Plano

Every September, dozens of hot-air balloons rise into the Texas sky above Oak Point Park – the Plano Balloon Festival is the best-known date on the city's calendar. A trip to Plano takes you to a wealthy suburb north of Dallas that has grown into a major corporate hub and has a surprisingly good food scene.

From Farm Town to Corporate Headquarters

Plano began in the mid-19th century as a small farming settlement on the Blackland Prairie; the name is said to come from the Spanish word for "flat." The arrival of the railroad in 1872 brought the first boom, but until the 1960s Plano remained a small town of just a few thousand residents. Then enormous growth set in. Today, companies such as Toyota North America, J. C. Penney, and Frito-Lay have their headquarters here or very close by. The result is a city with well-kept residential neighborhoods, plenty of parks, and a very international population.

Things to See in Plano

Historic Downtown Plano, centered on 15th Street, has preserved its turn-of-the-century brick facades; here you'll find boutiques, galleries, and pubs, as well as the Interurban Railway Museum in a former interurban train depot. Legacy West feels completely different – a modern district with shops, restaurants, and plazas – as does the neighboring Shops at Legacy. The Heritage Farmstead Museum shows what life was like for a farming family around 1900. Nature lovers can hike in the Arbor Hills Nature Preserve, which combines prairie, woodland, and creeks, or bike the trails along Chisholm Trail Park.

Eating and Going Out in Plano

Plano is considered one of the most interesting restaurant cities in the Dallas area. The many professionals who have moved here brought their cuisines with them: there are excellent Chinese, Korean, Indian, and Vietnamese restaurants, many of them tucked into unassuming strip malls along the major thoroughfares. Texas barbecue with brisket and ribs is a given, as is Tex-Mex. In the evening, Legacy Hall – a large food hall with a brewery in Legacy West – and the bars in Downtown are the most popular gathering spots.

Plano with Kids

Plano is especially family-friendly. The Crayola Experience at The Shops at Willow Bend mall is a hands-on museum all about color and crayons. Oak Point Park and Nature Preserve offers lakes, hiking trails, and picnic areas, and in summer public outdoor pools provide a place to cool off. If you want to shop, you'll find well-known brands in the big malls and in Legacy West, while smaller stores and handmade crafts are in Downtown Plano. Many hotels are located along the Dallas North Tollway, so you can get quickly to both the city and the airport.

Getting Around Plano and the Best Time to Visit

Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport is about 40 minutes to the southwest, and Dallas Love Field is a similar distance away. DART light rail connects Downtown Plano with downtown Dallas; for getting around locally and for excursions, however, a car is still the most convenient choice. The best times to visit are spring and fall – in March and April, bluebonnets, the Texas state flower, bloom along the roads, while summer is very hot. A day trip to Dallas with the Sixth Floor Museum, the Arts District, and Deep Ellum is easy to fit in, as is a visit to historic McKinney with its pretty Courthouse Square.