A Lunch Date at Addison Airport

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My two year old son is a typical boy. He loves toads, bulldozers, and being destructive.

Growing up with only one younger brother, I do my best to be a cool “boy mom” even though I have no experience with the opposite gender. And while sometimes I fall way short, I’ve discovered it doesn’t take much to instantly win him over as Mom of the Year. For example, the time I came home with a stuffed Elmo. Months later, he’s still sleeping with him in his bed. Or when I discovered you can make “paint” out of a little water and food coloring and Mommy let him go to town outside covering his whole body in colors.

Addison Airport

But more recently, the activity that has guaranteed me his love me for a few more months (and a stress-free outing for me) is our new favorite past time; taking a lunch date to Addison Airport to watch the airplanes.

This has been one of my favorite things to do during the weekday! Since having our second little boy, finding ways my toddler without stressing over my newborn has been difficult. He’s run away from me in parks causing me to have to abandon my baby to go chasing after him. (I’m discovering how much I LOVE parks with fences around them!) Mall playgrounds are always packed and present a challenge. 

Watching the PlanesBut the beauty of this outing is that we can stay in the car and enjoy our meal of chicken nuggets while watching the planes come and go 100 feet in front of us! My newborn is passed out in the car seat and my 2 year old anxiously awaits the landing of the next plane all while I feel less stressed and safe!

When the weekend roles around my husband (of course) 1-up’s me by letting him get out of the car and watch from a much closer distance while listening to the loud roar of the planes.

His favorite part is when the pilots take the time to wave while he watches them role by.

Addison Airport at FencelineIf this seems like an adventure your kiddos would like to try, or you just need a way to stay in your vehicle like me, here’s what you need to know:

  • There are two places to watch the planes. Off of Addison Road is a small L shaped street called Westgrove Drive. Right at the curve is a business strip with parking that faces the runway. This is the best spot to park (But stay in your vehicle!) and watch. If you don’t mind leaving your car, journey just north on Westgrove to the park lot near Excel Pkwy. From here, you can park and cross Westgrove to walk along the fence line.
  • Patience is important! Expect the airplanes to move slowly. On average we’ll see about 8-10 in an hour period, so make you have a plan in the down time.
  • Addison Airport also has a flight museum – Cavanaugh Flight Musuem. This is a great museum, but unlike the Frontiers of Flight Museum at Love Field, Cavanaugh is designed for kids ages 5 and over. 

I’m hoping one day I can take it a step further and surprise him with a trip to DFW International, but that might require a little prep ahead of time and some good advice on where the perfect plane watching spot would be!

What are your favorite spot to go for a lunch date with your kids? 

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Krystal Hurst
Krystal is a Dallas-native who began her career as a fourth grade teacher in Richardson RISD, but quickly changed paths to became a stay-at-home mom in 2011. Through a happy coincidence, she stumbled upon (what was then known as) Dallas Moms Blog in 2012 and found a community she’d been looking for since coming a mom. Shortly after joining the team, she gratefully accepted the “baton” passed to her as new owner of the site, and took off with it running full speed! Krystal not only helped to grow Dallas Moms into a large parenting resource, but also launched Collin County Moms in 2016; providing those in the north Dallas suburbs their community resource platform. While building a community, uniting the moms, and growing a business around this passion was a dream come true, after almost 10 years, Krystal officially stepped down as owner, and is now focusing on raising her 4 boys with her husband, Tim, and rediscovering old hobbies.

4 COMMENTS

  1. DFW has a parking lot designated for watching the planes (Founders Plaza Observation Area), and we love it because they also broadcast tower communications over a speaker system so you can listen to the pots and control tower. Beware, though: no potties. If your toddler isn’t toilet trained yet, that’s not a big deal. And I guess for boys maybe its not an issue since they like to pee in the grass. I’ve got girls, though, and while they love watching the planes, we sorely miss a place for those emergency bathroom trips!

  2. One of our favorite places to go is the Beacon cafe in Haslet, Tx. It is a drive from Addison but definitely worth it for the free entertainment it provides for the kiddos and they have a great brunch buffet. We enjoy sitting on the patio watching the private planes land and take off right in front of us. They actually have designated parking spots for the planes. There is also a train track that runs behind the landing strip so watching the train go by is an added bonus! My 2 your old son is in awe every time we go. I definitely recommend going on the weekend because there are more planes coming and going on the weekends.

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