Plano, Texas: The most affluent city in the U.S. What’s in it for the traveler?

Over at one of our sister blogs, Wallet Pop, Plano, Texas is being touted the most affluent city in the United States.

That Texas! Texas has two of the cities where people have a fighting chance of making the best living.

Plano may have turned into a suburb of Dallas over the years, but there are distinctive Plano-type things to do, even for folks with a more modest income. The city’s official Web site does give reference to spouses which alludes to trips taken by people who head to Plano for business meetings and bring their spouses in tow.

Here are three places I’d go if ever I was in Plano.

  1. The Heard Natural Science Museum and Wildlife Sanctuary– Technically, this attraction is not in Plano, but in McKinney. It is, however, close enough that I’ll included it, otherwise I would not have ended up with three things. Here is where you can learn about Texas’s natural environment through walking trails and indoor exhibits. One permanent exhibit is on Texas’s venomous snakes. Currently, there is a butterfly exhibit that will run through September.
  2. The Heritage Farmstead Museum – An historic Blackland prairie farm that was turned into a museum to highlight life on the Texas prairie back in 1891.
  3. Interurban Railroad Museum– This restored train station is where you can learn about the history of Plano and about the train that used to go between Dennison and Dallas. It’s free, so, what’s the harm in checking it out?

From the extensive attractions list you can surmise that Plano is close to Ft. Worth and Dallas. If you expand the distance you’re willing to travel, you’ll find loads of things to do. I’d go to the Ft. Worth Stockyards National Historic District.

I checked on the Frito-Lay Web site to see if there is a tasting show room or some such thing since Plano is the company’s home. Nope. Didn’t see one.

For more Plano facts, check out Wallet Pop’s post.