Farewell to Bouchercon 2019

DEBORAH CROMBIE: As of noon today, another Bouchercon will be over. The end of Bouchercon is always a bit like the last day of summer camp. You've had a great time, made lots of memories, but you're sad because you know you won't see many friends for another year. It was especially hard to say goodbye to fellow REDs!!! It was so wonderful to all be together!

I hope everyone who came to Dallas enjoyed the conference as much as I did! Here are just a few of my highlights.

Bouchercon logo on the Hyatt fountain

Drop Dead Red

Debs GOH interview with Lucy

Lucy and Hallie vie for flatbread!

Lunch at Bolsa

My publisher's lovely luncheon for me

Anthony winners' covers

Downtown Dallas from North Italia

Huge thanks to the organizers for putting on a terrific conference, and to the Hyatt Regency Dallas for their hospitality!

Who's up for next year in Sacramento?!!

Your Bouchercon Concierge

DEBORAH CROMBIE: Hi, ya'll, I'm Debs, and although Bouchercon 19 in Dallas doesn't officially begin until Thursday, I thought, it being my city, that I would give you a head start.

First, we've had what we call a Blue Norther, so if you haven't already packed, add some sweaters. It's cold, and will be raining through Thursday.

Second, the Hyatt Regency has great views and a huge bar, but it is offset from the rest of downtown so restaurants and other attractions outside the hotel are not easily walkable. Uber or Lyft are the best options, are very reasonable, and very available.

Now, for food! Here are some restaurant suggestions.

The Henry 
Near the Perot Museum, casual American eclectic, nice atmosphere.

Flora Street Cafe

Near the Dallas Museum of Art. Chef Stephen Pyles is a big name in Texas dining.

Savor Gastropub

  This is a gorgeous restaurant! (I would not call it a gastropub!) In Klyde Warren Park, across from the DMA and the Arts District, it's one of the highlights of eating downtown.

North Italia Near The Henry, casual Italian, gets good reviews, and not quite as expensive as some of the other options. 

Homewood For the foodies among us. New restaurant from our biggest star Dallas chef. Absolutely amazing food, but comfortable atmosphere. Just a bit north of downtown, should be just a few minutes Uber ride.

Wolfgang Puck Five-Sixty
Wolfgang Puck restaurant in Reunion Tower, next to the hotel. I haven't eaten here, but my daughter has and says it's very good. She also says if you want to see the view from the tower, you're better off having a drink in the bar than paying for the observation deck. (And it's cold. Did I mention that?)

Mesomaya Downtown Mexican food. I haven't eaten here but it's really well-reviewed.

The Woolworth

Fun bar and restaurant in the old Woolworth building. Good food, fabulous smoking tequila drink!

Here are More good suggestions from Eater.

 

  Also, anything in Bishop Arts (lots of suggestions in the Bon Appetit issue), West Village, Uptown, or Deep Ellum will be very doable by Uber from downtown.

Now, if you want to catch up with the REDS at the conference, here are our schedules, all in one convenient spot!

DEBS:

Thursday

9:30 GOH interview by Lucy Burdette

2:30 Jungle Reds game panel

7:00 Harper Limited Book Giveaway and signing,

Friday

9:30 MWA Table signing, 9:30

Saturday

9:30 Show Me the Evidence panel

1:00Three Goddesses panel, with Rhys Bowen and Caroline Todd

2:00-4:00 Librarian’s Tea (introducing the Royal Chef)

RHYS:

Wednesday

SinC into Great Writing workshop

Thursday

2:30 Thursday, Jungle Reds panel

Saturday

11:00 Moderator History panel

1:00 Goddesses chat  

Librarians Tea 2-4 Saturday

Presenter at Anthony Awards Saturday evening.

JENN:

Thursday

2:30  Jungle Reds Panel

HALLIE:

Thursday

11:00 Moderate WAYS TO KILL panel (Tori Eldridge, Tracey S. Phillips, Ingrid Thoft, Carl Vondereau, and SG Wong)

2:30 Jungle Reds game show panel

7:00 Book signing/limited givewaway for HarperCollins in Landmark D

Friday

9:30 Signing with Jungle Reds at the MWA table in the bookroom

Saturday 

7:00 Speed dating

1:00 Interview Elizabeth George

HANK:

Thursday

 8:00 Guest of Honor introductions, receiving GOH award

11:00 am  Interviewing James Patterson

2:30 Jungle Reds panel

3:30 signing

6:00 pm Opening Ceremonies

Friday

7:30 SINC breakfast

REDS signing? Is this when it is?

11:00 Emcee of the The Bill Crider Awards

2:00  Signing for Forge Books 

Saturday

 9:30 AM .  Hank's GOH interview-- Interviewed by Lisa Unger

10:30 signing

2:00 Librarians Tea  Opening speaker 

4:30 signing after the Tea

PM Anthony Awards

LUCY:

Thursday 

930: Interview Deb!

230: jungle red game show panel followed by signing

Friday 

7:30 sisters in crime breakfast

930: signing at the MWA booth in the book room

JULIA:

Thursday 

2:30 Jungle Reds panel

Friday  

9:30 MWA Table signing

And as a bonus, we thought it was a nice touch that the Hyatt has named their special conference cocktail

DROP DEAD RED

-Campari
-Vodka
-Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice
-House-made Simple Syrup
-Blanc de Blanc
-Luxardo Cherry Garnish

We hope to see all of you who are attending, and we'll do our best to share the fun with those who can't be here this year! 

Welcome to Dallas!!

A Timely Visit to Dallas' Perot Museum

DEBORAH CROMBIE: You know how it is when you live in a place and you never get around to doing the "attractions?" (I'm a native Dallasite, for instance, and have never been to the JFK museum at Dealy Plaza...) Nor had I been to the PEROT  MUSEUM OF NATURE AND SCIENCE, open more than a decade, although I must have driven by the striking building in downtown Dallas a couple of hundred times.

I mean, how could you NOT notice that????

But life is busy, and sometimes you have to make time for things. So, my sister-in-law is visiting from Tasmania for the week , and my daughter and I thought it would be fun to take her to the Perot. And there is a fabulous exhibit on, THE ART OF THE BRICK, by Lego artist Nathan Sawaya.

We booked ahead, then woke yesterday morning to the news that Ross Perot had died.

Such an interesting person, Ross Perot, a truly self-made man, billionaire, philanthropist, and such a fixture in Dallas history and culture. He cared passionately about science and education, and the Perot museum is only a small part of the legacy he left us.

Here's a little pictorial tribute from our day, staring with my daughter towering over me in her heels:-)

Here are some highlights from the fabulous ART OF THE BRICK  exhibition. If this comes to your city, do go see it! Nathan Sawaya recreates many famous masterpieces with Lego bricks--you can probably name a few of them!

I'm sorry I didn't get a photo of his Girl with a Pearl Earring, which is the one I keep thinking about. But we liked his original work even more. "Swimmer" was a particular favorite for all three of us.

And how about T-Rex here? Can you believe that is made from Lego?

And then on to the museum itself. We only really saw two out of the four permanent exhibit floors, but they were fabulous, especially the fossils! Check out these guys!

And a close up of my very fave, the sea turtle.

All the exhibits are so interesting and so well designed. I'll be going back, and I highly recommend those of you who are visiting Dallas for Bouchercon to give the Perot at least a few hours.

I'm grateful to Ross Perot for his generosity and for his dedication to education and to his city. But my favorite quote from the obits I read yesterday was this: 

When asked in 2016 how he wanted to be remembered, he said, "Aw, I don't worry about that." 'Nuff said.

You can read more about Perot and his philanthropy here.

REDs and readers, who do you admire for their charitable legacies?