We have been in Oklahoma for a few months now, so we finally decided to take a trip down to Dallas to explore when Chad had a long weekend off from his residency program. We haven’t found anyone we can have watch Dexter, or a kennel that isn’t an arm and a leg so we did some research and made it a dog friendly weekend. I thought I’d share all of the things we did in case YOU are ever in the same boat! So, here we go. A Dallas guide on where to stay, eat and explore! Enjoy!
WHERE TO STAY: Omni Park West
Just 20 minutes outside of Dallas, The Omni Park West hotel is pet friendly and absolutely amazing. Valet, doormen, fountains, snacks in the lobby throughout the day. An amazing pool, friendly staff and clean large rooms. We felt like royalty and Dexter loved it. There are lots of areas outside of the hotel (and a lake across the street) where you can walk your fury one. Animals are allowed in the outdoor restaurant patio seating and we took him to the pool with us and he just relaxed on a pool chair while we took turns swimming with Presley. The rates are amazing and you can get free wifi and additional discounts if you sign up for their rewards program (which is free to do).
WHAT TO DO FOR THE DOG, KID AND FAMILY ACTIVITIES:
Spoil the dog! Mutts Canine Cantina is a dogs heaven on earth! We could not believe it, The entire area is fenced and separated by dog size. Dogs have tons of area to explore, play and even eat! There are chairs for the humans to sit back and relax while the dog tires themselves out. There is a small entrance charge per dog (for a day pass, month pass or year pass), but it’s definitely worth an hour or two to sit and relax while your dog is spoiled and surrounded by new best friends, plus their is free wifi so you can get some work done if you need to.
A place for the kids: Klyde Warren Park was everything we hoped it to be. Bethani recommended we stop by and we are so glad we did. There is tons of grass for blankets and frisbee, food trucks on the edge daily (and even more on ‘Food Truck Friday’), an enclosed kid area with water park and lots of climbing structures….donated books, lots of relaxed seating and tables for reading, eating and enjoying an ice cold cup of coffee, ice-cream, or popsicle. The park has events on the weekends, live music and tons of events daily. Plus, there are so many dogs it’s practically like a dog park! You can find the full event schedule here.
Family time: The Dallas Farmers Market – If you are a fan of shopping, being outside and walking around the farmers market is for you; and the Dallas Farmers Market takes it up a notch with The Shed, the Market and plenty of booths to buy food, drinks plants, clothing, jewelry and much more. While we visited Dallas we even got to meet up with some friends from Dental School who are in a residency program there. We love Jess and Todd so it was so great to see them! (Dogs are allowed everywhere except for the indoor Market)
Stroll around Deep Ellum: Drive, walk, or rent bikes and stroll around Deep Ellum. Rich with old architecture, gorgeous artwork and tons of restaurants and bars. There is even a dog park on the outside and most of the restaurants have outdoor/patio seating for your fur babies! We chose to rent bikes for $1 an hour so we could cover more ground and it was perfect because Dexter fits right in the little basket!
WHERE TO EAT:
Chicken Scratch – A simple search for dog friendly restaurants pulled up great reviews of this restaurant so we figured we would try it out. All outdoors and on rocks (so don’t wear heels *from experience*) with some covered areas, lots of twinkle lights and when it’s hot enough even misters on the fans. You order food inside and the food is brought out to your picnic table. There is a stage with live music and even an adult only bar area. Definitely try the Chicken and Waffles!
Taqueria La Ventana: We heard that Dallas was famous for it’s Tacos so when we found the Taqueria that was Dog friendly and all outdoors (plus good reviews on the Margaritas) we decided to check it out and it was amazing. We got in about 45 minutes before closing and there was always a line and wait for as table. The food is divine, affordable and the atmosphere is amazing.
We cannot wait to head back to Dallas to find more family/dog friendly things to do! If you have any suggestions, leave them in the comments!
XO
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