Walking Tours

[dfwcre8tive]

So we've all heard it before. "There's nothing to see or do downtown." Tourists come down to snap a photo on the grassy knoll and then end up eating in a chain restaurant in the West End. Well, now we've got a hostel in town (Irving). We've got rail to the North, South, and Fort Worth. We've got activity and really great things of interest scattered downtown and all over the area. The Dallas Historical Society leads some interesting tours, but those aren't regular enough for tourists to stop in on. The tourist books show all the regular places... safe and air conditioned.

One thing I loved about living in London was the history EVERYWHERE. So-and-so ate lunch here, this is where this poet lived, etc. I love little random facts like that. So while I'd love to take bored tourists on a walking tour of downtown, I'm not the most outgoing person to do so. When I have friends in town I always play tour guide and drive to my favorite homes in the area or create crazy itineraries for them to follow all over downtown.

I want to create a website that has lots of self guided tours that tourists can use (for free, of course... then they can't complain there's nothing to see). Some of it will be very historical, some of it will be themed, and some of it will be completely offbeat wacky locations. I'd like to focus on walking or easy-to-get-to-without-a-car tours (starting from a rail station) first. Where and what themed walks would you suggest through downtown (or any of the area cities)? Different types of architecture? Best shopping? Most historic restaurants? Over/underground? While we may not have the most pedestrian-friendly downtown (yet) there is a great deal of important (and not so important) history located here. Freaky facts, urban legends, movie/music trivia, etc. We've got the obvious (JFK, Bonnie & Clyde, etc), but what would convince the urban explorer to leave the beaten path?

I've got some ideas but may need some help from you photographers, writers, and historians out there. Any great voice talents that want to be on MP3? :) I'm coming to you because you're a wealth of knowledge! Thanks!

[gc]

great idea!

[Insidetheloop]

If you want to wander around and look at junk you should go on one of the urban bike rides that the Uptown Cycles bike shop does on Sunday evenings.

http://www.uptowncycles.com/ride_schedule.htm

It's not a regular heart pounding bike ride.

If you look at the pics section you can see it's just people messing around.

http://www.uptowncycles.com/pics.htm

It's more of a slow crawl, drinking social thing where you see the sites of urban Dallas. You need a bike, but anything will work. Past rides have gone as far as the Belmont Hotel in Oak Cliff and Deep Ellum but most stay in Uptown/Oak Lawn/Downtown where there are regular stops for beer/drinks/food.

[Insidetheloop]

When people come from out of town, most people want to see Dealey Plaza. I take my out of town friends to see Dealey Plaza then drive them along the same path that Lee Harvey Oswald took back to Oak Cliff, where he lived, where he shot Officer Tippett and then where he was caught at the Texas Theatre. It only takes a few extra minutes.

The house where Oswald was photographed in his backyard with his rifle and communist manifesto is vacant, currently up for rent. You can walk into the backyard and not be hassled. It's weird being there. Creepy weird.

[incrediculous]

You're telling me I can rent Oswald's old house?

Freaky.

[Boredkid]

just dont reenact this actions

[Insidetheloop]

You're telling me I can rent Oswald's old house?

Freaky.


http://img80.imageshack.us/img80/5466/sr23sized5pn.jpg

[kmt]

Arts District Friends has guided walks-- Go to http://www.artsdistrict.org/stroll/index.asp