Garland, TX Road Trips

Garland is a suburb of Dallas, and hence much of its activities are hubbed around Dallas, especially Northeast Dallas, as well as adjoining suburbs, Mesquite (Texas), Rockwall and Richardson (Texas). At the same time, Garland abounds in self-sufficiency. The fact that you have to drive to Dallas to get to a club with some real action or visit the museum is generally viewed as a feature by the locals; on the one hand, Garland lends itself to an uncluttered existence, but on the other hand, if you do want to do that stuff, Dallas and all its urban delights is just down the road.

Downtown Garland is typically quiet during the day, achieving a lively buzz in the evening. There are a number of local businesses, some of them pleasantly quirky, and an understated city square facing the community theatre. During the winter season, a large Christmas tree and attractions such as ice sliding take over the city square. 1 Garland Landmark Museum, 393 N 6th St, ☏ +1 972 205-2996. Th-Sa 10AM-2PM. Small museum in the town's historic Santa Fe depot. (updated Jan 2022)

Catch a show at the community theatre, or sometimes an attraction at the cultural center. Drop by Rosalind Coffee TX at 107 N. 6th Street for a toasted sandwich or a pastry and a mug of flavored coffee and play board games with colorful locals, who seem to split evenly between aspiring artists, unemployed eccentrics, and friendly local students of all ages, plus the occasional yoga mom with pups in tow. 1 Hawaiian Falls Garland. - located in Garland 2 Spring Creek Forest Preserve, 1770 Holford Rd, ☏ +1 972 205-2750. Daily 6AM-11PM. Patch of prairie and bottomland forest alongside a creek for relaxation. Sometimes the site of guided nature walks. (updated Jan 2022) In-Sync Exotics, 3430 Skyview Dr, Wylie, ☏ +1 972 442-6888. Tours on Sa-Su 11AM-6PM. Big cat rescue...meow. (updated Jan 2022) 3 Windsurf Bay Park, 5556 Locust Grove Rd, ☏ +1 972 205-2750. M-Th 6AM-Midnight. A small but unfortunately oftentimes rather crowded and dirty beach on Lake Ray Hubbard, where swimming isn't allowed but relaxing, watching the waves, etc are still okay. (updated Jan 2022)

Dos Banduras, 614 Main St. Traditional Tex-Mex in the $5-$6 range for lunch, including an astonishing variety of enchiladas and sauces. Not fancy, but authentic and tasty. 1 24/7 Tacos, 1330 Miller Rd (In a gas station at Saturn and Miller). 24 hours. It's open 24 hours a day, and the best place if you're on the downswing from some Saturday night partyin'. Authentic Mexican food, around $7 for a burrito. Maybe you want to hop the Blue Line into Dallas and hit the West End.

Almost strictly local taverns and strip mall-based night clubs. Forget about a discotheque. You might be able to dig up some karaoke.

Garland is surprisingly steep compared to highway-side stops, owing to a steady influx of business travelers, as well as savvy travelers avoiding even more expensive stays in north Dallas. Look for the usual: Motel 6, Red Roof, and so forth. 1 Tru by Hilton Garland Richardson, 5055 N President George Bush Hwy, ☏ +1 972 272-0745. This is Tru, not Blue, even though LeAnn Rimes is from here. It has an indoor pool and hot tub. $88 (Jan 2022). (updated Jan 2022)

You will come in through DFW Airport, to the west in the mid-cities, or from Love Field, near downtown Dallas. One very convenient approach is to come in through DFW airport, hitch a train ride to the DART system, and ride the Blue Line from downtown Dallas straight into downtown Garland. DART's blue line will take you all the way from downtown Dallas to downtown Garland in under an hour. From Dallas Union Station, you can take the Trinity Rail Express to Fort Worth or even catch Amtrak. The most central station is 1 Downtown Garland Station, located at 430 West Walnut Street. Park and ride facilities are available at the more suburban 2 Forest / Jupiter station west of downtown, at 3232 Forest Ln. From the south or west, you will probably be heading on I-30 or I-20, which will pass through south Dallas and come up to I-635, which you will take north. There are several marked Garland exits. Exits for La Prada and Oates are marked as being for Mesquite, but will actually take you into south Garland if you go north. From the north, you will probably take I-635 east, which will bend south into Garland. From the far north, the George Push Turnpike and the connected freeway offer a thoroughly un-scenic way into north Garland. Many toll stations are manned by cameras, which will simply take a picture of your car and mail you a bill. If you are visiting Garland from Dallas, especially north Dallas, Northwest Highway runs east-west and will allow you to bypass traffic on I-635 that is very heavy during peak times, instead requiring you to pass through traffic lights.

People in Garland drive. People who are too poor or too young to drive walk or use the bus. Biking is common in park neighborhoods, but requires some bravery to do crosstown.

Garland is a pretty safe town, statistically, but practice good awareness at night, even if you think you're in a relatively quiet part of town. It's easy enough for roughs from the wrong side of the tracks (literally) to up Garland road into north Garland looking for trouble. Garland is a big city and should be treated as such.