Outdoors & Rec

Carnivorous plants may evoke images of frightening looking foliage with razor sharp teeth and a taste for blood. But Paul Riddell, the owner and operator of the Texas Triffid Ranch in Richardson, says they actually possess a unique, haunting beauty unlike any other plant species. “I just realized these were…

The holidays are coming in hot, which means there will be no shortage of frosted sugar cookies and nothing sounds better than grabbing those unattractive flannel jammies and curling up on the couch.

Throughout the pandemic, hundreds — and in some places, thousands — gathered daily in North Texas without regard for social distancing.

You may have heard of geocaching, a high-tech treasure hunt; geocachers, often just called “cachers,” like to say they “use multi-million-dollar satellites to find Tupperware in the woods.” And actually, that’s pretty accurate. Geocaches are all around you. You’ve probably parked your car next to one more than once and…

It’s not a municipality of vampires, at least we don’t think so, but a lone town in North Texas is clinging to the darkness. “It’s kind of a dark area, not a lot of development, not yet,” says Gordon Meredith, North Texas regional manager for the Texas chapter of the…

Dallas’ skyline is fun. Between the light works at the Omni and the Reunion Tower, we are consistently reminded of the glorious heights achieved by mankind’s erections. Pun intended. But, let us be honest, architecturally speaking, it’s not the most elegant of cities, and downtown is about to get even…

On Oct. 6, a woman was visiting the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden and witnessed maskless visitors sticking their hands in the koi pond. As she captured video through her phone, the individuals attempted to catch fish with their bare hands. “I was just horrified and wanted to post it,”…

For most of us, a to-do list represents a series of daunting errands, everyday chores and endless cycles of grocery shopping. Dale Blasingame has more exciting tasks to cross off his list: getting to know every part of the country through its national parks. Blasingame’s love of parks is greater…

There’s no better time or place to have a scenic photoshoot than summertime in North Texas, especially now as most places remain quasi-closed. If you follow local photographers on Instagram, you’re sure to find your feed filled with people frolicking in fields of flowers and posing by lakes, trees and…

As the great Bowling for Soup once said, “high school never ends.” Let’s face it, we’re all awkward 16-year-olds at heart. Luckily, Dallas has an endless number of places for everyone, nerds and goths alike, to make good use of our disposable income. So tell us which clique you belonged…

Life-sized photographs of the bodies of four African American people dangled from nooses on Barney’s tree in Glenn Beck’s studio on Wednesday evening in Dallas. Beck didn’t kill them, but some white man did. They were images of slaves who had been hanged in the past for real and then…

As Deep Ellum continues to grow in business and in opportunities for artists, the more necessary the means to accommodate various forms of transportation. Earlier this year, Deep Ellum implemented plans to help reduce traffic by designating certain intersections as rideshare drop-off and pick-up spots. Shuttles from downtown Dallas offer…

Klyde Warren Park, meet the rest of the world. Through Shared Studios’ Dallas_Portal, Dallasites in Klyde Warren Park can form connections and have discussions with people in different countries without having to leave Dallas. The Dallas_Portal is a repurposed shipping container painted gold on the outside. The inside can hold…

The Texas Rangers Golf Club opened last week in Arlington without a ticker tape parade, but those willing to brave the chill were welcomed with a double lineup of snazzy golf carts. The first tee time at the newly renovated course dodged a frost delay to open as scheduled at…

Two Dallas Zoo staffers won big for conservation after receiving a grant of roughly $70,000 from the National Geographic Society. Supervisor of Birds Kevin Graham and Curator of Ectotherms Ruston Hartdegen will join the ranks of renowned conservationists like Jane Goodall and Jacques Cousteau, all while working on personal field…

Sometimes no matter how hard you try, no matter what videos you watch or how much your special someone tries to help, it’s hard to get in the mood. The Christmas mood. You know you’re being a Grinch while everyone around you is preparing roast beast, but you can’t do…

If you’ve been scrolling through Instagram in recent weeks, you may have seen pictures of people posing at “The Power of You,” a new female empowerment-themed mural in Victory Park. “The Power of You” is Dallas’ first feminist mural and is part of an initiative by Boss Women Media. “The…

Celebrities playing tennis in the name of a charity. For its third year, the Dirk Nowitzki Pro Celebrity Tennis Classic will be Sept. 15 at the Southern Methodist University Tennis Complex. The players included in this year’s Classic are Andy Roddick, 2003 U.S. Open champion; Tommy Haas, German ATP Tour…

In Spanish-speaking countries, it’s tradition for a girl who turns 15 to celebrate a quinceañera. The celebration symbolizes a girl’s transformation from childhood into womanhood. As part of Hispanic Heritage month, The Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden will allow selected participants to embrace the tradition by hosting the first Quinceañera…

Chris Elam wakes up at the crack of dawn and dodges his way through early commuter traffic each morning to ensure his beloved giraffes will find his friendly face to take care of them another day. This is what it means to be a zookeeper. Elam is one of the…

Proposals have gotten a little dramatic. From the insta-engagement party to surprise paparazzi photo teams hiding in bushes, this ain’t a low-key affair. Talk about a lot of pressure on the person popping the question. Regardless, it makes the bride- or groom-to-be happy and feel sparkly in that special moment…