Lone Star Adventures (cont.)
Me and Aimee, high on wine, cookies, and life!
Day 5
On Saturday morning, I had a lovely buffet breakfast at the restaurant in the lobby of my apartment building - Elm Street Cask and Kitchen. Eggs, berries, sausage and coffee. A perfect way to start the day!
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| Have wine passport, will sample. |
I threw on a pretty sundress, hopped in the car, and pointed my navigation system to sweet little Grapevine, Texas. It just so happened that the town was hosting its annual Blessing of the Vines as well as their New Vintage Wine and Gallery Trail. Aimee, one of the amazing women from my leadership class, lives locally, and we'd agreed to meet up for sips, bites, and a day in the perfect weather.
The morning was another absolutely gorgeous one, and I covered the 30-minute trip easily. (As it was early April, there were bluebonnets blooming along the route! Hello, Texas!) As I came into the historic Main Street area, I was able to find a quick parking place on the street. Then, I walked the last couple of blocks to Grapevine Main, which serves as a train station, food hall, and general tourist hub. They had live music there (You KNOW they sang "Heard It Through the Grapevine," right?), as well as check-in for the festival.
I checked us in, got our "wine passports," and picked up our wine glasses. The passports were super-handy. They had a detailed map that directed you to each participating tasting room. I met up with Aimee a block or two from the train station, and we were off!
This was so. Much. FUN! First of all, the day was completely gorgeous. Secondly, Aimee is a HOOT, and I was relishing the chance to spend some time with her and get to know her better. And lastly - wine. At each tasting room, you got three tastes of wine plus a small appetizer. Plus, all the cute little shops were open, and they even had a craft fair featuring tented booths. (We *may have* bought, and quickly eaten, decorated sugar cookies that were shaped like wine glasses.)
We chatted, sipped, shopped, tasted, tilted our faces to the sun, and thanked God we were alive. We moseyed into one cute shop to look at Easter decor, our wine glasses in our hands, and the proprietor came scurrying up to us with a lanyard that sat around your neck and HELD YOUR WINE GLASS FOR YOU. She was like, "You need these! And I have them in black and pink!"
They were only $5 a piece! Sold! We each got a pink one, and I can't believe I've lived to my ripe old age having never owned a "Wine Yoke" before. (That is seriously the brand name.) For the rest of the day, in every tasting room we went into, other festival goers commented on these necklaces, and we happily told them where they, too, could purchase this next-level accessory. (That shop owner should have cut us in on the action! We sold many, many of those necklaces for her that afternoon!)
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| Pretty Grapevine Main! |
After we'd been to at least four tasting rooms, it was lunch time. We went in search of a fun, local place where we could get something starchy to soak up all the alcohol in our tummies. We found the perfect destination at Mason & Dixie. First off, the interior of this restaurant is a shabby chic DREAM. It was so carefully and thoughtfully done. Secondly, in the private room adjacent to our seats, an older woman was throwing the most marvelous birthday party, full of women in the most audacious hats and featuring giant tubs of champagne. (So, we knew we were among our people, is all I'm saying.) And lastly, we had the most delicious adult grilled cheese with tomato basil soup! It was the perfect foil for all the alcohol. The grilled cheese was perfumed with truffle oil, and the soup had this very light floral note to it. (We practically interrogated the owner about it, but she wouldn't give up her secrets! Respect.)
After lunch, Aimee had to buzz to another appointment. I hit a couple of other tasting rooms, then made my way back to the rental car and back to The Sky Apartment, where I took a well-deserved nap!
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| Blue forests with iridescent falling leaves at the Immersive Frida Kahlo exhibit. |
When I awoke, I still had a few hours of daylight, so I headed over to Dallas' Immersive Frida Kahlo exhibit. I'd seen a very similar exhibit in 2019 in Paris that featured Van Gogh's paintings, and I'd loved it. I was interested to see how the concept would translate to a very different body of work from a very different artist. I can happily report that this exhibit is just as arresting. There are three smaller spaces (two small rooms, plus a mezzanine space) in addition to one very large room where visitors can observe the "show." I enjoyed staying through the full display a couple of times and moving around to the different areas for new perspectives and alternate views.
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| Two-story gallery. Breathtaking. |
I really loved my visit here and would recommend this exhibit to anyone.
Afterwards, I was a bit hungry, but not hungry enough for a full meal. I found myself at a cool sunken bar near my apartment rental - Midnight Rambler. What a fun find! It has a lit barrel ceiling, a long bar, and some additional cozy, plush seating areas with leather sofas and chairs. It's a tiny little place, but again, as I was there alone, they found me the perfect stool at the bar immediately. Their cocktail menu is fun and inventive, and I ordered something fruity with a peppery kick. (They served it with a flower on top!) For munching, I got the crispy cauliflower, which was dotted liberally with feta and other goodies. (Highly recommend.) I spent about an hour here, sipping my drink, savoring my cauliflower, and taking in the excellent people-watching. (The bartenders are fun to watch, too. They are very good at what they do!)
Then, I walked the scant block or two to The Sky Apartment and hit the hay!
Day 6
On my last morning in Texas, I slept in! Then, I packed up my things and checked out of the rental. I loaded up the car, then pointed my GPS to Fort Worth. I'd never been there, and it's only about half and hour from Dallas. I had another gorgeous morning for driving and exploring, so I headed straight to tourist central - the Stockyards.
First things first - breakfast. I parked my vehicle in one of the paid lots and walked to The Biscuit Bar, which is right on Mule Alley. There was a line to order at the counter, but it was moving quickly. Pretty soon, I'd ordered a bacon, egg and cheese biscuit with a big cup of coffee. The order was ready before Id finished adding cream and sugar to my java, and it was delicious! The whole place was bustling and pleasant, and the staff was great. Prices are in the casual dining range, and the food is GOOD.
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| Daily cattle drive! |
I stuck my head into Billy Bob's (because I've never been to a honky tonk, and I need to go to one, right?), but they were having a music event inside, so I bagged it. I popped into some of the shops, admired some of the cool old signs, and ended up John Wayne: An American Experience. This place is a gem! It's presented in partnership with Wayne's family, so the museum exhibits contain tons of his personal effects: letters/correspondence, costumes, his personal (marked-up, coffee-stained) scripts for landmark films like True Grit, his costumes, even his Oscar. I happily whiled away about an hour here, reading through his papers, admiring his personal vehicle (He had the windows and roof lifted to accommodate his 6'4" frame.), and learning more about his life and work. The staff here were fantastic and very knowledgable, too.
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| Nostalgia at John Wayne: An American Experience |
It was a great way to end my trip to Texas! After that, it was gas station-airport-flight, and I was home by dinner!
Though I likely won't return to the Dallas area for a little while, I have so loved spending some time there and getting to know the city better. Until next time, Texas!
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