When I thought about the city, I envisioned the first “Dallas’’ cast, living in a world of oil and cattle ranching - with the stereotypical cowboy hats, big hair, barbecue, and Tex Mex. But once I saw an episode of Bravo’s sexy TV series “Most Eligible Dallas,’’ I began to wonder what Dallas is really like. Is the night life that hot? Are there young singles everywhere? Does anyone dress down? This last question weighed on my single thirtysomething mind when my aunt asked if I would join her for a long weekend there to visit my twentysomething cousin. What would I wear?
As a Cape Cod-raised, Boston-dwelling, khaki-and-cardigan-loving gal, I needed a lesson in all things Dallas. When friends asked what I planned to do there - all I could imagine was eating steak and learning the two-step - I realized how little I knew about the seemingly glamorous city. I hoped my wardrobe wouldn’t stick out like a cranberry bog in the middle of a dude ranch.
My aunt and I packed our bags (think jeans, dangling earrings, and boots that weren’t for snow) and off we went for three days of eating with a hefty helping of pleasant surprises.
Yes, I ate my way through Dallas. But I also toured a sprawling arboretum where I got lost in a fairy tale world of pretty pumpkins and gorgeous gourds (even the gourds were glamorous), and ventured to the symphony. I walked from downtown through uptown, and drove a few miles north of downtown to check out Southern Methodist University with its tasteful brick buildings and manicured campus. The nearby Highland Park neighborhood was jaw dropping. “Everything’s bigger in Texas’’ rang true there, and my impressions were right on since watching HGTV’s “Donna Decorates Dallas.’’ The houses are sights to be seen: one after another, flawless and picturesque. Size does matter in these parts. I pictured Donna going door to door, transforming great rooms and master suites.
