Three Days in Texas: Things To Do in Dallas & Denton

I spent the weekend in Dallas, Texas because my brother’s short film “Family Mixtape” was featured in the Denton Black Film Festival. He flew into Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, the second busiest airport in the world, while I flew into Dallas Love Field, the smaller of the two airports.

With only three days, one of them already occupied by the festival, we wanted to explore as much as we could without overdoing it. It’s been years since I’ve been to the state of Texas and never had I visited Dallas specifically, so I wasn’t sure what to expect.

Having spent most of the time in Denton, I was awed at the overall aesthetic of the city. If you didn’t know in to be 2024, you would think you landed somewhere in yesteryear. Although it’s markedly dated, it wasn’t by any means run down. There was something quietly beautiful about the city in a way that’s hard to put into words, but I’ll try:

Have you ever seen one of those Hallmark movies where a character returns to the small town they’re from expecting to dread every second being home but while there, they see the town with new eyes and fall in love? That’s what Denton feels like.

Take a look at what I got into over the course of three days in Texas.

Food

La Estrella Mini Market

The carne asada quesadilla at La Estrella is the best quesadilla I have ever had—I would never lie to you. When I travel, you can count on me to try nearly anything, and I am not the kind of person that is overly picky about presentation. My quesadilla was served on a simple paper plate with sauce on the side, and I ate my food in the parking lot across the street. Sometimes those are the absolute best meals you can have.

When I see a one stop shop gas station and market like La Estrella, it reminds me of home. Growing up, we knew all of the gas stations that had the best chicken and potato wedges and the food was likely being made by someone we knew. When it comes to food, flavor and good recipes matter, but on some occasions, the familiarity of a thing or the feeling you get from engaging with it can make it that much more special.

Ravelin Bakery

Ravelin was a suggestion from our Airbnb hosts so we stopped to try some desserts. I had the honey ginger biscotti while my brother tried the lemon bar, oatmeal creme pie, and some other things. Beyond the delicious pastries, the ladies working in the shop were so friendly, and I even found that one of them was also a photographer. If you’re ever in the area, certainly stop by to grab a taste of whatever is in shop that day.

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Things To Do

Wilkinson’s Fine Goods

Wilkinson’s is the most beautiful artisan shop we came across in Denton. I was utterly blown away at so much of the merchandise but even more amazed that the owner produces many of these creations by hand. Clint, the owner, is a lovely man whom we chatted with for a bit, and then from visiting the website, learned that the shop was inherited from his grandfather, a rodeo hall-of-famer

Clint then sent us on our way to the next gem, Denton Camera Exchange, owned by a high school mate of his Armand (see below). Having been raised in the country myself, I had a special appreciation for a town where everyone not only knows each other but also supports each other’s businesses.

Shop

Denton Camera Exchange

Both my brother and I are lovers of photography and cameras so this place was truly a gem to find. Armand has every kind of camera and all of the equipment you can think of and more. He was also happy to give recommendations, and he seemed to not just collect these items but to really know them. My brother came away with some great film to try out while I just came away with great photos of the shop itself.

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Fort Worth Stockyards

This is a walkable area with shops, eateries, event spaces like Cowtown Coliseum, and more. The great thing about this location is that if you plan to go to the rodeo, you can make a day of it going in and out of all the stockyards has to offer. Also interesting is the fact that you can catch a cattle drive twice a day here, take photos with a longhorn for a few dollars, and see original wooden corrals.

Like everywhere else we visited in Texas, I enjoyed just how picturesque it was. The aesthetic is quite rugged and aged, but there’s still something so warm and intriguing about it.

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Stockyards Championship Rodeo at Cowtown Coliseum

The rodeo was the highlight of our trip. Growing up, my grandfather would watch the rodeo every weekend and we would watch with him. It had been a bucket list item ever since then, so when I found out I would be going to Texas on a whim and that Cowtown Coliseum hosts a rodeo every single week, it felt like fate. I had to get tickets.

The announcer says the rodeo is meant to be interactive and is only as entertaining as the crowd makes it, and trust me, it’s not at all difficult to get pulled in almost immediately. One thing is for sure: watching the rodeo on television is much different than a live event. I was utterly amazed at the sheer level of skill the participants had, and it was abundantly clear why rodeo is factually a sport.

The tickets were around $40 each and the show is a little over two hours long. Sometimes you only need to experience something once, but I would happily go to the rodeo again. In fact, I plan to take my grandfather for a full circle moment.