A Merry Getaway

Plan a festive getaway to Grapevine, the Christmas Capital of Texas

In the heart of Dallas-Fort Worth sits a magical Christmas destination unlike any other. Grapevine — designated the official Christmas Capital of Texas — features more than 1,400 festive Christmas events across 40 days, making it the top destination for magical moments all season.

With so many happenings, it's impossible to experience all that the Christmas Capital of Texas has to offer in just one day. So plan your extended getaway now, and let the Christmas magic unfold.

There's plenty of fun for an adults-only weekend — or bring the whole family to enjoy favorite pastimes and new traditions.

Magical experiences
World-class attractions await in Grapevine, starting with the Gaylord Texan's signature annual event, ice! featuring Harry Potter. Don the blue parkas and step into a spectacular wonderland carved by expert artisans out of 2 million pounds of colorful ice.

The family can also hop aboard the North Pole Express on the Grapevine Vintage Railroad for a magical journey featuring sing-alongs with Santa's elves and, of course, a special visit from Santa himself. But tickets are limited, so grab them now.

LEGOLAND will be decked out for the Christmas season, hosting its spectacular Holiday Bricktacular from November 28 through December 24. Enjoy a winter wonderland of activities, festive decorations, and even meet LEGO Santa.

Then, visit SEA LIFE Grapevine to help save Christmas during The Elf on the Shelf Sea Star Search. Guests can participate in this interactive Christmas trail from November 20 through January 3, where you'll explore the magical aquarium, solve festive challenges, and help the Scout Elves return the missing decorations to the Undersea Christmas Tree.

Festive fun in the heart of Grapevine
The halls are decked in Grapevine with millions of lights, larger-than-life decorations, animated characters, photo ops galore. Lace up your skates and take a spin on the Texas-sized Peace Plaza Ice Rink, under Grapevine's towering, live Christmas tree.

You can also stroll through the charm and spirit of a classic American town preparing for Christmas in Hometown Christmas, an interactive Christmas exhibition inside the Grapevine Tower Gallery and the Settlement to City Museums.

And watch as the Historic Cotton Belt Depot District transforms into the Grapevine Christmas Market for the season, complete with artisan vendors, seasonal attractions, and activities.

Entertainment abounds at the Historic Palace Theatre on Main Street, where Christmas-themed tribute shows — including performers honoring iconic acts like Frank Sinatra, Elvis, and the Beach Boys — take center stage.

Just for the adults
Christmas in Grapevine brings experiences just for the adults, too, from pop-up bars to murder mysteries.

For a different spin on a Christmas outing, book a reservation for No Home For the Holidays, an interactive murder mystery at Texas Star Dinner Theater, running November 20 through December 27, or the Ho Ho Homicide: Murder Mystery Dinner at Messina Hof Grapevine Winery, taking place December 18.

Then, cozy up in the Winter Wonderland Bubbles, nestled on Hotel Vin’s North Lawn, for a festive 90-minute experience that brings together sparkling wine, cozy Pendleton touches, and plenty of Christmas magic.

Grapevine, Texas holiday pop-up bar Photo courtesy of Grapevine Texas

Get into the spirit at the Holly Jolly Pop-up Bar at Third Rail, serving Christmas-themed craft cocktails, seasonal bites, and live entertainment all season. Or float on to Bad Santa's Boathouse for the "Naughty and Nice” Christmas Pop-up Bar to experience a waterfront winter wonderland right on Lake Grapevine.

Festive accommodations
To make the most of your getaway in the Christmas Capital of Texas, book a room in one of Grapevine’s many festive hotels.

From luxury resorts to charming boutique hotels, there’s an accommodation option for every budget, and many hotels offer special packages, including discounted rates and tickets to popular attractions.

You can wake up immersed in Christmas magic at the Gaylord Texan, Snowland at Great Wolf Lodge, and more.

Your Grapevine getaway awaits
Christmas is just around the corner, and your Grapevine getaway is waiting. Enjoy millions of lights, larger-than-life decorations, world-class attractions, and magical moments all season long.

Find the full Christmas calendar and explore more about the Christmas Capital of Texas here .

Photo courtesy of Grapevine Texas

Explore Grapevine, the Christmas Capital of Texas.

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Pack Your Patience

Houston's IAH declared 10th worst airport for delays and cancellations

United Airlines plane at George Bush Intercontinental Airport

Photo by David Syphers on Unsplash

As if flying wasn't stressful enough already, George Bush Intercontinental has landed among the top 10 worst airports for delays and cancellations.

Ahead of the busy holiday season, Houstonians should budget extra time into their travel plans before flying out of the metro's bustling George Bush Intercontinental Airport.

IAH was just declared the 10th worst airport in the nation for flight disruptions by consumer review platform ConsumerAffairs, which analyzed the rates of moderate and severe delays, diversions, and cancellations at the 29 biggest U.S. airports. IAH also appeared as the 10th worst airport where holiday travel causes the biggest disruptions.

Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Virginia led the nation as the No. 1 worst airport overall.

The report revealed IAH's biggest issue is its high volume of flight cancellations, rather than delays. IAH has the 7th highest rate of flight cancellations nationally, though the airport's cancellation rate is just 1.8 percent. A silver lining for some travelers is that less than a quarter (24.22 percent) of all cancellations were the last flight of the day to that destination. The average number of same-day flights to the same destination at IAH is 3.69, so there's a high chance travelers will get re-booked on a same-day flight after a cancellation.

Fortunately, the rate of delays at IAH is lower than most other airports, according to the study. IAH has the 10th lowest moderate delay rate out of all the airports examined with nearly 20 percent of flights delayed by 15 minutes and up to three hours. About two percent of all flights are delayed by more than three hours, making IAH the 12th worst airport for severe delays.

The top 10 worst large U.S. airports for delays and cancellations are:

No. 1 – Ronald Reagan Washington National
No. 2 – Dallas Fort Worth International
No. 3 – Newark Liberty International
No. 4 – Miami International
No. 5 – Philadelphia International
No. 6 – Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International
No. 7 – LaGuardia
No. 8 – Tampa International
No. 9 – Washington Dulles International
No. 10 – George Bush Intercontinental

Surprisingly, Los Angeles International Airport landed as the best major U.S. airport for avoiding travel disruptions. Phoenix Sky Harbor International (No. 2) and Seattle-Tacoma International (No. 3) round out the top three best airports for on-time travel.

In ConsumerAffairs' separate list of the worst medium-sized airports, William P. Hobby landed as the 18th worst out of 32 U.S. airports. About 19 percent of all flights at HOU experience moderate delays — the 5th highest rate in this category — and only one percent are severely delayed.

Pack your patience during the holidays
Flying from IAH may be more stressful during the holidays, as 22.5 percent of flights will suffer from disruptions during the Thanksgiving and winter holiday travel periods — starting the Tuesday before Thanksgiving through the Monday after, and again from December 18 to January 5.

IAH has the fourth lowest holiday disruption rate out of the biggest airports, and the 11th highest holiday severe delay rate. Put some padding on your itinerary, because two percent of all flights will be delayed more than three hours during the holidays

Additionally, 22.3 percent of all HOU flights will be disrupted during the holiday travel season, and 1.5 percent of flights will experience severe delays.

The report offers the following suggestions to help anxious travelers avoid flight disruptions: look into travel insurance to protect against delays or cancellations; look for nonstop flights; or book flights with earlier departure times on an airline with multiple departures to your destination.

For flights that do get delayed or cancelled, travelers need to "act fast" to rectify their situation, says Jennifer Rykaczewski, the CEO of nonprofit consumer advocacy organization Affordable Skies.

"In the first 10 minutes, open the airline app, see whether you have already been rebooked and search for acceptable alternatives," Rykaczewski said. "Throughout the process, save any documentation of the delay or cancellation, plus receipts for meals or hotels, in case you need it for an insurance claim later."

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A Merry Getaway

Plan a festive getaway to Grapevine, the Christmas Capital of Texas

Pack Your Patience

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