I am fortunate to have seven remarkable grandchildren. All play a string instrument, and this weekend my partner and I traveled to Dallas to hear one of them perform. She plays viola and is a member of the Greater Dallas Youth Symphony. It was great to hear this group of young people perform and my granddaughter was outstanding. I’m not going to brag anymore but will just simply say all the grandkids are geniuses.

As a celebration of my partner’s birthday, we stayed in a fancy hotel for the occasion. The hotel is the Stoneleigh and is located in Uptown Dallas. This is one of the famous historic hotels of Texas and was built in the late 1920s. It has recently undergone a multimillion-dollar renovation and is now a first class place, restored to its original grandeur. It is now best classified as a boutique luxury hotel. I got a special rate, otherwise would not have been able to afford it. It was sure a step up from the Holiday Inn Express hotels where we usually stay. The beds were unbelievable with 350 hundred thread count sheets. The restaurant is really upscale with a famous chef who turns out some very fancy dishes. I had a waffle shaped like the state of Texas for breakfast. It was adorned with delicious fruits with warm maple syrup in a fancy little container. We just don’t have anything like this in Salado.

This hotel was once famous because it was the place movie stars and other celebrities stayed when they came to Dallas. Many of their pictures with autographs grace the walls of the bar. People like Judy Garland, Katherine Hepburn, and Bob Hope were among the many famous folks who stayed at the Stoneleigh.

The renovation of the place is not entirely completed and you can still smell the fresh paint. It’s not quite ready for prime time and the official grand opening is next month. I think that’s the reason we got a good rate. The hotel was not full and we may have been the only occupants on the entire sixth floor of this eleven-story building. It was a little haunting and I kept looking to encounter the ghost of Judy Garland in the deserted halls. I even thought I heard someone singing Somewhere Over the Rainbow during the middle of the night. It was a little like being in a Stephen King movie or an Edgar Allan Poe story.

Anyway, it was a great experience. I would highly recommend the place. It was still great to get back to the porch. I fell much safer here and I know my pocketbook is greatly relieved. The price of gasoline is nothing compared to the price of coffee and orange juice I had for breakfast. Only an executive from Exxon or an Oprah Winfrey would be able to stay there for an extended length of time.