Dallas, Texas is one of the fastest growing cities in the United States and the only one of this size without a navigable port to open water. The basis for the founding of Dallas was cotton, railroads and industry. Today, the economy is primarily on commerce, banking computer technology, transportation, and telecommunications; with the third largest concentration of Fortune 500 companies in the country. The Trinity River provides a vital source of life here in the north Texas and the focus of a continuing greening project along its banks that will encompass some twenty percent of land along the river with the result being the largest urban park greenbelt in the country.

One of the areas that draw the most visitors to the ‘Big D’ is the arts district which has some of most impressive collections of collectible art in the country. The Trammell and Margaret Crow Collection of Asian Art, the Dallas Museum of Art are two of the many places to enjoy this. The jazz and blues of the 1920’s and 30’s were the place to hear hot new music artists in the Deep Ellum area.

For recreationists, the parks in the Dallas area contain over seventeen lakes, and the home of Six Flags over Texas amusement park is a short distance away in Arlington, Texas. Because of the flatness of the land, bicycling is one of the fastest growing recreational activities in the area. The public transportation system is one of the best with the bus and rail lines offering great deals for visitors who do not wish to drive on the roads and freeway system.

The food is among the best in Mexican, Tex-Mex and a variety of specialized cuisine to tempt any eater. The original Chili’s and Romano’s Macaroni Grill are in Dallas. Steaks and barbeque have made the city famous for food.

Sports too, have not been neglected here in D-town. There are professional football, baseball, basketball, hockey teams as well as college and university teams. One sport that is unexpectedly found in Dallas is the English sport of cricket.

The annual State Fair brings in over three hundred million dollars to the city every year. With the origins of the dependence of the city being on the cattle drives and beef, there is great prestige in having the best of the best in the State Fair.

Of course, the mention of Dallas brings to mind the television show of the same name, but many more Americans think of the killing of JFK at the Texas School Book Depositary. The building serves as a county office building now, but the entire sixth and seventh floors are a museum display about the infamous day in Dallas that brought a nation together in shock over the assassination of the young President Kennedy. Other places of interest to the visitor are the Cotton Bowl, the South fork Ranch, Reunion Tower the Texas Stadium and the Dallas Zoo are just a few among many attractions that Dallas has to offer.