Bush Library information

[Blazing_Zippers]

Our friends are going to see the Bush Library in Feb. They'll be traveling in a class C motorhome. Are there any decent RV parks in the Dallas area close the Library?
And what else is there to do in the Dallas/Ft. Worth region?
Thanks

[2oldman]

PawPaw_n_Gram wrote:
DO NOT TRAVEL I-635 ACROSS NORTH DALLAS - heavy construction project.

I drove that in November to see the High 5 interchange. That's really something.

Yes, heavy construction, but a pretty easy drive nonetheless.

[PawPaw_n_Gram]

Blazing Zippers wrote:
Thanks to you for getting back. I've passed the info along. This sounds like a good area to put an RV park in?

I'm sorry, but I have to laugh. The area around SMU where the Bush Library is located is the most expensive residential real estate in northern Texas. And quite snobbish about it.

I think I might get a ticket if I tried to tow my trailer through Highland Park or University Park streets. No Trailer Trash wanted or allowed.

I'm not even sure that non-grandfathered mobile homes are allowed within the City of Dallas any longer, much less 'living' in an RV.

DART Rail is how we tend to get around metro Dallas if possible. Unfortunately, the city isn't setup for many attractions close to rail. The walk from the Mockingbird Station to the Bush Library will likely be close to 2/3 of a mile each way. Nice walk if the weather is good.

Parking at an outlying DART station and riding in to the Library is a viable option.

Cedar Hill State Park is a great place. Unfortunately it is the most expensive state park in Texas - at $30 per night for a 50A/W/S site plus a daily $5 per person admission fee. $40 per night for a couple who do not purchase a State Parks Pass.

[Tom_Trostel]

Left out of the above discussion is Cedar Hill State Park. It's very nice and located in southwest Dallas county. The Bush Library is on the SMU campus in University Park, TX. It is 23 miles from Cedar Hill to SMU, 29 miles from McKinney to SMU, and 35 miles from Melissa to SMU.

Cedar Hill State Park

[Heisenberg]

Out here we call it the Metromess as opposed to their term Metroplex. Visit the place and you will see why.

[Blazing_Zippers]

Thanks to you for getting back. I've passed the info along. This sounds like a good area to put an RV park in?

[BB_TX]

Back to the question.

Parking at the library is limited. If they have a toad they should not have a problem. But I don't think there is a place to park a C, even if it is not a large C. Even the library web site suggest using the DART rail system due to parking limitations. But using DART requires quite a walk since the station is the other side of central expressway.

As noted above, there is just not much in the way of convenient RV parks to north Dallas. Spring Creek Village in Plano is closest. Mostly mobile homes with RV sites at one end. Check the reviews. Most say it is ok for a night or two, but only because it is the only thing in that area.

Next most convenient would be Lighthouse RV Resort in Melissa, a little farther north. Don't be mislead by the "resort" name. But it does get better reviews than Spring Creek. And it is on US 75 and a straight shot south to the library in Dallas.

The other RV parks noted by PAWPAW above get much better reviews, but are not as convenient to north Dallas. But I would assume they would only be at the library one day, so that may not be an issue.

As far as what to do in Dallas, it depends on interest. Google Dallas tourism or request a free Dallas visitor guide and see what may interest them. Lots of arts, museums, broadway type productions, arboretum, etc.

What direction will they be arriving from?

[thegriffins]

Things to do in Dallas - Sixth Floor Museum & Dealey Plaza, Southfork Ranch, Perot Museum of Nature and Science, Dallas Arboretum, Dallas World Aquarium, Dallas Holocaust Museum/Center for Education and Tolerance, American Airlines C.R. Smith Museum, Dallas Museum of Art, Pioneer Plaza, Old Red Museum, John F. Kennedy Memorial Plaza, and lots of shopping!

Arlington - Top O'Hill Terrace, Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, ATT Stadium (Cowboys Stadium), Six Flags Over Texas

Fort Worth - Fort Worth Stockyards National Historic District & Stockyards Museum, Texas Civil War Museum, Fort Worth Aviation Museum

There's so much more. If you want to PM me and tell me what you are interested in I can help more!

PawPaw n Gram gave a really good analysis of RV parks!

[PawPaw_n_Gram]

RV parks close to the Bush Library - none

The library and SMU campus are located right north of downtown Dallas. Much too developed for RV parks.

For govt parks, you need to get out to the COE parks at Lake Lavon, Lake Lewisville or Bardwell Lake. City of Lewisville runs a good FHU park not far off I-35.

There are some very good commercial RV parks in Grapevine The Vineyards, Arlington
Treetops & Dallas/Arlington KOA , north of Lewisville - Destiny RV. Some so-so full-timer resident parks to the east in Sunnyvale/ Mesquite. The closest "RV park" to the library is Spring Creek Village in Plano - and that is a large mobile home park with a few overnight RV spots.

Treetops accepts Passport America for one night - no weekends. Sandy Lake RV resort accepts PA for two nights - but must make reservations three days before arrival.

You will be traveling 20-40 miles each way through heavy city traffic to get to the Bush Library. A toad is pretty essential to being able to get around easily.

DO NOT TRAVEL I-635 ACROSS NORTH DALLAS - heavy construction project. I lived in the north Dallas area for close to 30 years - will pull my 36 foot TT on any DFW area freeway - except I-635 between US-75 and I-35 during construction.

What else to do in DFW?

Almost anything you want. Plenty of museums, parks, urban hiking routes - more shopping than your bank account can stand. Literally any kind of food you might want.