Back in the Saddle: adventure, arts and architecture accent the expansion and modernization of Dallas

Once upon a time, a little Texas named Dallas made its mark on West. Cowboys and other people initially inspired its and pioneer spirit. But that was then; this is now.

If you haven't visited Texas' largest city since 1991--when the International Pool & Spa Expo last rode into town--you haven't seen Dallas.

It may have started out as a `trading post, but now Dallas is the top business and leisure destination in the Lone Star State, and the second most popular convention site in the United States.

The newest attraction in town is the Dallas Convention Center, where the expo will be held this year. City officials expect to cut the ribbon--actually, it's a fiberoptic cable--this month to open the second major expansion of the facility since the expo's last visit.

But expansion and modernization is what Dallas has been all about for the past decade. And nowhere are the effects of the renovation efforts more visible than in downtown.

DOWNTOWN DALLAS

"The expo's visitors will see new life in downtown Dallas," says Dave Whitney, president and CEO of the Dallas Convention & Visitors Bureau. "The redevelopment of downtown is exciting. The region needed to have a core--a place it could call the center of everything--and that's what's driven the city leadership."

In the midst of the city's redevelopment, visitors to the convention center will come face to face with Dallas' past. Right outside its front door is Pioneer Plaza, a public park that boasts the largest bronze sculptures in the Southwest.

The plaza is one of Whitney's favorite spots in the city. "It sets the tone of what we're really like," he says. In addition, the Pioneer Cemetery next door is a reflective place to recall those who built the city.

Downtown Dallas is actually made up of several districts that link together. It's possible to walk to the most popular tourist sites, but your feet will want you to make friends with the Dallas Area Rapid Transit system of buses and light rail. DART maps are available throughout the area, and the light rail line stops at the Dallas Convention Center and most of the major attractions.

A great starting point for any Dallas adventure is the Old Red Courthouse, a Romanesque Revival structure that today houses the Dallas Visitors Center. Inside the courthouse is a wealth of information on the city and its attractions, as well as kiosks where visitors can tap into their e-mail accounts to catch up on the home front.

Dallas County Historical Plaza

The courthouse is part of the Dallas County Historical Plaza at the junction of Main, Market, Elm and Record streets, at the western edge of downtown. It was just beyond the courthouse, on a tragic fall afternoon in the early 1960s, that the history of the United States reached a shattering turn. A large red "X" still marks the spot on Elm Street where President John F. Kennedy was shot as his motorcade passed through Dealey Plaza.

The assassination--and the presidency it cut short--is remembered in The Sixth Floor Museum (411 Elm St., although the entrance is on Houston Street).

Recently expanded to include the building's seventh floor as well, the museum has become the biggest draw in North Texas. "A lot of history drives the museum," Whitney says. "This is where it actually took place, and people are still emotional about it."

Just off the plaza is Dallas' most unexpected attraction: the Conspiracy Museum (110 S. Market St. near Main Street). This small, private exhibition rejects the government's conclusions regarding Kennedy's assassination, as well as the murders of Robert Kennedy and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Instead, it offers up a trove of videos, photos and other material that, it claims, points to far darker truths.

West End Historic District

As you leave the plaza, turn left on Market Street and you'll find West End MarketPlace in the heart of the West End Historic District.

Once a cracker factory, the MarketPlace now is an entertainment complex of gift shops, restaurants (including a Planet Hollywood) and Dallas Alley (at Market Street and Ross Avenue), which is a popular nightspot destination for Dallas conventioneers.

In fact, the Welcome Party for attendees of the 2002 International Pool & Spa Expo will be held at the Dallas Alley on Wednesday, Oct. 30; 6:30 to 8 p.m. A single cover charge gets you into a dozen bars and live music clubs.

American Airlines Center

Just north of the West End Historic District is one of Dallas' latest additions: The American Airlines Center sports arena (2500 Victory Ave. at All-Star; DART trains stop here). Home to sports teams and special events, the center sits in an area once blighted by railroad yards, a power plant and cooling ponds. City officials now hope the center will spur development within this reclaimed industrial zone. Tours of the dramatic brick, limestone and granite building are held on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Call (214) 665-4213 for an appointment.