Dallas, Texas: Okay, I Guess?

okay, so i just got back from dallas. texas. and… it’s a place. i’m honestly a little tired, and my notes are a mess, so bear with me. i’m trying to be organized, but it’s proving difficult. i’m staring at this string of numbers - a120d162-0d5e-4272-b333-95aa33259048 - and i have absolutely no idea what it means. just… random stuff, you know?

anyway, dallas. it’s in north-central texas, apparently. coordinates 32.8° latitude and -96.8° longitude. it’s where the trinity river splits into three parts. apparently, it’s a big deal. it covers a lot of space, like 385.8 square miles. that’s… a lot. and it’s got a bunch of counties it spills into too. it’s the seat of dallas county, which sounds important.

it’s a transportation hub, which makes sense. lots of highways crisscrossing it. i-20, i-30, i-35, i-45. sounds stressful, honestly. fort worth is like, 30 miles away. someone told me that the dallas-fort worth metroplex is the fourth largest in the us. wow. that’s… a lot of people.

so, history. it was founded in 1841 by a guy named john neely bryan. he picked a spot by the trinity river because it was a good place to cross. apparently, there were competing surveys, which sounds like a nightmare. they officially became the county seat in 1846. that’s… it, i guess. not super thrilling.

the terrain is flat. really flat. like, elevations ranging from 450 to 550 feet. it’s prairie-y. and apparently, it’s in the great plains region. i just checked and it’s 12.83 degrees, feels like 11.55, temp min 11.34, temp max 13.9, pressure 1029, humidity 53, sea level 1029, ground level 1010. there right now, hope you like that kind of thing. winters are mild, summers are hot and humid. there’s this “white rock escarpment” thing that makes some areas a little hilly. oak cliff, apparently.

if you get bored, arlington, carrollton, denton, garland, grand prairie, irving, lewisville, mesquite, plano, richardson, and university park are just a short drive away. there are also these enclaves - cockrell hill, highland park, and university park - surrounded by suburbs. weird, right?

the population is… diverse. apparently, a quarter are african american, over a third are hispanic, and less than half are european descent. it’s the third most populous city in texas, with over 1.3 million people. one-quarter of all texans live in the metroplex. that’s a lot of people to share space with.

it’s supposed to have a “cosmopolitan mix of arts and culture.” lots of museums. someone said it’s a cultural center. i didn’t really get that vibe, to be honest.

economically, it’s a big deal. it started as a river crossing, then became a railroad hub, and now it’s all about highways and an international airport - dallas/fort worth international airport (dfw). commerce, technology, transportation… it’s a collecting point for all that stuff.

they have a skyline. apparently, over 20 skyscrapers are over 490 feet tall. the bank of america plaza is the tallest, with neon lights. if you stacked the five tallest buildings, it would rank eighth in the us. that’s… something, i guess.

and then there’s this number: 4684904. i have no idea what it means. and another one: 1840019440. seriously, what are these?

i didn’t find any info about tourist attractions or local cuisine. or notable people. or practical stuff for visitors. i guess you’ll have to do your own research.

okay, i’m done. i need a nap.

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