Maderville

The Big D!
My friend Pam and I went to market in Dallas and had a fantastic time. We always travel well together and know the process well. We went straight to the World Trade Center and shopped for 6 hours. We stayed at The Stoneleigh and were treated to one of the most wonderful experiences I have ever had. That says a lot because I travel so much and it takes something special to impress me. When we got there we were greeted by the concierge, Anthony. He was inviting, funny and very helpful. He even helped us with our bags and gave us the history of the historical building and the renovation process. He made us reservations for dinner. When we got to our room we were very happy with our accommodations, especially considering we got the deal of a life time. The rate was $103 for a 4.5 star hotel. The price on the back of the door was $695. Holla! We got ready and went downstairs. We opted to have the hotel's car take us so we wouldn't have to drive. It was then that we met Cliff. They have a really wonderful Mercedes that will take you where ever you want to go and Cliff is the nicest chauffeur you could ever meet. He was so nice and charming and he made us both feel very special. He was 70+ and did his job to perfection. He dropped us off at a restaurant called Bella and let me tell you, that was some prime people watching! We saw just about all you could imagine seeing there. It was a swanky, upscale establishment but there was some rich trash there. Seriously, the clothes...or lack thereof...were jaw dropping. I am certainly not a prude but it was shocking even for me. The food was great and the atmosphere was really fun. We had a great time there. We called Cliff back and he was back in a flash to pick us up. After he made a store run for me(I know, I'm not high maintenance at all!) he dropped us back off at the hotel and we sat there in a beautiful lobby/bar and talked for a little while longer. It had a great feel to it and it was impeccably done.
I love great ambiance and attention to detail!!
The next day we went back to market and were there for 12 hours. 12 hours I tell you! I was absolutely beat! We went back to the hotel to be greeted by Anthony once again and he made a few dinner suggestions. We went back up to the room and we got dressed and headed back out again. I asked him about the famous Penthouse Suite and he offered to give us a tour of it. The view from the terrace was nothing short of spectacular. We got the full tour and history of it and it was so interesting. We got to see where the secret doors and passage ways were and the panic room. It was one of my favorite parts of the whole trip. After the tour, Cliff took us to this really neat restaurant called Sambucca. It had live music and the most amazing menu. We were joined by a friend of mine who is also in the lighting business and we got a table full of appetizers and side dishes. We were stuffed by the time we rolled out of there.
We saw and bought so many wonderful things this trip. We left Saturday afternoon and rolled in that evening. I was so glad to be able to get away with one of my best friends and relax. Of course, Landry was in great hands with the Barnharts. They took her to the Tomato Festival in Crystal Springs and even had her in the children's parade. I sent her with a red shirt and a green bow so she could be the MADER QUEEN. I was going to make her a sash but I ran out of time. Maybe next year.
Anyway, it was a great trip and it was very fruitful. I missed my girl...and guy something fierce but the trip was worth the effort.