While Texas may not be the first place that comes to mind when thinking of LGBT-friendly travel destinations, Dallas has plenty to offer LGBT travelers during the winter's cold.
"The north Texas area recognizes the importance of diversity and inclusion," said Tony Vedda, president and CEO of the North Texas GLBT Chamber. "When people get here they tend to see that it's a very open and welcoming community."
Located in the north-central portion of the state, Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas, behind Houston and San Antonio, and boasts the sixth-largest gay population in the United States.
With its generally mild winters—average high temperatures in the 50s and 60s, and lows around the freezing mark—most travelers will find the Dallas climate to be a nice relief from the sub-freezing temperatures seen around much of the country this time of year.
Since the mid 1980s, Dallas' Oak Lawn neighborhood has been the epicenter for LGBT entertainment and community in the city. Specifically, the crossroads—Cedar Springs Road and Throckmorton Street—is where the city's gay activism began, and where an eclectic assortment of shops, dining and nightlife keep visitors to the city busy.
The Bishop Arts District, another popular LGBT neighborhood, is home to unique art galleries, restaurants and shops. It's also a popular shopping destination for its vintage clothing, antiques and craft stores. Boutiques such as Epiphany or Indigo 1745 are unique retailers that sell clothing for those with eclectic tastes.
"Gay people are welcome everywhere in Dallas," Vedda said. "You can go to any area and still feel comfortable."
Shopping
Dallas has more shopping centers per capita than any other city in the United States, making it an ideal locale for those seeking a great shopping experience or a little retail therapy.
For those looking for high-end shops, Highland Park Village has been compared to Beverly Hills' Rodeo Drive, and is home to upscale retailers such as Chanel, Hermes, Carolina Herrera, Tory Burch, Harry Winston, Escada, Ralph Lauren and Jimmy Choo. Built in the 1930s, this shopping village is internationally recognized for its architectural significance.
The Galleria Dallas—a vast shopping mall with an indoor ice-skating rink—offers shoppers a range of retail options, from upscale shops such as Saks Fifth Avenue, Cartier, Gucci, Versace and Louis Vuitton, to more mainstream shops, including Banana Republic, Nordstrom, Express and United Colors of Benetton. The Galleria's ice rink and numerous restaurants make it a great place to keep everyone happy.
NorthPark Center not only has great shopping in its 2.3 million square feet of retail space, but it also houses unique art displays, including original paintings and large sculptures. NorthPark also features a state-of-the-art movie theater with a glass lobby overlooking CenterPark—a 1.4-acre garden landscaped with artful greenery and adorned with sculptures.
Dallas' West End Historic District, a quaint area with beautifully preserved historical buildings situated on tree-lined streets, has unique shopping options such as Wild Bill's Western Store for custom-made boots, and Bath Junkie, where visitors can create their own lotions, bath gels and other items.
Things to See and Do
The Dallas World Aquarium offers visitors a unique look at marine species from around the world. The aquarium contains a 22,000-gallon continental shelf tunnel that provides a panoramic view of underwater reef life, a 10,000-gallon exhibit with exotic sea dragons, a 40-foot walk-through tunnel filled with sharks and rays, among other exhibits. The aquarium's rainforest showcases striking birds as they fly freely throughout the vegetation-filled exhibit, including a 40-foot waterfall. Vampire bats, Antillean manatees and other rainforest creatures call this simulated rainforest home.
Beginning in early March, the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Gardens starts to see its flowers in bloom, offering visitors a beautiful oasis through which to walk and admire the scenery. But winter visitors can enjoy the arboretum and gardens, which are open year round, with some plants in bloom during the winter months, including ornamental kale and camellias.
The JFK Memorial Plaza allows visitors to remember the assassination of President John F. Kennedy during his November 1963 visit to the city. The memorial sits on the grounds outside the Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza—a museum dedicated to educating the public about the assassination of President Kennedy, from the very floor of the building from which he was assassinated.
The Valley House Gallery and Sculpture Garden houses exhibits of 19th- and 20th-century art, as well as contemporary art and photography. Many of the artists and art featured have ties to Texas, making the gallery a great place for visitors interested in Texas' history. The sculpture garden, which sits on 4.5 wooded acres, has won major awards for best garden design, and displays works by noted sculptors, including Charles Umlauf, Mike Cunningham, Charles Williams, Nat Neujean, David Hayes, and Frederick Sotebler.
The Nasher Sculpture Center is a beautiful attraction, offering visitors the opportunity to view unique exhibits in both the distinctive architecture of the indoor gallery and the remarkable landscape of the outdoor sculpture garden. The center, a relatively new facility that opened in 2003, is dedicated to the study, exhibition and preservation of modern sculpture, and has a collection of more than 300 sculptures and 20th-century paintings and drawings.
The Dallas Museum of Art is the only "encyclopedic" art museum in North Texas, displaying art from all cultures and periods. Through Feb. 28, 2010, the museum will display its All the World's a Stage exhibit, which celebrates performance in the visual arts. An exhibition on performance in art, on display through March 21, highlights the works of six artists who have used the forms and ideas surrounding various performance arts as inspiration for their paintings, sculptures and films. Visitors to the museum between Feb. 13 and May 8 can view the Gustav Stickley and the American Arts and Crafts Movement exhibit, which examines the life and work of the recognized leader of the arts and crafts movement in the United States.
Associated with the Smithsonian Institution, The Women's Museum: An Institute for the Future is a national American women's history museum that offers programs and exhibits that honor the contributions of women throughout history.
Nightlife
Barbara's Pavilion on Centre Street is known as a neighborhood gay bar with karaoke and friendly service.
Located on Lemmon Avenue, Club Rush has a reputation for being a premier gay hotspot with great drink specials, friendly bartenders and live entertainment.
JR's Bar & Grill on Cedar Springs Road, recently remodeled and expanded, utilizes two floors of space for its nightclub. Known for its music, JR's also offers good food, drink specials, drag shows and pool tournaments.
Atop the W Hotel in Dallas, the Ghostbar offers a breathtaking view of the city. For those looking for a mainstream bar with an upscale flavor, Ghostbar is a great option.
Where to Stay
As a bustling metropolitan city, Dallas has plenty of options when it comes to finding a fun hotel for your visit. Many of the city's accommodations are Travel Alternatives Group-approved (TAG), meaning they agree not to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation in their employment practices, provide diversity and sensitivity training for employees, and encourage guests and staff to be "watchdogs" of their business practices.
The recently remodeled Sheraton Dallas on North Olive Street is located in the arts and entertainment district of downtown Dallas, close to plenty of great shopping, entertainment and dining. There are four in-hotel restaurants—The Kitchen Table, which serves breakfast, lunch and dinner; Draft Media Sports Bar; Peet's Coffee & Tea; and Chill, a mini dessert bar. The hotel also offers free PC workstations with network and Internet printing with the ability to print from your room, and a large fitness center on the premises. If you'd like to bring your pets on your trip, the Sheraton allows dogs and cats weighing less than 50 pounds.
With a self-described "art-in-motion" personality, the Hotel Palomar Dallas offers guests an upscale, boutique hotel atmosphere. Located on East Mockingbird Lane, the pet friendly Hotel Palomar hosts a wine hour everyday from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. for guests to relax and mingle in the lobby living room. Hotel Palomar offers high-speed wired and wireless Internet access, laundry service and complimentary morning newspaper. The hotel's onsite business center is open 24 hours a day and includes computers loaded with Microsoft Office programs, copier, fax machine, Internet access, printers and technical support. Exhale, the hotel's spa, is located adjacent to the hotel and offers yoga classes, skin care, body therapy services, acupuncture, and more. The 24-hour on-site fitness center has cardio, weight and endurance equipment, and offers personal training.
The W Dallas-Victory, located on Victory Park Lane, is said to offer guests "sensory indulgences" wrapped in the traditional Dallas "cowboy cool." The W has a business center—which includes PC workstations, fax machines, printers, scanners, and high-speed Internet access—that is accessible 24/7 with a guest room key. The hotel's 3,000 square-foot fitness center offers state-of-the-art equipment and personal training, and 24-hour In-Room Bliss Massage Treatments for your post-workout relaxation. The hotel is pet friendly and offers dog-walking services. Craft, the W's in-hotel restaurant, offers contemporary cuisine for breakfast, lunch and dinner. On the hotel's rooftop sits Ghostbar—one of Dallas' premier nightspots.
The Ritz-Carlton, Dallas on McKinney Avenue was named the number one large hotel by the 2009 Zagat U.S. Hotels, Resorts & Spas Survey. The hotel has on-site dining at Fearing's restaurant, which offers "elevated American cuisine" on its innovative menu for breakfast, lunch, dinner and Sunday brunch. The Ritz also offers an executive business center and high-speed Internet access, and a "technology butler" for technical support.
See the complete listing of TAG-approved hotels in Dallas.
The Dallas Voice, the city's LGBT print and online newspaper is a great source of information for visitors to Dallas, including upcoming events, news, business listings in the area and more.
"North Texas is really the heart of the LGBT community here in the southwest," said Leo Cusimano, advertising director at the Dallas Voice. "Our community is really diverse, with gays and lesbians working together to form a very inclusive, cohesive community."
For more information about Dallas and its LGBT friendly community, visit the North Texas GLBT Chamber's website.
