Dallas's Best Kept Secret

We've figured out that to survive August in Dallas you have to a.) stay inside, b.) travel to high elevation on the east or west coast, or c.) situate yourself in a swimming pool and stay there. Having done both a and b in recent weeks, we opted for option c last weekend. Dan had heard about a public pool tucked into the woods of Dallas's Lakewood neighborhood. It was called The Fraternal Order of Eagles. The name alone got me. The FOE is a national nonprofit that raises money for local causes. Rumor has it members like to party. For an admission price of seven dollars each, we we were in!

The best way to describe this place is a VFW with a big freaking pool. I can't tout the merits of FOE enough: well drinks served in big red solo cups for $3.25, ice cold Lone Star cans for $2.25, and fresh-grilled burgers and deep-fried French fries for the amount of spare change you have in your pocket right now. If you've ever been an apartment complex pool in Uptown, this place is the opposite. Everyone is sipping a cold one and having a lovely time, but there's no parade of teensy bikinis, gelled hair, and stilettos on the pool deck. You'll see lots of couples, lots of tattoos, and a handful of kids. Music plays on a loudspeaker and the selection is beyond eclectic: think Viva Las Vegas followed by Rhianna.

I borrowed this photo from a reviewer on yelp.com. Read the full review here.