I t’s a game we all play. Whenever I travel somewhere new, I spend a considerable amount of time weighing whether I should summer in that destination.

For my fictional secondary home, the destination needs to be drivable from Texas because I want to bring my Standard Poodles, Tippi and Norman Rockwell, with me. (I know many of you equally prioritize your pets because Zillow® and BARK named Dallas the country’s most “dog-obsessed” city in 2024.) I want the option of both a direct flight (to pop back and forth) AND a less-than-10-hour drive so that I can make it there in one day. Since I live in a bustling cosmopolitan metroplex, I seek my summer getaway to be in a city with a slower pace and a more casual, relaxed vibe. Since Texans love to eat out, let the culinary scene be described a

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