While in the area, visit Lone Star Park, if you enjoy the sport of horseracing, both thoroughbred and quarter horse. A small bet makes it exciting, however, viewing the horses and feeling the thrill of the crowd is enjoyment enough. Phone for schedule: 972-263-7223

Next, I headed over to Dallas for a visit to The Dallas World Aquarium & Zoological Garden where “Survivor” music theme welcomed you into building as you entered among bamboo tree lined entrance. You find yourself in a Venezuelan rainforest habitat with exotic birds flying overhead, screeching red howler monkeys, endangered Orinoco crocodiles, anacondas, jaguars and vampire bats.

The Ocean exhibits include walk-through tunnel from which stingrays, sharks and sea turtles can be seen. A mother and child manatees were swimming leisurely in their 22,000 gallon tank .The Cape of Hope exhibit is home to a penguin colony.

The latest expansion added a unique and in-depth glimpse into the great ancient cultures of western hemisphere Mayans. Phone: 214-720-2224

The largest downtown area (17 blocks and over 61 acres) dedicated to the arts in the United States is the Dallas Arts District. I had time only to visit one corner which included Dallas Museum of Art, Nasher Sculpture Center and Crow Collection of Asian Art.

Dallas Museum of Art displays range from pre-Columbian and African artifacts to Impressionist and Contemporary works .The permanent collection includes Asian bronze-works, masks from the Pacific, European paintings, African Congo sculpture, Colonial decorative arts and works by 20^th century Texas artists.

Exhibits include works by Henri Matisse, Claude Monet and John Singer Sargent, sculpture by Henry Moore and Auguste Rodin and paintings by Jackson Pollock.

Splendors of China’s Forbidden City: The Glorious Reign of Emperor Qianlong has over 400 national treasures and artifacts from 18^th-century imperial China. Many of the objects on view have never left the Palace Museum in Beijing. The traveling exhibit runs until May. Phone: 214-922-1200

By the way, this is a good place to eat lunch at 1717 Restaurant inside the museum where you are served delicious cuisine on white tablecloths.

One of the new kids on the block is Nasher Sculpture Center with 23 modern and contemporary sculptures on display on a grassy area which was once a parking lot. Walking on the grass is encouraged as you admire the sculptures in this urban setting with skyscrapers as the backdrop. Here you will see Picasso’s “Head of a Woman” and Auguste Rodin’s bronze “Eve”. There are sitting areas where you can enjoy dancing waters, then go into an underground bunker that allows view of sky where the sunsets are spectacular. Phone: 214-242-5100

Another new museum is The Trammel and Margaret Crow Collection of Asian Art, Religion and Art in Asia which contains many examples of religious art. In each gallery, art is exhibited that demonstrates the principles of the religion or philosophy followed by each culture, from the Buddhist art of Tibet and Nepal to the jade of China demonstrating the principles of Confucianism to the Hindu statuary of India.

The Crow collection is a boutique museum, personal, eclectic and beautiful. Glass walls make the Crow collection part of the street scene in the Arts District. Ample seating and tranquil views allow visitors time for contemplation. Phone: 214-979 www.crowcollectioon.org

For many museums found at one location in Dallas, visit Fair Park, 277-acre National Historic landmark and the site of a world’s fair and the 1936 Centennial Exhibition. The Park is home to nine museums. I only had time for one: The Woman’s Museum : An Institute for the Future is the nation’s first and only comprehensive woman’s museum, chronicling the lives of American women and exploring their contributions throughout American history.

Next time I visit Dallas I plan to go to the other eight museums: African American Museum; Age of Steam Railroad Museum; The Dallas Aquarium at Fair park; Dallas Horticulture Center/Texas Discovery Gardens; Dallas Museum of Natural History; Hall of State; The Science Place., IMAX and Planetarium and Dallas Firefighters Museum. Fair Park Museums & Attractions. www.fairparkdallas.com Phone: 214-421-9600

On June 9, 2002, the new 33,000 square-foot National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame opened in the heart of Fort Worth’s Cultural District (also home to the Kimbell Art museum, the modern Art Museum of Fort Worth and the Amon Carter Museum.) It is the only museum in the world dedicated to honoring women of the American West who have displayed extraordinary courage and pioneer spirit. The 172 Cowgirl Hall of Fame honorees include Sacajawea, principal guide for the Lewis and Clark expedition; painter Georgia O’Keeffe; sharpshooter Annie Oakley; Hollywood icon Dale Evans and U.S. Supreme Court Justice, Sandra Day O’Connor.

Galleries, a theater and rotunda with a hall of fame are included in museum along with an eight-minute presentation highlighting the diversity of the cowgirl. Phone 866-824-5566

Kimbell Art Museum holdings range from antiquity to the 20^th century, including works of Michelangelo, Matisse, Monet and Picasso. Phone: 817-332-8451

Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth is a striking building designed by Japanese architect Tadao Ando is comprised of five pavilions of concrete and glass arranged around a 1.5-acre reflecting pool. The museum houses more than 2,600 works of modern and contemporary art including pieces by Picasso, Pollock and Serra. Phone: 866-824-5566

Amon Carter Museum is one of the foremost collections of American art includes some 25,000 works of such Western artists as O’Keeffe, Remington and Russell. The view of downtown Fort Worth is seen through a glass front wall overlooking the landscaped plaza and lawn.  Phione: 817-738-1933

Fort Worth Museum of Science and History has a Noble Planetarium and Imax Theater. Permanent exhibits include: Lone Star Dinosaurs, Comin’ Through Cowtown and Hands On Science. A children’s area features interactive exhibits such as Kidfish dock, a market and a build-a-house display. Amateur paleontologists can dig for dinosaur bones and fossils in an outdoor discovery area. Interactive traveling exhibits are also offered.

Phone: 888-255-9300

Bureau of Engraving and Printing Western Currency Facility was a place to see America’s money being printed in Fort Worth. I saw billions of dollars printed during my tour which featured the various steps of currency production, beginning with large blank sheets of paper and ending with wallet-ready bills. The tour had us walking along an enclosed walkway suspended over the production floor.

As the U.S. Government’s security printer, the BEP is responsible for the design, engraving, and printing of all U.S. paper currency

A free, one-hour tour is available by calling in advance 866-865-1194 www.moneyfactory.com

The small Mary Kay Museum inside The Mary Kay World headquarters is in Addison. Guided tours are available for museum as well as the world headquarters. The museum displays bring the company’s heritage to life. There are special collections and personal photos of Mary Kay, the founder of the Mary Kay Cosmetics. Remembered as a dynamic speaker, motivator and entrepreneur, Mary Kay is listed as one of “America’s 25 Most Influential Women” in The World Almanac and Book of Facts. Phone: 972-687-5720

In Irving, there is the National Scouting Museum and Norman Rockwell Art Gallery featuring art of the Boy Scouts of America. Included are a scouting history and memorabilia exhibit, National Scout Jamboree Exhibit, uniform displays, Scout reservation trail Scout storytelling area, campground scout-craft area, virtual reality adventure in an environment that shouts scouting because its all in a space filled with trees and wilderness accessories. Phone: 800-303-3047 www.bsamuseum.org