SurvivingInfidelity.com^®

is it October yet? I'm really ready for a g2g.

Texas october weather will be making an appearance in Chicago in 10 days. Just sayin'

Ok HT - Southlake Burpvine...let's do it.

Sooo Moo - you ain't on either fosho or maybe list.

Can you change that? Did I miss your fosho?

Ok, so what I am thinking is this... There is a nice little outside shopping mall set up to look a bit like a traditional old fashioned down town area (if an old fashioned down town area were designed by mega corporations trying to sell you shit, but I digress) it has lots of shopping, restaurants, bars etc. Very nice area to just wander around with a park and fountains and statues and what not. There is a Hilton right in the square that is not too expensive (around $180 a night I think) and is pretty nice, WOES and I stayed there once (as to why we stayed at a hotel 15 min from our house...well... We have kids. Know what I mean? Wink wink nudge nudge) The hotel itself has a spa and very nice restaurant with an excellent brunch. That hotel might be a good option.

Additionally, there is a Marriott about two exits up the 114 that looks very nice although I have not yet stopped in to check it out. I might be able to do that this weekend. The Marriott is a bit more reasonable in price at about $99 and up I believe.

Heck there is even an Extended Stay Inn another couple exits up which is about $249 a week if you all decide you enjoy our company too much to leave after just one weekend. I anticipate that happening because we are THAT fricken awsome!!!

If everyone feels like they would be interested in any of those options I would be willing to inquire as to the possibility of a discounted group rate.

Let me know.

HT

[This message edited by HoldingTogether at 1:42 PM, July 4th (Friday)]

WOES and I stayed there once (as to why we stayed at a hotel 15 min from our house...well... We have kids. Know what I mean? Wink wink nudge nudge)

HT, you must be referring to meditation

Thanks HT!

The thing for me @ hotels is (as far as gtgs go) -

What is the common area like?

Room for us to, you know, take over?

(cuz we do stuff yaknow? - like sittin up late & early &...)

PS

If the 99/night deal has a good enuf common area...

I'd spring for that. (not to mention what you could wrangle for a group discount)

What's gnu?

Somebody better start taking charge of this G2G

Ok, ok, I hear you guys. Sorry things have been kinda crazy with finishing up the kitchen remodel and I haven't gotten a chance to run by and check out that Marriott. I will definitely make the time within the next few days, promise.

Frankly I think the Hilton would be the best choice for accessibility to bars, restaurants and shopping. Everyone could quite literately visit 3 or 4 great restaurants and bars with out ever having to get into a car. However I realize the price is a little high so the marriott is probably the better bet. It's only a couple exits up from that same shopping area.

So like I said, I'll check it out in the next few days and let you guys know if it seems nice. I'll get back to you all then.

HT

Just saw this thread - I would love to check out the million fried items at the State Fair! And even moreso see and meet more SI peeps!!! Please put me on the Maybe list.

Maybe list??? I would love to attend. If others stay at the $99 dollar hotel, would carpooling be an option?

Got room for a tent in your yard jj?

Yep. For you? For sure!

Cmon HT!!!!!

help me here

I'll carpool ya can, till you need a towel!

Damn! Double post! I think that's my first one.

[This message edited by HoldingTogether at 9:35 PM, June 28th (Saturday)]

Ok everybody, update on the hotel situation. Today Woes and I went by and checked out the Marriott in question. Unfortunately I am not able to give it a real good recommendation . The hotel itself seemed only ok not terrible not great. The little commercial area it is in on the other hand I frankly found to be kind of depressing. It's got this little miniature mall area for shops and restaurants which looks like it could be real nice if it weren't for the fact that over half of the retail spaces were empty. There were a few restaurants, and they might be bustling and busy during the weekdays when the business park near by is full of workers but.... On the weekend? The place looked like a ghost town. It was frankly a little depressing, I kid you not. It was like a memory of a dream of a once good idea now in decline.

Isn't that poetic?

The hotel did have a pretty decent looking bar/lounge that we could probably take over like a bunch of hobo squatters in an empty tenement building. However the bar closes at midnight which would probably lead to JJCT being arrested after chaining and padlocking himself to the bar right around 11:55 pm. Not a good scene man.

So all in all the Marriot is probably acceptable but I can't honestly recommend or endorse it. I did however get the contact information for the events coordinator and I will call on Monday or Tuesday to discuss the possibility of reduced group rates in case we decide to go that way.

On the other hand...

Woes and I also stopped by the Hilton. And we both agree that the Hilton is by far the best option we can think of to recommend. I realize that it is a bit pricey, but the location, convenience, and amenities are all spot on. As I had stated earlier, it is in, not near, not adjacent to, but IN the Square. Which is one of the nicest, safest, cleanest and prettiest retail centers in the area. Lots of very nice bars and restaurants literally within a few dozen yards of the hotel. Lots of shops to stroll around and look at interspersed with fountains and green areas and even an old timey looking town hall with a freaking bandstand out front... A band stand for gods sake! Where the hell are up gonna find one of those? Walking through today I saw a guy under the trees by the central fountain playing a freaking violin for spare change! Not some bum with a beat up guitar but a clean cut young guy playing a violin. How classy is that I ask you? Well I'll answer you... Pretty classy indeed.

But I digress, the Hilton itself is very nice. Clean and recently renovated. It has a very good restaurant (I've eaten there several times) and a pretty nice bar that, most importantly, doesn't close till 2am. By which time I am sure we will have wheeled JJCT and Tred up to their rooms with a furniture dolly I am planning to bring for just such a purpose. There is also a really pretty outdoor veranda area that we could totally friggen ANNEX like it was Poland! So there is your common area JJCT and you can even smoke out there if any of the group so desires.

This evening while checking the hotel out, Woes and I strolled over to a nearby Pizzaria for dinner and discovered that they have an open rooftop terrace bar that hosts live music every Friday and Saturday night soooo.... After we annex the veranda over at the Hilton we could establish that as a good beach head from which to invade, overwhelm and eventually occupy the territory of the pizzerias rooftop bar.

In short, I have to say that I strongly recommend the Hilton if we are going to stick with the plan of staying in the southlake grapevine area. I realize that it is a bit spendy, but I got the number for their event coordinator so if you all can bear with me I will call on Monday or Tuesday and see if I can't negotiate a little better price. Regardless though I think it would be worth the extra scratch. And this is coming from a guy who isn't exactly "Rollin in the dough".

In the meantime, to enable me to negotiate from a position of strength, it would help if I could get a rough estimate of the number of rooms we would be looking at? I known its short notice but if y'all could just post a quick-"need a room/ don't need a room" that would help.

Thanks

HT

[This message edited by HoldingTogether at 1:44 PM, July 4th (Friday)]

I am a maybe. Would love to come. Maybe someone needs a roomie?

Going to check airfares, what is the closest airport?

Maybe, just maybe I could manage this...

Closest airport is Dallas/Ft. Worth (DFW) and it's basically *right there*.

OK General HT, we've established our beach head, I suggest the *Hilton Maneuver*, where we roll me up, straight ahead, on the aforementioned dolly to distract the gendarmes, and take both flanks with our troops.

*I*

will definitely need a room,

an *after action* room.

This being a decoy stuff is hard work! Shew!

Add us to the maybe list! Looks like that weekend just might work for us.

Cedar Hill is still driving distance from Southlake but I'd rather chill with SI peeps than drive home So I need a room!

not to be a downer on the Hilton, because it does sound ideal, but I'm a little concerned that the price of the rooms might make some people decide they can't attend. I'd hate for people to not come because they can't afford the hotel room, kwim?