Happy Anniversary to Us!! We've Hit 10!!!

10-10-10 --- The date was chosen with care and I cannot believe it is now 10-10-20.  Ten years of marriage to my sweet Mister and I would not trade a single one of them for something else.  Perhaps a day or two, but that's marriage, right?

Due to work constraints, we had to back our anniversary trip up a week and are simply hanging around Dallas a bit today.  Deep Ellum and a new coffee shop start us out, but upon our arrival to the shop, it's packed and no place to sit.  Well, dang, that defeats the entire purpose.  If we have to take the coffee to go, we'll just go down the street for beignets and chicory coffee.  A little nostalgia for New Orleans.

We find a bench around the corner and settle in right in front of the old Boyd Hotel.  "The Boyd Hotel, built in 1911, is located in Deep Ellum just east of Downtown Dallas.  The neighborhood became a hub for early jazz and blues musicians beginning in the 1920s and was one of Dallas' first commercial districts for African-American and European immigrants.  The eastern edge of Deep Ellum was not segregated, and African-Americans, whites, and people of other races and ethnicities often lived next door to each other.  The Boyd Hotel was no exception, and both black and white musicians were welcome.  Early blues and jazz greats such as Huddie "Leadbelly" Ledbetter, Bill Neely, and Blind Lemon Jefferson - the Father of Texas Blues - stayed here.  In addition to the building's importance within the context of Dallas' early music history, it is also one of the oldest hotels in Dallas and one of the few remaining cast iron front buildings in the city.  The building is a designated City of Dallas Landmark." 

The neon sign is also authentic and "Local" was added to it later.  It's really hard to see in these pictures, but the sign also says Home Away From Home under Boyd.

At any rate, history lesson finished and I'm back to enjoying the moment.  Even the parking meters are full of color and fun.

Our palate delights have been devoured and a little walk seems right.  I'm always wanting to do the mural walk down here and we are not prepared to do the whole thing, but a few are within reach.  Enjoy the eye candy, I know I did.

A brief moment for nature in the sunlight - 

Birds on a Wire --- so great and Leonard Cohen comes to mind.

This one had a photo shoot going in front of it when we sat down to eat.

Pretty cool up close.

For my quilty friends --- 

This one has so many construction supplies in front, but it's still cool.

I spot this building and want to do some research on it, but the information is very hard to find.  I'll keep at it, but I think they are still in business and sell/repair industrial sewing machines.  I'd love to take a peek inside sometime.

Well, that's it for Deep Ellum but as we drive through Downtown --- THIS mural stops me in my tracks.  Wow.  What a conceptualization.  I'm sure I've seen this one before, but haven't taken the time to truly appreciate it.  LOVE.

Back home for a bit and we just relax until it's time for our reservation at RM 12:20 Bistro.  It's such a great French restaurant right in our own neighborhood.    Everything is just so yummy and I'm quite content.  Thank you, Mister, for a wonderful day together.  (The order of pics is a bit off, but it is what it is -- they fit better this way.)  See ya tomorrow.