Going For a Train Ride

We decided to take the train.  It was our most economical option, and we were in no rush.  From the Dallas Fort Worth Airport, it took close to an hour to get to the downtown Sheraton.  Our flight arrived well before we could check in to our hotel room, so the time wasn't an issue.  The total cost for both of us was $5.  We met a very nice woman we chatted with on the train and she learned about the NDSC conference :)  She seemed genuinely interested.

Another bonus was that the train was air conditioned.  It did cut out for about 2 stops, and it got warm but not bad.  Then it kicked in again with no further issues.  It took 15 stops to get where we were going, but it was actually kind of relaxing and enjoyable.  The train was not crowded (we weren't in a rush hour), so it worked out pretty well.

As for walking about down town Dallas, we won't be doing much of that.  First of all, we will be busy at the conference.  Secondly, we walked a few short blocks to a local sandwich shop for lunch, and it does not feel like a safe place to be wandering about.  Police sirens are frequent.  There are a lot of panhandlers and homeless, which I get, but one was semi-following us yelling "I have a gun!  No, I don't have a gun!  Never mind!".  Another came up close behind us and only stopped when we entered the shop. Another approached us asking for money.  Once we finished lunch (which was perfectly comfortable and pleasant in the shop), we had no instances walk back, but, it's not something we'll be repeating.  There are several food options here in the hotel, albeit a bit pricier than local fare might be, but not ridiculously so.

The hotel itself is quite lovely, and the staff have all been pleasant and helpful.  ;There are 3 towers-North, Central, and South. There is an outdoor pool which we can see from our room, but we didn't even bring our suits, as we're planning on being busy with conference.  Here's a pic of the pool on Central tower:



For our trip back to the airport, we will need a shuttle or taxi to make sure we arrive on time, and it's quite early in the a.m.  I'm not sure I'd want to be travelling off hours for so long.  We would have to get up a lot earlier, too, to allow for the time it takes the train to make all the stops, and we already have to get up at 4:30 a.m.  That's early enough, thanks!