When in Dallas...

...do as a Texan -- up at the break of dawn and to bed sometime after midnight. Last week I touched down in Dallas/Fort Worth for a 4 day press tour itinerary for GoNomad.com. My writings should be posted by this weekend. Southerners Traci, Betty, John, Diane and Creative Adjustive Engineer Steve, easily lassoed that elitest yankee attitude out from under me and showed me what I've been missing. 4-star dining at the Capital Grille, extreme rodeo from behind the bullpen, luxury suites at the Omni Mandalay, 6 museums including the National Scouting, National Womens, and the 6th Floor at Dealey Plaza. "Spendors of China's Forbidden City" at the Nasher Museum was my favorite though! An unprecedented exhibition of 400 artifacts from Emperor Qianlong's reign from 1736 to 1789. The art objects have never before been seen outside of China and have never left the Forbidden City. I learned about Tibetan Stupas, pagodas, the Buddha Amitayus, and ceremonial armor. The West End, Dallas Upper, and Deep Ellum were the cultural meccas for great shopping, unique music, art-house theater, and colorful personalities. I dug deep into my pockets for a one-of-kind piece of mixed-media expression from the Main Street Arts Festival in downtown Fort Worth. Of the 600 artists who aim to be part of this show every year, only 250 are picked. My artist, Israeli-born Lea Alboher, moved to San Francisco shortly after her father died and pursued his lost dream of becoming an artist. Upon talking with her at her booth, I realized how close I was to her shop, during my travels to California in February. The vacation (I mean job) wrapped up with a tour of Historic GrapeVine with wine tasting and a Baptist Singing Group in the BluesRoom restaurant . Halleluiah, praise be to travel at it's best!