This week the Global Traveler team headed to Dallas for the 2023 GBTA Conference hosted at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center. While the team met up on Sunday, I went down a day early to check out the city and see some of the Dallas sights, as this was my first time in Texas.

After I landed at Dallas/Fort Worth, I directed my Uber to the Canvas Hotel Dallas so I could drop off my bags and venture out into town. One area that came highly recommended as a spot to see was the Bishop Arts District. This area was scattered with beautiful vintage shops, snazzy bars, and little boutiques filled with cute finds. In essence, it was the perfect spot to enjoy an afternoon.

The first stop I made was at La Paisanita for lunch to help fuel my impending shopping spree. The barbacoa and fajita tacos and the lemonade agua fresca were the perfect first meal in the city. After I finished, I walked through the neighborhood and made stops into boutiques such as Dolly Python and Bella & Brawn, where I purchased a lovely pair of dangly gold earrings with yellow stones and a vintage gold and yellow beaded handbag from the 1960s. The strip had many cute stores that were perfect for window shopping while soaking in the A/C.

I made a stop at Paradiso for the Paradiso Soda while chatting with some locals to get the best recommendations for the remainder of my trip. As I continued down the road, getting ready to head back to my hotel, I stumbled across Revelers Hall, a jazz spot that had a fantastic band playing live music. The music pulled me in, and I ended up staying for a handful of songs, which was so much fun!

From Revelers Hall, I headed back to my hotel to get ready for dinner, where I went to Terry Black’s Barbeque in Deep Ellum. The brisket was phenomenal, as was the homemade sausage and mac and cheese. As the next day began my busy week at GBTA, I headed back to rest for the evening before meeting up with the team for the convention.

— Aly Evans, administrative assistant