5. Ride the Rails

In the intervening 20 years, Ewing Oil seems to have tanked and JR’s out of a job. Chances are he probably considered building an alternative empire, and the Interurban Railway running right through Plano might have been an interesting choice. The old railway, immortalized in a small but thorough museum on the city’s quaint older East Side, connected rural towns to Plano, Dallas, and a few other cities for about 40 years in the early 20th century. Replaced today by the DART (Dallas Area Rapid Transit) system, the Interurban Railway could have represented some serious profits for JR. And with all those cars and hundreds of hypothetical employees, JR would have had a veritable army for exploitation to do his bidding and extend his monopoly on evil scheming well outside the Ranch.

Prepare for sultry weather, steamy temperatures, and the occasional sudden hailstorm. Like the Ewings, the weather around the Ranch is fiery and unpredictable, so pack for any contingency.

For more Texas or TV-inspired travel ideas, check out:

• Off the Brochure, Austin
• Ask the Locals City Guide San Antonio, Texas
• Unexpected Foodie City Houston, Texas
• The Pop Culture & Travel Archives

By Lauren Herstik for Peter Greenberg.com. Lauren is a writer whose work comes up in a google search of petergreenberg.com, gawker.com, picktainment.com, Downton Abbey, and hot dogs. When she’s not doing that, she’s doing improv with Upright Citizens Brigade, or hiking somewhere with an ocean view and easy access to nearby Korean food.