Last Friday we took off to Dallas to enjoy the evening in one of our favorite neighborhoods, Deep Ellum. We were basically just making a pitstop on the way to Harker Heights, TX where my mom had flown in to stay with my brother and sister-in-law. Stephanie, my sister-in-law, is expecting to go into labor any day now and we were all hoping to be around when baby Layla made her arrival!

After we made it to the Airbnb, got cleaned up, and grabbed an Uber to head downtown.

Side note: We stayed at the coolest AirBnB. It was a small studio apartment hidden behind a forest of bamboo. Bonus points: the host welcomed pets! Click here to view the listing (the photo’s don’t do the place justice!).

Traffic was busy on the way to Deep Ellum, but once we were dropped off, the atmosphere changed completely. It was like a ghost town. If you’ve been to Deep Ellum in Dallas, then you know this area is normally alive and well. We thought it was odd at first but didn’t really think too much of it until we started walking around and noticing all of the store and restaurant fronts were boarded up and mostly covered with wood. The restaurant we were planning to eat at was closed so we walked over to Fuzzy’s Taco Shop. Still, no one out on the sidewalks or in the shops. We ordered food and sat outside while planning our stops for the rest of the night. One thing on the list was to go to the Elm Street Tattoo shop and get some new work done. We called to see if they had time available to get us in that evening and they said, “No, sorry. We have a curfew and we’ll be closing at 6p tonight.” Suddenly it was apparent why there was no one out and about. So, we asked our waitress if they had a curfew as well and she said “yes, everyone in this district does due to the riots.”

We decide we’d just get back to the Airbnb and chill for the night. So we ordered an Uber and the car that appears to be what I’ve ordered rolls up and doesn’t have the license plate that matches what the Uber app says it should show. Now, I’m already on high alarm because its extremely eery out. (It honestly felt like a scene from The Purge where everyone is trying to get to cover before the night’s events commence). And now some guy is trying to pick us up without a legitimate license plate?? I sent a message in the Uber app “Does your license plate not match what is on Uber’s file?” It wasn’t 2 seconds later, and the Uber driver canceled the ride. I order another Uber and they cancel. Ordered another, they also cancel. Finally, the 4th Uber came through and got us out of Deep Ellum and back to the Airbnb. However, to say it was a challenging car ride would be an understatement. The police had most streets blocked off at this point and it felt like we were just going in a circle trying to get to the highway.

Finally, back to the Airbnb, and we are feeling a bit defeated because we could have just driven on through and made it all the way to my brother’s place in Harker Heights if we had known we’d be stuck in the AirBnB all night. Then we run into the owner of the Airbnb, we tell him what was going on and he says to try Bishop Arts. And suddenly, my memory is jogged. Oh, yea. I saw on the listing before booking this place that it was located only a few blocks away from some place called the Bishop Arts District!” So we clean up and walk over to the cutest, most eclectic neighborhood ever. I’m not kidding when I say it was like two different worlds. There were so many people out and about, all the shops and cafes and bars were open- the neighborhood was THRIVING. It felt like hitting a hidden jackpot after the day’s events.

We strolled around for a bit, did some window shopping, and finally ended up settling down at Revelers Hall. Listened to live Jazz music all night, people watched, enjoyed some delicious prosciutto + arugula flatbread, and then called it a night.

The following morning we wake up and get on the road to finish the drive to my brother’s place where we spent the rest of the day on the lake and grilling out. All in all, it was a great weekend; I loved getting to see my mom, brother, and his family. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to stay for baby Layla’s arrival, but hopefully she will be here soon!

Some cool places to visit if you’re near the Bishop Arts District

Picolé Pops - a cute place to get out of the heat and enjoy a popsicle (..or 2)

Revelers Hall - food, drinks + live music

Harkensback - a great store to buy gifts or to treat yourself

White Rock Soap Gallery - tons and tons of handmade/vegan soaps and body care products

Paradiso - a super cool place to enjoy brunch or happy hour; very Palm Springs vibe

xx,Riss