Feb 15

Feb 15 Dallas doesn't disappoint

A special day with my number one person that had all our favourite things.

Dallas, Texas: 15 February 2020

As an Australian, waking up on day one of any international holiday at a normal time is wining (jet-lag free!) So today was off to a good start as I headed out for a run on the KATY Trail.

I didn’t quite have my bearings so Uber-ed to the farthest end of the Trail and ran back towards home (which I realised wasn’t too far away once I got to the other end). The KATY Trail is a simple, safe 5.6 km pedestrian and bike path through central Dallas. It’s bordered by a few lovely parks, connects into the city centre and was filled with runners and walkers. A morning (or evening) run go-to if you’re in Dallas.

Agreements around mornings have been a key success factor is hanging out as adults. Tom loves a sleep-in - I’m an early riser (no, I don’t know how that happened). Here’s what we do - we find accomodation that’s convenient for a morning run or walk for me, and we agree a time to ‘meet’ in the morning (usually 11am). No hard feelings, no arguments, we each start the day in a way that suits us and we (definitely!) enjoy our day more as a result.

Dalls’s KATY Trail, which I was fascintated to find out is run by an not-for-profit association on government land.

The Perot Museum of Nature and Sciencean incredible example of America’s philanthropy.

Here’s another point of compromise - food. Tom likes food utilitarian. He likes to it be tasty but cheap and tip free. Me, I like atmosphere - I like to feel a place, I like style. I don’t care about cost, for me a meal is an experience and one of the favourite parts of my day.

Last time I was in the USA Tom had a food win that continues to pay off - Denny’s. It is so American I find it fun, it has the biggest menu you can imagine including a surprising amount of vegetables options (as well as lots that aren’t!) and cold brew (I know - cold brew!).

The other thing we both love is museums, or anywhere we can learn something new (just one of the many things I admire about Tom) so we settle on the Perot Museum of Nature and Science (with my first Uber scooter experience on the way). Such an interesting building with diverse spaces, and a great variety of exhibits. My favourite part is the dinosaurs. So many skeletons! Many more than you would see in a museum in Australia, and that’s because so many of the come from Texas (who knew).

Lunch is ramen, a favourite of Tom’s and a good shared go-to. We head to Jinya Ramen Bar. They have vegan ramen, and it’s delicious.

Then we outlet - another classic Nadeena and Tom pastime. I’m on the search for a coat (I was banking on getting one here for all the cold places to come). We do Nike, Puma, Adidas, Columbia, and many others - and have coat (and running tights) purchasing success!

We rush home for NBA All-Star 2020 Slam Dunk (and watch Gordon get robbed on his final dunk). All-American.

The, in another classic Tom move, we have dinner at 11pm. But Tom knowing late night Dallas pays off at Velvet Taco. Cool buzz and lots of vegetarian options.

I sleep happy - day one in the USA is a roaring success.