Media Relations Contact:
Morgan Lyons

March 5, 2003

A bounty of spring break fun for families and freed parents

9 Days of DART Reveals a Treasure of Destinations and Deals

The March ritual of spring break presents North Texas parents with a couple of tough questions: How do we keep the kids entertained during their nine days - including two weekends - of freedom? Or, what can we do for fun while they're gone to grandma's or the Gulf Coast?

DART has the answer to the spring break puzzle: Hop a train and check out the abundance of destinations along the 79 miles of DART and TRE rail lines running through the Metroplex. From the first weekend of spring break to the last, fun and enrichment await every day, all within a short walk, bus or streetcar ride from the rail stations.

And here's a new bonus: When you ride the rails during spring break, or any time of year, you'll qualify for great DART destination deals at nearby restaurants, shops and attractions. Just look for the destination deals decal in the window of businesses offering discounts and other money-saving opportunities to anyone with a valid DART or Fort Worth T ticket or pass.

The newly published DART destination deals guide provides a comprehensive list of restaurants, shops, museums, theaters and other entertainment venues located near DART Rail stations, or along a connecting Trolley-Bus or M-Line Streetcar route. The guide is organized into sections for each station, and establishments offering destination deals are highlighted for easy reference, along with their specific offers.

From dining to entertainment to shopping, everyone can find a destination deal to enjoy. Restaurant deals include free appetizers, desserts and drinks; buy-one, get-one free entrées; and discounts ranging from 5% to 20%. Entertainment offerings include discounts at museums, movie houses, live theater performances, bowling and skating centers and the Dallas Zoo. Merchandise discounts are available for antiques, artwork and eyewear; flowers, fashion, film processing and furniture; shoes, salon products and much, much more.

Here's just a sampling of what you'll enjoy when you turn spring break vacation into 9 Days of DART:

Saturday - Start out in the great outdoors. Take DART Rail to White Rock Station, and stroll along the hike and bike trail just a few feet away from White Rock Lake. After the family's worked up an appetite, get back on the train and ride to Mockingbird Station, just one stop away. There you can enjoy a destination deal at Rockfish Seafood Grill or the Angelika Café in the adjoining shopping/dining/entertainment complex of the same name, or across Mockingbird Lane at Jason's Deli.

Sunday - Get a new view of Dallas. Union Station is your connection to Reunion Tower, where the family can take a 360° look at the city. From there, take the train to the West End, where your DART pass is good for destination deal discounts on admission to the Sixth Floor Museum and at more than 20 restaurants in the bustling entertainment zone.

Monday - Have some Plano fun. Take DART Rail to Downtown Plano Station, where kids and parents can divide and conquer. Youngsters will want to check out Eisenbergs Skate Park, a skating and skateboarding mecca offering destination deals on bike or skate fees. Grownups can browse more than 30 nearby shops, galleries and cafés offering destination deals in Plano's historic downtown area. Deals dining treats include a discount on the superb schnitzel and red cabbage at Jorg's Café Vienna & Biergarten, or a free fountain drink with Ye Ole Butcher Shop's legendary burger.

Tuesday - Do the zoo. DART to Dallas Zoo Station for a visit to the oldest, and in landmass, biggest, zoo in Texas. The Dallas Zoo features many exotic and endangered species amidst tree-lined paths and beds of flowers. A Monday or Tuesday visit entitles you to a destination deal of 50% off admission.

Wednesday - Now it's your turn. The kids have headed off to the grandparents, skiing or South Padre, so enjoy yourselves! Catch the M-Line Streetcar at Cityplace Station or take the short stroll to West Village, Dallas' answer to New York's Soho. Browse the dozen dazzling stores offering destination deals. Take in a movie at The Magnolia, complete with a bottle of deal-priced house wine. For dinner, enjoy a destination deal at Nikita, where Berlin coffee house meets Paris underground lounge.

Thursday - Shop 'til you drop. Who can resist a visit to one of the Metroplex's premier malls? Choose between NorthPark Center in Dallas and Collin Creek Mall in Plano, both a quick Trolley-Bus ride from the Red Line. Board for NorthPark at Park Lane Station or Collin Creek at Downtown Plano Station. Show your DART ticket or pass to the concierge at either mall to obtain discount offers.

Friday - Make a Fort Worth Getaway. Why fight the I-30 or Airport Freeway traffic when you can cruise to Cowtown aboard the TRE train? Purchase a DART Premium Day Pass for just $4.50, catch the TRE at Union Station, and ride to ITC Station in downtown Fort Worth. From there, your DART pass entitles you to ride free on the Fort Worth T's buses and trolleys to the Cultural District, the Historic Stockyards, the Botanic Gardens and Sundance Square.

Saturday - Enjoy the Arts. A short stroll from DART's St. Paul Station puts you in the Dallas Arts District, where you can get destination deals at the Dallas Museum of Art (DMA) and the Trammell & Margaret Crow Collection of Asian Art. Then, right outside the DMA, catch the M-Line Streetcar to McKinney Avenue for deals at Kitchen Dog Theater, the McKinney Ave. Contemporary and nearly 50 shops and restaurants.

Sunday - Unwind at the Arboretum. They're coming baaaccckkk. But before the kids get home, relax in the floral splendor of Windmills of Color, the Dallas Arboretum's 2003 Dallas Blooms celebration, March 15-April 20. Free DART shuttle service runs every 15 minutes on Saturdays and Sundays from Mockingbird Station.

Want more great destination deals? The new DART destination deals guide is available at participating merchants, on DART trains and at DART transit centers, transfer locations and downtown Dallas DART Stores. Or call DART Customer Service at 214-979-1111. Updates, additions and revisions to the guide are available online at DART.org.

Click here to request a copy of the DART Destination Deals Guide.

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