The Glass Cactus or Greenville?

Partying in the heart of Dallas, Texas

The Glass Cactus at Gaylord Texan

We did some research on what clubs to check out that night, and Sunset Lounge at Ross Avenue came up on top of my list. Yet we were also looking at visiting the Glass Cactus, because we have always wanted to see about staying at Gaylord Texan resorts one day. We ended up being indecisive. Where to go? If we go to Glass Cactus that meant we have to drive to the other side of the city to check out Sunset Lounge or some other bars in the Greenville area. If we head straight to Greenville, that meant we wouldn’t know what partying at the Glass Cactus would be like.

Donning our club outfits, Joe and I figured the Glass Cactus would be fun to check out first. After we had our car parked by the valet we cut through the partying crowd — a mix of young and old, but no one looked trashy or out of place. There was a live band playing but I didn’t like all the music they played. We lined up at the bar to get our Long Island Iced Teas.

People actually started dancing when they put on some club music during the intermission. There were a lot of older clubbers around, and I could tell that most of them aren’t exactly the hardcore type. Joe thought that was fine because at least we won’t expect any trouble. The Glass Cactus looked small from the ground, but when we checked out the balcony and the second floor we had more room and there was some sofas for lounging and chit-chat.

We left the Gaylord Texan club later in the night to see what was going on at Greenville. Apparently the street was dead, or maybe only because it was too cold that everyone just huddled inside the clubs. One thing is for sure though. By the time we hit the road back to the hotel, I realized I was too tipsy to even care. The Glass Cactus’ LIIT was the strongest I’ve ever sipped in my entire life. I had to squeeze in six lemon slices to tame it!

North Park Center – A Dallas Shopper’s Bliss

I consider North Park as a cross between Grapevine Mills and Galleria. Grapevine to me is huge, and more people-friendly. Galleria boasts of a skating rink but doesn’t even have stuff for kids like Gamestop. I can’t remember seeing a Victoria’s Secret store the last time we were there. But North Park Center reminds me of Fashion Show Mall and Forum Shops in Las Vegas.

So Joe got himself a nice striped long sleeved shirt at Macy’s. We had some teriyaki chicken at the food court. I kept getting scolded for drinking too much soda. In reality, I hated it. I just had to keep my system up and my energy going with caffeine, in order to fight the 40-degree weather that was killing me in Dallas that night.

Weekend Getaway in Dallas, Texas

On our weekend getaway we decided to drive 100 miles from home to Dallas — to spend the night, party out, check out the malls and flea markets, and…who knows what else? We’ve been to Dallas a thousand times but there is always something new that Joe wants me to see. Also, we have always wanted to check out places we saw along the way, but never had the time to do so before. This weekend we made such opportunity possible.

We booked a hotel room at Crowne Plaza Suites — not necessarily extravagant — but there are things to like in our room. The bathroom is not big, the bed is not soft enough, but the hotel offered a mini-living room separate from the main bedroom, which has its own cable TV and laptop desk. The hotel has a nice pool and a hot tub but we figured it was too cold to swim, so we skipped the dip. We also wanted to work out in the gym as soon as we checked into the hotel but then time was running out.

I brought my own warm clothes but Joe didn’t, so I harassed him into getting himself a long sleeved shirt at the mall. After checking out Barcadia and spending a minute talking to a friend living near the hotel area, we drove straight to North Park Center.

Finding the Big Bend Country in the Texas map

The Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo, Texas

If you’re wondering where the Big Bend Country is located on the Texas Map, you will see that it is bordered by Mexico to the south, and New Mexico to the west, and stretches as far as Midland-Odessa to the northeast and Del Rio to the southeast. The Big Bend region is filled with history, culture and, perhaps, even a bit of infamy. It’s home to two presidents, at least one famous musician, one of the world’s largest telescopes, a comic character, Texas’ highest peak, Texas’ oldest mission, the world’s largest jackrabbit statue, and more.

TEXAS STATE PARKS, ANYONE?

The Guadalupe Mountains National Park is home of Texas’ highest point and one of the state’s most beautiful spots – McKittrick Canyon. The Big Bend National Park itself is about the size of Rhode Island and there is a lot to see in a single day or on a short trip. Check out the Balmorhea State Park to take a dip in one of the largest man-made pools in the United States and Monahans Sandhills State Park which is one gigantic oak forest this west area of the Texas map.

Most of the Big Bend Country’s landscape is covered by the Chihuahuan Desert. The desert is populated with mountains, valleys and plains, so it has a variety of terrain and climates.

One thing to remember before heading into this farthest western region of the Texas map: People can drive for miles with only the desert landscape for company. A Texas road map or highway map is going to be extremely helpful. And to make your trip even more exciting and memorable, stop by to check out the attractions and bring your cameras along!