Family Fun

5 hot spots for a family staycation in Dallas-Fort Worth

School's out for the summer. You've booked a trip or two away and organized summer camps for the kids, but it's still not quite enough. This is why having a few staycations up your sleeve comes in handy. So kick schedules out the window, be spontaneous, and book a last-minute getaway that's just around the corner. Your kids will thank you for being the coolest parent around.

Here are our picks on where to staycay this summer in Dallas-Fort Worth.

The Hilton Anatole
The game-changer for many families looking for a Dallas resort arrived last summer with the launch of JadeWaters, the 3-acre water experience at the Hilton Anatole. The resort pool complex offers a lazy river, two 180-foot water slides, kids' water features, a swim-up bar in the adult pool, pool-side spa treatments, and luxury cabanas.

New this year is the Fun Pass, which can be purchased daily or for a full weekend. It gives you access to kids activities at Geppetto's Marionette, s'mores parties, and craft workshops. The kids activities at JadeWaters run every Friday to Sunday, and the resort pool is open only to hotel guests.

Adolphus Hotel
Become downtown urbanites and check-in at the Adolphus Hotel. At over 100 years old, the grand dame of Dallas has undergone a major renovation of its 407 guest rooms and suites and added a rooftop pool and full-service spa and salon. Wander around discovering downtown or book a Dallas city tour on an eco-friendly electric EFrog shuttle. Restaurant options include Ascension Coffee at Thanksgiving Tower and Cafe Momentum within walking distance, or stay in for the chef-driven pool-side menu with offerings like flatbreads, all-beef sliders, and rainbow sherbet push-pops

The Summer in the City Staycation package includes complimentary valet, reserved cabana, and a $50 food and beverage credit. The F&B credit comes in handy for in-room dining while the hotel awaits the completion of the French Room and City Hall (opening later this summer).

Four Seasons Dallas Resort and Club Las Colinas
Two words — Kids Club. Four Seasons Dallas has perfected the art of keeping children happy with organized activities like scavenger hunts, cooking classes, and yoga, all of which is available via the Kids For All Seasons (KFAS) program. Additionally, kids can take tennis and golf clinics or sign up for all-day camps. This gives parents an opportunity to try an anti-gravity aerial yoga lesson, surf the TPC green on a Golfboard, or book a couples spa treatment. Our pro-tip is to book an unhurried dinner at LAW Restaurant on Friday or Saturday (from June to September), and drop the kids off at Kids Night In at KFAS, where they will be fed and entertained.

There are also plenty of ways to spend quality time together, including s'mores nights, dive-in movies at the pool, and a game of bocce or billiards at the newly opened Outlaw Taproom.

NYLO Plano at Legacy
Swanky New York vibes can be had at NYLO Plano. Walls covered with original artwork, slick concrete floors with exposed brickwork, and gritty industrial ceiling ducts are reminiscent of an artist's loft. A library and game room connected to the in-house restaurant, LOCL, lets the littles wander about and play over a leisurely meal. There's fresh-baked cookies and fruit-infused water for guests to nibble on all day long.

Go completely local and check out the frequently held festivals in historic downtown Plano and discover eateries like Urban Crust, Zalat Pizza, Amazeballs Cakeballs, and Crave Popcorn.

Gaylord Texan Resort and Convention Center
Cool off from the heat in Gaylord Texan's 10-acre water park, Paradise Springs. There's a lazy river, a lagoon pool, and a 27-foot-tall waterslide as well as a multilevel water play structure. Tots have their own toddler pool away from chaos of the big kids. When water play is done, take a stroll under the 4.5-acre Lone Star Atrium. The indoor lush gardens, walkways, and restaurants create a mini city wrapped under air-conditioned comfort. There are 10 food and beverage options, from the Texas-inspired Old Hickory Steakhouse to casual Italian at Zeppole Coastal with courtyard seating. Family program highlights include panning for gold with Gaylord's Prospector Pete, rounding up bandits at Hank's Outlaw Scavenger Hunt, and Mommy & Me manicures at Relâche Spa.

Free family activities include Friday night fireworks overlooking Lake Grapevine, a Saturday night Glow Party and Wild West Show under the Lone Star Atrium, and nightly live music.

Scavenger hunt for outlaws at Gaylord Texan Resort and Convention Center.

Photo courtesy of Gaylord Texan Resort and Convention Center

Scavenger hunt for outlaws at Gaylord Texan Resort and Convention Center.

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Fashion on display

Rare Halston fashion exhibition now on display in unlikely Texas city

Halston: Inventing American Fashion exhibit Ellen Noël Art Museum

Photo courtesy of Ellen Noël Art Museum

An colorful eveningwear grouping takes advantage of Ellen Noël Art Museum's curved walls.

A rare exhibition honoring fashion pioneer Halston has popped up in an unexpected place: West Texas. Dallas fashionistas who are fans of the designer can make a five-hour pilgrimage to Odessa’s newly revamped Ellen Noël Art Museum to view "Halston: Inventing American Fashion."

Halston’s minimalistic fashions are rarely the subjects of retrospectives, although the designer’s dramatic life story recently had a pop-cultural resurgence through a 2021 Ryan Murphy miniseries. "Halston: Inventing American Fashion" assesses the talent that made him a household name.

Known now for outfitting 1970s icons like Liza Minelli and Bianca Jagger, Halston changed the international reputation of American sportswear as part of the famous 1973 “Battle of Versailles” fashion show, holding his own against Paris’ most lauded couturiers. His uniquely louche style still influences contemporary brands like Marc Jacobs, Zac Posen, and Tom Ford, who was briefly the creative director for a revised Halston label.

The mannequins in the Odessa display are outfitted with 75 ensembles from flowing Ultrasuede daywear to more dramatic draped gowns. The pieces “illustrate how Halston revolutionized fashion by prioritizing comfort, confidence, and modern femininity,” according to a release.

Although Odessa may seem an odd choice for the show, Halston had deep Texas connections. After he moved on from hat making, Amarillo millionaire Estelle Marsh was his sole backer willing to fund his first Madison Avenue boutique.

$Ellen No\u00ebl Art Museum, Odessa, new facade.$ The new facade at Ellen Noël Art MuseumPhoto courtesy of Ellen Noël Art Museum

$Halston: Inventing American Fashion exhibit Ellen No\u00ebl Art Museum$

Photo courtesy of Ellen Noël Art Museum

An colorful eveningwear grouping takes advantage of Ellen Noël Art Museum's curved walls.

And the recently completed renovation of Odessa's Ellen Noël Art Museum has some of the designer’s signature sleek. Designed by architect R.J. Lopez, the renovation includes new galleries and improved circulation, but the centerpiece is a striking transparent façade, replacing the original brick of the 1985 building.

“The renovation project has been over 10 years in the making and in the construction phase for the past two years,” says the museum’s buildings manager, Steve Patton, via a release. “The completion of the project has resulted in an incredible facility that is a shining star in West Texas, offering programs and exhibits that will be a destination point for people all over the world!”

"Halston: Inventing American Fashion" will run through March 22. Admission to the Ellen Noël Art Museum is free.

exhibits odessa fashion west texas museums designer texas