Re:AIS: Natl' Hotels/Judging Schools/fast Dallas
- To: i*@onelist.com
- Subject: Re:AIS: Natl' Hotels/Judging Schools/fast Dallas
- From: P*@aol.com
- Date: Tue, 7 Mar 2000 11:08:24 EST
From: Pooreplace@aol.com
Mornin' all...
Regarding Rusty's not too scuzzy Motel 6, I have one a little up from
there... Whenever I stay over in Dallas & don't wanna bother my friends (or
wrinkle their couch) I stay at the SLEEP INN... It's a little step down from
it's parent Comfort Inn, but a really good, nice, modern place (with more
than just one Gideon's Bible for decoration.... There's one on LBJ that
always gives me a $39.95 rate and is about 5 minutes from Hooker Nichols
garden over near Mesquite... It's on Embassy something Drive I think just off
Plano Road still in north Dallas, but towards the east. East of the North
Dallas tollway, east of all the malls just a bit, east of all the bad traffic
on LBJ just a little. It's been very convenient and it has huge rooms with a
great big shower and all around a nice facility with a great continental
breakfast... It's run by some lovely arabic folks... Seems like the owner
may be named Moe...
Last night while making all my hoops reservations for the next two weeks on
line I went ahead and grabbed a spot for myself in Dallas for at least one
overnight when I go down for the judging schools during the National....
Rumor has it that Perry Dyer might be doing a double, back to back on Tuesday
night & if so, I'll stay over so as to not be driving back to OKC at 2 in the
morning... May even get to see a garden or two if I stay over. And in
Dallas, there is ALWAYS shopping, and their West End phenom, and the Dallas
World Aquarium!
Not gonna be able to do the whole convention thing this year... Anyway, I
couldn't get my little arabic SLEEP INN to come up (on line) in the Dallas
metroplex last night, but there is the Richardson SLEEP INN with rates of $51
a night available... Richardson is just about across the street from Addison
(both are up in far north Dallas) and that area is much closer to hitting
I-35 back to OKC for me...
And, anytime you can stay off that stretch of LBJ (same as I-635) between
I-35 and at least Central Expressway, you save a lot... You can sit in
traffic for hours at times along there... I pretty well know Dallas
(especially north Dallas) from Fair Park or I-30 on north and from I-35 on
east like the back of my hand, so am comfortable traversing and staying
outside of the main gathering spot... Especially at however many hundred
dollars a night (as I recall) the rates were...) That's really pretty high
for that area, but I'm sure it takes into account the use of ALL those
meeting rooms and banquet facilities and everything wonderful that is
extra... Plus it will be a couple of stars better than the Biltmore in OKC
where last years conventioners stayed during the AIS Natl... Not that the
Biltmore was a total dump, but it was certainly no 5 star hotel like the
Marriott we used for the OKC Daylily National in June... And, I've heard
this Addison hotel is really really nice...
For those of you driving, when I say I'm comfortable traversing Dallas, mind
you I come from a long line of race car drivers in my adoptive family & have
been taught to drive as such... Dallas is FAST. Everywhere in Dallas is
FAST... Ignore the speed limit signs... And there is this "HOV lane"... No
one has ever been able to tell me what it stands for, but it's in the middle
of the road going both ways on I-35 and LBJ (I-635) and if you get/stay on
it, you drive even faster, and only get to exit maybe once every 5 miles or
so... Cruising is usually at 80 passing between 90 & 100 on the main
thoroughfares... Do 65 & you'll get plumb run over on Dallas freeways.
The first few times I did Dallas (years ago now) I never ever could get off
on the LBJ exit in time (going down from OKC). It's about 20 stories high
(don't look down once you hit the top of the tallest overpass) they are
triple to quadruple stacked, you'll turn around and run screaming back to
Oklahoma or home or wherever else besides Dallas.
Anyone traveling east to west in Dallas, here's a big hint: WHENEVER
possible, always take the tollway (North Dallas Parkway) over Central
Expressway (or Central Distressway, as I've always called it)... It may cost
you a buck or two, but it'll add years to your life... I cannot tell you how
many dead bodies I've seen strewn up and down Central (and not just on
OU/Texas weekends where mayhem reigns supreme)... Now I'm not trying to
scare you away from Dallas. I love Dallas.
You do NOT have to take the freeways everywhere either. You can take the
main roads like Preston or Forest or Coit --- most any of the main east/west
or north/south roads... MIND YOU, however, that as you travel towards the
center of Dallas and go from North Dallas to Highland Park to Turtle Creek,
these SAME roads will change their names in every little suburb... hehehe...
Can drive you mad til you get your bearings... I learned this the hard way
10 or 15 years ago while down on an azalea gawking expedition (they have 20
foot tall azaleas and rhododendrons everywhere) and when you are on Preston
going south, the road swivels and changes names two times before you get down
towards the downtown area...
On a more positive note... I've been hearing from several local Oklahomans
that are about like me (60 to 70% daylily driven and 30 to 40% iris driven)
and MANY have dropped their plans for the AHS Philadelphia National in July
and planning on doing the AIS National in Dallas instead... If you thought
the AIS in Dallas was pricy, the AHS in Philly is outasight... And
apparently ones who went to the AHS Natl' there in '94 or however recent it
was, report they were on the busses for long rides between every garden,
although they saw some lovely and historic scenery --- they just needed a
lotta extra donut cushions to be able to handle all the sitting.
I've gone on much too long... And have much to do to be ready to head for
Hoops nationals over the next couple-a-weeks... Cheers! Kath in OKC....
=^.^=
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