Just the other day, I caught a show at the House of Blues in Dallas, It’s a cool new venue in the Uptown Dallas area, just down the road from the American Airlines Center, and just a few blocks from the Stoneleigh. 

Inside, the walls were filled with all kind of works by local artists featuring longhorns, guitars, and musical legends.  In fact, there’s even a “wall of god’ featuring over a hundred busts of music’s greatest. 

Check it out sometime, it’s sure to be a frequent stop for many great artists.  In the coming months, a wide range of muscians will be stopping by, including the B-52s, Peter Frampton, Pat Benatar, Wolfmother, and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club.

Check out Donna Harris’ cool  insider’s guide to Uptown and the surrounding area at her new website, IntownDallas.org, which will be launching mid-June.  This will be a great local reference for those moving into the new Stoneleigh Residences.

In the meantime, you can subscribe to her newsletter by contacting her at donna@donnaharriscompany.com.  Each week she’ll be sending out a fresh take on the latest Big D arts, entertainment, music, dining, events, and more.  For example, here’s an excerpt from her most recent newsletter about the Declaration of Independence, just in time for the Memorial Day weekend:

What a great weekend to remind ourselves why we do the things we do.  This incredible original document on permanent display is one of about 25 copies printed at John Dunlap’s print shop in Philadelphia on July 4, 1776.  The Downtown Dallas Library is priviledged to have the only copy in the western United States, thanks to the Dallas Public Library Friends and is one of only a few that is in good condition.  Go find out why.  Free. 

A local Dallas artist, Bill Deore, created a very cool map of the Stoneleigh Residences to illustrate its location and surrounding attractions.  To fully appreciate it, you can see the wall sized version on display at the sales office at 2927 Maple (lobby of the Stoneleigh Hotel).

Well, after writing about it and a friend convincing me to go for it, I actually went and ran the Katy Trail 5K on Thursday. Against my leg’s screaming demands to stop, I went after it, and in retrospect definitely enjoyed being part of the event.  Although I thought it was only going to take place on the Trail, the race actually carved a path through Uptown and Oak Lawn. 

Starting at Reverchon Park, I became part of the 2,000 plus running mob that wound its way down Cedar Springs, up Blackburn, down Cole, and then a quick left right back on the Katy Trail, back to where it all started.  I have to say though, finishing was the best part, because upon arriving, the extensive variety of food and drinks available were certainly a welcome addition.  Even the Michelob Ultra was nice, albeit after a good hour or so to re-hydrate and rest. 

Tomorrow is the big day for the Katy Trail.  You can run a 5K to help the Friends of Katy Trail raise up to $200K to fund the completion a soft surface path for runners and walkers. If you have ever run on the hard concrete, then you know this is a welcome addition.  It also helps that the run is sponsored by Michelob Ultra so it will be fun after the run as well.

The Katy Trail was a favorite of joggers who stayed at the Stoneleigh since it’s located only two minutes walking distance from the hotel. When we re-open it will be nice to inform our out-of-town guests about the new soft surface to run on.  The real lucky ones are the future owners of the Stoneleigh Residences who can use it everyday.

Here are some helpful links: 

• Register for the Katy Trail Run
• Donate Funds
• Volunteer to Help
• Katy Trail Map