Travels with Tish Girlfriends’ Getaway Guide

You can spend a lovely day browsing, shopping and visiting with friends if you make it a day trip from Dallas/Ft. Worth. Just 10 minutes from the airport, Grapevine offers both quaint shopping along its main street or high-power outlet shopping at the edge of town.

Wineries — A Chance to Sample
With at least 10 wineries up and down Main Street, you have ample opportunity to sample local Texas wine. And of course you can purchase lovely wine serving ware and decor at many of the shops.

Art, Antiques and Gift Shopping
One of the artsy shops that intrigued us is called stems. It sells unique handcrafted floral art. The shop offers a spectacular array of delicate and colorful wooden flowers and animals. Fun to browse and imagine how you would use the pieces in your own home!

Besides galleries and artsy shops, you’ll fine unique and glamorous clothing, western wear, religious gifts, custom stationery, jewelry, antiques, home decor and more. All very nice little shops with interesting and unique gifts. I found several gifts in Main Street shops for people on my Christmas list — oh, and a couple of things for myself!

I was amazed to find vintage airline memorabilia at The Corner Store antiques shop. Bought a few pieces as a gift for someone back at Midwest Airlines — a vintage Braniff carry-on bag, the kind airlines used to give away back in the days of prosperity. The shop had items from a number of airlines — current and long departed.

Major Outlet Shopping Down the Street
Though we did not stop at the outlets, we noted Grapevine Mills at the edge of town and it is massive. How’s 1.6 million square feet of shopping — just a few blocks from the quaint historic Main Street? Just like Gurnee Mills in Illinois, Albertville Premium Outlets in Minnesota, and others across the country. So you can get the best of both shopping worlds in Grapevine.

TIPS:
1) Visit Grapevine Convention and Visitors Bureau.
There’s quite a bit more to Grapevine that I was not able to visit. When you go online to the site, request a complimentary subscription to Grapevine Today, a great and colorful magazine filled with information about the area.

2) Hotels and Dining Abound. With Grapevine located just minutes north of DFW airport, you can find a wide range of hotels and dining options right in town. This makes it ideal for a 1 or 2-day trip to Grapevine.

3) Midwest Airlines Serves DFW. You’ll find plenty of Midwest flights to/from DFW Airport — and the fares are reasonable. Check the Deals page regularly.

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Just took a very short trip to Dallas — with enough time to visit just one place. I chose Grapevine, an easy 10 minutes north of the Dallas/Ft. Worth airport. I’ve been getting e-mails all year from the Visitors Bureau there about events, including a recent wine festival, and thought it was time to visit.

Grapevine is a small “Main Street” town just outside the city. Quaint shops, cafes and wineries line the 4-5 block street. Each unique and filled with great stuff — things with which to treat yourself or to buy as one-of-a-kind gifts. Early December is perfect there. It’s the kind of place that makes a great day trip.

A French Boulangerie. Shopping is great, but food ranks pretty high on my list, as well. If I visit a unique place, I like to find some great food there, too. Betsy and I arrived around 11 a.m. and walked up and down a couple of blocks looking for just the right place to eat a late breakfast. (By the way, street parking and off-street public parking is plentiful and free.) We found our spot at Main Street Bistro and Bakery. Little did we know it was rated Excellent by Zagat 2007, voted best neighborhood restaurant by Dallas Magazine and that its croissants were chosen best in the metroplex by the Dallas newspaper! And it was all true!

We each ordered a breakfast croissant sandwich and it was the best we have ever eaten! Simply good cheese, well-made eggs and exceptional buttery croissants that are made on premises. We loved our selection, but lingered over the menu trying to decide if we’re rather have crepes, brioche or eggs benedict. Oh, don’t pass up the breakfast potatoes — excellent little cubes of potato seasoned to perfection. We’d highly recommend a stop here when you’re in Grapevine.

They serve breakfast through dinner and offer wines and cocktails as well. If you enjoy fine pastries made with a European flair, you’ll find a wide assortment and a tough choice to make! Complimenting all the wonderful food selections is the French accent you’ll hear from coming from the kitchen. Perfectly charming, delicious and not expensive at all!

NEXT: A Glimpse of Grapevines Shops and Wineries

TIPS:

1) Christmas Capital of Texas. Grapevine bills itself at the best place in Texas for the holiday festivities. Its streets are beautifully decorated, holiday music is piped into the street from atop the historic buildings and many holiday events are planned.