Dallas

After a short delay and a 3-hour bus ride, I arrived in Dallas. My trip was coming to a close, with only one more stop after Texas, before concluding my trip in NYC. I decided to tack on Dallas so I could visit my friend Pam. It was also pretty close to Austin. She was going to have to work all week, but we would get to hang out in the evenings. I needed to do a few things, and I'm a pro at entertaining myself. The last time I saw Pam was in Vietnam, so it was great to see her again so quickly. I got to technically see her twice on my trip. Lucky me. 

All I did the first few days, was go to the grocery store, do laundry, catch-up on life, and buy a new Kindle (my 5-year old Kindle broke in Peru). Super exciting. Oh and I ran and went swimming in their pool. 

However a few days earlier, I saw that that Yankees were going to be in town. I didn't need to convince Pam, so a couple of nights after I arrived, we headed to Globe Life Park to cheer on the Bronx Bombers. Unfortunately the cheering did no good and the Yankees lost. At least it wasn't as bad as the night before. And I did get to check off a new ballpark, and drink a beer out of a plastic mason jar. Little wins.

Checking out the Yankees in Dallas. 

Since I had a vehicle to use, I decided to get out the neighborhood and a run in around Grapevine Lake. The trail was amazing to run on and I actually kind of wished I had a long run planned so I could have kept going. Unfortunately throughout my run, I could see the aftermath of last year's flooding. It's hard to believe that almost a year later, the water still hasn't returned to it's normal levels.

Flooded Grapevine Lake.

After my run, I met Pam for a lunchtime barre class. It was my first ever barre class and of course it took me a little while to get the hang of it. I was trying too hard to not be out of sync with everyone else as we were doing the various exercises. I finally just had to let it go and not worry about it. I tried to just focus on the actual exercises. It was a good workout and I was a little sore the following days. After my run and the barre class, some time by the pool was needed.

Beer by the pool.

On my last full day in Dallas, I spent the afternoon in downtown. I had been down there before on a previous trip, but I was able to take a bit more time to explore. I started off with some BBQ since I was headed to the Northeast, and it was my last chance for proper Texan BBQ. There was a pretty long line, but worth the wait. 

Sammie's BBQ.

After getting my fill, I headed over to the Nasher Sculpture Garden. Since one of the exhibits was closed, I got a discount on the entrance fee, but I still got to see a fair amount of sculptures. I wandered around the garden and the two rooms open for viewing. There were some cool pieces throughout.

Nasher Sculpture Garden.

I walked over to Klyde Warren Park. The weather was a bit iffy, but people were out and about enjoying it. I also loved the library of books they had out. I love seeing books in public places for people to enjoy. I never leave home without a book, but it always fun to see what books they have. 

Dallas.

Next up was Dealey Plaza to see the JFK assassination site and memorial. I had also see these before, but from the car. I got to take my time and walk around the area. 

Kennedy Dealey Plaza Memorial.

Once I was done exploring, and before the rain hit, I headed back to Pam's for some Mexican for my last night. And some tasty sangritas.

Mexican food with Pam.

I had a great week hanging with Pam and relaxing. Seeing friends was making the transition back home much easier. 

Next stop: Philadelphia for the Broad Street 10-miler.