Going to Arlington. Texas that is. Tips from the locals?

If you're gonna do the stockyards thing on Friday, and you've never been to a rodeo, the one in Cowtown Coliseum (Friday and Saturday nights) is pretty good. If you go, don't waste your money on premium seating; general admission (approx. $18) will be fine. It's cheesy as all get-out, but it's still a rodeo.

 

Ate at Riscky's on Friday. Original plan was to hit Joe Ts but got some amazing street parking in the Stockyards.

But the Riscky's was right there.

Also went to the Fort Worth Aquatic Sculptures. That was really cool.

I wish I knew how Texas could afford all that concrete for the road construction. Seemed like everywhere we went, orange barrels and torn up roads.

Looking forward to that toll bill as well.

Metroplex is a mighty fine place to spend a long weekend. Even though I wouldn't recommend the Hilton Garden Inn in Arlington. I just think a working elevator is a must for a four-story hotel.

 

Good thing you didn't venture south on I-35. Between DFW and Austin, I swear that stretch has been under construction for the last 15 years. Parts of it are done, parts of it still tore up.

But yeah, DFW likes to pour some concrete.

 

Long before yours truly landed in the Metroplex, word is an Air France Concorde flight made one of the first landings at DFW airport. Per a local, they made a big hoo-doo, with a press conference and live TV broadcast. Apparently, upon being asked what he thought of the new airport, the pilot said, in a ridiculously thick French accent, "Concrete must be cheap here."

 

Road construction in DFW is a fact of life. Even the highway to my house is dug up. The mother of all projects is about to start: rebuilding the downtown Mixmaster.

 

One of the few parts of the country where they actually seem to overbuild roads in anticipation of suburban growth.

 

Not really. A few cities like Frisco and Plano had the foresight to build extra lanes on major thoroughfares before the growth hit full force. But the freeway system in the whole area is a constant process of upgrading woefully outdated main lanes. LBJ Freeway is perpetually under construction, and the "funnel" out by DFW Airport is a total clusterfuck.

 

Really? I remember sitting in traffic a lot when my sister lived in Allen.

 

Unless you're going to a game or to Six Flags or one of its offshoots, Arlington is an awful place to visit. Much more cool stuff in Fort Worth and Dallas.

 

I actually meant the suburbs were roaded up, not the city. My bad.

 

I wish the trip was to Arlington, Va., just so I had an excuse to post this.