Plano gets a bad rep. Nestled right between Dallas and Frisco the city of Plano is often deemed too uncool for Dallas and not nearly as “up and coming” as Frisco. Since moving to Plano almost one year ago we’ve had plenty of time to get to know the city and found so many gems we never even knew existed. Here are my top 7 things about Plano you probably never knew existed:
1. Oak Point Park and Nature Preserve. We all know about Arbor Hills, the gem in West Plano, but not many know about Oak Point just off of Jupiter Rd. and Parker Rd. in East Plano. Consisting of 800 acres, 3.5 miles of paved trails and 5 miles of hiking trails, this park and nature preserve boasts fun all year round. Home to the Plano Balloon Festival in late September and with an amphitheater showing movies on Saturday nights during the fall, Oak Point has something for everyone.
2. BBQ. You don’t need to visit Pecan Lodge all the way in Deep Ellum to get
fantastic BBQ anymore. Lockhart Smokehouse has a location in old downtown Plano, and just like their other location a long line will start snaking out of the building at dinnertime. Having a craving for juicy brisket with a nice bark or freshly smoked sausage? Lockhart Smokehouse has you covered. Feeling in need of a bit more upscale experience? Visit Smoke restaurant’s newest location in Plano (it’s right next to our Trader Joe’s). Featured not only locally but also in the Wall Street Journal, Esquire, Men’s Health, NPR and Southern Living, just to name a few, Smoke will tantalize your taste buds and let you experience smoked food in a way you never thought possible.
3. KidMania. Imagine the Chick-fil-A play area times 20 and you have an accurate visual of what KidMania looks like. For only $6 per child and $3 per child aged 1-2 you can take your kiddos to slides, tunnels, zip-lines, and a humongous arcade on the second floor. There is even a small play area for children under 3. Sounds fantastic, right? Well to tempt you even more, they throw in the Parents No Mania Room, a window-filled room from which you can supervise your child yet sit in silence. Ahhhhhhhhh.
4. The Shops at Willow Bend. Willow Bend Mall is like the NorthPark of Plano. It has an Apple Store, an H&M, a Maggiano’s, and while it doesn’t have ducks or turtles, it does have a large play area designated for children with walls and only one exit. For those of us with rambunctious toddlers who believe the pursuit of eternal happiness lies inside of the duck pond at NorthPark – this is a welcome change of pace.
5. Bavarian Grill. Live Bavarian and polka music every night of the week in a super casual environment that is possibly one of the most kid friendly restaurants around (without having an actual playground, of course).
6. Henry’s Homemade Ice Cream. Since moving to Plano last September Henry’s has become our go-to-absolute-favorite ice cream spot in all of DFW. My kids absolutely adore Dinosaur Egg, a blue concoction filled with marshmallows. Husband and I go straight for the salted caramel, which is out of this world.
7. Downtown Plano. Three years ago I wrote an article about a day trip on the DART to the downtown Plano station. Since that time the downtown area has only gotten better and better. While the train museum, park, and Georgia’s farmer’s market are still there, there are now even more places to visit on the quaint cobblestone 15th street of Plano. From Angela’s on the Crosswalk where you can sit down and have a slice of fantastic pie (with some Henry’s ice cream on the side!) to the children’s and adult’s boutiques, downtown Plano is a fun day trip destination all on its own.
Do you live in Plano? Let us hear from you in the comments section if you have any hidden gems that I might have missed!
