Dallas is a completely different city from when I grew up in the surrounding suburbs.
More like a metropolis in the making with Vegas 2.0 dreams, Dallas has become one of the trendiest cities in the country with no plans on slowing down.
The ‘Big D’ has been voted as having the best skyline in years past, and the vibrant cityscape will continue evolving in the coming years as insurmountable growth is unstoppable.
3 hours South lies Texas quirky capital city, Austin, where it’s commonly bellowed from the soapbox, ‘don’t Dallas my Austin!’, but the same has been said not to ‘Austin my Dallas’.
This means that each city is unique in its own right, but change has proven to be inevitable.
Dallas is much more of a bustling city these days, which gives credence to the common phrase “everything is bigger in Texas.”
As such, there is far more to see beyond the bright lights of Dallas. In fact, these 4 lesser-known Texas cities are emerging as new “it” destinations to escape the urban grind.
Fort Worth: Where The Old West Meets Modern Flair
Talk about change!
Fort Worth’s decades-long claim to fame has been “The Gateway to the West”, because let’s be honest, nobody wants to go to Abilene or Amarillo.
What their motto should be is “close your eyes ’til New Mexico!”.
Fort Worth has seen significant growth in tourism. So much so it can easily be crowned the new hotspot of Texas – sorry, Austin!
What was once just a plain Jane city with a few nice restaurants and the famous Stockyards has now surpassed a local’s favorite getaway to forge a new path to international stardom.
DFW Airport is one of the world’s busiest, but now the ‘FW’ is gaining worldwide attention. Boasting a thriving restaurant scene and a boom of luxurious hotels like top-rated Hotel Drover, smack dub in the Stockyards.
One of the main draws here are the rows of ‘saloon’s and steakhouses, and of course, the iconic cattle drive.
Just don’t treat this twice-daily event like Spain’s Running of the Bulls! Texans won’t take kindly to that ’round these parts.
Waco: College Town Turned Central Texas’ New Darling
An hour and a half south of Dallas along the fiasco known as I-35 is the historic city of Waco.
Of course, history has its downside too. Waco was the site of madman David Koresh’s infamous standoff gone wrong, hanging a dark cloud over the city’s reputation for years.
Today’s Waco has turned a page seeing booming weekends for Baylor’s football games and the ever-so-popular Magnolia Market, bringing in nearly a million visitors each year to the city on its own.
In case you’ve been sleeping under a Texas-sized rock, this relatively new attraction was created by Chip and Joanna Gaines, the stars of popular HGTV series, “Fixer Upper.”
Here, visitors find infinite shops, local food vendors, and the unmissable ‘Silos’ filled with goodies.
You’ll discover Waco is real Texas, unlike what’s lost in the hustle of Dallas and Austin. It’s simply a fun place to hang out without breaking the bank.
Tip: Make sure to visit in the surprising cultural town of West, deeply rooted in Czech heritage. Grab some savory kolaches at my favorite road-trip break, Czech Stop, just 20 minutes from Waco.
Tyler: East Texas’ Revitalized Hotspot
Located 2 hours away from the Dallas grind, Tyler used to be Snoozeville, USA. Take it from me, someone who was raised here.
While the ‘Rose City’ is nowhere near Fort Worth’s level of newfound trendiness, it’s certainly taken the first steps toward that trajectory.
First being, a commitment to revitalizing the bland Downtown District, which is already seeing significant signs of life with new bars and boutique stays like the Greyhound Inn.
This is the city’s first ‘contactless hotel’, a far cry from Tyler’s normally old-fashioned style.
Beyond the new busy blocks of downtown lies peace and tranquility along some of the prettiest lakes in the state, one of them being Lake Palestine, perfect for sunsets.
And don’t knock the food scene either as homecookin’ is a way of life around here, including nearby small towns with postcard main strips like Mineola, where eating at East Texas Burger Co. is a staple.
Tip: mark your calendars for spring 2025 for Tyler’s famous Azalea Trail
Frisco: Small Town Turned Entertainment Hub
North Texas as a whole has seen a huge transformation in recent years, but perhaps no more than Frisco.
Set north of Dallas but still lying in the metroplex, what used to be just your run-of-the-mill suburb has become a bustling city on the rise.
Frisco covers every category, from sports to shopping to theme parks.
Shopping at Stonebriar Mall is like a mini Mall of America, and visitors have their choice at just about any restaurant imaginable.
Universal Studios is coming soon, making Frisco even more family-friendly.
Heck, even the world-famous Dallas Cowboys moved here. Frisco is now a golfer’s dream too with the ritzy Omni PGA Frisco Resort opening doors last year.
Credit: Source link
