Dallas

The Belmont is as well known for its funky accommodation as for its unrivalled vantage point facing the Dallas skyline. It takes about ten minutes in a taxi to climb up to the property from downtown, but it is a great place to start – or end – a whistle-stop tour of the city.

Perched at the summit of West Commerce Street and Fort Worth Avenue, the hotel bar patio – famous for its cocktails – has long been an escape for locals looking to kick back and enjoy the views after work. Bar Belmont is a hot spot for live music, DJs and art exhibitions, while Smoke restaurant serves award-winning southern cuisine. 901 Fort Worth Avenue; belmontdallas.com

Skip back down the hill and into downtown via Elm Street and you’re in the location for which Dallas is best known. This year is the 50th anniversary of the assassination of President John F Kennedy, and a number of commemorative events are planned. Two large white crosses on the road mark the spots where JFK was shot.

The former Texas Book Depository at Dealey Plaza – from where the president was allegedly gunned down by Lee Harvey Oswald – is now home to the Sixth Floor Museum, where films, photographs and artefacts chronicle JFK’s life, murder and legacy. Outside, the infamous overpass and picket fence remain intact. The official Kennedy memorial is a two-minute walk from the museum. 411 Elm Street; open Mon 12pm-6pm, Tues-Sun 10am-6pm; entry US$16; jfk.org

Head north-east on Elm for two blocks, turn left on to North Market Street – passing its tempting steakhouses – make a right on to Corbin Street and right again on to North Griffin Street for the city aquarium.

Opened to the public in 1992, it is much more than just an urban habitat for marine life. Bamboo-planked paths lead visitors through a rainforest of exotic birds, monkeys and endangered species from Latin America. The 386,000-litre aquarium – which includes a 100,000-litre walk-through tunnel with a panoramic view of the underwater reef – is brim full of turtles, stingrays and sharks. It can get uncomfortably busy at weekends. 1,801 North Griffin Street; open daily 10am-5pm; entry US$21; dwazoo.com

From the aquarium, walk south-east on North Griffin towards Hord Street and take the first left on to Ross Avenue. After a half-mile walk you enter the vibrant Dallas Arts District via North Pearl Street. The area, which runs over 27 hectares and 19 blocks, is home to dozens of venues, including the Dallas Museum of Art (pictured), the Nasher Sculpture Center and the neoclassical Belo Mansion. Find out more at thedallasartsdistrict.org

For refreshment, head north-west on North Pearl and turn right on to McKinney Avenue and into uptown Dallas. This is where the city’s trendy professionals bar-hop from patio to patio. Del Frisco’s Grill and Tex Mex eatery Primo’s are great places to people-watch. Also uptown, the Loon Bar and Grill is a local favourite serving traditional Texan food and beer.

One of the city’s best-kept secrets is this museum on Parry Avenue, about a seven-minute taxi ride from both uptown and downtown. The building was an active fire station from when it was built in 1907 until 1975. It is a very small museum managed by a team of enthusiastic retired firefighters who happily spend time with visitors recounting the local history through the eyes of the fire service.

Among the exhibits are old engines, equipment and every press article ever published about the station. Though the volunteers have no issue with visitors sitting in the drivers’ seats of the old engines, the fire pole is, sadly, not an interactive part of the experience. 3,801 Parry Avenue; open Wed-Sat 9am-4pm; entry US$4; dallasfiremuseum.com

Dallas can often seem like a hectic metropolis, but there are a number of outdoor spaces that visitors can escape to. Perhaps most popular is the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Gardens. Located about 12 minutes’ drive from the Firefighters Museum, the gardens are a haven of peaceful woodlands, manicured lawns and immaculate flowerbeds. Entertainment and exhibitions are hosted throughout the year. 8,525 Garland Road; open daily 9am-5pm; entry US$15; dallasarboretum.org. Downtown, the recently opened Klyde Warren Park attracts joggers and street artists. 2,012 Woodhall Rogers Freeway; open daily 6am-11pm; free.