5 Ways to be a Tourist in Your Own City this Fall

Dallas is an incredible city and I feel so lucky to call it home. We have a great food scene, beautiful neighborhoods, and arguably some of the best shopping. And though I love the hustle of New York City and San Francisco, this is a perfect place for us to call home. But sometimes, Austin and I struggle to get creative when it comes to dates or things to do on the weekend. We have our typical “dinner and a movie”, which I honestly love, but there are times when you want to mix things up a bit.

Banana Republic inspired us to take advantage of our beautiful city and take a weekend to explore being a local tourist. It surprised us how much fun we had (and learned) about our city. Whether you live here or are making a trip down, there are a few activities that are perfect for locals and tourists alike. And with fall just around the corner, there are a lot of festive opportunities to take advantage of this season no matter where you live.

1. Picnic For Two In Your Local Park:

We work from home and are indoors 98% of the work week, so any opportunity to get outside is one worth taking. Especially now that cooler weather is on the way. We wanted to take an afternoon and walk around one of our neighborhood parks. It was the perfect spot to perch up for the afternoon with a picnic in tow, bottle of wine and, of course, bug spray. We stopped by our local deli (Eatzies for you Dallas folk) got a couple sandwiches and snacks. It was a fun alternative to our typical date and gave us a good opportunity to have a conversation that didn’t revolve around work or the home build. 

2. Check out the local Museum or Art Exhibit

Visiting your local museum can give you a new perspective and make you appreciate your community all the more. Dallas is actually home to several museums. We love visiting the Perot Museum or the Dallas Museum of Art and the new Sweet Tooth Hotel is top on my list. This pop-up reopens on November 1st — can’t wait!

3. Visit the Pumpkin Patch

Tis’ the season for fall and with that comes pumpkins! This is one of our favorite traditions. Several pumpkin patches are now offering hayrides, petting zoos, coffee or cider — it’s a whole thing. And if you are visiting the DFW area between now and November, be sure to check out the Dallas Arboretum. They have the largest pumpkin selection and art exhibit — it’s beautiful. 

4. Grab a Drink at your favorite Hotel

This was an idea shared by a TTD reader last year when I was talking about ways to date your spouse. She mentioned one of her favorite things to do is head downtown and grab drinks and lite bites at a swanky hotel. I honestly never thought about that, unless of course, we were staying there, but I was encouraged to give it a try. It’s actually quite fun and a good excuse to get dressed up. 

5. Embrace the History 

Depending on the size of your city, there might be a museum or art exhibit that illustrates an exciting part of your hometown’s history. Downtown Dallas offers several walking tours sharing more on history and culture of Dallas. 

Exploring your own city can be refreshing. It brings an opportunity to see new things and get a completely different perspective on the place you live. You just need to remind yourself that you can find beautiful things right where you are.

How have you been a tourist in your own city or town? What are some “touristy” things around where you live that are actually pretty cool and worth checking out? Share in the comments below!

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OUTFIT DETAILS: 

On Ashley: Banana Republic White Button Down (also worn here) | Banana Republic Suede Mini Skirt c/o (I was so excited to get my hands on this skirt! It is such a fall/winter staple)

On Austin: Banana Republic Water Repellant Jacket c/o (Austin loves this jacket and found it to be incredibly durable. He noted that it did run big and would suggest sizing down.) | V Neck Sweater | Denim