Deep Ellum

Can anyone suggest which club to go to here that have live acts. Also we plan to visit it on a sunday from downtown and will want to catch public transport. Will this be a problem on a sunday?

Deep Ellum

Not sure about the bus, but a taxi would be a short ride from downtown.

Check the listings on dallasobserver.com or pegasusnews.com. Hopefully you%26#39;ll find something you like.

Deep Ellum

I am not sure how much research you have done on Deep Ellum but I don%26#39;t think you will find live music on Sundays, except Adairs on occasion. Saturdays are much more likely. Here are a few links

www.adairssaloon.com

www.allgoodcafe.com

www.myspace.com/clubdada

www.theprophetbar.com

www.thedoordallas.com

A place close to Deep Ellum but actually downtown

www.pearlatcommerce.com

South of downtown on Lamare- Brooklyn Jazz Cafe has regular entertainment on Sunday and so does Poor David%26#39;s Pub.

www.brooklynjazzcafe.com

www.poordavidspub.com

And if you come in September, the DART light rail will have a station open in Deep Ellum on the Green line.

dart.org/about/…southeast

I agree on the taxi suggestion from downtown. You can get a taxi in front of all the major hotels on a Sunday.

Buses run less frequently on Sundays and it is just a short cab trip with a small fare.

Beach Hotel

Of the hotels on the beach, can anyone recommend one over the others?

Beach Hotel

Deeno,

The ';beach'; has two distinctly different connotations here. Corpus Christi Beach as well as McGee Beach are in the city of Corpus Christi and are basically man-made beaches in front of the hotels and seawall in downtown Corpus Christi. These beaches are not on the open ocean (Gulf of Mexico). The gulf beaches are along Mustang Island (Port Aransas) and North Padre Island (Southernmost tip of Corpus Christi). Are you interested in being on the ';island'; with open water and waves or in the city, with man-made beaches but near to the city attractions?

What are you looking for in a hotel? Full service? Budget? Suite? How much are you willing to budget for a room?

The only full service hotel downtown is the Omni. You can walk to McGee Beach and it is near attractions like the Texas State Aquarium and the USS Lexington Museum.

The Holiday Inn Emerald Beach is downtown and on the beach with an indoor pool and beachside bar.

The Radisson is on North Beach (Corpus Christi Beach) and closest to the Lex and Aquarium. Expect to pay over $125.00 for each. All three are a bit dated but best ';beach'; hotels in the city. My personal choice is the Omni but the Holiday Inn is more kid-friendly.

On North Padre Island I would suggest Holiday Inn Sunspree Resort.

In Port Aransas/Mustang Island look into Sandcastle and Port Royal Condominiums.

All of these properties are higher end not necessarily budget. There are budget hotels like Comfort Inn on North Beach and the Best Western downtown.

Give us more information and we may be able to narrow your search.

Beach Hotel

Thanks Gehrig! Possibly looking to fly into San Antonio around July 10th %26amp; rent a car. Planare still in the air, but we%26#39;s like to spend a couple days there and then drive down to the beach for 3 or 4 days. If we do, we want to see the aquarium %26amp; the Lexington. We have no kids and try to avoid family friendly. Outdoor hot tub would be nice and we want to stay at a hotel directly on the beach. I have looked at the Radisson, the HI Sunspree, Best Western Marina Grand, and the HI North Padre Island. I just was wondering which might be nicest, less dated %26amp; worn, with a nice piece of easily accessible beach that is clean. I looked at HI Emerald Beach but it looked awfully kid friendly.

Thanks again for your advice.

First understand that only the Holiday Inn Sunspree is on the Gulf of Mexico. The others are all downtown on Corpus Christi Bay. The bay water is somewhat less inviting, can be a bit muddy, and stagnant. The bay beaches are basically man made and kept better than the Gulf Beaches. The Gulf beaches will have better sand and waves with open ocean but often some trash and seaweed. Most people coming to ';the beach'; opt for the open waters of the Gulf at North Padre Island or Mustang Island.

Having said that

The Holiday Inn Sunspree and Holiday Inn North Padre Island are the same hotel. Only full service hotel on the Gulf in the area. Somewhat dated but OK. Do not know about the hot tub situation. This hotel is a good 25-35 minutes from the Aquarium and Lexington which are on North Beach in the city. This, however, is your best hotel on the Gulf of Mexico.

Of the hotels you mentioned in the city, if we exclude the Holiday Inn Emerald Beach, which really is always filled with families and lotsa kids, the next best hotel is the Radisson. It is directly on the beach and walking distance to the Aquarium and Lexington. It is a bit dated I must say, definitely not full service or a ';resort';, but clean and comfortable. It does have an outdoor pool and hot tub.

The Best Western I would not stay at. Very dated and the beach is across the street and not the nicest beach in my opinion. The beach at the Radisson is nicer.

The very best beach properties on the Gulf of Mexico are the Condominium complexes in Port Aransas. Again, about 30 minutes from Corpus Christi and the Lexington and Aquarium.

Thank you so much. That is all very helpful!

question toll road

would it be quicker at 5a.m. in the morning to use toll sh 130 going to San Antonio than to use I-35? would you advise it? thanks

question toll road

If you are coming through Austin at 5am, I don%26#39;t think traffic will be too terrible, so you shouldn%26#39;t need to use the toll road. Anytime after 6:30am, it may be worth it.

question toll road

Is this the new toll road? If so, is the part that connects with I-35 on the south side of Austin open? I am going to be making a trip from San Antonio to East Texas and I may have to go when traffic is heavy in Austin. Would this road help? Thanks in advance for any help.

I am going to San Antonio this weekend to Fiesta Texas won%26#39;t leave Waco till 6:30.. is the New toll road worth it? is it way out of the way? does it really cost $12? thanks,

TexasCarolyn -- Yes, the part that connects with 35 to the South is open now, so you can get on the toll road downt there and avoid all of Austin traffic. You will get back on 35 near Georgetown.

stormie45 -- If you%26#39;re leaving Waco at 6:30am on a weekend, you probably don%26#39;t need to bother with the toll road as traffic through Austin isn%26#39;t that bad that early on a weekend. On a weekday, it think it may be worth it to avoid rush hour traffic. It%26#39;s not really out of the way because you enter it right off of 35 near Georgetown and then connect back with 35 just south of Austin. I have a TxTag, so I%26#39;m not sure how much tolls actually are. You can calculate how much of a toll you will pay based on where you get on and off here -- http://www.txtag.org/tollcalc.php

Thanks, MrTed. We had driven up 35 through Austin last week and thought that it looked like the toll road was completely open. However, we were driving on Sunday morning, so traffic was not too bad. We have, however, been caught on 35 in Austin for very long periods of time, so the toll road will definitely be a plus for us. Thanks, again.

We started taking the toll road even before it was completed at the south end. It is far less stressful than 35, and you never can seem to tell when 35 will be a nightmare!

We got the tolltag...cuts down on the cost, and as we are traveling back and forth between San Antonio and Frisco, we use it on the Dallas end as well for the Dallas North Tollway. It%26#39;s wonderful too, not having to get off and toss coins, but to just fly through in the tolltag lanes (Dallas especially where it%26#39;s really congested.)

which hotel?

My three buddies and I will be flying into Dallas on7/23 to see a Texas Ranger game that nite and then will be hitting the road to San Antonio the next day. We are currently booked at the Hyatt Regency downtown. We picked this property because of its proximity to all the JFK related sites. WE will be arriving in Dallas late morning, so we figured this would give us enough time to check things out before the game. However,many of the reviews regarding the Hyatt are mixed at best. We will have a car,so driving would not be an issue. If anyone can recommend an alternate hotel that will allow us to stick to our plan and perhaps catch a bite to eat at Pappa%26#39;s Bros. Steakhouse(or a similar recommendation). Your input and advice is greatly appreciated!

which hotel?

You could try the Belmont Hotel - close to I-30 to get to the Rangers game.

And zip into downtown and eat at Stephan Pyles - some say their Cowboy Ribeye is the best in the city. I%26#39;m veg, so I wouldn%26#39;t know.

which hotel?

Pepper%26#39;s right, the Belmont would be great. The Magnolia is also pretty neat. Or you might choose to stay out in Arlington after the game. There%26#39;s a Crowne Plaza there, as well as all other type places like Holiday Inn Express, Hilton Garden Inn, etc.

I don%26#39;t at all like Pappas Bros. Steakhouse, or Nick %26amp; Sam%26#39;s, but lots of people do. If I wanted a good steak, I%26#39;d go where I always go--Bob%26#39;s Chophouse (the original on Lemmon). We ate at the III Forks in NYC and weren%26#39;t impressed (the chain%26#39;s home is here). You%26#39;ll have to have a very early dinner, though, to make a game.

It almost sounds like you%26#39;re aiming to do more than is possible in the time you%26#39;re going to have available.

blemishes

Wimberley cabin

I%26#39;m looking for a house or cabin: at least two bedrooms, two baths for two couples, one child and a small dog. I%26#39;d love it to be in a calm, quiet spot. We%26#39;re planning the stay inearly December.

Wimberley cabin

here are a few websites you could check out:

http://www.serenityfarmhouseinn-spa.com/

visitwimberley.com/category/…index.shtml

hill-country-visitor.com/Wimberley_Texas/Lod…

http://www.touringtexas.com/cabins/

wildflowers when?

I%26#39;m contemplating a trip next spring to the Hill

Country and wondering when the wildflowers start

to bloom. March? Apri? Can I expect March to

be rather dreay yet as photos show barren trees.

When does it start to green up?

wildflowers when?

April is probably your better bet, though it does start greening up and blooming in mid-to-late March. It really varies depending on how cold it is and how much rain we get in the winter.

Hyatt Place Greenspoint or Hyatt Summerfield Energy Corridor

I have been to Houston before but have never stayed in these areas. We are headed there for a long weekend and I would like to know any info on these areas. We don%26#39;t have a problem driving to places we%26#39;d like to go - we%26#39;d just like to be in a good area of the city.

Hyatt Place Greenspoint or Hyatt Summerfield Energy Corridor

Greenspoint is not the best area. Energy Corridor is nicer but way out I-10W.

For a more central area, try the Hyatt Galleria or Hyatt Downtown (on Louisiana) location.

Hyatt Place Greenspoint or Hyatt Summerfield Energy Corridor

Thanks, I%26#39;ll check those out.

Unless you have a good reason to be stay in either area, I%26#39;d suggest you consider either the Galleria (West I 610) area or Central Houston. Both of these will offer better options, reduce driving and probably offer better quality and value hotels.

I guess the question is where do you want to go in Houston? Will you have a rental car? It sounds like you found some good deals with the two hotels - if so - make sure the transport / time etc. will not be more. So once you decide where in Houston you want to visit we can give more info.

blemishes