After we landed and got our suitcases from baggage claim, Tom and I waited what felt like an eternity for our transfer to pick us up. After waiting a while I wanted to ask someone how we should go about sorting our transfer out but Tom suggested going outside and waiting. My patience ran out after approximately 45 minutes so I went and asked a member of staff at the Airport, and it turned out we needed to call the company to arrange the transfer.

When we were in New York we used the same transfer company. At Newark they had a queuing system near the Airport entrance and had someone organise the transfer for us, and I assumed it would be the same in Dallas. The lesson I learnt here was to trust my instincts more often.

While that was getting sorted Tom got chatting to a couple of guys to try and get the lowdown on Dallas. Before I came here I searched for things to do as did Tom, and it didn’t look like there was much to do in Dallas. From what Tom said of the conversation there was a fair bit to see but we weren’t going to be here for long as the main purpose for going to Dallas was to see WrestleMania.

We checked into the hotel, and we did the standard, look around the room, see what there is etc. The hotel room wasn’t as nice as it looked in the pictures when I booked it. To put it kindly it was the equivalent of going on a date with someone you met online only to realise they used photo shop for their profile picture.

We were starving and the restaurant hotel was closed, it wasn’t late so I had no idea why it was shut. Outside the hotel we could only see a fast food place opposite, there didn’t seem to be anything else around nearby. At this point neither of us were fussed.

Our friend Sam met us late at the hotel. He flew straight to Dallas from London and didn’t arrive till after 11pm. From what he said he had a long journey which doesn’t factor in the grilling he got from immigration before catching his connecting flight. To my surprise (and to Sam’s) he said they were really nice to him. I think he half expected to be turned away and sent back to London.

We checked out of the hotel early and made our way to another hotel. The second hotel was part of the package we booked for WrestleMania. Initially we wanted to arrive on the Friday in time to check in to this hotel but we couldn’t find any flights with ideal times so we chose to come on the Thursday instead and have the luxury of relaxation.

Sam had something booked early that morning so me and Tom kindly took his stuff with us. We all met up in the evening, had a bite to eat before heading to the NXT show. I’d been to one in London previously though the atmosphere here was a lot better.

As there were two beds and 3 people in the hotel room I took one for the team and slept on the floor, it was surprisingly comfortable. Having some duvets and sheets probably helped with the comfort. It wasn’t like we were going to spend the whole time at the hotel or the room so I didn’t mind sleeping on the floor.

Next morning Tom and I decided to have a look at what there was to do in Dallas and find somewhere to eat. Sam decided to spend some time at the pool. We asked someone at the tram stop where to go and got on the next one. We ended up travelling to the last stop which took just under an hour. During that time we passed roads, warehouses and secluded shops. The advice we were given was so bad, we’d have been better off picking a stop on map at random and trying our luck.

We didn’t have to wait long to get the tram back, and in the end we eat at the hotel restaurant and watched El Classico. The hotel restaurant/bar area always seemed to be packed no matter what time of day. The hotel was full of people who were there for WrestleMania weekend; I believe most of them were English or Irish. Sam joined us for dinner and the football. After the game we went to the American Airline Center for the Hall of Fame.

WrestleMania day arrived, apart from watching Man Utd vs. Everton in the room; we chilled before going outside the hotel to queue for a coach. The queue was long but it didn’t matter as there were more coaches coming meaning we wouldn’t have to wait long. To pass the time we spoke with other people in the queue, and there were people who’d made the effort to dress up. Fair play to them, I would’ve struggled in fancy dress on a hot day.

The venue, the AT&T stadium is the home of the Dallas Cowboys. The stadium hosted the Super Bowl in 2011 between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Green Bay Packers. It was huge; it’s the largest indoor stadium I’ve been to. The atmosphere was something else, around 100,000 people (give or take) attended.

The staff at the AT&T Stadium didn’t let people in straight away. We must have waited between 30 – 45 minutes after we were meant to enter the Stadium before we were let in. It was getting hotter by the minute, and I was getting more dehydrated by the minute. I tend to struggle if I go more than an hour without water on a normal day in England so trying to keep myself occupied, and ignore the thirst in the Texas heat was a bit of a mission. It was a relief once we got inside the Stadium.

The show overall lasted between 5 – 6 hours. By the time we got on the coach back to the hotel, the day caught up with me, I couldn’t wait to get to bed.

Next morning I wanted to stroll around, and kill some time. Sam fell ill and Tom didn’t want to go out so I decided to head out anyway. I saw Hooters and thought I’d see what the fuss was about. I don’t know if it’s just me but I swear there’s a perception amongst people who’ve never been to Hooters that it’s a seedy place. I saw more women and kids eating there than men.

I timed it well; it was a day they served unlimited chicken wings.  Needless to say I made good use of it, their BBQ boneless chicken wings are to die for.

The most popular thing to do in Dallas (if it doesn’t involve watching the Dallas Cowboys) is visit the grassy knoll. This is the site where former US President JFK was assassinated be Lee Harvey Oswald. Anytime I’d gone past it on the tram there was always people on it. I went there after I finished eating at Hooters, one of the first things I noticed was how near the Texas School Book Depository Building was. This is the building where the fatal shots were supposedly fired from.

I met up with Sam and Tom, grabbed some stuff and we went to the American Airlines Center for Monday Night Raw. The one after WrestleMania is usually known as the best show of the year. I didn’t think it was as good as the ones in recent years. I was later told by Tom that apparently him and Sam appeared on TV in the background (I think he said he paused the TV in order to find himself) while my face was blocked out by a big sign.

I didn’t see the point in sleeping as I had an early flight so I left all my packing till the night before. Sam was the only one who could afford to sleep as he had a good flight time while Tom was heading back home via New York. We all said our goodbyes and for me this was the start of the solo journey. Next stop San Francisco.

Unless you’re visiting family or friends I doubt most people would spend more than 2 or 3 days in Dallas. I have the impression the area is being built up and might be a good to place to visit in 5 or 10 years time.