Tales from a Mid-Lifer

A new post in the Texas Tuesdays series…

The Ball

Known as “The Ball”, Reunion Tower is immediately recognizable in the downtown Dallas skyline. Covered in hundreds of bright lights, the tower with a ball at the top is particularly pretty at nighttime, the globe visible on a clear evening further than 15-miles. 

Though 14 Dallas buildings are said to be taller than Reunion Tower, the outside observation deck provides its visitors a 365-degree view unmatched by other structures. The decks essentially act as a gateway to countless Texas sights. Traveling 68-seconds, up 50 stories, we landed at the top of the well-lit ball, excited to check out the places of interest below and beyond.

The Views

Fortunately, my daughter and I visited on a crystal-clear-sky day (which are most days in Texas) enabling us to see (according to the well-versed-Dallas-man next to us), far beyond the stated 30-mile view in all directions.

Walking around the Geo-Deck, there was undoubtedly more than just Texas in our line of sight. For those interested in peering into the details of Dallas landmarks, high-powered telescopes were available. After circling the outside deck, we entered the glass-enclosed area and learned more from the interactive touchscreens, about exactly what we were seeing from the 470-foot Geo-Deck.

The screens permitted us to operate select outside cams, allowing us to zoom in upon different areas of Dallas. From where we stood, out into the distance was Mexico. In another direction, Oklahoma, New Mexico and perhaps the border of Arizona. We have no telephoto zoom pics to confirm, but our interactive screen information, along with the informal tour guide appear to suggest these locations were in our sights.

Climbing up even a small ladder, most people can see for miles across the flat-land of the great state. But, Reunion Tower at its top height of the ball standing at 561-feet, makes it a key tourist attraction for good reasons.

The Romance

Reunion Tower is bright, educational and honestly offers spectacular views. Known as a romantic destination, the tower remains a favorite spot for proposals, weddings and renewing marriage vows.

Food

The upscale, Michelin-recommended restaurant the Crown Block offers ambiance and exceptional cuisine along with the Texas skyline views. Due to demand, they accept reservations up to six months in advance.    

The Name

For a very brief period in history – merely a few years, according to most sources – a small French settlement from the mid 1850’s known as La Réunion – was the inspiration for naming the tower. Though their presence in Dallas was short, the political story of the settlers is quite complicated and thus, too lengthy for this post.

For those curious like me who might be interested the geographical origin of the La Réunion settlers, here is an image of Reunion Island, located in a French region, smack in the middle of the Indian Ocean! I can’t help but wonder why the settlers thought leaving this stunning location for the flat, water-challenged Texas land was a good idea…

Worth the Visit!

In summary, we really enjoyed Reunion Tower. We had already gone on the sad but riveting full JFK Assassination Tour last year (2023), which just happened to be the 60^th anniversary of his untimely death. I’ll post about that in the future. From the Geo-Deck, we had a literal birds-eye view directly above where the motorcade traveled in Dealey Plaza in downtown Dallas on that fateful day.

Next time you are in Dallas, Reunion Tower would be a highly recommended stop!

Here is the link to the live-webcam if you’re interested:

Tower Cam