ARTS & CULTURE

With more than 100 live performances occurring nightly throughout the Dallas/area, it's easy to find something for everyone - and hard to fit it all in! This sample itinerary is just a means to get you started with galleries and museums during the day, elegant and unique dinners and a wide range of performance venues every night. You'll see the schedule is flexible enough to let you plan a night, a day or a week! And since most everything is indoors, it's a great itinerary to enjoy during the summer, when everything is a brisk air-conditioned 72 degrees inside.

Day 1

Start your afternoon at the spectacular Mustangs of Las Colinas, the world's largest equestrian sculpture and a great backdrop for a souvenir group picture. Fans of Norman Rockwell, Scouting and Americana will revel in a visit to the National Scouting Museum for one of the largest collections anywhere of Rockwell's original works. Then it's off to the Irving Arts Center, for a leisurely tour of its galleries and sculpture garden. A weather-friendly day also means a good time to explore the Jaycee Center for the Arts and its beautiful gardens. Book a private moonlight tour via gondola on the waters of the Mandalay Canal to close out your evening in true Venetian style.

Day 2

The Dallas Arboretum is always in bloom, and mornings are a perfect time to enjoy its scenery. Then it's off to downtown Dallas for an up-close look at the cattle drive captured in sculpture at Pioneer Plaza. The Dallas Museum of Art is the next stop, and then it's a trolley ride to McKinney Avenue for antique shopping and gallery strolling. Dinner is a dine-around on the avenue, capped by a nighttime performance at the Meyerson Symphony Center, Winspear Opera House, Majestic or Fair Park Music Hall theatres.

Day 3

"West" is the theme of the day, with your first stop at the Sid Richardson Collection of Western Art, then the National Cowgirl Hall of Fame. Fort Worth's Kimball Art Museum offers a spectacular collection, and a great lunch at its Buffet. Make time to include the new Modern Art Museum; the Amon Carter Museum is next, then it's Fort Worth's turn to show off its greenery with a stop at the Botanical Gardens. Dinner is in Sundance Square, with a show following at Caravan of Dreams, Casa Mañana, the Bass Performance Hall or Casa on the Square.

Day 4

Your morning starts with the Grapevine Art Walk, including a visit to the unique Grapevine Heritage Center. A tour of Grapevine's wineries is next, with stops at tasting rooms and vineyards included. Enjoy a casual dinner at local favorites like Esparza's, Ravioli's, or Willhoite's, than catch the performance at the Grapevine Opry.