2011 has been a great year so far! New destinations, exciting adventures, delicious cuisine, fascinating arts and cultural events…But before I get all wrapped up in the details for this year, I wanted to take a look back at some of the wonderful adventures and experiences I shared with you all last year.
What began as a frontier town with its first settlers coming to the area in the 1850s, transformed over the years into a major metropolitan city situated between the powerhouse cities of Dallas and Fort Worth. Today Irving boasts a population of over 200,000 (2.5 million in the metropolitan area), and it is the third largest city in the county and the 13th largest in Texas.
800.2.IRVING, 972.252.7476, www.irvingtexas.com
Some of the city notables are:
The Mustangs of Las Colinas, the world's largest equestrian sculpture, and the Mustangs of Las Colinas Museum for a pictorial, chronological timeline of the creation of the sculpture (972.869.9047, www.mustangsoflascolinas.com); and The National Scouting Museum, the official museum of the Boy Scouts of America (800.303.3047, 972.580.2100, www.bsamuseum.org).
The Four Seasons Resort and Club Dallas at Las Colinas is the state's only five-diamond rated resort with the accompanying Spa & Salon at Four Seasons, their luxurious European-style spa (800.819.5053, www.fourseasons.com/dallas); and the Jackie Townsell Bear Creek Heritage Center, located in Bear Creek, is the oldest African-American community in North Texas (972.790.9934, www.shopirvingtexas.com/JackieTownsellBearCreekHeritageCenter).
Situated in the southwestern portion of the state, Lake Charles and Southwest Louisiana were originally inhabited by Native Americans then the Spanish. Today the surrounding parish has an estimated population of 186,000 people and encompasses the cities of Lake Charles, Sulphur, Vinton Westlake, Iowa and DeQuincy.
456.SWLA, 337.436.9588, www.visitlakecharles.org
Be sure to visit:
The Imperial Calcasieu Museum fora good grasp of city and area history (337.439.3797, www.imperialcalcasieumuseum.org); The Central School Arts & Humanities Center and its popular cultural entities: the Black Heritage Gallery (337.488.0567, www.bhflc.org), a showcase of the contributions of African Americans to Southwest Louisiana, and the Mardi Gras Museum, a fabulous collection of everything Mardi Gras (337.430.0043, www.swlamardigras.com).
The Creole Nature Trail All-American Road (800.456.7952, www.creolenaturetrail.org)details the area’s diverse ecological environment, is part of The Southwest Louisiana National Wildlife Refuge Complexand includes the (337.598.2216, www.fws.gov/swlarefugecomplex/cameronprairie).
For good eats be sure to dine at Chastain’s Food & Spirits, known for their plate lunches, oysters and Poboys (337.474.4700),; Snake River Grill at the L’Auberge du Lac Casino Resort (866.580.7444, 337.395.7777, www.ldlcasino.com);The Kitchen,a black-owned family restaurant serving home cooked soul food (337.436.1444, www.eatatthekitchen.com); Mazen’s Restaurant for outstanding Mediterranean cuisine (337.477.8207, www.mazens.com), and B&O’s Kitchen & Grocery (take out only, 337.625.4637) for the best southwestern Louisiana delicacies.
Situated in the middle of the Heartland, Wichita was named after the Wichita Indians who originally inhabited the area, later morphing into a trading post at the confluence of the Big and Little Arkansas Rivers in the mid-1800s. Now the largest city in Kansas, Wichita has a population of approximately 500,000 people in the metropolitan area.
800.288.9424, 316.265.2800, www.gowichita.com
The city offers several wonderful entities:
The Old Cowtown Museum, a living history museum detailing the city’s early western heritage in the 1870s (316.219.1871, www.oldcowtown.org); The Kansas Aviation Museum for an overview of the early aviation history in a city that today produces approximately 42 percent of the world’s general aviation aircraft (316.683.9242, www.kansasaviationmuseum.org); and the Museum of World Treasures, one of the most unique museums in the country (316.263.1311, www.worldtreasures.org).
The Kansas African American Museum chronicles the African American experience in Wichita (316.262.7651, www.tkaamuseum.org); The Keeper of the Plains is one of the most remarkable landmarks in the country, and sites adjacent to the Mid-America All-Indian Center, a tribute to the Native American peoples that first settled the area (316.350.3340, www.theindiancenter.org).
Shopping notables include Barfield’s Boutique for the best designer items for African American women (316.269.4560, www.barfields-boutique.com), and Hatman Jack’s Wichita Hat Works,one of the most popular and one of the largest hat stores in the country (316.264.4881, www.hatmanjacks.com).
There’s more to come in our look back at some of my great travel adventures from last year.
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