Fireworks at Lake Carolyn - known as Sparks and Stripes from the City of Irving is their annual 4th…read moreof July celebration for residents of Irving. This year the city hosted a festival with live music and food vendors, but this review will only focus on the fireworks show. My Overall Rating - 5 Stars (Atmosphere, Service, Fireworks, Return) Atmosphere - There are few places as pretty as Lake Carolyn when the sun sets. The lake is very big, and the city allows visitors to sit in any of the public places. We ended up sitting in the lawn area in south corner. While not we weren't as close to the fireworks as other parts around the lake, we had an amazing view of the buildings in the back. 1 Star. Service - The City of Irving had buses shuttling people from the fireworks show to the parking garages at the Toyota Music Factory. The lines were long, so we paid $10 to park in one of the nearby garages. You pay for convenience, but it's hard to get out of parking garage. It is what it is. 1 Star. Fireworks - You have to be a grumpy person to not like fireworks. The show was great, with plenty types of fireworks. There was music piped in through speakers in our area. The finale could have been better, but hey it's a fireworks show. 2 Star. Will I Return? - Yes. This was my first experience with fireworks but not my last. I really loved the spectacular views of the firework above the lake. Best of all, it wasn't extremely crowded and a fun time overall. Well done, Irving! 1 Star.

Fantastic fireworks show with a drone show beforehand. Love sitting on the shore of Lake Carolyn to…read morewatch!

The people here are incredibly kind, which is why I'm leaving five stars. However, after visiting…read morethe Stockyards earlier in the day, Grapevine felt significantly more "sleepy." It felt like I went from Santa Fe to Santa Ana. Speaking of Santas, it's known as the Christmas Capital, but in the off-season, the only thing Christmas-like was me thinking, "Jesus Christ, these long stretches of sidewalk feel empty" Granted, it was the midday lull, and many of the shops and restaurants seemed spread out or closed as early as 5:00 PM. It's a nice, free place for a slow-paced stroll, but a bit underwhelming if you are looking for a vibrant atmosphere.

Downtown Grapevine is one of my favorite areas to visit, there are numerous local shops, a farmers…read moremarket, art gallery, museum(s), restaurants, a book store, trinity metro Tex rail station etc. Downtown grapevine has various community events throughout the year and is known as the Christmas Capital of Texas. There are statues and benches throughout the downtown area that add to the charm of historic downtown grapevine. Some of my favorite areas in the historic downtown area are talking animals (book shop), house of shine (non-profit/museum) and the farmer's market of grapevine. I look forward to my next visit.

This sculpture is located in Terminal D of the Dallas International Airport. It is right out front…read moreof Starbucks and the line actually goes through it if it is long enough. It is part of DFW's Art Program and is the work of Dennis Oppenheim, who made the piece in 2005. It is constructed of aluminum and reminds me a lot of Superman's lair, the Fortress of Solitude. The sculpture is 30 feet high and has an arched tunnel through the center with blue LED lighting overhead. Oppenheim was inspired by the natural form of crystals while creating this piece which depicts crystals of different sizes sprouting up at different angles. Travelers have been known to leave trinkets or foodstuffs in the dark recesses of the tunnel. Don't be surprised if you see half eaten candies, water bottles, rubber bands, paper airplanes, even small stuffed animals. The sculptures fabricators, Studio Six, performs regular scheduled inspections of Crystal Mountain and regular dustings mostly done from an aerial lift using a HEPA vacuum. I really like this sculpture it is one that demands your attention. You cannot miss it. Even though the Sculpture is open to the public. Its viewers are limited to ticketed passengers since it is located beyond the security check point. If you are in terminal D you ae sure to see it. But if you are at one of the other terminals, and have time, I recommend checking this spot out. Fun fact: Oppenheim has a similar piece in Cincinnati called Crystal Garden. It is made of colorful acrylic though and located outdoors.

One of two bridges across the Trinity River, the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge was designed by…read morearchitect Santiago Calatrava. The architect's name should be familiar as he also designed the Milwaukee Art Museum, the World Trade Center Transportation Hub in Manhattan and the Auditorio de Tenerife among other absolutely stunning buildings. Margaret Hunt Hill (1915-2007) was a major philanthropist to a number of Dallas charities and was the daughter of oil tycoon H. L. Hunt. This is a cable-stayed bridge that opened in 2012 and connects downtown Dallas to West Dallas. The stunning 40-story center-support arch is a major feature of the Dallas skyline. It is 1206 feet long, connected with 58 white strands that connect along the center of the bridge. It almost likes like a musical instrument that might be played by a giant! There is no toll to cross the bridge. It is for vehicles only, with the adjacent Ronald Kirk Bridge converted to a pedestrian and cycling bridge. [Review 758 of 2024 - 517 in Texas - 21789 overall]

I call it the Calatrava! You call it whatever you want! Actually, Santiago Calatrava was the…read morearchitect and designer of this great addition to Dallas. As with anything being developed here, it was controversial on all fronts. I have to admit I was skeptical at first. Primarily because I'm attached to the original bridges spanning the Trinity river that have been here in use for 100 years. The oldest of these bridges was (and still in use) the Houston Viaduct designed and engineered by a woman. This new bridge was named for Margaret Hunt Hill the socialite, businesswoman, and philanthropist. she was the daughter of Hunt one of the first to discover oil in Texas and instrumental in Dallas growth. Unfortunately, I didn't capture the best vantage point of this bridge but, it's become a good love addition to the Dallas landscape. Check it out when in Dallas

When in Dallas, you must check out the Reunion Tower. There isn't a whole lot to do while you're up…read morethere except enjoy the spectacular views and beautiful landscapes. We were fortunate there was no cloud cover! You could see for miles from the Ball's point of view at 470 feet up. The Reunion Tower itself is a 561 ft observation tower in Dallas, and one of the city's most recognizable landmarks. We spent about 30 min checking out the views and eventually made our way back down the elevator. Overall, it was a nice experience! But for the price we paid, I did expect a bit more! Side note: Remember to download your free group picture at the kiosk before you leave!

I always try to visit an observation tower when I visit a different state. So I had to visit the…read moreReunion Tower whilst in Dallas. The Tower looked like a lollipop and was only 20 mins walk from our hotel. At one point we found ourselves on the train tracks and could see the Tower but couldn't quite see how to get there as there was no signage or directions. Eventually, we had to walk around and go under a bridge to get to the other side and walked towards the Tower. Even the entrance had no signage. It did have the name of the restaurant Crown Block and also Hyatt Hotel but nothing about the Tower. Anyway, we walked in and went downstairs. Tickets were $19 and can be bought from the kiosks. As we walked to the line, you get to have your photo taken with a green screen. There are props you can use on the right counter if needed. In the elevator you can see outside as you are going up. I just wished the glass was facing the city instead of Trinity river and the two Margaret sister bridges. You can see all the freeways overlapping like spaghetti. At the top, there is a little area with a few tables and chairs. I guess you can bring a lunch or snack whilst enjoying the views. The restrooms are really clean up there. Outside, there are telescopes available and info about the skyline. However, it was awfully windy and cold in January. The staff were really friendly and helpful with any questions you have. We found out the photos taken earlier, could be viewed at the kiosks by scanning the barcode on your ticket. They email the photos to you for free or you can buy a physical copy from them. Overall, it was a nice visit. Have to say, there were hardly any people around. I guess it was off peak tourist season, so it was nice not having the crowds and long lines.

This trip, I'm here for the Trinity River Run (Half Marathon, 10K and 5K). It is a beautiful…read moreafternoon and the evening would get even better as the moon rose over Dallas! This area has SO many attractions and events. The restaurants go from sandwiches, fantastic burgers, BBQ, to international fares from around the world! Desserts include exquisite chocolates, cakes, Asian shave iced, fried pies, fine baked pies and ice cream. Let's not forget the drinks of fine wines to super craft beers! There is the Kirk Pedestrian bridge nearby which makes this spot special for the kids! It has a playground nearly the full length (lots of kid friendly spots the full length) besides the intended kid playgrounds. There are places to sit and lounge. Places to sit and converse. And a long pathway to run, walk, gab and sight see. The BEST attraction at Trinity Groves is the view! In daylight, the view of the Margaret Hunt-Hill Bridge is gorgeous with the back drop being the city of Dallas skyline. At night, is the ULTIMATE attraction, the fanciful and delightful ever changing colorful neon/LED building lights behind the well lit Margaret Hunt-Hill Bridge. This trip, the full moon over this view made it spectacular! Bring a date, bring the kids, bring your dog or come alone. It is impressive! You will enjoy it!

Fun rotating mix of new restaurant concepts. Has a little bit of everything, so good for indecisive…read moregroups

This place is very unique, a lot of graffiti art everywhere. We came for the first time for the…read more8th annual art walk. There were 4-5 small art studios that you can look at.

So I started a fire over there by the graffiti and I almost burned all the hairs off of my knuts. I…read moreforgot I started painting on my pants and things lead to another and there you go burning up the spot, man did my pants look SILLY!

This spot is so fricken CUTE! Excellent spot for taking pics - whether you want someone in them or…read morenot! 3/4 murals have a direct means for interacting with the mural for your photos if that's your thing. And the 4th is Tiger King, so how could you go wrong? Such a cute spot - and there's a second set of murals located at 1129 N Riverfront Blvd, a couple blocks away.

This is a cool spot for murals that you can see off the street. I am really into space, so the UFO…read moreone definitely caught my eye. Just don't try to attempt a jumping picture like me, because you will land wrong and scrape your knees up in the gravel. Lmao. Worth it. They also have cute little horse spring riders and the Tin Man water tower is creative. If you like taking pics, this place is for you!

RrrrrrrRRRrRRRrRrreeeevvvvvvvv!!! Dallas Drifting!…read moreYeeeehaw!!! This should be an Olympic sport. I love coming back from slinging mud everywhere with a truck completely covered, with chunks of mud the size of loaves of bread that fall off from under your wheel wells. If you don't have 4wd, it's just gonna take a lot more flooring it. Don't go mudding with your windows down, keep the vehicle straight unless you're doing donuts. Don't call me if you get stuck. Anyone got a horn that honks Dixie?! Its Man versus Nature, and this guy has 7.2 liters of horsepower for that rack and peanut steering. Vrooom!

Good times with the Boys. Great mud today! This is City Property. So use caution. Many with less…read moreexperience have gotten stuck. Good luck play safe.