Another native Texan signing in. Born in Dallas. Graduated from UT in Austin. Now live in the San Francisco Bay area and loving it.

You are both from areas with oceans and a lot of water. You will miss this in Dallas. There are no natural bodies of water. They are all man made. The ocean is far away in Galveston. The lakes around Dallas are pretty dull.

Hot is putting it mildly. You will live indoors from May till September. You will sweat and the humidity will get to you.

Austin v Dallas? Austin wins, no question. Great city, better activities, better landscape. Better climate...still hot, but better.

If you are locked into the Dallas area check out Richardson. An established city with some great neighborhoods that is closer in. Frisco is another good growth area. If you want class and the old, fine homes that is Highland Park.

Me? I love Texas and being a Texan, but for year round great living.....San Francisco is the place to be. It is expensive in SF but it is worth it.

wanted to say thx to everyone who posted here, we will have a lot of places to check out on our visit there! aloha for the advice, makes me feel like i will sort of know what i'm doing while on vacation.

I'd look at Dallas and then swing through Denver on the way back for comparison. yes, it snows in Denver but not a lot outside of the mountains. Hawaii is one connection away and there's direct flights to London plus lots of outdoors options.

I am a third generation Texan (on both sides) and I have a few things to share too. I have lived all over the state including San Antonio, Dallas (for 11 years) and currently, Austin. I also have the unique experience of living in England for 3 1/2 years. First of all, Dallas is a great city - it took me a long time to acknowledge that but I am now! It used to be a conservative state, but it HAS changed. At the same time that the Southern Baptist Convention was Dallas, so was the National Transvestite Convention. Dallas: First of all, the music scene is amazing!! This has a lot to do with the world renown music school at the University of North Texas in Denton (45 min north of Dallas) and the Arts Magnet school in Downtown Dallas.
As far as value for the money, Dallas is IT!! Austin is way over priced for what you get and it is first and foremost a College Town or for State employees. It's a lot of fun, but for commerce and property, Dallas is a better deal. The primary thing to remember about Dallas is that it is a city of COMMERCE, as opposed to tourism - people go to Dallas to make money.
I do have to agree that Dallas public schools are considered a laughing stock - The school board is rife with petty bickering drawn on racial lines. However, there are some highly regarded private schools and universities (specifically, Southern Methodist).
There are world class museums - including the Dallas Museum of Art, the African American Museum, and the newly added Women's Museum. There is also a very active underground art scene - look in the Exposition Park area.
While high tech is experiencing some setbacks in Big D, it's not affecting the economy of the city like it is in Austin. Dallas is more diverse in it's economy. I like the current mayor, Ron Kirk; he has a VISION!! He is also planning on running for governor and if he wins will be the first black governor of Texas!
The traffic is crazy but not NEARLY as bad as Houston and considering that the 2000 census ranks Dallas at #9, and Houston now at #10 and insurance rates in Houston are the highest in the state, I think you could probably get used to it.
One of my favorite places is White Rock Lake, it IS man-made but that's what makes it that much more amazing!
To live: Lakewood is nice, it's connected to the Lake and Lower Greenville which also has a creative community and LOTS of good dining (try Ali Baba's, Teppo, and Dodie's). If you are a little more adventurous, try Oak Cliff/Kessler Park - it is one of the oldest neighborhoods in the city. It hasn't had a very good reputation since the days that Lee Harvey Oswald lived there, but it is experiencing a resurgence and you get a lot for your money!
Personally, I wouldn't live in Arlington, Plano, or Frisco, or any other bland suburb, but that's a personal preference.
I hope you enjoy your trip and good luck.

Am I missing something? Shouldn't you consider finding employment in the US before picking up your lives and moving here? Trust me, the job market is slowing down (highest unemployment claims in 9 years). With fewer jobs to go around, foreigners aren't going to get the first dibs on the good opportunities. HR depts. don't like the extra hassle of green cards and the other problems associated with foreign employees. So unless you offer some special skill that is difficult to come by, I'd highly recommend that you look into the job market and finding yourselves jobs before making any move.

I should point out that you would probably be happier if you stayed in one location that had an anchor for you, whether that be family, friends, a job, etc. Although Hawaii and London are about as far apart as you can get (making mutual family visits a problem), you will be happier if you choose one or the other. Why make both of you equally miserable by moving to a place you do not know?