Dallas Light Rail Destination - Take the Red Line to Plaza of the Americas

Today in downtown Dallas the shadows of the buildings are longer. There is a chill in the air and the pigeons look fatter as they fight over scraps of food. Honestly people, throw your food into the trash cans. Why do you think pigeons keep hanging around? The office buildings have started their Christmas Displays. These events are signs that Thanksgiving is only days away. Sadly I saw few things celebrating Thanksgiving.

It also means that winter will be here soon. Now I know that Dallas winters are nothing compared to winters in Canada, or in the northern US. Why do you think I have not moved up north? Around here the freezing cold season is usually from December to February which coincides with an increase in my bad moods. I do not like being outside during cold weather. I can handle being outside on 100 plus degree days. Once the temperatures dip below forty degrees, I am constantly looking for a way to warm up. My thoughts on touring Dallas are now turning to those places I can quickly run into after I get off of the train.

The Dallas tunnel and sky bridge system is really looking good right now. Yes, you can walk all over Dallas without stepping outside into freezing weather. (It works for those of you who hate to sweat during the summer.) The following place is a part of the tunnel and sky bridge system.

The destination today is the Plaza of the Americas. To be precise, the Atrium at the Plaza of the Americas. I am not sure I understand why I have not written about this place before. It’s been here for most of my life and is an iconic part of Dallas. HKS Architects used to be housed in this building; and, I think they were the designers. I have toured those offices when I was in high school and in college. That architectural firm is now located in a different building closer to the West End. There is a Marriot attached to the Plaza and is in walking distance from the Pearl stop.

So far the hotels located within walking distance of the DART stops include: the Hyatt Regency and the Hotel Lawrence near Union Station, the soon to be opened Omni at the convention center, and the Marriot at the Plaza of the Americas. That’s for those planning a stay in Dallas. The DART Red Line will connect you to the Kennedy Memorial, the West End, the Convention Center, and Thanksgiving Square. That is just a few of the major stops within minutes by rail. For the European visitors, I think the equivalent word to “light rail” is the word “tram.”

I ate lunch at Broadway Pizza. It is a small pizza shop located on the ground floor of the Plaza right next to the entry to the ice rink. The lunch special cost me around seven dollars. I had a pizza, salad, and Dr Pepper. The service and food were great. I ate outside the shop in the plaza. The shop itself is tiny and the tables are less croweded in the atrium.

The rink was busy today. I did get to see the Zamboni smooth the ice. There are a lot of things to do here; and, I will be returning. TVAA, or Texas Visual Arts Association, has a gallery of local artists there. Ice skating lessons are offered; but, I do not know the details. The rink is one of two I know of in Dallas. The other rink is in the Galleria Mall; but, that is nowhere near a DART Stop. There is a J. Pepe’s located in the Plaza; and, the Nacho tour will be making a stop.

There is some shopping. I spotted at least one jewelry store, a coffee shop, a news stand, and a store catering to business travelers. There is shop there called “Skirtitude”, which I think is a great name. They sell unique skirts. Since I am not interested in skirts, I walked past this store. Skirtitude looked like it has been there awhile, so it might be worth a look if you are interested in dresses. There are both corporate entities and mom and pop style places represented. It’s a nice mixture; and, a reason to hope that corporate entities will not drown the individual owners.