lanejohann

Hi all!
We have booked our flights to rio from Syd...and we have air BnB accommodation sorted there

Now I have to do some planning for our two stopovers - dallas for four nights and the same for Miami on the way back
It's all up in the air ... We won't know if a family member is in the Olympic team or not and we wont know til June when the final selection is made..but I'd better start looking to book something with a cancellation option

So...I know Dallas isn't the place to be in August cos of the heat but it's reAlly only an add-on

Originally we were going to just get in and out of rio in a week


We like nature and walking... Not hiking so much
Big cities are ok ..I did love love New York! We would like mid range hotel accommodation ...we will hire a car in both dallas and Miami so we do need a hotel with parking
There are only two of us this time...no kids

Not sure what area of dallas is best for us
We would try to get out to Fort Worth too
Would downtown dallas do the trick or is there more to it?
Four days isn't a long time especially with Fort Worth thrown in
Any suggestions how we could divide our time between the two?

Any suggestions for Miami... Nice areas ?

lanejohann

I've made errors when choosing a place to stay...the Calgary hotel I chose earlier this year was not central and the kids and I traipsed to Stephens place to eat.. We were blocks away and it was cold! Sure the western plus suites were fine but location was dismal!

So this time ...
I think it's important that we stay in a central location in both dallas and Miami
I d like to see the sculptures and the botanical gardens ..maybe the jfk exhibit at the museum...go to the White rock lake

A view would be nice but not essential
Price comes before view
I think around 200 usd per night would suit us...
Looked at the Westin galleria ..that's about it
Have lost confidence in selecting an area in a totally foreign city

jayne1973

An option that might work for you in the Dallas area is Grapevine, which is close to DFW Airport with good access to both Dallas and Fort Worth. The city has made itself very attractive to visitors, with a fun old downtown area and major hotels including Gaylord Texas and Great Wolf Lodge.

www.grapevinetexasusa.com

BigRuss

You're going to need a car for DFW no matter what - both Dallas and FW are physically larger than New York, much more spread out, and are not next to each other (the "mid-cities" area comprised of various bedroom communities that together would combine to be the 5th most populous city in Australia lies between Dallas and FW).

There's no place in Dallas that will be walking distance from the Arboretum and the downtown museums.

lanejohann

Thank you Jayne and bigruss!
I just have no idea lol what to expect so I should set my expectations aside altogether!

mclaurie

Miami Beach (not downtown Miami) is likely where you want to be. South Beach is the trendy area but read reviews carefully on Tripadvisor as many of the small South Beach hotels are party central and can be noisy with small rooms. If you'd rather stay in a quieter location, Grand Beach Hotel Surfside in Surfside near Bal Harbour is a great option.

Momddtravel2

You will be in Dallas in August? Be prepared... it is HOT... hot like nothing this California girl had every experienced till I moved there. No escaping HOT.

We found the Perot Museum of Nature interesting (even without children) http://www.perotmuseum.org/

If you can stand the heat... http://www.klydewarrenpark.org/ food trucks are fun...

The Sixth Floor Museum is interesting as well - http://www.jfk.org/

Dallas Holocaust Museum http://www.dallasholocaustmuseum.org/

There is the Dallas Aquarium http://www.dwazoo.com/

(trying to think of all indoor things

Dukey1

It will be just as hot and perhaps even more humid in Miami in August so be prepared.

BigRuss

Dallas can get hot. Not as bad as Phoenix or Death Valley (which is the hottest place on Earth and located in . . . wait for it . . . California), but yeah it's warm. Think Melbourne in January and all those 35C and up days at the Aussie Open - 35C is par for a Dallas summer day. This is what we dealt with five years ago: http://www.livescience.com/16036-dal...at-record.html. And yes, you can tell the difference between a 98F day and a 100F day (37 and 38C).

Then again, last year we had notably few scorchers because it was wet.

And you know what? We still go outside.

Then we go inside.

And we sneeze from the AC . . .

Momddtravel2

Big Russ - I am just a weather diva... grew up in La Jolla and lived in Orange county for 13 years before moving to Dallas - I did not know hot... to me it felt much worse than Palm Desert on the hottest day... mainly because it felt like it never cooled off at night ... sigh.

But alas, I know Death Valley is hot...but I would pick Phoenix in the summer over Dallas ... but hey - I get that everyone doesn't feel that way.

I am back in costal California. Missing the Dallas prices but enjoying the weather

lanejohann

Thanks for all the info, folks!
Yes I have been warned about the heatSydney has been unseasonably warmer this autumn and we do have days well into the 30s

I have booked the embassy suites in grapevine and really appreciate that tip..wouldn't have really considered it otherwise...staying grapevine that is
It has mixed reviews but hey...we might be lucky so I went for the location

Now I have another thread re splitting time between Miami and the Everglades on the way back from rio later in August but in the meantime I'll start checking south beach
We will need parking facilities and I'm guessing that's all extra? And an ocean view fingers crossed