DFW: A Friendly But Vast Complex

Travel Article

One of the most traumatic events in my lifetime was the assassination of President Kennedy in 1963 in Dallas, Texas. I was signing my name on an exam paper in high school. Whenever I would hear the word ‘Dallas’, it had connotations of that awful day. Little did I know that Dallas would be a part of my life.

When I graduated as a chiropractor, in that first year, another chiropractor suggested I attend the Parker Seminars in Dallas. So, being a newbie in practice, I decided to fly down to Dallas from Toronto. In those days, it was on Braniff Airlines with its striking, colourful jets and flight attendants.

Unfortunately, that airline folded in the era of deregulation.

On that first trip to Dallas, I landed at Love Field, which was in the built-up area of Dallas. A few months later, in March 1974, I flew to Dallas again. This time, we would be landing at a new airport, the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, the largest in the world at that time. 

As we approached the airport, it was a different scene with farmland surrounding it; it was out in the country. The airport was impressive because it was laid out in such a fashion that from the time you landed, the distance to the luggage carousel and then out to the outdoors to get a taxi was very short.

In 1980, I moved to Australia, and while I visited the U.S. and Europe, Dallas was not on the radar then. Then came the 2000s, and something piqued my interest. I saw an ad for storm-chasing tours. I had always been interested in meteorology and, more specifically, tornadoes. So, my wife and I signed up for a one-week tour.

Once again, Dallas came into our travel plans because the base for the storm-chasing tour was a suburb called Euliss, just outside the DFW airport. As we approached the airport, I was shocked. What had been the countryside in 1974 was all concrete and buildings. The two cities of Fort Worth and Dallas had engulfed the airport, forming what is known as the DFW Metroplex. It is a big area. Just how big?

To give you an idea of the size of the DFW Metroplex, the land area is 8675 sq. mi (22,468 sq km). That is double the area of Sydney, the most extensive metro area in Australia and four times the size of the Perth Metro region, where I live. It is slightly larger than Israel's land area, which is 8630 sq mi. When you drive across the Metroplex, it seems like you never get out, even at highway speeds of 75 mph (120 kmh).

In 2013, we attended a workshop and the idea of investing in U.S. properties was proposed. At that time, the value of the Australian dollar was higher than the American dollar. We heard that the Dallas market was starting to emerge from the global financial crisis and had excellent growth potential.

In 2013, the population was 6 million. It has just surpassed 8 million, a 33% increase in just 10 years. We saw the potential, so we started buying properties in the eastern suburban area of Dallas. We have been there multiple times since then to liaise with our property team and storm chase, except during the COVID-19 travel restrictions. Dallas will continue growing as people from states such as California and New York leave in large numbers.

Today, I received an alert that DFW airport just had its 50 year anniversary. 

We will be there again in late March and April, travelling through West Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah and Colorado. On April 8, there is the added bonus of a total solar eclipse, weather permitting.

Dallas is now almost a second home. There are things to do and see, such as the Dallas World Aquarium, which is very impressive. Also, going to Dealey Plaza, where the Kennedy assassination took place, is quite surreal, including visiting the Texas Book Depository, which is now a museum. We made a few friends there; one thing that hasn't changed is Texas hospitality. "Y'all come back now."