I'm a sucker for festive lights at night (especially of the Asian lantern influence) and glass art (especially of the Suess-inspired variety). When I found out that both the Chinese Lantern Festival and
Chihuly installations in Dallas mercifully extended their stays for over-scheduled, under-planned people such as myself, I booked a quick trip!
We hit the
Chinese Lantern Festival at Dallas Fair Park first. Some of the lanterns featured traditional Asian themes and subjects. Chad and I liked these best. Some of the lantern scenes displayed strong Disney and Sanrio influences, barely avoiding tripping over trademarks. These seemed more suited to children with poor taste, and were not our favorites.
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| Silk wire-framed entry gates make for a giant lantern! |
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| Fairy Temple straight ahead with dragon crafted out of plates to the side. |
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| Quilin figures shaped out of glass beads and silk wire-framed bases. Amazing! |
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| I loathe having my photo taken, but these blossom lanterns are lovely. |
Next up on the to-see/to-do list: the Chihuly Exhibit at the
Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Gardens. Admittedly, I was bummed that the evening exhibit was sold-out. However, once we arrived, I appreciated the sunlight for viewing all the gorgeous gardens, glass and gourds. (See what I did there with the alliteration? You love it. Don't pretend you don't.)
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| Charming Chihuly Chandelier |
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| Chihuly Sun-like Orb, Chad's Favorite |
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| Official title is Yellow Icicles, but I think it looks like a spiny cactus |
We also ate some stuff in Dallas. Worth mentioning was the yummy Neapolitan style pizza and mista salad from
Cane Rosso. Literally translated, that name means Red Dog. Nothing tasted like dog there, so thumbs-up!
