Our son is almost two and we haven't done a weekend away from him since he was born.

Looking for suggestions for places that are either a quick flight/drive from DFW or Spring, TX.

Thoughts?

I want to shoot myself for even suggesting these but it had to be done.

• Magnolia Silos
• Winstar

We're in the DFW area and really like going to Hochatown/Broken Bow in Oklahoma for a long weekend.
We're headed to Hot Springs, Arkansas this week to see if would be another good option for a quick getaway for us.

Of course, we've done the Fredericksburg thing a few times and also now Dripping Springs - not as crowded as Fredericksburg but still in the Hill Country and enjoyable.

The Winstar thing cracks me up because we love going there...I have multiple clients and friends that jump up there for a quick getaway often.

My mother is a school teacher in Waco and loves going to the penny slots in Oklahoma since it's closer than Vegas.

Naveronski said:

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I didn't realize the Waco thing had grown that big...

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Waco as a destination wasn't on my radar at all until about 2016, when I ran into a guy wearing a Magnolia - Waco, Texas on my flight from Houston Hobby to Reagan National Airport.

Then in February 2021 when I got stuck on the San Antonio Riverwalk for 5 days during the snowstorm, the manager at the CVS told me that the Riverwalk was losing business to Waco and the Magnolia Silos. I couldn't believe it.

During the past 5 years or so, I've seen plenty of friends posting pictures about going to Magnolia and I still can't believe it. But hey, good for Chip and Joanna.

Naveronski said:

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Our son is almost two and we haven't done a weekend away from him since he was born.

Looking for suggestions for places that are either a quick flight/drive from DFW or Spring, TX.

Thoughts?

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What do you want to do? Relax, activity based, entertainment? What is a quick flight?

Maybe a boutique hotel on the Riverwalk or a nice hotel in downtown Austin like the FS or Proper, I know this is nothing original but they are still solid "staycation" options.

If you don't mind a longer drive or getting on a plane then New Orleans is always an option too, I'll throw out Santa Fe as a great option as well for a short flight.

Does one of you live in DFW and the other in Spring?

I live in Arizona. When people find out I'm from Texas about half of them tell me their Waco/Magnolia stories.

Both Santa Fe and New Orleans are short, cheap flights.

Wife and I just did a long weekend in Louisville. Hit up some bourbon tours, brunch at Churchill Downs and just being lazy. Would definitely recommend. ~2hr flight out of DFW and budget friendly.

a.froman said:

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Naveronski said:

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Our son is almost two and we haven't done a weekend away from him since he was born.

Looking for suggestions for places that are either a quick flight/drive from DFW or Spring, TX.

Thoughts?

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What do you want to do? Relax, activity based, entertainment? What is a quick flight?

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Relax, eat good food.

Quick flight is less than 2 hours?

breezecustomtravel said:

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We're in the DFW area and really like going to Hochatown/Broken Bow in Oklahoma for a long weekend.
We're headed to Hot Springs, Arkansas this week to see if would be another good option for a quick getaway for us.

Of course, we've done the Fredericksburg thing a few times and also now Dripping Springs - not as crowded as Fredericksburg but still in the Hill Country and enjoyable.

The Winstar thing cracks me up because we love going there...I have multiple clients and friends that jump up there for a quick getaway often.

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Honestly we've never been to Winstar so maybe I just don't know what I'm missing.

Hot Springs is a neat town.
Hochatown/BB has been a couple years, but it's neat too. Last visit, we camped in the national forest overlooking a lake. Think it's been developed into a house now.

Ag CPA said:

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Maybe a boutique hotel on the Riverwalk or a nice hotel in downtown Austin like the FS or Proper, I know this is nothing original but they are still solid "staycation" options.

If you don't mind a longer drive or getting on a plane then New Orleans is always an option too, I'll throw out Santa Fe as a great option as well for a short flight.

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These both sound like good options. Never been to Santa Fe.

jja79 said:

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Does one of you live in DFW and the other in Spring?

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We're in DFW, my parents are in Spring.

We're not going to Waco. We do like Denver and Colorado Springs.

Might do Nashville.

We live in Austin and go to Biloxi. Hour and a half flight to NOLA, rent a car and drive hour and half to Biloxi. Nice dinner, couple massage, a little gambling. Do it Thursday though Saturday and it gets cheaper.

Toronto is a three hour flight. Chicago is two-and-a-half.

But if you want good food, New Orleans is the place to go. Flight is 1.5 hours from DFW.

in state fredericksburg

out of state: Scottsdale, Savannah, Charleston, new orleans.....all quick flights, good restaurants, and decent to good weather this time of year

ETA poster above mentioned it as well chicago

wife and I did a very quick trip there a couple years in February for her bday. While it was COLD, we stil enjoyed walking around downtown, and hitting up the classic chicago pizza places. The weather made it memorable and fun just because it was so different then what we experience here in TX. Also rooms and flights were CHEAP.

Probably in the minority and goes against the whole point of the TRAVEL board, but the wife and I have felt the most energized by having weekends at home without our son. To me, a weekend just isn't long enough for us personally to travel much of anywhere and be able to relax. I think the only place we have thought of driving to (from DFW) was Broken Bow. Otherwise just doesn't seem to be that many options that appeal to us personally. Flying for a weekend trip would be out of the question for us, but that is a personal preference with how quickly a delayed flight or whatnot could sidetrack the whole thing.

But perhaps the goal is not relaxation and you get energized by staying busy, activities and moving around freely. Just thought I would offer up a counter idea to traveling for a weekend away when I know your time is magnified with a little one at home. We typically have a few movies or a show to watch, get some nice steaks to put on the grill, sleep in, play games, read, stay up late, etc. Love the few weekends we stay home while the kiddo goes over to the grandparents.

If you don't mind flying, one of our more memorable weekend trips was to Chicago, but that was pre-kid. Had a fun time, especially with some of the Christmas season festivities, shopping and shows.

Wahoo82 said:

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We live in Austin and go to Biloxi. Hour and a half flight to NOLA, rent a car and drive hour and half to Biloxi. Nice dinner, couple massage, a little gambling. Do it Thursday though Saturday and it gets cheaper.

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I stopped in Biloxi a couple months ago on the way back from Nashville to Galveston.
I'd definitely like to go back.

10andBOUNCE said:

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Probably in the minority and goes against the whole point of the TRAVEL board, but the wife and I have felt the most energized by having weekends at home without our son. To me, a weekend just isn't long enough for us personally to travel much of anywhere and be able to relax.

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I get your point in a way, sometimes it is nice to stay home.

After 3 years of California Covid, I moved from LA to Galveston a few months ago.

During the War, we had to leave LA for the weekend many times, just to be able to do normal stuff (you know, go to a bar, dine in a restaurant, not wear a mask, etc.).

Now that we're living on Galveston Island, I don't really have to go anywhere, stuff comes to me. Oktoberfest, Jeeps on the Beach, Lone Star Rally, Dickens on the Strand, Mardi Gras, etc.

it's nice to not have to travel to do something interesting but, there is so much out there to explore and do. Heck, even something as simple as going machine gun shooting in Las Vegas can be a lot of fun. As a former Abrams Tanker, it didn't do much for me but, my wife was thrilled by the excitement of sending some belt fed 7.62mm down range. I just enjoyed the gunpowder smell.

Another one my wife really enjoyed in Vegas was operating heavy machinery. Can't really do that at home unless it's your job.
https://digthisvegas.com/

A new one in Vegas that is super cool (besides the Sphere) is Meow Wolf.
https://meowwolf.com/visit/las-vegas

And glow in the dark, KISS mini-golf - highly recommend.

Naveronski said:

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I didn't realize the Waco thing had grown that big...


...and it's now a goal to prevent my wife from finding out.

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Magnolia Silos is the biggest tourist attraction in the state. It draws more people than the Alamo.

If you drop your kids off at your folks house in Spring, there are direct flights from IAH to Savannah. Stay downtown at one of the old/historic hotels and walk wherever. Uber from the airport to downtown.

Las Colinas Resort w/ room service and her favorite wine

No need to drive to Fredericksburg or Waco.

What time of year? We are doing a long weekend on 30A in Florida Early May. Sub 2 hour flight to Panama City from DFW and a 30 minute drive to our rental after that.

Weekend (like Friday to Sunday) trips from Spring area...


Driving:
- Fredericksburg / Luckenbach - house or b&b
- San Antonio - near river walk
- The Woodlands - Hughes Landing - nice hotels, and restaurants
- Spring - City Place - same as above
- Galveston - tons to do and won't be crowded


Flying:
- You can get to Arkanasas. Florida, Cancun
- New Orleans - fun for a weekend


For me, I would want less time traveling and more time relaxing and remember without the kid it's already going to be more relaxing. Doesn't need to be a weekend full of planned activities. Do something you know she likes, do something you know you like and reconnect.