Sarah and Abby go to Dallas

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A couple of weeks ago Abby and I headed to Dallas just the two of us! It was actually the first time the two of us have flown somewhere without Matt or Jake and it was a refreshing experience. I think that now that she is 10 these one on one experiences are super important. The uninterrupted time to chat and just chill was much needed and appreciated. I think the sheer amount of time we have spent together over the past years (homeschooling) makes a change of pace even more special. Sometimes I think to myself “I spend every minute with my kids and need a break” but I have to remember that Abby also spends so much time with Jake. They get along great and all but she needed this time away!

Anyway… why Dallas?

My sister and her husband live there and they are getting ready to have their first baby next month! We have 7 older nieces and nephews on Matt’s side of the family but this is the first baby on my side besides Abby and Jake. So we are super excited! We were there for the baby shower specifically but my sister and her husband made sure to take us to all of the best restaurants too!

I love Dallas! They live just north of downtown near Knox / Henderson and I swear that I have never seen so many good places to eat and drink in my life! It’s clean and the vibe is the perfect mix of chill, athletic, trendy, party… not sure where I am going but I love these people. And around every corner is a new cute neighborhood with unique local restaurants and coffee shops, bars and hopping. We have been to Dallas a few times over the past few years but look forward to spending a lot more time there!

And there are so many cute places to take photos too!

So, I want to share some of the great places that they take us in case you are looking for a recommendation in Dallas and I want to encourage you to schedule some one on one time with your kids. You don’t have to fly anywhere but maybe make and overnight out of it. And on the flip side — Matt and Jake had a ball without us! I have to give Matt kudos because he outpaced what I would even have done and that says a lot! They hiked everyday, went to two movies, two trampoline parks, stocked up on man food at the grocery store, binge watched Lord of the Rings and more! Great job Matt! PS: Matt did give Jake a haircut – himself – that we aren’t going to talk about. LOL. Kind of.

Where we ate

Chop Shop Dallas

Anywhere with Kombucha on tap is alright by me. They have protein bowls, sandwiches, fresh juice and more! I got the Asian Chop Bowl with Shrimp and it was delicious. Abby’s quesadilla was huge. They also have their own soda on tap and it was really good!

Baldo’s Dallas

This is next door to Chop Shop and a perfect treat after eating well next door. We had a flight of ice cream. You guys… this place is amazing! The ice cream itself is delicious but the cones were so good. Everything is made in house from scratch!

The Rustic

We always go here when we are in town! I love the vibes with the indoor outdoor dining and live music. The food is always great. This time my sister introduced us to the most amazing desert ever. If you ever go there get the Ice Box Smores. So good!

Toasted Coffee & Kitchen

Such a cute place! The menu has all kinds of toasts plus brunch-ish foods. I got the Don’t Get Salty avocado toast while Abby got the French My Toast. I could have ate one of everything on this menu!

Truckyard Dallas

Loved this vibe! This place actually reminded me SO MUCH of Slash X, a random bar in the mojave desert. (see our visit there here) We were there earlier in the day so the live music wasn’t going yet but this is totally a place I could hang all day long! They had a small philly cheese steak restaurant on site and then various food trucks in the back lot!

Katy Trail Ice House

I have been here couple times before but this was the first time I got the cheese friends which my sister and brother in law said we couldn’t pass up. This place is always busy and I love how it gets foot traffic from the adjacent Katy Trail. Runners and walkers who like to eat and drink beer while listening to music is basically my favorite vibe. Don’t skip this place if you are heading to Dallas, Texas.

Sushi Axiom

So good! This restaurant has an all day Happy Hour menu on Sunday and the food was so good! At this point we had basically been eating for 3 days straight otherwise I would have loved to try a few more of the rolls!

La La Land Kind Coffee

We popped by here for breakfast and coffee on our last day in Dallas. My sister said this place was new and knew I would love the cheerful vibe! So much yellow cuteness. This place is a teen instagrammers photo shoot dream. Or an almost 40 mama. Haha. I loved my fancy toast and Abby too! My sister got a smores latte that was basically the cutest and yummiest drink ever!

In-N-Out

We miss In-N-Out burger so much!!! When we drove past one in Dallas Abby and I knew we had to go. Best burgers ever. I love getting the Protein Style Double Double. My mouth is watering just thinking about it!