Go to the Dallas Auto Show. I mean it. Take the kids.

“Mommy, can we go back to the car museum?”

The car museum. Car museum. My mind was racing. What was she talking about?

“Car museum?” I said.

“Mommy. That big place with all the cars inside?” Like, duh.

(LIGHT BULB)

She wants to go back to the Dallas Auto Show.

Last year I had the privilege of being a guest of Chevy at the Dallas Auto Show. I had never been — to any car show actually. So it was a totally new experience for me.

I have to say, it was awfully refreshing to be able to gawk at every kind of car you’ve seen on television commercials– all in one place, without the high-pressured sales pitch. Because the car companies can’t sell there, it’s a show, not a sale. Get it?  You are at your leisure to sit inside each vehicle. Tug on the steering wheel. Fondle the gear shift. Adjust the seats. Imagine yourself cruising the tollway in it.

I’ve always wanted to know what a SmartCar looked like inside. Or pretend I was driving a Land Rover for realz. I got to do that. But I restrained most of my excitement while I was in the company of the Chevy folks, lest them think I was completely daft or auto depraved  Little did they know that if it weren’t for my husband, I’d be on a 2 year rotation for new cars. He’s so darn practical sometimes.

But the nice Chevy peeps did give me  Dallas Auto Show tickets to bring the Princess Cupcake back with me that weekend. Well, the hubs too but he chose not to enable my auto wanderlust and go play golf instead. So it was girls day out and I could geek out as much as I like, and despite my nagging thoughts, “Really? She’s a GIRLY-girl. I dunno if she’d get into that kind of thing,” the Cupcake was an enthusiastic participant.

The Princess Cupcake took one look through the convention center doors and her mouth dropped open, then she plunged into the half million+ square feet of car museum. She carefully and adeptly chose her favorite pink Chevy for “when she grows up,” she pretended to drive everything from a Tahoe to a Mini and everything in-between  She had us take our selfie with the “bumblebee car.” (Chevy Camaro)

She quite literally wanted to inspect each and every car on the floor. Awww. She is a little mini me after all.

So let my experience be a lesson to you. Go to the Dallas Auto Show. I mean it. Not only will you find it interesting, but your kids will think it’s better than the park. And speaking of parks, you can hit one of the many beautiful downtown Dallas parks after the Dallas Auto Show and just make a whole downtown day of it.

The Dallas Auto Show runs March 13 – 17th at the Dallas Convention Center. Cost for admission is $12 for adults, $5 for seniors over 65 and kids aged 6 – 12. Kids 5 and under get in free. Download the free app before you go:

• Wednesday: 4 to 10 p.m.
• Thursday: 4 to 10 p.m.
• Friday: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
• Saturday: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
• Sunday: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

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