My family and I recently returned from a trip to Dallas and had such a blast! It’s a perfect destination for both couples and families, with amazing food, museums, and parks. If Dallas, Texas, has been on your radar, here’s how you can make it happen for nearly free using points and miles…

Flights

We didn’t have to worry about flights as we drove from our home in Houston, but if Dallas is more than just a few hours away, flying may be a better option. Dallas is a hub for American Airlines and also has a large Southwest Airlines presence, so one of those will likely be your best option.

Let’s say our family was flying to Dallas from Chicago. We could fly non-stop from ORD to DFW for 23,000 AA miles per person round-trip. Not too bad!

An even better option for our family would be to fly from ORD or MDW to DAL on Southwest Airlines. We have a Southwest Companion pass, so my daughter’s flight would be free (other than the taxes). My husband and I could fly for less than 10,000 Southwest points round-trip each!

Either of these flight options would be great and are doable with just one or two credit card welcome offers.

Hotels

Activities

As a true Swiftie, I had to stop by the Arlington Museum of Art to check out their new exhibit, Taylor Swift The Eras Tour Collection. It’s a relatively small exhibit, but they have 8 of her outfits from various award ceremonies/music videos, and they were really cool to see up close!

The exhibit runs until September 24, 2023, and you do need a timed entry ticket.

Dallas is also home to a lot of great museums. We’ve visited the Dallas World Aquarium in the past and loved it. This time we decided to visit the Perot Museum of Nature and Science for the first time, and it did not disappoint!

It’s a huge museum, and we spent a couple of hours there (and could have stayed even longer)! My 10-year-old loved it. It’s a great, air-conditioned family activity. You’ll also need timed entry tickets for this museum.

We loved the Perot Museum!

It was a little too hot to spend much time outside on this visit, but I’d love to check out Klyde Warren Park next time we’re in Dallas when it’s not summertime! They have food trucks, a children’s park with water features, and tons of space to run around!

Bottom Line

There’s something for everyone in Dallas! And why not make your trip free (or nearly free) thanks to points and miles? Saving money on flights and hotels means more money for BBQ and museums!