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On the afternoon of my second day in Tulsa, after taking in a massive Kehinde Wiley canvas in one of the galleries at the Philbrook Museum of Art, an older woman explained to me how she came to marry her late husband. They both took a liking to the same painting, she said, unprompted, and her future spouse\u2019s offer to buy it together turned into a proposal a few months later. <\/p>
The next morning, while I was walking off yesterday\u2019s massive lunch from BurnCo Barbeque, a man leaned out of a window above a downtown bar and got my attention. He told me, in detail but not especially unkindly, why the city hadn\u2019t repaired the pothole in the alley I had paused to take a photo of. It was full of rainwater and reflecting some of the area\u2019s numerous examples of art deco architecture\u2014 an assemblage that includes where I\u2019m staying on this trip, the Tulsa Club Hotel, restored to its circa- 1927 splendor. (You can get a good view of it all from the hotel\u2019s 12th-floor wraparound balcony.) <\/p>
I say all this to tell you that Tulsa retains a small-town friendliness even amid its major cultural institutions\u2014most notably the Philbrook, located in a historic mansion on sprawling grounds\u2014and certainly in its less heralded corners. It has kept that spirit even as it attracts Hollywood productions (Killers of the Flower Moon, Sylvester Stallone\u2019s Tulsa King) and high-profile musicians (Jack White has a home in the city; The Mountain Goats and The National recorded there recently). <\/p>
But Tulsa is no small town in terms of things to do. You could gamble at one of the casinos (the River Spirit on the banks of the Arkansas or Hard Rock in nearby Catoosa), or take in some minorleague baseball at the Drillers\u2019 downtown stadium. Maybe see a band at the historic Cain\u2019s Ballroom, which has hosted Green Day and Elvis Costello in recent years. This time around, I focused on a pair of pop-culture attractions: the Bob Dylan Center and the Outsiders House Museum. <\/p>
The former, opened to the public in 2022, is on the same block as the Woody Guthrie Center, making for a perfect pairing of music legends. The Dylan Center has an impressively thorough collection of the singer and songwriter\u2019s lyrics and stage clothes and art and just about anything else you can think of. The latter, opened in 2019, is the work of Danny Boy O\u2019Connor, the House of Pain rapper and Tulsa transplant who bought the house used in Francis Ford Coppola\u2019s 1983 film and brought it back to life. It now looks almost exactly as it did back then, and is full of ephemera related to the movie and the S.E. Hinton book on which it was based. Out back, they\u2019ve built a gift shop that has some of the best merch I\u2019ve ever seen at a museum, so you can stay gold long after you\u2019ve left Tulsa behind.<\/p>","byline":"Zac Crain","reservation_url":"https:\/\/tulsaclub.com\/","expedia_url":"","image_url":["https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/D-Travel-June-2024-Tulsa-Club-Bar.jpg","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/D-Travel-June-2024-Tulsa-Club-Camber-Restaurant.jpg","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/D-Travel-June-2024-Tulsa-Club-Hotel-Chamber-Cuisine.jpg","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/D-Travel-June-2024-Tulsa-Club-Hotel-Lobby.jpg","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/D-Travel-June-2024-Tusla-Club-Cuisine.jpg"],"image_credit":"Courtesy of Vendor","link_url":""},{"title":"Bowie House","card_style":"Travel Card","collection_number":"","sponsored":"","location":"Fort Worth, Texas","category":"Hotel","distances":["Road Trip"],"categories":["Hotel"],"price_points":["North Texas"],"cost_per_night":"$649","travel_time":"45 minute drive","dont_miss":"From beautifully constructed slipcovers to well-worn antiques, Simple Things (7401 W. Vickery Blvd., Benbrook) is devoted to making beautiful, personalized spaces. And if you\u2019re not afraid of a little digging, at The Old Home Supply (1801 College Ave.) you can score some seriously awesome items.","content":"
While Beyonc\u00e9 has set out to make country cool again, the Bowie House already sealed the deal when the 106-room luxury boutique hotel opened in Fort Worth late last year. Like its owner\u2014Jo Ellard, a National Cutting Horse Association Non-Pro Hall of Famer and avid art collector\u2014the Auberge Resorts property is a perfect mix of Western authenticity and global culture. <\/p>
On a recent Friday evening, my bags packed with Wranglers and my car stereo tuned to Sirius XM\u2019s Prime Country Radio, I made the 30-minute drive from Dallas to Fort Worth. As I pulled into the valet, I was greeted by an attendant wearing a smartly edited version of traditional Western regalia. Though dressing the part is certainly optional for guests\u2014you\u2019ll see a bit of everything here\u2014the compliment I received for my hat made me feel like the effort was appreciated. <\/p>
Awaiting me was a cavernous foyer with an abstract crystal chandelier and Venetian plaster walls. Beyond sat a large but surprisingly quaint lobby and bar with various nooks and crannies to disappear into for a more intimate experience. The designer in me was taking notes at every turn, from the leather-wrapped columns to the perfectly imperfect furnishings. Our room, too, hit every country and Western note. The entry featured a hat rack as well as a bench with a boot jack to start our unwind. Handsome, tooled-leatherlike headboards beckoned\u2014but we had dinner reservations at 8, and a cowgirl had to freshen up. <\/p>
After a steak dinner at Bricks and Horses (don\u2019t sleep on the green beans), we made our way to the hotel bar and took a seat in the corner. Though bustling, there was an ease about the place, the energy akin to the best house party you\u2019ve ever been to. <\/p>
The next few days were spent meeting new friends while wandering the property (say hi to Nubby the Australian shepherd, who, along with his owner, are regulars); admiring the hotel\u2019s extensive art collection (all of which is for sale, should you find something you can\u2019t live without); and relaxing in the spa. Indeed, the best part of the Bowie House is that you never have to leave, nor would you want to. It has everything you need on-site, from billiards in the Billet Room and the heated pool to curated activities, including live music and art tours. <\/p>
At the end of our stay, we reluctantly returned home, feeling rested yet invigorated from all we\u2019d seen and experienced. Regardless of how far and in which direction you travel home, a weekend at Bowie House will have you yearning to venture west again soon.<\/p>","byline":"Jamie Laubhan-Oliver","reservation_url":"https:\/\/aubergeresorts.com\/bowiehouse","expedia_url":"","image_url":["https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/D-Travel-June-2024-Bowie-House-Lobby.jpg","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/D-Travel-June-2024-Bowie-House-Entryway.jpg","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/D-Travel-June-2024-Bowie-House-Cuisine.jpg","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/D-Travel-June-2024-Bowie-House-Pool.jpg","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/D-Travel-June-2024-Bowie-House-Public-Space.jpg","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/D-Travel-June-2024-Model-Nina-Kong-co*cktail.jpg"],"image_credit":"Model Images: Elizabeth Lavin, Rooms: Courtesy of Vendor","link_url":""},{"title":"Hotel 1928","card_style":"Travel Card","collection_number":"","sponsored":"","location":"Waco, Texas","category":"Hotel","distances":["Road Trip"],"categories":["Hotel"],"price_points":["North Texas"],"cost_per_night":"$375+","travel_time":"1.5 hour drive","dont_miss":"A trip to Waco wouldn\u2019t be complete without visiting the Gaines\u2019 Magnolia Market (601 Webster Ave.). Best is Chapter One, perfect for cookbooks, embroidery kits, and watercolor workbooks. The sun necessitated two rounds of Pop\u2019s Lemonade to go with a bite from 900 Degrees Pizza.","content":"
Waco is usually used as a landmark when my family travels south down I-35, with \u201cWe just passed Waco\u201d being a common point of reference for how soon we\u2019ll arrive at our destination. But on this Sunday morning, Waco is our destination. Specifically, the Jazz Age\u2013influenced Hotel 1928. <\/p>
Chip and Joanna Gaines, the unofficial king and queen of Waco, opened the 33-room hotel in 2020. The name is a nod to the year that construction was completed on the former Grand Karem Shrine Building, which was designed in part by the Dallas firm Greene, LaRoche, & Dahl. The decor, too, leans into that era, with art deco furniture and fixtures and vintage photographs of the galas and parties from the hotel\u2019s former life. <\/p>
But the touch of the present-day lifestyle superstars\u2014especially Joanna, who handpicked some of the pieces from the Round Top Antiques Show\u2014can also be seen everywhere. Crisp white linens, dark wood furniture, and French-striped wallpaper make the guest rooms feel more like real bedrooms. And, of course, there is their signature subway tile (shiny forest green) in the bathroom. Beyond comfortable, it\u2019s inspirational; you want to go home and mimic some of it in your own space. <\/p>
The two-story library was by far our favorite amenity. Chip purchased Larry McMurtry\u2019s famed Archer City bookstore, Booked Up, and installed a selection of the many volumes here. The wraparound staircases and Chesterfield sofas give the treasured books a real home and create an inviting area for guests to chat and lounge. You\u2019ll also find a small wooden desk with one of McMurtry\u2019s Herm\u00e8s typewriters. <\/p>
Dinner at the hotel\u2019s restaurant, The Brasserie, also recalls the site\u2019s history as a social gathering spot. While downtown was eerily quiet, the restaurant\u2019s leather booths were packed tightly with Wacoans, and servers hustled to seat, serve, and repeat. From executive chef Cody DeRosett\u2019s menu, which offered \u201cSouthern classics with a Texas twist,\u201d we ordered the braised pork. The meat was fall-apart tender, and the pickled shallots added the perfect bite of vinegary sharpness to help cut the buttery fat.<\/p>
After dinner, we went upstairs to Bertie\u2019s on the Rooftop, where we sipped specialty co*cktails that were a wink to Waco, such as the Brazos de Dios (tart lime, strawberry, Mijenta tequila, and tajin on the rim), and a nod to the architects, such as the Coco LaRoche (vanilla wafer\u2013infused bourbon and coconut). For a Sunday night, the bar had a decent crowd of Baylor parents in for the weekend, responsible night owls with laptops and glasses of wine, and one or two solo travelers, all enjoying the view of Waco\u2019s iconic Alico building.<\/p>","byline":"Aileen Jimenez","reservation_url":"https:\/\/www.hotel1928.com\/","expedia_url":"","image_url":["https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/D-Travel-June-2024-Hotel-1928-Bedroom.jpg","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/D-Travel-June-2024-Hotel-1928-Balcony.jpg","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/D-Travel-June-2024-Hotel-1928-Library.jpg"],"image_credit":"Courtesy of Vendor","link_url":""},{"title":"Hotel Lucine","card_style":"Travel Card","collection_number":"","sponsored":"","location":"Galveston, Texas","category":"Hotel","distances":["Road Trip"],"categories":["Hotel"],"price_points":["South Texas"],"cost_per_night":"$175+","travel_time":"4.5 hour drive","dont_miss":"Old City Cemetery (Avenue K Rear, Galveston) is a collection of seven cemeteries almost 200 years old. Book nighttime tours through walkwiththedead.com. Or just show up during the day, as I did, and a gregarious unhoused gentleman can show you the sights.","content":"
Sad to say that, until very recently, I had only been to Galveston once in my life\u2014 an expanse of time longer than I care to admit, all of it spent in Texas. That solitary trip happened when I was in single digits, and only scraps of it remain in my memory. Mostly what I recall is witnessing a drunken argument around the Hotel Galvez pool that resulted in an elegantly dressed woman falling in fully clothed. <\/p>
When I went in February, then, I was essentially going in fresh. I found a place that shares DNA with New Orleans but with a much lower profile. Going during the last weekend of Mardi Gras I\u2019m sure had at least something to do with that impression. But it\u2019s also present in the wrought-iron architecture downtown and numerous plaques noting the high-water marks of various hurricanes, along with a wanna-do-a-shot? atmosphere that pervades the city\u2019s answer to the French Quarter. (I stuck to coffee and pastry at MOD Coffeehouse.) There is a bit of Key West there, too, less in the proximity to water and more in the general feeling that you\u2019re a private eye in the pages of an airport paperback. In short: top-shelf summer vacation destination, even in the winter.<\/p>
My home base for the trip was the recently opened Hotel Lucine, a 61-room boutique hotel located just across Seawall Boulevard and a narrow stretch of beach from the Gulf of Mexico. It hosted its first guests in November, after owners Robert Marcus and Keath and Dave Jacoby bought the former Treasure Isle Motel and refurbished it. <\/p>
Much of the original midcentury character was retained in the makeover\u2014and, in some cases, the original materials. For example, the subway tile in the bathrooms (turquoise in mine, pink in others). The floorplans haven\u2019t changed much, though they\u2019ve converted some rooms into suites by extending the square footage to include where the balconies used to be. The pool was moved to the far end of the interior courtyard, but the fa\u00e7ade surrounding it is the same diamond pattern, now with added pops of color. (Other color comes from cement tiles the hotel was the first to import from a factory in Nicaragua.) <\/p>
I met Marcus for a drink one night in the downstairs bar, and he told me they treat the open first floor, encompassing the bar and lobby and dining area, as a kind of living room. And it does feel a bit like you are visiting a friend\u2019s beach house, though your friend probably does not have the biggest rooftop bar in the city, with sweeping ocean views. There is a casualness to the Lucine, even when you are dining on fantastic roasted gulf snapper in the on-site restaurant, The Fancy. <\/p>
(The Fancy, by the way, replaced the popular local Mexican spot Cafe Canela, which relocated to a strip center down the shore. I stopped by and ordered huevos divorciados mostly for the name and would order again because they were great.) <\/p>
I would expect that familiar feeling to remain even when the Lucine continues to grow. Which it will, at some point. There is a property between the hotel and its parking lot they keep an eye on, and a sliver of beach they own across the road that may one day house a club or something else. My suggestion is to get in early and become family now.<\/p>","byline":"Zac Crain","reservation_url":"https:\/\/www.hotellucine.com\/","expedia_url":"","image_url":["https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/D-Travel-June-2024-Hotel-Lucine-Pool-Above.jpg","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/D-Travel-June-2024-Hotel-Lucine-Front-Exterior.jpg","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/D-Travel-June-2024-Hotel-Lucine-Guest-Room.jpg","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/D-Travel-June-2024-Hotel-Lucine-Pool.jpg","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/D-Travel-June-2024-Hotel-LucineThe-Den.jpg","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/D-Travel-June-2024-Hotel-Lucine-Balcony.jpg","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/D-Travel-June-2024-Owners-Robert-Marcus-Keath-Dave-Jacoby.jpg"],"image_credit":"Pool: Shane Dante, Rooms: Johanna Andruchovici","link_url":""},{"title":"Hotel Lulu","card_style":"Travel Card","collection_number":"","sponsored":"","location":"Round Top, Texas","category":"Hotel","distances":["Road Trip"],"categories":["Hotel"],"price_points":["Hill Country"],"cost_per_night":"$250+","travel_time":"4 hour drive","dont_miss":"Go to Round Top to shop one of the largest compilations of antiques in the nation, but don\u2019t get confused: it\u2019s not the place to spot a steal. You can also shop year-round\u2014just be sure to check the hours of operation. Great permanent spots include Round Top Village for gifts and home accessories and Round Top Ranch Antiques for the serious antiques collector. We also dropped in at Market Hill, where more than 20 vendors offer a unique mix of art, vintage signs, furniture, and a place to dine.","content":"
Sometime in my not-so-recent past, I moonlighted as a Texas interiors writer and witnessed firsthand the rise in popularity of The Original Round Top Antiques Fair, one of the largest in the country. Three times a year (March, October, and a smaller winter show in January) buyers and sellers descend on the quaint Texas town for two-plus weeks to experience antiquing bliss. Then they hasten home, as quickly as they\u2019d come. <\/p>
With a day packed with calls, emails, and meetings behind me, I grab my Luccheses and my skeptical teen daughter, Sophie, just in time to bypass Dallas traffic and make a 6 o\u2019clock dinner reservation at the Italian eatery located on the campus of Hotel Lulu. The small boutique hotel, located to the immediate left of the town square, is draped in the fragrance of honeysuckle. Our bunkhouse is outfitted in buffalo check, refurbished antiques, a porch swing, and fringe. <\/p>
After a visual sweep of our digs and a quick freshening up, we make haste and walk to dinner. Fifteen minutes into bread service and a chat with our waitress, one thing is clear: our arrival requires a full shift in mindset. Time slows down here, especially on a Thursday night. After feasting on calamari frito, carbonara, and spaghetti with meatballs (the kitchen was quick to respond to my daughter\u2019s off-menu request), I cap my meal off with a cup of cappuccino, and my daughter gets a decadent slice of chocolate cake to go. After a short stroll around the public square and through the hotel\u2019s herb garden, we end the night on the porch swing. <\/p>
The next morning, we are ready to explore, but first: coffee. Mill Street Cafe is the best bet for early birds. Co-owner Lori, who opened the cafe in September 2023 with her daughter Kate, is friendly and quick to help us navigate the menu. The avocado toast with bacon crumble and acai bowl sprinkled with cinnamon are beyond satisfactory. <\/p>
In the offseason, late Friday morning is when most weekenders arrive. The sound of two SUVs unloading and the chatter of a large group on a ladies\u2019 weekend are our sign to get moving. We walk across the street to Henkel Square Market to shop a mix of galleries and antiques shops. Located behind local dive bar Ellis Motel is the popular Aspen-based Western retailer Kemo Sabe, where we watch intently as staff shape hats and brand brims. <\/p>
At noon, the town\u2019s lunch horn sounds. Yes, an actual horn. Startled at first, we take the cue and head to Boon & Co. The open-style eatery sits on Washington Street next to other local favorites including Round Top Brewing and Mandito\u2019s Tex Mex. I opt for the kale and salmon salad, but Boon & Co regulars recommend the brick-oven pizza. If you\u2019re staying the weekend, their market pantry presents an opportunity to load up on late-night charcuterie snacks. <\/p>
One can easily typecast Round Top as solely an antiques selling or buying destination, but the town is much more than those five hectic fair weeks. So pick an off-season weekend. Go for rest and relaxation, and enjoy the charm and the genuineness of the residents. We\u2019d both do it again.<\/p>","byline":"Lesley Busby","reservation_url":"https:\/\/www.hotellulutx.com\/","expedia_url":"","image_url":["https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/D-Travel-June-2024-Hotel-Lulu-Bedroom.jpg","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/D-Travel-June-2024-Hotel-Lulu-Exterior-Entrypath.jpg","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/D-Travel-June-2024-Hotel-Lulu-Dining-Area-Lounge.jpg","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/D-Travel-June-2024-Hotel-Lul-Bar.jpg"],"image_credit":"Courtesy of Vendor","link_url":""},{"title":"21c Museum Hotel","card_style":"Travel Card","collection_number":"","sponsored":"","location":"Bentonville, Arkansas","category":"Hotel","distances":["Road Trip"],"categories":["Hotel"],"price_points":["Arkansas"],"cost_per_night":"$148+","travel_time":"5.5 hour drive","dont_miss":"","content":"
The birthplace of Wal-Mart has one of the prettiest town squares you\u2019ll ever find. Bentonville, Arkansas, was burnt to the ground during the Civil War, rebuilt during Reconstruction, and still boasts a 19th-century county courthouse, a soda jerk out of the 1950s, and a generous collection of au courant restaurants surrounding a neatly manicured square that is punctuated with a Confederate war memorial. At the center of it all is Walton\u2019s 5&10\u2014Sam Walton\u2019s original retail shop, the five-and-dime that launched 5,000 big-box stores.<\/p>
It\u2019s difficult to escape the irony: a corporation whose reinvention of the retail industry has been credited with the shuttering of so many downtowns across America is now a picture-perfect postcard vision of small-town Americana nostalgia. Walton\u2019s 5&10 is dressed for the part, stocked with penny candy, toy Walmart trucks, and copies of Walton\u2019s 1992 autobiography, Sam Walton: Made in America. Slip around back and you can peruse the Wal-mart museum where Sam Walton\u2019s office desk still sits.<\/p>
These days, however, Walton\u2019s reliquary isn\u2019t what is drawing the hordes to Bentonville. Rather, this out-of-the way hamlet in the foothills of the Ozarks has become a rather unlikely pilgrimage site for art aficionados from around the world. In 2011, Alice Walton, Sam\u2019s daughter and heiress, opened the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art to house the Walton Family Foundation\u2019s exceptional collection. The museum sits about a mile north of the town square, and it takes its name from Crystal Spring and the way its turtle shell-like glass-and-wood bridge straddles a creek that runs through a rolling, wooded nature preserve. To hike or bike the extensive network of paths around the museum and experience the way the Moshe Safdie-designed building snuggles into the pastoral surroundings is alone worth the trip. But the museum\u2019s elegant, light-filled interiors deserve their reputation for being one of the best places to view art in America.<\/p>
One of the best places to stay to view that art is the new 21c Museum Hotel, a big three-story box that announces Bentonville\u2019s art world arrival more loudly than Crystal Bridges. With its acclaimed restaurant, quirky gift shop, lobby that doubles as a curated art space, and Crystal Bridges just a short, outdoor sculpture-lined walk to the north, it feels less like a boutique hotel and more like a gallery topped with well-appointed suites.<\/p>
But don\u2019t give all of your attention to the indoor art. You are in the Ozarks, after all. Save time for a side sojourn to the scenic Boston Mountains, where abundant hiking, biking, and kayaking can expose you to all the outdoor wonders that northwestern Arkansas has on permanent display. <\/p>","byline":"Peter Simek","reservation_url":"https:\/\/www.21cmuseumhotels.com\/bentonville\/","expedia_url":"","image_url":["https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/crystal-bridges-museum-of-american-art.jpg"],"image_credit":"","link_url":""},{"title":"Go Hang Out With Baby Elephants on Safari With Dallas' Debra Stevens","card_style":"Content Link","collection_number":"","sponsored":"","location":"","category":"","distances":"","categories":"","price_points":["Africa"],"cost_per_night":"","travel_time":"","dont_miss":"","content":"Africa was never on my bucket list. It always seemed too far, too foreign, too expensive, too difficult, too hot. Then S. Holland Murphy decided to go to Botswana to write a story about Debra Stevens with our staff photographer, Elizabeth Lavin. FOMO got the best of me, and I decided to tag along. You probably don\u2019t know me, but I\u2019ll tell you this: I am not prone to exaggeration. That trip changed my life.","byline":"Kathy Wise","reservation_url":"","expedia_url":"","image_url":["https:\/\/framerusercontent.com\/images\/EgvcUMcvx3ZnemzXonMMOyAUlg.jpg"],"image_credit":"","link_url":"https:\/\/www.dmagazine.com\/publications\/d-magazine\/2024\/may\/in-plains-site\/"},{"title":"Day Trips","card_style":"Collection Card","collection_number":"18","sponsored":"","location":"","category":"","distances":"","categories":"","price_points":["North Texas"],"cost_per_night":"","travel_time":"","dont_miss":"","content":"Exploring outside of Dallas? Find different nearby towns of that are as close as a fifteen minute drive to a nice hour away. Spend a day out doing a variety of activities such as, shopping, dining, and events galore. Here\u2019s where to start.","byline":"","reservation_url":"","expedia_url":"","image_url":["https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/one-day-in.jpg"],"image_credit":"Michelle Thompson","link_url":"https:\/\/www.dmagazine.com\/category\/travel\/one-day-in\/"},{"title":"Amanyara","card_style":"Travel Card","collection_number":"","sponsored":"","location":"Turks and Caicos","category":"Resort","distances":["International Flight"],"categories":["Resort"],"price_points":["Turks and Caicos"],"cost_per_night":"$2,300+","travel_time":"4 hour flight","dont_miss":"","content":"
What greeted us at our pavilion through the floor-to-ceiling windows was something out of a postcard: blue sky, bluer water, and a private ocean cove guarded by limestone peninsulas on either side. We sat on our beach chairs and listened to the waves crash against the rocks, until hunger pangs finally made us move.<\/p>
A golf cart\u2014how guests navigate the vast property situated on the shores of an 18,000-acre nature preserve\u2014transported us to the restaurant for dinner. The Asian-inspired poolside meal prepared by one of Amanyara\u2019s private chefs began with papaya salad and ended with mango sticky rice so addictive I finished off both our portions.<\/p>
Only lakeside yoga could pry me from my cloudlike bed the following morning at 8. The breeze carried the aroma of incense as I moved into downward-facing dog. Chakras aligned, I explored more of the resort, including the tennis and sand volleyball courts, Pilates studio, soccer field, and a villa (with its own recording studio) that Prince had owned years ago.<\/p>
Later, we boarded a snorkel boat with the resident marine biologist to explore the nearby reef, part of Northwest Point Marine National Park. The fish and coral were impressive, until we spotted an eagle ray and a sizable reef shark along the 7,000-foot sea wall drop-off, about 40 feet below our half-submerged snorkel tubes.<\/p>
Back at shore, with salt caked in our hair, we filled up on more seafood and relaxed in our cove until the setting sun signaled it was time for co*cktail hour. After whiskey smashes and dinner, we decided to go for a walk on the now-deserted beach. The waves were lit only by the stars.<\/p>","byline":"Christiana Nielson","reservation_url":"https:\/\/www.aman.com\/resorts\/amanyara","expedia_url":"","image_url":["https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Amanyara-Turks-Caicos-Pavilions.jpg","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Amanyara-Turks-Caicos-Hike-and-Picnic.jpg","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Amanyara-Turks-Caicos-Villa.jpg","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Amanyara-Turks-Caicos-Beach-Bar.jpg","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Amanyara-Turks-Caicos-Beach-ariel-view.jpg"],"image_credit":"Courtesy of Vendor","link_url":""},{"title":"Beachfront Cabin","card_style":"Travel Card","collection_number":"","sponsored":"","location":"Kingston, Oklahoma","category":"Airbnb, Ranch\/Rustic","distances":["Road Trip"],"categories":["Airbnb","Ranch\/Rustic"],"price_points":["Oklahoma"],"cost_per_night":"$359\u2013$649","travel_time":"2 hour drive","dont_miss":"","content":"
I start the day with a barefoot stroll\u2014as one does when staying at a cabin a mere 900 feet from the sandy edges of Lake Texoma. The sun bakes the sand. It\u2019s warm underfoot as I look out across the choppy waters that stretch so far and wide you forget it\u2019s a huge engineered reservoir. Still, it feels like a secret beach. I didn\u2019t encounter another soul for at least a mile. (My peace was worth getting walloped by the wind\u2014the price of solitude, I guess.)<\/p>
Of course, Lake Texoma is not a hush-hush vacation spot. Rather, it\u2019s a well-known go-to for boating, fishing, and all-around outdoorsy leisure. And this A-frame is a recreationist\u2019s dream stay. There are some woody trails walkable from the backside of the property, including a 30-minute loop that connects to other nearby hikes. There are ATV trails, too, if you\u2019re looking to cruise. Just be mindful not to tear up the sandy landscape, and stick to the approved paths. This is the natural domain of snakes and such, after all.<\/p>
When the sun begins to set and the white-breasted nuthatches peck and yammer in the post oaks, it\u2019s time to make a fire in the pit on the sizable back patio. It\u2019s just you, chirpy bugs, and crackling firewood. Plus 18 others, if you so choose. This place sleeps 19: the garage has been flipped into a second cabin with a huge couch, pool table, and extra beds.<\/p>
The exterior of the main A-frame has been painted a farmhouse white, which gives the old log cabin a fresh and modern vibe. Inside, though, its retro style is embraced. There\u2019s nary a surface that\u2019s not polished log. Even the spiral staircase that leads to another three rooms and bathroom, is made of smooth, glazed wood plank steps.<\/p>
This isn\u2019t the most secluded cabin. You might hear the neighbors whacking weeds or mowing their lawns, or you might find a constant companion in the yellow Lab that lives next door. But this retreat among post oaks still gets you close to the serene lakeshore and far from the incessant ping of your email inbox.<\/p>","byline":"Rosin Saez","reservation_url":"https:\/\/www.texomaluxuryrentals.com\/","expedia_url":"","image_url":["https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Cabin-at-Lake-Texoma.jpg"],"image_credit":"Elizabeth Lavin","link_url":""},{"title":"Big Cedar Lodge","card_style":"Travel Card","collection_number":"","sponsored":"","location":"Ridgedale, Missouri","category":"Resort","distances":["Road Trip"],"categories":["Resort"],"price_points":["Missouri"],"cost_per_night":"Ranges from a Valley View Lodge room for $200+ to a villa for $3,000+","travel_time":"7 hour drive","dont_miss":"A 25-minute drive from Big Cedar Lodge, the 10,000-acre Dogwood Canyon Nature Park offers miles of paved and unpaved trails. I witnessed a charming marriage proposal at the foot of Thunder Falls but kept trekking to give the young couple their private moment. (She said yes!) Rent a pole or bring your own and fish alongside a nesting pair of bald eagles as you cast to hungry rainbow trout in the spring-fed turquoise waters of Dogwood Creek. Private guided off-roading tours offer a chance to explore the natural and human history of the canyon and give guests views of the resident elk and bison herds. Dogwood Canyon Nature Park, 2038 W. State Hwy. 86, Lampe, Missouri","content":"
Best known as the founder of the outdoor retail giant Bass Pro Shops, Johnny Morris is also the visionary behind Big Cedar Lodge, a wilderness-themed destination resort that is spread across 4,600 acres near Branson, Missouri. An hour from where Morris opened his first bait shop in the back of his father\u2019s liquor store, it\u2019s a far cry from his humble roots.<\/p>
When he bought the property, in 1987, it was little more than a derelict motel in the woods. When the defunct and sinisterly named Devil\u2019s Pool Ranch was built, in 1947, its draw was a stable and a pool; the White River wouldn\u2019t be dammed for another decade to form the spectacular 43,000-acre Table Rock Lake. When he bought it, Morris envisioned the property as a place for customers to test fishing boats. Then came three rustic-luxury lodges, 196 cabins, eight restaurants, 100 boat slips, five golf courses, the Ancient Ozarks Natural History Museum, and the 50,000-square-foot Fun Mountain with a quarter-mile go-kart track.<\/p>
My first stop is the Bass Pro Shops Shooting Academy. With a picturesque backdrop of rolling hills and dense stands of hardwoods, the range offers instruction on sporting clays, American skeet, wobble trap, and 5-stand. After a few rounds of trapshooting to knock the dust off before the next dove season, I head to Top of the Rock, the highest point in Taney County. <\/p>
Plump groundhogs scurry around the edges of flowing streams and scenic cliffs as I scoot along winding, wooded nature trails on an electric golf cart. The path eventually slopes into Lost Canyon Cave, where I snag a co*cktail at the subterranean Bat Bar surrounded by towering underground rock formations and cascading waterfalls. <\/p>
As the evening air cools, I head to Osage Restaurant, where I cozy up to a wood-burning stone fireplace and watch as the sunset is ceremoniously pronounced by the firing of a Civil War-era canon. After dinner, I find myself following the dark, rock-lined stairwell beneath the restaurant to the End of the Trail All-American Wine Cellar. <\/p>
As I enjoy a glass, I do some math. It will be a while before my wife lets my three young kids come along on my annual amenity-free hunting trip in the wilds of New Mexico. But it won\u2019t be long before she\u2019ll be willing to unleash them on Fun Mountain. <\/p>","byline":"John Gay","reservation_url":"https:\/\/bigcedar.com\/","expedia_url":"","image_url":["https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Bass-Pro-Shops-Outdoor-Academy-Skeet-Shooting-Stations.jpg","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Big-Cedar-Lodge-12-osage-rotunda-room.jpg","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/paddle-boarding-on-Table-Rock-Lake.jpg"],"image_credit":"Courtesy Big Cedar Lodge","link_url":""},{"title":"Blisswood Bed and Breakfast Ranch","card_style":"Travel Card","collection_number":"","sponsored":"","location":"Southeast Texas","category":"Airbnb","distances":["Road Trip"],"categories":["Airbnb"],"price_points":["South Texas"],"cost_per_night":"$315+","travel_time":"4 hour drive","dont_miss":"","content":"
An expanse of lush green, dotted with black-and-white cows, rolled out to greet me as I drove up to the wrought-iron gate at the 500-acre BlissWood Bed and Breakfast Ranch, tucked away in the town of Cat Spring, west of Houston. I followed the winding gravel road, past horses and trees, until I came to a charming guesthouse painted white with a porch full of rocking chairs. This would be my antique-appointed abode for the weekend: the Magnolia Suite in the Dog Trot House, one of 12 different cabins and cottages with full kitchens spread throughout the working ranch.<\/p>
It was raining when I arrived, but I was happy to hole up with a book by the stone fireplace for the afternoon. When hunger pangs finally set in, I decided to have my dinner delivered from Carol\u2019s at Cat Spring Restaurant. Located down the road from the ranch, Carol\u2019s is only open for dinner on weekends, but they will deliver meals throughout the week. I savored my rib-eye steak and Cabernet Sauvignon on the couch.<\/p>
The next morning, after the rain had ceased, I decided to explore. Following a brief stint testing my wilderness skills with trapshooting, archery, and tomahawk throwing\u2014it\u2019s harder than it looks\u2014came the highlight of my stay. With Carol Davis, BlissWood\u2019s founder, I saddled up a majestic brown-spotted Paso Fino and headed out from the barn along the ranch trails to Enchanted Lake. Accompanying us at the horses\u2019 heels were two of the 25 border collies that she has rescued over the years.<\/p>
As we rode, Davis explained that she opened the bed-and-breakfast to guests 15 years ago, growing it from 85 acres to 500. She now plays host to weddings, family reunions, and work retreats. But BlissWood\u2019s underlying purpose is to reconnect people with nature and animals. Trotting across green fields, past spotted cows and woolly bison, with a cool spring breeze on my face, I felt my weekday worries slip away. Mission accomplished.<\/p>","byline":"Christiana Nielson","reservation_url":"https:\/\/www.blisswood.net\/","expedia_url":"","image_url":["https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/blisswood-bed-breakfast-ranch-2.jpg"],"image_credit":"","link_url":""},{"title":"The Caroline","card_style":"Travel Card","collection_number":"","sponsored":"","location":"Lockhart, Texas","category":"Airbnb","distances":["Road Trip"],"categories":["Airbnb"],"price_points":["Hill Country"],"cost_per_night":"The Caroline (4 beds, 4 baths), $700+; The Carlisle (3 beds, 4 baths), $700+; The Last House on Church St. (3 beds, 2 baths), $175+; Brock House (2 beds, 2 baths), $190+","travel_time":"3 hour drive","dont_miss":"Plan on coming the first weekend of the month, when Lockhart\u2019s First Fridays mean the shops stay open until 8 pm. If you get there in time for lunch, stop at Black\u2019s for the beef rib then work your way around the square to Commerce Gallery for the latest works by Texas artists. Dinner is at Old Pal Texas Tavern, drinks are at Little Trouble, and live music is at Lockhart Arts & Craft. On Saturday, get a brunch of Fruity Pebbles French toast at Market Street Cafe or an early lunch of shoulder clod at Smitty\u2019s (don\u2019t be a rube; enter from the pit-side back door), and then pick up some produce at the Farmer\u2019s Market for a home-cooked dinner. Pop into Best Little Wine & Books on your way back to the house and let proprietor Kaye Askins help you pick a bottle. Hang by the pool or go for a bike ride. Fire up the grill. Netflix and chill.","content":"
The plan was to spend some quality time with Elizabeth Lavin, D Magazine\u2019s staff photographer and my road trip bestie. We arrived early in the evening on a Monday, so we stopped for dinner at Black\u2019s Barbecue, where we filled a tray with the best beef rib I\u2019ve ever eaten, sausages, smoked chicken, and brisket. (Pro tip: get a double order of potato salad, and skip the coleslaw.) We ended up running into Tori Boltwood, a young singer from Fort Worth, who was sitting in a nearby booth. She was on her way with her father to record at Sound Machine Studio in Skidmore.<\/p>
We all watched through the windows as rain suddenly poured down. After a couple of Lone Stars, the skies cleared, leaving the full arc of a rainbow. Elizabeth and I walked across the street to Little Trouble, a basem*nt bar under The Culinary Room gourmet food market, both owned by Alex Worthington. We had to sit at the bar, which was the plan anyway, because the rain\u2019s runoff was following gravity\u2019s path. We curled up with a taxidermied bobcat in a mini sombrero for a Boulevardier and a spicy pineapple and tequila number.<\/p>
Refreshed, we headed to The Caroline, our Airbnb, one of four owned by power couple and local real estate titans Tamara Carlisle and Donna Blair. (Google \u201ctwin Ellen DeGeneres\u201d to see the clip that made Blair YouTube famous.) The property is a three-story colonial, beautifully preserved and artfully furnished with pieces from Carlisle and Blair\u2019s own art collection. They also own the Commerce Gallery downtown, a short walk away. <\/p>
Elizabeth and I cozied up in the second-floor TV room to watch Life After Death With Tyler Henry on Netflix, then, slightly creeped out, retreated to our separate rooms. I awakened to a light tap-tapping on my window that I couldn\u2019t identify (hail) and then was jolted awake by a bolt of lightning striking nearby. Checking my phone, I realized there was a tornado watch, and I did the math: in a historical house full of large windows surrounded by age-old trees, the best escape was probably the mysterious stairwell we\u2019d noticed on our way in, leading underground from the covered back patio.<\/p>
I grabbed my shoes and Elizabeth, and we tentatively walked down the outdoor steps, hastened by the wind\u2019s howl, and discovered the cleanest root cellar I\u2019ve ever seen. We hung out for an hour until the storm passed and then went back to our rooms, eventually reawakening to a cool, blue-skied day.<\/p>
In the morning, after a dose of caffeine at Chaparral Coffee, we explored the historic town square and found a surprise: hidden behind its fame as The Barbecue Capital of Texas\u2014boasting Smitty\u2019s Market, Kreuz, Chisholm Trail, and Black\u2019s\u2014Lockhart has transformed itself into the new Fredericksburg. Travis Tober of famed Austin bar Nickel City opened The Old Pal here. (The smash burgers, fried chicken, and whiskey sours infused with Earl Grey tea are to die for.) Adrian Quesada of the Black Pumas bought a house here. HBO filmed its new mini series Love and Death here. Carlisle and Blair are building their forever home here, and they are investing in a commercial property that will include a second art gallery (named Get Lucky). <\/p>
I, too, got sucked in by the cool of it all. I returned home with a piece for my dining room by Austin artist Patrick Puckett, and I soon found myself cruising Carlisle and Blair\u2019s real estate site, looking for a Lockhart bungalow within walking distance of the square. And with a root cellar, of course.<\/p>","byline":"Kathy Wise","reservation_url":"https:\/\/www.nightbirdshospitality.com\/","expedia_url":"","image_url":["https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/The-Caroline_Carlisle-Blair.jpg","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/The-Caroline_Bedroom-Entryway.jpg","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/The-Caroline_Three-Story-Colonial-Outside-View.jpg"],"image_credit":"Elizabeth Lavin","link_url":""},{"title":"Cabins on Bearpen Creek","card_style":"Travel Card","collection_number":"","sponsored":"","location":"Royse City, Texas","category":"Airbnb","distances":["Road Trip"],"categories":["Airbnb"],"price_points":["North Texas"],"cost_per_night":"$229+","travel_time":"1 hour drive","dont_miss":"The Dallas-based Matt\u2019s Rancho Martinez has an outpost within walking distance of the property, and the Sweetwater Grill, with live music on weekends, is just up the road.","content":"
When you ask Shawn Risinger to tell you how he came to build the Cabins on Bearpen Creek and he asks, \u201cDo you want the really, really weird story or just the semiweird story?\u201d tell him you want the really, really weird one. This is only the half of it.<\/p>
Three years ago, when Risinger got a call from a judge in Oklahoma asking him if he wanted to acquire the plot of land adjacent to his hardware store in Royse City, he assumed it was a scam. He came to find out that the woman who had lived there had become a ward of the state, and the court was trying to liquidate her assets and pay off her debts. Risinger says he didn\u2019t really know the woman, but he had run a hose out to her mobile home once when her water was cut off. Apparently she remembered the act of kindness and gave the judge his name.<\/p>
Risinger was ultimately able to purchase the 10 acres in exchange for paying some back taxes and miscellaneous debts, obtaining a $10,000 burial policy for the woman, and keeping enough money in her commissary account to cover her soda and candy needs.<\/p>
\u201cThe day after Thanksgiving, I walked the property for the first time in my life,\u201d he says. \u201cAnd I thought, Holy poo-poo, what have I done?\u201d<\/p>
He quickly decided the land would be perfect for a warren of wooded cabins. For the first one, he took inspiration from Frank Lloyd Wright\u2019s Darwin Martin House in Buffalo, New York. He even tracked down the brick manufacturer in Kansas City, Kansas, which still had the original molds and re-created the bricks for him. Thanks in part to its proximity to several wedding venues, the cabin immediately rented out. Risinger has since added three unique designs and has plans for more, including a treehouse.<\/p>
\u201cIt\u2019s simple and secreted,\u201d Risinger says of the property\u2019s appeal. \u201cThere\u2019s trees all around. You can see the other cabins, but you can still feel by yourself. I tell people don\u2019t worry about locking the doors. Just chill and relax.\u201d<\/p>","byline":"Kathy Wise","reservation_url":"https:\/\/cabinsonbearpencreek.com\/","expedia_url":"","image_url":["https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/the-wright-house-exterior.jpg","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/the-wright-house-interior.jpg","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/the-wright-house-red-barn.jpg","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/the-wright-house-red-door.jpg"],"image_credit":"Elizabeth Lavin","link_url":""},{"title":"The Cell BLock","card_style":"Travel Card","collection_number":"","sponsored":"","location":"Central Texas","category":"Airbnb","distances":["Road Trip"],"categories":["Airbnb"],"price_points":["Central Texas"],"cost_per_night":"$225+","travel_time":"2 hour drive","dont_miss":"Cliftex Theatre","content":"
Most Dallasites don\u2019t want their weekend getaway to end with a night in jail. But you won\u2019t mind doing time in the boutique confines of The Cell Block in Clifton.<\/p>
In this small town (population 3,400) 90 minutes south of Fort Worth, the 1930s-era town jail has been transformed into a single hotel room that offers unique criminal justice accents without compromising comfort. The original two cells, which are now the bedroom and bathroom, still have the iron bars and swinging doors from their lockdown days. The small living area is stocked with criminal- and jail-themed records (I listened to Johnny Cash\u2019s lesser-known prison album, At San Quentin) and a Polaroid camera to take a mugshot in front of the height measurements on the wall. The bathroom is not luxurious but includes a bar of soap labeled \u201cDon\u2019t Drop.\u201d<\/p>
You will want to get out and enjoy the hills and meandering Bosque River, and a tasty way to do that is to visit the Red Caboose Winery. Owner and Dallas architect Gary McKibben bought a 200-acre ranch 15 minutes from Clifton, and then he brought an old red train caboose to live in as he transformed the property. It is now a productive and sustainable vineyard (hand-picked grapes are irrigated with rainwater) that hosts monthly campouts with food trucks in March and October. On a sunny spring day, I sat next to a fire on a stone porch overlooking the vines and enjoyed a glass of Red Caboose Merlot that went down smooth and kept me warm as the breeze blew across the patio.<\/p>
When you get hungry, head into town and grab a bite at the Red Caboose tasting room and distillery, which produces gin, vodka, and brandy made from the vineyard\u2019s grapes. Solar panels power electric stills, and geothermal wells heat and cool the space.<\/p>
For flatbread pizza or seasonal specials, check out Olaf\u2019s (Norwegian immigrants settled the area in the 19th century), found by winding between vintage furniture and knickknacks at the Bosque County Emporium.<\/p>
Finish the day in downtown Clifton at the Cliftex, Texas\u2019 oldest continually running theater. It was the site of live cowboy shows when it opened in 1916, and it still offers much-appreciated vintage snack prices. The theater is now owned by Rich Douglas, who preserved the balcony where black theatergoers were forced to climb through the projection room window to sit during Jim Crow, and who can often be found working the projector for the four showtimes each week.<\/p>
Walk across the street and down Art Alley to let yourself into your cell for the evening, and rest easy knowing your imprisonment is self-imposed. <\/p>","byline":"W.M.","reservation_url":"https:\/\/www.stayatthecellblock.com\/","expedia_url":"","image_url":["https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/clifton-tx-block-cell-hotel-room.jpg","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/clifton-tx-movie-theater.jpg","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/clifton-tx-cineyard-row.jpg","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/clifton-tx-stone-porch.jpg"],"image_credit":"Courtsey of Venue","link_url":""},{"title":"Center for Animal Research and Education Safari Suites","card_style":"Travel Card","collection_number":"","sponsored":"","location":"Bridgeport, Texas","category":"Ranch\/Rustic","distances":["Road Trip"],"categories":["Ranch\/Rustic"],"price_points":["North Texas"],"cost_per_night":"$1,000 minimum donation","travel_time":"1.5 hour drive","dont_miss":"Hand-feed blueberries to the lemurs","content":"
Animal enthusiasts travel from all over the country to spend the night buried under a comforter in a gorgeous suite while lions and tigers roam nearby. (Like, really nearby.) Fortunately for Dallasites, the Center for Animal Research and Education is just 70 miles away, in the heart of Bridgeport.<\/p>
Situated on 20 acres, CARE is maintained by founder and executive director Heidi Krahn, her staff of one, and a handful of volunteers. The nonprofit specializes in rescue, education, and research, and is home to more than 40 animals, including African lions, tigers, mountain lions, black and spotted leopards, bobcats, ring-tailed lemurs, llamas, and a coati (which I learned is basically a fancy raccoon). Krahn has been passionately caring for big cats for 30 years. Some are rescues, others transferred from different facilities and zoos, and some were bred as pets and then surrendered. Every animal has a distinct personality and a story, and Krahn is eager to share as she guides guests through her property. (Public tours take place on Saturdays and Sundays at 11 am, 1 pm, and 3 pm, for a suggested donation of $20 per person, ages 7 and up.)<\/p>
But it\u2019s the overnight stay that turns this into a singular experience. Relax in one of two adult-only suites located on the property. Krahn designed the rooms to blend almost seamlessly with the animal habitats to provide an intimate experience\u2014lions and tigers are literally just feet away. Guests who stay can dine on the terrace that overlooks the large cats, or on the deck of CARE\u2019s new 8,000-square-foot mountain lion enclosure, with Apollo and Lakai, who were recently transferred from the Dallas Zoo.<\/p>
The best part, though, is the behind-the-scenes tour with Krahn. You get to feed raw chicken to the cats (through a fence, of course) and fruit to the lemurs. Later, drift off to sleep to the sound of lions Araali and Zuberi grunting back and forth. It\u2019s more soothing than it sounds. Promise.<\/p>","byline":"Catherine Downes","reservation_url":"https:\/\/www.carerescuetexas.com\/what-we-do\/safari-suites.html","expedia_url":"","image_url":["https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/center-animal-research-education-bridgeport.jpg"],"image_credit":"Courtesy of Vendor","link_url":""},{"title":"Chandler Ranch","card_style":"Travel Card","collection_number":"","sponsored":"","location":"Dryden, Texas","category":"Ranch\/Rustic","distances":["Road Trip"],"categories":["Ranch\/Rustic"],"price_points":["West Texas"],"cost_per_night":"$300 (two-night minimum)","travel_time":"7.5 hour drive","dont_miss":"Swim in the creek or spring-fed pool","content":"
Chandler Ranch is technically located in Dryden, but it\u2019s far enough away from that town and just about everywhere else\u2014half an hour up TX 349 and 5 miles down a gravel road\u2014that Waze more or less makes an educated guess when you type in the address. Not that it matters. The last bar on your phone will disappear long before you arrive.<\/p>
So we surprised Richard Jasso when we showed up at the ranch\u2019s game room\/kitchen\/dining room on a hot Friday afternoon. The email he\u2019d received said we\u2019d be there the next afternoon, and no one could call and tell him otherwise. Ten minutes later, we were in the back seat of a Kawasaki Mule as he gave us a tour of the property, part of the Explore Ranches family, snug in the crook of the outstretched arm of Texas\u2019 southwestern border. Laughing his wild laugh, Richard\u2014the cook and host and whatever else you need\u2014gunned it over the rough gravel paths that wind around the ranch, under trees and over creeks and bending with the Pecos River.<\/p>
It didn\u2019t take long to understand how much he loves the place, still delighted by the (mostly) untamed beauty. Richard showed us the hollow of a pecan tree where a family of raccoons lives; where Native American tribes carved stones in the ground; what he called the \u201cRedneck Spa\u201d on the creek that runs into river, where minnows will nibble on your feet; the land that they are returning to its former life as grazing fields for cattle, so he can make his menu more farm to table.<\/p>
Richard came here four years ago after the wife of Joe Chandler\u2014the grandson of the original owners, now in charge\u2014asked a simple question as they were readying the ranch to welcome guests again, after it closed in 1990. What kind of vacation is it if the wife is still cooking? They brought in Richard. He cooked dinner for them, then breakfast; they offered him the job by lunch.<\/p>
His simple but flavorful meat-and-potatoes meals are part of the all-inclusive package, along with various adventures. \u201cYou\u2019ll be treated as a guest in our home, not someone taking up space,\u201d Richard says. You can bird-watch, shoot guns (at targets or animals), fish, hike, swim, and kayak or canoe the Pecos River.<\/p>
We took a kayak out for what was supposed to be an easy hour or so the next morning. It was colder then and windy, and Richard thought we might not even have to paddle. And we weren\u2019t paddling when the kayak flipped us out into the water. I don\u2019t remember if we were paddling the other three times we capsized, before we eventually abandoned ship and walked (and crawled) through a thicket to the sound of Richard\u2019s voice and the safety of the Mule.<\/p>
After that misadventure, we mostly took it easy, and that is sort of the point at Chandler Ranch. To swim in the spring-fed concrete pool next to the game room, look at more stars than you\u2019ll ever see anywhere within 50 miles of Dallas, and just generally get away from the city. And your phone: there is wifi in the game room\/kitchen, but it doesn\u2019t extend into the ranch\u2019s three refurbished cabins (another is under construction). And you won\u2019t need it. Or you don\u2019t, anyway.<\/p>","byline":"Zac Crain","reservation_url":"https:\/\/www.chandlerranch.com\/","expedia_url":"","image_url":["https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/chandler-ranch-pool.jpg","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/chandler-ranch-pecos-river.jpg"],"image_credit":"Elizabeth Lavin","link_url":""},{"title":"Cibolo Creek Ranch","card_style":"Travel Card","collection_number":"","sponsored":"","location":"Marfa, Texas","category":"Ranch\/Rustic","distances":["Road Trip"],"categories":["Ranch\/Rustic"],"price_points":["West Texas"],"cost_per_night":"$600-$1,700","travel_time":"8 hour drive","dont_miss":"Make sure to spend a morning or afternoon in Marfa. Visit the late artist Donald Judd\u2019s installations at the Chinati Foundation, or stop by one of the many other galleries in town. Hit up Wrong Marfa for unique odds and ends, such as wooden purses and shrines adorned with railroad spikes. Grab breakfast or lunch at Aster Marfa, pointed out to me by a resident, or at least stop by and get a from-scratch baked good to go. For a bigger adventure, go at night to catch a glimpse of the mysterious Marfa lights.","content":"
By the time I got to Cibolo Creek Ranch, about 30 miles south of Marfa, in West Texas, I felt like I had driven backward in time. That\u2019s kind of the point. The resort is built around three forts that have been around since Milton Faver settled in the area in the 1850s, and current owner John B. Poindexter has done a good job of restoring the site to its original state (while adding casual luxury) without turning it into a living museum. There are no employees in period costume, but on a quiet morning, looking out at the Chinati Mountains as horses graze nearby, it certainly evokes its earliest days.<\/p>
On this particular trip, it felt like I had traveled back into a more recent era, from mid-March into, say, early January. When I woke up at Thunderbird Marfa (the classic midcentury motel freshened up by Lake Flato Architects in the early 2000s), I found a blanket of snow outside. After digging out my car with a water glass from my room and narrowly avoiding t-boning a Marfa police SUV, I picked up a coffee and bagel from Aster Marfa and made a slightly white-knuckled drive to Cibolo Creek. (Remember, on icy roads and life in general, always steer into the skid.) The hassle was worth it once I turned onto the rough-hewn road leading to the ranch and was finally able to pause and appreciate that I was surrounded by snow-covered mountains.<\/p>
Cibolo Creek\u2019s setting is arresting whether or not it is accented by snow\u2014which, Texas being Texas, I was able to verify later on my first day, since most of the snow had vanished by the afternoon. It\u2019s not just the view. It\u2019s the sound, or lack thereof\u2014a deep, unspoiled quiet that barely exists anywhere anymore. (Possibly this was because I had arrived just after what was, by all accounts, a crazy week, when the rooms were filled with spring-breaking families.) It\u2019s the clean, high-altitude air that makes your lungs feel as pink as a tween girl\u2019s bedroom. Walk around for an hour and it\u2019s like getting a spiritual shiatsu. <\/p>
There is plenty more to do than just walk around, of course. If you want to explore the 30,000 acres, you can saddle up a horse or hop on an ATV or ride in one of the open-air Humvees up into the mountains. I ended up taking the mountain tour in a four-wheel-drive truck driven by Gerardo, who was working the front desk and has strong opinions about trucks and a music collection full of doo-wop and classic rock. We eventually caught up with a trio of hunters looking for aoudads, the wild sheep found in the Southwest. Hunting is not my thing, but you can do that at the ranch. You can also shoot at something without a pulse, if you prefer, at the 12-station sporting clay course Gerardo took me past as we made our way back from the top of a ridge 6,000 feet above sea level. Nearby, we also passed the ruins of several primitive stone cabins travelers used for overnight stays a century ago.<\/p>
Back at the resort, you can explore the history of the area in one of the exhibitions set up in a few corners of the main fort, or your inner self via a yoga class or guided meditation. I explored how much small talk I could make over the course of a weekend because all of the meals (all delicious, usually with over-the-border flavors) at Cibolo Creek are communal. Seated around a long table with couples from as far away as Alaska, I found, to my surprise, that conversation with my neighbors came easily. Maybe it\u2019s because the ranch had made all of us so comfortable. <\/p>","byline":"Zac Crain","reservation_url":"cibolocreekranch.com","expedia_url":"","image_url":["https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Hacienda-Entrance-Cibolo-Creek-Ranch-Marfa-Texas.jpg","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Main-Slider-Lakeview-Cibolo-Creek-Ranch-Marfa-Texas.jpg","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Lakeview-Cibolo-Creek-Ranch-Marfa-Texas.jpg"],"image_credit":"Courtesy Cibolo Creek Ranch","link_url":""},{"title":"West Texas Waltz: The Ultimate Big Sky Road Trip","card_style":"Content Link","collection_number":"","sponsored":"","location":"West Texas","category":"","distances":["Road Trip"],"categories":"","price_points":["West Texas"],"cost_per_night":"","travel_time":"","dont_miss":"","content":"My wife and I spent six days on the road driving from Dallas to Big Bend and back again, a journey that took us through ancient rock formations, renovated boomtown hotels, and a few hundred acres of modern art.","byline":"Matt Goodman","reservation_url":"","expedia_url":"","image_url":["https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/casitas-big-bend.jpg"],"image_credit":"Elizabeth Lavin","link_url":"https:\/\/www.dmagazine.com\/publications\/d-magazine\/2022\/november\/west-texas-waltz-road-trip-travel-guide\/"},{"title":"Cinnamon Shore","card_style":"Travel Card","collection_number":"","sponsored":"","location":"Port Aransas, Texas","category":"Airbnb","distances":["Domestic Flight"],"categories":["Airbnb"],"price_points":["South Texas"],"cost_per_night":"$250\u2013$1,000","travel_time":"1.5 hour flight","dont_miss":"","content":"Not all enviable beach destinations require a flight and a passport. If you can fit your gear in a car and keep the kids entertained for a 6.5-hour drive south, you don\u2019t even have to cross state lines for a proper toes-in-the-sand experience. The residents of Port Aransas have rebuilt their beach community since the ravages of Hurricane Harvey four years ago, and three master-planned resort communities have emerged on the shores of Mustang Island. Branding themselves The New Texas Coast, they offer opportunities to buy or rent a beachfront property. The Charleston-style vacation homes at Cinnamon Shore and Sunflower Beach range from cozy cottages to a three-story manse that can sleep up to 10 (plus 10 more in the bunkroom).","byline":"C.N.","reservation_url":"https:\/\/www.cinnamonshore.com\/","expedia_url":"","image_url":["https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Cinnamon-Shore-Port-Aransas.jpg"],"image_credit":"Courtsey of Vendor","link_url":""},{"title":"Collective Retreats Hill Country","card_style":"Travel Card","collection_number":"","sponsored":"","location":"Wimberley, Texas","category":"Ranch\/Rustic","distances":["Road Trip"],"categories":["Ranch\/Rustic"],"price_points":["Hill Country"],"cost_per_night":"$400\u2013$550","travel_time":"4 hour drive","dont_miss":"Try one of Chef Schneider\u2019s vegan desserts","content":"
I\u2019ve spent enough nights in an REI nylon tent that if I\u2019m going to spend money on a vacation, I want to sleep someplace with four walls. But when I visit Collective Hill Country\u2014a \u201cseasonal luxury retreat\u201d located just outside Wimberley\u2014I finally get the glamping appeal.<\/p>
\u201cTent\u201d does not seem like an adequate term for these stylishly decorated, wood-framed, canvas-walled structures. There are 12 of them scattered along a ridgeline that overlooks the idyllic 225-acre Montesino Ranch. \u201cYou don\u2019t get views like this in most of Central Texas,\u201d says assistant general manager Eddy Young as he gives me a tour of the property a few weeks before it opens in late April. The Hill Country location is the fourth from Collective Retreats, which operates similar properties in Vail, Yellowstone, and New York, partnering with local landowners to offer people five-star experiences in undeveloped places where you wouldn\u2019t want to be contained by four walls.<\/p>
Tent doors roll open to reveal stunning views of the green-saturated Montesino Valley. Enjoy the view from your king bed with a morning French press coffee, or recline in an Adirondack chair on the wood deck to watch the sun set over the Blanco River.<\/p>
Grab a picnic lunch and head out on one of the many hiking trails that traverse the property. Better yet, book a tour on the nearby Wimberley Zipline Adventures to see the Texas Hill Country as it\u2019s meant to be seen\u2014whizzing along at speeds up to 30 mph along the 10 lines that crisscross cedar- and oak-studded valleys.<\/p>
The adjacent Montesino Ranch is a working ranch. You can take a tour on horseback or arrange a time to visit John Stanley on his 9-acre organic farm, Back to the Garden, which supplies Collective Hill Country with most of its produce. Three- to five-course farm-to-table menus are created by head chef Jordan Schneider and served in the spacious communal lodge. Dishes change daily depending on what Farmer John pulls out of the ground.<\/p>
For me, no camping experience\u2014no matter how glamorous\u2014is complete until I smell like a campfire, so I was happy to discover a fire pit on a lower ridgeline. I gathered a blanket and supplies for fancy s\u2019mores\u2014think grapefruit-infused marshmallows and homemade shortbread cookies\u2014and settled in to watch the stars twinkle in the big Texas sky.<\/p>
Because there is no air conditioning, Collective Hill Country is closed during the worst of the summer heat, but it will reopen September through April. Beds are heated in the winter months, and every tent has a wood-burning stove as well as a full en suite bathroom. If you\u2019re traveling with kids or a friend, ask for a rollaway or a tent with twin beds. Or go alone and savor the silence.<\/p>","byline":"Megan Kimble","reservation_url":"https:\/\/reservations.collectiveretreats.com\/","expedia_url":"","image_url":["https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/collective-retreats-hill-country-tent.jpg","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/collective-retreats-hill-country.jpg"],"image_credit":"Elizabeth Lavin","link_url":""},{"title":"Commodore Perry Estate","card_style":"Travel Card","collection_number":"","sponsored":"","location":"Austin, Texas","category":"Resort","distances":["Road Trip"],"categories":["Resort"],"price_points":["Hill Country"],"cost_per_night":"$600","travel_time":"3 hour drive","dont_miss":"Go for a run on one of the marked trails, attend a morning Pilates or yoga class, or sleep in and enjoy a leisurely breakfast by the fireplace in the Mansion (a cremini mushroom and spinach frittata, perhaps). Depending on the weather, grab a book and a caftan and head to the pool, or walk down the street to the Elisabet Ney Museum, where the sculptor\u2019s 19th-century busts of German royalty and Texas icons are on display. Stop back by the Mansion for a light lunch of grilled oysters. Take a long shower. Take an even longer nap. Freshen and change for dinner. Walk to Lutie\u2019s. At the bar, start with a Yubari King: a mix of cognac, Cappelletti, and Yubari King cantaloupe juice the color of the setting sun.","content":"
Ken Fulk, for those who don\u2019t know the name, is the guy who turned a former S&M leather factory in San Francisco into his design studio. He created a bohemian Manhattan terrace for Gigi Hadid, designed an art deco Miami hotel for Pharrell Williams, and once co-hosted a Dallas party with Brian Bolke, casting shirtless men in safety vests and hard hats (branded with his name) as crystal-goblet-carrying co*cktail waiters. He\u2019s as colorful and theatrical as his layered, patterned interiors. And he was the perfect choice to put the \u201cGreat\u201d back in the Gatsby-esque mansion known as the Commodore Perry Estate in Austin.<\/p>
\u201cCommodore\u201d Edgar H. Perry, for whom the property is named, was not a sailor but a cotton broker, who made his fortune exporting the soft stuff. He completed the 10,800-square-foot house after his retirement in 1928, and he wasted no time throwing lavish parties with his wife, Lutie, on the extensive 10-acre grounds. <\/p>
When it was built, Perry\u2019s mansion was on the outskirts of town, perched on a hill overlooking the Austin Country Club (currently the Hanco*ck Golf Course), which opened in 1899. Now the mansion is in the middle of the city\u2019s leafy Hyde Park neighborhood, at the bustling corner of 41st and Red River streets. After various stints as a private school, a convent, and an ashram, the mansion was returned to its former glory as re-envisioned by Fulk, with a restaurant, chic bar, and upstairs suites added. It opened as part of the Auberge Resorts Collection in June 2020.<\/p>
The resort also includes a new two-story boutique hotel with rooms arranged around a central courtyard. (For the most peaceful stay, opt for an interior room facing it.) There is a chapel for weddings, manicured gardens for wandering, a Palm Springs-style pool for wallowing, and a standalone restaurant and bar (Lutie\u2019s) for wining and dining. <\/p>
From the moment you pull in to the gravel drive, it becomes clear that this isn\u2019t meant as a base camp for a visit to Austin proper; Fulk intentionally designed a stage set to transport guests to another time and place without ever having to leave the grounds. So we can all imagine ourselves to be Daisy Fay for a day. In that, he truly succeeds.<\/p>","byline":"","reservation_url":"https:\/\/aubergeresorts.com\/commodoreperry\/","expedia_url":"https:\/\/go.skimresources.com\/?id=254083X1738117&isjs=1&jv=15.7.0&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dmagazine.com%2Fpublications%2Fd-magazine%2F2022%2Fjune%2Fwhere-to-vacation-in-texas-now%2F&url=https%3A%2F%2Fexpedia.com%2Faffiliate%2FIAGlSJJ&xs=1&xtz=240&xuuid=4c1586d7dae6e6f1bc8338b15c42c9da&xjsf=other_click__contextmenu%20%5B2%5D","image_url":["https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/The-Commodore_Pool-View.jpg","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/TheCommodore_Dining-Setting.jpg","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/The-Commodore_Bedroom-Entryway.jpg"],"image_credit":"Elizabeth Lavin","link_url":""},{"title":"Fall Creek Vineyards","card_style":"Travel Card","collection_number":"","sponsored":"","location":"Driftwood, Texas","category":"Ranch\/Rustic","distances":["Road Trip"],"categories":["Ranch\/Rustic"],"price_points":["Hill Country"],"cost_per_night":"$297","travel_time":"3.5 hour drive","dont_miss":"Winemaker\u2019s Choice wine tasting","content":"
If you\u2019ve done much road-tripping in Texas, you know Austin has great barbecue and Fredericksburg has great wine. You might not know that both exist in exceptional forms in Driftwood, a small town set amid the lush tree canopies of the Texas Hill Country that stretches between the two cities.<\/p>
After we settled in to Fall Creek Vineyards\u2019 Wine Country Inn, our upscale-cottage-chic home for the weekend with a full kitchen, two bedrooms, and a cozy living room, we walked a few feet to the tasting room with an enviable back patio. While we swirled and sipped a rainbow of wines in a tasting that included Salt Lick Vineyards\u2019 plum-permeated ExTerra Mourv\u00e8dre, sommelier Daniel Williams educated us about terroir and tannins.<\/p>
Fall Creek co-founder Susan Auler told us that she and her husband, Ed, established the 400-acre Fall Creek Vineyards in nearby Tow in 1975 after an inspiring trip to France. Before the \u201cFirst Family of Texas Wine\u201d came along, the Hill Country wasn\u2019t recognized as a viticultural region. The Aulers changed that and in 2015 opened the Driftwood outpost, a much smaller version of the Tow barreling and production facility\u2014with the added benefits of the inn and a prime location across the street from the original Salt Lick BBQ.<\/p>
The next day, fortified by the previous evening\u2019s private, chef-prepared four-course dinner and a glass of Grenache Ros\u00e9 for breakfast, we met Salt Lick owner Scott Roberts at his smoked-meat sanctuary for a Salt Lick Cellars wine tasting and, of course, a whole lot of brisket. Wine and barbecue do go together, he declared, a statement that was evidenced by the hundreds of people swarming picnic tables. The Roberts family planted roots in Driftwood decades ago, creating a symbiotic relationship between the restaurant and the Salt Lick Vineyards surrounding it.<\/p>
We devoured all the sausage, ribs, potato salad, and baked beans we could, and set off on a tour of Driftwood with the barbecue king. We stopped at Vista Brewing, only a year old, to sample beer flights\u2014the wine barrel-aged Brett ale earning approving nods from the group. Roberts, who\u2019s friends with the Aulers and just about everyone else in town, spoke of barbecue and beer pairings in the works. Wine, he admitted, isn\u2019t the only liquid suitable for washing down burnt ends slathered in golden sauce.<\/p>
That evening, following a walk and a lasagna dinner at Duchman Winery\u2019s Trattoria Lisina that we somehow managed to consume in full, we returned to our cottage, retired to the couch, and enthusiastically swore off all food and alcohol for a week. But then we spied the lone bottle of Tempranillo resting on the counter, only half depleted. It didn\u2019t make the trip home.<\/p>","byline":"Christiana Nielson","reservation_url":"https:\/\/fcv.com\/","expedia_url":"","image_url":["https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/fall-creek-vineyards-visitors.jpg","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/fall-creek-vineyards-wine.jpg"],"image_credit":"Elizabeth Lavin","link_url":""},{"title":"Flophouze","card_style":"Travel Card","collection_number":"","sponsored":"","location":"Round Top","category":"Ranch\/Rustic","distances":["Road Trip"],"categories":["Ranch\/Rustic"],"price_points":["Hill Country"],"cost_per_night":"$175+","travel_time":"3.5 hour drive","dont_miss":"Mead tasting at Blissful Folly Farm","content":"
On my way to Round Top, I take a detour through Brenham, hoping to score some brisket at LJ\u2019s BBQ. I get there too late. While wandering down a side street to find a sad lunch alternative, gunfire erupts. I flinch at the first pops before spotting a woman in antebellum attire waving me off with her lacy parasol. I learn later I had walked into the middle of the Brenham Bandits\u2019 dress rehearsal for Local History Day.<\/p>
Crisis averted, I continue on my way to my destination, a retreat built of storage containers and decorated with reclaimed artifacts by owner Matt White. Like the shootout in Brenham, it feels as if I have stepped into another time and place. White\u2019s architectural salvage business, Recycling the Past, is based in New Jersey. But after years of trips to Round Top to sell his wares, he has put down permanent roots, building a barn to hold airplane parts, giant geodes, and the wood paneling from what was once Doris Duke\u2019s father\u2019s study. The storage containers are arranged out back, each with its own fire pit and shaded hammock, facing a bucolic view of verdant fields and nursing cattle. To be shared, there\u2019s a Modpool for dipping, a raised platform for sunset-watching, and a covered patio for barbecuing.<\/p>
Situated just out of the fray, on FM 1291, Flophouze would make a fine home base for hitting the Round Top Antiques Fair. But I decide to head in the opposite direction, to La Grange. I park on the picturesque Fayette County Courthouse square and walk to Big State Coffee House and Roastery for a warm salted caramel scone. Along the way, I happen upon the Texas Quilt Museum. Exhibits change every three months, but get there before June 23. \u201cFabric of Memory,\u201d an exhibition of quilts from the Heart Mountain Interpretive Center in Wyoming that commemorates the internment of Japanese-American citizens there during WWII, is heartbreakingly beautiful.<\/p>
I shop for yarn and fabric at The Quilted Skein next door, for kitchen gadgets at the expansive Le Petite Gourmet Shoppe, for turquoise cuffs at Richard Schmidt Jewelry, and for sausages to grill for dinner in the historic Prause Meat Market. Heading back toward my container, I spot a sign for Blissful Folly Farm and stop for pizza and a $10 tasting of its fruit-infused meads, ciders, and wines. Just down the road at Blue Mule Winery, I make a final detour to pet the alpacas and pick up some hand-dyed merino wool yarn and driftwood knitting needles.<\/p>
Back at Flophouze, I curl up in the Adirondack chair on the porch and wind a fresh woolen skein into a neat ball, listening to the lowing of the cattle and watching as dusk settles in. My phone is forgotten inside. This reenactment of history suits me just fine.<\/p>","byline":"Kathy Wise","reservation_url":"https:\/\/flophouze.com\/","expedia_url":"","image_url":["https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/flophouze-storage-containers.jpg","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/flophouze-porch.jpg","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/flophouze-bunk-rooms.jpg","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/flophouze-kitchen.jpg"],"image_credit":"Courtsey of Venue","link_url":""},{"title":"Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita","card_style":"Travel Card","collection_number":"","sponsored":"","location":"Puerto Vallarta, Mexico","category":"Resort","distances":["International Flight"],"categories":["Resort"],"price_points":["Mexico"],"cost_per_night":"$600+","travel_time":"2.5 hour flight","dont_miss":"","content":"
Sitting 45 minutes northwest of Puerto Vallarta on the Riviera Nayarit, the Four Seasons is one of two resorts inside a private peninsula known as Punta Mita, a gated slice of coastal Mexico with guts that are all jungle, golf carts, dim roadway lights, and roundabouts. The Four Seasons is scenic and secluded, home to 173 casitas and 31 suites revamped in 2014.<\/p>
You could spend a week or more under the spell of the resort\u2019s service. You could lean oceanward from the infinity pool and sprawl out on the beach. You could feast at Dos Catrinas, the open-air, two-story restaurant\u2014one of several at the resort\u2014where they haul out a tray of four salsas when you sit down. You could sip Mexican craft beers that may surprise you. You could drop your kids, if you have any, at the resort\u2019s daycare and then order poolside sushi at the adults-only swim area. You could get massages on the beach or at the elaborate spa; I\u2019m told the cactus treatment is really quite nice. You could go diving or surfing. You could watch the sun fall into the ocean beyond the palms from your patio, finding your well-stocked minibar all too convenient. Do all these.<\/p>
But Punta Mita offers something even more special for anyone who enjoys swinging a golf club. It has two Jack Nicklaus-designed courses, both of them among Golf Digest\u2019s top 15 in Mexico, both of them striking a nice note between playable and challenging, both of them a pull-hook from the Pacific Ocean. Pacifico has become known for the Tail of the Whale, a bucket-list par-3 where the green is set on a giant rock formation some 200 yards out into the ocean; it\u2019s an optional 19th hole you can walk to only when the tide is low, and otherwise amphibious vehicle is required.<\/p>
Almost everything in Punta Mita is made to slow your pulse. A 6-iron over choppy waters isn\u2019t one of them.<\/p>","byline":"Shawn Shinneman","reservation_url":"https:\/\/www.fourseasons.com\/puntamita\/","expedia_url":"","image_url":["https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Puerto-Vallarta-Mexico-Four-Seasons-Resort-Punta-Mita-snorkeling.jpg","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Puerto-Vallarta-Mexico-Four-Seasons-Resort-Punta-Mita-ariel-view.jpg"],"image_credit":"Courtesy of Vendor","link_url":""},{"title":"Getaway Piney Woods","card_style":"Travel Card","collection_number":"","sponsored":"","location":"Larue, Texas","category":"Ranch\/Rustic","distances":["Road Trip"],"categories":["Ranch\/Rustic"],"price_points":["Central Texas"],"cost_per_night":"$139","travel_time":"1.5 hour drive","dont_miss":"Your cabin may be small, but nearby open-air options include New York Texas Zipline Adventures in Larue and the top-rated Pine Dunes Resort & Golf Club in Frankston, both open year-round.","content":"
Getaway was founded by two Harvard Business School grads who wanted to help city dwellers in Boston, New York, and Washington, D.C., get back to nature and unplug. As a part of the rental startup\u2019s expansion, a Getaway Outpost cropped up in the Piney Woods, less than two hours from Dallas, just in time for winter. The property includes 32 two-person cabins with queen beds and eight four-person cabins with queen-size bunk beds.<\/p>
The drive to the Piney Woods was as easy as finding the cabin (\u201cSandy\u201d). The Getaway team texted on the day of booking, sending a four-digit code to get into the tiny house after 3 pm. Upon my arrival, the minimalistic, black-painted cabin with its picnic table and two Adirondack chairs by the fire pit were all in their rightful, Instagram-ready places.<\/p>
But I diligently put my cellphone in the provided lockbox and carefully tucked my bag out of sight so as not to mess with the picture-perfect setting. I lit a fire, which I sidled up to with a book (Getaway provided Henry David Thoreau\u2019s Walden, among other titles) and a bottle of wine (not provided). At bedtime, I took a hot shower with biodegradable soap in my cabin\u2019s streamlined bathroom and curled up in the fluffy white bed. I thought it might be unnerving to be alone in the woods, but I felt perfectly secure in my little heated box.<\/p>
Provisions like s\u2019mores and coffee (but not alcohol) are available for purchase, but they\u2019re relatively scarce. There\u2019s a mini fridge if you\u2019d like to take your own supplies. And there\u2019s no wifi, so be sure to download your reading material ahead of time or pack a paperback.<\/p>
In the morning, I took a brisk walk along the towering tree-lined path, passing cabin (\u201cBob\u201d) after cabin (\u201cWoodie\u201d), each with a car parked in front. It was comforting knowing that the area was filled with other people taking a little Getaway. I hope they got some good photos for Instagram<\/p>","byline":"Caitlin Clark","reservation_url":"https:\/\/go.skimresources.com\/?id=254083X1738117&isjs=1&jv=15.7.1&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dmagazine.com%2Fpublications%2Fd-magazine%2F2020%2Fjanuary%2Ftexas-oklahoma-winter-cabin-getaways-dallas%2F&url=https%3A%2F%2Fgetaway.house%2Fdallas&xs=1&xtz=240&xuuid=4f312a957748eef7b3212b85dee5e3c6&xjsf=other_click__contextmenu%20%5B2%5D","expedia_url":"","image_url":["https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/getaway-piney-woods-exterior1.jpg","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/getaway-piney-woods-interior.jpg"],"image_credit":"Elizabeth Lavin","link_url":""},{"title":"The Guild","card_style":"Travel Card","collection_number":"","sponsored":"","location":"Dallas, Texas","category":"Hotel","distances":["Staycation"],"categories":["Hotel"],"price_points":["North Texas"],"cost_per_night":"$200","travel_time":"","dont_miss":"","content":"
With travel not an option during most of the pandemic, many of us instead discovered or rediscovered all of the great things that our own cities have to offer. That was the case for downtown Dallas and me. One could spend an entire summer exploring the region, from the impressive Arts District and beautiful architecture to a diverse and ever-changing food scene.<\/p>
And, if you\u2019ve never experienced falling asleep\u2014or waking up\u2014in the midst of our impressive skyline, a high-rise hotel is the only way to go. Notably home to the tallest hotel rooms in the city of Dallas, The Guild was an obvious choice for me.<\/p>
It\u2019s been about a year since I first heard about The Guild. Mintwood developer Katy Slade wrote a blog for D CEO\u2018s real estate vertical that gave a behind-the-scenes look at a project she worked on with the hotel group, Altschuler and Company, and Woods Capital. The team gutted two floors of what used to be office space for the Hunt family\u2019s oil and gas business and converted it into 64 luxury hotel rooms.<\/p>
With older office towers struggling to find new ways to attract tenants, I was intrigued by the adaptive reuse of the space. I wanted to see for myself how something once described as dark and unwelcoming had transformed into the bright open space seen in the photos Slade had shared with me.<\/p>
A short jaunt from D\u2019s office at North Saint Paul Street and Ross Avenue, The Guild is located on the top two floors of the 50-story Santander Plaza, which Woods Capital owns. The entrance into the hotel begins on the 48th floor, where a private set of elevators are located outside of the Tower Club.<\/p>
Founded by Brian Carrico and Chris Herndon, The Guild downtown isn\u2019t the hotel brand\u2019s first foray into adaptive reuse\u2014but it is their first jaunt turning an office into a hotel. The brand typically uses space in multifamily properties and has another Dallas outpost in central Dallas high-rise residential buildings, the Katy Victory Park. The success of their downtown location, which is seeing 70 percent occupancy rates and 80 percent of booking coming through direct channels, already has the team looking at other possible Dallas projects in Turtle Creek and Bishop Arts District, Carrico told D CEO.<\/p>
On the edge of downtown\u2019s Main Street District, The Guild is in an ideal spot for exploring the city\u2019s urban core\u2014whether that\u2019s taking in dinner at AT&T\u2019s Discovery District, late-night drinks on a rooftop bar, exploring the area\u2019s historic buildings and enchanting Thanks-Giving Square, or shopping at Neiman Marcus\u2019 flagship store.<\/p>
Designed for the business traveler\u2014and people relocating to Dallas\u2014Carrico said fitting an extended hotel like The Guild in destination neighborhoods really helps curate a sense of place for his guests. The Guild isn\u2019t really like your typical hotel room. During a recent stay, I fell in love with the welcoming entrance and herringbone-patterned floors. The Southwestern-meets Mid-Century Modern aesthetic made me feel like I was walking into my very own apartment, complete with a washer and dryer and smart kitchen featuring everything you\u2019d need to cook some pasta, toast a piece of bread, or enjoy a bowl of cereal. The highlight, though, was downtown Dallas framed by huge windows in every room. Well, that and the large black showers.<\/p>
During our first night inside the hotel, my friends and I enjoyed a lavish meal at the Tower Club\u2019s Monarch Room. (Not to be confused with Monarch at the new Thompson Hotel.) One of the biggest perks of staying at The Guild is access to the member\u2019s-only club.<\/p>
We relished the occasion to dress fancy as we sipped wine and shared plates such as the Giant Pran & King Crab co*cktail, Cacio e Pepe pasta, Eggplant Bagna Cauda, and a gorgeous 45-Day Dry-Aged Tomahawk. The meal was topped with a bottle of Veuve Clicquot and a couple of desserts, including the club\u2019s signature chocolate cake\u2014an experience in itself when a chocolate dome is melted to unveil the cake, which is elevated with peanut butter, a banana mousse, and vanilla ice cream.<\/p>
Feeling like kings and queens, we retired to our suite, played a few records on the record player, and pampered ourselves with face masks.<\/p>
One of the first restaurants to open in AT&T Discovery District\u2019s Exchange Hall, Rise+Thyme has a healthy breakfast selection.<\/p>
The next morning, we headed to AT&T\u2019s $100 million Discovery District for breakfast at Rise+Thyme. The restaurant was the first eatery to open in the district\u2019s Exchange Hall and is the brainchild of Chopped judge Amanda Freitag. While I don\u2019t often start my day with a bowl of soup, an off-menu Matzo Ball Chicken Soup was too hard to resist. We also could not resist the avocado toast and a couple of pastries.<\/p>
Home to 16 restaurants, The Exchange brings a new take on Legacy Hall to downtown, offering amazing options for tacos (I\u2019d recommend the Pinchi Pollo from Deep Ellum classic Revolver Taco), burgers (The Spitfire from Bobbers is a must if you like a kick), ethnic foods (Attlaie rotates chefs and styles every 90 days, so options are endless), and more. The hall\u2019s second floor is home to a sit-down sushi restaurant that was sampling delicious tuna nachos when I went.<\/p>
Being so close to the Arts District, spending the rest of the morning at the Dallas Museum of Arts was an easy choice. Currently, you can catch exhibits such as five works by acclaimed Mexican painter Frida Khalo on view, Cubism in Color: The Still Lifes of Juan Gris, and the fascinating Curbed Vanity exhibit, a contemporary foil by Chris Schanck. I, of course, made sure to stop by and enjoy my favorite piece of art at the DMA, Pablo Picasso\u2019s The Guitarist.<\/p>
Lunch was fueled by D CEO favorite Miriam Cocina Latina outside of Klyde Warren Park and followed by a stroll through downtown to take in its rich architecture as we walked back to the hotel for some much-needed naps.<\/p>
Before settling in for a late-night barbecue dinner at Jaxon at the AT&T Discovery District, we took some time to pop into the AT&T Experience Store, where I sat on the Friend\u2019s couch and played with a few interactive exhibits. Since the weather was pretty nice, we opted to eat outside and had a blast listening to a trumpet-fueled band perform for the crowd. Drinks on the rooftop at The Statler rounded out the night.<\/p>
Checking out of The Guild was a sad return to reality, but brunch at Ellen\u2019s in the West End was the perfect way to ease back into the week. (I highly recommend the Pancake Pot Pie\u2014layers of pancakes, sweet maple cream sausage gravy, hickory bacon, crumbled sausage, hash browns, scrambled eggs, cheddar cheese.) La Tarte Trop\u00e9zienne is a terrific spot for authentic Italian pastry and coffee if you are looking for something a little closer to the hotel.<\/p>","byline":"Bianca R. Montes","reservation_url":"https:\/\/www.hrs.com\/en\/hotel\/the-guild-downtown-elm-st\/a-1073471\/","expedia_url":"","image_url":["https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/13.png","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/12.png","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/5.png","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/2-2.png","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/2-2.png"],"image_credit":"Courtesy of Vendor","link_url":""},{"title":"Hall Arts Hotel","card_style":"Travel Card","collection_number":"","sponsored":"","location":"Dallas, Texas","category":"Hotel","distances":["Staycation"],"categories":["Hotel"],"price_points":["North Texas"],"cost_per_night":"$270","travel_time":"","dont_miss":"","content":"
Developer Craig Hall is known for seeing opportunities before others take notice. He pioneered the Frisco office market, turning farmland into a thriving mixed-use park. And back in 1995, he acquired land along Ross Avenue in what\u2019s now the bustling Dallas Arts District.<\/p>
Hall patiently waited 20 years for the downtown market to catch up; his 18-story KMPG Plaza at Hall Arts office tower opened in 2015 with an impressive roster of tenants. After mulling over various uses on an adjacent plot of land, he decided to do something he had not done before: develop a tower that would house both condos and a boutique hotel.<\/p>
The 28-story building, which made its debut in December 2019, has 48 luxury residences, including a large home occupied by Hall and his wife, winemaker, and former Ambassador Kathryn Hall. The attached hotel\u2014the first in the Dallas Arts District\u2014has 183 guest rooms, including 19 suites, ranging in size from 350 to 1,700 square feet. The property is surrounded by striking venues, including the I.M. Pei-designed Meyerson Symphony Center, Foster and Partners\u2019 Winspear Opera House, and the Dee and Charles Wyly Theater, designed by REX | OMA, Joshua Prince-Ramus, and Rem Koolhaas.<\/p>
Spending time in the expansive Grand Finale suite was a true escape\u2014a getaway that made me forget I was less than a mile away from my downtown apartment. Designed by Dallas-based HKS, I basked in the luxurious touches, with interiors by Bentel & Bentel of New York\u2014plush duvets, Frette sheets, Natura Biss\u00e8 (my fave) bath products, and colorful, massive art-themed photography on the walls. (Longtime Hall curator Patricia Meadows compiled the collection.) I also loved the wallpaper in the bathroom, a photo-realistic swath of crinkled-up light-blue paper.<\/p>
The pros at Bentel & Bentel seemed to anticipate every need, with extras such as a well-lit makeup nook, a dining table that seats six, a perfectly appointed work area, and a collection of interesting books. Despite the suite\u2019s vast size, it never felt overwhelming\u2014just exceptionally comfortable.<\/p>
Named after Hall\u2019s late mother, it takes cues from her passion for art and authenticity, offering dishes that are somehow both elegant and informal. With a kitchen led by Executive Chef Dan Landsberg, the restaurant leverages locally sourced, sustainable ingredients.<\/p>
I highly recommend starting dinner with a glass of the cabernet sauvignon from the Halls\u2019 Napa Valley winery or the Walt (Kathryn\u2019s maiden name) pinot noir. A must-try appetizer is the Duck Confit Tostada, with tomatillo salsa, chile-lime pepitas, chile huarache, Asadero cheese, and goat cheese crema. It was exceptional. Other starter options include Third Coast Ceviche, which features the day\u2019s Gulf catch, and Fried Green Tomatoes with grilled scallion aioli.<\/p>
Salads range from a Caprese plate that showcases cheese from Paula Lambert\u2019s famed Dallas Mozzarella Co., a bowl of grains with farro, quinoa, amaranth, sunflower seeds, Texas shell peas, avocado, and more, with a chimichurri vinaigrette. I kept it simple with a deliciously fresh Hearts of Romaine Caesar, with garlic smoked paprika croutons.<\/p>
For the main course, I opted for the day\u2019s Hook & Reel entr\u00e9e, an expertly prepared sea bass, while my friend chose the Harissa Marinated Lamb with a sweet potato puree. Both were excellent. We finished the meal by sharing a delicious Key Lime Mousse Parfait with blueberry conserva and toasted graham-cracker crumble. However, the Smores Bread Pudding, Earl Gray Tea Pana Cotta, and Joy Macaron Ice Cream Sandwich were also tempted.<\/p>
The Harissa Marinated Lamb sits on a creamy sweet potato puree, adorned with hearts of palm, roasted red pearl onions, charred heirloom tomato sumac, and Kalamata olive crumble. The dining and lounge area is light and bright. It doubles as a mini art gallery, with commissioned artwork by Spencer Finch, Alicia Eggert, Kristin Baker, Cerith Wyn Evans, Carrie Mae Weems, and others. Art is a big part of every Hall development; after he incorporated a robust art collection at his Frisco park, other North Texas developers and property owners were compelled to follow suit. The offerings at Hall Arts are diverse, thought-provoking, and joyful, with works by both established and emerging talents.<\/p>
Highlights include Spencer Finch\u2019s \u201cAsteroid,\u201d a light installation that hangs overhead in Ellie\u2019s, a piece in the lobby by Scottish painter Alison Watt, and a vibrant untitled floral painting by Clare Woods. The piece I loved the most, though, is a super-cool, red neon-light piece by Alicia Eggert with a message that rotates between \u201cAll that is possible is real\u201d and \u201cAll that is real is possible.\u201d<\/p>
Make sure to wander outside and look at the sculpture art found between the hotel and office building, including \u201cPaths,\u201d androgynous human-size figures that climb and sit atop a building, by Icelandic sculptor Steinunn Thorarinsdottir. It\u2019s stunning.<\/p>
After an incredibly restful sleep, my friend and I took a short walk to Yolk at One Arts Plaza for breakfast the next morning. (Get there before 9 a.m. to avoid the weekend morning crunch.) There are many appealing things on the menu, but I always order the same thing: Very Berry French Toast with a side of extra-crispy bacon. Loaded with strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, Greek yogurt, granola, and honey, the French toast is amazing\u2014and you\u2019ll leave with plenty of leftovers for an afternoon snack.<\/p>
Later that morning, it was time to be pampered, with exceptional in-room massage by Hiatus Spa + Retreat, partnered with Hall to provide services to guests who book a deluxe room or suite. I kept it traditional, with a Swedish massage and customized aromatherapy; other options include \u201cThe Nocturne\u201d (Swedish\u201d and deep tissue massage with reflexology, strategic acupressure points and a sedative blend of lavender, frankincense, and clary sage) and \u201cThe Virtuoso\u201d (a bespoke treatment that can incorporate deep tissue, hot stone therapy, full-body exfoliation, stretching, reflexology, and targeted aromatherapy).<\/p>
Having battled through the worst (hopefully) of COVID, Hall Arts Hotel and its Ellie\u2019s restaurant are attracting a steady stream of guests. Demand surely will continue to accelerate as the Dallas Arts District events calendar fills up. Current offerings include a Van Gogh and the Olive Groves exhibit at the Dallas Museum of Art and Beethoven\u2019s Emperor the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. (A DSO performance with Chris Botti for Oct. 8-10 is sold out.) Click here for a full Arts District schedule of events.<\/p>
One event that I\u2019m particularly looking forward to is the Dallas Symphony\u2019s C-Suite Christmas, for which I\u2019m thrilled to be a guest conductor. Also participating in this fun, third-annual event are Trammell S. Crow of EarthX, Chad Houser of Cafe Momentum, T.D. Jakes of the T.D. Jakes Foundation, and civic leader Lynn McBee. It all happens Wednesday, Dec. 8, and includes a post-concert performance by Emerald City Band. The program benefits the DSO\u2019s South Dallas Residency, Young Musicians (which provides free instruments and instruction to southern Dallas students in first through fifth grades), and Young Strings programs.<\/p>","byline":"Christine Perez","reservation_url":"https:\/\/hallartshotel.com\/","expedia_url":"","image_url":["https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/1-5.png","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/2-5.png","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/2-6.png","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Untitled-design-4.png","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/3-4.png",""],"image_credit":"Courtesy of Vendor","link_url":""},{"title":"Take a Tour of Amber Venz Box\u2019s Posh Desert Oasis in Terlingua","card_style":"Content Link","collection_number":"","sponsored":"","location":"Terlingua, Texas","category":"Airbnb, Ranch\/Rustic","distances":["Road Trip"],"categories":["Airbnb","Ranch\/Rustic"],"price_points":["West Texas"],"cost_per_night":"","travel_time":"","dont_miss":"","content":"Pack your bags and head west to The Local Chapter, a tiny community of rentable yurts by Big Bend National Park.","byline":"Lauren Armstrong","reservation_url":"","expedia_url":"","image_url":["https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/AmberVenzBox_BigBend_kids.jpg"],"image_credit":"Elizabeth Lavin","link_url":""},{"title":"Hamilton Princess Hotel & Beach Club","card_style":"Travel Card","collection_number":"","sponsored":"","location":"Bermuda","category":"Resort","distances":["International Flight"],"categories":["Resort"],"price_points":["Bermuda"],"cost_per_night":"$800","travel_time":"6 hour flight","dont_miss":"Jody Grant, the co-founder of Texas Capital Bank and chairman of Woodall Rodgers Park Foundation, has visited Bermuda about 10 times in the last dozen years. \u201cBermuda stimulates all the senses,\u201d he says. \u201cThe sea breeze, the tropical plants in beautiful English gardens, and the architecture are uniquely Bermudian. The homes and buildings are all wonderful pastel colors.\u201d For fine dining on the island, Grant recommends Tom Moore\u2019s Tavern and enjoys the Bermuda fish chowder with black rum. Two must-see spots, Grant says, are \u201cSt. Peter\u2019s Church, the oldest continuously used Protestant church site in the \u2018New World\u2019 and St. George\u2019s Town and Parish, which are UNESCO World Heritage Sites\u2014they shouldn\u2019t be missed.\u201d","content":"
While on a recent excursion to Bermuda, I often felt in awe of the island\u2019s beauty. After touch-down, a 30-minute taxi ride transported my wife and me from the airport to the Hamilton Princess Hotel & Beach Club in the nation\u2019s capital city. Throughout the journey, I felt like I was whisking through the winding roads of a children\u2019s pop-up storybook, with homes in bright pinks, blues, and yellows, lush vegetation, and crystal-clear ocean beaches.<\/p>
The 386-room hotel, built in the 1880s, is the oldest estate in the global Fairmont portfolio. Dubbed the \u201cpink palace\u201d, make sure to pack your favorite pink outfits to capture glamorous Instagram-worthy shots. A favorite part of the everything-pink property was a quick jitney ride away: The Princess Beach Club. The picturesque private cove boasts soft, white sand and calm, turquoise ocean water, which is ripe for relaxation, a quick swim, or paddleboarding.<\/p>
Another highlight of the property was its surprisingly deep art collection. From works by Pablo Picasso, Yosh*tomo Nara, KAWS, Banksy, and more, the space resembles an exclusive museum-quality art gallery. But within the Princess Hotel, the pop culture and contemporary work immerse guests as they check in, dine at in-house restaurants Crown & Anchor and Intrepid Bermuda, and mill about the lobby. A guided tour with local art docent Lisa Howie helped me fully appreciate the eclectic and expansive collection.<\/p>
The property\u2019s restaurants also shine. For dinner at Crown & Anchor, start with a platter of crispy calamari or pumpkin soup. For a main, try the orecchiette pasta doused in creamy sun-dried tomato sauce, olive tapenade, and parmesan. The grilled salmon also impresses. Intrepid Bermuda\u2019s ambiance sets the scene for a delightful meal. I went all in with the starters, enjoying the oysters, Intrepid Roll, and crispy pork belly; all were delectable. If you\u2019re lucky enough for the day\u2019s catch to be halibut, it is a must-try. The 10-ounce prime striploin was also cooked to perfection. Finally, the lemon meringue cheesecake is a dessert not to be missed.<\/p>
For more low-key meals in downtown Hamilton, the Specialty Inn is reportedly a favorite of frequent Bermuda visitors Clint Eastwood and John Travolta. The Pickled Onion is another island go-to for upscale casual fare.<\/p>
When I wasn\u2019t relaxing at The Princess Beach Club, I was exploring Bermuda\u2019s Crystal and Fantasy Caves, which hold deep underground pools of azure water, impressive rock formations, and mesmerizing ceilings with rare chandelier-style crystal clusters. The experience is incomplete without walking around the corner to the Swizzle Inn for a pitcher of the island\u2019s signature drink, the Rum Swizzle. Pair it with the famous wahoo nuggets or conch fritters and your afternoon is authentically Bermudian. If golf is your game, the island has the world\u2019s most golf courses per capita. The Port Royal Golf Course, home to the Butterfield Bermuda Championship golf tournament, is a popular choice. The 16th hole, situated on a cliff overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, is a signature view.<\/p>","byline":"Ben Swanger","reservation_url":"https:\/\/www.thehamiltonprincess.com\/","expedia_url":"","image_url":["https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/The-Princess-Hotel-exterior.jpg","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Horseshoe-Bay-Bermuda.jpg","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Intrepid-interior-Bermuda.jpg","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Hamilton-Princess-Cabana-Bermuda.jpg","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/The-Princess-Hotel-KAWS-statue-Bermuda.jpg","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Intrepids-temaki-sushi-station-and-raw-bar-Bermuda-VERT.jpg","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Bermuda-co*cktail-with-lemongrass-and-thyme.jpg"],"image_credit":"Courtesy of Vendor","link_url":""},{"title":"High Hill Farm","card_style":"Travel Card","collection_number":"","sponsored":"","location":"Arp, Texas","category":"Airbnb","distances":["Road Trip"],"categories":["Airbnb"],"price_points":["East Texas"],"cost_per_night":"$295+","travel_time":"2 hour drive","dont_miss":"","content":"
One of my favorite things to do is rent a big house and take a weekend trip with family friends, but as our family has grown, it is more difficult to find a location that can meet the space and activity requirements of large and active groups near Dallas.<\/p>
Fortunately for Dallasites, a development less than two hours east of the city is transforming into a wonderland of fun with something for everyone. Nestled into the piney woods near Arp, Texas, High Hill Farm is on its way to becoming the Cinnamon Shores or 30A of East Texas.<\/p>
High Hill began as an overgrown forest in 2012 when it was purchased by owners and founders Jason and Sharon Romano (no relation to the Dallas restaurateur family, though Jason says it has helped get a reservation or two over the years). Since then, it has been transformed into a unique venue and winery with an upscale restaurant and bungalow cabins for family reunions and weddings.<\/p>
But the newest addition to High Hill is what sets it apart. Jason is a longtime home builder as the founder of JR Custom Homes, and he is putting his skills to use in the design and buildout of 110 home sites centered around a 4.5 acre, 15-foot deep spring-fed lake. When complete, it will include 70,000 feet of sandy beach and a lakeside bar with tapas and Sangria made from the development\u2019s winery. The development is part of the 200-acre space that includes bungalows, indoor and outdoor venue spaces, two resort-style pools, a winery, hiking trails, and dining option C\u00f4te, where Executive Chef Ryan Dove provides a luxe farm-to-table experience.<\/p>
Down the road from the original venue, restaurant, and bungalows, High Hill\u2019s rental home sites are designed to combine some of the Romano\u2019s favorite places: Napa, 30A in Florida, and the Italian Coast. The homes, ranging from 3,800 to 6,000 square feet, are privately owned, rentable, and feature a unified aesthetic with Greco-Roman white plaster, 10-foot ceilings, and hillside views of the lake and surrounding woods.<\/p>
The master-planned community, which the Romanos self-financed, has 55 home sites available. When finished, it will feature 110 homes with natural stone fireplaces, high-end appliances, outdoor showers, infinity pools, and a Mediterranean design sourced by local artisans and delivered in partnership with interior designer Yvette Leihgeber.<\/p>
The homes are tucked into the natural surroundings of the area and are positioned around the lake, a 3,000-person amphitheater for concerts, 20,000 square feet of retail options, and an automated 10-bay Topgolf venue. The development will include a church, a resort-style pool, and a gym. And no 21st-century vacation getaway would be complete without a pickleball training center.<\/p>
The Maddox family stayed in the 3,400-square-foot Wildfeather home, illuminated by natural light and looking out onto the lake. It also included a pool, multiple outdoor showers, four bedrooms, five bathrooms, a fully-equipped kitchen, and spacious living and dining areas. Though it was a colder November weekend, the Maddox boys enjoyed a quick cold plunge in the backyard pool and a frantic run to the toasty outdoor shower, which took the bite out of the cold.<\/p>
The home has a fully functional kitchen, however we didn\u2019t use it because we ate most of our meals at C\u00f4te. The farm-to-table restaurant had something for our four and six-year-olds and a more elevated palate. The rotating seasonal menu is sourced from an onsite garden and local farms and includes a full bar and wine selection that includes a blend from High Hill\u2019s winery.<\/p>
An acoustic set of contemporary covers accompanied our meal and one night; High Hill made my boys\u2019 trip by providing luxury s\u2019mores baskets to roast marshmallows on the patio fireplace\u2014a perfect end to a lovely meal.<\/p>
The community provides concierge services such as grocery delivery and house cleaning. On our final morning in the home, we enjoyed a provided breakfast in our home of yogurt, cereal, and fresh fruit.<\/p>
High Hill Farm features a 15-foot deep lake with 70,000 feet of white court sand beaches. Though it was a bit chilly to swim, the Texas summer will provide plenty of opportunities to enjoy the pool and adjacent amphitheater, which is set to open this year.<\/p>
There are also 75 acres of pine, white oak, and redbud forest and pastures perfect for hiking, biking, skeet shooting, scavenger hunts, picnics, and bonfires. Nearby Tyler, Texas, provides excellent dining options, and the Maddoxes took advantage of Tyler State Park, where we hiked, explored, and fished in the pond. The two boys caught their first fish!<\/p>
With the addition of the Topgolf venue, amphitheater, pickleball and tennis courts, and golf cart and bike rentals, the community will have something for everyone. For those families who have enjoyed the convenience and fun of 30A or Cinnamon Shores, a similar experience is at High Hill.<\/p>","byline":"Will Maddox","reservation_url":"https:\/\/highhillresort.com\/accommodations\/","expedia_url":"","image_url":["https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Bungalows.jpg","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Vineyards-scaled.jpg","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Pool-scaled.jpg","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/IMG_3774-scaled.jpg","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/IMG_3742-scaled.jpg"],"image_credit":"Courtesy of Vendor","link_url":""},{"title":"Hotel Crescent Court","card_style":"Travel Card","collection_number":"","sponsored":"","location":"Dallas, Texas","category":"Hotel","distances":["Staycation"],"categories":["Hotel"],"price_points":["North Texas"],"cost_per_night":"$305","travel_time":"","dont_miss":"","content":"
It was a dreary day when I stepped into Hotel Crescent Court to check in for an overnight staycation, but my mood was instantly cheered by the property\u2019s bright and welcoming lobby. The hotel sits in the heart of Uptown, a destination and commercial district that didn\u2019t exist prior to Caroline Rose Hunt developing the landmark Crescent complex in 1986\u2014seven years after she founded Rosewood Hotels and Resorts and six after she opened The Mansion on Turtle Creek.<\/p>
Hotel Crescent Court is the anchor amenity at The Crescent, which includes three connected office towers (1.1 million square feet), 11 restaurants, upscale shopping and more. The complex is owned by Crescent Real Estate\u2019s John Goff, who bought it last year\u2014for a third time, after initially doing a 50-50 partnership with Hunt in the property\u2019s early days. (The Crescent was so meaningful to Goff, he named his company after it in 1994.)<\/p>
Today, Uptown is one of the most successful markets in the nation, a remarkably balanced collection of hospitality, restaurant, entertainment, office, and residential space. Hotel Crescent Court remains at the center of it all.<\/p>
My staycation had begun prior to check-in with a blissful afternoon at The Spa at The Crescent, a 22,000-square-foot urban oasis. I rarely pass up an opportunity for a massage\u2014and the treatment menu offers several intriguing possibilities, including the Aromasoul Massage (with essences from the Far East, the Mediterranean, India, and more) and a Tranquility Pro-Sleep Massage (Indonesian Sea Malay Massage and Ayurvedic soothing techniques to bring about a state of deep rest).<\/p>
Other options at the full-service spa include a Body Active treatment (with Brazilian yellow clay and energizing plankton\u2014really?), Montalcino Thermal Mud (with thermal waters of Montalcino, Tuscany), and Cryotherapy.<\/p>
But with a milestone birthday fast approaching, an age-protecting Joy of Beauty facial was in order. Plus, the spa had recently formed an exclusive partnership with [comfort zone] products, and I wanted to give the Italian sustainable skincare brand a try. I came away impressed\u2014enough to stop off at the spa store and stock up on my way out.<\/p>
The products are restorative and moisturizing without being heavy. My favorite was (is\u2014I use it religiously) the Remedy Cream to Oil, a Marula extract-based cleanser that, as its name describes, turns from cream to oil as it\u2019s rubbed into the skin.<\/p>
My treatment also included a detailed, high-tech skin analysis, where I allegedly scored impressively well for my age in terms of wrinkle frequency and depth, hydration, and other measures. (Take that, milestone birthday!)<\/p>
Afterward, as I made my way to my room, I took a fresh look at the hotel\u2019s $33 million redo, which was completed in 2018. Waldrop + Nichols of Dallas led the redesign of all 186 guest rooms and 40 suites, as well as corridors and elevators. Michelle Meredith & Associates oversaw the revamp of the spa and fitness center. The result is d\u00e9cor that\u2019s both sophisticated and cozy.<\/p>
The rooms are comfortable and offer all the perks you\u2019d expect, including Nespresso coffee makers (the best). Standard accommodations range in size from 380 to 625 square feet. The hotel also has 40 suites, extending all the way up to the Presidential\u2014a two-story suite that tops 3,000 square feet and includes a grand piano.<\/p>","byline":"Christine Perez","reservation_url":"https:\/\/www.crescentcourt.com\/","expedia_url":"","image_url":["https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Crescent_03_Exterior.jpg","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Crescent_04_Courtyard.jpg","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Crescent_07_King.jpg","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Crescent_09_Presidential-scaled.jpg","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Crescent_10_Lobby.jpg","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Crescent_12_Club.jpg"],"image_credit":"Courtesy of Vendor","link_url":""},{"title":"Hotel Drover","card_style":"Travel Card","collection_number":"","sponsored":"","location":"Austin, Texas","category":"Hotel","distances":["Road Trip"],"categories":["Hotel"],"price_points":["Hill Country"],"cost_per_night":"$250+","travel_time":"45 minute drive","dont_miss":"Drop bags at the Drover. Snap selfies with the city skyline and co*cktails at Atico, Tim Love\u2019s rooftop tapas bar on Main. Keep it casual with wings and beers at Second Rodeo. Soak up cattle culture at the Texas Cowboys Hall of Fame and the new John Wayne Museum, or soak up rays at the hotel pool. Walk to Billy Bob\u2019s and join the swirl of two-steppers.","content":"
Some feared the $200 million redevelopment of the century-old barns that once housed the nation\u2019s largest horse and mule market might rob the Fort Worth Stockyards of its historical charm. I am here to report that the district remains a red-bricked garden of Western delights; let\u2019s just say the new Mule Alley has kicked the taste level up a notch. <\/p>
The headliner of this festival of the senses: Hotel Drover. Named in homage to the cowboys who trailed millions of cattle through the city in the Reconstruction era, the boutique hotel draws revelers with a vast, idyllic courtyard and its blend of rustic elements (reclaimed wood floors, Texas stone fireplace) and modern art installs (neon lights, pinup cowgirl murals). Insta photo ops abound.<\/p>
Strolling through Mule Alley, my husband and I saw a thumping country band playing to a blissed out crowd in Second Rodeo Brewing\u2019s covered turf \u201cbar garden,\u201d while a duo sang acoustic country classics at the Sidesaddle Saloon, where bartenders sling upscale co*cktails.<\/p>
Out on the main drag, we dodged herds of tipsy women wearing \u201cBach and Booze\u201d t-shirts and Stetsons they accessorized with scarves, feathers, and jingling trinkets at Flea Style\u2019s \u201chat bar.\u201d Lowrider trucks blasting reggaeton cruised Exchange Street, and we popped into the new shops to escape the crush of tourists. King Ranch, Kimes Ranch, Proper Supply Co.\u2014they carry all the quality provisions necessary to dress like a Dutton.<\/p>
Yet the most luxurious retail experience is back at the Drover. Inside the Lucchese custom shop, a clerk offered drinks to a young couple in the process of designing bespoke boots. Clients are fitted, then consider everything from exotic leathers to toe shape to their preferred stitch pattern. <\/p>
For dinner, the hotel\u2019s 97 West Kitchen & Bar serves steak you can practically cut with a fork, but the highlight of our stay was when friends joined us for Sunday brunch at the same restaurant. We started with pork belly strips dipped in maple syrup, hung from clips so as to drip a delicious runoff onto a loaf of jalape\u00f1o cornbread. As we passed around plates of apple churro pancakes and hot chicken and biscuits, my husband and I realized this was our first brunch out with friends since the world went haywire. All the more reason to indulge.<\/p>","byline":"Kathy Wise","reservation_url":"https:\/\/hoteldrover.com\/","expedia_url":"","image_url":["https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Hotel-Drover_Cattle-Drive.jpg","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Hotel-Drover_Rustic-Modern-Art-Statue.jpg","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Hotel-Drover_Bowl-Hashbrowns.jpg"],"image_credit":"Elizabeth Lavin","link_url":""},{"title":"Hotel Dryce","card_style":"Travel Card","collection_number":"","sponsored":"","location":"Fort Worth, Texas","category":"Hotel","distances":["Road Trip"],"categories":["Hotel"],"price_points":["North Texas"],"cost_per_night":"$150+","travel_time":"45 minute drive","dont_miss":"","content":"Tim Love\u2019s empire now includes more than a dozen venues, ranging from Mule Alley newcomers \u00c1tico and Paloma Suerte to Stockyards staple White Elephant Saloon. His latest side hustle? A riverside micro resort made of shipping containers called Hotel Otto. Love initially launched Gemelle, an Italian restaurant named for his twin daughters, along the west fork of the Trinity River in 2019. Excess riverfront land provided the space for eight containers (otto means eight in Italian). Opened in July 2021, it features an Aperol bar, a pool made from yet another shipping container, and a 10,000-square-foot garden, where many of Gemelle\u2019s ingredients and co*cktail garnishes are grown. But don\u2019t expect everything on-site to be au naturel. Each room is decked out with Herm\u00e8s linens, a full bath, and its own bar.","byline":"","reservation_url":"https:\/\/hoteldryce.com\/","expedia_url":"","image_url":["https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Hotel-Dryce-on-Byers-Ave.jpg"],"image_credit":"Courtesy of Vendor","link_url":""},{"title":"Hotel Otto","card_style":"Travel Card","collection_number":"","sponsored":"","location":"Fort Worth, Texas","category":"Hotel","distances":["Road Trip"],"categories":["Hotel"],"price_points":["North Texas"],"cost_per_night":"$200","travel_time":"45 minute drive","dont_miss":"Keep an eye peeled for Leon Bridges.","content":"Jonathan Morris and Allen Mederos turned a former dry ice warehouse just down the street from Dickies Arena into Hotel Dryce in 2018. Fort Worth-based designer Sarah Pederson of Mana Collected keeps things funky in the 21 guest rooms with a mix of modern furniture, ethically sourced Oaxacan textiles, and photos of multicultural cowboys. Grab a Dryce Margarita from the bar to enjoy on the lively patio. The hotel is just a short walk from Dickies Arena.","byline":"","reservation_url":"https:\/\/hotelottoftw.com\/","expedia_url":"","image_url":["https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Tim-Love-Hotel-Otto-.jpg"],"image_credit":"Courtesy of Vendor","link_url":""},{"title":"Hotel Swexan","card_style":"Travel Card","collection_number":"","sponsored":"","location":"Dallas, Texas","category":"Hotel","distances":["Staycation"],"categories":["Hotel"],"price_points":["North Texas"],"cost_per_night":"$430","travel_time":"","dont_miss":"","content":"
When I walked into H\u00f4tel Swexan in the Harwood District, I was immediately brought back to the time I spent living in Europe. The 22-story hotel tower was designed by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma and combines urban, European, and Texan influences\u2014a nod to its owners, the Barbier-Mueller family, who are Swiss Texans.<\/p>
H\u00f4tel Swexan opened in June and showcases 134 guest rooms and eight unique suites on the 18th and 19th floors. The largest of the eight suites, The Grand Suite, features a private sauna, 1.5 baths, and a 10-person dining room table amid masculine design elements. Its neighbor, the Harwood Suite, highlights more Asian design elements and a suit of Samurai armor that is part of the Barbier-Mueller\u2019s private art collection.<\/p>
The hotel\u2019s design uses more than 23 unique types of tile, 100 different kinds of wood and natural stone, 16 antique fireplaces from the 1800s and 1900s, and each restroom outside the guest rooms has its own distinct wall decor. H\u00f4tel Swexan also houses 12,000 square feet of meeting space on the sixth floor and a private club and other areas accessible only to members\u2014not even hotel guests.<\/p>
After taking in the views of the Rolex Building and surrounding Harwood District, I ventured down to the lobby level for a drink at Isabelle\u2019s. The venue serves breakfast and lunch, then becomes a martini bar in the evenings and is reminiscent of an elevated study or den in its design. I opted for my the Breakfast of Champions, the bar\u2019s take on an espresso martini that mixes Absolut Vanilla vodka, St. George NOLA liqueur, cold brew, orange, and Fee Brothers Cardamom Bitters.<\/p>
I then headed up to the seventh floor for dinner at Stillwell\u2019s, the hotel\u2019s anchor restaurant and steakhouse named for Hallie Stillwell, a female Texas rancher. The star of the show at Stillwell\u2019s is the cuts of HWD-Premium Harwood Beef. Harwood created its own breed of cattle for the program, using prime Akaushi cattle from Texas and Oklahoma.<\/p>
I chose the Beef Dumplings with truffle gravy and petite mustard to start, as well as the Yellow Fin Tuna from the raw bar. I then opted for the 12 oz Harwood filet mignon with black truffle butter, which was among the best steaks I\u2019ve ever eaten. To wash it all down, I chose The Ranch Hand, a co*cktail of bacon-washed bourbon, maple syrup, aromatic bitters, and orange bitters. I ended the meal with the Peanut Butter Bar, which combined vanilla cream, peanuts, and dark chocolate.<\/p>
n a blissful food coma, I took the elevator down to Babou\u2019s, the library speakeasy located on the hotel\u2019s lowest level. On the way in, I enjoyed an off-menu drink from Isabelle\u2019s that the mixologist called a \u201cDD\u2019s Martini,\u201d a mix between an espresso martini and a White Russian. My caffeine-loving heart has rarely been so happy.<\/p>
Surrounded by books, art, and the pulse of good music at Babaou\u2019s, I sipped on a cognac-infused espresso martini variation before switching to the Acqua Fresca, a watermelon tequila co*cktail. I ended the night with a relaxing bath inside my room\u2019s giant soaking tub.<\/p>
The next day I went up to the 20th floor to enjoy a rooftop breakfast at L\u00e9onie, a space reminiscent of a Parisian cafe with stunning views of downtown and ample greenery. I opted for the luxurious Maine Lobster Omelette topped with buttered leaks, lemon b\u00e9arnaise, and Ossetra caviar.<\/p>
My Moroccan server smiled at my coffee order; the cappuccino with cinnamon powder on top reminded him of how coffee is served in his home country. I finished my meal with the Mixed Berry Tartine\u2014a big slice of whole wheat bread topped with whipped ricotta, roasted berries, and lemon oil. I lingered a little while, sipping my coffee, to enjoy the ambiance and iconic city views.<\/p>
I ventured outdoors to spend my late morning and early afternoon lounging poolside. I enjoyed lunch at Pomelo, the venue\u2019s pool and rooftop bar and eatery. I opted for the Sushi Lollipops and a fruit plate\u2014the perfect mix of sweet and savory to end my trip.<\/p>","byline":"Kelsey Vanderschoot","reservation_url":"https:\/\/hotelswexan.com\/","expedia_url":"","image_url":["https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Hotel-Swexan-Aerial.png","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Hotel-Swexan-Room.png","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Hotel-Swexan-Grnad-Suite.png","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Hotel-Swexan-Stillwells-2.png","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Hotel-Swexan-Stillwells.png","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Hotel-Swexan-rooftop-pool-300x200.png"],"image_credit":"Courtesy of Vendor","link_url":""},{"title":"Hotel Vin","card_style":"Travel Card","collection_number":"","sponsored":"","location":"Dallas, Texas","category":"Hotel","distances":["Staycation"],"categories":["Hotel"],"price_points":["North Texas"],"cost_per_night":"$425","travel_time":"","dont_miss":"","content":"
I grew up in Napa and moved to Spain for a brief time in my early 20s, so I was excited for a weekend away at Hotel Vin, where I\u2019d be attending a Spanish wine tasting. I hoped to once again experience the regional varietals, cheese, and jamon I often enjoyed while living abroad.<\/p>
Opened in 2020 in Grapevine\u2019s downtown, the hotel harnesses the spirit of its locale, from a glass of bubbly served as a welcome to the extensive wine list offered at its restaurant, Bacchus Kitchen + Bar. My friend and I settled into our room, one of 120 rooms, and headed to the hotel\u2019s Rioja Rooftop Terrace.<\/p>
The wines were paired with a huge selection of cheeses and charcuterie, starring my favorite, Manchego cheese. It\u2019s from Spain\u2019s La Mancha region\u2014home to Segovia, where Hemmingway\u2019s For Whom the Bell Tolls is set. The owner of Grapevine vendor Enrique Tom\u00e1s, hand carved traditional jamon ib\u00e9rico for a savory and slightly salty accompaniment. <\/p>
Later in the evening, Flamenco-inspired dancers took to the stage in the center of the room, and I was immediately transported to a performance I attended in Seville nearly five years ago. As I listened, my friend and I chatted on the rooftop, taking in the views of Grapevine\u2019s historic train station nearby.<\/p>
We then headed downstairs to Harvest Hall, the European-style food hall connected to the hotel lobby and home to seven dining concepts. Options range from Chinese street food at Monkey King Noodle Co., to Italian at Spuntino and chicken sandwiches at Chick & Biscuit.<\/p>
A standout item was the Brisket Arepa Sandwich\u2014a Venezuelan combination of Texas\u2019 favorite meat, avocado, and shoestring plantains topped with chimichurri sauce, wrapped in a maize dough (imagine a really thick, doughy tortilla). The dragon fruit smoothie at Zatar is a lighter, but tart and refreshing, choice.<\/p>
Another evening, we explored Magnum, a cozy speakeasy accessible after dialing in at a phone booth next to the elevators. Inspired by the prohibition era, the 18-seat co*cktail lounge showcases seasonal drink options and standout d\u00e9cor. I enjoyed the venue\u2019s take on an Old Fashioned and a set of prints inspired by the king and queen of hearts.<\/p>
We then journeyed next door to Bacchus Kitchen + Bar, where we participated in a wine education class and learned how the shape of the glass affects taste. We sipped the same red and white varietals in a plastic Solo cup, a standard wine glass, and glasses specifically made for the varietal we were given, discovering dramatic differences with each new glass.<\/p>
For dinner, I recommend the Caesar Salad and Meatballs to start and the chicken for the main course. We finished the night with a miniature lemon meringue tart\u2014an ideal way to end a meal and a quick DFW staycation.<\/p>","byline":"Kelsey Vanderschoot","reservation_url":"https:\/\/www.hotelvin.com\/","expedia_url":"","image_url":["https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/3.png","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/2.png","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/1.png"],"image_credit":"Courtesy of Vendor","link_url":""},{"title":"The Best Little Roadhouses in North Texas","card_style":"Content Link","collection_number":"","sponsored":"","location":"North Texas","category":"","distances":"","categories":"","price_points":["North Texas"],"cost_per_night":"","travel_time":"","dont_miss":"","content":"A few unexpected destinations for an unforgettable Texas night out.","byline":"","reservation_url":"","expedia_url":"","image_url":["https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Garhole-Expanded-Bar-Strip-Historic-Westminster-1024x683.jpg"],"image_credit":"Steven Visneau","link_url":"https:\/\/www.dmagazine.com\/publications\/d-magazine\/2023\/march\/the-best-little-roadhouses-in-north-texas\/"},{"title":"John Newcombe Tennis Ranch","card_style":"Travel Card","collection_number":"","sponsored":"","location":"New Braunfels, Texas","category":"Resort","distances":["Road Trip"],"categories":["Resort"],"price_points":["Hill Country"],"cost_per_night":"$420+ packages","travel_time":"4 hour drive","dont_miss":"","content":"
Recreational tennis players go to tennis camp for two reasons: to learn how to win, or to force their spouses to learn how to play. That, and to drink straight bourbon with a ladies team from Louisiana on holiday from their rice mill jobs and a barely legal tennis pro named Zac, who takes every opportunity to whip off his hat, shake free his spectacular head of brown curls, and dance\u2014on court and off.<\/p>
I had heard about John Newcombe Tennis Ranch from my Kiest Park teammates, who had gone a couple of years ago on a group trip and raved about it ever since. Having been to the Roy Barth Tennis Center on South Carolina\u2019s Kiawah Island when I first forced my spouse to learn how to play, I was skeptical. Could an Australian-themed tennis camp, built on a Hill Country dude ranch in 1968 by former world No. 1 John Newcombe, really compete? It really can.<\/p>
Newks isn\u2019t fancy, but it\u2019s not supposed to be. This isn\u2019t a resort. It\u2019s a camp for grown-ups\u2014with fire pits and gravel trails and a dining hall serving three hot, healthy meals a day, with rustic condos complete with full kitchens, fireplaces, and patios, with evening s\u2019mores and singalongs.<\/p>
The 31 perfectly kept courts (hard and clay, with four covered) are surrounded by woods. From our patio, we watched a dozen raptors fly over at dusk, and heard what sounded like bobcats fight and hiss at night.<\/p>
Adult camps are generally offered Friday to Sunday or Sunday to Friday, but they are happy to tailor the program to cater to your needs. They usually have between 20 and 80 campers at any given time. Our group of 22 was divided by skill level over five courts with five pros. Camp director Chris Jacques (another Australian) roamed constantly, giving personal feedback that was more insightful than anything I ever learned in South Carolina, and for half the price. <\/p>","byline":"Kathy Wise","reservation_url":"https:\/\/newktennis.com\/","expedia_url":"","image_url":["https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/john-newcombe-tennis-ranch-677x451.jpg"],"image_credit":"","link_url":""},{"title":"JW Marriott Dallas","card_style":"Travel Card","collection_number":"","sponsored":"","location":"Dallas, Texas","category":"Hotel","distances":["Staycation"],"categories":["Hotel"],"price_points":["North Texas"],"cost_per_night":"$587","travel_time":"","dont_miss":"","content":"
It was a sunny day as I walked into the lobby of the new JW Marriott in the Dallas Arts District, but the aura inside the newly minted property was even more vibrant. The city\u2019s first JW-branded hotel, a development from the Sam Moon Group, sits in the heart of the Dallas Arts District and takes its inspiration from the culture and sights that surround.<\/p>
The brand finds its niche in gateway international cities between ultra-luxe stays and business travel. The 267-key hotel in Dallas includes premier suites with views that stretch from south of downtown to Uptown and the DFW horizon line beyond.<\/p>
After checking into one of the property\u2019s 11 museum suites (there is one presidential suite and one VP suites), my wife and I headed down to the 11th floor for light bites and drinks at a bar outside of Margaret\u2019s. Named for Margaret McDermott, the ranch-to-table, three-meal restaurant is a property centerpiece. We enjoyed house co*cktails and the demi-charcuterie, which features local cheeses, artisanal meats, and charred sourdough. Pro tip: choose corner seats closest to the restaurant at dusk to watch the sun tuck itself in just beyond the Margaret McDermott bridge.<\/p>
The chef at Margaret\u2019s rotates the menu each season, but on the winter menu, my wife and I enjoyed the delicate yet flavorful squash dumplings and bourbon-braised pork belly as appetizers. For mains, the seared duck breast was perfectly tender and the center cut filet with a hasselback potato on the side was fantastic. If seafood is more your style, opt for the crispy octopus appetizer and delicious chilean sea bass entr\u00e9e.<\/p>
A bonus of staying at the JW Marriott is its easy access to the country\u2019s largest contiguous arts district. My wife and I dressed up, put on our winter coats, and walked a couple of blocks to see a spectacular Dallas Symphony Orchestra performance of Christmas pop hits. Other options include the Dallas Museum of Art, the Dallas Black Dance Theatre, and the Winspear Opera House\u2014all just a block or two or three from the hotel.<\/p>
The JW is an ideal complement; its art collection breathes its own identity into the life of the district. Along with orchestral brass fixtures and digital representations of vinyl albums in the guest rooms, the hotel has 20 commissioned art pieces, including a monarch butterfly painting by the daughter of Sam Moon Group Vice President and General Counsel Daniel Moon. <\/p>
After the symphony performance, my wife and I walked up and down Ross Avenue then made our way to Klyde Warren Park for a nightcap. We followed it up with a second drink at the hotel\u2019s sky bar, Vincent\u2019s, on the property\u2019s 11th floor. Named for Vincent an Gogh, the open-air is adjacent to the pool.<\/p>
For breakfast and brunch, Margaret\u2019s offers staples like Texas hash, lox and bagels, and a substantial breakfast burrito. If you\u2019re on the go, visit the JW Market for pastries, breakfast sandwiches, and coffee. And if you\u2019re taking advantage of extra relaxation time, like my wife and I, in-room dining is also provided.<\/p>
As I write this story from D Magazine\u2019s office on the 21st floor at St. Paul Place, I can see the 19th floor museum suite where my wife and I stayed. Two years ago, the building was just a parking garage. But now, how I envy whoever is staying in that space. Care to give it back to me?<\/p>","byline":"Ben Swanger","reservation_url":"https:\/\/rstyle.me\/+kWL0HfTExSO0cm545bbbiA","expedia_url":"","image_url":["https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/DALJA-Vice-Presidential-Suite-Sitting-Room-scaled.jpg","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/DALJA-Hotel-Exterior-at-Sunset-scaled.jpg","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/DALJA-Pool-and-Cabanas-Angle-scaled.jpg","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/DALJA-Sky-Lobby-and-Stairs-scaled.jpg","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Margaret_s-Hero-Image-scaled.jpg","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Corner-King-Guest-Room-scaled.jpg","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Pool-Deck-scaled.jpg"],"image_credit":"Courtesy of Vendor","link_url":""},{"title":"JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa","card_style":"Travel Card","collection_number":"","sponsored":"","location":"San Antonio, Texas","category":"Resort","distances":["Road Trip"],"categories":["Resort"],"price_points":["Central Texas"],"cost_per_night":"$349","travel_time":"5 hour drive","dont_miss":"Play the Oaks course","content":"
Though the lobby was swarming with families when we arrived at the JW Marriott resort on a sweltering summer day, we found a free front desk agent and got settled within minutes. Our room was clean and comfortable yet thankfully not so upscale that I felt squeamish letting my 5-year-old hell-raiser loose in it. What was luxurious: the balcony view of the verdant, undulating golf courses and the Texas Hill Country beyond.<\/p>
We quickly split off. My husband grabbed his golf clubs, and I took our son down to burn off energy at the water park, which encompassed several pools, a lazy river, a whirlpool, and a couple of \u201cbig-kid\u201d slides. And it was there, wading in the park\u2019s central pool, that I realized resorts are a lot like cruises: you have everything you could ever want\u2014entertainment, food, booze, and waterslides\u2014within yards of your room.<\/p>
The campus amenities give you the ability to entertain a wide range of ages. Kids can choose from a full calendar of activities (mine made slime). Teens can hole up in the arcade. Adults can indulge themselves at the spa or take a load off in the sports bar. My husband, a recreational golfer since the age of 4, loved his round on one of the two PGA-certified courses despite the 100-degree temps. (He was grateful that his cart was stocked with ice-cold bottled water and an attendant came around with cold towels on the back nine.)<\/p>
But I also realized that, like cruising, there is a right way to resort and a wrong way to resort. The great thing about resorts is that you can drink daiquiris and parent your children without getting a single side-eye glance (obviously, pace yourself). Everyone around me was doing just that, clinking cups and gabbing with friends and family. It was no doubt a social atmosphere. I was pregnant, and therefore unable to imbibe, and I suddenly wished I\u2019d brought a girlfriend with whom to gossip. Noted for next time.<\/p>
That evening, we washed up and headed down to Cibolo Moon, the resort\u2019s Tex-Mex-Hill-Country-barbecue-mash-up restaurant with an upscale cozy feel. My buffet grabs and my husband\u2019s margarita and redfish entr\u00e9e were fine but not exceptional, so I understood why we saw so many large families circling up in the courtyard around pizzas they ordered from off campus.<\/p>
After dinner, the line for s\u2019mores at the fire pit snaked down the walkway. Instead of waiting, we strolled the grounds, let our little one practice his somersaults and ninja moves on the perfectly groomed fields, and watched the San Antonio sky turn from peach to periwinkle.<\/p>
I imagine, a few years down the road\u2014when my oldest is brave enough to navigate the waterslides, my youngest can paddle around the kiddie pool, and I am free to sip a frozen co*cktail\u2014we will return and invite another family or two to join us.<\/p>","byline":"S. Holland Murphy","reservation_url":"https:\/\/www.marriott.com\/en-us\/hotels\/satjw-jw-marriott-san-antonio-hill-country-resort-and-spa\/overview\/","expedia_url":"","image_url":["https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/hill-country-resort-and-spa-pool.jpg"],"image_credit":"Elizabeth Lavin","link_url":""},{"title":"Kimpton Hotel Van Zandt","card_style":"Travel Card","collection_number":"","sponsored":"","location":"Austin, Texas","category":"Hotel","distances":["Road Trip"],"categories":["Hotel"],"price_points":["Hill Country"],"cost_per_night":"$229+","travel_time":"3 hour drive","dont_miss":"Watch the bats from a paddle board","content":"
It was one of my dumber ideas, to go to Austin for a last-minute getaway during the second weekend of SXSW. By the time we had spent an additional hour taking a mandatory detour across the Congress Avenue Bridge at the pace of a stoned pedicab driver, my wife was no longer speaking to me and I had made a twofold pledge: once I handed the keys to the valet at the Kimpton Hotel Van Zandt, I would start drinking and never set foot in a car again.<\/p>
We stepped into the lobby under a chandelier of trumpets, a mini concert in full swing to the right. The lead singer of Vita and the Woolf, a cross between Sarah Jaffe and Florence + the Machine, was shaking her sequins as hotel guests lounged on leather couches and sipped glasses of Chardonnay. I abandoned my bags at the concierge desk and grabbed a margarita from the bar during the complimentary wine hour. Things were looking up.<\/p>
The Mark Zeff-designed Hotel Van Zandt, opened in 2015, is built for music. It\u2019s named for Fort Worth native Townes Van Zandt, and art by his oldest son, J.T. Van Zandt, adorns the walls. Wallpaper patterns are musical vibrations, and light fixtures are fashioned from trombone pulls. There\u2019s a record player in the lobby where guests can request songs, and a writer\u2019s lounge at the back of the bar where aspiring musicians can collaborate. If you come at any time other than SXSW, there\u2019s still a musical act every night at Geraldine\u2019s, the hotel\u2019s restaurant, and a jazz brunch on Sundays.<\/p>
That night, seated at a small table in front of the stage at Geraldine\u2019s, I continued to make good on my pledge with a house Manhattan, made from Austin\u2019s Nine Banded Whiskey. We shared small plates of bourbon-glazed cauliflower and bone marrow with pickled okra. Houston singer-songwriter Andrew James performed a set, the acoustics impressive under the arched ceiling. As the band finished, Willie Nelson stood up from a table somewhere behind us and tipped James on his way out.<\/p>
The next morning we walked along the riverside trail to Forthright for brunch. Fortified by a gorgeous slice of avocado toast and coffee from Dallas\u2019 own Tweed Coffee Roasters, I spent most of the afternoon in the depths of the spa tub, gazing out the floor-to-ceiling windows at Lady Bird Lake and the bridge that almost killed me, the rolling, spring-green hills stretching to the horizon.<\/p>
Around twilight we walked down Rainey Street, past the bungalows overflowing with revelers, to dinner at James Beard nominee Emmer & Rye, where roving \u201cdim sum\u201d carts brought around dry-aged beef tartare and a stunning chicken liver tart topped with strawberry jam. We had scored last-minute concert tickets for Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats, so we headed back to Geraldine\u2019s for the private show. Willie\u2019s harmonica player, Mickey Raphael, made an impromptu appearance.<\/p> The next morning we left early, hitting the road as crews dismantled barricades. Next time, I\u2019ll just fly.","byline":"Kathy Wise","reservation_url":"http:\/\/www.hotelvanzandt.com\/","expedia_url":"","image_url":["https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/kimpton-hotel-van-zandt.jpg"],"image_credit":"Elizabeth Lavin","link_url":""},{"title":"Kimpton Seafire Resort & Spa","card_style":"Travel Card","collection_number":"","sponsored":"","location":"Grand Cayman","category":"Resort","distances":["International Flight"],"categories":["Resort"],"price_points":["Grand Cayman"],"cost_per_night":"$500+","travel_time":"3 hour flight","dont_miss":"","content":"
The 76-square-mile Grand Cayman is a tax haven in paradise where a quiet billionaire has bought up more land than the government owns and is rebuilding it in his image. That billionaire is the investor Kenneth Dart, and his latest project is the Kimpton Seafire, which stands near the edge of Seven Mile Beach\u2019s long footprint of development. It was the island\u2019s first new resort in more than a decade, and it seems tailor-made for those who value outdoor yoga and bootcamp sessions and appreciate complimentary wine poured at 5 pm. (This is all included in your resort fee; yoga mats are in every room.)<\/p>
Each of the 266 rooms features floor-to-ceiling windows with views of the ocean and private patios. The suites offer automated blinds, making it easy to stay in bed and watch the sunrise. You\u2019ll want to walk the beach in the morning, lazily dip in the ocean in the afternoon, and watch the sun set over the horizon as night falls.<\/p>
Of course, Cayman isn\u2019t all Seven Mile Beach. Make time for Stingray City, where the undulating creatures will nibble on squid from between your fingers. Locals will send you to Mango Tree, in George Town, where you can feast on braised oxtail and wash it down with a Caybrew, the locally made lager. At night on the West Bay, Macabuca, the tiki bar behind the fancier Cracked Conch, lets you sip a mai tai while watching divers disappear in the dark water.<\/p>
The coral reefs here are some of the Caribbean\u2019s most highly protected, so prioritize snorkeling or scuba diving. Cemetery Beach is just a mile from the Seafire, where you can rent snorkeling equipment and swim out a couple of hundred yards to a reef. (Make sure you bring a life vest and flippers\u2014the water is about 10 feet deep.) On the north side of the island, Rum Point offers the same picturesque views as Seven Mile with fewer tourists and shallower waters for swimming.<\/p>
There is some local angst about the influence of big money here. Calico Jack\u2019s, the divey beach bar next to the Seafire, plans to move after 15 years when its lease is up. The rumor is that Dart wants to open a wine bar. As the bartender tells me about this, I can hear reggaeton blasting from a nearby pavilion, where about a dozen locals are playing dominoes and drinking beer. They hand me a Budweiser. Seven Mile\u2019s resorts aren\u2019t far, and neither are moments like this.<\/p>","byline":"Matt Goodman","reservation_url":"https:\/\/www.seafireresortandspa.com\/","expedia_url":"","image_url":["https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Acapulco-Mexico-Banyan-Tree-Cabo-Marque\u0301s-Ocean-View-Pool-Villa.jpg","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Acapulco-Mexico-Banyan-Tree-Cabo-Marque\u0301s-Saffron-restaurant.jpg"],"image_credit":"Elizabeth Lavin","link_url":""},{"title":"Lake Austin Spa Resort","card_style":"Travel Card","collection_number":"","sponsored":"","location":"Austin, Texas","category":"Resort","distances":["Road Trip"],"categories":["Resort"],"price_points":["Hill Country"],"cost_per_night":"$750+","travel_time":"3 hour drive","dont_miss":"","content":"
As my car barreled south down I-35 to the Hill Country, my friend Kim sat in the passenger seat and perused the New York-deli-size menu of activities offered at Lake Austin Spa Resort, reading them aloud, circling the ones she thought we should experience. \u201cGuitar meditation. That sounds fun. Belly dancing core cardio. We need this. Drumming for full body strength. That may be too hard. Let\u2019s try paddleboard yoga instead.\u201d<\/p>
By the time we arrived, she\u2019d chosen 26 activities for our three-night stay. I was psyched as we checked into our quaint lakefront room; despite demand for more, there are only 40, sitting on a rise above the main compound. A stone wall divides the private accommodations from the 25,000-square-foot LakeHouse Spa at the end of the 19-acre property. Daily customers are picked up in downtown Austin and transported to the property on a luxe water taxi.<\/p>
From our patio, we watched a yoga class set up on a wooden deck cantilevered over the lake. People walked by dressed in white terry cloth robes, which was a little unsettling. Had we entered the inner sanctum of a New Age cult? Overcome by the eerie calm, I decided to postpone my chance to improve my wounded peaco*ck pose until the next day and took a nap instead.<\/p>
I managed to get my heart rate up on the three-minute walk to the lovely dining room overlooking the lake. Kim and I were the only two in street clothes. After a three-course meal with wine, we decided to forgo the 8 p.m. Habits for Happiness workshop and get back into our cozy beds.<\/p>
The next morning, we enjoyed a leisurely breakfast, managing to make the daily noon boat cruise downriver. As we embarked, Kim looked at the paddleboards and asked the nice attendant if they were safe. \u201cWe haven\u2019t had one person end up in the water,\u201d she said.<\/p>
We found a spot in the sun and chatted with other passengers. We met a mother and her three daughters who had all traveled from different points for a five-day reunion and a couple rekindling their relationship. The boat driver told us people come from all over the world to visit the spa.<\/p>
And rightfully so. For 20 years, Lake Austin Spa Resort has offered sophisticated spa treatments, healthy cuisine, and unlimited activities in a deeply restorative and natural environment. It\u2019s aged gracefully along the way. The main living rooms still have the old lake house feel, with scads of elegantly lived-in upholstered chairs and couches arranged on layers of colorful rugs.<\/p>
To celebrate its 20th anniversary, the spa is offering 20 new services. I enjoyed an 80-minute Gifts and Graces massage designed for people under extreme stress or with overactive minds. Kim headed for the paddleboard experience. She was only mildly humiliated when they pulled her from the water. <\/p>","byline":"Nancy Nichols","reservation_url":"https:\/\/www.lakeaustin.com\/","expedia_url":"","image_url":["https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/lake-austin.jpg","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/lake-austin-spa-resort-massage.jpg","","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/lake-austin-spa-resort.jpg"],"image_credit":"Courtesy of Vendor","link_url":""},{"title":"Living Waters On Lake Travis","card_style":"Travel Card","collection_number":"","sponsored":"","location":"Spicewood, Texas","category":"Ranch\/Rustic","distances":["Road Trip"],"categories":["Ranch\/Rustic"],"price_points":["Hill Country"],"cost_per_night":"$100\u2013$395 in season","travel_time":"4 hour drive","dont_miss":"Massage","content":"
At Living Waters on Lake Travis, the main three-story straw-bale house was built by Joanna Long, a painter, massage therapist, and sound healer. Its foundation was blessed by monks, and a vial of water\u2014the living water in the property\u2019s name\u2014is under the floor. I\u2019m here for a soulful retreat.<\/p>
Situated in a waterfront neighborhood, the secluded compound has an eco-friendly ethos at its core. It\u2019s reflected in the three cabins designed by architect Marley Porter. Their roofs angled for rainwater collection, they look like tiny houses with a modernist bent, masculine angles and feminine curves meeting one another harmoniously. Porter\u2019s design creates its own energy. I find myself thinking in terms of healing auras.<\/p>
My cottage is intimate and snug, with a carved wood sink and loft bed. I can do misty morning yoga on the platform that overlooks the Pedernales River, whose water I can see beyond the fringe of trees. We\u2019re close to nature, sitting on the boat dock as the sun sets, or lolling in the hot tub near an outdoor fireplace. Deer peer at us, silhouetted at the top of the embankment that slopes down from the native garden\u2019s mosaics to the stowed kayaks at the water\u2019s edge.<\/p>
On a hike in Grelle Recreation Area, 15 minutes away, I catch sight of more deer, wild boar, a profusion of birds, and a lone coyote, who lopes away across the Hill Country bluff. Nearby, at Krause Springs, blooms are coming out in the gorgeously tended butterfly garden with wind chimes, palms, and native plants. A path leads through the picnic grounds to a natural spring that flows over a moss- and fern-draped waterfall into a rock pool below, maintaining 68 degrees all year, making it a cold-water gem in the summer.<\/p>
Back at Living Waters, a pillow infused with ylang-ylang essential oil welcomes my cheek. Property manager Todd Barber doubles as a massage therapist. He has a degree in exercise science and experience in deep tissue, trigger point, myofascial release, and reiki healing. He brings all of these together intuitively. My hourlong massage extends well beyond, and I sink into a reverie, as rain patters on the roof of the treehouse room where he does all his work. I am a new person when I leave. When I climb up to my bed that night, I feel taken care of, body and soul, and part of the greater rhythms of life.<\/p>","byline":"Eve Hill-Agnus","reservation_url":"https:\/\/livingwatersonlaketravis.wordpress.com\/","expedia_url":"","image_url":["https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/living-waters-lake-travis.jpg"],"image_credit":"Elizabeth Lavin","link_url":""},{"title":"Miraval Austin","card_style":"Travel Card","collection_number":"","sponsored":"","location":"Hill Country, Texas","category":"Resort","distances":["Road Trip"],"categories":["Resort"],"price_points":["Hill Country"],"cost_per_night":"$650+","travel_time":"3 hour drive","dont_miss":"\u201cJust Cook for Me Chef\u201d","content":"
A sibling to the famed Arizona-based Miraval (perhaps best known as home to Oprah\u2019s favorite spa), the Austin retreat sits on 220 acres of Texas Hill Country surrounded by spectacular views of Lake Travis. As soon as I walked into the chic arrival center, I was given a complimentary beverage and a welcome bag stocked with blank stationery (to write my future self a letter). Along with a reminder to refrain from phone use while on the grounds, it was made clear from the start that Miraval is as much about mindfulness as it is relaxation.<\/p>
If the letter writing rings a bit campy, it\u2019s because Miraval is truly a luxury summer camp for adults\u2014albeit one with the world\u2019s most comfortable bed (the company graciously sells its marshmallowy feather toppers online). My first activity: a ropes course filled with couples and mother-daughter duos who were veterans of the Arizona resort (Miraval junkies are absolutely a thing). It felt as much like a group therapy session as it did a challenge. My sister, perhaps on purpose, arrived from California just after the course but in time for a wine-fueled and extremely healthy group dinner, where I reconvened with my newfound friends. We all stayed up past midnight, drinking red wine around the restaurant\u2019s handsome stone-covered fireplace, having the kind of instantly intimate conversations a camp environment\u2014and, perhaps, alcohol\u2014encourages. We were all in this immersive, mindful luxury together.<\/p>
We began our first full Miraval day with vegan blueberry pancakes and matcha lattes, followed by an itinerary full of aromatherapy massages; a visit to Cypress Creek Farm; and \u201cfloating meditation,\u201d when we swayed in silk hammocks to the sounds of crystal bowls. (Other programming options included astrology basics, equine therapy, and mindful eating.) That night, the weekenders gathered for a healthy gourmet meal cooked in the Williams Sonoma-stocked \u201cLife in Balance\u201d kitchen. My sister and I sat with two best friends and Miraval devotees, Sue and Martha. Perhaps we had all just reached some sort of blissed-out state of wellness equilibrium, but the four of us immediately felt we\u2019d be friends.<\/p>","byline":"Caitlin Clark","reservation_url":"https:\/\/www.miravalresorts.com\/austin","expedia_url":"","image_url":["https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/miraval-austin.jpg","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/miraval-stretch-class.jpg","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/miraval-direction-sign.jpg","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/miraval-ceviche.jpg","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/miraval-burrata.jpg"],"image_credit":"Elizabeth Lavin","link_url":""},{"title":"Montage Big Sky","card_style":"Travel Card","collection_number":"","sponsored":"","location":"Big Sky, Montana","category":"Resort","distances":["Domestic Flight"],"categories":["Resort"],"price_points":["Montana"],"cost_per_night":"$500+","travel_time":"3 hour flight","dont_miss":"Since your schedule (like mine) will more than likely be full of outdoor activities regardless of when you go, consider booking during a time when you can watch others do the work. August 2\u20135 is the 90th installment of Big Sky Pro Rodeo, held a short drive down the mountain from Montage. I missed it by a week when I visited. Word was, one of the bulls got loose and had himself a self-guided tour of the town center. Additional report: that\u2019s not an unusual occurrence!","content":"
The joke I heard on the way to Montage Big Sky is that all the people who moved to Montana because of 1992\u2019s A River Runs Through It are ticked off at the people moving here now because of Kevin Costner\u2019s Yellowstone. Craig, who drove me from the airport in Bozeman, about an hour away, says he prefers the prequel miniseries 1883. He\u2019s also surprised that I flew directly from Dallas; Southwest (apparently pretty quietly) launched the route in 2021.<\/p>
Jokes aside, it\u2019s immediately clear what Montana\u2019s appeal is. Just look through any nearby window or, better yet, go outside. That\u2019s what I did almost as soon as I dropped off my bags at the resort, and I stayed out there as much as I could for the next few days.<\/p>
Turns out, I\u2019m amazing at shooting a bow and arrow. Not bow hunting, technically, because I was aiming at life-size wildlife targets shaped like deer and bears and so on, and maybe not exactly world class, but who knows if my talent had been discovered earlier in life? Will\u2014my guide from Compass Sports, which handles all of Montage\u2019s recreational activities\u2014told me I set a course record, and I know he was gassing me up a little, probably, but not a lot. Once I figured out which eye to use (I am sort of selectively ambidextrous), I missed only a couple of shots the entire time, and my hits were hits, right in the meaty center of all those fake hearts. (Will also told me that Bozeman is \u201cthe next Boulder,\u201d and he would know, since that is where he came from.)<\/p>
Also, I am a pro at driving one of those four-wheel-drive vehicles that look like golf carts from Fury Road. With Greg, my new pal from Compass, riding shotgun, I took one to the top of a mountain ridge and back down on a rough-hewn path littered with small boulders and slick with mud. Regarding the latter, I managed to steer out of a skid that sent us sideways on a 45-degree decline. Regarding the former, the 36-mile round trip shook me enough to burn almost 1,000 calories (according to my Apple Watch). But it was all worth it when we got to the top. \u201cNow you can see why they call it Lone Mountain,\u201d Greg said. \u201cDays like this it almost looks fake, like a painting.\u201d<\/p>
I was not as good at fly fishing, which I had done before and which I still couldn\u2019t quite get the hang of. At least not for a good long while, even with a professional-level teacher helping with my form and telling me within an inch or two where a fish may be lurking as we floated down the Madison River. It was a beautiful afternoon, regardless, perfect August weather on a mountain-fed stream that looked and smelled and felt like a real river, not some glorified ditch. Imagine fishing in a Coors commercial.<\/p>
Skill level-wise, I was somewhere in the middle when it came to an impromptu outing to Hebgen Lake. After fishing, Greg invited me for a cruise on his boat, where we were joined by a handful of long-term seasonal Big Sky workers in their 20s. I was fine enough sitting on the back of the boat and soaking up the sunshine and the deep-blue view. Maybe not quite as good at shotgunning a beer, something I either have never done\u2014I prefer chugging, like a gentleman\u2014or haven\u2019t done in so long that I\u2019ve forgotten. But I did well enough to fit in for the afternoon. <\/p>
I suspect I would not have done as well skiing, but I\u2019ll have to go back and find out when there is snow on the ground. And there is plenty of skiing (and snowboarding) to be had if you are interested; Big Sky has the largest skiable terrain in North America. (In fact, skiing is why Big Sky exists. NBC newscaster Chet Huntley started developing one of the first ski resorts in the area in the early 1970s, just before he died.) <\/p>
The hotel itself: a high-end ski lodge decorated with giant David Yarrow photographs of various wildlife among its $1 million in curated art. It\u2019s the first luxury resort in Big Sky, and the biggest building in Montana (deceptively so), big enough to comfortably house a full gym and spa.<\/p>
You can take a car to the village down the mountain, but there is no real reason to. At least until you have to leave the premises and head home. The drive back to Bozeman was slower because Montana is seemingly always developing, from Huntley\u2019s time until now. \u201cMontana has three seasons,\u201d my new driver told me. \u201cWinter, summer, and construction.\u201d <\/p>","byline":"Zac Crain","reservation_url":"https:\/\/www.montage.com\/bigsky\/","expedia_url":"","image_url":["https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/yellowstone-buffalo-roaming.jpg","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Montage-Big-Sky-Big-Sky-Montana-view.jpg"],"image_credit":"Christian Horan","link_url":""},{"title":"Naviva","card_style":"Travel Card","collection_number":"","sponsored":"","location":"Punta Mita, Mexico","category":"","distances":["International Flight"],"categories":"","price_points":["Mexico"],"cost_per_night":"Starts at $3,950 for a standard tent; $4,950 for a grand tent","travel_time":"2.5 hour flight + a 45 minute drive","dont_miss":"Ask your Naviva guide to shuttle you to the nearby surfer town of Sayulita. Rent a board and book a lesson with one of the area surf schools, or throw down a beach blanket and watch the pros who flock to the area. If you prefer to stay closer to home, take a four-minute golf cart ride to the Four Seasons Punta Mita, which boasts three pools, two beaches, a spa, and more than 10 bars and restaurants. Naviva guests have full access to all Four Seasons amenities.","content":"
Long buried beneath loads of unfolded laundry and 16,238 unread emails, my inner peace resurfaces midway through a sound healing session, when my guide, Adrian, places a singing bowl on my sternum and strikes the side, sending humming vibrations through my chest. I\u2019m lying in an open-air gazebo a thousand miles from home, atop a rocky cliffside that overlooks the Pacific Ocean. The wind whips the canvas curtains that line the structure\u2019s perimeter and sends the waves crashing, one after another, onto the rocks below. The smell of incense swirls in the salty air. And through closed eyes, I can see the glow of the sun\u2019s last rays before it disappears behind the horizon. It\u2019s the best I\u2019ve felt in who knows how long. And it took less than three hours of being at Naviva, A Four Seasons Resort, for months of stress and tension to melt away. <\/p>
Tucked among 48 forested acres on the private peninsula of Punta Mita, Mexico\u2014a 45-minute drive from the Puerto Vallarta airport\u2014the just-opened, adults-only Naviva is an environmentally immersive luxury escape. The facility\u2019s guest accommodations, outbuildings, and pathways were woven strategically within the landscape to preserve as much of the natural vegetation as possible. Combined with the fact that the capacity maxes out at 30 guests (we were just two of eight during our visit), the unspoiled surrounding provides a level of tranquility and solitude one wouldn\u2019t expect less than a half-mile from the bustling bars and restaurants of Four Seasons Punta Mita (which Naviva guests have full access to). <\/p>
Nature was also at the forefront of the resort\u2019s design, which utilizes natural materials and facilitates indoor-outdoor cohesion wherever possible. The 15 stand-alone guest \u201ctents\u201d\u2014which demonstrate a very loose application of the word\u2014are deluxe in every way, with sliding glass walls that allow you to open the well-outfitted bedroom to the screened-in living area, outdoor patio, and private plunge pool. <\/p>
Despite its wealth of health-promoting programming, Naviva doesn\u2019t bill itself as a wellness resort. Instead, it emphasizes liberation rather than restriction; saying yes to new experiences and enjoying more of whatever makes you happiest. If that\u2019s culinary indulgence, the food and drinks are top notch. If that\u2019s relaxation, grab a cabana on the secluded beach, enjoy a spa treatment, or sample the range of om-inducing options, from yoga and meditation sessions to the aforementioned sound healing. Or, if you\u2019re looking to push your limits, hit the outdoor gym (with weights carved from local stone), try a free-diving breathwork session, or brave the temazcal, a sweat lodge ceremony meant to symbolize rebirth. Best of all, because Naviva is all-inclusive, you can say yes\u2014to another round of co*cktails, a massage, or a mind-opening experience\u2014without stress.<\/p>
Guest requests, too, are only answered in the affirmative. The staff, who you\u2019ll come to know by name, are there to cater to your every whim and facilitate what they call \u201cunscripted\u201d moments, like surfside dinners or private reiki sessions. You\u2019re made to feel as though you\u2019re staying at a friend\u2019s house, with all the familiarity and flexibility that comes along with that. <\/p>
On the last full day of our stay, after enjoying a poolside lunch of fresh ceviche, I was the lone guest floating in the three-level infinity pool. Visions of my rapidly filling inbox flashed in my mind before Jorge, the poolside server, approached to ask if I\u2019d like my mezcal margarita refreshed. For one more fantastical day, I would hold on to my rediscovered Zen and the power that saying\u2014and hearing\u2014\u201cyes\u201d can hold. <\/p>","byline":"Jessica Otte","reservation_url":"https:\/\/www.fourseasons.com\/naviva\/","expedia_url":"","image_url":["https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Naviva-A-Four-Seasons-Resort-Punta-Mita-Mexico.jpg","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/A-Four-Seasons-Resort-Punta-Mita-Mexico-private-tent.jpg"],"image_credit":"Courtesy Naviva","link_url":""},{"title":"Omni Fort Worth Hotel","card_style":"Travel Card","collection_number":"","sponsored":"","location":"Fort Worth, Texas","category":"Hotel","distances":["Road Trip"],"categories":["Hotel"],"price_points":["North Texas"],"cost_per_night":"$189\u2013$660","travel_time":"45 minute drive","dont_miss":"Stroll down Magnolia Avenue","content":"
It\u2019s a Friday night at the White Elephant Saloon and a man in impossibly tight Wranglers sends his dance partner spinning past him, holding her hand tight as her arm extends at the elbow. She shoots back to his chest, each of them carefully scooting boots to avoid hitting the other three couples that crisscross the tiny wooden dance floor like pinballs. This is Texas\u2019 last big city to really feel like the imagined Texas. The red bricks of the Stockyards still lead you to aging honky-tonks and custom bootmakers and horse stables. Downtown, cowboy-hatted businessmen stroll past the art deco towers that have housed oil companies for decades. But if you spend your whole trip in these moments, you\u2019ll miss the Fort Worth that\u2019s sprouting all over the city.<\/p>
There are the co*cktail lounges, restaurants, theaters, fitness studios, and art galleries that populate the Near Southside, a 1,400-acre neighborhood abutting the Medical District. There is the loud nightlife that pours into West Seventh on the weekends. The Cultural District\u2019s museums embody the disparate personalities of their city: the cowboy art of the Amon Carter, the class of the Kimbell, the daring of The Modern.<\/p>
Stay at the Omni downtown and you\u2019ll be in the middle of it all. Chances are your room will have unobstructed views of the whole city. My fianc\u00e9e spent her Saturday morning in the Mokara Spa, where she was whisked away from a waiting room flooded with sunlight into a dimly lit massage room that smelled of essential oils. I walked to the redone Sundance Square and sat on the plaza at the Bird Cafe. Have brunch here\u2014the pulled goat scrambled into duck eggs was fantastic\u2014and watch a small army of kids dart through a couple hundred in-ground nozzles that shoot water a dozen feet in the air.<\/p>
From downtown, rent a bike (Fort Worth has docking stations!) and ride along the newly redone South Main Street, past all the century-old warehouses that are morphing into storefronts and apartments. Steer over to Magnolia Avenue, a meandering boulevard that helped spur this area\u2019s redevelopment two decades ago. Many of its old standards are as good as ever. The Usual is still a daring co*cktail bar without pretension, one that has the gall to combine apple brandy and mezcal with bitters and agave nectar and name it for Ted Cruz with a hint of King of the Hill (\u201cThat Boy Ain\u2019t Right\u201d). Shinjuku Station has become one of the city\u2019s most venerable restaurants\u2014an always-packed Japanese izakaya serving up small plates of seared baby octopus and snapper sashimi.<\/p>
That\u2019s not to say the Fort Worth you\u2019ve always known has gone anywhere. Reata, in the heart of downtown, is still filled with cowboy regalia and serves up the best frontier cuisine this side of Buffalo Gap. Sit on the roof, order the night\u2019s game special (mine: perfectly charred duck breast over a bed of grits and spinach fried crisp), and close the evening with a cup of pecan coffee. You didn\u2019t forget you were in Fort Worth, did you?<\/p>","byline":"Matt Goodman","reservation_url":"","expedia_url":"","image_url":["https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/fort-worth.jpg"],"image_credit":"Jeremy Enlow","link_url":""},{"title":"Omni PGA Frisco","card_style":"Travel Card","collection_number":"","sponsored":"","location":"Dallas, Texas","category":"Hotel","distances":["Staycation"],"categories":["Hotel"],"price_points":["North Texas"],"cost_per_night":"$363","travel_time":"","dont_miss":"","content":"
A few years back, I walked out onto a 660-acre ranch in North Frisco. The PGA of America, Omni Hotels & Resorts, and City of Frisco leaders talked about the future of the land. It included two championship golf courses, an Omni resort, the headquarters for the PGA of America, and an entertainment district. The value of the project? $550 million.<\/p>
Fast forward to a few weekends ago, when I finally experienced the golf oasis\u2014which officially opened in May 2023\u2014in its entirety. My wife and I checked in to the 500-room resort on a Friday morning. Upon stepping in, I couldn\u2019t help but feel as if I was in a place embodying the historic properties that run alongside the Old Course in St. Andrews, Scotland, the country-western warmth of Fort Worth, and the opulence of Dallas.<\/p>
Each guest room features a painting inspired by head of design Laura McKoy and her team\u2019s conversations with the original ranch hands on the 660 acres. \u201c[The land\u2019s original owner Bert Fields] acquired the land by working in the oil fields, and people weren\u2019t able to pay him back. So they were giving him land in return, and he had this truck that he was servicing. The truck was up there, so we photographed it, and it\u2019s in all the guest rooms,\u201d McKoy says.<\/p>
Luxury suites at the resort include the Chairman Suite\u2014a 1,500-square-foot loft featuring a dining room, a king bedroom, and an entertainment room equipped with a pool table. The Presidential Suite is a 1,300-square-foot space with one king bed, a living room, floor-to-ceiling windows with panoramic views of the golf courses, and a game room. Omni PGA Frisco also offers ten four-bedroom, 2,300-square-foot Ranch Houses for a more private residential stay\u2014which come with private in-home chef experiences.<\/p>
First up for my wife and I was an all-day reservation for a semi-private cabana at the adults-only infinity pool overlooking the entire property. It was the perfect place for us to kick back, unplug, sip on some drinks, and enjoy a view that transported us from the hustle of Dallas. Each pool throughout the property has its own co*cktail menu. Here, my wife and I enjoyed a few Coco Berry Mojitos. The Rays for Days, which features High West Bourbon, Grand Marnier, fresh lemon, golden turmeric syrup, orange bitters, and club soda is also a must-try.<\/p>
For dinner and entertainment Friday night, my wife and I made a reservation at the Topgolf Lounge in the Monument Realty PGA District. The lounge features five golf simulator suites\u2014big enough for groups of a dozen\u2014featuring Toptracer technology. You can choose between playing a virtual course or other games like dodgeball against zombies.<\/p>
For our meal, we started with the burrata adorned with torched tomato, arugula, blueberries, and spiced vinaigrette and the Butcher Board, which features fennel sausage, smoked sausage, and ranch beans topped with cotija. For mains, the lounge features classic bar foods like flat breads, burgers, bratwurst, and tacos. Or you can opt for something a little more elevated like the Arctic salmon or the filet banh mi, a flat iron steak sandwich on a baguette.<\/p>
The Monument Realty PGA District is bustling in the evenings. For some free fun, the Dance Floor\u2014a 2-acre putting course\u2014is where families and friends can casually competing against each other as they make their way around the designated holes. Think mini golf without windmills on an actual putting green. For shopping, the district offers a toy shop, a PGA merchandise shop, a boutique featuring women\u2019s cowboy boots, hats, and luxury leather goods, and a women\u2019s boutique selling collections of resort wear.<\/p>
The evening is also the perfect time to play The Swing, the 10-hole, lighted par 3 course with holes ranging between 50\u2013100 yards. There\u2019s also the Ice House, which has a handful of tech-infused indoor hitting bays to launch golf balls onto the driving range\u2014you can enjoy local barbecue and an expansive drink list there, as well.<\/p>
Saturday morning is when I hit the course for 18 holes. I opted to play Fields Ranch East\u2014the course that hosted the 2023 KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship, and will host the aforementioned \u201927 PGA Championship and, possibly, the \u201941 Ryder Cup. The East course is walking only (no golf carts) until later in the day, but walking a course\u2014especially of this caliber\u2014is peaceful for me.<\/p>
Meanwhile, my wife enjoyed her version of peace by sunbathing, reading, and drinking tea-infused co*cktails from the leisure pool bar at the ground-level pool running along the 10th fairway. Her favorites were the Tropical Tea Time (featuring coconut rum, hibiscus tea, and a plethora of fruit flavors) and the Deep End (featuring Ketel One Vodka, chamomile lemon tea, and various lemon flavors).<\/p>","byline":"Ben Swanger","reservation_url":"https:\/\/www.omnihotels.com\/hotels\/pga-frisco","expedia_url":"","image_url":["https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/OMNI_DALPGA_04_2023_EXTERIOR_0064-scaled.jpg","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/OMNI_DALPGA_04_2023_1_BED_SUITE_LIVING-scaled.jpg","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/OMNI_DALPGA_04_2023_ICEHOUSE_HITTING_BAY_1__2-scaled.jpg","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/43821_DALPGA-Omni_PGA_Frisco_Resort-2023-library_pool_table_-scaled.jpg","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/43866_DALPGA-Omni_PGA_Frisco_Resort-2023-lobby_seating_area_front_desk_-scaled.jpg","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/43846_DALPGA-Omni_PGA_Frisco_Resort-2023-presidential_suite_guestroom_LKPRA-scaled.jpg","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Fields-ranch-east-hole-13-with-water-tower-scaled.jpg"],"image_credit":"Courtesy of Vendor","link_url":""},{"title":"Palo Duro Canyon","card_style":"Travel Card","collection_number":"","sponsored":"","location":"Texas Panhandle","category":"Ranch\/Rustic","distances":["Road Trip"],"categories":["Ranch\/Rustic"],"price_points":["West Texas"],"cost_per_night":"$249\u2013$450 (weekend rate $299\u2013$525)","travel_time":"6 hour drive","dont_miss":"Hike to The Lighthouse","content":"
This is where Georgia O\u2019Keeffe first painted the West, struck by the way the ancient geology of the canyon\u2019s stratified sedimentary walls captures radiant color and dazzling shifts in light. It was also a stopping point for Francisco V\u00e1zquez de Coronado and his conquistadors on their fated journey toward a fictional city of gold, the place where the Comanches made their last stand, and the spot where Charles Goodnight established the JA Ranch. It\u2019s that history that makes an exploration of the canyon feel like a layered, transfixing experience\u2014an engagement with both the beauty and mystery of a place.<\/p>
Palo Duro is called the \u201cGrand Canyon of Texas,\u201d and as the United States\u2019 second-biggest canyon, it deserves the title. Yet something about the comparison doesn\u2019t feel accurate. Palo Duro is a staggering interruption to the endless flat of the Texas Panhandle\u2014the desertlike prairie inexplicably sinking into a maze of cliffs and wide-open vistas. This landscape doesn\u2019t inspire awe like the Grand Canyon. Rather, Palo Duro delights in its subtleties, which invite closer inspection.<\/p>
These days, Palo Duro Canyon is home to one of Texas\u2019 most popular state parks, attracting hikers, mountain bikers, equestrians, and campers particularly during the milder spring and fall months. A prime home base for exploring its natural wonders is the Doves Rest Cabins, started by Jeff Means (a veteran of the corporate and luxury travel industries) as an upscale take on Airbnb. Means and his partner have built a collection of comfortable cabins on some of the choicest spots along the canyon rim; for the best view, pick the SkyHouse or ChairLift cabins. From Doves Rest, it is just a few minutes\u2019 drive to any of the state park\u2019s trailheads, as well as the Palo Duro Riding Stables, which offers guided tours for riders of all levels.<\/p>
Palo Duro\u2019s most popular hike winds along the canyon floor toward the famous Lighthouse hoodoo formation, but there are dozens of miles of trails that wander throughout the canyon. Although it can be brutally hot in the summer, the park still attracts visitors for the Texas Outdoor Musical, which tells a schmaltzy, comedic version of the history of the state. And while you are hiking the Panhandle, Caprock Canyons\u2014another dramatic setting along the edge of the Llano Estacado\u2014is well worth the hour drive for more challenging trails, a prairie dog village, and a chance to glimpse the official state bison herd.<\/p> While there aren\u2019t many dining options nearby\u2014Amarillo is 30 minutes away\u2014a trip to Palo Duro is really all about soaking up the outdoors. After a day on the trail, you couldn\u2019t ask for a better retreat than Doves Rest. The cabins feature a well-equipped kitchen, propane grill, fireplace (stocked with more firewood than you would ever need), and fire pit overlooking the canyon. After you settle in, you won\u2019t want to go anywhere.","byline":"Peter Simek","reservation_url":"http:\/\/www.palodurocanyon.com\/","expedia_url":"","image_url":["https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/palo-duro-canyon-bike.jpg","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/palo-duro-canyon.jpg"],"image_credit":"Elizabeth Lavin","link_url":""},{"title":"Paradise on Lake Texoma","card_style":"Travel Card","collection_number":"","sponsored":"","location":"Pottsboro, Texas","category":"Ranch\/Rustic","distances":["Road Trip"],"categories":["Ranch\/Rustic"],"price_points":["North Texas"],"cost_per_night":"~$119-$129","travel_time":"2 hour drive","dont_miss":"Stop at Sara\u2019s Market & Bakery for fresh plums and yogurt for breakfast; whole wheat pitas, baba ghanouj, and feta for lunch; lamb chops and fresh fava bean pods for grilling; and halal marshmallows, graham crackers, and European chocolate for s\u2019mores.","content":"
I spent the first 18 years of my life vacationing solely in tents. It runs in the family; my great-grandfather owned a canvas tent company. But sometimes a girl gets tired of waking up in the morning and being told to wipe the condensation and mud off the tarp with paper towels to keep the mildew at bay. A solid roof, air conditioning, and a place to plug in my hair dryer (no cellphones back then) were the amenities of my dreams.<\/p>
Paradise on Lake Texoma is designed to satisfy everyone from camping purists to finicky teens. There\u2019s a walk-in primitive camping area in addition to seven sites with picnic tables and power hookups. There are 50 fully outfitted RV sites, just steps from the lake. There are a few dated cabins and the Paradise Express, a converted train car with a couple of basic bedrooms and bathrooms. But the newest and cutest options are the tiny \u201ckasitas\u201d and \u201ckabanas.\u201d<\/p>
Each mod unit has its own cozy patio and seating area overlooking the lake; an all-in-one barbecue station with a charcoal grill and sink connected to a hose; a fire pit; and a simply furnished interior with a mini fridge, Bluetooth speaker, USB charging station, and a small air conditioning and heating unit. Kabanas are outfitted with a queen bed; kasitas have a king-size daybed and a child-size sleeping loft. A bathhouse with showers is just up the drive.<\/p>
There\u2019s a protected cove with a sandy beach around the corner, and stand-up paddleboards and kayaks are available for rent. There\u2019s not much in the way of hiking on-site, but just to the south is Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge, where you\u2019ll find a number of nature trails ranging from less than a mile to nearly 6 miles round-trip. They traverse native prairie and bottomland hardwood forests, and offer plenty of bird-watching and wildflower viewing opportunities.<\/p>
Save for the potential for wild boar encounters, my teenage self would be jealous. <\/p>","byline":"Kathy Wise","reservation_url":"https:\/\/paradisetexoma.com\/","expedia_url":"","image_url":["https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Lake-Texoma-tiny-homes.jpg"],"image_credit":"Elizabeth Lavin","link_url":""},{"title":"Park Hyatt St. Kitts Christopher Harbour","card_style":"Travel Card","collection_number":"","sponsored":"","location":"St. Kitts","category":"Resort","distances":["International Flight"],"categories":["Resort"],"price_points":["St. Kitts"],"cost_per_night":"$270+","travel_time":"5 hour flight","dont_miss":"","content":"
Winding through the streets of St. Kitts, an island nestled in the Eastern Caribbean, roughly 1,200 miles from Miami, the taxi I\u2019m riding in passes lush greenery and colorful houses. \u201cThere are more monkeys on this island than people,\u201d the driver jokes, as I spot budding mango trees with half-eaten fruit lying at their trunks.<\/p>
I\u2019m here in June 2019 for the island\u2019s annual three-night Caribbean music festival (this year, tentatively June 24\u201326), the largest in the world. For a couple of decades running, the St. Kitts Music Festival has generated millions of dollars for the local economy, and it now draws more than 27,000 attendees. Caribbean artists stack the lineup, punctuated by popular acts like French Montana and Ella Mai, along with legendary Motown crooner Smokey Robinson.<\/p>
Between late-night soca sets, I find time to drink and dine. At the Park Hyatt\u2019s Fisherman\u2019s Village restaurant, overlooking Banana Bay with the neighboring island of Nevis in the distance, I enjoy open-air seating and ceviche; coconut curried shrimp and rice; and what will quickly become my Kittitian co*cktail tradition, the Dark and Stormy, made with ginger beer and dark Caribbean rum.<\/p>
The next day, I board a water taxi for a seven-minute ride to Nevis, famously known as Alexander Hamilton\u2019s birthplace. Goats run freely alongside my ATV as I visit old sugarcane mills and walk the beach at Black Sand Cove. Day drinking takes on a new meaning as I joyously go \u201climin\u2019,\u2009\u201d as they say here, passing time at Sunshine\u2019s Beach Bar & Grill with its signature Killer Bee co*cktail.<\/p>
Back in my room, I step barefoot onto the patio, soaking in the mountainous terrain. The music now a memory, I allow the sounds of the ocean, wind, and monkeys to rock me to sleep.<\/p>","byline":"Leah Frazier","reservation_url":"https:\/\/www.hyatt.com\/shop\/rooms\/skbph?rooms=1&adults=1&kids=0&src=adm_sem_crp_chico_crp_ppc_LAC-SaintKittsandNevis-None-Country-General-ALL_google_Evergreen2022_e_hyatt%20st%20kitts&checkinDate=2024-06-17&checkoutDate=2024-06-18&hpesrId=ps__eg5n0WnVPaUsUONTJrGeN_El7lqhDUxN","expedia_url":"","image_url":["https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/St-Kitts-Park-Hyatt.jpg","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/St-Kitts-Park-Hyatt-yoga-677x1016.jpg"],"image_credit":"Elizabeth Lavin","link_url":""},{"title":"Peninsula Papagayo","card_style":"Travel Card","collection_number":"","sponsored":"","location":"Costa Rica","category":"Resort","distances":["Domestic Flight"],"categories":["Resort"],"price_points":["Costa Rica"],"cost_per_night":"$725+","travel_time":"4 hour flight","dont_miss":"","content":"
Peninsula Papagayo sticks out into the Pacific Ocean like a crooked little finger in the far northwest corner of the province of Guanacaste. It lies between the more popular surf-oriented beaches around Tamarindo and the remote wilds of Santa Rosa National Park. What makes it worth seeking out is the way it straddles aspects of these two worlds, blending access to rugged wilderness and luxurious accommodations in a location that lies between ocean and bay, mountains and coast.<\/p>
The peninsula is essentially a large gated community inside a tropical dry forest, with multimillion-dollar homes, an Arnold Palmer-designed golf course, and two luxury resorts: the Andaz Costa Rica and the Four Seasons Costa Rica at Peninsula Papagayo. But strict regulations have helped restrain the footprint of this development to preserve the peninsula\u2019s natural ecology. It\u2019s a delicate balance, but one that works. You can step out of your hotel room and, within a few minutes, find yourself hiking along jungle paths as monkeys swing overhead, or swimming over rocky coral reefs with stingrays and sea turtles. For nature lovers who don\u2019t want to sacrifice the perks of a pampered vacation getaway, it is hard to think of a more ideal spot.<\/p>
The Four Seasons sits at a narrow neck near the tip of the peninsula, which allows you to walk from its bayfront beaches to the ocean in a matter of seconds, while restaurants, bars, and watersport rentals are always a stone\u2019s throw away. The Andaz is the new kid on the block, and what it lacks in the Four Seasons\u2019 boisterousness it makes up for in intimacy. Designed by Costa Rican architect Ronald Z\u00fcrcher, the Andaz\u2019s treehouse-like accommodations blend sensitively into the forest canopy, and rooms offer stunning views of a bay that doubles as a humpback whale sanctuary during migration season.<\/p>
You never have to leave the resort\u2019s gates, but after a few days playing on the peninsula, I was eager to escape. Renting a car and heading down the coast led to a string of beautiful beaches. The grungy hippie haven of Tamarindo has been attracting expats for decades, but you\u2019ll be happier seeking out more out-of-the-way spots like the semi-secluded crystalline waters of Playa Conchal. Adventurous travelers will be rewarded pushing on farther south along Costa Rica\u2019s infamously difficult roads. Playa San Juanillo offers a rocky expanse of coastline as tempestuously sublime as Big Sur. At the Ostional Nacional Wildlife Refuge, a local guide will lead you onto the beach at dusk to witness another quintessentially Costa Rican ritual: baby sea turtles hatching in the sand and flapping their way into the sea.<\/p>","byline":"Peter Simek","reservation_url":"https:\/\/peninsulapapagayo.com\/","expedia_url":"","image_url":["https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Peninsula-Papagayo-Costa-Rica-balcony-view.jpg","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Peninsula-Papagayo-Costa-Rica-beach-picnic.jpg","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Peninsula-Papagayo-Costa-Rica-beach.jpg"],"image_credit":"Elizabeth Lavin","link_url":""},{"title":"Perini Ranch","card_style":"Travel Card","collection_number":"","sponsored":"","location":"Buffalo Gap, Texas","category":"Ranch\/Rustic","distances":["Road Trip"],"categories":["Ranch\/Rustic"],"price_points":["Central Texas"],"cost_per_night":"$185\u2013$325","travel_time":"3 hour drive","dont_miss":"","content":"
Food and wine lovers are well-aware of this sleepy little town (population: 463) just 15 miles south of Abilene. They make regular pilgrimages to Perini Ranch Steakhouse, a sprawling restaurant nestled in a field of live oak, cottonwood, mesquite, and pecan trees. There, against the backdrop of grazing longhorn cattle, they feast on perfectly marbled rib-eyes, mesquite-grilled prime rib, or fried catfish. I\u2019d make the drive just for the green chile hominy and zucchini baked in an Italian meat sauce.<\/p>
Recently, I did just that. Over dinner with Lisa and Tom Perini, I listened to Tom talk about his deep family roots here. His parents bought the property in 1952. Tom ran a catering operation out of a chuck wagon for 10 years before he opened the restaurant in 1983. In 2014, the steakhouse was given an America\u2019s Classics award by the James Beard Foundation for its timeless appeal and character.<\/p>
In addition to the restaurant, the property has two guesthouses: the two-bedroom Main House ($325 per night) is a restored 1885 farmhouse with a full kitchen and a back patio that begs you to sit for hours; the smaller Camp House ($185 per night) sleeps three.<\/p>
The Perinis recently converted an old stone home on Litel Street into a charming country store where you\u2019ll find seasonal local produce, kitchenwares, birdhouses, old-fashioned toys, gourmet Perini Ranch rubs and seasonings, and Tom\u2019s Texas Cowboy Cooking cookbook.<\/p>
Across the street, they\u2019ve converted the 1920s general store into The Supper Club. The private event space is decorated with, as Lisa puts it, \u201csome of Tom\u2019s great finds,\u201d such as vintage post office boxes and a long bar that was once the front desk of a Western hotel.<\/p>
Make plans now to get here before the tourists, so you can say you knew Buffalo Gap before it became the new Marfa.<\/p>","byline":"Nancy Nichols","reservation_url":"https:\/\/store.periniranch.com\/","expedia_url":"","image_url":["https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/buffalo-gap-steak.jpg"],"image_credit":"","link_url":""},{"title":"Primland Resort","card_style":"Travel Card","collection_number":"","sponsored":"","location":"Meadows of Dan, Virginia","category":"Resort","distances":["Domestic Flight"],"categories":["Resort"],"price_points":["Virginia"],"cost_per_night":"$800+","travel_time":"2.5 hour flight + 1.5 hour drive","dont_miss":"For the ultimate escape for two, reserve one of the hidden \u201ctree houses\u201d on the property for even more privacy and a patio that pokes out over the Dan River Gorge. They start at $2,000 per night.","content":"
I\u2019m not really sure where Greensboro is, or why I am flying to North Carolina to get to the Meadows of Dan, Virginia, or why the Primland Resort is in a town with a name that is both idyllic and creepy. But no matter. It\u2019s a short, direct two-and-a-half-hour flight, and a lovely man named Roger is there at the gate in the tiny, quaint airport to collect me for my weekend getaway to the Blue Ridge Mountains.<\/p>
The hourlong drive operates as a sort of decompression chamber as we head up into the mountains, past homesteads with ancient log cabins fronted by batches of blooming daffodils and into stands of still-bare poplar and oak trees that are blanketed underneath by shoulder-high rhododendrons about to burst into bloom. When the mountain ridge finally emerges, it is truly, weirdly blue, and I have to do everything in my power not to launch into a John Denver verse and scare poor Roger silly. I need him to keep his focus on the twisty road.<\/p>
When we reach the property, there is still a 30-minute drive to get to the lodge, as this sprawling 12,000-acre mountaintop resort started as the hunting retreat of an outdoorsy tycoon, the French-Swiss billionaire Didier Primat, now deceased, whose family made its fortune with Schlumberger, the American-French oilfield services company. In fact, we pass his former home first, a modest bungalow with a tennis court and a spectacular vista, which you can now reserve. The Celestron CGE Pro 1400 telescope he once kept there on the patio is now in the main lodge in an observatory designed to look like a grain silo. <\/p>
The lodge itself isn\u2019t as highly styled as some other Auberge properties, say the Hotel Jerome in Aspen or the Commodore Perry in Austin. But unlike those resorts, which are set in cities that are often overcrowded these days, the Primland feels like you\u2019ve truly left the world behind. Even though I can see the Donald Steel-designed 18-hole golf course from my expansive suite, at night\u2014in every direction, on every ridge\u2014there isn\u2019t a single visible light from another property.<\/p>
The next day, fortified by a country ham and biscuit breakfast, I decide to hike one of the many trails. The sky has clouded over but my weather app says no rain, so I head out on a challenging option. The route takes me along the ridge, with clear views across the gorge. The trail is studded with rocks and lichen, waterfalls and gurgling streams. For miles, I pass no one, hear no one. I imagine myself a 19th-century trapper or Indigenous hunter until I hear a nearby rustling and suddenly remember Roger\u2019s warning of black bears and copperhead snakes, but, to my relief, four wild turkeys cluck and stroll across the path.<\/p>
After a deeply satisfying pork chop and grits dinner in the lodge restaurant, s\u2019mores by the fire pit, and a bourbon nightcap (get the maple bourbon sour, not the Old Fashioned, or ask the knowledgeable sommelier, Seth, for an expert recommendation from the Schlumberger wine cellar), I get a restful night\u2019s sleep. In the morning, I join a young couple from Georgia and their little terrier on a guided ATV tour. I\u2019m nervous to drive my own vehicle, but with a little taunting from my cohorts and a brief practice run, I take the wheel and am glad I do. We race past the hunting dog kennel and pheasant run, up and down hills, across rivulets, and behind the skeet course. Giggling aloud to myself like a kid, I feel more mindful than I can remember, attuned to the speed, the sounds, the scents, to the wind and splashes of mud and glimpses of clear blue sky.<\/p>
I\u2019m heading down into a wooded valley when the rain starts. Nervous about the slick rocks, I pick up my pace. But the spring rain is warm, and there is nothing for me to do but forge ahead, the smells of earth and spring growth rising as the rain pours down. My poor judgment feels like a gift.<\/p>
That night, after a shower and steam in the spa, I head to the observatory, where an amateur astronomer gives a nightly presentation of the heavens. I line up to take my turn pressing my eye to the lens of Primat\u2019s massive telescope. \u201cDo you see that faint haze?\u201d the astronomer asks. I do. \u201cThose are stars being born,\u201d she says. <\/p>
For the second time that day, I am reminded of my place\u2014one small speck in a wondrous, dangerous universe. <\/p>","byline":"Kathy Wise","reservation_url":"https:\/\/aubergeresorts.com\/primland\/","expedia_url":"","image_url":["https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Primland-Resort-Meadows-of-Dan-Virginia-exterior-aerial.jpg","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/ATV-drive-in-dining-at-Primland-Resort-Meadows-of-Dan-Virginia.jpg"],"image_credit":"Courtesy Auberge Resorts Collection","link_url":""},{"title":"Rancho Cacachilas","card_style":"Travel Card","collection_number":"","sponsored":"","location":"Baja California Sur, M\u00e9xico","category":"Ranch\/Rustic","distances":["International Flight"],"categories":["Ranch\/Rustic"],"price_points":["Mexico"],"cost_per_night":"$300","travel_time":"3 hour flight + 2.5 hour drive","dont_miss":"The closest city, about 30 miles away, is the state\u2019s capital, La Paz, where it\u2019s worth spending a couple days to enjoy its tranquil beaches, its famous fish tacos, and a real shower\u2014when you\u2019re ready to rejoin the world.","content":"
As the sun blazes overhead and the Sea of Cortez glitters in the distance, my guide, Pablo, a local biologist, shows me around Rancho Cacachilas. On this 35,000-acre ranch and glamping destination in the Mexican state of Baja California Sur, the dry land is alive with flowering cacti, chirping birds, and that high-desert silence that somehow manages to echo. <\/p>
The Edenic quality of the place is partly thanks to the money behind it\u2014specifically that of Christy Walton, widowed daughter-in-law of the founder of Walmart and one of the world\u2019s most open-handed philanthropists. But Rancho Cacachilas is, in a phrase, Walmart\u2019s polar opposite. While many resorts claim to be eco-friendly, the descriptor is often meaningless (think paper straws in the poolside co*cktails), whereas the Rancho is an oasis of permaculture and holistic land practices, where all energy is solar, the internet doesn\u2019t exist, and showering involves a bucket. <\/p>
Pablo introduces me to the mules, the stars of the mule riding experience, a two- to four-and-a-half-hour trail ride led by one of the ranchers. Then we visit the goats that feature in the artisanal cheese workshop, where guests have the opportunity to milk the nannies, learn how cheese is made, and then taste samples paired with wine. He shows me the water retention dams that catch the rainwater, contributing to a model of agriculture in Mexico\u2019s most arid state that\u2019s not just sustainable but regenerative. <\/p>
\u201cIn a sustainable system, you leave no footprint,\u201d Pablo says. \u201cIn a regenerative system, you do better. You don\u2019t just leave the environment untouched; you add to it.\u201d That means, among other strategies, that nothing on-site is artificial (they use manure as fertilizer, fermented garlic as pest repellent) and that their livestock grazing system functions to reverse erosion. <\/p>
Rustic though the property is, glamping at Rancho Cacachilas is as posh as glamping gets. Each of the 10 \u201cpalapa casitas\u201d comprises a private porch and spacious tent with either two twin-size beds or one king. During the day, a cleaning service tidies up while you\u2019re out hiking or mountain biking on the 37 miles of trails or cooling off in the natural pool.<\/p>
The property doesn\u2019t have a restaurant, per se, just outdoor tables for dining al fresco on meals made from scratch with ingredients harvested on the property and sourced from local suppliers and producers. There\u2019s never a menu, just one meal for everyone, though the chef will accommodate dietary restrictions. Culinary events throughout the year feature renowned chefs from Los Cabos and beyond and may be worth planning a trip around. (They\u2019re advertised on the Rancho\u2019s social media accounts.) At one dinner, my salad includes edible flowers, carrots yanked straight from the soil, and, of course, goat cheese. The ravioli is fresh, dressed in homemade tomato sauce, and paired with agua de jamaica.<\/p>The most surprising thing about Rancho Cacachilas may be the fact that few people know it exists. I feel torn about sharing it. But hoarding it would feel like hoarding all those stars I saw as I lay in my hammock, outside my tent, soaking up the desert quiet.<\/p>","byline":"","reservation_url":"https:\/\/www.ranchocacachilas.com\/welcome","expedia_url":"","image_url":["https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Rancho-Cacachilas-in-Baja-California-Sur-aerial-1024x683.jpg","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Chivato-nightsky.jpg","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/horseback-riding.jpg","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/nighsky2.jpg","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/bees.jpg","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/local-produce.jpg","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/nighttime.jpg","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/The-mule-ride-experience-Sierra-de-las-Cacachilas-mountains-meet-the-sea-VERT.jpg"],"image_credit":"Courtesy of Vendor","link_url":""},{"title":"Rancho Loma","card_style":"Travel Card","collection_number":"","sponsored":"","location":"Central Texas","category":"Ranch\/Rustic","distances":["Road Trip"],"categories":["Ranch\/Rustic"],"price_points":["Central Texas"],"cost_per_night":"$265+","travel_time":"3 hour drive","dont_miss":"","content":"
I leave Dallas amid a bonanza of wildflowers; by the time I reach the tiny town of Coleman, south of Abilene, I am watching roadrunners dart across the road. Still, I do not expect the beauty and tranquility of Rancho Loma, Laurie and Robert Williamson\u2019s 300-acre escape that feels miles from everything, where you can fill your head with nothing but meadow and sky.<\/p>
The two former Dallas commercial filmmakers, both from West Texas, have constructed a minimalist retreat and are quietly transforming nearby Coleman. They\u2019ve opened a winery and pizzeria across from each other in what is essentially a one-street town with still-abandoned storefronts. There was no big ambition\u2014they just wanted a good place to live.<\/p>
Robert, who is also a photographer, is responsible for the modern ranch accommodations adjacent to their 1870s farmhouse: five tranquil rooms with brushed concrete floors and sliding glass doors that look out onto the land and immense sky. It\u2019s called Rest, and that\u2019s what you do\u2014sketch, read, listen to the wind. You might encounter a longhorn or a shy turtle on a ramble among the mesquite. Sheep and donkeys come in through the scrub at dusk.<\/p>
Laurie oversees Rancho Pizzeria, where she thrusts skillets holding Akaushi steaks into the wood-fired oven. In the morning, her buttermilk biscuits with orange-zest butter accompany soft scrambled eggs, dandelion-yellow, the work of their hens.<\/p>
For the Rancho Loma Vineyards winery, they hired a young, ambitious winemaker and a consultant from the Rh\u00f4ne Valley. With their first harvest, they recently won a TexSom gold medal for their Rh\u00f4ne-style white. At a winemaker\u2019s dinner during my stay, the full line\u2014a crisp Cinsault ros\u00e9, two reds, and two whites\u2014met Laurie\u2019s creamy artichoke risotto, lamb with farro, and strawberries drizzled with balsamic vinegar. All simple, impeccable.<\/p>
Afterward, those of us staying at Rest gather under the stars, wrapping soft throws around us. We didn\u2019t know one another just hours before, but now we\u2019ve wandered barefoot onto the deck with glasses of wine and we share an almost perfect silence, save for the wind that ripples the grasses. Our eyes aren\u2019t big enough to take in the sky.<\/p>","byline":"Eve Hill-Agnus","reservation_url":"http:\/\/rancholoma.com\/","expedia_url":"","image_url":["https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/rancho-lomo.jpg"],"image_credit":"","link_url":""},{"title":"Rancho Pillow","card_style":"Travel Card","collection_number":"","sponsored":"","location":"Round Top, Texas","category":"Ranch\/Rustic","distances":["Road Trip"],"categories":["Ranch\/Rustic"],"price_points":["Hill Country"],"cost_per_night":"$300\u2013$1,500","travel_time":"4 hour drive","dont_miss":"Outdoor bath in the bathing cabana","content":"
With my artist mother, I venture south to join the artists, collectors, and treasure seekers who converge twice a year on the sleepy town of Round Top (population: 90) for Antiques Week. Our destination is Rancho Pillow, a bohemian oasis on the prairie, one collector\u2019s whimsical creation that she has invited others to enjoy.<\/p>
Owner Sheila Youngblood wanted a personal sanctuary where she could go after treasure hunting in Round Top. She found it on 20 acres with a 19th-century farmhouse. Two years ago, she opened up to guests a haven of artsy hideaways that blend eclecticism and history. An Airstream trailer houses the Australian folk band that will play in the evening. A luxurious tepee is hand-painted inside with a vision of the sky. And the 18th-century barn, whose timbers Youngblood had shipped from New York, is filled with folk art that reflects her vibrant style and love of Latin American art.<\/p>
There\u2019s artful whimsy in everything you see and plenty to do\u2014or not do. Dip in the saltwater pool. Soak in the outdoor bathing cabana\u2019s tubs, pampered by salts. I could spend all my time on the wide, deep porch, reading the poems of Hafiz and Octavio Paz, the wind on the prairie alive, and my mind caught up in the stories objects tell.<\/p>
And I find more treasures when I drive into town, stopping along the way to admire knickknacks, curios, and decadent piles of vintage carpets.<\/p>
More senses ignite when we return that night for Rancho Pillow\u2019s Feasts in the Field, two evenings of suppers based around the open fire pit. Steve McHugh of the acclaimed restaurant Cured in San Antonio is our chef, and the crowd draws from all over the country. Something magical happens under the tent, amid pressed-glass goblets and mismatched vintage china collected \u201cin the fields.\u201d We commune, watching the smoke and fading embers, nibbling charcuterie and fennel and cauliflower pickles, and then passing family-style plates around the long tables\u2014fire-roasted lamb and leeks, roasted lemon salad, a mesquite cake. Later, by the fire pit, someone plays the guitar under the stars.<\/p>
I sleep under a sumptuous canopy tent on a king-size mattress, with an accent carpet spread over the grass. I could be with Bedouins in Morocco, or another faraway place. The wind is part of it. So is Youngblood\u2019s imaginative, creative energy. It stirs you. I take the gust with me when I leave.<\/p>","byline":"Eve Hill-Agnus","reservation_url":"https:\/\/www.ranchopillow.com\/","expedia_url":"","image_url":["https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/rancho-pillow.jpg"],"image_credit":"Elizabeth Lavin","link_url":""},{"title":"The Range Vintage Trailer Resort","card_style":"Travel Card","collection_number":"","sponsored":"","location":"Ennis, Texas","category":"Ranch\/Rustic","distances":["Road Trip"],"categories":["Ranch\/Rustic"],"price_points":["North Texas"],"cost_per_night":"$594+ (three-night minimum)","travel_time":"30 minute drive","dont_miss":"Place your order online with Profound Foods for Bean Life coffee and Lenore\u2019s Handmade poppy seed bagels (pack a toaster and French press); Along Came Tamale\u2019s chicken tomatillo tamales; and A Bar N Ranch wagyu rib-eyes. Add a bottle of Dude, Sweet Chocolate\u2019s One Night Stand Potion\u2014a mix of reposado tequila, agave, and dark chocolate\u2014to pour in your evening coffee by the propane-fueled fire pit.","content":"
The bar at The Range Vintage Trailer Resort is fittingly situated in a converted 1959 Airstream with a mirror shine. After bellying up to the counter, we are about to order a couple of Range Waters when we spot Paul\u2019s Rum Surprise on the menu. In addition to being the bartender, Paul is married to Sarah Beauregard, the former Dallas-based marketer who came up with the idea for this place. We figure he knows a good thing when he sees it. So we opt for the Surprise.<\/p>
Our co*cktails match the color of the setting sun behind the windmill-fed swimming pool. We sit on a hay bale and sip as others begin to arrive for the Saturday night dinner of espresso-crusted filets and horseradish whipped potatoes prepared by Keith Browning, whose weekday gig is serving as the executive chef at The Meat Shop in Dallas.<\/p>
A young man with the most beautiful German shepherd I\u2019ve ever seen and an older woman with silver hair and a matching sparkly silver blouse make small talk about where they\u2019ve been and where they are headed in their respective Airstreams. It feels like we are eavesdropping on a secret nomadic world, untethered by mortgages or foundations.<\/p>
Sarah and Paul were avid Airstreamers themselves when Sarah had the idea four years ago to build what she couldn\u2019t find: her dream RV park. One that only let vintage models inside, so as not to junk up the place with modern behemoths. One that was set on a 30-acre wooded property along Ennis\u2019 bluebonnet trails, where the lots could all be spaced at least 100 feet apart and each have its own raised patio with a handcrafted picnic table, propane-fueled fire pit, bronze-colored Weber grill, and shaded hammock under string lights.<\/p>
The Range has only been open a year, but the Beauregards have already anticipated their guests\u2019 every need. They built a cedar timber barn big enough to host weddings, dug a pond for fishing, and added a laundry and bathhouse for when guests want to wash their capsule wardrobes or take more spacious showers.<\/p>
There are seven converted trailers to rent for those who don\u2019t have their own, ranging from a 1953 Boles Aero to a 1966 Shasta, with more on the way. They are all impeccably furnished, and Sarah is quick to add a welcoming touch, dropping off a grazing box or offering to make a run to the Bristol General Store for jalape\u00f1o-laden sushi and noodles.<\/p>
Tonight, there is no need for takeout. After dinner, we gather around a campfire where Browning\u2019s wife is dishing out blackberry and peach cobbler from a cast-iron skillet. In the glow of the coals (and a few more Rum Surprises), there is a great deal of laughter and some debate about the best places to roam. But these well-traveled wanderers all agree: they have never before found a place quite like this.<\/p>","byline":"Kathy Wise","reservation_url":"https:\/\/therangevtr.com\/","expedia_url":"","image_url":["https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/The-Range-Vintage-Trailer-Resort-airstream-1.jpg","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/The-Range-Vintage-Trailer-Resort-Ennis-TX.jpg"],"image_credit":"Elizabeth Lavin","link_url":""},{"title":"Riviera Maya Mayakoba","card_style":"Travel Card","collection_number":"","sponsored":"","location":"Riviera Maya, Mexico","category":"Resort","distances":["International Flight"],"categories":["Resort"],"price_points":["Mexico"],"cost_per_night":"$170+","travel_time":"3 hour flight","dont_miss":"","content":"
What do you do when you have 620 acres of jungle but only 1 mile of prime beach access? You create an eco-friendly wonderland, where resorts are carefully set back from the ocean in a dense, tangled network of mangroves, protected from hurricanes and connected by a series of canals and lagoons. You may think you want an ocean view, but here you quickly learn there\u2019s something better. Like being deposited by boat on the dock of your lagoon-facing suite, with a private butler waiting to make you a welcoming tequila co*cktail and an open-air shower to rinse off your previous life.<\/p>
Mayakoba was developed at the turn of this century, with oversight by biologists and ecologists. There are four separate properties on site: the aforementioned Rosewood, the swankiest of the lot with its boat and butler service; the Asian-inspired Banyan Tree, with private villas and plunge pools; the more mod and modest Andaz, with hotel room options; and the Fairmont, the largest and most family-friendly property (with a food and beverage program overseen by Dallas\u2019 own Michael Martensen). You can travel among them all by boat, buggy, or bike. And the beach, with bars and restaurants servicing each resort, is a short jaunt away.<\/p>
There\u2019s no lack of activities. There are four tennis courts; the Greg Norman-designed El Camale\u00f3n golf course; private snorkeling tours; a marina that can outfit all your favorite watersports; and a re-created Mexican village square complete with a Catholic chapel, arcade for the kids, and a cantina with the best tostadas you\u2019ll ever eat. You can even rent the VanDutch yacht of Skyfall fame, upholstered in Herm\u00e8s, for about $7,000 a day.<\/p>
There are also two dozen restaurants to choose from. My most memorable meal was on my last night, at the Rosewood\u2019s La Ceiba Kitchen & Garden, an open-air dining experience under the outstretched arms of a sacred Mayan tree. I was met with a lemongrass margarita in a taza de barro, and escorted through a fairy-lit garden filled with herbs and peppers to a long wooden table. Caribbean lobster and hibiscus-glazed lamb chops, seared in front of us over traditional zapote wood, were served family style, accompanied by wines from Mexico\u2019s oldest vineyard.<\/p>
My dining companions and I outlasted the mariachis and the last embers of the grill. Strangers at the start of the night, we were baring surprising parts of our souls and laughing to tears by the end. I swear it wasn\u2019t the tequila. It was that magic ceiba tree.<\/p>","byline":"Kathy Wise","reservation_url":"https:\/\/mayakoba.com\/","expedia_url":"","image_url":["https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Riviera-Maya-Mexico-Mayakoba-lagoon-view.jpg","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Riviera-Maya-Mexico-Mayakoba-beach-sign.jpg","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Riviera-Maya-Mexico-Mayakoba-mariachi-bandpg.jpg","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/DSC_8743-copy.jpg"],"image_credit":"Elizabeth Lavin","link_url":""},{"title":"Rough Creek Lodge & Resort","card_style":"Travel Card","collection_number":"","sponsored":"","location":"Glen Rose, Texas","category":"Resort","distances":["Road Trip"],"categories":["Resort"],"price_points":["North Texas"],"cost_per_night":"$328+ (includes breakfast, dinner, some activities)","travel_time":"2 hour drive","dont_miss":"Shoot guns","content":"
There\u2019s way too much to do for just one weekend at Rough Creek Lodge, much of it kid-friendly: hiking, biking, archery, fishing, zip-lining, disc golf, hayrides, horseback riding, rock climbing, paddle boating, rocketry (yes), and, of course, swimming. There\u2019s more. Space prevents a full accounting. And it\u2019s all run like a luxury Rosewood property, because that\u2019s what the GM, Paul Boccafogli, did before he opened the place in 1998. He traveled the world, opening Rosewood resorts.<\/p>
But I went with a single focus: guns. I\u2019ve got a buddy\u2014let\u2019s call him Eric, because that\u2019s his name\u2014who is a bit obsessive with his hobbies. Not long ago, he developed an interest in guns. He has acquired a small arsenal. He regularly shoots at a range and stays up late watching YouTube videos of speed shooter Jerry Miculek, then bores his friends by describing those videos in detail.<\/p>
Me, I pick up a shotgun once a year to shoot clays, only because I own some shotguns. Neither of us has much interest in killing birds (though Rough Creek will clean and pack them for you). So we devised an odd version of a three-gun competition on our bro trip to Rough Creek.<\/p>
With our guide, Jeff Graham, who has worked the 11,000-acre Hill Country property since it was a cattle ranch, we started on the sporting clays course. I left my shotguns at home because Rough Creek has something called a Beretta Room from which guests can take their pick. It\u2019s a great course, every bit the equal of Elm Fork\u2019s, in Dallas, which is world-class. Without rubbing it in too much, I destroyed Eric, even though he had Jeff\u2019s expert coaching to compensate for his ineptitude.<\/p>
On the pistol range, we used Eric\u2019s SIG Sauer Something-or-Other and his Beretta Whatever. I don\u2019t know anything about handguns. So of course he shot better than I did.<\/p>
It came down, then, to the rifle. Rough Creek is one of the few places near Dallas with a 1,000-yard rifle range. Eric and I each put 20 rounds through my bolt-\u200baction .30-06. The steel is all Japanese, make undetermined, brought back from World War II by my grandfather. Jeff said the scope, with its janky crosshairs setup, was unlike anything he\u2019d ever seen; he manned the spotting scope, giving us feedback on our accuracy. Eric and I were equals at 200 yards on a steel target, but when it came to dialing it in on a scoring paper target at 100 yards\u2014well, he got lucky. And the wind gusted during my turn.<\/p>
Back at the lodge that night, over a bottle of Pinot Noir and some fine hanger steaks, we criticized each other\u2019s marksmanship, complained about how sore our shoulders were, and chatted up the bartendrix, a student at nearby Tarleton State. There\u2019s no question in my mind that she was impressed. As were we. <\/p>","byline":"Tim Rogers","reservation_url":"https:\/\/roughcreek.com\/","expedia_url":"","image_url":["https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/rough-creek-lodge-glen-rse.jpg","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/rough-creek-lodge-resort-windmill.jpg","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/rough-creek-lodge-gun-range.jpg","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/rough-creek-lodge-resort.jpg"],"image_credit":"Elizabeth Lavin","link_url":""},{"title":"Rustic Luxury Cabins","card_style":"Travel Card","collection_number":"","sponsored":"","location":"Broken Bow, Oklahoma","category":"Ranch\/Rustic","distances":["Road Trip"],"categories":["Ranch\/Rustic"],"price_points":["Oklahoma"],"cost_per_night":"$250","travel_time":"3 hour drive","dont_miss":"The David Boren Trail in Beavers Bend State Park offers 12 miles of hiking trails with varying levels of difficulty, through hardwood and pine forests, up to ridge tops with breathtaking views of Broken Bow Lake. Afterward, refuel with a Psychedelic Supremo at Grateful Head Pizza Oven & Tap Room.","content":"
The plan was for a women\u2019s weekend without kids or spouses. The five of us, who drove separately in three vehicles and didn\u2019t really coordinate efforts, arrived with 18 bottles of wine, a bottle of tequila, a couple of pounds of fancy cheeses, and several tins of caviar secreted on ice in a Yeti coffee mug. That got us happily through the first night.<\/p>
We forgot swimsuits for the hot tub (not a deterrent) but remembered bug spray for the chiggers. There was plenty of propane for the gas grill, so our Berkshire pork chops and white asparagus had a gorgeous sear, and there was a stockpile of dry wood for the fire pit. But whoever brought the blood oranges and Topo Chico for the tequila was the true genius.<\/p>
There\u2019s some magical alchemy that happens when you hole up with friends in a house that\u2019s not your own, in a landscape that is foreign, with booze that is plentiful. Especially if that house has floor-to-ceiling windows through which you can watch the forest leaves fall like snow, cradling a mug of coffee while one of the early-waking, faster-recovering moms makes a 12-egg frittata with last night\u2019s fancy cheese remains.<\/p>
This cabin set at the bottom of a steep ravine alongside a babbling brook feels like a ski chalet in Colorado, and that\u2019s no mistake. Dallas wine dealer Kevin Rust and his wife, Micah, first looked there when they decided they wanted to purchase a vacation property as an investment. But after a friend invited them to Broken Bow with their young twins, they fell in love. They now have four luxury cabins that they\u2019ve designed and decorated, and they\u2019re working on two more.<\/p>
\u201cIt\u2019s perfect for kids,\u201d Kevin says of the area in Ouachita National Forest. \u201cIt\u2019s great for hiking, fishing, or just s\u2019mores. We\u2019re actually going up there with our friends and family the next two weekends. Whether it\u2019s skipping rocks or climbing trees, the kids absolutely love it.\u201d<\/p>
So did we.<\/p>","byline":"Kathy Wise","reservation_url":"https:\/\/www.rusticluxurycabins.com\/rustic-hollow-cabin\/","expedia_url":"","image_url":["https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/rustic-hollow-cabin-firepit.jpg","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/rustic-hollow-cabin-interior-and-balcony.jpg"],"image_credit":"Elizabeth Lavin","link_url":""},{"title":"Savannah's Meadow Treehouse","card_style":"Travel Card","collection_number":"","sponsored":"","location":"Celeste, Texas","category":"Airbnb","distances":["Road Trip"],"categories":["Airbnb"],"price_points":["North Texas"],"cost_per_night":"$230 weekdays or $260 weekends","travel_time":"1.25 hour drive","dont_miss":"Stop at Patina Green for sandwiches\u2014their roasted cauliflower or famous ham and cheese\u2014and sides like a vinegary, mustardy potato salad or chile-laced slaw; locally made pasta; and pillowy house focaccia. Just around the corner is Emporium Pies; a whole pie might even last until breakfast.","content":"
I loved the Disney classic Swiss Family Robinson when I was young, which meant I was a child besotted with treehouses. Susan and Ron Van Volkenburgh may not have been so enamored, but five years ago they bought a parcel of land with two treehouses and turned it into a spot for events, weddings, and sleeping in trees. <\/p>
Perched above a creek, the Bare Creek Hollow treehouse looks like a full-size farmhouse dropped straight out of the sky, with a balcony sporting an antique rocking chair high above the creek. The Majestic Oak treehouse, meanwhile, curls around a 200-year-old oak. Its central living space hugs the trunk, while a bathroom with a glass-enclosed shower and bedroom with sliding windows are set on other limbs, nestled in the surrounding canopy.<\/p>
This is the one for me. <\/p>
The swooping, upward-slanting walkway that climbs to the doorstep is like something out of the movie. In the central room, there\u2019s a kitchenette and French doors that open onto a trampoline-like net, which isn\u2019t for bouncing but a reminder that you can lie in the forest\u2019s embrace, suspended 25 feet above the ground.<\/p>
Taking in the digs, we ride a vintage tandem cruiser past the herb garden and greenhouse, past the tufts of the lavender field (there\u2019s a wedding chapel yonder, in a clearing) and the duck pond (we\u2019ll paddle later in the single canoe). At dinnertime, we help feed the goats, the fuzzy donkey, the geese, and the chickens, whose henhouse is a replica of our treetop abode. Later, we soak in the hot tub (at ground level) with a bottle of wine and watch lightning fork across a sky that would otherwise be filled with stars.<\/p>
That night, the raindrops will trickle along ingeniously placed gutters girding the sturdy tree trunk as we channel our childhood and sleep, rather than in the primary bedroom, in the crow\u2019s nest in sleeping bags under the aluminum roof. It\u2019s magical to be this close to the elements. Forget the Robinsons; now we\u2019re tree sprites.<\/p>","byline":"Eve Hill-Agnus","reservation_url":"https:\/\/www.savannahsmeadow.com\/","expedia_url":"","image_url":["https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Creekside-treehouse-Celeste-TX.jpg","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Creekside-treehouse-Celeste-TX-bedroom-entrance.jpg","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Creekside-treehouse-Celeste-TX-bedroom.jpg"],"image_credit":"Elizabeth Lavin","link_url":""},{"title":"Shipping Container House","card_style":"Travel Card","collection_number":"","sponsored":"","location":"Mabank, Texas","category":"Airbnb","distances":["Road Trip"],"categories":["Airbnb"],"price_points":["North Texas"],"cost_per_night":"$200+","travel_time":"1 hour drive","dont_miss":"Place your order online with Bonton Farms for some house-made biscuits and honey butter for breakfast; a Swiss chard and sausage quiche for lunch; Hassle Cattle Co. wagyu steaks and fresh herbs and vegetables for dinner; and some house-made chocolate chip cookies to enjoy with coffee or bourbon by the fire.","content":"
Out of habit, I wake with the sunrise. Through the large west-facing bedroom window, I can see a haze of fog rising from Cedar Creek Reservoir. Great blue herons stand fishing in the shallows while largemouth bass jump for their breakfast a little farther out.<\/p>
The house started with a single shipping container, and then it was expanded to double the square footage and add a rooftop deck. It\u2019s the labor of love of two Dallas couples\u2014Annie and Cameron Weldon, and Elizabeth and Kevin Blair. Kevin, a Dallas real estate agent with Compass, was able to snatch it up off-market. The couples recently bought a second property 15 minutes down the road. It also sits on the water but is designed for larger groups (up to 10). <\/p>
I make a pot of coffee and sit with a cup on the patio before portaging one of the two provided kayaks down to the water\u2019s edge. It is quiet except for the low hum of early-morning traffic over the Main Street bridge, on the north end of this fork of the lake. The water is calm, so I head upstream in that direction, past a few weekend cottages and tidy single-wides.<\/p>
As I paddle under the road, a gulp of swallows erupts from the mouths of their mud nests, tucked amid the beams. It\u2019s a preview of the full-on nature documentary taking place on the other side, as the scattered lake houses and lawn chairs along the shore are replaced by open farmland and grazing cattle. Dozens of large fish (crappies?) violently splash (spawn?) in the aquatic vegetation. Three pairs of white pelicans leave their perches to leisurely cruise the lake and are soon followed by a raft of black ducks. (Black scoters? American coots?) Alexa can\u2019t help me now.<\/p>
This isn\u2019t a fancy part of the lake, but it has plenty of its own treasures on this fork less traveled. I just need to figure out what they\u2019re called.<\/p>","byline":"Kathy Wise","reservation_url":"https:\/\/www.airbnb.com\/rooms\/588087093325934224","expedia_url":"","image_url":["https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Shipping-container-home-Mabank-TX-aerial-view.jpg","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Shipping-container-exterior-home-Mabank-TX.jpg"],"image_credit":"Elizabeth Lavin","link_url":""},{"title":"Shotgun House","card_style":"Travel Card","collection_number":"","sponsored":"","location":"Waco, Texas","category":"Airbnb","distances":["Road Trip"],"categories":["Airbnb"],"price_points":["Central Texas"],"cost_per_night":"$325","travel_time":"1.5 hour drive","dont_miss":"Beat the crowd for breakfast at Magnolia Table","content":"
Growing up near Disneyland prepared me well for the Waco of today. Because, for fans of HGTV\u2019s Fixer Upper and its charming star couple, Chip and Joanna Gaines, modern-day Waco is the Happiest Place on Earth, except instead of Sleeping Beauty\u2019s castle, there are 120-foot grain silos, and in lieu of felt mouse ears, \u201c#DEMODAY\u201d t-shirts. The Gaines\u2019 Magnolia empire now encompasses everything from a home decor line to a quarterly magazine, and the Magnolia Market at the Silos, perhaps the most-hyped half-city block in the state, is the center of it all.<\/p>
As with any tourist attraction, enjoying the experience begins with managing expectations. Just as I never saw any actual princesses sleeping in real castles as a kid, Magnolia visitors should not expect to meet Chip and Joanna, nor will they step inside a silo. For now, the rusted towers simply exist as an excellent Instagram backdrop. Other notes: souvenirs don\u2019t come cheap, and, most important, you must never, ever (ever, ever) visit on a Saturday. Magnolia is no weekend side trip on the way down to Austin, as I found out a couple of winters ago, waiting in line behind literal busloads of ladies on a blustery Saturday to get inside the market.<\/p>
Lesson learned. This time I took a couple of days off from work for a trip with my favorite Fixer Upper fangirl\u2014my mom. Because the Gaines-operated houses were already booked solid through the end of the year, we booked a Thursday stay via Airbnb at the Shotgun House, a one-bedroom tiny home that got the Fixer Upper treatment in season three (and earned a fair amount of press when the owners put the house on, then quickly off, the market for $950,000 last November). The house looked just like it did on TV, and a pair of Magnolia cupcakes sat under a cake plate dome on the kitchen counter. Outside, tour vans and trucks slowed for passengers to snap photos of the reborn shack.<\/p>
It was a quick walk to the Silos, where we breezed right into the market to peruse the modern farmhouse paraphernalia, scoped out the food trucks lining the courtyard perimeter, popped into the quaint garden shop, and watched families play cornhole on the turf in the middle. The only line we ran into was at the Magnolia Bakery, so we skipped it. That left us plenty of time to check out other decor shops around town, including The Findery down the street and the small Harp Design Co. store, opened by Joanna\u2019s frequent collaborator Clint Harp.<\/p>
The next morning, we woke up before sunrise to get breakfast at Magnolia Table, which had just opened in the former Elite Cafe space. The parking lot was already filling up at 6:15, and there was no wonder why. The cafe was the picture of white-tiled perfection, and my mom declared the biscuits the best thing she had ever eaten.<\/p>
After our Friday checkout, we drove by the Silos and saw the bakery\u2019s line wrapping around the corner and down the entire length of the block. Several streets away, families were parking on grass and unfolding strollers. Do visit. But only on a weekday. <\/p>","byline":"S. Holland Murphy","reservation_url":"https:\/\/go.skimresources.com\/?id=254083X1738117&isjs=1&jv=15.7.1&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dmagazine.com%2Fpublications%2Fd-magazine%2F2018%2Fjune%2F10-weekend-getaways-dallas-road-trip-vacation%2F&url=https%3A%2F%2Fmagnolia.com%2Fsilos%2F&xs=1&xtz=240&xuuid=5da3eb7a441d84c5fbd18f8129a68a33&xjsf=other_click__contextmenu%20%5B2%5D","expedia_url":"","image_url":["https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/magnolia-market-silos.jpg"],"image_credit":"Elizabeth Lavin","link_url":""},{"title":"The Skirvin Hilton","card_style":"Travel Card","collection_number":"","sponsored":"","location":"Oklahoma City, Oklahoma","category":"Hotel","distances":["Road Trip"],"categories":["Hotel"],"price_points":["Oklahoma"],"cost_per_night":"$187+","travel_time":"3 hour drive","dont_miss":"","content":"
On paper, the historic Skirvin Hotel may seem an unlikely locale for a family vacay. There are rumors of a haunting\u2014in particular, the ghost of a maid-slash-mistress to the original owner, William Skirvin, the wealthy oilman who opened the hotel in 1911.<\/p>
The place was billed as the \u201cnewest, finest hotel in the Southwest,\u201d and over the years it has hosted anyone of note passing through Oklahoma City, from Eisenhower to Elvis. After the oil bust of 1988, the hotel fell into disrepair and remained vacant for two decades until a massive $55 million renovation returned the Skirvin to its former gothic glory. Take, for example, the 29 hand-carved Bacchus heads with gold-leaf accents that line the lobby ceiling, which, during Prohibition, served as a signal that the Skirvin was a safe place to consume booze. So, no, it\u2019s not your average Hilton, but that\u2019s the charm of it.<\/p>
Fortunately for me, my husband, and my energetic 3-year-old, the Oklahoma scene is notably unpretentious. My son earned nothing but smiles from decked-out socialites attending a Saturday night benefit, and, on the elevator, a head nod from an NBA player in town to play the Oklahoma City Thunder. When we walked to the polished Kitchen No. 324 to brunch on locally sourced seasonal fare, the host offered a highchair and placed a kids menu with crayons in front of the squirt.<\/p>
Even better than the kid-friendly restaurants are the family entertainment options. Tube, raft, or kayak the afternoon away at Riversport Rapids, a $45.2-million man-made whitewater rafting center and an official Olympic and Paralympic training site. For a more leisurely water adventure, Oklahoma River Cruises meander a 7-mile stretch of the Oklahoma River and offer a prime family-photo backdrop when passing a 100-foot Ferris wheel on the bank.<\/p>
In Bricktown, the city\u2019s original warehouse district, you can score home-plate tickets at the Oklahoma City Dodgers\u2019 ballpark on Mickey Mantle Drive (the baseball great hailed from the Sooner State) for just $24 a pop. Or check out the largest collection of banjos in the world on public display at the American Banjo Museum (which, thankfully, was just small enough to maintain my little one\u2019s attention). <\/p>","byline":"S. Holland Murphy","reservation_url":"http:\/\/www.skirvinhilton.com\/","expedia_url":"","image_url":["https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/skirvin-hilton.jpg"],"image_credit":"","link_url":""},{"title":"Sunset Key Cottages","card_style":"Travel Card","collection_number":"","sponsored":"","location":"Key West, Florida","category":"Resort","distances":["Domestic Flight"],"categories":["Resort"],"price_points":["Florida"],"cost_per_night":"$1,028+","travel_time":"3 hour flight","dont_miss":"","content":"
We arrived at the Margaritaville Key West Resort & Marina late in the afternoon to catch a ferry for the short trip across the harbor to its sister property, Sunset Key Cottages, where we\u2019d be staying. It was like we had shown up late to a party. There was a mix of tourists and locals already gathered at the marina for the sunset, watching the sky light up with swirls of peach and orange and purple, as vivid as the tie-dyed t-shirts from the tourist-trap shops behind us.<\/p>
A few minutes later, the ferry (the Lil Princess) took us directly toward that riot of color and the private island where our private cottage with full kitchen and wraparound terrace was located. The cottage was called Paradise and\u2014looking out through the floor-to-ceiling windows at the beach and the ocean beyond it\u2014it felt a lot like it. Especially when we took the provided Bluetooth speaker out onto the porch and danced to Buena Vista Social Club, getting into the rhythm of the place, just 90 miles from Cuba.<\/p>
The situation only improved when we left our cottage for dinner at the on-island restaurant Latitudes, a table for two on the edge of the water with palm trees hovering above. We dined on lobster tail, crab cakes, steak tartare, and \u201cthe best Key lime pie in Key West,\u201d a claim that it seems every establishment in the city is required by law to make, no different from passing health inspections and keeping up with building codes. (It was good.)<\/p>
The next morning, we relaxed with massages in the spa nearby the restaurant and then unwound even further on chaise lounges on the private beach about a dozen steps from our back door.<\/p>
Later, we explored more of Key West, seeing Ernest Hemingway\u2019s old home and Judy Blume\u2019s current bookstore (Books & Books), as well as giant iguanas that looked like forgotten miniature dinosaurs; ancient trees with bizarre roots and tangled limbs that might have been alien species (especially a sprawling kapok tree near the resort); and chickens. So many chickens. Pretty much everywhere on every street, strutting around like they owned the place. I guess maybe they kind of do. And you can, too\u2014for a few nights.<\/p>","byline":"Zac Crain","reservation_url":"https:\/\/www.opalcollection.com\/sunset-key-cottages\/","expedia_url":"","image_url":["https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Key-West-Florida-Sunset-Key-Cottages-sunset.jpg"],"image_credit":"Courtesy of Vendor","link_url":""},{"title":"Texas Safari Ranch","card_style":"Travel Card","collection_number":"","sponsored":"","location":"Central Texas","category":"Ranch\/Rustic","distances":["Road Trip"],"categories":["Ranch\/Rustic"],"price_points":["Central Texas"],"cost_per_night":"$450","travel_time":"2 hour drive","dont_miss":"See the crazy eye of a buffalo diving into a feed bucket","content":"
It seems silly to have been concerned, pulling into Texas Safari Ranch at dusk on a February Friday, about whether we would get to see many animals. We very quickly came upon something from an altered Texas version of The Lion King, an expanse of open land filled with wildebeests and African horned animals and one very large and very friendly camel named Marsha. They were chomping\u2014you could hear it\u2014on some recently scattered feed in and around the roadway. Had my companion\u2019s window-roll trigger finger moved slower, Marsha\u2019s parade float-size head would\u2019ve joined us inside the vehicle.<\/p>
The next day, on a tour with ranch owner Jack Harvard, we touched the horns of the extinct\u2014in the wild\u2014Scimitar Oryx, brought about wildebeest stampedes in our direction, turned around to find Marsha eating from the back of the truck as if having appeared from thin air, and stood just feet from dining table-size buffalo. The Safari Ranch holds and breeds dozens of roaming species, many of them horned things you\u2019ll find only in Africa, some endangered, two extinct in the wild. What I hadn\u2019t accounted for on the way in was our standing as a food source; they came to us.<\/p>
With Harvard leading the tour, you could almost forget the facts of the situation, which is how I almost got in trouble. I\u2019d just finished Instagramming a zebra, his mane fluttering in the wind, when he turned on me, both figuratively and very literally, twirling his backend around for a hind-leg buck that could have, at minimum, seriously complicated my weekend. Luckily, Harvard, who was not Instagramming, chucked the aluminum feed scoop at the zebra\u2019s ass before he could fully align the kick, sending it staggering back a few steps, restoring order.<\/p>
Later, when we went out on our own, I couldn\u2019t get out of my head how alone I was with these wild animals, and how constantly interested they were in my whereabouts. One zebra would gallop along behind the cart until it got up past 20 or 30 miles an hour.<\/p>
It was only later that I realized Harvard was the former Plano mayor who brought J.C. Penney to town in the 1980s. He bought the ranch in 2001 from the previous owner. A few years before that, it contained beasts like rhinos and bears, set off by themselves.<\/p>
There are two houses and one cabin so people can stay and explore. Two are right in the middle of the ranch, where Marsha might nestle up to a window. Our log cabin was on the river, and it was antler everything: chandeliers, bar stools, firewood holder, side tables. We spent the evening on the banks of the Meridian as the sun fell, scanning the terrain across the way for springbok.<\/p>
I\u2019ll say this about the weekend: it is without a doubt the most fun I\u2019ve had chasing\u2014and getting chased by\u2014African animals on an ex-mayor\u2019s ranch. No question about that.<\/p>","byline":"Shawn Shinneman","reservation_url":"https:\/\/texassafari.com\/lodging.html","expedia_url":"","image_url":["https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/texas-safari-ranch.jpg"],"image_credit":"Elizabeth Lavin","link_url":""},{"title":"Texoma Luxury Rentals","card_style":"Travel Card","collection_number":"","sponsored":"","location":"Kingston, Oklahoma","category":"Ranch\/Rustic","distances":["Road Trip"],"categories":["Ranch\/Rustic"],"price_points":["Oklahoma"],"cost_per_night":"$359\u2013$649","travel_time":"2 hour drive","dont_miss":"Stop on your way at Local Yocal Farm to Market for wagyu beef bacon and pasture-raised eggs for breakfast; Empire Baking Company sourdough and local honey and jam for afternoon sandwiches; and wagyu McKinney steaks, asparagus, and russet bakers for dinner. Throw in some beer from local Tupps Brewery, and don\u2019t forget Sweetie\u2019s cheesecakes for dessert.","content":"
I start the day with a barefoot stroll\u2014as one does when staying at a cabin a mere 900 feet from the sandy edges of Lake Texoma. The sun bakes the sand. It\u2019s warm underfoot as I look out across the choppy waters that stretch so far and wide you forget it\u2019s a huge engineered reservoir. Still, it feels like a secret beach. I didn\u2019t encounter another soul for at least a mile. (My peace was worth getting walloped by the wind\u2014the price of solitude, I guess.)<\/p>
Of course, Lake Texoma is not a hush-hush vacation spot. Rather, it\u2019s a well-known go-to for boating, fishing, and all-around outdoorsy leisure. And this A-frame is a recreationist\u2019s dream stay. There are some woody trails walkable from the backside of the property, including a 30-minute loop that connects to other nearby hikes. There are ATV trails, too, if you\u2019re looking to cruise. Just be mindful not to tear up the sandy landscape, and stick to the approved paths. This is the natural domain of snakes and such, after all.<\/p>
When the sun begins to set and the white-breasted nuthatches peck and yammer in the post oaks, it\u2019s time to make a fire in the pit on the sizable back patio. It\u2019s just you, chirpy bugs, and crackling firewood. Plus 18 others, if you so choose. This place sleeps 19: the garage has been flipped into a second cabin with a huge couch, pool table, and extra beds.<\/p>
The exterior of the main A-frame has been painted a farmhouse white, which gives the old log cabin a fresh and modern vibe. Inside, though, its retro style is embraced. There\u2019s nary a surface that\u2019s not polished log. Even the spiral staircase that leads to another three rooms and bathroom, is made of smooth, glazed wood plank steps.<\/p>
This isn\u2019t the most secluded cabin. You might hear the neighbors whacking weeds or mowing their lawns, or you might find a constant companion in the yellow Lab that lives next door. But this retreat among post oaks still gets you close to the serene lakeshore and far from the incessant ping of your email inbox. <\/p>","byline":"Rosin Saez","reservation_url":"https:\/\/texomaluxuryrentals.com","expedia_url":"","image_url":["https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Lake-Texoma-shore.jpg"],"image_credit":"Elizabeth Lavin","link_url":""},{"title":"Thompson Hotel","card_style":"Travel Card","collection_number":"","sponsored":"","location":"Dallas, Texas","category":"Hotel","distances":["Staycation"],"categories":["Hotel"],"price_points":["North Texas"],"cost_per_night":"$250","travel_time":"","dont_miss":"","content":"
Developer Shawn Todd isn\u2019t one to shy away from a challenge. Even in Dallas, a market of visionaries and big thinkers, he stands out. The founder of Todd Interests is known for transforming segments of the city by taking derelict buildings and redeveloping them into vibrant properties.<\/p>
In East Quarter, he\u2019s using both adaptive reuse and new construction to create a much-needed connection point between Deep Ellum and downtown Dallas. But The National, at 1401 Elm St. in the core of the city, is his most impressive project yet\u2014and it\u2019s hard to imagine how he will ever top it. The $460 million price tag set a record for historic renovations in Texas.<\/p>
The 52-story, George Dahl-designed landmark sat vacant for a decade before Todd stepped in to succeed where others had failed. What once was a ghost building is now a bustling vertical mixed-use property of unmatched quality.<\/p>
The National\u2019s upscale residential component is 95 percent leased at among the highest rents in town. The restaurants are doing well (especially Monarch, with its weeks-long wait for reservations), and the 219-room hotel\u2014Thompson Dallas\u2014was named by Conde Nast Traveler as one of the world\u2019s best new properties for 2021. (When it\u2019s the Dallas accommodation of choice for celebrities like Harry Styles, Rihanna, and Elton John, you know you\u2019re doing something right.)<\/p>
The 1.5 million-square-foot property has an international feel, and that is 100 percent intentional, Todd says. The design team includes his daughter, Caroline Todd of Todd Interiors, plus Simeone Deary Design Group and Heidi Lightner Architects.<\/p>
It\u2019s not easy to create a space that\u2019s ultra-luxe yet also welcoming, but that\u2019s the vibe at The National. The ambiance is carried through in the hotel rooms and suites, which offer all the comforts of home\u2014and then some. The quality comes through in everything from the selection of rugs, furnishings, and art to the thoughtful layout of the spaces and extras\u2014like a table next to the soaker bathtub and full-sized bottles in a fully stocked bar. Views of downtown and Uptown from The National\u2019s city-center location enhance the urban experience.<\/p>
Along with a 14,000-square-foot ballroom and a two-acre pool deck on the 9th floor, amenities at Thompson Dallas include a full-service spa. Arrive early to dip in the hot-and-cold plunge pools or luxuriate in the steam room, infrared sauna, or under a rainfall shower, all found in the locker rooms. The spa offers an extensive array of treatments, ranging from a celestial black diamond facial (using 111SKIN\u2019s anti-aging collection) or botanical oil crush (exfoliating body scrub) to a poultice massage that uses steamed herbal compresses. During a recent visit, I kept it simple and experienced an organic aromatherapy massage, emerging both relaxed and revitalized. (The high-tech beds are amazing.) I\u2019m already planning a return visit to try Thompson Deep Sleep, a session that focuses on the head, feet, and lymphatic system.<\/p>","byline":"Christine Perez","reservation_url":"https:\/\/www.hyatt.com\/thompson-hotels\/en-US\/dfwth-thompson-dallas","expedia_url":"","image_url":["https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/1_Thompson_Lobby_34745.jpg","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/2_Catbird_bar_34987.jpg","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/1_PlungePools.jpg","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/4_MONARCH_Views_Call.jpeg","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/5_MONARCH-Zizzo.jpg"],"image_credit":"Gus Schmiege","link_url":""},{"title":"Turner Falls Park","card_style":"Travel Card","collection_number":"","sponsored":"","location":"Davis, Oklahoma","category":"Ranch\/Rustic","distances":["Road Trip"],"categories":["Ranch\/Rustic"],"price_points":["Oklahoma"],"cost_per_night":"$125+","travel_time":"2.5 hours","dont_miss":"Swim in the falls","content":"
While swimming underneath a waterfall is usually reserved for weeklong trips to Costa Rica, travelers have a family-friendly (and relatively nearby) opportunity to do just that at Turner Falls Park outside Davis, Oklahoma. Honey Creek runs through a valley of granite uplift and spills 77 feet down into a pool packed with swimmers come the summer months.<\/p>
The 1,500-acre park offers minimalist campsites, screened-in shelters, and a dozen furnished cabins for rent. The cool, clear creek is dotted with rope swings and dams that provide ample room to swim when the weather is warm, and about 5 miles of trails can take you up into the mountains and over the creek\u2019s tributaries. Surrounding the waterfall and swimming hole are explorable caves carved out of the oldest rock formations in the country between the Appalachian and Rocky mountains.<\/p>
One of the stranger parts of the park is Collings Castle, a series of English-style stone structures that were built in the 1930s by a University of Oklahoma professor with native stone on a bluff overlooking the creek. The buildings served as his summer home and now make for some interesting scrambling.<\/p>
For risk-takers, two adventure companies operate zip lines in the area. 777Zip takes riders 700 feet above the valley and over the waterfall, while Air Donkey Zipline Adventures provides a two-hour journey through the Arbuckle Mountains that concludes with an 1,800-foot-long zip.<\/p>
After working up an appetite, we ended up at Smokin\u2019 Joe\u2019s Rib Ranch, down the road from the falls. The line out the door reassured us when we rolled up to the restaurant sitting in front of an RV park. The succulent ribs and brisket could hang with anything we\u2019ve had on this side of the Red River.<\/p>
Back at the cabin, it didn\u2019t take long for the soothing babble of Honey Creek to lull us to sleep. <\/p>","byline":"Will Maddox","reservation_url":"https:\/\/www.turnerfallspark.com\/","expedia_url":"","image_url":["https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/turner-falls-park.jpg"],"image_credit":"Shutterstock","link_url":""},{"title":"Victoria House Resort","card_style":"Travel Card","collection_number":"","sponsored":"","location":"San Pedro, Belize","category":"Resort","distances":["International Flight"],"categories":["Resort"],"price_points":["Belize"],"cost_per_night":"$210+","travel_time":"3 hour flight","dont_miss":"","content":"
The Tropic Air flight from Belize City to San Pedro is brief and breathtaking, a 15-minute tour through the jungle of the mainland over the turquoise waters of the world\u2019s second-largest coral reef. The heart of the Ambergris Caye, San Pedro was once a sleepy fishing village, and despite booming development, the colorful town still epitomizes island living with its sandy dirt roads and relaxed pace.<\/p>
Hop on a golf cart (the preferred mode of transportation on La Isla Bonita), and head 20 minutes south of the airport, where you\u2019ll find Victoria House, a gorgeous colonial-style property with luxurious suites, casitas, and family-friendly houses facing the water. The shore is sandy and manicured\u2014not a beach, per se, but a perfectly lovely place to sunbathe and sip a mojito.<\/p>
Besides, San Pedro offers something much more exciting than splashing on the coast: the Belize Barrier Reef is brimming with sea life, providing world-class snorkeling and diving just minutes away from the island. The Hol Chan Marine Reserve and aptly named Shark Ray Alley are the most popular spots, but you\u2019d be wise to avoid the crowds and head straight to Mexico Rocks, a less-traveled reef complex north of San Pedro. You\u2019ll see hordes of colorful fish, rays, sea turtles, and, if you\u2019re lucky, a shimmering barracuda the local guides have named Peter.<\/p>
The possibilities for day trips from San Pedro are practically endless. Experienced divers may journey to the alluring Great Blue Hole. Those looking for a leisurely sail can take a catamaran to the nearby Caye Caulker, a tiny bohemian isle that\u2019s big among young crowds; or Goff\u2019s Caye, a remote, picture-perfect sandbar that\u2019s not too far from where you can see endangered manatees in the wild. Dallas-based Tailwaters Fly Fishing Co. offers flats-fishing excursions for bonefish, tarpon, barracuda, and more. For a quick change of scenery, make the half-hour drive on bumpy roads through mangrove swamps to Secret Beach, a deceivingly named spot to take in the sunset with a drink in hand.<\/p>
Victoria House\u2019s Palmilla Restaurant is nice for a formal dinner\u2014and they\u2019ll provide a romantic, waterfront setup upon request\u2014but for lunches and snacks in town, check out Belizean favorites El Fogon and Elvi\u2019s Kitchen. As far as nightlife, Sunset Lounge, a trendy rooftop patio, is your best bet for co*cktails and dancing. Or set up shop in a floating innertube at the famous Palapa Bar, where you can cool off in the water and listen to live local music.<\/p>","byline":"Natalie Gempel","reservation_url":"https:\/\/www.victoria-house.com\/","expedia_url":"","image_url":["https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/San-Pedro-Belize-Victoria-House-Resort-Spa-casitas.jpg","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/San-Pedro-Belize-Victoria-House-Resort-Spa-fish.jpg"],"image_credit":"Elizabeth Lavin","link_url":""},{"title":"Walden Retreats Hill Country","card_style":"Travel Card","collection_number":"","sponsored":"","location":"Johnson City, Texas","category":"Ranch\/Rustic","distances":["Road Trip"],"categories":["Ranch\/Rustic"],"price_points":["Hill Country"],"cost_per_night":"$495","travel_time":"4 hour drive","dont_miss":"Bring the dogs, but leave the kids at home. (It is the perfect place to unwind with just your partner.) Arrive before sunset; the view is incredible. There is no on-site food, so bring provisions for the first night, and plan to go out the second. (Southhold offers dinner on Saturday night in nearby Fredericksburg.) Bring a book and a couple of bottles of wine, and plan to spend a day relaxing on the wraparound porch or curled up by the wood-burning stove.","content":"
Walden Retreats Hill Country sits on 96 prime acres along the Pedernales River, about an hour west of Austin. It was named in tribute to Henry David Thoreau but is inspired by safari-style eco hotels. Founder Blake Smith (a Highland Park High School grad) and his wife, Sarah Contrucci Smith, spent several years in Africa working with the Akola Project, a Dallas-based nonprofit jewelry brand that employs female artisans in Uganda. While there, Blake became enamored with the outdoor hotels he encountered when friends and family came to visit.<\/p>
When he returned to the United States, he felt like there was a missed opportunity for that kind of glamping hospitality here. While at the Acton School of Business in Austin, he came up with a business plan as a class project. After getting a positive response to his pitch, he ended up raising nearly $1 million to buy the land and start his first prototype in the Hill Country.<\/p>
So that\u2019s where I head on Earth Day, at the end of April, with my husband and daughter for a weekend with friends. We drive up to the gate in a swirl of dust, and a few minutes later I can see the collection of safari tents dotting the canyon above the river. Each one has a wraparound porch, fire pit, gas grill, and private outdoor shower. Blake worked with Design Build Adventure, the architects behind El Cosmico in Marfa, on the design. He wanted to ensure that, for almost $500 per night, the tents had power, running water, en suite bathrooms, and air conditioning. <\/p>
The rest of our group joins us, adding four more adults, one more child, and several dogs. Grilling that first night under a canopy of stars, we feel a thousand miles away from anything. <\/p>
The next morning, when the sun comes out, we venture into Johnson City to explore. We stop at Proof & Cooper at The Lumber Yard, where we all share barbecue and Nashville hot fried chicken. Back at our tents, we take the dogs down to the river and get out the canoe. That night, we stay up talking until midnight on the porch. The next morning, my husband and I wake up early and make breakfast for everyone. We grill bacon and make perfect BLTs before packing up and heading out. <\/p>
On our way home, we stop by Southold Farm + Cellar in Fredericksburg. The vineyard won\u2019t produce fruit for another five years, but it has since opened a beautiful restaurant next to the tasting room that overlooks the valley below. We leave Southold in another swirl of dust. My daughter instantly falls asleep in the backseat. I am thankful we all had some time together outside, laughing and getting our feet dirty.<\/p>","byline":"Elizabeth Lavin","reservation_url":"https:\/\/waldenretreats.com\/","expedia_url":"","image_url":["https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Walden-Retreats_Sarah-Blake-Smith-Horizontal.jpg","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Walden-Retreats_River.jpg","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Walden-Retreats_Bedroom-Tent.jpg"],"image_credit":"Elizabeth Lavin","link_url":""},{"title":"Wildcatter Ranch and Resort","card_style":"Travel Card","collection_number":"","sponsored":"","location":"Graham, Texas","category":"Ranch\/Rustic","distances":["Road Trip"],"categories":["Ranch\/Rustic"],"price_points":["North Texas"],"cost_per_night":"$159+","travel_time":"2 hour drive","dont_miss":"Jeep tour","content":"
I wind my way up a bluff and find myself before the modern lookalike of a Wild West-style hotel-saloon that overlooks the 1,500 acres of Wildcatter Ranch and Resort. In 1999, its three owners\u2014one the great-granddaughter of a local oil legend\u2014bought the legacy ranch and by 2004 had built their dream.<\/p>
The chic guest cabins, steakhouse full of historic cowboy paraphernalia, and horse barn with 24 well-groomed horses are part of a retreat for classic cowboy adventures, all set in former Comanche territory near the origin of the Goodnight-Loving Trail. (Oliver Loving himself is buried in nearby Graham, and it\u2019s no surprise that local incidents are the basis of the John Wayne film The Sons of Katie Elder, and parts of the Lonesome Dove miniseries were filmed here.)<\/p>
Just after dawn, hiking trails take me along a ridge. It\u2019s spring: the trees have feathery green buds on their branch tips and birds warble everywhere. On a 90-minute trail ride, the pinto horse Scout is my sure-footed mount through mountain juniper that we could, according to our guide, Shawn, use to flavor gin. (He later reveals himself to be an able roper with decades of rodeo experience.) The ranch lies along the banks in a bend of the Brazos River, where summertime means kayaks and campfires.<\/p>
In the afternoon, I find myself between more experienced marksmen shooting clay at the skeet range. Two young girls and I learn archery, while others throw tomahawks. Then in a Jeep, careening up and down hillsides where earlier we\u2019d clomped with horses, I grip tight and feel like I\u2019m on safari. Instead of giraffes, we get close to oil pumps. Oil production started here in the 1920s and fueled a small rush, hence the ranch\u2019s name.<\/p>
In the evening, the breathtaking vision of horses coursing from the barn out onto the open land, where they will roam until morning, is the most stunning sight I\u2019ve seen. Until, that is, I return to my cabin. The sun is setting over the nearby infinity pool. Birds soar on air currents at eye level. As fuchsia and gold paint the sky, coyotes begin to howl. I sit on my back porch and imagine I\u2019m not the only one here swaying in a rocking chair, a fire warming my cozy room, waiting for the night sky full of stars. We\u2019ve all left the city far behind.<\/p>","byline":"Eve Hill-Agnus","reservation_url":"https:\/\/wildcatterranch.com\/","expedia_url":"","image_url":["https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/wildcatter-ranch-and-resort-cabins.jpg","https:\/\/assets.dmagstatic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/wildcatter-ranch-and-resort-jeep-tour.jpg",""],"image_credit":"Elizabeth Lavin","link_url":""},{"title":"Wyndham Grand Clearwater Beach","card_style":"Travel Card","collection_number":"","sponsored":"","location":"Florida","category":"Resort","distances":["Domestic Flight"],"categories":["Resort"],"price_points":["Florida"],"cost_per_night":"$300+","travel_time":"2.5 hour flight","dont_miss":"","content":"
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