Grapevine, the Christmas Capitol of Texas

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Everything’s bigger in Texas!  Be it Christmas, or ice storms, Texas doesn’t play.  Grapevine, Texas, known as the Christmas capitol of the state, really showed me it’s stuff with it’s recent ice storm- but that didn’t keep a good city down. Texas still got it’s holiday groove on- albeit about 50 degrees cooler then it might be used to.

We spent quite a lot of time in the Hilton Lakes DFW hotel, but I didn’t hear any complaining.  The rooms were very comfortable, and there were amenities like a pool and gym (which I never get to use, so hooray!).  However, I did do a “Supernatural” marathon with a friend while there, while eating chips and salsa.  Yep, the finer things in life  🙂  The rooms all had free cable and WiFi, and it was pretty fast, too.  Not just “fast for a hotel”- fast. There were several restaurants to check out (such as the below Bonnie and Clyde’s Hideout), so we were not hungry even when the storm kept us in.

Shrimp grits and chicken lettuce wrap

The  Winewood Grill has a good variety of food (and imbibements if your heart so desires) as well as a super friendly staff. The ribs were a favorite of many, but the smoked Gouda mac and cheese was by far and away the best eats of the night.  It is also one of the restaurants’  most requested items, and for good reason.  Creamy, warm, and with a bacon topping (and mix in), there was nothing not to love about this comfort food created for grown up palettes.  Save room for dessert- you will need it with these Texas-sized portions!  But it’s worth it- share with a friend if you are running out of steam, or get a few to share with the table-none of them were disappointing.

When I awoke the next morning, Texas was officially frozen.  We were going to be spending the day at the Hilton- so down to The Vineyard I went to get some breakfast.  They had a quite large hot and cold buffet, as well as table service and an omelet station.  I was glad to see my favorite- biscuits!- which I don’t’ see a whole lot of in my neck of the woods.  All that eating sure does make you hungry….  LOL

When you are in Grapevine, be sure to check out Grapevine Mills, a huge shopping mall (which is also REALLY close to the Hilton, and you can be bussed there by the city busses for nearly nothing- it’s one of the many, many stops they offer for convenience for travelers. We ate lunch at the  Rainforest Cafe which is always fun.  Since the weather outside was frighting, we made sure to light our way with fun hurricane glasses of bright drinks that turned the table into a disco party.  The food was good- the chocolate volcano desserts and fun drinks made the meal, though  🙂

After lunch, we had a chance to visit the SEA LIFE Grapevine Aquarium which is conveniently located right inside the mall. I can honestly can I have never been to a mall that housed an aquarium- but they also had carnival rides, a LEGO center, 3D movie theater, and way more then I would think a mall would have- it was a great place to spend an indoor day with kids, or with friends.  Most of the the stores were closed when we were there, since the roads were iced over and no one was able to go and open them, but on a rainy day?  Head on over.  The aquarium was cute and had a play center as well as education and touch center for kids.  The whole thing was open, and we had it practically to ourselves.

One of the coolest, or as it were, hottest, places in Grapevine is the Vetro Glassblowing Studio,where we got to learn about glassblowing, and watch it done. Afterward, we each got to make a Christmas ornament of our own, choosing the colors.  Don’t worry, the experts handled the iron and the ovens, I would have killed myself or someone else  🙂

It would be a great place to stop and make a Christmas gift for anyone on your list, and the price was right, too.  They came out amazing, you would think I knew what I was doing!

The Gaylord Resort Grapevine outdid itself with the ICE Exhibit this year- maybe even overdid it, it was really hard to get around the state! Just kidding, the unusual amount of ice in Texas was just a joke, especially as the ICE Exhibit is such a draw and something that should not be missed.   The Gaylord Resort Grapevine was decked out from the point of entry, and nearly every inch of the resort was full of Christmas cheer.  The ICE Exhibit is made entirely of- you guessed it- ice.  This year’s theme was “The Nutcracker” and many ballet and toy soldier inspired sculptures decked the halls. Tons and tons of ice, cooled to eight degrees, and decorated with bright colors.  They give you a parka as you go in- even if you have a  coat- take it!  There are also slides for the kids (or big kids, like me) to slide down, also made of the frozen stuff.

My last dinner in Texas was at the  Texas Star Dinner Theater, trying to solve a murder-mystery while enjoying a meal.  It was way less drama and very, very funny.  I have seen quite a lot of these shows and they are usually corny as anything with a little humor- this was hilarious, and I would for sure see it again.  And I wasn’t even drinking, I swear  🙂 The cast was truly funny, and interacted with the audience in yes- corny ways- but man, was it funny, and the jokes were current and even though everyone was laughing, nothing was crass.  Only one group managed to guess who-done-it- you got it! This chick was one of them.  So smart…

If you are looking for the perfect Christmas getaway, why not head to the Christmas Capitol?  After all, go big or go home!  And you know in Texas, it’s going to be big.  Plan your trip to Grapevine Texas for Christmas this year, and have a great holiday.