Whether you are a fan of George W. Bush or not, the opening of the Library on the SMU campus is a big event for Dallas.  The Library has lots of exhibits – one that is dedicated to 911.  There is an exhibit that talks about what Bush thought his presidency would be about and you turn the corner and you are at 911.

I haven’t made it to the museum yet but you can read all about the exhibits and get information about the museum here.  There is a replica of the Oval Office as it was when George W. was president.  The museum is a short drive from the B&B or you can ride the train.  The Dart Rail has a stop at Mockingbird Lane that is directly across from the campus.  If you opt for this route be aware that there is still a fair amount of walking required.

The Library is not free to enter, full disclosure.  Adult tickets are $16.

I’ll update the post with more information once I’ve been to the Library.

Share

In Dallas Texas, the terrific Uptown neighborhood is full of great places to eat and they constantly change.  Some require reservations.  Here is  a short list of our favorite Uptown Dallas restaurants (updated January 2013):

Avanti - fabulous service, music on weekends and classic Italian.  1/2 block away.  2720 Mckinney avenue.  (214) 871 -4955

Si Tapas – This place has small plates that are delicious.  They have nice outdoor seating and the place is in an old house.  2207 Allen St (214) 720-0324

Coal Vines – step back in time with Frank Sinatra and fabulous pizza.  2404 Cedar Springs. (214) 855-4999

Stephan Pyles’ Restaurant – Fine dining at its best.  They have an excellent tasting menu and each course is paired with a cocktail.  1807 Ross Avenue. (214) 580-7000

Gui – New Korean/sushi located at 2719 McKinney avenue.  They have sushi specials on Wednesday and Sunday.  (214) 720-9229

Trulucks – Trulucks has excellent seafood, incredible desserts and I’ve been told by guests the best coffee in town.

S&D Oyster Bar – Seafood New Olreans style at 2701 McKinney avenue -(214) 880-0111

Palomino – Italian/Grill menu 500 Crescent Court. This is a great choice if you’re going to an event at the American Airlines center. They offer free shuttle service to and from events.

Dream Cafe - broad menu, breakfast all day, nice patio, 2800 Routh St.  (214) 954-0486

The Place at Perry’s – Known for the steak, but the seafood is really good, too.  2680 Cedar Springs Rd. (214) 871-9991

Nick & Sam’s Grill - casual and less expensive with great seafood, burgers and salads.  2816 Fairmount. (214) 922-8291

Thomas Avenue Beverage Company – casual burgers and beer, great patio.  2901 Thomas.   (214) 979-0452

Mattitos - They have an excellent dip called Bob Roberts which is queso plus everything.  It is delicious traditional Tex-Mex.  3011 Routh Street.  (214) 526-8181

Share

If you live in Dallas, you’ve no doubt seen the bizarre outer-space-like building going up just outside downtown Dallas. It is our new Perot Museum of Nature and Science and it’s so popular that you actually have to buy a ticket in advance to get it.

The museum has five floors and eleven permanent exhibits, plus a theater.  The lower level has a children’s museum.  It is a place that can occupy a minimum of 4 hours and all day if you like. I haven’t been yet myself because the lines are too long so I will update with more details later.  For now I will just provide the basic information and say that everyone I know who has been says it’s incredible, but crowded.  That seems to be the general consensus on Tripadvisor as well.

The museum hours are 10am to 5pm Monday through Saturday and 12pm to 5pm Sunday.  The first Thursday of each month the museum stays open until 9pm, which might be a less crowded time to go.  There is a place on the site to preorder tickets.  Don’t bother going if you haven’t done this because it is currently sold out.   The museum is located a 2201 Field Street, less than a 1 mile walk from Bailey’s Uptown Inn.

View Larger Map

Share

After months (years) of construction the Klyde Warren Park has finally opened.  This park was built over the highway that connects Uptown and Downtown Dallas.  The park is 5.2 acre deck on top of  Woodall Rogers freeway.  It is a short walk or trolley ride from Bailey’s Uptown Inn.

The park just opened so it has been pretty packed with curious locals who have been anxiously awaiting their chance to check it out.  The park also borders the Dallas Museum of Art and the Nasher Sculpture Garden so it makes for a nice outing if you are visiting either of those.

The park offers some unusual events like children’s yoga, Zumba and live music at lunch and dinner.  I highly recommend checking it out if you are visiting Dallas.

Share

I always try to come up with fun things for guests to do besides shop and eat.  Without exception every guest at Bailey’s Uptown Inn that has been to the Chihuly exhibit at the Arboretum has raved about it.  If you aren’t sure what that is read on.

The Dallas Arboretum has extended the exhibit through December 31.  The Chihuly exhibit features the work of Dale Chihuly who makes incredible blown glass sculptures.  He studied the art of glass blowing in Venice before he cofounded the Pilchuck Glass School in Washington State.  His work is featured in more than 200 hundred museum collections worldwide.    The incredible thing about seeing the pieces at the Arboretum is that they are lit up a night, making them look even more magical.

The Arboretum will be open these evenings from 6pm to 9pm.

November: Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday evenings excluding November 21.
December: Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday evenings excluding December 24.

Additional nights every evening from December 26 – 30.

The Dallas Arboretum is located at  8525 Garland Road, 7.5 miles from Bailey’s. Click here for a mapped route.

Share

We have been looking to see how to get more exposure on pinterest.  In an effort to try that we are offering a special deal.

Share

We just had a guest inquire about staying at Bailey’s Uptown Inn for the upcoming Keller Williams convention in Dallas in February 2013. Seems like a long time from now but it got us thinking. We would love to be able to have more guests that come to town for convention events.  If you are coming to town for this event please contact us.  We have a special deal for everyone that attends.  Bring a friend for a second room and the deal is even better.

We have free off-street parking, free WIFI and Bailey’s is located right in the middle of Uptown where there are restaurants, bars, shopping and a free trolley all within walking distance.  We are 1.8 miles from the convention center and if you ride the trolley to the southern tip it is 1.2 miles.  We are also happy to arrange for cab service in advance for you.

Call us for details at 214 720-2258.  Be sure to mention you are attending the convention.

Share

After almost 10 years in business we decided we wanted to share some of our knowledge with other B&B owners.  We are focusing our efforts on helping other bed and breakfast owners learn to market their business.

There are already lots of books out there about starting a bed and breakfast.  These books are good reference, but I found they fell short in one very important area – finding guests.   Other books will tell you how to write a business plan (which we didn’t do and don’t think is necessary), forecasting, housekeeping, maintenance, but you can spend a lot of time preparing without earning $1.  You might have the best B&B in the world but if guests aren’t finding you it won’t matter.  If you’re curious or might want to open your own B&B check out our site.

It will also tell you more about us and why we went into innkeeping.

Share

We recently checked out Avanti, which I’ve been to a number of times before.  They have a new Date night special which is a great deal!  Avanti is just around the corner from Bailey’s Uptown Inn so I love to find good deals for my guests.  This deal is valid Tuesdays only.  It includes:  1 appetizer, 2 entrees, 1 dessert and 1 bottle of house wine for $59.

Even if you aren’t staying on a Tuesday, I highly recommend Avanti.  They have a cozy atmosphere, terrific service and the food is not to be missed.  On my last trip I had Caesar salad and the Veal chop, both were delicious.  They have been in business since 1988 which is saying something for Uptown.  They have live guitar music which is also  so unique for Uptown.  You forget you are in Dallas.  Give it a try.

Share

With all of the great restaurants in Uptown we finally got our own food tour that highlights them.  The tour group is called Food Tours of America and tours will start June 9.  The restaurants are all in Uptown and the tour is more than just food tasting.  The food tour takes you off the beaten path to explore the history in Uptown and of the restaurants.

These are just a few of the items that will be part of the tour happening this summer 2012.

• BBQ Brisket Nachos in a spicy BBQ sauce and pineapple pico de gallo
• Hand stuffed Chicken & Cheese Jalapeno Mini Chimichanga served with queso and sour cream
• Frozen Margarita
• “Mac Daddy Dog” wrapped in bacon, lightly fried and topped with macaroni & cheese, chili, more cheese  and a Tearjerker Onion Ring
• “Tater Balls” Natural & Sweet Potato Tots
• Texas Farm Raised Bacon & Egg Pizza
• Organic Veggies Pizza with goat cheese
• Portobello Mushroom Fries with a tomato basil aioli
• “Frozen Sfuzzi” specialty concoction of Prosecco & White Peach Nectar (Nominated Best Cocktail in Dallas)
• Frozen Blueberry Mojito with fresh blueberries, rum mint and agave nectar
• Fried Hostess Twinkie topped with vanilla ice cream, powdered with sugar, and drizzled with chocolate sauce
• One of a kind Pork & Beans Brownie with sour cream icing
• Freshly baked, made from scratch Cake Ball Confections
• Texas Sweet Iced Tea

Sounds like a lot of food, but the tour lasts 2 1/2 hours and you can walk as you eat.  What could be better?

Check out the web site for more information and reserve online.

Food Tours of America

Share