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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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You're Grounded

American and Southwest airlines ban humanoid robots as passengers

Photo courtesy of Elite Event Robotics/Instagram

Bebop the robot, owned by Dallas-based Elite Event Robotics, flew in May on a Southwest Airlines flight from Oakland, California, to San Diego.

Dallas-Fort Worth's two major hometown airlines are drawing a hard line between human and humanoid: American Airlines and Southwest Airlines won’t permit human-like or animal-like robots to board flights as passengers.

Fort Worth-based American and Dallas-based Southwest recently adopted bans on robotic passengers after two incidents in which human-like robots joined flesh-and-blood passengers on Southwest flights.

In May, Aaron Mehdizadeh, owner of The Robot Studio rental company in Dallas, was heading from Las Vegas to Dallas Love Field with 3.5-foot-tall Stewie, according to CBS News Texas. Rather than shipping Stewie as cargo, Mehdizadeh bought the robot its own seat using a type of ticket often purchased for fragile items such as wedding dresses and equipment.

But because Stewie was technically a carry-on item, the robot wasn’t supposed to occupy a seat, according to eWeek. Crew members wound up disconnecting Stewie’s battery and relocating the robot to a window seat before takeoff.

Mehdizadeh pushed back on Southwest’s stance regarding the battery, telling CBS News Texas that Stewie’s power supply is a standard battery that’s similar to one for a laptop.

Stewie isn’t the only robot making mischief in the skies. In May, a 70-pound, human-like robot named Bebop caused a stir on a Southwest flight from Oakland, California, to San Diego.

The robot prompted a nearly one-hour flight delay after crew members realized it violated restrictions on large carry-ons and raised concerns about the battery, San Francisco TV station KGO reported. Dallas-based Elite Event Robotics owns Bebop.

Southwest seized Bebop’s lithium-ion battery, but the airline did let Bebop take the San Diego-bound flight.

Southwest’s new robot policy prohibits human-like or animal-like robots from riding in an airplane cabin or as checked baggage, no matter their size or purpose. All other robots, including toys, must fit in a carry-on size bag and comply with battery restrictions, the airline says.

In a statement sent to CultureMap, a Southwest spokeswoman says the airline “has taken a strong stance on this issue and has led the U.S. airline industry with our battery policy.”

“The robot policy is a further evolution of a [safety] journey we have been on for several months. This move was not in response to any single incident,” the spokeswoman adds. “To eliminate confusion, the policy applies to all similar devices, regardless of size.”

Lithium-ion batteries can overheat, catch on fire, or explode on airplanes.

American’s new robot policy, which took effect Monday, August 17, is similar to Southwest’s. The policy prohibits human-like and animal-like robots from sitting in a purchased seat, being stored in an overhead bin or traveling as checked baggage. The ban applies to U.S., international, and regional flights.

“While there have been no known events involving this type of robot on any American flight, this policy was developed following a comprehensive review of safety risks associated with these devices, including the large lithium-ion batteries that power them,” the airline said in an internal memo obtained by the View From the Wing travel blog.

American gate agents have been told not to allow a passenger accompanied by a robot to board a plane or to let a robot travel as a checked item, the memo says.

If a robot is discovered after check-in, American employees are supposed to follow the Federal Aviation Administration’s “undeclared dangerous goods” procedures. These procedures cover hazardous shipments like lithium-ion batteries, explosives, flammable liquids, and compressed gases that lack required warning labels or shipping documents.

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You're Grounded

American and Southwest airlines ban humanoid robots as passengers