School’s out for summer! It’s time for all the sleep, adventure, travel, irresponsibility, and all the food we can stomach! I am personally headed home to Dallas for the summer, and I thought I would share some of the best things to do in my beloved city.

If you are coming home near or around here, or just visiting, this wonderful, dreamy place has a million activities for you to indulge yourself into. I understand that I’m biased, but darling Dallas is just a dreamboat to me!

Here are 10 Adventures (Darling Dallas-style) to get your feet and souls moving.

1. White Rock Lake

If there’s one thing I’m more excited about than I should be as the summer months dawn on us it’s my Chaco tan. I take way more pride in it than I should, and there’s no better place to work on tans of all kinds than at a lake. White Rock is a gem, and it just feels like it goes on forever (1,015 acres to be exact)! You can rent out a one or two person Kayak, run/walk the trails, enjoy the picnic area, or bring your pup to the doggo park. (Bonus points because Steel City Pops, the literal best popsicles in the world is only a five-minute drive from here so you can cool off afterward.)

2. Dallas Arboretum

Flowers, umm yes please!!! I know it’s hot outside, but throw on a sundress and buy a disposable camera because this beautiful display of nature is worth it. The Dallas Arboretum is home to flowers on top of flowers, amazing trees, shrubbery, and cute little benches everywhere. All the aesthetic. Yes.

3. Moody Performance Hall

This adventure will have to be planned according to whatever show/performance you want to see. Part of the Dallas Arts District, Moody offers performances for everyone’s taste. They have a calendar on their website for you to sift through or filter by organization or category if you’re looking for something specific. Art is the most powerful thing in the world! Support your local artists and don’t forget the standing ovation at the end!

4. Perot Museum of Nature and Science

This museum is seriously fascinating. It has five floors each with a different theme (my personal fave is the gemstone (4th) floor) and who doesn’t love looking at dinosaur skeletons!? Everyone loves dinosaurs, that’s just basic science. It’s a beautiful building and there’s a Mexican restaurant walking distance away right next to it. What more could you want?

5. Reunion Tower

Very Low Key, this is my dream date. The Reunion Tower is suuuuper fancy, gives you a flawless 360 view of the Dallas Skyline, revolves while you eat, and probably makes you feel more fancy than you actually are. I am 100% behind all of this. Who doesn’t want to get all dressed up and eat a fancy meal 470 feet in the air?

6. Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza

This Museum is all about the life and assassination of John F. Kennedy. It is very thorough and very well done. It always blows my mind when I get to be in exact locations where real-life history happened. You get to look out the window where JFK was shot to see where he was in Dealey Plaza. History is amazing. Presidency is amazing. Assassinations, not so much.

7. Dallas Zoo

ANIMALS!!!!!!!!!! No lie, I saw a monkey do a backflip and throw a temper tantrum here, so literally anything is possible. My best friend and I got to feed a giraffe here, and we can’t say no to a photo booth so that most definitely happened as well. Everything's bigger in Texas, and the Dallas Zoo is no exception. Personally, I’m a huge fan of elephants and this zoo never disappoints.

8. Dallas World Aquarium

Buckle your seatbelts because this aquarium truly has it all. You start off at the top of the rainforest and work your way down to the depths of the ocean with all the fish and animals you could ever hope to see. Get ready to spend a few hours here because this place is Huge.

9. COFFEE

What’s a day without coffee? A nightmare. Dallas has quite the collection of coffee shops to meet all your caffeine needs. There’s Weekend Coffee, Mudsmith, Union (absolutely love what they stand for), and a personal favorite, Toasted Coffee + Kitchen, and so much more. Toasted has a whole menu that’s exclusively different kinds of toast. Are you kidding me. Plus it’s literally ginormous so bring all your friends.

10. Dallas Museum of Art

Last but certainly not least, if I could grab a sleeping bag and live right underneath Picasso’s paintings I would, The Dallas Museum of Art. My favorite place (bonus points for free admission). The DMA takes you through different time periods and cultures spoiling your eyes with some of the most beautiful creations you’ve ever seen. And when you’re done, walk literally ten feet outside to Klyde Warren Park where all your food truck needs can be met as you soak in the wonderful views Dallas has to offer.

Remember: rely on google maps, take way too many pictures, don’t park illegally, and cherish all the mems you can possibly handle.

H A P P Y S U M M E R & H A P P Y E X P L O R I N G