Articles about Travel
Dallas Ranks Last For Visitors and Diversity
I love lists, even when they come from Travel & Leisure, which, as far as I can tell, basically makes them up. But that’s okay. We’re big boys. The visitor thing I can understand. It always surprises me that we’re the #1 tourist destination in Texas. But diversity? That’s a low blow. (Blackfaced Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders probably doesn’t help.) And #22 in shopping? Did the the editors bother to check with retailers? I mean, good God, have they ever been to NorthPark?
Kenyan Rides the Bull
While working on putting together the print issue, we’ve come across a rather unexpected photo: a man riding the mechanical bull in traditional African clothing. When I looked up the gentleman’s name, I discovered he’s from Kenya and a member of the Samburu tribe. He and his friend are traveling through America with producers from National Geographic. They’re working on a show titled “Two Kenyan Guys.”
Not only did the gentlemen apparently enjoy a rather interesting evening at Cattle Baron’s, but they also went to an SMU football practice, learned to line dance at Billy Bob’s, and visited a “fainting goat” farm in Bowie. I’m not sure these choices are the best representation of Dallas. I like picturing them at the Cattle Baron’s Ball, but I think a Cowboys game would have been exciting. I also wonder where they went for dinner. Their diet consists of beef, blood, and milk.
Check an upcoming issue of D for the picture of the man. He seems to be having a great time.
Baggage Fees Weigh Down American Airlines
Southwest Airlines has stuck to its guns, refusing to charge customers fees for checking bags. I’m amused by the subtlety of the dig they take at other air carriers with their “Grab Your Bag. It’s On” campaign.
But are they leaving money on the table, money that passengers have shown they’re willing to pay? In September the airlines reported a 275% growth in revenue from bag fees in the second quarter this year compared to last year. That’s hundreds of millions of dollars more.
But Portfolio.com looked deeper and found that the two major airlines that don’t charge baggage fees — including Southwest — actually performed better revenue-wise than did those that charged fees. Look how they compare to Dallas-Fort Worth’s other big dog:
American Airlines, for example, generated an industry-leading $118.4 million in bag fees during the second quarter, a 219 percent year-over-year jump, says the BTS. Yet its total revenue in the second quarter dropped 20.9 percent to $4.88 billion from $6.17 billion in 2008’s second quarter …
Just as in the first quarter, the only carriers to keep their second-quarter revenue declines in single digits were the two airlines that still permit free checked bags. Southwest was down 8.8 percent
So you tell me: Have passengers “accepted” these fees?
Dallas Might as Well Be in Gabon
An odd reference to Texas in today’s New York Times article about Libreville, Gabon:
In the airport duty-free store, the wine is upward of $400. The service at the fancy French restaurants in the chic Louis district is immaculate, and at the luxury hotel on the sea the call girls dress like fashion models.
The futuristic government palaces on Omar Bongo Triumphal Boulevard, with their flying-saucer and rocket-ship outcroppings, marbled interiors and expanses of plate glass, would make the pedestrian feel humble, if there were any. It is almost as if you could be in a prosperous city in Texas.
Is the writer saying A) That we also don’t have pedestrians in Dallas, B) That everything is big in Libreville, just like everything is big in Texas, or C) Dallas call girls dress like fashion models?
Forbes Ranks Dallas as a Cultural Tourism Capital of the Country
Yes, yes. This is fun to crow about. Forbes lists the top 10 “cultural tourism capitals” of the country. Dallas comes in at No. 7 (behind No. 6 Atlanta, ahead of No. 8 Houston, and crushing No. 10 San Francisco). This fact will no doubt soon show up on the CVB’s website, as it should. But just hang on a second. Check out the methodology:
To determine America’s top cities for cultural tourism, we measured the number of 2008 overnight visitors to each of the 40 largest metropolitan statistical areas in the country, factoring in the number of cultural institutions — including museums, sports teams, and live theater and concert venues — according to New York-based AOL City Guide, an online database of local businesses, restaurants, cultural institutions and bars.
So it’s largely based on how many people visit each city. Whether they were here for the Texas-OU game or the Nasher we don’t know. And the number of cultural institution was factored in? How? In other words, there’s no qualitative measure here at all. It’s tough to build a ranking with qualitative measures, I know, but how about polling the country’s culture critics? That could have been interesting.
P.S. Yes, I realize that Forbes story went up August 20. But it’s new to me.
Dallas Tourists Come to Visit Parker, Arlington
This travel piece has been making its way around the wires, and many of our country’s finest daily newspapers, for the last few weeks. It’s confirmation that Dallas has yet to expand its image nationally much beyond J.R., the Cowboys, and the JFK assassination.
And one Deseret News reader had a couple more attractions to add to the list:
Just left that area 2 years ago for Denver. What a delightful move it has been for us. Not even any fire ants here. If you want “snooty” then you will love Dallas.
When will those new bridges turn us into a tourism magnet?
Marty B Says: Tickets Are Expensive!
P.S. If you don’t like my grammar, I don’t care, because I am not writing an English paper for a grade, plus English is my second language. I speak Alien. Let’s see you write in Alien. You can’t, because your modern-day technology lacks the advance stages of technology that we have on Jupiter. Damn Earthlings!
P.S.S. Follow me on twitter @Jupiters_Crunch.
Dallas Woman’s Lost Pet Found in Florida
Seriously. Her dog turned up in Miami.And she doesn’t know how or why.
Where I Would Be Tonight Only If I Had Access To a Helicopter, or Possibly a Jetpack: Arlington
Between Pudge Rodriguez’s return to the Temple and Paul McCartney’s concert at Cowboys Stadium, I would imagine the road rage that would overcome me in the ensuing traffic snarl would make me look something like this:
I'm not called Captain Furious as some sort of opposite nickname.
Glenn Hunter, Country-And-Western Enthusiast, Ctd.
After reading our story on Larry McMurtry and Archer City, a book-loving FBvian recalls her own encounter with the Pulitzer Prize-winning author:
[My husband] and I have been to McMurtry’s book stores and enjoyed the trip. We also managed to catch him ambling out of one of the stores and spoke to him. We gave him our biggest grins and hellos, but he ducked his head, mumbled and slunk around the corner. Maybe he thought we were local aliens.
Glenn Hunter, Country-And-Western Enthusiast, Is Also A Bookworm
Late in June, Glenn wrote about his adventures in Branson, Missouri, where he went to see country-and-western legends Merle Haggard and Gene Watson. Well, our cerebral adventurer recently returned from Archer City, home of famed author Larry McMurtry (and his four used-book stores) and site of a week-long summer class about narrative nonfiction writing at UNT’s Mayborn Graduate School of Journalism, under the direction of Mayborn writer-in-residence George Getschow. Here’s Glenn’s report.
If You Can Hula Hoop For One Minute, You Can Get 50% Off Your Stay At Hotel Palomar
I think this is serious. I mean, it’s not April Fool’s Day or anything. So here’s the deal: if you can hula-hoop for one minute at check-in, Hotel Palomar will give you 50% off your stay. If you make it only 20 seconds, then you get a free room upgrade. This offer is good through September 7 and is part of the Summer Playground package that starts at $199 a night. So, you know, if you want to get away without really getting away, this might be an affordable way to do it. What I don’t know is whether or not you need to BYO hula hoop. On a related note, I recently reviewed Central 214, the hotel’s restaurant. And that, friends, is worth a visit.
If You Think It’s Hot In North Texas, You Clearly Haven’t Been South
Yes, it’s hot today, but all told, the summer has been fairly mild in North Texas. Consider:
A “once-in-a-century” drought is baking a big swath of Texas, says John Nielsen-Gammon, state climatologist and a professor at Texas A&M University.
The drought is “zeroing out” crops and forcing ranchers to liquidate their herds. It’s also crimping summer recreation.
If that’s too much jargon you may prefer the take of vegetable grower and former Travis County district judge Harley Clark:
“It’s just damn unpleasant.”
Turns Out Glenn Hunter Is a Country-and-Western Fan
And here’s the proof: he recently went to Branson, Missouri–Sun Country Airlines just launched direct service from DFW to this C&W hot spot–to see legends Merle Haggard and Gene Watson. Read all about it.
(photo courtesy of Bob Cannella)
The Worst Explanation for a Boondoggle Ever
Dave Levinthal has a great item over on the DMN’s City Hall blog about Councilwoman Carolyn Davis explaining her taxpayer-funded trip to Belize. She said today, “Belize has a lot to offer to the city of Dallas, just like Africa.” Awesome. I wonder what Cancun can offer Dallas. Maybe Davis ought to check out Ibiza, too. We need to get some trade going with those guys. (Keep in mind, this is the woman who doesn’t even know the names of the committees on which she sits.)
Bank Robber Caught on DART Bus
He robbed the Park Cities Bank in Mockingbird Station, then caught a bus next door. Talk about going green! (Someone please kill me, as the ghost of Skip Bayless has clearly entered my body.)
Phillip Jones, Internet Superstar
You know who’s having a great week? Phillip Jones. He scored a win on the convention center hotel vote, and now the Dallas Convention & Visitors Bureau head honcho is becoming an Internet celebrity. Wilonsky has a clip from what has to be one of the best promotional interviews on behalf of our fair city.
Wick Allison Pulls Himself Out of the River Long Enough to Write Something — For the DMN
Every year around this time, Wick disappears for about a month to go fly-fishing at some super-secret, ultra-exclusive camp somewhere in upstate New York. Think Augusta National, only with fishing poles instead of golf clubs. If Martha Burk knew what Wick did every spring, and where he did it, she’d show up with a bullhorn and let him know just how distasteful she thinks it is.
All of which I provide as background so you’ll understand why I was so shocked to see this morning that Wick took time away from the trout to type this op-ed for the Morning News about why you should vote “yes” this Saturday on Prop 1 (which, again, to be clear, means to cast a vote against the convention hotel). I will say this about Wick’s piece: if he casts his line as well as he casts his argument against the hotel, then surely the rivers of the Empire State will soon need restocking.
(Hey. You gonna begrudge a man a little brown nosing during these tough economic times?)
Lookin’ Out My Back Door: Cedar Waxwings And Things
Okay, I’ll post this real fast and then duck outta here. The strong winds this week blew in some great birds. In one hour this morning, I viewed 20 Robins, 30-ish Cedar Waxwings, 20-ish Ruby-Crowned Kinglets, a Yellow-Rumped Warbler, and an opossum (not a bird). So why is there a picture of a Red-Headed Woodpecker on this post? I’m glad you asked. Because I’ve decided to start DTwitcher on Twitter. See a bird, note the location, send a tweet. Makes sense to me. Come on!
Win a Free Tut Trip to Cairo, Egypt
Today is your last day to register. If you win, consider taking Spider Monkey with you.
Spring Training Report: From Molly Erdman to Ray Washburne
SURPRISE, Ariz. — I dropped into the Rangers spring training facility to do a couple of interviews for SideDish and InsideCorner. Evan Grant, Eric Nadel, and I did lunch with Molly Erdman, the Sonic chick. (Evan has more details on InsideCorner.) I spent the better part of the afternoon with Molly, who is from Dallas, and we combed all of the backfields looking for her long-time favorite player, Steve Buechele, the former Rangers third baseman and current Rangers minor league manager. Found him. He hearts Sonic.
Plenty more after the jump.
SXSW in Review: Or, How My Yearly Trips to Austin Can Be Compared to Michael Finley’s Career
For Those Who Care, my long-ish thoughts are after the jump.
Town Plans Shocking Event
Do the city fathers in little Malakoff, Texas, realize what’s about to happen in their town? Next month, the burg’s chamber of commerce will host the 12th Annual Cornbread Festival. One of the festival’s featured events, according to the CofC Web site: a “Cornhole Tournament.” Shockingly, the chamber is “working to sanction” the event even as we speak. Then again, they may just be talking about a beanbag game.
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