The Perot

After months of driving past and saying, "I want to go to the Perot museum!" (because I do say that), we finally visited! For those of you who don't live in Dallas, the Perot, or Perot Museum of Nature and Science, opened in 2012 and has become one of the most popular museums in town. Probably because it houses a lot of exhibits that you can touch, which is a draw for both small children and a group of rowdy college kids.

The view from the museum.

We stopped for lunch before heading to the museum, and since we all share a mutual obsession with Mexican food (we're Texans, it's required) we headed to Velvet Taco's Dallas location; I have already blogged about my love for Velvet Taco so I had to introduce everyone else.  

Reece sat across from me in the 3rd grade and we've been friends ever since!

The beautiful Allie (her tacos don't look too bad either).

SO glad Jessi is finally back in America after living in Peru for 2 years!

In the Earth exhibit you could go through this little tunnel and pretend to be a prairie dog- we were waaayyy too big to fit but that's never stopped us before!

Channeling my inner weather girl. 

Whaddup, buddy?

Aaaand the frogs. There are a bunch of 'leapfrogs' set up right outside the museum in a sort of park, so naturally we had to climb on top of them. It makes for a great photo op and gives us all an excuse to act like little kids. 

You gotta kiss a few frogs to find your prince, right? Unfortunately this little rascal was just a regular old frog!

Outfit details: Dress, bought in Korea. Sandals, Tommy Hilfiger. Sunglasses, Urban Outfitters. Bracelets, all Charming Charlie. 

I had a blast in Dallas for the day with the crew, as we have taken to calling ourselves (even though some of the crew is missing!). I could not have survived high school without these crazy people, and I'm so glad we have all stayed friends. 

The Perot is a blast, especially if you have kids, or you can be like us and act like kids! It's fun to be able to play around for a day and pretend we're not almost-adults in the real world. I'd love to head back to the Perot and explore a little more!

Fort Worth

I always say I'm from Dallas, even though I live in the suburbs (I don't want to get New Yorkers too confused), but I often forget about Fort Worth, a big city all its own that is just as close. I once had a professor who, when I said I lived in the suburbs, asked, "Fort Worth?" and I slowly had to explain that Fort Worth is definitely not a suburb, it's a city completely separate from Dallas.

One of my friends is interning in Fort Worth over the summer, so I found myself there for the second time in 2 weeks for lunch and a little exploring.

Our first stop, same as last week, was the amazing Velvet Taco. If you didn't already know I am obsessed with Mexican food and I gorge myself on it before I go back to New York, where I am deprived all semester. Velvet Taco has the craziest combinations with every kind of meat or topping you could want.

I had to stop and pose for a few pictures in front of this taco-themed mural that runs along the side of the building. I didn't even notice it last time!

I went with the rotisserie chicken (left) and the bacon frittata (right), which has an egg layered inside the tortilla, with all the toppings (which included bacon, potatoes, and peppers) inside the egg!

Our next stop after lunch was the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth. I don't really care for modern art but I always love the buildings they're housed in. The museum is built of huge, steel-and-glass boxes that look out on a pond and garden with more sculptures and a view that makes you forget you're in the middle of the city.

Isn't this view incredible? I was more interested in the grounds than the art itself. 

With more time to kill, we crossed the street to visit the Kimbell Art Museum, which is more my style (think Van Gogh and Goya as opposed to Pollack and Warhol). Confession: last week when I was in Fort Worth I went to the Kimbell by myself and it was perfect. What else was I supposed to do? I had driven all the way there I might as well do something! There's something about going to a museum by yourself- you can look at what you want to, skip exhibits you don't care about, and move at your own pace without worrying about anyone else. But I also love going with friends!

For anyone in DFW this summer I highly recommend checking out the new addition to the Kimbell which currently houses their new Samurai exhibit. I went last week and loved it- they have a huge room full of complete samurai armor, individual helmets, and other artifacts from the period. I will definitely be back this winter when the Kimbell hosts another Impressionist exhibit!

I'm not sure what this massive metal, spiraled tower is supposed to be but our voices echoed inside!

The Kimbell also has a courtyard that connects both buildings, with a little orchard, two long reflecting pools and a huge lawn. It was a beautiful day just made for taking pictures!

Most of the photo credits go to Lidia- we've been friends since the 6th grade!

Outfit details: Shirt, Ross. Skirt, Francesca's (old, here in red and navy). Shoes, Antonio Melani (old, similar). Necklace, Francesca's (old). Earrings, Vintage. Bag, vintage Coach- you can now buy it as part of the Coach Classics collection! My dad bought it for my mom years ago, and she passed it down to me.

I hope everyone enjoyed the post, I know I enjoyed my day exploring Fort Worth!