Sandwiched between Dallas and Fort Worth, the medium-size city of Arlington has become known as a pro-sports center and the family playground of the Metroplex. If you're a sports fan, or have kids in tow (or are a kid at heart), it makes a good day trip. If none of those applies, you're probably better off in Arlington's bigger and more important cousins. To get to Arlington, take I-30 from either Dallas or Fort Worth. If traffic's heavy, plan on it taking you about an hour from either city. Having your own car is pretty much required to get around to any of these places.

Arlington's Visitor Information Center is located at 1905 E. Randol Mill Rd. (tel. 800/342-4305 or 817/461-3888; www.arlington.org).