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CultureMap Dallas shares 8 top Texas travel tips for February

February: It's the month for celebrating love. Photo courtesy of Thompson San Antonio-Riverwalk

February is the ultimate month for celebrating love, but that's not all that's happening around Texas this month. From Mardi Gras celebrations, to rodeo season, to romantic hotel escapes, there are plenty of ways to fill an itinerary in all of Texas' hot spots. Need help deciding where to take a quick vacation, road trip, or staycation? Here are nine events and happenings to help plan a fun-filled getaway in February.

At home in Dallas

For any romantic staycation planning, the Omni Dallas Hotel is partnering with Longhorn Helicopters to offer lovebirds a breathtaking skyline tour on Valentine's Day, and a "Luxury Romance" package with plenty of sweet treats for you and your beloved. The hotel spa will also offer three relaxing Valentine's Day specials in addition to their regular treatments all month long, from a tension-relieving massage to a nourishing facial. Rates at the Omni Dallas Hotel begin at $284 per night in February.

In San Antonio

Valentine's Day preparations are in full swing at the Thompson San Antonio-Riverwalk, with two romantic offerings for couples. For stays between February 9-18, guests who use the code "SATROM" to book the SuiteHart Romance Package will receive a rose petal-decorated suite, an additional "welcome amenity," and a $200 credit that can be used on an intimate meal at Landrace, relaxing hotel spa treatments, and more. For even more idyllic bliss, the hotel will also offer a special Cabana Cuddle Up experience, which begins with an 80-minute massage for two, followed by a champagne picnic in one of the hotel's poolside daybed cabanas. Nightly rates begin at $550.

In Austin

The award-winning Commodore Perry Estate has lined up several romantic events leading up to Valentine's Day, beginning with a wine dinner on Wednesday, February 7, featuring PlumpJack head winemaker Aaron Miller, who will take guests on a journey through Napa Valley's famous Cade and PlumpJack Estate wines. For a more whimsical experience, guests can join champagne purveyor Laurent Perrier for an afternoon of wine tasting and floral arrangement design on Friday, February 9. And for the traditionalists, Commodore Perry will host a Valentine's Day-themed baking class on February 13 and a romantic dinner for two on February 14. More information about the deluxe experiences and ticket pricing can be found on aubergeresorts.com.

Round Rock's The Ruby Hotel also has special plans for Valentine's Day getaways, such as its "Romance Package" that decorates a guest's room in silky flower petals, chocolate, bottles of champagne, and an optional personalized postcard. For solo guests, the hotel will also offer a special flight-for-one that includes a 375-mililiter bottle of wine, and a charcuterie board with Antonelli's cheese, salami, seasonal fruit, and chutney. Rates at The Ruby Hotel start at $112 per night, and the Romance Package is a $75 add-on plus tax, and the Solo Flight is $45 plus tax.

As the Live Music Capital of the World, there's more to Austin's local music scene than Austin City Limits Festival or concerts at the Moody Center. The 10th annual Outsider Fest will be held February 15-18 at The Vortex, promising boundary-pushing music, theater, and drag performances, from vogue troupes to LGBTQIA mariachi. Early access badges start at $109 for general admission and $49 for students/youth.

In the Hill Country

Texas' beautiful Hill Country destinations are getting a lot of love from top national publications, and most recently, the Gruene Historic District in New Braunfels and the ever-popular town of Fredericksburg were named among the 50 best U.S. travel destinations in 2024 by Forbes Advisor. The report highlighted the abundance of wineries, vineyards, and tasting rooms in Fredericksburg and suggested several outdoorsy activities like hiking up Enchanted Rock, or floating on the Comal River in New Braunfels.

Across Texas

It's Mardi Gras season, and CultureMap has found five can't-miss celebrations happening all around Texas. Close to home, festivities throughout North Texas include the 22nd annual Krewe of Barkus Parade in McKinney on Sunday, February 4, and a self-guided pub crawl in Fort Worth on Saturday, Feb. 10. (Tip: If you can make it to Galveston, that's THE place to be on Fat Tuesday, February 13.)

In Houston

Texas' rodeo season is hot on the horizon, and Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo is set to be the biggest one yet. From the popular concert series that name drops Blake Shelton and the Jonas Brothers, to the buzzy drone shows, to exclusive rodeo-themed fashion statements, there will be plenty to talk about when the three-week-long event kicks off on Tuesday, February 27. Ticket prices vary and can be purchased via rodeohouston.com.

Where to stay? Hotel ZaZa in Houston's Museum District is offering a "Cowboys and Caviar" experience for guests who book stays with up to five friends, February 22-March 24, with the code "CAVIAR." The package includes a complimentary bottle of champagne, a bucket of Lone Star Beers, and a luxurious caviar tray for all six guests at one of the hotel's spacious suites. Nightly rates begin at $400 for the package.

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Spring Break News

Dallas-Fort Worth Airport expects record-breaking spring break travel

undefined DFW Airport

Spring break travel out of Dallas-Fort Worth is shaping up to be busy busy, especially if you're flying. According to a release, Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) is anticipating an estimated 4.8 million passengers during the Spring Break travel period, which in 2025 extends from March 6-24.

That represents a 2.4 percent increase in travelers compared to last year across the 19-day travel period, with most of those travel days projected to have more than 250,000 customers flying to, from or through DFW.

The release describes this as "record-breaking travel volumes" expected. Combined with major construction underway to upgrade and expand DFW Airport, they're offering recommendations on how to navigate traffic and reduce road congestion.

Arrive early: Plan to arrive at least two hours before domestic flights and three hours before international flights. Using drivetime apps to check traffic conditions will ensure proper planning of transit times needed to park, check-in and clear security screening ahead of departure.

Consider public transit: DART’s Orange Line provides direct access to Terminal A, while Trinity Metro’s TEXRail connects riders to Terminal B. Additionally, Trinity Railway Express (TRE) offers service from Dallas and Fort Worth to CentrePort/DFW Airport Station, with terminal access via the TRE Link shuttle. For details on transit schedules and fares, visit DART or Trinity Metro.

Prebook parking: By utilizing prebook parking online, customers can get the best rates as well as save decision-making time when arriving at the airport. In addition to terminal parking options, Express and Remote parking lots provide quick and convenient shuttle service to every terminal.

Curbside rules
Meanwhile, this seems like a good time to recap the rules for terminal curbside activity, and one-hour parking.

Curbside areas are designated for active passenger drop off and pick up only. Vehicles stopping in traffic lanes or waiting on the terminal curb until their party is ready will prohibit the flow of heavy traffic levels.

Instead, those vehicles are encouraged to use one-hour parking options in terminal garages, as well as cell phone lots at the north and south end of the airport, where vehicles can wait until passengers are ready for curbside pickup without blocking traffic.

Police and security staff will be at the curbs to help move traffic along.

Major construction along International Parkway and at Terminal C
Customers are encouraged to add extra travel time into their plan to get to the airport to navigate construction work zones that are underway to support major roadway projects along International Parkway and a complete overhaul of Terminal C.

Travelers flying out of Terminal C can view detailed construction updates, which includes information about reduced availability of parking, changes to security checkpoints and more.

It is recommended that you download the app
The DFW mobile app has been recently upgraded to ease the end-to-end travel journey at the airport, providing customers immediate access to helpful digital tools, including live parking availability, security wait times, construction updates and an interactive map of all terminals. Travelers can create a MyDFW account to utilize customized features, opt-in to personalized preferences and receive push notifications.

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