It was great parking can be difficult due to the direction the event supplies. They say to take an…read moreexit that is closed. Last year the events Expo was better than this year's but still nice. I definitely love their jackets this year it was classic. Really enjoyed the DJ

This is one of my favorite 5Ks and it has become an annual run that I do with a friend…read more This run is well organized and is the case with most runs, the earlier you sign up the lower the registration fee. This race has some of the best swag each year which usually consists of a light-weight jacket which is perfect for 'winter' in the Dallas area. As for packet pickup, it is usually the Thursday and Friday before that Saturday morning race day. It is always in the same location at Fair Park and upon arrival, prepare to pay $10 to park. While this might seem a bit expense since the packet pickup only takes 15 minutes or so, it goes towards reducing the need for paying a parking fee on race day. One can actually stay longer that ~15 minutes as there are quite a few vendors in the packet pickup area. My issue with the vendors is most are setup to do a 'hard-sale' on their product which is never fun. Products tend to include windows for the house, electric companies, girl scout cookies along with a few health/fitness products. Ultimately, I'd like to see them have more products associated with health/fitness and fewer of the unrelated products. That said, the sponsorship helps keep costs down for the runners so we get what we get. In addition to the in-person packet pickup, the alternative is to have your packet and swag mailed which costs $25. On the morning of the run, entrance into the parking lots can move a little slow but they do a great job of keeping things moving to ensure people make it into Fair Park for the run. That said, be sure to arrive early as the parking lots are located ~1 mile from the actual start line for the run. While it's a bit of an inconvenience, it makes for an opportunity to warm up the body before starting the run. In addition to driving to the race, DART is always an option and the Fair Park station is much closer to the start line than the parking lot. The Dallas run is always in February, which makes for cooler temps on the day of the run. That said, once the run starts you will quickly warm up and completely forget about the cooler temp. The route of the run is not the greatest but it has improved over the years. Having participated in this run for many years, it's quite interesting to see the changes that are taking place in this area. From road improvements to fewer homeless camps to new businesses along the route, it's good to see that the city of Dallas is investing in this community. Once you cross the finish line and pick up your medal, head to the main area where you can turn in your ticket for a nice chocolatey treat. This treat includes a cup of hot chocolate, chocolate fondue, a banana and other treats for dipping. It always makes for a nice reward at the end of run in the cooler temps. Overall, this is a fun run and is one I will continue to participate in. NOTE: the Hot Chocolate Run Series is held in 16 other cities throughout the year and they also offer a virtual option. Go to their website (https://hotchocolate15k.com/cities/) to find a nearby location along with the dates, etc.

ok kids registration opens 9am DEC 5th register early for better price :)read more

This is a high energy run with fun and funky lighting all through the course and the music plays…read moreall the way (leave your iPod at home). Has a big after party at the finish line - it's my new favorite night run

PR or ER was not the motto for this one. Fast finishing is not my speciality on this distance…read more I've been extremely sedentary the past 7 months (I don't even know who I am anymore) and have had a few injuries including multiple plantar plate tears in my left foot, but there was no way I wasn't going to run the Dallas marathon since I'm here. That was until we were headed to the start line and it was beyond freezing. Literally. Real Feel less than 20 degrees. Hell to the No No, this is not optimal for me. I told my bff I just can't do it today, there's no way I'm going to pull this one out of my a** in these conditions. I bundled up in a very serious way (never had so much on for a marathon, it's a shocker I could even move in this many layers) and imagined I'd strip this off before the start but then decided there's just no way I can manage this distance in this temp. He later told me, the only reason I ran this marathon and ended up getting out of the car (after saying drive me there, but I'm not getting out of this car) was because I had to use the restroom. Facts. I ran the marathon but he deserves the medal for braving the temps he did to provide support for me. This marathon can basically be summed up as the Jack and Coke run for me, although it was never Jack - I did stop at 3 different miles for some serious heavy pour whiskey shots to warm up and drown whatever pain I imagined I'd be in store for. I'd briefly studied the course/elevation chart the evening prior and knew this course would probably feel ok, pancake flat can really take a toll on me where rolling hills help switch up the muscle groups which I feel is always better for your body. I was frozen solid the entire race, each time I stopped to meet bestie at our designated miles 10, 18 and 23 or use the restroom- I'd quickly remove a glove and my hand would just burn from the cold. I couldn't slip my ear warmer away from my ears even for a moment and I legit had my thickest hoodie on with the hood tied up and over my ear warmer and hat most of the race. I love me some cloud cover but I was out here praying for some sunshine, none until the finish - go figure! All in all this marathon is extremely well executed. Registration, Expo, Start Line, Finish, Course Support, Spectators, you name it - it's a job well done in every aspect. The course is great as an out and back. The rolling hills are gradual enough to provide the fluctuation your body needs. I cursed the bridges around the lake, they were causing serious vertigo on a body that was on the brink of hypothermia. It took a moment to realize they were actually shaking and I wasn't on the verge of a seizure. The spectators were strong, it never felt deserted. I will say Texas loves their alcohol, I've never seen so many bars and shots set up. The entire race was one big bar. I'm very thankful for the little snackies that were out. I had a mini donut hole and an orange slice here and there. My go to marathon fuel remains the same, I always pack cheez its, Coca Cola has been brought into the rotation the past couple of years (I dont consume soda and had it on a course once and it was life changing), and a little sweet treat (cookies or gummy bears). I rarely if ever can stomach brekke prior so it's usually a few cheez its, a bite or two of a sweet treat (cookies), a sip or two of coke, a few Advil for shits and giggles - it's preventative folks! a pack of Bloks, sips of Gatorade at the stations, smart water and whatever else sparks my interest along the course. This time lots of whiskey! I will go out on a limb and say this course is probably a good one for a PR if you actually train for the race. Congrats to all the finishers and a huge shout out to the exceptional volunteers and spectators who were out here doing gods work in these below freezing temps, ya'll are the real MVPs.

Super organized race. Only thing I can complain about is the lack of pre-race restrooms. There were…read morethousands of people there and about 10 porta-potties available near the start. Other than that, this was a beautiful course and I would do it again.

What is the best way to get your system ready for a long day of Celebrating St Patrick's day as the…read moresun is peeking over the horizon? Run/walk the Dallas Annual St Paddy's Day Dash Down Greenville 5K! Some years, the race swag is pretty good and some years the T-shirt is pretty great! This year, they had both! The t-shirt was a charmingly luscious Kelly Green! The finisher's metal was bright, cheerful and designed to be a bottle opener! There was even a free light beer from a brewery. What a great way to start your day! The crowd was in the thousands with real runners, slow walkers, kids, dogs and tons of costumes of mostly green varieties! The event director had a fun warm up with great music to get your wee heart pumped up! Lots of vendors offering sports drinks, energy bars and all kinds of services you may need to keep you healthy! There were even future races you could sign up for such as the Hotcake Hustle! The crowd was off with a bang! The course is pretty good and there is a slight hill that would make one wish they didn't drink like they did the night before. Some of us less athletic finished just fine and enjoyed our beer. I'll be back next year!

This was such a fun, festive race! Highly recommend you gather up your running friends and head on…read moredown to Greenville next year. The course was fairly flat with one steady incline in the middle. I lined up to the front to avoid dodging all of the walkers. Whether you walk, skip or run it's definitely a good time and fun way to celebrate the holiday! Lots of people were already out at 7 am tailgating and plenty of people around to cheer you on. I beat my last 5K and finished in 24:30 so not too bad! I really enjoy the 5K distance to force myself to push the pace after running all of these back to back marathons and long distance. It's a great challenge! There's plenty of beer to go around and stay for the parade after if that's your thing. Park in the neighborhood on the other side of 75 and walk over so you don't get towed or stuck anywhere.

Corinthian Sailing Club (cscsailing.org) offers among the best one design sailboat dinghy racing in…read morethe country. Club racing is every Sunday, all year round, with the first race signal on the water at 1:30pm CT. The most active fleet is Flying Scot sailboats. Other fleets include V-15, Corinthian, Laser, Butterfly, Snipe, and Lightning. The CSC Juniors program is very active in Optimist, Lasers, and 470's. My entire family have been active members at CSC for years and have just a terrific time sailing and socializing! Please check the CSCsailing.org website for updates and calendar.

I came in from out of town and contacted this club before hand to see if any chance of visiting…read moreover the 4th of July weekend. I was very excited to hear back from the Commodore who invited me and my friends to come Sunday for the Flying Scot Races they do every Sunday of the year. He also invited us to their 4th of July Celebration. We were too busy to make it Sunday thankfully because too much wind cancelled racing but we were able to make the 4th and spent several hours with their membership who could not have been any more hospitable. The Commodore and the Vice Commodore greeted us. The Commodore and I traded Burgees(for you non-nautical types that is the Club flag). We ate their burgers and sides and the great deserts that many members provided. We drank from their Tiki bar and could not have had a better evening. One of the bartenders/members recognized me and actually told us to take his boat out for a sail. Not wanting to be rude we jumped on it and had a fantastic 30 minutes on their beautiful lake. This club has a wonderful membership which requires boat ownership to be a regular member and their is also associate membership for those that sail but do not own a boat. REally good diverse crowd. Great location for festivities and sailing alike. IF in Dallas, I will be back! If you are a Yacht Club member elsewhere they are great about reciprocation which we took full advantage of.

This is a very suburban paved trail. The trail itself is well maintained. It's wide enough for…read morebikers and walkers to share and when we went, the grass on either side of the trail was recently mowed. There are a few areas where the trail crosses over the creek and in these places we did see a good amount of trash (come on, people!) but those were the only areas looking anything short of pristine. You could probably walk this entire trail in one day, but having kids who like to stop and explore every 10 feet, we split the walk over two days, the first day walking from the trailhead at the fire station off Davis to Smithfield Rd. and the second day covering Smithfield to Creekridge Dr., which is about where the John Barfield trail ends and the Little Bear Creek trail begins. We did not explore the trail East of Davis Blvd. so I cannot comment on that. From the starting point of the fire station, heading west, the trail is bordered by foliage on one side and houses on the other. There are large power lines lining the trail. It might as well be a walk down a neighborhood sidewalk. West of Smithfield, the trail does escape the housing developments for a bit and is lined by dense trees on either side. It offers very little shade, but it nevertheless a pretty walk. If it had been that way the for the entire trail, I would have given John Barfield 4 stars, but the other portions of the trail are just too suburban and sterile. It's a place to exercise, but frankly, this is no nature walk. This trail is a great feature for those who live within walking distance, but others will likely not find it to be worth the drive. FYI: the google app on my iPhone led us to a neighborhood near the trail off Davis. The correct location for the main trailhead (which is actually in the center of the trail) is at the fire station at Davis and Shadywood Ln.

So in Keller, North Richland Hills, Hurst, Colleyville, Grapevine, Southlake and Fort Worth there's…read morea pretty good network of trails. These trails are typically wide sidewalks, suitable for walking, running or cycling. While I'm fond of the Keller trails, they lack (peaceful) connectivity to the larger system of trails in Tarrant Co. I say peaceful, because while Rufe Snow Blvd has a wide sidewalk that can get you to the John Barfield Trail, it's not the most pleasant of of routes (I take Cat Mountain to North Tarrant Pky to get off Rufe Snow). That being said, once you get on the trail (you can pick it up near Rufe Snow and North Tarrant Pky (or near Keller-Smithfied Rd and North Tarrant Pky if you use the Cat Mtn bypass) it is quite peaceful. On the Barnfield Trail you can walk or ride, in relative peace, (almost) all the way to Grapevine (via the Cottonbelt) if you choose. On this day, I did. I started my walk on the John Barfield Trail, just south of North Tarrant Pky near Keller-Smithfield Rd. Very peaceful place to walk. A little lacking on facilities (water/restrooms), but those can be found further along the trail (Pleasant Run Soccer Complex in Colleyville) or at businesses near the trail. Do bring water though, as it's easier than detouring off the trail. The trail winds through neighborhoods, eventually ending up at the Cotton Belt trail (near Precinct Line Rd). From here, you can get all the way to Grapevine, but the trail peters out at Highway 26 (Coleyville Blvd). If there's a good trail into Grapevine (from here), I have yet to discover it. John Barnfield Trail url: http://www.nrhtx.com/Facilities.aspx?Page=detail&RID=46 NRH trail system: http://www.nrhtx.com/DocumentCenter/Home/View/593 Cotton Belt Trail : http://www.traillink.com/trail/cotton-belt-trail.aspx (map at URL) Bottom line: Once on the trail, it's a wonderful escape.

We were looking for a fun activity for my son's birthday, and had a blast at Freedom 75! 5 of us…read moreplayed paintball for nearly 2 hours, and the cost was only $30/person. That price includes gun and mask rental, 150 paintball rounds, and you can play all day, including come and go privileges. We had some beginners in our group, and Matt was very helpful showing us all how to use the equipment and going over all the expectations for the games. They have appx 3000sf of arena space, and it is divided with mostly plywood walls to create a maze effect. It's currently decorated like a zombie apocalypse, and there are several different hiding spots to keep things interesting. Mat turned the lights down and turned on the fog machine to create extra spooky effects, and will certainly come back here again. One thing worth improving is that one of our 5 rental guns ran out of air very quickly, but Matt was very helpful in getting it aired up a couple times to try to keep the games going. I think we played 6-7 total rounds with our group of 5 people, and it was a blast!!

Went to visit the st Francis skatepark as it's been a long time since I been there. The ramps and…read moreobstacles could definitely use an update or revamp however most obstacles are still functioning. Not the best place to skate however it is a spot but gets very crowded as there is not much space to roll around. Maybe they should throw in some seating benches closer by as skater homies kept sitting on the bench I was trying to skate. Chill spot for beginners but most of the skate park is a bit run down. Atleast it's something. Could be made better though. The kids park right next to it did get a really good update compared to years ago.