This mini reunion was extra special for Michael and I in the aftermath of my stroke last November. I'm very blessed to still be here to make new memories with these amazing lifelong friends! These three ladies organized and hosted a YouCaring fundraiser for us last year to help pay medical expenses while I was recovering from my stroke. This mini reunion was the perfect opportunity for us to thank them in person!
The Fairmont Dallas is conveniently located in the heart of Downtown Dallas -- near tons of great restaurants and popular local attractions. The hotel was a perfect home base for our evening together! From a convenient, onsite Starbucks to a fabulous outdoor pool surrounded by picturesque view of Downtown Dallas, this 545-room luxury hotel is ideal for getaway -- both romantic weekends for two AND fun Girls Getaways. As this video shows, Fairmont Dallas offers everything you need for a memorable stay!

Easy Slider's concept is made for fun -- adults and kids alike will love it! Their menu offers a wide variety of creative mini burgers -- including a special Slider of the Month. When we visited, the monthly special was a fried chicken slider with pickles and mayo. Add in a relaxed casual atmosphere, fun sides, and creative cocktails...and you've got the makings of a memorable evening. There's plenty of space to dine outdoors al fresco, but we opted to sit inside and enjoy the air conditioner. We were very impressed with the quality of the sliders that we sampled at Easy Slider. All of their burgers are made from certified Angus beef, the buns are made fresh daily, and all sauces are made in-house. In addition to the Deep Ellum restaurant location, Easy Slider has a trio of food trucks that serves their delicious sliders at various Metroplex locations!
We were seated at a long, elevated table that was perfect for our party of seven. We ordered two appetizers/sides to share: freshly made onion rings and loaded tots. The onion rings were perfectly fried crispy and light, and the tots were indeed loaded with toppings! They featured bacon, green onions, and cheddar cheese...along with a generous drizzle of their house-made ranch dressing. Because our group was large, we were able to sample at least a bite of nearly every slider from the menu. They even offered gluten free buns for our friend who can't eat gluten. Everything was perfectly cooked and delicious, but the consensus favorites were the French Revolution, the Best Coast, and the wildly creative Sweet & Lowdown.
The French Revolution slider included an Angus beef patty, grilled red onions, prosciutto, gruyere cheese, and Dijon mustard. The Best Coast slider featured a turkey patty, feta, avocado, tomato, Texas greens, and a sweet-tangy balsamic reduction. The award-winning Sweet & Lowdown slider included an Angus beef patty, smoky bacon, goat cheese, and sweet strawberry jam (!!). My favorite feature of Easy Slider is that the size of sliders allowed us each to order a personalized trio and sample more menu items. We ended our visit with a Texas classic: banana pudding. Easy Slider's version features creamy vanilla pudding, tons of fresh sliced banana, and the perfect amount of crushed vanilla wafers on top. So good!
After dinner, we headed back to the Fairmont Dallas, changed into our bathing suits, and grabbed the chilled bottle of champagne. Our destination? The hotel's lovely outdoor pool area. While there, we toasted to a multi-decade friendship that time, distance, and illness can't change. We also enjoyed some truly lovely nighttime views of Downtown Dallas. It was so nice to sit and visit with my girls into the night...just like we did as young girls in the dorm back in the day. We did a lot of reminiscing and laughing that night -- so good for the soul. Some things never change, no matter how many years go by!
After a restful night's sleep, we all met in the downstairs lobby for a farewell breakfast at Pyramid Restaurant and Bar, located inside the Fairmont Dallas. This AAA Four Diamond restaurant offers a full breakfast buffet and a breakfast menu, so there's something for everyone. One very unique aspect of Pyramid's breakfast is their knowledgeable tea sommelier. She came to our table with a portfolio of artisan Lot 35 loose teas to choose from, helping us select the perfect choice for our preferred flavor profile. It was such a unique experience! I had a pot of Lot 35 Pomegranate Rosehip tea with my breakfast, and it was perfectly suited to my taste buds. My group was very pleased with the breakfast menu items to choose from. We all found items that were perfect for us -- including a healthy egg white omelet and several gluten-free options! Especially tasty were the Pyramid Granola and Chilaquiles Verdes.

After breakfast, we snapped a few more group pictures as mementos of our special mini reunion. Then, we exchanged a few more hugs...and said our farewells until the next time we're all together again. After we left, I told my niece Lili -- who starts college next year -- that I hope she's lucky enough to find a special group of girlfriends in college like I did! We shared everything from late-night laughs to serious conversations about the adult life that was just over the horizon...talked about happy relationships and bad breakups...and everything in between. Oh, if those walls at Maple Hall dorm could talk! We always laugh that we were fortunate to have our college years BEFORE today's Instagram/socal media age!! A few pictures of us back in the day do exist, though:
Granted, our discussions are different these days...focusing more on marriage, parenthood, and health issues. However, the same sense of humor, laughter, and love that began as roommates and sorority sisters at UNT sustain our friendship as women today. These three ladies are definitely a huge blessing in my life! Thanks to Fairmont Dallas and Easy Slider, we were able to experience a perfect adult sleepover adventure together...and make more priceless memories!
Disclosure: Fairmont Hotel Dallas provided overnight accommodations for two rooms, along with breakfast at Pyramid, to facilitate this special feature. Easy Slider Deep Ellum hosted our meal. All opinions expressed are solely my own.
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