitely recommend renting a car or relying on rideshares for safety and convenience. 🗓 Day 1 – Friday Evening We made it to the hotel by evening and headed straight for some classic Texas BBQ 🍖. My boyfriend’s colleague had raved about a “life-changing BBQ spot” with 8K Google reviews and 4.4 stars. But honestly… it was a letdown ❌. (Trust my taste buds — I’m from Guangzhou, and we know good food. So I’ll skip naming that one.) 🔥 My Top BBQ Pick I highly recommend another spot near Downtown, located inside the Dallas Farmers Market. It has only around 600 reviews, but boasts a stunning 4.8-star rating 🌟! I grabbed a to-go order before flying back to Seattle on Sunday, and wow — the meat was incredibly tender, juicy, and packed with flavor. The beef ribs were fall-off-the-bone tender and well-seasoned. Plus, it was more affordable than the other place. More people need to know about this gem! 💎 🎨 Saturday – Art & Icons We spent Saturday morning exploring the Dallas Arts District, home to several museums and iconic sights like the stunning spiral chapel and the giant eyeball sculpture 👁️. We also passed by the AT&T Headquarters. Right next to the eyeball is a 4.9-star Tex-Mex restaurant on Google 🌮. While the tacos weren’t mind-blowing, they were solid — worth a visit if you’re already in the area, but maybe not a special trip. 🧠 Saturday Afternoon – Museum of Illusions We visited the Museum of Illusions in the Historic District. It’s not very large — you can see everything and take fun photos in about 45 minutes 📸. The staff were super helpful, offering tips for the best shots. Some exhibits work best with two people, so bring a buddy! Nearby is the now permanently closed Old Courthouse Museum — the building is grand, castle-like, and totally worth a photo stop 🏰. 🐘 Sunday – Zoo Day & Fly Out On Sunday, we hopped on the Red Line to the Dallas Zoo, home to elephants, giraffes, lions, tigers, clouded leopards, cheetahs, and even capybaras! It felt like half the Chinese population of Dallas was there that day 😆. We headed back downtown for lunch, picked up that amazing BBQ to go, and then it was time to fly home 🛬. #WeekendGetaway #Dallas #TravelDallas #DFWFoodie #TexasBBQ #MuseumOfIllusions