By Bindu Varghese / The Dallas Morning News
You've been bitten by the travel bug. But time and financial
considerations limit your wanderlust. Well, there's good news. We've
rounded up a few destinations for short and sweet getaways. Whether you
want to relax at a spa, shop at antique stores or marvel at dinosaur
tracks, there's plenty to do in some not-so-far-away places. Figuring
that you probably wouldn't want to log more than three hours of drive
time each way, we chose places within that range.
:: The supersized approach
GAYLORD TEXAN RESORT, GRAPEVINE
The Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center bills itself as the grandest hotel in the Southwest. Overlooking
Grapevine Lake, the resort offers hotel accommodations, dining and
recreation on a grand scale. From the river in the Riverwalk Atrium
(part of 4½ acres of indoor gardens) to the six restaurants, seven
lounges and 25,000-square-foot spa, the Gaylord is grand indeed. No
matter what the weather outside, the resort's three climate-controlled
glass atriums make it a pleasure to dine, shop and play year-round.
Gaylord Texan Resort
Get your fill of regional fare at the Riverwalk Cafe, which offers all-you-can-eat buffets.
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The resort is about 22 miles northwest of Dallas. Drive time: about 30
minutes.
Check out:
• Riverwalk Atrium: Listen to strolling mariachi bands that perform
daily. Enjoy regional fare at Riverwalk Cafe, a market-style eatery
offering all-you-can-eat buffets. If you have an appetite for dinner and
a mystery, take a trip to the 1880s in the Original Lone Star Murder
Mystery Dinner Theater's weekend production and help solve a murder.
* Riverwalk Cafe in the Riverwalk Market District: Breakfast
Mondays through Saturdays from 6:30 to 10:30 a.m., Sundays 6:30 to 11
a.m. Lunch Mondays through Saturdays 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dinner Sundays
through Thursdays 5 to 9 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays 5 to 10 p.m. Sunday
brunch 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. 817-778-2215. Buffets $18 to $32, $8 to $12 for children 5 to 12.
* Murder Mystery Dinner Theater: Plays year-round Fridays and
Saturdays at 7 p.m. in Riverwalk Cafe. 817-778-2215. $49 for buffet dinner and show.
• Relâche Spa: Treat yourself to body wraps, body treatments,
aromatherapy, massages and more in a Europe-inspired facility. Adjacent
to the spa is the fitness center, which includes treadmills,
cardiovascular equipment and steam and sauna rooms. Spa services daily from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. 817-778-1801. Massages $115 to $190; body treatments $75 to $180.
• Shopping: More than 10,000 square feet of space dedicated to
stores selling items such as Western and women's clothing, jewelry,
antiques and collectibles.
• Outdoor activities: The resort has biking and jogging trails and
offers boating and fishing at the marina on Lake Grapevine. Golfers can
take to the fairway at the adjacent Cowboys Golf Club.
• The Great Grape Escape: Vacation package for one night includes
free tastings at local wineries, unlimited use of fitness center,
breakfast at Riverwalk Cafe and fruit and cheese platter with wine.
Available year-round. $239 per night for single occupancy.
• Spa Sensations: Vacation package for one night includes Swedish
massage, facial, body treatment, unlimited use of fitness center and
breakfast at Riverwalk Cafe. Available year-round. $530 per night for single occupancy.
:: All kinds of shows, and antiques, too
GRANBURY
If you're in the mood for a day trip that could spill over to a
second day, Granbury has you covered. Its historic downtown offers
plenty of opportunities for tourists: Shop for antiques, take a carriage
ride, catch a flick at the Brazos Old-Fashioned Drive-In Theatre (opens
for the year in March) or enjoy a show at the Granbury Opera House. If
you're not up for too much walking, hop on the trolley for free rides
through downtown. If you can extend your trip, pick any of the city's 30
charming bed-and-breakfasts. Weather permitting, cap off your visit by
catching your own catch of the day (black bass, catfish and striper) at
Lake Granbury.
Granbury Riverboat
The Granbury Riverboat offers a variety of cruises year-round on Lake Granbury.
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Granbury is about 70 miles southwest of Dallas. Drive time: about 1½
hours.
Check out:
• Granbury Opera House: Driving Miss Daisy runs through Feb. 20 at the facility that was built in 1886. It was
restored for live theater in 1975. Its programming includes musicals and
plays. Fridays and Saturdays at 2 and 8 p.m., Sundays at 2 p.m. at 133 E. Pearl
St., Granbury. 817-573-9191 or 1-866-572-0881.
www.granburyoperahouse.org. $18 to $22.
• Granbury Riverboat: The 96-foot-long double-deck boat offers
several cruises on Lake Granbury, including Murder Mystery Dinner
Cruises on Friday nights (along with a gourmet dinner, you get to help
solve a mystery). Plan ahead to sail away with your valentine and enjoy
a four-course dinner, chocolate, live entertainment, dancing and more on
the upcoming Valentine's Cupid Cruise. The boat sails year-round. Boarding is 30 minutes before departure at Pier 144 Marina (on State Highway 144, one mile south of State Highway 377) on Lake
Granbury. 817-279-8687. www.granburyriverboat.com.
* Murder Mystery Dinner Cruise: Fridays from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. $52.
* Valentine's Cupid Cruise: Feb. 11 (includes a murder mystery spoof on
Elvis Presley) and 12 from 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. $75.
• Granbury Live: Every weekend, family-friendly Nostalgia Concerts
include rock 'n' roll (with "Elvis" onstage) and the music of Texas
legends. Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 1 and 8 p.m. almost year-round. 114 N.
Crockett St., Granbury. 817-573-0303. www.granburylive.com. $27 to $36, $15 for children 12 and younger.
:: Deer and cheetahs and dinosaurs ... oh, my!
GLEN ROSE
You've driven to Granbury, taken in the sights and are still
game for more. Head south to Glen Rose, where dinosaur tracks reveal the
majesty of the giants that roamed this land millions of years ago and
where deer and cheetahs share a nature preserve.
File 2003/DMN
Fossil Rim Wildlife Center is home to almost 1,000 animals.
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Glen Rose is about 17 miles south of Granbury and about 75 miles
southwest of Dallas. Drive time from Granbury to Glen Rose: about 30
minutes. Drive time from Dallas to Glen Rose: about two hours.
Check out:
• Dinosaur Valley State Park: Located about five miles northwest of
Glen Rose on the Paluxy River, the 1,585-acre park is home to
well-preserved dinosaur tracks in the riverbed. (Call ahead for river
conditions.) Fiberglass models of a 70-foot apatosaurus and a 45-foot
Tyrannosaurus rex are kid magnets. The park provides opportunities for
hiking, mountain biking, fishing, camping and observing wildlife. Daily from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. From U.S. Highway 67 in Glen Rose, take
FM205 to Park Road 59; proceed 1 mile to the park. 254-897-4588. $5 for ages 13 and older, free for 12 and younger.
• Fossil Rim Wildlife Center: Take a nine-mile scenic drive through
a 1,500-acre nature preserve where almost 1,000 animals, including endangered species, are protected and nurtured.
Stop at the Overlook Cafe for lunch with a view. Stay overnight at the
Lodge for a bed-and-breakfast experience or sleep on the wild side in
climate-controlled luxury tents (yes, you can enjoy the outdoors on a
winter day) at the Foothills Safari Camp, which overlooks a watering
hole. An early Valentine's celebration on the Sweetheart Safari includes
a candlelight dinner and an evening wildlife tour. Daily from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (admission ends at 3:30 p.m.;
closed on major holidays) through February. 2155 County Road 2008, three
miles west of Glen Rose. 254-897-2960. fossilrim.org.
* Scenic drive: $16.95, $12.95 for seniors, $10.95 for ages 3
to 11, free for children under 3. Half-price admission on Wednesdays
through Feb. 28.
* The Overlook Cafe: Mondays through Fridays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.,
Saturdays and Sundays 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. 254-897-2960, ext. 608.
* The Lodge: $150 to $300 for two per night (includes car pass for
scenic drive and breakfast).
* Foothills Safari Camp: $200 for two per night (includes car pass
for scenic drive and breakfast). 254-897-2960, ext. 651.
* Sweetheart Safari: Feb. 12 from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. $75 per person.
Reservations required one week in advance. 254-897-2960, ext. 651.
:: Pampering, fishing and so much more
TANGLEWOOD RESORT, POTTSBORO
Tanglewood Resort
The Tranquility Spa at Tanglewood offers facials and many other treats.
Shared by Texas and Oklahoma, the
89,000-acre Lake Texoma is home to several resorts. Tanglewood Resort in
Pottsboro, Texas, offers a host of recreational activities, including
golf on an 18-hole course, fishing, tennis, croquet and badminton. Its
Tranquility Spa strives to live up to its name with Swedish, hot stone
and deep tissue massages, manicures and pedicures, body treatments and
facials. Accommodations include suites in its landmark tower, which
offers panoramic views of Lake Texoma, and villas and condominiums
(great for family reunions). If you want to ditch the family for a day
and make it a girls' or guys' night out, special packages deals are sometimes available.
» Tanglewood Resort Hotel and Conference Center, 290 Tanglewood Circle,
Pottsboro, Texas. 903-786-2968 or 1-800-833-6569.
www.tanglewoodresort.com.
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Tanglewood Resort is about 85 miles north of Dallas. Drive time: about
1½ hours.
:: A step back in time
JEFFERSON
There's plenty in Jefferson for the history buff. Museums and
antebellum homes, many of which have been converted into
bed-and-breakfasts, infuse the city with a sense of timelessness. Shop
for gifts, antiques and collectibles at the city's several antiques
stores. Jefferson also plays host to several events, including the Mardi
Gras Up River in February and the Pilgrimage Tour of Homes in April. If
you want some quiet time and enjoy nature, visit nearby Caddo Lake and
marvel at the bayous and the forest of cypress trees. You'll probably
spot alligators, cranes and eagles.
One of the draws in the East Texas town of Jefferson is its Mardi Gras celebration. This year's festivities kick off on Feb. 4.
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Jefferson is about 170 miles east of Dallas. Drive time: about three
hours.
Check out:
• Jefferson Historical Museum: Exhibits include rare china, antique
glassware and children's toys and dolls, vintage clothing, Civil War
artifacts and a gun collection. The facility houses an art gallery and
showcases the collections of the Jefferson Historical Society. Daily from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (closed on major holidays). 223 W.
Austin St., Jefferson. 903-665-2775. www.jeffersonhistoricalmuseum.com. $4.50 for adults, $4 for seniors 62 and older, $3 for
ages 13 to 18, $1.50 for ages 6 to 12 and free for 5 and younger.
• Mardi Gras Up River: The 2005 theme is cartoons and comics. The
annual event kicks off Feb. 4 at Line and Jefferson streets with a
marching parade that winds its way through downtown Jefferson. Also on
the bill are a motorcycle parade and the Krewe of Hebe Grand Parade on
Feb. 5 and a children's parade on Feb. 6. There will also be arts and
crafts and food vendors, and live music. Feb. 4 from 6:45 p.m. to about midnight, Feb. 5 from 10:30 a.m. to about
midnight and Feb. 6 from 11 a.m. to about 4 p.m. 903-665-2672.
www.mardigrasupriver.com. Free admission.
• Pilgrimage Tour of Homes: The annual event organized by the local
garden club features historic homes, such as House of the Seasons, a
house built in 1872 in the Greek Revival style, and the Emmert-Dolan
House, built in 1868, also in the Greek Revival style. Both are private
residences in the historic district that offer tours. April 29 to May 1 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Purchase tickets at Excelsior House, 211 W. Austin St., Jefferson, or call 1-800-490-7270. $12, $3 for children under 12 in advance until April 15; $15, $3 for
children under 12 after.
Published in The Dallas Morning News: 01.28.05
