Get off the plane and straight into the heart and soul of the American south by starting your southern sojourn in this charming Texan town.
A unique blend of old and new – historic Texas heritage combined with contemporary amenities, including world-class hotels, exceptional dining and shopping options, rocking live entertainment and tons of fun attractions for the whole family – Grapevine is a convenient base from which to explore the great state of Texas as well as the American south. It’s literally just a ten-minute drive from the third busiest airport in the world: Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport!
Texas has tons to offer and is best discovered in your own car. Explore the deserts and cowboy culture in the west, the beautiful Hill Country in the centre, the Piney Woods in the east, and the historic Spanish missions and culture down in the south along the Gulf Coast.
So swap your boarding pass for a set of keys and embark on an epic self-drive itinerary that departs from this southern starting line, such as The Texas Triangle Tour which starts and ends in Grapevine and takes in the highlights of the Dallas/Fort Worth area, San Antonio and Houston. There’s also the newly-launched the FIT itinerary Cowboys, Indians and All That Jazz, which begins in Grapevine and then explores the Dallas/Fort Worth area, Oklahoma and Louisiana before ending in New Orleans.
For the wine lovers, there’s also the Texas Wine Trail, a week-long foray into Texan wine country. As the fifth-largest producer of el vino in the US, Texans absolutely adore their wine and are mighty good at making it. Grapevine is one of the three major wine regions in the state, and there are several fantastic wineries in the immediate region. Explore some of them, such as Grapevine, Fredericksburg and Lubbock, on this self-drive itinerary.
But first, before setting off in your car with the wind in your hair the tunes on 11, spend at least a few days getting all the local goss in the aptly named Texas treasure, Grapevine.
A world of southern charm awaits…
WELCOME TO TEXAS
TOP 5 MUST-DOS IN GRAPEVINE
- Explore the Historic Downtown – A great way to get a feel for a new city is to get to know its historic roots. Spend a day or afternoon walking around the historic Downtown district and check out beautifully-preserved Main Street which is colonised with wine tasting rooms, over 80 locally-owned restaurants and diners, unique shops, several art galleries (plus lots of public art on display) and the pièce de résistance: the Grapevine Glockenspiel Clock Tower. Watch local artisans hard at work or sign up for a guided walking tour of the local food scene on a Grapevine Food Tour.
- Take a ride back in time – All aboard! Jump on a historic train, aka the Grapevine Vintage Railroad, for a family-friendly experience inside authentic 1920’s Victorian coaches. A vintage steam locomotive, the train plies a 34-kilometre-route from Grapevine Main Street Station passing through Fort Worth Stockyards, running along the Trinity River, and then up to the 8th Ave Yard of the Fort Worth and Western Railroad before turning around.
- Shop until you drop – Cowboy boots and 10-gallon hats. Yes, you can score these items in Grapevine, but don’t limit yourself to hats and shoes. Visit the Grapevine Mills mall and spend yourself silly at North Texas’ largest outlet shopping destination. With over 180 stores inside, you’re sure to find whatever you’re looking for… The mall is also home to SEA LIFE Grapevine Aquarium, LEGOLAND® Discovery Center, The Escape Game, Round 1 Bowling and Amusement, Peppa Pig World of Play and more.
- Learn about life on a Prairie – Step into the Pioneer past and visit a national and historical treasure at the Nash Farm. The farm animates what life would have been like for those early Pioneers in the Great American South through exhibits, interpretive programs, activities, guided tours and touchable displays. Purchased by Thomas Jefferson Nash in 1859, this 5.2-acre farm and its many historic buildings will give you a charming dose of Americana.
- Get outdoors and soak up the sun – Lace-up those hiking boots and hit one of Grapevine’s numerous hiking trails for some southern fresh-aired fun. There are literally 100s of kilometres of trails in the area, as well as tons of spots for a nice picnic, such as the Grapevine Botanical Gardens. You can also have a splash in Lake Grapevine when the Texan sun inevitably turns up the heat.
GET INSPIRED
Need a little visual stimulation? Here, watch this!
As the song in the video sings, Grapevine promises a real good time! There’s wine to taste, trains to ride and slides to slide down, plus loads of live music to shake your booty to, over 200 restaurants, great shopping and the friendliest folk in the south in this great ol’ Texas town. Grapevine hosts many festivals all year round, too, meaning there’s always something exciting on the local calendar.
SELF-DRIVE INSIDER GUIDES FOR GRAPEVINE TEXAS
Shop ’till you drop all over the glorious state of Texas and pack your suitcase with more than just ten-gallon hats and cowboy boots. From designer boutique stores to well-known brands, shopping in Houston and Dallas-Fort Worth is a universe of commercial opportunity!
In Fort Worth, hunt for luxe bargains at The Shops at Clearfork where iconic luxury brands Louis Vuitton, Burberry and Tesla are all represented. It will be hard to pack a Tesla in your suitcase, so perhaps opt for another state-of-the-art piece of technology: visit the Apple store at University Park Village for the latest iPhone or MacBook instead.
Of course, starting your southern road trip in Grapevine plugs you straight into shopping paradise. Visit Grapevine Mills and get lost amongst the 180+ stores and outlets, such as True Religion Outlet, Under Armour, the Children’s Place, Sears Outlet, Puma Outlet, Old Navy Outlet, OshKosh B’gosh, Nike Factory Store and Neiman Marcus Last Call. Satiate your stomach at the famous Chuck E. Cheese’s or go for a healthier option at Rainforest Café or Great Wraps.
Then, if you still have the energy (or another day), check out Galleria Dallas – a shopping mecca with more than 200 stories and even an ice skating rink. And for something a little different, check out the Fort Worth National Stockyards Historic District where you can not only see a rodeo and heard cattle drive, but also peruse the stores for the perfect cowboy hat and boots combo to take back home.
Once you make it to Houston (and you totally should), shop yourself silly at The Galleria and get lost amongst its 375 stories, 30 dining establishments, two hotels and another ice skating rink. Brands such as Saks Fifth Avenue, Nordstrom, Abercrombie & Fitch, Neiman Marcus, Aveda, Chanel, Prada, Adidas, Porsche Design, Rolex and Tiffany Co. have a presence here. Also check out the River Oaks District’s collection of luxury and designer boutique stores, such as Dior, Tom Ford, Davidoff of Geneva, Hermes, Van Cleef & Arpels, Stella McCartney and Roberto Cavalli. Good luck fitting all your purchase in for the flight back home!
Check out the Shopping USA itinerary for more inspiration.
TAKE THE TUNES WITH YOU
From line dancing dazzlers, bluegrass bangers, rock stomping rockers, and our very own Keith Urban, this Spotify playlist will feed your southern soul with classic Texas numbers that will get your boots-a-tapping and your hands-a-clapping!
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