I may have had 4 exciting and techie days of SAS Global Forum, but you may be asking: Did you get out and do anything else? How Is Dallas?
Well yes, I do like to travel and explore, so it wasn’t all just SAS nerdery. This was my short non-conference experience in a nutshell.
John F. Kennedy Memorial: In the West End Historic District in Dallas, the JFK Memorial takes centre stage in the JFK Memorial Plaza. The memorial represents an open tomb, or cenotaph, and celebrates John F. Kennedy’s life. As the granite slab near the memorial reads, “It is not a memorial to the pain and sorrow of death, but stands as a permanent tribute to the joy and excitement of one man’s life.”
Reunion Tower: In the interest of saving some money, I opted not to ascend the 171 metre observation tower for an elevated view of Dallas, but I hear it’s a great vantage point. There’s a $44 Dallas City Pass that includes the Sixth Floor Museum (from where the sniper was perched) and the Reunion Tower among other attractions, so that’s something I would have considered if I had more tourist time. I managed to get a photo of the tower from Union Station though. That counts for something, right?
Pioneer Plaza: Holy cow! So many castrated cows… or steer. Located near the Dallas Convention Centre, it’s a very popular tourist attraction in the downtown area with some cool photo opportunities.
Dallas Farmer’s Market: I love farmer’s markets, and the Dallas Farmer’s Market was a great way to spend a morning. New ownership is overseeing expansion and development of the area, but for now, there is an open shed filled with local vendors selling lots of produce. But it’s not just fruits and veggies. There were sweets, cakes, smoothies, coffee, baked goods, and other nice indulgences expected at a farmer’s market. I was extremely appreciative of its close proximity to where I was staying as there was no other grocery store nearby, and I was able to get apples, oranges and berries to last a few days.
Chop House Burger: The owner of the Airbnb apartment I was renting recommended Chop House Burger, claiming that they had the best burgers in Dallas. When I hear “best burger”, I usually need to try it. I ordered the signature Dallas-famous “Chop House Burger”, which has amazing truffle sauce, as well as their truffle and parmesan fries. I wouldn’t say that it was the best burger I’ve ever tried, but it sure was tasty!
Yes, the conference took up much of my time, so I’m sure there were a slew of must-do experiences I missed in Dallas. If you’re reading this and you’ve been to Dallas, any recommendations for next time??
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