From J.R. to the Dallas Cowboys, for many visitors this is the land of icons that are endlessly associated with Texas.

This city of almost 1,100,000 is rich with culture, offering a cornucopia of more than 160 museums, galleries, and artistic attractions. Many of these attractions are found in the Dallas Arts District, 60 acres on the north edge of downtown and the largest urban arts district in the country.

Shopping galore can be enjoyed in the north part of town, and the West End, a former warehouse district has lots of restaurants. (With more than 5,000 eateries, Dallas boasts more restaurants per capita than New York City.) Near West End, you'll find Deep Ellum, the lively center of the city's alternative arts and music scene.

Dallas is also the site of a painful episode in American history---the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. That fateful event is remembered at the Sixth Floor Museum, housed in the former Texas School Book Depository where it is alleged that assassin Lee Harvey Oswald was located at the time of the shooting.