The Top 3 Things to Experience in Dallas

Dallas is one of the premier destinations for travelers in the United States. Like all things Texan, ideas, events, and even businesses tend to be bigger in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metro. Dallas is home to many the third largest concentration of Fortune 500 companies, back-to-back World Championship team the Texas Rangers, and recent NBA Champions the Dallas Mavericks. Dallas is also the home of many famous stores and shops that are now household names, including upscale retailer Neiman Marcus, women's beauty sales Mary Kay, ubiquitous convenience store 7-Eleven, Michaels craft stores, video game retailer GameStop, and numerous multi-billion dollar game developers.

With a rock-solid economy, Dallas residents have come to expect to be courted by the city and surrounding cities for entertainment. They tend to readily have money to spend on entertainment and attractions, and Dallas has eagerly obliged them. If you're a new resident of the Southwest's only Alpha-world city, or you're visiting for business or leisure, there are so many things to check out in the Metro. If you're on a time crunch, here is the condensed list: the Top 3 Things To Do in Dallas.

3. The JFK Memorial and Dealey Plaza.

Ok guys, this one's pretty much a given. On the other hand, you'd be surprised how many people visit the DFW Metroplex and don't manage to visit these historic markers. Dealey Plaza was a famous landmark even before President Kennedy was assassinated there in November, 1963. Since that fateful day, it's served as a centerpiece of intrigue, conspiracy theories, and somber remembrance of the loss of life of one of the most beloved Presidents in American history.

While there, stop by the 6th Floor Museum for a tour of the famous room where Oswald shot the President. While some of you might consider this a separate place to visit, necessitating it's own spot on the list, I included it here since it literally adjoins the Plaza and is inextricably linked to Dealey Plaza through the history they share.

About one block north of Dealey Plaza is the JFK memorial. It's a giant, open-air cube of grey concrete. In my eyes, it represents the most utilitarian government form possible, an emotionless grey concrete and stone structure full of hard angles and devoid of color. But maybe that's why that design was picked as JFK's memorial. As a figure of tireless public service in arguably the most volatile era in American history, JFK's unwavering resolve in the face of the Soviet threat can be summed up in this unmoving, unyielding, everlasting monument to the man.

2. Sunset Dinner on the Biggest Luxury Yacht in Texas.

Hey, you knew coming into this that everything's bigger in Texas, and in Dallas we do things BIG. That's why you have to understand that it's only natural that we'd also have the biggest sailing party boat here, in the Dallas Fort Worth Metroplex.

Now, Texas gets hot. Actually, that's an understatement. Hell gets hot. Venus gets hot. Texas... well, Texas is something else during the summer. Because of this, Texans new and "original vintage" (read: native) love their time on the many lakes around the state.

One of the easiest, most fun ways to experience the beauty of Dallas is to take a relaxing sunset dinner cruise or Sunday brunch cruise aboard the Chamonix II luxury yacht on Lake Lewisville, just northwest of Dallas about 20 miles. This is an excellent way to impress clients, romantic interests, friends, or even family members in the area who haven't discovered the Chamonix II yet. The Chamonix II is a 70ft long luxury sailing catamaran, with over 2,380 square feet of deck space, room for 105 passengers and crew, and a fully stocked dance floor with catered fine foods, a state-of-the-art sound system, and the ability to integrate with any kind of additional watercraft, like jet skis or tubes.

Best of all, the whole adventure is very affordable, roughly $40 per person, including food, drinks, and the cruise, for Sunday brunches, or $60 per person for sunset cruises. I've been on the Sunday brunch cruises with friends and family and they are absolutely the best way to recover after a "long week(end)".

1. The Historic West End.

The Historic West End's heydays are past it. But that hasn't stopped it from being one of the most amazing places to visit in Dallas. There are many shops, restaurants, bars, and businesses thriving here, and while some of them have deep roots in the area, many are newer; clearly the space has got a future, even if it doesn't understand exactly what that is yet.

The West End of Dallas is a compact area, but it's bustling to the brim with things to do and see. It's home to my three favorite places in Dallas, and that earns it the top spot on our list. In the West End you have everything within walking distance that you could possibly want in one day. Let's start with the Dallas World Aquarium, whose motto seems to be "More than meets the eye". The Dallas World Aquarium is an experience unlike any other I had ever been to. I'll not spoil it for you here, because the beauty of the entire place lies in exploring it for yourself and finding out exactly what it is. Suffice it to say that growing up in California I've seen my fair share of aquariums, and while the Monterrey Bay Aquarium remains my favorite "real" aquarium, the Dallas World Aquarium is a whole different animal(s). GO HERE. You will NOT regret it.

Once you've walked around the Dallas World Aquarium, you've likely worked up an appetite, a reasonable thing, given the amount of stuff to see there. Head on over to the YO Ranch Steakhouse, right down the street. This is by far the best steakhouse in all of Dallas. No mere chain restaurant, and not a pretender to true steakhouse-ry like some "roadhouses" claim in their name, the YO Ranch is indelibly connected to Texas history by springing forth from an actual ranch, the aforementioned YO, in south Texas.

Named one of the Top 10 Steakhouses in the US by the Food Network, the YO ranch is famous for serving the best, most tender servings of steak, from mignon to porterhouse. What sets them apart; what earned them a national title; is their selection of game meats, from elk to quail to duck, to my favorite, buffalo steak. Buffalo steak is a mignon cut filet made from buffalo, containing a far lower fat content and more tender slice of meat than cattle steak. This my friends, is what makes Texas, Texas. That Maverick attitude? It's contained within every juicy morsel of steak, personified by the very walls of the YO itself. This is a true Texan establishment.