Grapevine, the Christmas Capitol of Texas

 

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.

pic1We 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

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.

hiltonWhen 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

texasWhen 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  🙂
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