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+ Dallas’ historic Fair Park has been drawing crowds for decades

As the site of the 1936 Texas Centennial Exposition, Fair Park remains the only original, unaltered, pre-1950's world's fair site in the country. The architecture at Fair Park is distinctively Art Deco and home to over seven million visitors a year. The park hosts a slew of festivals and events year-round, including the ever popular Texas State Fair. The Music Hall, The Science Place, the Texas Star Ferris Wheel and the Cotton Bowl all call Fair Park home, in addition to several other museums, exhibit halls, performance venues and gardens. They also offer two historic walking tours of the grounds for those interested in the architecture and history of the park. Visit fairpark.org for more information.

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+ Take Me Out To The Ballgame!

Batter Up! The Texas Rangers are currently in first place in the American Leagues' Western Division. Some of baseball's most exciting players are in the Rangers uniform, such as Yu Darvish, Ian Kinsler, and Adrián Beltré. Catch all the Major League Baseball action by the boys of summer and nab a hot dog and some peanuts while you're at it. Click http://texas.rangers.mlb.com for more information.

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+ Find solace in an urban sanctuary at Main Street Garden

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+ Have a homegrown pint at Deep Ellum Brewing Company

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+ Seek a few thrills at Six Flags

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+ Put a little zen in your life at the Japanese Gardens

Fort Worth's Japanese Garden, located within the greater Fort Worth Botanic Garden network, is a little sanctuary in the city. The 7 acre garden is filled with traditional Japanese plants and flowers (like the tranquil Japanese Maple) and a water feature throughout filled with colorful Koi fish. There are little coin-op fish food dispensers throughout for feeding the Koi; toss the food pellets in one at time or all at once to watch a frenzy. They also have a meditation garden and a moon viewing deck. The Japanese Gardens hold two annual festivals, in fall and spring, celebrating Japanese art and culture.

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+ See new bands at old-school Trees

Trees has been a staple music venue in Deep Ellum since 1990 that came into its own hosting grunge bands (like Nirvana, before they were super insanely popular). Despite closing a few times during Deep Ellum's transitional period, they are back open and rocking out like it's 1990 again. Named for the tree trunk building supports, the venue is a decent size with a second floor that has a few seats and a great view of the stage. One of the nicest things about Trees is that they post a video of each band on their event calendar, so you can check out the music without opening a million tabs on your browser. Yep, Trees always thinks of the fans.

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+ Eat, drink or catch a concert at Victory Park

Victory Park is the one area in Downtown Dallas proper to find great entertainment other than staring at office buildings. Victory Park is home to American Airlines Center and the House of Blues, bringing in sports fans and concert goers alike, and offers a whole host of activities for pre and/or post partying. Grab a pre-event meal or cocktail at the Hard Rock Cafe or Victory Tavern, or make your own post-party at the W Hotel's famous Ghost Bar. Victory Park's plaza also hosts a variety of events from concerts and sports watch parties during away games, to summer movie nights and the biggest New Year's Eve party in town.

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+ Become one with nature at the Heard Natural Science Museum

Getting a little tired of the concrete jungle? Head out to McKinney's Heard Natural Science Museum and Wildlife Sanctuary for a day appreciating the outdoors and all it has to offer. The 289-acre wildlife reserve offers 6.5 miles of nature trails, a native plant garden and a butterfly garden. The sanctuary also hosts a number of science exhibits that serve as "edurtainment" for the kiddos, like a honey bee observation hive, a ropes course and dinosaur life-sized animatronics. The Heard Natural Science Museum is a great place to picnic or just enjoy the outdoors and the beautiful nature North Texas has to offer.

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+ Get a good dose of edur-tainment at the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History

Recently re-opened in a brand-spanking-new building, the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History offers hundreds of thousands of scientific and historic artifacts from Texas and the Southwest. They also host a range of temporary exhibitions and house a planetarium, an IMAX theater and a 6,000 square foot studio space full of interactive activities for all ages. The museum also participates in ongoing paleontological digs in the region for dinosaur fossils. Located in the heart of Fort Worth's Cultural District, the museum makes a great addition to a day of art, culture, and history, especially for those with a couple of kids in tow.

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+ Be kind to our fine feathered friends at the Trinity River Audubon Center

Recently built just south of downtown in the Great Trinity Forest, the Trinity River Audubon Center is a living classroom and nature center dedicated to education and conservation initiatives. The center's main building (which serves as a portal to the rest of the reserve) was built with the environment in mind, using mostly renewable and recycled building materials, a vegetated roof and even windows angled just right so birds won't fly into them. The Audubon Center is also the first LEED-certified building built by the City of Dallas Parks and Recreation Department. Use the main building as a launch point to experience nature trails, hiking, bird watching and hands on exhibits.

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+ Look at something fishy at the Dallas World Aquarium

Opened in 1992, The Dallas World Aquarium provides a little look into marine, freshwater and even terrestrial ecosystems. The aquarium itself houses a coral reef, kelp forest and even a 20,000 gallon walk through tunnel and features an array of marine life from around the world, including sharks and other marine life from the Yucatan Peninsula. The various terrestrial exhibits feature the biodiversity of wildlife from Borneo and the South American Rainforest. The aquarium also offers an educational component with hands on exhibits, touch screens and special programs for children. They've even been known on occasion to have a diver hold up a "Will You Marry Me" sign; you know, for the romantics.

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+ Discover unique art and cool boutique finds in Deep Ellum

Deep Ellum was once the destination where the freaks came out at night, and folks visited for shows, drinks and to watch (or be) said freaks in scores every weekend during the 80's and mid 90's. After a little bad press about the safety of Deep Ellum, the neighborhood has undergone a bit of a transition. While no longer necessarily the "it" place to be on the weekends, the artists in the Deep Ellum community haven't let a little bad press scare them away from their beloved neighborhood. Now, eclectic boutiques and art galleries still adorn the three-street strip in addition to a sprinkling of music venues, restaurants and clubs that have held their own through thick and thin. Patrons that remember the good 'ol days can now appreciate a more laid back atmosphere, less hooliganism and free and ample parking.

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+ Art Love Magic brings magic to the art scene

Started by three artists looking for a better way to connect with other artists, Art Love Magic is an organization in the business of connecting; connecting emerging and established artists as well as connecting viewers with the artists and their process. They host one large gallery show a month, involving both an exhibit and an event in which attendees can watch artists at work across all media, including live music, performance and spoken word. They also host Art and Coffee on the first Friday of every month, a free event with live music and art at a local coffee shop. Check their calendar for event times and locations.

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+ Relax or go for a run at White Rock Lake

Located just east of downtown, White Rock Lake is Dallas' answer to mother nature without having to stray too far from the city. White Rock Lake provides a sanctuary with bird watching, 9.33 miles of hiking and biking trails, fishing, and picnic areas. The historic Bath House Cultural Center, located right on the shore of White Rock lake, is also a destination for viewing art by local artists and artisans. The lake is also host to Dallas' famous annual White Rock Marathon, and is just a skip, hop and a jump from the Dallas Arboretum. For those looking for physical activity or a relaxing day with scenic views and good people watching, White Rock Lake is Dallas' closest destination to get outdoors.

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+ Have a run at the Katy Trail

Living in the city often means you're stuck running on sidewalks, and concrete is oh-so-hard on the knees. If you find your self Uptown, or downtown for that matter, check out the Katy Trail's 3.5 mile track that runs from Victory Park to Airline Drive. The Katy Trail is like a tiny version of Central Park, with a tree-lined trail running right through the city offering a little sanctuary from, yet still within, the hustle and bustle of town. The Katy Trail also hosts numerous races and events through the year, check their calendar for details. Not a runner? Not a problem. Walkers, cyclers, strollers, and pets-on-leashes are all welcome to enjoy an afternoon at the Katy Trail.

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+ The Kimbell Art Museum provides a perfect space for viewing fine art

Fort Worth’s Kimbell Art Museum houses a small but impressive permanent collection ranging from antiquity to modern times. The Kimbell consistently hosts excellent special exhibitions featuring some of history’s greatest artists, including Picasso, Gaugin and Murillo, to name drop a few from recent seasons. The museum also occasionally hosts major traveling exhibitions. The Kimbell Art Museum itself is also a work of art. Designed by Louis Kahn and opened in 1972, the building is world-renowned for Kahn’s use of natural light to illuminate the artwork. As a result of the museum outgrowing this oft-describe “perfect space,” an annex designed by Renzo Piano is scheduled to open in 2013.

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+ There isn’t a bad seat in the house at the Meyerson Symphony Center

Dallas’ I.M. Pei is located downtown in the Dallas Arts District and is worth a looksee even if you don’t have tickets to one of their events. Due to the world-class acoustics of the concert hall at the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center, there isn’t a bad seat in the house. The Meyerson is home to the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, the Dallas Wind Symphony (DSO), the Turtle Creek Chorale and the Greater Dallas Youth Orchestra. The DSO is the Meyerson’s primary tenant, presenting over 180 concerts a year. The Dallas Wind Symphony also upholds excellence in music and watching conductor Jerry Junkin is nearly as entertaining as the concerts.

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+ Sandy Lake Park: Picnic with a Punch

Thrill seekers, Sandy Lake Park is not for you. For the rest of us, this treasure of an amusement park has been delighting all ages for decades. With smaller scale exciting rides, like the Space Shuttle, Scrambler, and Tilt A Whirl, it's almost like taking a trip back in time to childhood as you wait in the short lines to climb aboard. Rides, however, are just the tip of the iceberg. Miniature golf, giant swimming pools, face painting, paddle boats, pony rides, and an arcade are all at your disposal. In fact, the arcade will certainly bring back memories with the original SkeeBall game and other "vintage" games that require skill. Frank Rush, who works tirelessly at the park to make sure families and groups alike have the time of their lives, can tell stories of the park that make everyone smile. The perfect place to host your next family picnic under the covered pavilions, Sandy Lake Park is a gem that continues to shine year after year.