Heading to Dallas

The National Archives Building is headquarters for the National Archives and Records Administration.

As any reader of this blog post knows, I’m an avid American history buff and have made it my mission to visit all of the Presidential Libraries in chronological order. These libraries are archives and museums established by the US Government to preserve the papers and artifacts of American Presidents and their administrations. Their archives contain millions of pages of documents, photographs, films, and recordings of presidential administrations. In addition to official records, the collections also include personal papers and historical materials donated by individuals associated with the president, and museum objects, such as gifts received by the President and First Lady. Most libraries also have a museum component with permanent and temporary exhibitions, which often featuring replicas of the Oval Office. They also host numerous public events and ongoing educational programs. The system began with Franklin D. Roosevelt, who donated his papers to the Federal Government, but the first official library was dedicated to his predecessor Herbert Hoover. The Presidential Libraries operate under a federal system overseen by the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). The system was created after the Presidential Libraries Act of 1955 in response to concerns about the potential loss of presidential records. At present, there are 13 official NARA-administered Presidential Libraries. Having already visited the first twelve, I was anxious to set off for Dallas, TX, in mid-November in order to tour the most recent, dedicated to the 43rd US President, George W. Bush.

The CLEAR Biometric Security Lane was not the best choice for my afternoon November departure.

Raleigh-Durham International (RDU) is my home airport and it was relatively quiet on this Tuesday, a week before the Thanksgiving Holiday. There were only a handful of travelers waiting to clear security in the TSA PreCheck lane, but I decided to proceed through the CLEAR security area. I came to regret my decision. First, I had to wait several minutes for a kiosk to open with an available agent. She informed me that my photo needed to be updated (I never did find out why) and that had to be done twice because the first one didn’t register. After that, I had to wait until the TSA Officer was ready for me to proceed. Although I then cleared security without a hitch, CLEAR was clearly not the best choice that day and it’s a shame as enrollees spend $120 per year for the “expedited experience,” which was not the case for me. Next time, if the PreCheck lane is wide open, that’s where I’m heading.

The Admirals Club at the Raleigh Airport is well- maintained with friendly and very competent staff.

My next stop was the American Airlines Admirals Club in Terminal 2 across from Gate C3. While I chose to have lunch on the airplane, I always like to check out the food options available at the clubs. While both the Admirals and United Clubs still lag behind Delta’s Sky Clubs in terms of catering , American has significantly enhanced their food and beverage offerings during the past year with the introduction of globally inspired, regionally specific, and seasonally rotating menus. It was clear to me that the carrier had “upped its game.” I was impressed with the variety of choices. There were no less than four different Salads available as well as Deli Meats, Soups and Cheese Grits, (which were most likely left over from the breakfast buffet.) American has also launched a new "Provisions by Admirals Club" grab-and-go concept for travelers in a hurry. While it has been introduced into the clubs at their hub in Charlotte, it has not yet been made available in Raleigh.  

Full meals are served on those American Airlines domestic First Class flights that are over 900 miles.

Although a later flight to Dallas was delayed, boarding for my flight at Gate C17 was on schedule at 12:35. I settled into my favorite Seat 2B on the port side of the B737-800 aircraft. There were 16 seats in the forward cabin in a 2 x 2 configuration. We pushed back on time at 1:15 and taxied to Runway 23L for takeoff. Once we were in the air, our pilot informed us that our flying time to Dallas would be two hours and 49 minutes. Within a half hour, our flight attendant took lunch orders and served cocktails along with warmed mixed nuts. American encourages frequent flyers to pre-order their entrées up to 24 hours prior to departure and offered six choices for lunch, I selected the Short Rib with Espagnole Sauce, served with classic Mac n’ Cheese. The beef was tender and juicy and quite filling, accompanied by a Carrot, Corn and Lima Bean Salad and a small, rather non descriptive  Bundt Cake. We landed at 3:07 and taxied for about ten minutes before parking at Gate B2.

With seven runways and 171 gates, the Dallas Fort Worth Airport is one of the busiest in the world.

The Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) is big. I covered its history in a March 16, 2024 post titled Beyond the Runways: The Story of Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, but I’m not sure I conveyed the sheer scope of DFW. It’s a major global hub with extensive domestic and international routes, a massive physical footprint, and is currently undergoing significant expansion. The airport is the primary hub for American Airlines, ranks as one of the busiest airports in the world by passenger and aircraft movements and offers a wide range of services and amenities. DFW has five terminals with 171 gates and its current expansion plans include the construction of a new Terminal F, which will add 24 additional gates, and a larger capital improvement plan to enhance infrastructure and facilities. Covering nearly 27 square miles, DFW is the second-largest airport in the US by land area and is one of the busiest airports in the world, welcoming 87.8 million passengers and serving as the world’s third-busiest airport in 2024. After deplaning in the B Concourse, I took the Skylink to the C Concourse in order to pay a visit to the American Airlines Employee Store located next to Gate C2, which is open to the public. While nearly every aviation-related item for almost every major airline in the world is available through the online store, the physical shop carried mostly tee shirts and tchotchkes like bag tags and keychains. which was a disappointment. 

DFW Airport is undergoing roadway construction involving detours and lane closures and reductions.

That was just the beginning. While I have connected through DFW on countless occasions, it’s been many years since Dallas was my final destination. I had great difficulty in connecting with an Uber to take me to my hotel. The app instructed me to meet the driver outside Gate C27, but ongoing construction made that impossible. I started walking along the roadway towards that area, but the walkway was blocked at Gate C24. Upon noticing a traffic officer, I inquired where the Uber pickup area was by Gate C27 and he replied that it had just been relocated to Gate C20. By then I’d had enough and simply took a cab into town, which ended up costing me $63. And, I was charged $5.20 for canceling the Uber at the last minute. I understand that construction very often creates disruptions, but would have expected the Uber app to be more up-to-date. 

Westin's signature Heavenly Bed was the best part of my "club level"room at the Dallas Park Central.

By then I was in the middle of the city’s rush hour and it took about 45 minutes for us to cover the 20-mile distance to the Westin Dallas Park Central Hotel. This 20-story hotel has 536 guest rooms and suites and was built in 1981. Check-in was very fast and the front desk clerk recognized my Marriott Bonvoy Lifetime Platinum Elite status. Although as she gave me the key card for Room 1616, she said , “You’re on the club level, but since there’s no club, I’m giving you three breakfast vouchers.” I’m not sure why they refer to that floor as the club level when it lacks a club, but did appreciate receiving the vouchers, My assigned 351-square foot, king-bedded room lacked an in-room safe, but high-speed Wi-Fi and bottled water were complimentary and there were plenty of outlets for charging multiple devices. While the hotel was last renovated in 2016, it appeared to be tired, somewhat worn and in need of a further refresh. So, while it wasn’t the nicest hotel I’ve ever stayed at by any means, it was a decent place to call home while taking in what were my two top sites to see in Dallas. 

I’ll tell you all about this visit in a future post. 

Until next time…safe travels.