Floating on Air.

Ok we all know that New Year's Eve is the night to go out and party, and it is believe me I know (I'm still planning my attack for all the parties I want to attend that night). But what about New Year's Day? I think we all dismiss it as a day to recover from the wild night prior to it, but why can't New Year's Day, be the day you use to set the tone for the rest of the year? I, of course, am going to issue a challenge! Make New Year's Day something special for you so that you start the year off with a bang. I am challenging myself to plan the most romantic date possible for my main squeeze before he has to go back to the desert and get back to his larnin'. 

I sat down with the genius who guides me, Harold (cha-ching!), and we brain stormed over what would make for a wonderful date in good ole big D. Initially we tossed around restaurants, he highly recommended Adelmo's Ristorante off Mckinney, they apparently have a very cozy spot for lovers to dine and smooch on the second floor, the food is out of this world too. But it seemed that if you're planning the perfect date, a bed and breakfast feel is what you want. It has to be something where you feel whisked away from your life and plunked down into a fairy-tale written just for you (and no that doesn't mean go to Medieval Times, put on a crown and run around screaming I'm a princess). 

We narrowed down the list of perfect settings for the perfect date to three locations, the criteria was that the hotel had to be lavish and luxurious, it had to have a restaurant with one of Dallas' finest dining, and it had to be an amazing location. The three who made the list were the Stoneleigh Hotel, the St. Germain, and of course the Adolphus.

Let's start with the Stoneleigh, it's a classic hotel that silver screen actors from the 40's used to flock to as it was the hotspot to visit when one came to Dallas. It's one of the staples of lavish Dallas history as it has been around since the 20's and with it's new reservations it's got the feel of a brand new starlette fresh from a 1920's movie screen. Along with the phenomenal accommodation that will make you stay tucked away in your room, there's the Bolla Restaurant located in the hotel. This uptown dining delight is under the watchful eye of  creative Chef Cesar Gallego's. For those of you who are budgeting after the holidays and worry that such a fine establishment is well outside of your price range, they offer these amazing four for forty menu's, it's a prefixed menu with a four course meal of some of the Chef's most innovative creations for your delight at such an affordable rate that it's ridiculous!

Next is the Adolphus. I shouldn't even have to tell my readers why the Adolphus is amazing because I have loved it so much that I think you have all come to love it too. However, I will never pass up the chance to gush about my beloved. The reason one should stay at the Adolphus is because it's one of the most romantic places in Dallas to be. The rooms are glorious and so comfortable with their french antique inspired themed. There's no need to leave your room because the staff is willing to bend over backwards to do whatever they can to make your room the absolution of a romantic getaway, but you should leave your room. You should get dressed to the nines grab hold of your significant other and go down to the French Room. There's nothing more romantic than sitting in a cozy table in the corner of one of the most beautiful rooms in Texas while serenaded by light piano music and devour eyerolling extraordinary five star dining.

Last on the list is definitely not the least but it is the smallest, which makes for it's very intimate feel and appeal (see what I did there). This hotel comes with the Harold stamp of approval, it's the Hotel St. Germain located on Maple. It's the only one of the three that is an actual bed and breakfast. It's decorated with a french theme throughout the entire estate and is truly marketed to lovers. The dining is a European themed candle lit restaurant that over looks the ivy covered french quarter styled garden courtyard. It's really the perfect place to go if you want the feel of being isolated in a romantic french cottage but still want the option of hitting the town seeing as Dallas has a lot to offer especially in that area. But again, it's the intimacy you're getting here, where the other two are luxurious and classic, this place is very cozy and small, there's only seven rooms in the entire venue!

I hope you all have a great and safe New Year's Eve*, and I truly hope your year starts off bright and inspiring. There's nothing more wonderful than the promise of a clean slate to start fresh. Happy New Year everyone!

*There's no excuse to drink and drive this New Year's Eve. AAA is offering Tipsy Tow: Even for those whithout a AAA membership, from 6pm-6am New Year's Eve/Day they will tow your drunk self and your car home for FREE. Save the number (800) 222-4357

THIS IS HALLOWEEN!!!

Well my little gnomes, Halloween weekend is finally upon us. The weekend will be full of ghost and goblins and the skanky women in an "animal" costumes. For all of those who are looking for something fun to do this weekend in my happy stomping grounds of good ole Dallas Texas (and have been too lazy to read my blog till today) I have some fun little options for all of you to part take in. There's a lot, so the quips will be at a minimum.

First there's the Dallas Women's Chorus and their wonderful Masquerade (my mommy sings with them), it's a lovely evening with silent auctions, tastey wine, and a reason to wear formal wear with a haunting mask. All the money goes towards the Chorus! It's a great cause and a wonderful party for those looking for a classy event. http://www.thewomenschorusofdallas.com/Masquerade.html

Next is the Oak Lawn Block Party, for those of you NOT looking for a classy event to attend. The block party takes place on Cedar Springs in uptown Dallas and is a blast, from the five clubs all around blasting fist pumping jams, to the (what seems like) fifty vendors selling your favorite booze right there on the street, but the costumes are the real treat, the effort put into them is clear because you can't turn without seeing a jaw dropping masterpiece. http://www.caven.com/

If those don't suit your fancy then there's a few haunted tours for you to go check out like:

• The McKinney Ghost walk http://www.chestnutsquare.org/programs/mckinney-ghost-tour.asp
• The Grove in Jefferson Texas http://www.thegrove-jefferson.com/

Or there's always the famed Haunted Houses (theme park style)...

• Thrillvania http://thrillvania.com/
• Screams Theme Park http://www.screamspark.com/
• The Cutting Edge http://www.cuttingedgehauntedhouse.com

Don't forget there's a whole mess of rumored haunted hotels all over the metroplex from the Adolphus, the Lawrence, to even Miss Molly's bed and Breakfast in Fort Worth, where ever you go this weekend, the chance of a good scare is right around the corner. There's bound to be something somewhere for all your Halloween needs and delights, even if you stay home checking out your favorite scary movie is taking part in the holiday fun. Just make sure you're having fun... You don't want to upset the spirit of Halloween.

Fun from the Wide Eyed view... Part 1!

This is the beginning of the end, the final series of blogs for the month! This brainchild started the whole Halloween themed blogs in October. Granted, yes, October being the month of Halloween was a wee bit of the reason too, but let’s focus on these blogs being a labyrinth of twist and turns of true Halloween inspiration (cue Halloween-y themed music)! The honest inspiration of this is simple, for most people who don’t have kids to take trick or treating, or love to go to a bar typesetting, Halloween is lost on them. Because let’s face it, they can’t show up to some strangers house asking for candy without it being a stranger danger moment, and some people don’t find it a hoot to pour copious amounts of booze down their throats while trying to figure what animal ears the woman in the Victoria’s Secret nightie is wearing.  These people shouldn’t be counted out when it comes to Halloween fun because they refuse to be creepy and sloppy, and for those gentle souls, I present to you some options that are suited to your fancy.

We begin with the Hotel Lawrence a historic building tucked away in downtown Dallas. This hotel is classic and you can’t help but feel completely immersed in Dallas history. When walking into the swanky lobby, the fact that this is rumored to be one of the most haunted locations to stay in the Metroplex seems to drift away. The art deco décor is lavish and inviting, and the promise of milk and cookies makes it almost impossible to want to leave the comfortable seating area. But this stay isn’t about comfy couches and tasty treats, alas no, it’s about the bumps in the night and the fables haunting the halls. Legend has it that there are several haunted hot spots in the Lawrence and of course, my devotion to my readers I went to find out for myself how haunted the rooms where.

I imagine my staying at the Lawrence was what it was like for Mr. King to stay at the Stanley Hotel. If I had been left there alone with nothing but my room and a typewriter, I probably could have written a masterpiece. There are a few specific tales of why and what is haunting the Lawrence, in room 1009 is rumored to be the dwelling of a congressman who took his life, and in the basement the sound of children can be heard and the laundry carts move on their own. But the most recordings and scariest stories are of the legendary room 807, the haunt belonging to the deadly and devious Smiley.  There is debate on how he came to an untimely demise, some say it was a brutal butchering, other’s say it was by his own hands that he made his way into the afterlife, but all agree that Jack “Smiley” Jackson is no ghost to fool around with, from chocking guests with towels to allegedly slitting the throat of a man named Brookshire. I will admit the fear of staying in a hotel with such a devious spirit was a little uneasy, so naturally when I called to confirm my room I made certain I was staying in room 807.

When I arrived in my room, I got a true sense that I was stepping back into the past, making it easy to let all the spooky senses become heighten, and to my macabre fascination the view from my room looked over the grassy knoll, escalating the fear factor of the room to a magnificent level. I did some searching around looking for some spooks and frights. I didn’t see any visual apparitions but the goose bumps were there along with the sneaky feeling that I was not alone. I did find some startling evidence that I am a chicken, I made several attempts to go to the basement but for some mysterious (ok I say “mysterious” you might say “wussy”) reason I could never manage to send the elevator to the basement floor.

Perhaps I was a fortunate soul and the ghost of good kind Smiley decided he would let me stay in peace,  or perhaps he used me as a catalyst to tell other’s there’s no fear and to come stay at the Lawrence so he can feed his thirst of savage hauntery. There is no telling of what is real or make believe when looking into the paranormal. I’m not a ghost hunter, I’m just a girl who loves to look at the world with open eyes and let whatever excitement come my way. It’s fun to be scared, its fun to be frightened, so even though I didn’t see any goblins or ghouls it was still fun sitting on pins and needles waiting to see what might jump out of the darkness. 

(to be continued….)

Holy 'Mole!

Tomorrow is a very important national holiday for those of us in North America, something we all treasure (or should) is getting the acclaim it truly deserves. I think back to this beautiful concoction and think of all the times I shunned it in my childhood ignorantly, judging it on it's less than scrumptious appearance, letting my bigotry steal moments of pure delight from my life. Till I finally took a leap forward and opened my eyes to it's tantalizing deliciousness and fell in love with Guacamole.



 September 16th is the celebration of National Guacamole Day, our most precious creations, not as a country but as a continent. This mouth watering dip is one of the most simple of recipes, but I think it's the beauty of how the few yet powerful ingredients marry that makes it such a staple in southern dining. If you have not tried this dip, I encourage you to get brave and go devour some in respect of this glorious holiday this icon so righteously deserves.

If you live in the Dallas Metroplex, there's a fantastic restaurant we at my office love with all our hearts named Mextopia, it's a wonderful eatery on Lower Greenville. The appetizing menu is full of traditional Mexican cuisine, and of course they pride themselves on their fresh lime margaritas. The food is fresh and tasty, and the atmosphere is soothing and relaxing. While you're there, ask about a very cool trip they are hosting to a culinary treasure, Oaxaca, I promise you this is something you must see!

Another Wideeyed stamp of approval for those of you wanting to celebrate National Guacamole Day, after going to the bar, is Los Arcos. This hidden treasure is simple quiet and open 24 hours a day, and at 5 am they have a mariachi band come and perform, beware trumpets are loud after five jager bombs. This gem is located on the corner of Hall and Ross, I found that it (like Mextopia) features true Mexican cuisine. And as a personal heads up, I found their white queso dip mixed with Guacamole is the perfect prevention to a hangover.

Now how about some fun National Guacamole Facts.

• When Spaniards encountered the Aztec empire, the locals were making a sauce called Ahuac-mulli, which means "Avocado-mixture". This means this delightful dip is older than the United States of America!
• Schlotzky's is recognizing this holiday by giving away free Guac' on any sandwich ordered on September 16th with purchase of any sandwich meal.

I hope you all have a great weekend, visit your favorite Mexican restaurant (http://www.mextopia.com/)in honor of this great holiday. Go visit your favorite co-op or farmers market on Saturday to continue your fabulous farm to table dining I know you all have been doing so great at. In the coming weeks you're all going to see some really fascinating blogs coming to you; about a beautiful Oaxaca trip we're involved with and what I'm learning from it, a look into something pretty cool in jazzy little town we all know, and a challenge I set for myself and my bladder. Have a wonderful weekend my favorite gnomes.

P.S. I have one more interesting fact for you. The word Avocado descends linguistically from the ancient Nahuatl word ahuacatl, meaning "testicles". Some language experts think that conquistadors combined the Nahuatl with the Spanish "abogado" (lawyer) to make the present word for our favorite green fruit. So, when eating Guac', you're chewing on mashed lawyer balls... there's some food for thought! Enjoy!

I think I'm a bad travel agent...

When I book a vacation, I try to find the best way to stretch my buck; leave on an early day to have cheaper airfare, get cheaper room and board so I can afford to eat at the best restaraunts and see the best locations. But when I book for my clients I treat them like I treat my own travels. I really make the dollar stretch as far as it can reach. I do my best to make sure they can do all they want and then some within their budget. See, that makes me a bad travel agent.

So I am not a bad travel agent, I'm a great travel consultant. I really seek out the value of the trip. I learned that if you have a range of one hundred dollars a day to three thousand, I can find you the best way to spend that budget no matter where you go or what you do. I can make a trip custom fitted to everything you like and nullifying all the little things that irk you about travel (except for TSA security checks, I can't make them not make you take off your shoes. I know I hate it too). But when I was a green little fledgling in this office looking around like an awestruck child, diving into the books on destinations like they were the first fairy-tails I ever read, I thought our job was to make you give US your budget. I didn't know I'd be so helpful. That by helping someone take their dream vacation to New York, I too would feel some since of over whelming joy knowing I made that happen. So damn, I guess this isn't all about being a money monger, more concerned about raking in the dough, it's about loving what I do and making sure I have clients who are so happy they don't want another consultant other than me.


Did I mention that I'm working on a fabulous trip to Tasmania....

Local Leisure? Really?

What does one do when they live in Dallas and all they want is it to lay by some gorgeous water and drink some fruity umbrella drinks? Where do you find the sultry escape like in the photo below (look now).

I know I said in my first blog that I now dream of the Red Square, but it doesn't mean that I don't still drool over a white sandy escape where I can float around all day and just relax. Yes my eyes have been opened to the fascinating world of travel where a diving board and a cabana boy aren't always present, but it's hot in Texas and I need my splashy escape pronto! Well rather than just flail around in my office chair pouting adorably about how I'm so hot and I want a resort-ish get away I hit the computer and did what I would do for any of my clients... RESEARCH!

Listed below you will find some of the most tantalizing poolside get-aways in the Dallas area: 

Hotel Zaza Dallas

First we have the luxurious Hotel Zaza. The fancy boutique hotel is known for it's social poolside interaction. All the sexiest and hard bodies of Dallas can be found in this quaint 4ft deep pool. It may not be ideal for those looking to swim some laps, but it's got great scenery and I'm not just talking about the palm trees surrounding the pool. 

Palomar Pool

Next on the list is Hotel Palomar, a Kimpton hotel. When the words Kimpton are attached to a hotel I am sold, it's horribly bias I know and I apologize for my great faux pax, but it is true, Kimpton does it right! They are luxurious and classy, they know how to bring together a fresh feel on hotels while making them feel cutting edge yet still lavish and refined. I am saving all my pennies and dimes so I can afford to stay at one when I finally wrangle my boyfriend into settling down. But to be honest I would have never suggested this hotel had it not been listed on the top hotel swimming pools for 2010. It's earned it's right to be on my blog! 

Now I could continue to list pools like the ones above all being small and intimate great for laying out and drinking while getting that bronze glow. But these are not what I considered the best pools to swim in. Are they divine and have amazing views? Yes, but they don't have the feel of a pool you can play chicken in with your friends (yes I can appreciate a 5 star restaurant and good game of chicken, I'm versatile). With that said I offer you the last two pools with the Wide Eyed stamp of approval. 

Award Winning Four Seasons Dallas

First up, the award winning (I don't know what award exactly but it says that on all thier headers) Four Season Hotel in Las Colinas. It's a beautiful resorts with pools made in the mindset that it's intended for family. And family fun means big splashes and lots of swimming. I love the fact that it's HUGE it's a massive pool area and you can always find a cozy spot just for you and your's, and if you get there early enough you can have the whole pool to yourself. 

Hilton Bella Harbor

Finally we move onto the last but not least in the slightest, the Hilton Bella Harbor. Right in my back yard is the wonderful lake front Hilton resort... ish.  I only say "ish" because there is no spa there, and sorry Bella Harbor I love you bunches but you don't get the resort stamp until I can get my mani/pedi's in a zero gravity chair at your location, it's just not right! But the pool is AWESOME! It's a massive fun pool with a walk up to the circular indoor bar, or you can just go get a fantastic umbrella drinks from the cabana, which you don't have to even walk up to, because the cabana boys will come to you as you float in the water. It's a great addition to the Rockwall community, and it's a great get-away for those who can't afford to fly away from the metroplex.

So there you have it, my little underpants gnomes. Four great watery get-aways just next door. Enjoy your weekend, I will see you all Monday a little tanner than today!

Are mini buses the new location for clubbing?

I'm planning something fun and small here in the Dallas area. A bus tour of the city that takes it's guest on an eye opening tour of the Metroplex to it's finest wineries and breweries. It's going to be a nice pleasant day trip where everyone will just relax and enjoy some of this great cities hidden pleasures.

I had to locate a reasonable and polite bus service to use for our exciting adventure, but while finding some wonderful companies to work with I found something rather... interesting. Buses are being "tricked out" to suit a more party atmosphere than I ever expected. I never in my whole life thought I'd have to say "Um, no.. A stripper poll and purple neon will not be needed, but thank you." when finding out prices for a twenty-five person mini bus. I can't have a leisurely day visiting the refined wineries here in this wonderful city if I have to keep resisting the urge to dance to electronica and be a "woo" girl. I need something small and quiet where I can have an enlightening conversation about the venue we just left. When did I miss the mini buses debut into the world of hardcore clubbing and nightlife?! I feel so left behind!