Silent nights

Texas parks beckon throughout 2022 holidays with festive events and peaceful escapes

Campers are encouraged to decorate their sites at parks this season.

Photo courtesy of Texas Parks & Wildlife

If roasting s'mores and hiking in the great outdoors sounds fun, pack up your family and visit one of Texas’ state parks this holiday season.

Texas state parks and historic sites are ringing in the holidays with a number of festive events. There are drive-thru light tours, special holiday hikes, arts and crafts for the kiddos, and more.

Reservations fill up quickly, so be sure to visit an individual park's website before you head out. And check the Holidays in the Parks page for many more fun options, pricing information, and more information.

Dallas-Fort Worth-area parks

Tyler State Park
Enjoy Reading Ranger Campfire Stories around a cozy campfire at 3 pm December 3. Head back December 9-10 for A Pineywoods Christmas, when you can stroll or drive through the Lakeview and Big Pine campgrounds to take in campers' elaborately decorated sites and take a Winter Wonderland Hike.

Lake Tawakoni State Park
Drive through or stay at the park and decorate your campsite with your favorite Christmas decorations to receive your second night of camping free during your stay. There will be a decorating contest, complete with awards, as well as a reading of The Night before Christmas — all part of Twinkle Tour 2022, 5-8 pm December 3.

Daingerfield State Park
Drive through the park lit up like Santa Land during the 10th annual Christmas in the Park drive thru lights tour December 14-17 (times vary). Marvel at the decorated campsites and lights, and enjoy hot chocolate and cookies while waiting for a chance to visit with Santa.

Eisenhower State Park
Help those in need and spread holiday cheer — and as a bonus, get free entry to the park — by bringing one unwrapped donation item to the park’s Holiday Donation Drive through December 19. Visit December 9-10 to visit the Light Up the Park drive-thru lights event, featuring milk and cookies with Santa. This year, the park is taking unwrapped toys to donate instead of collecting entrance fees for the event.

Cleburne State Park
Enjoy Pancakes With Santa and make pinecone bird feeders 9-11 am December 10.

Cedar Hill State Park
Search for birds taking their winter break at the park during their Winter Birding Walk, which takes place 7:30-8:30 am December 13. Explore Christmas on Penn Farm on December 17: Learn about the history and pioneers of the Penn Family and the farm they built 150 years ago.

Lake Mineral Wells State Park
Experience Christmas, cowboy style, at Cross Timbers Cowboy Christmas, December 3. Park ranger and cowboy poet David Owens will gather guests around a campfire at the Lone Star Amphitheater for an evening of cowboy culture through songs, stories and poems.

Dinosaur Valley State Park
In partnership with Toys for Tots, the park is hosting Christmas in the Valley, a full day of ranger-led events, programs, family friendly activities, arts and crafts, food and more. Bring a new and unwrapped toy for free admission for the whole family. The event takes place 1-4 pm December 17.

Austin/San Antonio-area parks

Bastrop State Park
Follow ornaments with clues through the park every day in December during the annual Fa La La Through The Forest Scavenger Hunt. Enjoy the Lost Pines Christmas Parade, a collaborative event with Bastrop and Buescher Parks, at 6 pm December 10. Tour the inside of the historic Refectory and see how the Civilian Conservation Corps celebrated Christmas away from home during A Lost Pines CCC Christmas 9 am-12 pm December 17.

Lyndon B. Johnson State Park & Historic Site
Visit the popular attraction during December to learn how the farm staff get ready for das Weihnachten (Christmas). Return to the park at 5:30 pm December 18 for the 53rd Annual Tree Lighting, a holiday tradition started by President and Mrs. Johnson.

Garner State Park
Join the Buffalo Soldiers program and friends as they stop into Garner State Park before leaving for Christmas break during the Marching Towards Christmas event 10 am-2 pm December 10. Christmas activities will include hand-dipped candles, frontier Christmas painting, Christmas-themed hard tack in Dutch ovens, and stories of the Buffalo Soldiers.

Buescher State Park
On the Fa La La in the Forest Scavenger Hunt, you can follow ornaments with clues through the park to secure a prize at the end, December 1 to January 1. Enjoy the Smithville Festival of Lights and Lighted Parade, a collaborative effort between Buescher and Bastrop parks, on December 3.

Hill Country State Natural Area
See how art, history and state parks are connected; learn some basic watercolor techniques and paint a card or two to take home during the Watercolor Christmas Cards event 2:30-4 pm December 3. Come back for Horses in History & Ornament Craft from 2:30-4 pm December 22 and learn how horses played important roles in the lives of vaqueros, native people, ranchers and more. Then, play a round of horseshoes and paint a horse ornament to take with you.

South Llano River State Park
At Christmas at the Ranch, 2-5 pm December 3, guests can warm up with hot chocolate and cider, listen to live entertainment, enjoy crafts and cookie decorating, and anticipate Santa's visit while taking in the twinkling lights and Christmas decorations at the historic Ranch House that now serves as Park Headquarters.

Houston and Gulf Coast-area parks

Brazos Bend State Park
Holiday in the Park is an all-day affair on December 10. Events include a self-guided "Elf Hike," Christmas crafts, "Pup Parade," s'mores, and more.

Goose Island State Park
See the park in lights, enjoy holiday activities, and camp for free when you decorate your campsite during Christmas in the Park on December 17. Guests are invited to "Santa's Village" at the CCC Recreation Hall for holiday crafts, games, hot chocolate around the campfire, and to drop off letters to Santa in the North Pole Mailbox.

Lake Corpus Christi State Park
Get in the holiday spirit with the second annual Holiday Light Drive Thru, 6-9 pm December 10. Visitors can enter the park for a drive through the lighted areas of Javelina and Opossum Bend camping loops, plus the Old Pavilion.

West Texas and the Panhandle-area parks

Franklin Mountains State Park
On December 3, make ornaments and holiday cards with recycled materials as part of the Art in the Parks series. During Cookies and Cocoa, you can decorate and take home your own Christmas treat while sipping on a cup of hot chocolate 2-4 pm December 23. Come back on Christmas Eve for a guided, two-mile Santa Hike at 11 am.

Hueco Tanks State Park & Historic Site
Bring your family out for Home for the Holidays guided family hike on December 10 and moderate hike on December 17.

San Angelo State Park
Enjoy a drive-thru tour of lights and optional pictures with Santa and Smokey Bear during Holly-Days in the Park, 6-8 pm December 10.

holidays texas vacation parks

Hotel News

Grand Hyatt hotel at DFW Airport to deploy million-dollar renovation

Courtesy photo

Grand Hyatt DFW hotel at DFW Airport

DFW Airport is undergoing updates and now the remodeling bug has bitten the on-site hotel: Grand Hyatt DFW Airport, located inside Terminal D, is deploying a renovation of the property beginning in July.

It'll be a multi-phased renovation that includes updates to guestrooms and suites, improvements to event spaces, enhancements to the restaurants and bars, plus re-envisioned lobby, guest lounges, and corridors throughout — anticipated to be completed by the end of 2025.

In a statement, Grand Hyatt DFW Airport general manager Jeff Babcock notes that the hotel is celebrating a key anniversary.

“We are thrilled to announce Grand Hyatt DFW will undergo a transformation to provide international and domestic travelers and local residents with new, more refined accommodations, enhanced culinary experiences, and modernized conference and event spaces for meetings and groups,” Babcock says. “In honor of our 20th year, the renovation will reinforce the hotel’s legacy as the premier hotel and event center supporting the international airport and connecting travelers to the Dallas Fort Worth culture and community.”

The renovation at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport marks its biggest investment since it first opened in 1974. The plan, called DFW Forward, will invest $9 billion in capital improvements to transform terminals, increase the number of gates, enhance the airfield, and improve roadways. Highlights include the addition of a new Terminal F south of Terminal D, with room for up to 24 gates; rebuilding Terminal C; more gates for Terminal A and C; and a rebuilding of Terminal C's parking garage.

“The remodeled Grand Hyatt – already known as one of the premier airport hotel experiences – will complement the ongoing enhancements and expansions across the airport as we create a smooth and enjoyable experience for our guests,” says DFW CEO Sean Donohue in a statement.

Rooms
Updates include:

An increase in the number of guestrooms and suites from 298 to 315
A new aeronautical design complemented by the style of a Texas landscape featuring local woods like Red River Pecan and Yellow Pine, with by a color palette that includes subdued greens and shades of natural blues
Stitched leather headboards and integrated lighting on the beds
Large HD flat screen televisions and new charging ports
Eco-friendly occupancy thermostats, enhanced lighting controls, and automatic blackout sheers and shades
Expansive closets and modern bathrooms with enlarged vanities, showers, and tubs

Restaurants and lounges
Food: A reimagined Grand Met restaurant and lounge will showcase a new style in dining at the airport, and its refreshed seasonal menus will offer new culinary experiences celebrating artisanal traditions combined with modern upscale dining. Keeping with the elegance of a jet-set lifestyle, the updated menu will serve international and modern cuisine with fresh ingredients sourced locally.

Atmosphere: Seating capacity at the restaurant and the lounge bar will be increased with modernized tables and chair. Newly designed private and semiprivate dining rooms will be available for large and small parties. An acoustically-designed ceiling will keep conversations private.

Meetings and events
With more than 20,000 square feet of meeting and event space, including a 6,600 square foot ballroom, the final phase will unveil a new a top-floor executive boardroom, and a one-of a-kind indoor/outdoor rooftop event space overlooking the airport runways.

The renovation will include state-of-the-art technical facilities for corporate meetings and gatherings, plus in-house audiovisual support for all types of events, with a redesign that incorporates the style of Texas and the beauty of the West.

Lobby, corridors, and pool
Steps away from the Transportation Security Administration (TSA)’s checkpoint in Terminal D, the newly envisioned hotel lobby will include marble tile flooring, specially-designed ceiling finishes, enhanced accent lighting, wood paneling, and artwork created by local.

New corridors will connect the hotel to the airport. The hallways will feature a plush carpet with a pattern inspired by the airport’s design and airline flight movements, accented with blues and browns.

A newly transformed fitness center with Pelotons bicycles will be located on the first floor, while an outdoor rooftop pool will overlook the runways.

Each Grand Hyatt hotel is uniquely designed to be a captivating destination within a destination, boasting restaurants, spas, fitness centers, and business and meeting facilities.

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Grand Hyatt hotel at DFW Airport to deploy million-dollar renovation