If you're still looking for Mr. Right or Ms. Walks-on-Air this February 14th, you might wonder if your chances would be improved by a visit to Valentine, Texas or Valentine, Nebraska. Recently a single friend suggested I write a travel blog called: You Don't Have to Go to Alaska to Meet the Man of Your Dreams. She wanted me to figure out where the most single men live so that she could vacation accordingly.

The travel matchmaker is in. After quite a bit of research, I have some basic findings to report. If you're looking to meet a single guy, go west. If you're looking to meet a single girl, it's time to visit the East. As this helpful map from National Geographic shows, Boston, Philadelphia, New York, Washington, D.C., Chicago, Memphis, New Orleans, and Miami are chockfull of single women.

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Posted in Austin, Bars & Nightlife, California, Dallas/Fort Worth, Las Vegas, New York City, Offbeat, San Francisco, Texas
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I’m a little homesick this week. Not because I miss Momma's cookin’ or the familiarity of home but because Saturday marks a very important day in the lives of true Texans: Texas-OU Weekend.

The rivalry between the Longhorns and the Sooners runs deep. It’s a fairly strong hatred, really. Legend has it that way back in the day, the annual Texas-Oklahoma game brought together oil people from the two states. Back then, it was a nonconference game, but the fans still took their football seriously. Doing what billionaires do, these guys made what most would call pretty hefty bets – they put their oil wells on the line! Ah! The plot thickens! And so does the animosity between the two teams.

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Posted in Dallas/Fort Worth, Ski & Sport
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With the delays and cancellations that plagued the summer season, it’s likely that many travelers spent more time in airports than they wanted. Call me crazy, but I actually enjoy a little extra downtime every once in a while – even if it means getting stuck in an airport for a few extra hours. After all, when else am I going to find time to do nothing other than read a book?

I realize that I'm probably in the minority with this admission, leaving me wondering where the extra time at the airport leaves those who aren’t as easily enthralled by a good read. Luckily, more and more airports are upping their standards to provide some much needed reprieve from delays.

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Posted in Air Travel, Dallas/Fort Worth, Holiday & Seasonal
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When I say that I’m from Dallas, Texas, I get one of two responses. Some begin to serenade me with the theme song from that ubiquitous 1970s TV show. Others produce a scowl on the face, implying pity and dismay. Then they proceed to tell me about “this one time they went to Dallas in July…” The stories almost always make me laugh, and I find myself defending my hometown, touting its hidden secrets and promising that “it’s not always that hot.”

Of all the places I’ve been, I admit that Dallas is among the most spread out and difficult to navigate. Visitors are often overwhelmed with the sprawl, and they simply don’t know where to start. My advice: get recommendations from the locals. No doubt, your travels will be richer and more rewarding, and you’ll certainly see a side of Big D that would have otherwise been missed.

Photo courtesy of Bishop Arts District, Dallas, Texas.

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Posted in Culinary Travel, Dallas/Fort Worth, LSBF '07, Texas
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I’m all about taking surveys. I can’t get enough of answering questions. I actually arrive at the doctor’s office embarrassingly early so that I can devote as much time as I want to filling all the forms out. And so when Travel + Leisure magazine and CNN Headline News launch their America Favorite Cities survey on April 30, you can bet I’ll be at the head of the line waiting to take it.

Last conducted in 2004--when Washington, D.C. was voted the best city for sightseeing, Honolulu the best city for romance, and New York the best city for family trips--the survey asks participants to dish on the cities they’re familiar with, ranking the restaurant scene, shopping options, and historical and cultural sights. You can even, if you like, give your opinion on your fellow residents, answering questions on their friendliness, their intelligence, and--gulp!--even their attractiveness and fashion sense.

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Posted in California, Dallas/Fort Worth, New York City, Polls & Studies
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Born and raised in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, I’m quite familiar with the unspoken rivalry between the two cities, which are separated only by a 35 miles stretch of highway. Dallasites turn their noses up at the prospect of venturing to the city known as Cowtown, and Fort Worth natives have probably been guilty at one time or another of calling their neighbors to the east snobs.

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Posted in Bars & Nightlife, Culinary Travel, Dallas/Fort Worth, Educational & Historic, Shopping, Texas
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