96 BEST OF DALLAS® 2026 dallasobserver.com DALLAS OBSERVER ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT | SPORTS & RECREATION | FOOD & DRINK | SHOPPING & SERVICES | READERS’ CHOICE | CONTENTS BEST HIKING TRAIL Trinity River Audubon Center 6500 Great Trinity Forest Way, Dallas audubon.org/trinity-river Skip the congestion and labradors of the Katy Trail. Instead, find actual peace at the Trinity River Audubon Center, south of downtown. The site used to be a large illegal dumping ground, but with massive conser- vation efforts, it’s become an education oa- sis. Plus, the Audubon Center offers guided bird walks, where visitors can see all of our native birds, such as northern cardinals, American goldfinches and the rare but not obsolete bald eagle. What does the Katy Trail have? Wannabe TikTokkers with tiny microphones? We’ll take the birders and more than four miles of nature trails. BEST BIKE TRAIL The Loop theloopdallas.org There was a time when it felt like biking in Dallas meant hitting a dirt trail or circling White Rock Lake, but not anymore. The Loop stitches together nearly 50 miles of ex- isting and new pathways — White Rock Creek, the Trinity Skyline, Santa Fe and be- yond — into one continuous ribbon circling the city. The Loop connects neighborhoods that one typically doesn’t think of as terribly close. In a city where the “bike plan” often feels empty, the Loop has been delivering on its promise. BEST RACE Cupid’s Undie Run Knox-Henderson join.ctf.org/event/2026-cupids-undie- run-dallas/e705270 Running has re-emerged as the prime exer- cise for staying in tip-top shape. And there’s no better way to share your progress with the world than in Cupid’s Undie Run. Each February, Dallasites strip down to their skivvies for a brief (pun intended) run down Henderson Avenue. The race, in its entirety, is a mile, give or take, and all proceeds sup- port those with neurofibromatosis, a group of rare genetic diseases that cause noncan- cerous tumors to grow on nerves around the body. Do something good for yourself and for others, and take it off. BEST RUN CLUB Dallas Running Club dallasrunningclub.com The Dallas Running Club has been the wind beneath the wings of the local running scene for a long time and now reportedly includes nearly 2,000 members in its volunteer com- munity. Open to every pace, from walkers to marathoners, DRC hosts six races a year, of- fers training programs for anyone chasing a 5K or a 26.2, and hosts free weekly social runs for good measure. Even the oldest club in town can still be among the most welcoming. BEST COMMUNITY BIKE RIDE Dallas Critical Mass 920 S. Harwood St., Dallas instagram.com/criticalmassdtx The concept behind Critical Mass is simple: Dallas needs better bike lanes, and to prove exactly why, hundreds of bikers ride through the city every last Friday of each month, from the Dallas Farmer’s Market all the way down Swiss Avenue and back around. A couple hundred bikers can really get in the way of traffic, and that’s kind of the point. The community bike ride, which brings bikers together, also serves as a peaceful protest and advocacy movement. Critical mass is fun and important. And the Observer has never shied from an unignor- able but poignant FU sent straight to the city. Wear your helmet; we’ve got to keep those brains thinking critically. BEST UNDERRATED PARK Trammell Crow Park 3700 Sylvan Ave., Dallas Trammell Crow Park is likely so underrated because it is so easy to miss. The Trinity Riv- er-adjacent park is located beneath the Syl- van Avenue bridge, and its location in the river floodway means the landscape is lush Provided by Dallas Running Club Dallas Running Club | B I G D R E A L I T Y : R AV E N R O S S | | Q & A | How long have you lived in the Dallas area? . I’ve lived in Dallas on and off since 2011. What is your favorite Dallas restaurant? . This is such a hard one! My personal favorite is Oishii. I’ve been eating their sushi for years and rarely do other sushi spots compare! What is your favorite Dallas park, greenspace? . Cliché, but I’m a sucker for the Katy Trail. It’s always a vibe, and I’m a daily hot girl walker, so I couldn’t live without it. What is your favorite coffee shop? . This one is such a niche answer! I’m originally from New Orleans and when PJs Coffee first started expanding from my hometown and came to Dallas, I was ecstatic! PJs Coffee is my absolute fave for fun, subtle flavors and always consistent. What is the one place in Dallas you take out-of-town visitors? . It’s a toss-up between Javier’s Uptown I love their food, drinks and vibe) or a fun weekend stroll around Bishop Arts! It just depends on the vibe. R aven Ross was already a Dallas Pilates instructor when she became one of the breakout personalities of Season 3 of “Love Is Blind.” But three years after the show premiered, the reality-TV experiment is look- ing increasingly like a launching pad for a much bigger career. Raven’s relationship with Nigerian engi- neer Sikiru “SK” Alagbada became one of the season’s central storylines. After connecting in the pods, the pair became engaged and began navigating the cul- tural differences, family expectations and long-distance complications. And then there was the Pilates. Ross famously continued exercising during one of her conversations with Bartise Bowden, an early pod connection who questioned whether she was giving him enough attention. The mo- ment became one of the season’s most memorable scenes — and, inadvertently, a preview of the career Ra- ven would build after the show. During their time together, Ross and her beau also got a distinctly North Texas tour of romance. They took a gon- dola ride on Lake Carolyn in Las Colinas, one of the Dallas area’s more unusual date-night settings, and Ross intro- duced Alagbada to her friends at Ida Claire in Addison. Since then, Ross has focused more on Pilates than reality TV. Her business, Pilates Body by Raven Ross, expanded after the show. In 2024, she moved from Texas to New York, where she began holding in-per- son classes and launched a virtual plat- form that lets customers work out with her multiple times a week. She de- scribed 2024 as a “transformative” year and said she was proud of building a new community from scratch. In a 2025 interview, Ross revealed just how much work went into becoming a professional in- structor, saying her Pilates training cost thousands of dol- lars and at times felt like “med school.” She has also continued making reality-TV and podcast appearances, but says she has no interest in returning to a dating show anytime in the future.