By james art 
Sometimes the destination is the suburbs.
One such suburb is Irving, Texas. Once a bedroom community for Dallas, it has become a destination in its own right.
Away from Irving’s stereotypical strip malls, shops and residential neighborhoods is Las Colinas.
The municipality, planned in the 1970s, was built around the man-made Lake Caroline and a series of canals. It’s basically the center of a big city in the middle of the suburbs.
Once the domain of office buildings — something like eight Fortune 500 companies have their global headquarters in Irving — it has evolved over the years, adding apartments, hotels and a solid food scene. Another big draw is the Toyota Music Factory, a world-class entertainment venue anchored by an outdoor amphitheater. Past concerts have featured gospel and Christian artists including Kirk Franklin.
The real jewel in Irving’s crown, however, is the waterfront created by the lake and canals, especially during the hot Texas summer.
Some of the waterfront streetscape struck me as vaguely Mediterranean, not least when watching a Marian procession hosted by the annual DFW Italian Festival. It was like being in some Italian or Spanish town on the patron saint’s day. Adding to the sense of place are the authentic Venetian gondolas that float across the water. (Gondola rides seemed especially popular with couples at sunset.)
A short drive away is Irving’s claim to fame or infamy, depending on your point of view.
Lee Harvey Oswald, the assassin of John F. Kennedy Jr., spent the night before killing the president on November 22, 1963, at Ruth Paine’s house. The Payne House, a modest post-war home, survives as a museum. It has been carefully restored to its 1963 appearance with original and replica furniture. The guided tour is quite informative for anyone unfamiliar with the Kennedy assassination.
While Irving has more than enough to do and see in a weekend, it’s also easy to pop into Dallas for a visit to the Art Museum or Sunday services at First Baptist Dallas, pastored by Robert Jeffress, or the Church of the Incarnation (Episcopal/Anglican ). The two churches are among the main destinations in Dallas.
If you go
I stayed at The Westin, a luxury hotel right across from the Irving Convention Center and right next to the Toyota Music Factory. An alternative hotel is the Omni with a resort-style outdoor pool.
Commentator and intellectual Jordan Petersen will be in Irving on Dec. 11 as part of his “We Who Fight God” tour. Tickets are still available at the Toyota Music Factory box office.
Tours of the Ruth Paine House must be reserved in advance through the Irving Archives and Museum.
Recommended restaurants in Los Colinas include Monaco, Pacific Table, Hugo’s Invitado and Two Mules Cantina.
I rented a car at Fort Worth International Airport in Dallas. It was completely unnecessary as Uber was widespread. The airport itself is about 10 minutes from Las Colinas and is partially within the city limits of Irving.
Dennis Lennox writes a travel column for The Christian Post
Dennis Lennox writes on travel, politics and religious issues. He has been published in the Financial Times, Independent, The Detroit News, Toronto Sun and other publications. Follow along @dennislennox on Twitter.