While “North Texas” and “Metroplex” are often used interchangeably, the former, encompassing the latter, describes a broad regional expanse of the Lone Star state. For Metroplex-based groups, North Texas also means numerous options for excursions. In her 2010 book Day Trips From Dallas/Fort Worth, travel writer Sandra Ramani presents regional “getaway ideas,” many of which are ideal for groups.
“Visitors may be surprised at what activities await just a short drive outside of the Metroplex,” says Ramani, who was raised in Dallas. “From exotic safaris to a mega-casino, North Texas is full of distractions for the business and group traveler.”
Here are some of her choices, including small towns with “classic Texas” elements.
Horses, history and live music attract visitors to Denton (940.382.7895), a lively, two-university city 40 miles north of Dallas. Four times a year, the Denton CVB offers behind-the-scenes bus tours of the surrounding Horse Country, home to world-class breeding and training ranches. Other attractions include a collection of Texas First Lady fashions and historic cookbooks museum at Texas Women's University.
Some 82 miles from Dallas, Glen Rose (254.897.3081) is home to Dinosaur Valley State Park and its collection of prehistoric footprints. Visitors can hike and mountain bike in the park, swim, canoe, tube and fish at nearby Squaw Creek Lake and along the Brazos and Paluxy Rivers—and then dine at a gourmet restaurant in the stone building-rimmed town square. Fossil Rim Wildlife Center is a 1,700-acre conservation center housing over 1,100 animals. Visitors can feed zebra, giraffe and emu from the car along a nine-mile safari drive through the preserve.
An easy 75-mile drive east of DFW, Athens (903.677.0775), reputed birthplace of the hamburger in the 1880s and famed for its black-eyed peas, has outdoor attractions such as the 100-acre East Texas Arboretum and Botanical Society and Athens Scuba Park, where visitors can dive and explore sunken “wrecks.” Other picks include seasonal berry farms, NY-TX Zipline Adventures and the popular Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center.
Once a supply center—and raucous party town—for cattle-driving cowboys heading along the Chisholm and Shawnee Trails, Gainesville, an hour north of Dallas, now beckons with a zoo, a railroad museum and Victorian-era neighborhoods. With restaurants including the original Fried Pie Co. and the upscale Sarah's on the Square, Gainesville is an ideal refueling stop en route to WinStar World Casino. Located 12 miles away across the border in Thackerville, Okla., this massive venue includes several gaming areas, restaurants, a 395-room hotel and a spa.
