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other planes taking off
Terminal building 8:41 amMandalay Canals
Los Colinas is a planned community in Irving. The Carpenter family owned the land and did the planning.
During WW II, Ben Carpenter was in the in the 124th Cavalry Regiment. Their mission was to free the Burmese people from the Japanese occupation force. In planning the first hotel for Las Colinas, he named the hotel ?Mandalay? to satisfy his desire for a historical placement with his personal life experience. The furnishings and accessories relate to the history of the Mandalay with Far Eastern influences.
Gondolas were imported from Italy, and the lakes and canals they plied added an Old World touch but also helped control flooding. There was a downturn in the 80s, and the shops along the canal closed, but apparently you can again get a gondola ride.
There is an annual Canalfest celebration each June, which offers music, arts, crafts and a variety of entertainment.
The day that we visited in 1997 was somewhat overcast. I managed only one picture of the Canal on our tour of Dallas and that has my thumb in it - we didn't get out of the bus except to see the Mustang sculpture. I did better on my 2006 visit.
