Just went to Dallas on a business trip.

Flew down Dec 5. Flight from Hartford to Cincinnatti was very bumpy but tolerable. Had the plane to myself or so it felt from Cincinatti to Dallas, which is a rare occurrence.

Stayed at the Courtyard by Marriott Dallas- Arlington by the Ballpark. Decent hotel near the ballparks. TV in the room is out of date and needs a serious update. WiFi and in room Internet worked great until their server crashed on tuesday night. Breakfast buffet was $13. Warm and plentiful. Service was great. There is no bar here but they sell bottles of beer near the front desk. Free parking.

Getting to the stadium was somewhat tedious due to construction for the new football stadium. The main road was closed so you had to go thru the Rangers Parking lots.

Ate at the following restaurants
1) Joe's Crab Shack - typical Joes but right next to the hotel.
2) Saltgrass Steakhouse - excellent steakhouse. Went here twice. Expensive but well worth it. Had the Ribeye and then Filet Mignon.
3) Red Hot and Blues BBQ - excellent BBQ at a decent price. Great ribs.
4) Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen - great seafood restaurant. Had alligator for an appetizer and then a salmon dish with crawfish and lobster

Walked around the new Cowboys Stadium which is too big and obnoxious. Looks like a great place for a game though. Got caught in the game traffic on Sat night so if you go for a game, expect heavy traffic getting out. or if you are just in the area.

Did the ballpark tour for the Rangers stadium yesterday. I really enjoyed this tour. Great looking park that has me thinking Arlington next year for a few Red Sox games.

DFW was easy in and easy out with seperate security / ticket windows for each airline. Got there an hour before my flight and had no issues. Flying back yesterday was a little hairy due to the inclement weather but made it back without any issues.

Weather in Dallas was cool and rainy. yesterday was just plain cold. But no snow.

I will be back to Arlington to go to a few games.

2 other bars that I went to were
3rd base near the ballparks to.watch the Cowboys game. Great place with a lot of tvs and prompt service. Beers were cheap.
Went to the No Frills Cafe to watch the Nebraska @ Texas game. Smoking was permitted in the bar so I sat in the dining room and watched the game. Great game! Cheap beer with prompt service. Was also able to play Buzztime trivia. Got back to my hotel and it was a party in the lobby.

Thanks for the trip report. Glad you had a good time. I love Red Hot and Blue BBQ too! I also enjoy Pappadeaux's.

Next time you're in Arlington, try Olenjack's Grille. http://olenjacksgrille.com/
It's just across Collins from the Stadiums. MUCH better than those chain places you tried this trip!

Thanks for the recommendation. Will try there the next time I am in Dallas